558 
armiong a number of vine trees colieéted 
into one place, and even among the 
branches of the fame vine, thofe on which 
' the operation had been performed were 
not fubjeét to the dropping off which fre- 
quently attacked the others. It fhould be 
remarked that the wood acquires a greater 
fize above the incifion, and that the ope- 
ration accelerates not only the maturity of 
the wood, but likewife that of the fruit. 
It has likewife been afcertained that the 
vines on which the incifion was made too 
deep and further than the bark, were 
fpoited both in the wood and the fruit. 
Citizen FRANcoIs DE NEUFCHATEAU, 
late minifter of the interior, has fent a cir- 
cular letter to all the profefiors and librari- 
ans of the central fchools, directing them 
to compofe, for each department, an an- 
nuary or almanack, which fhall contain a 
fummary defcription of their department ; 
the traits of humanity, courage, and re- 
publicanifm, difplayed in the fame de- 
partment; the prizes propofed and ob- 
gained; the ftate of agriculture, of ma- 
Retrofpeét of the Progrefs of the Fine Arts. 
admits not of the {mallet doubt; that 
fAuguft, 
nufactures, and of commerce ; meteorolo- 
gical obfervations ; tables of population, 
of births, of mortalities, prevailing dif- 
eafes; curious phenomena, &c. It ap- 
pears that an annuary upon a fomewhat 
fimilar plan has been already carried inte 
execution for the department of the Lower 
Rhine. 
The National Inftitute has pronounced, 
In its general fitting of the 5th Prairial, 
on the fix lifts of candidates propofed te 
it in that of the sth Floreal. The num- 
ber of voters was 112.—For the elafs of 
mathematical and phyfical fciences, (e402 
of geometry, veiding member, citizen La- 
CROI%; fection of anatomy and xoologyy 
aflociate, citizen JURINE. 
For the clafs of moral and political f{ci- 
ences, fection of Geography, aflociate, ci- 
tizen LESCALIER. 
For the clafs of Hterature and-arts, 
Je&ion of antient languages, rehding mem- 
ber, citizen CHARLES PoUGENS; /é- 
tion of grammar, aflociate, citizen CROU- 
ZET ; fection of poetry, aflociate, citizen 
DUMOUSTIER, 

MONTHLY RETROSPECT 
oF THE PROGRESS or THE 
FINE: ARTS: 
[As this Article will in future be continued regularly, all Printfeilers, Engravers and 
Publifhers, who wifh for an early Netice of their Works, are requefled to forward a 
Copy of each as foon as publifhed, to Mr. Phillips, No. 71, St. Paul’s Church-yard.} 
F dooks we have had reviews upon re- 
views;. but though the number of pic- 
tures in this country 1s fo great, that there 
is {earcely a {treet in the metropolis without 
a printhhop ; a parifh at the weit end of the 
town without an exhibition; or a pariour 
without a painting or engraving; not- 
withftanding all this ; of pictures and prints 
there has hitherto been no regular review f 
To fill wp this chafm in criticiim has 
long been in our fpeculation, and we pro- 
pofe in our future Magazines to devote a 
fmall portion to the fubje&t; and give a 
catalogue and critique of the moft remark~ 
able pictures and beft executed prints. 
Tothis we fhall add, occafional notices of 
fuch paintings as are configned to this 
country from the continent, ocecafional re- 
marks on the various exhibitions, and 
whatever relates to the Arts, either in 
p2inting, engraving, or fculpture. Of the 
Jaft of thefe ({culpture) a great perfonage 
once faid, “* this climate was too cold for 
zt,’ —yet the pleafure excited by the few 
capital flatues we have, leads us to hope 
the art may revive in. Britain ; for, though 
its mere antiquity gives it no claim te ad- 
ditional veneration, yet the recolle&tion of 
its having been the purfuit and boatt of 
that people who were the lawgivers of 
defign, and that it eftablifhed a criterion 
for tafte, induces us to contemplate it with 
a kind of enthufiaftic reverence. 
In all our critigues on thele fubjeéts, it 
is our wiih, and, from the prefent ftate of 
the Arts, we truft. it will be our lot, to 
have more frequent oecafion to confer praifé 
than hurl ceniure; we are fure it will be 
a more agreeable tafk ; for who would 
not rather gather rofes than plant thiftles 
In every cafe, in our remarks on thele 
zmitations of Nature, we fhall keep in view, 
the maxim laid down by Nature's Poet,— 
‘¢ Nothing extenuate, nor fet down aught in 
malice.” 
As the firit exhibition in point of time, 
FHE SHAKESPEARE GALLERY 
claims the firft notice. This having been- 
fo long before the public, it dees not come 
2% inte. 
