1807.) » 
ages, abfolved his long career of public 
admiration, wholly unemployed by the 
fovereign, whofe reign and country he 
adorned, 
This extraordinary, nay, almoft incre- 
dible circumittance, leads to the fuller 
elucidation of the nature of thofe national 
diftinctions, which may be confidered as 
provocative of talent. Reynolds, with 
us, was a Knight, and King’s Painters; 
but thefe honours were fo far froin ferving 
as aground of future emulation in his art, 
that ‘the ‘y have merely left arddle, fearce 
to be folved by potterity, wherefore no 
picture of an arti tt fo figualized, is to be 
found in any of the various palaces of his 
fovercien. tis eae ies therefore, that 
the cafe of Reynolds, notwithttanding 
nominal lronours, cannot be quoted as an 
inftance of due diftinction conferred on 
merit; om the contrary, it may be { fately 
afferted, that at leatt half of the oppor+ 
tunity offered by the lite of fo illuitrious 
an artilt, to raife the characier and ge- 
neral eftimation of Ineilth art, was loft. to 
eur country for want of proper excite- 
ments, whereby his talents might have 
been fally called into exertion. 
This inftance is fufficient to explain the 
views of our enquiry, regarding the influ- 
ence of honours and rank on the arts. 
Such honours as empty titles can bettow, 
by no means appear to con{titute the’: 
fpecies of diftinétion, which may be fup- 
pofed at once to rew ard and ftimulate ge- 
nius. Before the arts can be expec sted to 
reach their ultimate degree of elevation 
in a philofophical land, a more folid and 
permanent bafis muft upport the honours 
to be allotted to them, and they muft find 
their eftabliament on fair and public 
ground, where their clamas may be duly 
Invettigated, aud as duly rewarded. If 
they be truly denominated liberal arts, it 
is among the national clafles of liberal 
fiudy that they muit take their fiation, 
It is here that they muft be taught to feek 
for diftinétion, not from the favour of a 
partial admirer, or a courtly patron, but 
from the more ‘exalted fulfrages of learn- 
ing and patriotifin, 
‘ft may be the more requilite to infift 
on this point, on account of fome unjutt 
prejudices under which the arts of delign 
evideutly labour in this country. The 
degree of rank or eftimation, in which we 
hold thofe ttudies, 1s at variance with the 
terms in which we {peak of them. We 
call them liberal arts; but how can that 
be conftrued liberal which is unconne¢ted 
with eftablifhed liberal education, and 
in which’ no perfon ia the liberal’ elaticg, 
The. Enquirer. —No. X XI. 109 
of life would profeffionally engage? The 
father who would bring his font up to the 
practice of phytic, or the law, will helitate 
to make him a painter or a {culptor. 
Our pretent fyftem of opinions there» 
fore, allows painters to be gentlemen, 
but will not allow gentlemen to be pain- 
ters. Men of liberal rank, in their inter~ 
courfe with artilts, rather confider them 
as entitled to their condefcention, than as 
admitted to their prefence on a footing 
of equality. Indeed, fo little has the pro- 
fefion of a pate: eu hitherto made. 
the fubject of attention, by the reflecting 
claffes of fociety, that the mental part of 
it, and the mechanical, are {till fpoken of 
under the fanie denomination ; and a 
paniter is equally a term exprefiive of the 
man who fills the mind with the awful 
exhibitions of the Siftine Chapel, and of 
him who coyers the wainfcot or the walls 
of our houfes, to fecure them from the 
injuries of fmoke and rain. 
There is, no doubt, a reafon of a more 
fubitantial nature to be given, wherefore, 
an Bnelth gentleman jhould not confider 
painting as an eligible sipioyicnt for his 
fon, viz. the impoftil vility of oe 
welch by the: parfait, of it; and this, a 
was fhewn in the former part of the prs 
tion, is a fault inherent in its nature. 
With regard merely to honour, many fitu- 
ations inlife are preferred for ourchildren, 
which yet we can hardly elteem more 
creditable’ to the holders. It, certainly 
is no where thought more honourabie, 
for inftance, to brew than to paint, to 
fabricate that which eclipfes the mtellect 
than that which enhyhtens it; but brew- 
ing is productive OF samen opulence, 
painting ¢ ef none. Let it not be fuppofed, 
frum: this comparifon, that che Enquirer, 
who isan Enelfhman, harbours the leaft 
thought of difrefpect to the patrons and 
providers ofa liquor from which he de- 
rives daily comfort. In an enlightened 
country like our own, every honett em- 
ployment fhould fit a man for the mof . 
[t is only 
dittinguifhed general fociety. 
meant to affert that, in the probability of 
acquiring opulence, paumting cannot and 
ought not to enter into.competition with 
fuch trades as England difplays. But 
there is, therefore, the ftronger necefiity 
for enforeing its claims to reward in an-= 
other line 3; and, untit thas be done, until 
the vartous clatfification of the arts j|be 
farther determmed, and their propor- 
tional degrees of rank and value afcertain- 
ed, it will, with refpect to national cha- 
racter, be a magnificeut, but vain profu- 
fion, to offer medley premiums to the 
pretenfions 
