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behold the colossal master-piece of Phidias-the Homeric dream embodied,—the majesty of the Olympian Jove! Enter the banquet-room of the conquerors; to whose verse, hymned in a solemn and mighty chorus, bends the listening Spartan?-it is the verse of the Dorian Pindar! In that motley and glittering space (the fair of Olympia, the mart of every commerce, the focus of all intellect,) join the throng, gathered round that earnest and sunburnt traveller; now drinking in the wild account of Babylonian gardens, or of temples whose awful deity no lip may name,—now, with clenched hands and glowing cheeks, tracing the march of Xerxes along exhausted rivers, and over bridges that spanned the sea-what moves, what hushes that mighty audience? It is Herodotus reading his history."*-Has England no religion to be honoured-no great man to be commemorated-no glorious deeds to be depicted? Must it be the highest ambition of her artists to rival Holland, and become the second toy-shop of Europe?

It cannot be too often repeated that if there is to be any hope of its rivalling Rome and Florence, of its following in the steps of Raffaelle and of Michael Angelo, that hope must be based, not upon the capricious and vacillating patronage of individuals, but upon the continued and stable patronage of the whole people, afforded through its government. Anything short of this is utterly inadequate to the object.

One important question remains-and, as it bears proposed as equally upon the three modes of State encouragement zation by which have been dwelt upon, and at the same time

to organi

"Athens; its Rise and Fall. By E. L. Bulwer. A work in which the acute perception of the critic, and the calm and far-seeing comprehension of the impartial historian are united with the ardent sympathies and fervid inspiration of the poet.

State shall

affords an opportunity of discussing those minor points which the in Sir Martin Shee's scheme of National Prizes, on apply its which I am deprived of the pleasure of concurring in patronage. opinion with him, I have reserved the mention of these until now, not wishing to disturb the unity of a plan, all the capital features of which, as far as I am able to judge of them, appear to deserve unmingled approbation. The question we now come to is this: if it be the duty of the government to afford encouragement to historical art, in the several modes which have been considered, by what organization shall it provide for the fulfilment of this duty, and what checks shall be imposed to ensure its fulfilment judiciously and faithfully?

I cannot but express a confident hope that this and all similar questions will, ere long, be deprived of a part of their difficulty by the appointment of a Minister of Public Instruction, directly responsible to parliament. But, pending this, we have to deal with the question as it stands at present.

the

In the scheme of National Prizes, Sir Martin Shee has proposed to confide that species of encouragement to management of the president and directors of the British Institution, leaving it to them to appoint a committee for the final adjudication, but also making provision to afford to this board of judges "every aid and assistance which professional experience can afford.”

To this end Sir Martin proposed to obtain and deliver in writing the judgment (with the reasons) of a committee of the Royal Academy, consisting of all the members of that body, who should not be candidates, and also the judgment of the whole of the candidates themselves, conformably with a well-known and admirable practice resorted to by the ancients.

From the first part of this proposition, which would intrust the prize-fund to the absolute management of the directors of the British Institution, as such, I

humbly but most entirely and strongly dissent. To the exertions of that body to promote the arts, the public owe a lasting debt of gratitude; but they are not a national body, either connected with the government, or in any way responsible to parliament.

The proposed tribunal is further objectionable, on account of the influence which the Royal Academy has at various times exerted upon the British Institution, and which it very naturally may continue to exert. In order to derive that advantage from the auxiliary judgment of the Academy, which, of itself, cannot be rated too highly, the tribunal in which the ultimate judgment is vested must be made perfectly independent, and free even from the suspicion of any undue and irresponsible influence. And it must also possess a distinctly public and national character.

Precisely the same qualifications are desirable in the body which shall be charged with the superintendence of those other modes of encouragement which it is hoped the State will hereafter employ, and with those preliminary arrangements, connected with our public buildings, which at present are, by general consent, deemed far from satisfactory. If, then, a plan can be suggested for reasonably ensuring the combination of these qualities, and for uniting professional opinions with unprofessional decisions, as respects the latter, then, I submit such a tribunal will be well fitted to superintend, not alone national works, but also national prizes. This will form the subject of enquiry in the Ninth Chapter.

I will only further suggest that the excellent plan of exhibition before adjudication, will be still more effective, if made perfectly free, instead of being a money-exhibition, as proposed by Sir Martin Shee. The contingent expenses (should the fund be insufficient to cover them, which I am by no means convinced of,) would be far

better defrayed by a small supplementary vote, than by putting an interdict upon the curiosity (if nothing better) of the less opulent classes. One or two visits may do very well for the mélange of an ordinary exhibition, but many visits will be well bestowed on one of this kind, should our most moderate expectations of it be answered.

And it may be matter of consideration whether the laureated works would not be much better bestowed in forming a metropolitan collection of British art, where they might serve to mark our progress, than by being dispersed throughout the country, in various localities.

And, lastly, sculpture (of the highest class) should by no means be excluded from the competitions, however much it may have been heretofore unduly favoured, in comparison with Historical Painting.

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