drawing rather of what they think the figure ought to be, then of what it appears. I have thought this the obitacle, that has ftopt the progrefs of many young men of real genius; and I very much doubt, whether a habit of drawing correctly what we fee, will not give a proportionable power of drawing correctly what we imagine. He who endea vours to copy nicely the figure be fore him, not only acquires a habit of exactnefs and precifion, but is continually advancing in his know ledge of the human figure; and though he feems to fuperficial obfervers to make a flower progrefs, he will be found at laft capable of adding (without running into capricious wildness) that grace and beau ty, which is neceflary to be given to his more finished works, and which cannot be got by the moderns; as it was not acquired by the ancients; but by an attentive and well-compared fudy of the human form. By a drawing of Raffaelle, the Dif pute of the Sacrament, the print of which, by Count Cailus, is in every hand, it appears, he made his sketch from one model; and the habit he had of drawing exactly from the form before him, appears by his making all the figures with the fame cap, fuch as his model then happened to wear; fo fervile a copyift was this great man, even at a time when he was allowed to be at his highest pitch of excellence. I have feen alfo academy figures by Annibale Carracci, though he was often fufficiently licentious in finished works, drawn with all the peculiarities of an individual model. This method can only be detrimental when there are but few living forms to copy; for then ftudents, by always drawing from one alone, Tranflated from the original Spanish. THE infurgents beg leave to prefent this humble remonftrance to your majefty, fetting forth the reafons which obliged them, with hearts full of loyalty, to act as they did, that the whole world may be informed of them, and the fevereft judge pronounce the juftice of them. They are well apprized that fome bafe-hearted men have impofed on your majesty's benevolent mind, by infinuating that the late tumult proceeded from difloyalty and a want of obedience in your majesty's fubjects, which may have prejudiced the Spanish nation in your majefty's opinion, and muit neceffarily disturb that cafe and fecurity which they have always en[P2] joyed joyed under your majesty's govern ment. The great misfortune of kings (even the wifeft) is, that they can fee but little with their own eyes, and are obliged to take things upon trust. Not feeing enough to know, they can only know from what they hear; and the voice of rumour is often the voice of falfhood. Experience of men and things is a difhcult fcience for a king; nor will fpeculative knowledge enable him to give a proper difpatch to bufinefs, without being well informed of facts and circumstances; and thefe are too often mifreprefented to him. Princes (fays a certain politician) Seldom know things as they really are, but as their favourites, who have their ear, chufe to represent them. What a pity it is that the fpirit of truth is not radically diftinguished from that of flattery and hypocrify, by a peculiar dialect! But alas! one and the fame language being indifcriminately used to exprefs equal zeal, the various paffions and the fource of thefe paffions lying hid, it is eafy to exhibit falfhood for truth, the former affuming the mafk of the latter. To analyfe the language of an artful flatterer, is a difficult task for a king, because he cannot difcover the bias and temper of his fubjects, by any intercourfe of dealing, which, in the fyftem of human prudence, is the fureft way to know them; nor does his high ftation admit of fuch familiar converfe. They who gain their master's ear, generally find means to prejudice his inclinations and paffions in their own favour, and then give him fuch advice and inclinations as are most likely to pleafe and be agreeable; but what goes amifs, or may be unwelcome to him, they con ceal. On the strength of this maxim, Sire,your fubjects have made the clamour they did; and as they perceived the disease growing defperate for want of a phyfician who fhould prefcribe a remedy, the infurgents refolved, at the hazard of giving offence, and even at the pefil of their lives, to put a stop to fo baneful a distemper. Your majefty fucceeded to the throne of Spain at a juncture much more favourable than your royal father, or brother don Ferdinand, experienced at their acceffions. Ruin then threatened on all fides; their fun-fhine was clouded, and profperity only glimmered at a distance. But your majesty began your reign with fix hundred millions of reals* in your treasury, 60,000 regular troops, 50 fhips of the line, and a people in general above a middle state. Then your majefty's alliance was fo anxiously courted by all other powers, that when they could not obtain it, they were contented with your neutrality, dreading your majesty's declaring for one fide or the other, as a fuperior power who might turn the fcale. Into the hands of the marquis Squillacci your majefty immediately put the reins of govenment; and that with a power fo abfolute, that no man could dare attempt to undeceive your majefty, in an error fo palpably giving a fanction to all his actions, as the utmost efforts of wisdom. And lo! in the space of fix years, during which he has borne the fway, he has brought * About fifteen millions of pounds fterling. your majefty to a want of money, of troops, and of arms. For at this day your majefty cannot reckon 600,000 reals* in your treasury, nor 25,000 men in your army, nor 14 fhips of war in your fleet. And inftead of giving the rule, your majefty is fhamefully reduced to the mean neceffity of obeying it. So notorioufly have pofts of honour been put up to public fale, that nothing but the auctioneer's voice was wanting to proclaim it. The fpirits of the people are finking under oppreffion, and the regiments are unrecruited without any means for levying men. In short, Sire, he has brought our arms into difrepute; he has left the Spaniards without order, and the kingdom in such a state of defepration, that its recovery muft be a work of time. Self-intereft always engroffed his thoughts, amaffing wealth with infatiable avarice; and now, with the many millions that he has purloined, he may boaft of being worth more money than all his ancestors ever poffelfed. vinces, that they also are not a litthe difpofed to renounce their allegiance to your majelly. Such has been the adminiftration of the marquis Squillacci, your majetty's darling minister! What can the infurgents fuppofe, but that your majefty has been ignorant of all thele evils! For had a hint of them reached your majesty's ears, without doubt you would have divefted yourfelf of partiality, you would have turned your love to hatred, and have ftripped of his power that tyrant minifter, whofe object was the ruin of your majefty, of Spain, and of the Indies. Had the northern potentates, who are enemies to the crown of Spain, impofed upon your majesty a prime minifter, with a view to weaken your majefty's power, to waste your treasures, to annihilate your troops, and to deftroy your fhips of war in the Mediterranean, could they, for these purposes, have found a man fo proper as the marquis Squi!lacci? It appears they could not, for they fee all their wishes accomplished in him. Not fatisfied with this, he has In this fituation your majefty finds procured himself, by infidious arts, yourself and your kingdom. Your the management of the Indies, un- fubjects, though oppreffed, know der a pretence of its being a branch not how to deliver themselves from.. of his department as Miniftro de a minifter who tyrannifes over Spain, Hazienda. And as no man durft and over your majefty too. For venture to oppofe his career, no, notwithstanding the many admoninot till he had left Spain at its last tions they have given, none have gafp, he formed the project of ru- had the defired effect. The inining the Indies, the execution of furgents, therefore, feeing their which he began with fo much vi- country at the laft extremity, de-, olence, that one of his firft eftermined, though with fome appearforts occafioned an infurrection at ance of irregularity, to aim at the Quito, a confiderable province in man who had trampled on your America; and that bad example has majesty's crown, and treated your had fuch an effect on the other pro- fubjects with contempt. About fifteen thousand pounds fteriing. And And now the question is, whether this rage fhall be faid to proceed from difloyalty, or from hearts full of loyalty? Does it fpring from hatred, or from love? Shall it be deemed difobedience to rifque our lives for the fake of feeing our king reinftated in his wonted fplendor? Or will our faithful zeal, our anxiety for your majefty's being refpected and formidable, be pronounced criminal, or praifeworthy? Shall the studying means of relief for a bleeding people, that they may increafe and multiply, for the defence of your majesty's perfon and govenment, that they may flourish in opulence, be called a finifter defign, or the duty of a good fubject? Let any man, be he who he will, refolve thefe queftions. Perhaps the edict published against cloaks, and flapped hats, may be esteemed the cause of this alarm. This indeed was made ufe of, after paving the way to the great end which was propofed: but the inftruments (incapable of diving into the ftate of the nation and the means of its re-establishment) were inftigated only by their own feelings: they confidered themselves only as deprived of a convenience by the prohibition of that drefs, and on fuch an occafion they are the neceflary tools. But the truth is, your majefty's principal fubjects had a nobler object in view; witness, the regularity of their proceedings; fo that in a populous city, to outward appearance in riot and confufion, as much good order was obferved as in time of quiet and tranquillity. Let any honeft man fay, that he fuffered the least injury on this oc cafion; and fearcely was the, expulfion of the marquis Squillacci confirmed, when the city of Madrid, beyond expectation, was fo fuddenly restored to calmness and ferenity, that all who faw it were ftruck with admiration. Nay, the multitude of boys, to the number of 2000, who had been employed in giving the watch-word to the mob, ceafed their noify outcries, as if ftruck dumb in a moment. We all know and confefs, that no nation can have a prince more kind, affable, and beneficent, or a greater lover of juftice. To fuch a king what can be more deplorable, what more unfortunate, than the being involved in fuch a cloud of ignorance, with regard to his minifter, as to believe that he has the honour of the king and the good of the people at heart, at the very time when he is acting in direct oppofition to both? Therefore, Sire, it would be best to hear much, and believe but little, and to compare advice with information; and, to prevent fuch bad confequences as often refult from too great credulity in the cabinet, the counfel of fuch men, of low birth, as may be endowed with more than ordinary talents, ought not to be difdained. Confider their opinions, and follow the advice that feems beft. Wisdom is not derived from birth, but from reason. Understanding cannot be inherited, though titles of nobility may. What can add fuch dignity to the crown, as the refpect of the fubjects? What can give it fuch fplendor, as their homage and their love? Loyalty is the first fruits of their homage; but your majesty must thew an affection for them before you can gain their love. In other words, the fidelity with which your ma jefty's fubjects abound, will always make you refpected by them; but acts of beneficence are neceffary to win their hearts. It being notorious, Sire, that foreigners have engroffed your favours, how can you expect your peoples love? The attachment of a foreigner cannot but be venal. His esteem is only in proportion to what he can get. What kind of attachment then can this be? or what fecurity can be had for it? With what confiftency can he leave his proper fovereign, and pretend to be faithful to another? This is unnatural; and it is equally fo to find a foreigner feizing the emoluments due to your fubjects, who labour with the fweat of their brows for the fupport of your throne; your own people fowing the ground, and ftrangers reaping the harvest. The real fpring by which the hearts of the infurgents were put in motion is now eafy to be difcovered: and fhould they be fo happy as to find that your majefty fees it in its true light, they will then, with the most humble obeifance, proftrate themselves at your majefty's feet, offering their lives and fortunes as a facrifice to the love they bear your majesty, and the ardent zeal which they have for the tranquillity and happinefs of your majesty's kingdom. Total amount of Britifh fhips and feamen employed in the trade between Great Britain and her colonies on the continent of America-of the value of goods exported from Great Britain to thefe colonies-and of their produce exported to Great Britain and elsewhere. |