ee 
172 Thoughts on the Removal of 
Works of Art from Italy. (March, 
cefsful, im proucing a vole rreétion of <a head or limb being placed on fome 
that people of ftatues, that mew ancient 
world, which: Rapheel and Michael An- 
gelo were not fortunate enough to fee. 
It is not the imitative arts alone that 
will fuffer by a fpoliation. The hiftory 
of civil and religious tenets and cuftoms, 
of municipal inftitutions, the means of 
verifying or correéting ancient h ftory, 
poetry, the ftudy of languages, chrono- 
logy, criticiim; in a word, the entire 
hiftory of the human mind, are all cqualiy 
interefted in the reproduction or fecure 
_confervation of thofe ancient monuments. 
To fcatter che objects ond infrumeats 
of any ftudy, which ought to. be always 
colleéted together in a body, is to deftroy 
it; unity betpg the great principle of 
knowledge, which pervades every cranch 
of art and fctence. “Fo difunite collec- 
tions of ufeful object, is like tearing 
away the theets of a book, which was 
compiled for the exprefs purpofe of be- 
ing preferved entire. What fhonld we 
think of a projeét tending to remove to 
other cities, the great national collections 
depofited in the Britifh Mufeum at Lon- 
den, or the Mufcum of Natural Hiftor 
colle&ed with fo great care at Paris? 
‘The confequences, however, even of 
fuch a remova!, would be lefs fatal, than 
the attempt to diimember the Roman and 
Tralian antiquities. ‘The great mufeum 
of Italy is a vai coloifus, cf which, in- 
deed, the members and fragments ma 
be broken off and’carried away, but the 
entire bulk of this mighty body, like 
that of the Sphynx ef Memphis, in- 
hercs inthe ground, and is incapable of 
deportation in ics-totalicy. ‘The mu- 
feum lam fpeaking of, confifts of am- 
phitheatres, theatres, temples, palaces, 
circuffes, triumphai arches, obelitks, co- 
lumns, coloth, ftarues, thermz, tombs, 
agquedudts, ancient ways, &c. a great 
number of which are efientially impli- 
cated in the very geographical pofition 
of elties, mmeuntains, rivers, &c. or elfe 
are partially conneéied with local tradi- 
tions, cuftoms not yet obfolete, or other 
relations, whih can only be properly 
traced out anc afcertained in the eoun- 
try ittelf, wherein they are depcfited. 
The learned Winckelman, for initance, 
could. never have produced ‘his well- 
Known inftruétive and invaluable Trea- 
tife, had he not had before his eyes, the 
tout enfemble of rich materials which 
Rome prefented to his contemplation. 
Many a figure alfo now fubfitts which 
eannot be aleertained, in confequence of 
other figure, or remaining yet undifco- 
vered in the e@rth. ; 
As, therefore, this edifice cf antique 
monuments is about to be gradually re- 
built, how culpable is the attempt to 
fteal away any itone which is required to 
conftitute part of the building! An en- 
lightened policy fuggetts, that we fhouid 
rather endeavour to replace in the great 
laboratory of arts, whatever has been 
filched away by vanity, avarice, or mean 
curiofty. 
March 2) 1797- 
ES 
For the Monthiy Magazine. 
: 
[We have been favoured with the following 
circumftantial account of the late defcent in 
Pembrokefhire, by a Gentleman, on whofe 
veracity we can fully rely: and as that event 
has excited a confiderable fhare of public cu- 
riofity, we concelve the narrative to be wor- 
thy of the notice of our readers. ] 
WN Wednefday, the 22d of February 
laft, feveral perfons, from the heights 
above $t. Bride's bay, defcried a {mall 
fquadron, confifting of two frigates, and 
two f{maller veffels, fleering from the 
Briftol Channel! round St. David’s Head. 
They fhowed Engiith colours, but were 
foon fufpeéted to be French. After turn- 
ing St. David’s Head, and failing a few 
miles to the northward, in Cardigan bay, 
they drew near the fhore, and caft fingle 
anchors to the north of a {mall promon- 
tory, under Lanwnnwr; they remained 
, but a fhort time.ar that place, moving 
‘ foon up, half a league nearer to Fith- 
guard ; and finally anchoring in a {mall 
bay, near Lanonda church. They im- 
mediately heifted French colours, and put 
out their boats. The conatry-peopie 
were dreadfully alarmed, and inftantly 
abandoned their houfes. One boat was 
obferved ta.approach the fhore, full ot 
men. The cliffhere is very tteep and 
rugged, the afcent exceedingly difficult. 
“A countryman faw them coming up 
fingl;, throwing their. muikets before 
them, and climbing on their hands and 
knees. As foon as they got to the top of 
the hill, they tet the furze, and what 
combuttibles they could colleéi, on fire, 
to apprize their comrades of their fuc- 
cefs. ‘Asno perfon ventured to continue. 
in fight of the cliff any longer, it is im- 
poffible to know how they contrived te 
bring up their barrels of gunpowder, 
&c. It has been faid, that thev were 
direGted ¢ither by Irifhmen or Welch- 
men, who. were perfectly acquainted 
with 
