46 A C A 
ing, of Architecture, of Anatomy, and of Perfpe&ivc, who 
annually read public leftures on the fubjedts of theirfeve- 
ral departments; befides a prefiaent, a council, and other 
officers. The admiffion to this academy is free to all Un¬ 
dents properly qualified to reap advantage from the (In¬ 
dies cultivated in it; and there is an annual exhibition of 
paintings, fculptures, and deligns, open to all artifts of di- 
ftinguilhed merit, the elegance and utility of which does 
infinite honour to the kingdom. 
The Academy of Painting and Sculpture at Paris. This 
took its rife from the difputes that happened between the 
mailer painters andfculptors in that capital; in confe- 
quence of which, M. Le Brun, Sarazin, Corneille, and 
others of the king’s painters, formed a defign of inftituting 
a particular academy; and, having prefented a petition to 
the king, obtained an arret dated Jan. 20, 1648. In the 
beginning of 1655, they obtained from Cardinal Mazarin 
a brevet, and letters patent, which were regiftered in par¬ 
liament; in gratitude for which favour, they chofe the car¬ 
dinal for their protestor, and the chancellor for their vice- 
proteftor. In 1663, by means of M. Colbert, they ob¬ 
tained a penlion of 4000 livres.' The academy confifts of 
a proteftor ; a vice-proteftor; a direftor; a chancellor; 
four reftors; adjuncts to the reftors; a treafurer; four 
profelfors, one of which is profeffor of anatomy, and ano¬ 
ther of geometry; feveral adjuncts and counfellors, an 
hiftorio'grapher, a fecretary, and two ulliers. 
There is alfo an Academy of Painting, Sculpture, &c. 
at Rome, eltabliflied by Lewis XIV. wherein thofe who 
have gained the annual prize at Paris are intitled to be three 
years entertained at the king’s expence, for their further 
improvement. 
The Academy of Architecture, eltabliflied by M. Colbert 
in 1671, confilting of a company of Ikilful architefts, un¬ 
der the direction of the fuperintendant of the buildings. 
VII. Academies of Law ;- as that famous one at Be- 
ryta, and that of the Sitientes at Bologna. 
VIII. Academies of History ; as the Royal Acade¬ 
my of PortugueJ'e Hifory at Lijbon. This academy was inlti- 
tuted by king John V. in 1720. It confilts of a direftor, 
four cenlors, a fecretary, and fifty members; to each of 
whom is affigned fome part of the ecclefialtical or civil hif- 
tory of the nation, which he is to treat either in Latin or 
Portugiiefe. In the church hiltory of each diocefe, the 
prelates; fynods, councils, churches, inonafteries, acade¬ 
mies, perfons illuftrious for fanftity or learning, places 
famous for miracles or reiics, mult be diltinftly related 
in twelve chapters. The civil hiltory comprifes the trarif- 
aftions of the kingdom from the government of the Ro¬ 
mans down to the prefent time. The members who refide 
in the country are obliged to make collections and extraftts 
out of all the regilters, &c. where they live. A medal 
was Itruck by this academy in honour of their prince ; the 
front of which was his effigy, with the inscription Johannes 
V. Lufitanorum Rex-, and, on the reverfe, the fame prince 
is reprefented Handing, and raifing Hiltory almolt prolirate 
before him, with the legend Hijloria Refuges. 
Academy of Suabian Hifory at Tubingen, was lately efta- 
blilhedby fome learned men, for publilhing the belt hifto- 
rical writings, the lives of the chief hiftorians, and com¬ 
piling new memoirs, on the feveral points and periods 
thereof. 
IX. Academies of Antiquities; as that at Corto¬ 
na in Italy, and at Upfal in Sweden. The firlt is defigned 
for the ftudy of Hetrurian antiquities: the other for illuf- 
trating the northern languages, and the antiquities of Swe¬ 
den, in which notable difeoveries have been made by it. 
The head of the Hetrurian academy is called Lucomon, by 
which the ancient governors of the country were diltin- 
guifhed. One of their laws is to give audience to poets 
only one day in the year; another is to fix their felfions, 
and impofe a tax of a dillertation on eacli member in his 
turn. 
The Academy of Medals and Infcriptions at Paris was fet on 
foot by M. Colbert, under the patronage of Lewis XIV. 
A C A 
in 1663, for the ftudy and explanation of ancient monu¬ 
ments, and perpetuating great and memorable events, by 
coins, relievos, infcriptions, &c.—One of the firlt under¬ 
takings of this academy, was to compofe, by means of me¬ 
dals, a connected hiltory of the principal events of Lewis 
XIV’S reign; but in this defign they met with great diffi¬ 
culties, and of confequence it was interrupted for many 
years; but at length, it was completed down to the advance¬ 
ment of thedukeof Anjou to the crown of Spain.—lnthis 
celebrated work, the eftablifhment of the academy itfelf 
was not forgot. The medal on this fubjeft reprefents 
Mercury fitting, and writing with an antique Itylus on a 
table of brafs; he leans with his left hand upon an urn full' 
of medals, and at his feet are leveral others placed upon 
a card: the legend, Rerum gefarum fides-, and on the ex¬ 
ergue, Academia regia inferiptionum et numifnatum, infituta 
M.DC.LXIII. fignifying that the Royal Academy of Me¬ 
dals and Infcriptions, founded in 1663, ought to give to 
future ages a faithful teftimony of all great aftions. Be¬ 
fides this work, we have feveral volumes of their memoirs; 
and theirhiltory, writtenandcontinuedby their fecretaries. 
X. Academies of Belles Lettres, are thofe 
wherein eloquence and poetry are chiefly cultivated. 
Thefe are very numerous in Italy, and not uncommon 
in France. 
The Academy ofUmidiat Florence has contributed greatly 
to the progrefs of the fciences by the excellent Italian 
tranllations given, by fome of its members, of the ancient 
Greek and Latin hiftorians. Their chief attention is to 
the Italian poetry, at the fame time that they have applied 
themfelves to the polilhing of their language, which pro¬ 
duced the Academy della Crvfca. 
The Academy of Humorifs, Umorifti, had its origin at Rome 
from the marriage of Lorenzo Marcini, a Roman gentle¬ 
man ; at which feveral perfons of rank were guefts; and, 
it being carnival time, to give the ladies fome diverfion, 
they took themfelves to the reciting of verfes, fonnets, 
fpeeches, firlt extempore, and afterwards premeditately; 
which gave them the denomination of Belli Humori. After 
foipe experience, coming more and more into the tafte of 
thefe exercifes, they refolved to form an Academy of Bel¬ 
les Lettres; and changed the title of Belli Humori for that 
of Humorijli: chooling for their device a cloud, which, af¬ 
ter being formed of exhalations from the fait waters of the 
ocean, returns in a gentle fweet fliower; with this motto 
from Lucretius, Redit agmine dulci. 
In 1690, the Academy of Arcadi was eltabliflied at Rome, 
for reviving the ftudy of Poetry and of the Belles Lettres. 
Befides molt of the politer wits of both fexes in Italy, this 
academy comprehends many princes, cardinals, and other 
eccleliaftics; and, to avoid difputes about pre-eminence, 
all appear mafked after the manner of Arcadian (hepherds. 
Within ten years from its firft eltabliihment, the number 
of academifts amounted to fix hundred. They hold alfem- 
blies feven times a year in a mead or grove, or in the gar¬ 
dens of fome nobleman of diftinftion. Six of thefe meet¬ 
ings are employed in the recitation of poems and verfes of 
the Arcadi refidingat Rome; who read their own compo- 
fitions; except ladies and cardinals, who are allowed to 
employ others. The feventh meeting is fet apart for the 
competitions of foreign or abfent members. This acade¬ 
my is governed by a cuftos, who reprefents the whole fo- 
ciety, and is chofen every four years, with a power of eleft- 
ing twelve others yearly for his afiiltance. Under thefe are 
two fub-cuftodes, one vicar, or pro-cuftos, and four depu¬ 
ties or fuperintendants, annually chofen. The laws of the 
fociety are immutable, and bear a near refemblance to the 
ancient model. 
• XI. Academies of Languages ; called, by fome. 
Grammatical Academies: as, 
The Academy della Cnfca at Florence, famous for its voca¬ 
bulary of the Italian tongue, vvasformed in 1582, butfcarce 
heard of before the year 1584, when it became noted for a 
difpute between Talfo and feveral of its members. Many 
authors confound this with the Florentine academy. The 
difeourfes 
