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.

CHAPTER VIII.

OF PICTURES AND PUBLIC MONUMENTS IN OUR SACRED EDIFICES, AND OF A NATIONAL TEMPLE OF HONOUR.

“Ipsi per visum enarraturi divina pluribus pauperioribusque spectatoribus."-DIO. CHRYSOSTOM.-Orat. xii.

"Hoc exercitii genere si quis uti voluerit, illud tantum modo pingendum fingendumve sibi meminerit, quod ad virtutem capessendum provocet spectatores; non quod ad vitia inani oblectatione possit allicere. Hoc enim opus diaboli est, illud Christiani."-MARULUS, lib. iii. c. 9;SABELLICUS, lib. ii. c. 9. Apud Theatrum Vita Humanæ, p. 749.