ledge, he must withal regard me in the choice I make of friends. And if it happens, as fortunately it has done, that the chief friend I have, and the first whom I consider in public affairs, was previously his own acquaintance and proved friend, one would think he should afterwards come to set a higher value upon him: and since he cannot have one always near him who gladly would be so, he will oblige another who is willing and able. And in reality, if at this time your coming up depends only on his wish (as you tell me) and the commands he may have for you, I shall much wonder if he forgets the advantage, or thinks he can dispense with your presence at such a time.

Your character of lord Wharton is very generous. I am glad to hear so well of him. If ever I. expected any public good where virtue was wholly sunk, it was in his character; the most mysterious of any in my account, for this reason. But I have seen many proofs of this monstrous compound in him, of the very worst and best. A thousand kind thanks to you, in my own and spouse's name, for your kind thoughts of seeing us. I add only my repeated service and good wishes, as your old and faithful friend, and obliged humble servant.

LETTER CXV.

Lord Shaftesbury to Lord ***, [Sent with the Notion of the Historical Draught of the Judgment of Hercules.]

My lord,

THIS letter comes to your lordship, accompanied with a small writing intitled A Notion: for such alone can that piece deservedly be called, which aspires no higher than to the forming of a project, and that too in so vulgar a science as painting. But whatever the subject be, if it can prove any way entertaining to you, it will sufficiently answer my design. And if possibly it may have that good success, I should have no ordinary opinion of my project, since I know how hard it would be to give your lordship a real entertainment by any thing which was not in some respect worthy and useful.

On this account, I must by way of prevention inform your lordship, that after. I had conceived my Notion, such as

you see it upon paper, I was not contented with this, but fell directly to work, and by the hand of a master-painter brought it into practice, and formed a real design. This was not enough. I resolved afterward to see what effect it would have, when taken out of mere black-and-white into colours; and thus a sketch was afterwards drawn. This pleased so well, that being encouraged by the virtuosi who are so eminent in this part of the world, I resolved at last to engage my painter in the great work. Immediately a cloth was bespoke of a suitable dimension, and the figures taken as big or bigger than the common life; the subject being of the heroic kind, and requiring rather such figures as should appear above ordinary human stature.

Thus my Notion, as light as it may prove in the treatise, is become very substantial in the workmanship. The piece is still in hand, and like to continue so for some time. Otherwise the first draught or design should have accompanied the treatise, as the treatise does this letter. But the design having grown thus into a sketch, and the sketch afterwards into a picture, I thought it fit your lordship should either see the several pieces together, or be troubled only with that which was the best, as undoubtedly the great one must prove, if the master I employ sinks not very much below himself in this performance.

Far surely should I be, my lord, from conceiving any vanity or pride in amusements of such an inferior kind as these, especially were they such as they may naturally at first sight appear. I pretend not here to apologize either for them or for myself. Your lordship, however, knows I have naturally ambition enough to make me desirous of employing myself in business of a higher order: since it has been my fortune in public affairs to act often in concert with you, and in the same views, on the interests of Europe and mankind. There was a time, and that a very early one of my life, when I was not, wanting to my country in this respect. But after some years of hearty labour and pains in this kind of workmanship, an unhappy breach in my health drove me not only from the seat of business, but forced me to seek these foreign climates; where, as mild as the winters generally are, I have with Ꭱ

much ado lived out this latter one; and am now, as your lordship finds, employing myself in such easy studies as are most suitable to my state of health, and to the genius of the country where I am confined.

This in the mean time I can with some assurance say to your lordship in a kind of spirit of prophecy, from what I have observed of the rising genius of our nation, that if we live to see a peace any way answerable to that generous spirit with which this war was begun and carried on for our own liberty and that of Europe, the figure we are like to make abroad, and the increase of knowledge, industry and sense at home, will render united Britain the principal seat of arts; and by her politeness and advantages in this kind, will shew evidently how much she owes to those counsels which taught her to exert herself so resolutely in behalf of the common cause, and that of her own liberty and happy constitution necessarily included.

I can myself remember the time when in respect of music, our reigning taste was in many degrees inferior to the French. The long reign of luxury and pleasure under king Charles the Second, and the foreign helps and studied advantages given to music in a following reign, could not raise our genius the least in this respect. But when the spirit of the nation was grown more free, though engaged at that time in the fiercest war, and with the most doubtful success, we no sooner began to turn ourselves towards music, and inquire what Italy in particular produced, than in an instant we outstripped our neighbours the French, entered into a genius far beyond theirs, and raised ourselves an ear and judgment not inferior to the best now in the world.

In the same manner as to painting. Though we have as yet nothing of our own native growth in this kind worthy of being mentioned, yet since the public bas of late begun to express a relish for engravings, drawings, copyings, and for the original paintings of the chief Italian schools (so contrary to the modern French), I doubt not that in very few years we shall make an equal progress in this other science. And when our humour turns us to cultivate these designing arts, our genius, I am persuaded, will na

turally carry us over the slighter amusements, and lead us to that higher, more serious, and noble part of imitation which relates to history, human nature, and the chief degree or order of beauty, I mean that of the rational life, distinct from the merely vegetable and sensible, as in animals or plants; according to those several degrees or orders of painting which your lordship will find suggested in this extemporary Notion I have sent you.

As for architecture, it is no wonder if so many noble designs of this kind have miscarried amongst us, since the genius of our nation has hitherto been so little turned this way, that through several reigns we have patiently seen the noblest public buildings perish (if I may say so) under the hand of one single court-architect; who, if he had been able to profit by experience, would long since, at our expense, have proved the greatest master in the world. But I question whether our patience is like to hold much longer. The devastation so long committed in this kind, has made us begin to grow rude and clamorous at the hearing of a new palace spoiled, or a new design committed to some rash or impotent pretender.

It is the good fate of our nation in this particular, that there remain yet two of the noblest subjects for architecture: our princess' palace and our house of parliament. For I cannot but fancy that when Whitehall is thought of, the neighbouring lords and commons will at the same time be placed in better chambers and apartments than at present; were it only for majesty's sake, and as a magnificence becoming the person of the prince, who here appears in full solemnity. Nor do I fear that when these new subjects are attempted, we should miscarry as grossly as we have done in others before. Our state in this respect may prove perhaps more fortunate than our church, in having waited till a national taste was formed before these edifices were undertaken. But the zeal of the nation could not, it seems, admit so long a delay in their ecclesiastical structures, particularly their metropolitan. And since a zeal of this sort has been newly kindled amongst us, it is like we shall see from afar the many spires arising in our great city, with such hasty and sudden growth, as may be the occasion

perhaps that our immediate relish shall be hereafter censured, as retaining much of what artists call the Gothic kind. Hardly, indeed, as the public now stands, should we bear to see a Whitehall treated like a Hampton Court, or even a new cathedral like St. Paul's. Almost every one now becomes concerned, and interests himself in such public structures. Even those pieces too are brought under the common censure, which, though raised by private men, are of such a grandeur and magnificence as to become national ornaments. The ordinary man may build his cottage, or the plain gentleman his country-house, according as he fancies; but when a great man builds, he will find little quarter from the public, if, instead of a beautiful pile, he raises at a vast expence such a false and counterfeit piece of magnificence, as can be justly arraigned for its deformity by so many knowing men in art, and by the whole people, who, in such a conjecture, readily follow their opinion.

In reality, the people are no small parties in this cause. Nothing moves successfully without them. There can be no public but where they are included. And without a public voice, knowingly guided and directed, there is nothing which can raise a true ambition in the artist; nothing which can exalt the genius of the workman, or make him emulous of after-fame, and of the approbation of his country and of posterity. For with these, he naturally as a freeman must take part; in these he hath a passionate concern and interest raised in him, by the same genius of liberty, the same laws and government by which his property and the rewards of his pains and industry are secured to him, and to his generation after him.

Every thing co-operates in such a state towards the improvement of art and science. And for the designing arts in particular, such as architecture, painting, and statuary, they are in a manner linked together. The taste of one kind brings necessarily that of the other along with it. When the free spirit of a nation turns itself this way, judgments are formed; cities arise; the public eye and ear improve; a right taste prevails, and in a manner forces its way. Nothing is so improving, nothing so natural, so congenial to the liberal arts, as that

reigning liberty and high spirit of a people, which from the habit of judging in the highest matters for themselves, makes them freely judge of other subjects, and enter thoroughly into the characters as well of men and manners, as of the products or works of men in arts and science. So much, my lord, do we owe to the excellence of our national constitution and legal monarchy; happily fitted for us, and which alone could hold together so mighty a people; all shares (though at so far a distance from each other) in the government of themselves, and meeting under one head in one vast metropolis, whose enormous growth, however censurable in other respects, is actually a cause that workmanship and arts of so many kinds arise to such perfection.

What encouragement our higher powers may think fit to give these growing arts, I will not pretend to guess. This I know, that it is so much for their advantage and interest to make themselves the chief parties in the cause, that I wish no court or ministry, besides a truly virtuous and wise one, may ever concern themselves in the affair. For should they do so, they would in reality do more harm than good: since it is not the nature of a court (such as courts generally are) to improve, but rather corrupt a taste. And what is in the beginning set wrong by their example, is hardly ever afterwards recoverable in the genius of a nation.

Content therefore I am, my lord, that Britain stands in this respect as she now does. Nor can one, methinks, with just reason, regret her having hitherto made no greater advancement in these affairs of art.

As her constitution

has grown and been established, she has in proportion fitted herself for other improvements. There has been no antici- ♦ pation in the case. And in this surely she must be esteemed wise as well as happy; that ere she attempted to raise herself any other taste or relish, she secured herself a right one in government. She has now the advantage of beginning in other matters on a new foot. She has her models yet to seek, her scale and standard to form with deliberation and good choice, Able enough she is at present to shift for herself, however abandoned or helpless she has been left

by those whom it became to assist her. Hardly, indeed, could she procure a single academy for the training of her youth in exercises. As good soldiers as we are, and as good horses as our climate affords, our princes, rather than expend their treasure this way, have suffered our youth to pass into a foreign nation to learn to ride. As for other academies, such as those for painting, sculpture, or architecture, we have not so much as heard of the proposal: whilst the prince of our rival nation raises academies, breeds youth, and sends rewards and pensions into foreign countries, to advance the interest and credit of his own. Now if, notwithstanding the industry and pains of this foreign court, and the supine unconcernedness of our own, the national taste however rises, and already shews itself in many respects beyond that of our so highly assisted neigh bours; what greater proof can there be of the superiority of genius in one of these nations above the other?

It is but this moment that I chance to read in an article of one of the gazettes from Paris, that it is resolved at court to establish a new academy for political affairs. "In it the present chief minister is to preside; having under him six academists, douez des talens necessaires――no person to be received under the age of twenty-five. A thousand livres pension for each scholar-able masters to be appointed for teaching them the necessary sciences, and instructing them in the treaties of peace and alliances, which have been formerly made the members to assemble three times a week-c'est de ce seminaire (says the writer) qu'on tirera les secretaires d'ambassade; qui par degrez pourront monter a de plus hauts emplois."

I must confess, my lord, as great an admirer as I am of these regular institutions, I cannot but look upon an academy for ministers as a very extraordinary establishment; especially in such a monarchy as France, and at such a conjuncture as the present. It looks as if the ministers of that court had discovered lately some new method of negociation, such as their predecessors Richlieu and Mazarine never thought of; or that, on the contrary, they have found themselves so declined, and at such a loss in the management of this present trea

ty, as to be forced to take their lessons/ from some of those ministers with whom they treat; a reproach of which, no doubt, they must be highly sensible.

But it is not my design here to entertain your lordship with any reflections upon politics, or the methods which the French may take to raise themselves new ministers or new generals; who may prove a better match for us than hitherto, whilst we held our old. I will only say to your lordship on this subject of academies, that indeed I have less concern for the deficiency of such a one as this, than of any other which could be thought of for England; and that as for a seminary of statesmen, I doubt not but, without this extraordinary help, we shall be able, out of our old stock, and the common course of business, constantly to furnish a sufficient number of wellqualified persons to serve upon occasion, either at home or in our foreign treaties, as often as such persons accordingly qualified shall duly, honestly, and bona fide be required to serve.

I return therefore to my virtuoso science; which being my chief amusement in this place and circumstance, your lordship has by it a fresh instance that I can never employ my thoughts with satisfaction on any subject, without making you a party. For even this very Notion had its rise chiefly from the conversation of a certain day which I had the happiness to pass a few years since in the country with your lordship. It was there you shewed me some engravings which had been sent you from Italy. One in particular I well remember; of which the subject was the very same with that of my written Notion enclosed. But by what hand it was done, or after what master, or how executed, I have quite forgot. It was the summer season, when you had recess from business. And I have accordingly calculated this epistle and project for the same recess and lei