1796.) 
leisure, the »productions of the great 
masters of painting, ancient and modern. 
Such repositories, you know, Sir, exist 
throughout Italy, more particularly at 
Florence: The gallery there is open 
almoft the whole day ; the beft produc- 
tions of ancient artifts are expofed to 
view, and every accommodation is pro- 
vided for the ftudents, 
It is, however, matter of furprife to 
me, that although our Royal Academy 
offeffes a library, containing many va- 
fuable books on the arts, yet this 
library is only open once a week, and 
even then only for a fingle hour; and 
during the vacation, which continues 
five months of the year, is not open at 
all. And they are never permitted to 
have them at their own houfes. How 
little advantage, then, can ftudents de- 
vive from thefe ingenious works ! 
With this &atement two queftions are 
connected: Was Rouffeau right in main- 
taining, that the arts are injurious to foci- 
ety? or Is Mr. Barry rightin maintaine 
ing, that the want of a public repofttory 
for the arts, is a uational evil? If the 
royal academicians allow, that Rouffeau 
was wrong, and that the profeffor is right, 
another queftion occurs: Might not the 
evil, of which Mr. Barry complains, 
e eafily remedied ? ) 
The moft ufeful inftitutions have arifen 
from {mall beginnings. If a national 
repofitory cannot be looked for from 
royal munificence, may it not be pro- 
moted by the exertions of individuals? 
Were a fingle artift to come forward 
with a generous fubfcription for this pur- 
pofe, he would allure others by his ex- 
ample, and might lay the foundation of 
a building, of more curious conftruétion, 
and more ufeful tendencies, than is ealy 
-at this junéture to anticipate. 
To thew what might probably be the 
fruits of a liberal and extenfive plan, 
your attention is calledto a literary in- 
flitution in the more humble walks of 
life.— 
Some years ago, a philofophical fociety 
was formed in an ob{cure part of Lon- 
don, compoféd of perfons of. the mid- 
dling, I may fay of the lower, ranks in 
life. By very fmall contributions, this 
fociety was firft conftituted, and is ftill 
fupported. They are, however, now pof- 
feffed of a library, containmg many 
valuable publications in hiftory and 
philofophy, and an excellent mathematical 
apparatus, for the ufe of the mem- 
bers, who are allowed to convey the 
Monruiy Mac. No. Il, 
Progrefs of the-Arts and Knowledge. 
ferninaries. 
In trade. 
113 
books to their houfes, under certain re- 
gulations. They have made a confidera= 
ble proficiency in {cience, and one of them 
delivers a difcourfe every fortnight, on 
fome mathematical or philofophical fub- 
ject. Prompted by motives of curicfity, 
a few weeks ago, I attended one of thefe 
lectures, and, to my great fatisfaCtion, 
heard an ingenious lecture delivered on 
the fubje& of chemiftry. 
In confidering the queftion relative to 
the means of facilitating’ the progrefs’ of 
the arts and fciences, our notice is next 
attracted to the reftriCtions on our public 
On this head, I ‘hall only 
oblerve, that the more exdowments are 
dooked into, particularly when formed 
into corporations, the more they will be 
found to involve reftraints which exclude 
Many ingenious men from numerous 
advantages; and, it is to be feared, fome- 
times illiberalize: the minds of fuch-as 
enjoy them. miei 
The late ingenious Mr. Robinfon, of 
Cambridge, a perfon not lefs efteemed 
and admired by many ornaments of the 
Univerfity, than by the Diffenters, faw 
the inconveniencies and defeéts in all their 
magnitude, and drew upthe plan of a 
NEW COLLEGE, which was fubmitted 
to the confideration of fome of the more 
opulent diffenters, He propofed, that a 
college thould be inftituted, which fhould 
depend for fupport neither on endow- 
ments, nor fubicriptions; but upon’a 
fund, originally, indced, raifed by fub- 
{criptions, and to be improved afterwards 
This plan will be found at 
length, in the Life of that gentleman) 
{peedily to be publifhed. Though fome 
defeéts exift in this plan, yet it con- 
tains many hints that may be im- 
proved upon by literary men, whethér 
members of the eftabiithed church, or 
diffenters. 
In a learned and ufeful little vos 
lume, lately publifhed, entitled, The 
Memoirs of Planetes, in a note, Pp» 102, 
the Author enquires, What is the reafon 
that the {ciences are fo difficult of attain. 
ment? ‘Lo this queftion, he affigns in 
aniwer, as one of the reafons, their be- 
tag enveloped in amajs of unintelligible 
aames. If, fayshe, in lieu of the Greek, 
Latin, and fanciful appellations, with 
which.aftronomy, anatomy, botany, che- 
miftry, &c. are at prefent furrounded, 
and which confticute, as it were, a mo- 
mopoly of thofe {ciences to the Grecian 
and Roman languages, they were con- 
veyed by plain Englith terms, tAat convey 
MCANLNE 
