more than individuals, have ever been infallible in their judgments, or have confulted their own interefts in the courfe of their proceedings. England alone can furnish examples without number of this melancholy truth. This being premifed, we have two points now to confider, viz. 1ft, Whether it can be for the benefit of the public in general (abftracted from any particular confideration), that the landed and trading interefts fhould be circumfcribed, or limited by a monopoly in the freight, carriage, or tranfport of their own goods and merchandize? and then, 2dly, Whether the excufes ufually brought for making this facrifice, namely, that it increases the breed of feamen, hath a just foundation in fact, or can be warranted by experience? The difcuffion of which two questions will, it is appre hended, contain the whole substance of what can be faid on this fubject; I mean, as far as reafon and argument are to have any 1hare therein. Now, refpecting the first inquiry, if any doubt can be started on this head, it must be this, that mankind in general have not the fame fenfe to judge of what is, or is not for their own immediate advantage in this cafe, as they have in all others; and therefore ought to be subject to the reftraints of tutors and guardians, to prefcribe terms for the regulation of their conduct. But as this is a propofition too glaringly falfe, and too abfurd to be ferioufly maintained, recourfe must therefore be had to the fecond point, namely, That the great body of the people must be abridged of their natural rights and liberties of employing whomsoever they pleale, for the fake ef keeping up, and increafing the number of failors to man our navy. Now, this is the firft inftance which occurs in history, of monopolies and restraints being judged to be a proper mode of multiplying the numbers of perfons employed in the conduct and execution of them. The ufual train of reafoning hath been quite the reverfe: however, to give the matter a fair hearing, let us try the effects of the prefent monopoly, in a cafe of which every man is a competent judge, and which is exactly parallel to this before us.

A merchant-fhip is nothing more than a fea-waggon for the expor tation and importation of its lading; the ufe of which is correfpondent to the carriage or re-carriage of goods by land-waggons. Or, to come still clofer to the point, it aniwers the idea of the freight, both forwards and backwards, of wares and merchandise fent along our navigable rivers, and inland canals. Now, can any man be fo loft to common fenfe, as to maintain, that were exclufive patents to be granted either to our waggons by land, or to our barges and trows by water, this would be a means of multiplying the number of thofe who fhould be employed on either element? And yet this he must maintain, and prove likewife, before he can justify the act of navigation, as a proper meature for increafing the breed of failors. The only rational and effectual method of increafing the numbers to be employed either by land or water, is to increase the quantity of produce, of raw materials, and of all kinds of bulky manufactures, which require to be conveyed from place to place. For thefe will of course create a demand for more waggons, more trows, barges. and veffels for the carriage or transportation of them, than otherwife would have been neceflary. Whereas, to begin with schemes to increase the number of waggons, or quantity of shipping,

with

without having a prior regard, or without giving due encouragement to increase the quantity of goods to be carried, is furely to begin at the wrong end; and, as the old proverb expreffes it, to put the cart before the horfe. In fact, every thing in trade ought to be left to find its own level; and no monopoly, or exclufive privilege, ought to be granted to one fet of traders in preference to another. When the fea-carrier finds that he is encouraged, and, as it were, exhorted by means of an exclufive privilege, to raife his price of freight, as having no rivals to contend with, can it be supposed that he will not avail himself of this circumftance? Or, is there an instance to be produced of any number of men, when knit together, and united by a legal monopoly, who facrificed their own interest to that of the Public? Whereas emulation between rival carriers, rival merchants, and rival manufacturers of every fort and kind, operates by a ratio juft the reverfe. The price of freight, of goods, merchandize, labour, wages, and provifions, is then reduced to its juft standard. And every individual, by ftriving to outdo his neighbour, and to get the most custom, ferves the Public by his endeayours to ferve himself. This has ever been the fact, and ever will be, according to the reafon and nature of things. Now, as far as the increase of shipping, and confequently of failors, is concerned, one example, and a ftriking one it is, may ferve inftead of a thoufand. Since the peace has been concluded with America, our trade between Great Britain and the American continent hath greatly increafed. And what hath been the confequence? More English fhipping, and larger fhips (I fay English, not American), have been employed in that fervice than ever were employed during the fame fpace of time before. Now, this I aver has been the fact, notwithstanding the act of navigation itself has been fuperfeded in favour of these revolted colonies; and every indulgence hath been fhewn to them, which hath been hitherto denied to other nations, though they most certainly have a better claim.

However, an opening is now made; and in the present enlightened state of things, fuch an affair as this cannot recede, but must go forward. Other nations will think themfelves extremely ill-ufed (and with great juftice) unless they, our friends and beft cuftomers, fhall be put on an equal footing with the Americans, fo lately our bittereft enemies, and at prefent far, very far from being our most punctual paymafters, or best customers.

But above all, the independance of Ireland will neceffarily give a coup de grace to this injurious monopoly, as well as to feveral others. The Irish are not bound by our act of navigation, or by any other of our reftraining laws. They are therefore at full liberty to employ what fhipping they may find the most conducive to their own intereft; and the English adventurers, who will have the chief flare in the fitting out fuch fhips and cargoes, will rejoice to find, that they enjoy that liberty in the ports of Ireland, which is denied to them in their own. At last, indeed, the English legiflature itself will grow wifer by experience, and learn, from the example before their eyes, that trade ought not to be circumfcribed, and that the best and fureft means of encouraging the breed of failors, is to encourage the cheapnefs of freight, and to promote rivalship and emulation among all ranks and claffes in fociety, efpecially among the commer sial.

With refpect to compofition, Dr. Tucker does not deserve any high degree of commendation. Inftead of being forcible he is too often vulgar and coarse; and, of his own importance, he is impreffed with a fenfibility fo full, that he fometimes difpleases even while he inftructs.

ART. XIII. A Difcourfe delivered to the Students, of the Royal Academy on the Distribution of the Prizes, December 10, 1784. By the Prefident. 4to. 4s. T. Cadell. London. 1785. "METHOD of Study" is the fubject of the prefent difcourfe. The worthy Prefident for various reafons which he affigns, declares againft holding out to the young painter any fixed or invariable rule of ftudy. "A paffion for his art," he fays, "and an eager defire to excel, will more than fupply the place of method."

The first talent he wishes the ftudent to cultivate is induftry; and at the fame time warns him, after he has acquired a facility of invention and defign, against fitting down contented with first thoughts. He fays, and with the greatest justice, that the pittore improvifitore, though, like the extempore poet, he may fometimes hit upon lucky thoughts, yet will never produce a work that can stand the test of found criticifm. He therefore wishes the young painter to correct the fketches of his fancy by a comparison with nature, and by all the affiftance that the works of others can afford. To reconcile him to this laborious perfeverance, Sir Joshua places before him the oppofite conduct of Raffaelle, Luca Giordano, Le Fage, and Bouche. The firft fcrupled not to apply to his own purposes whatsoever he found worthy of attention in the ancient bas reliefs, in the works of Michael Angelo, Maffaccio, and others. Luca Giordano and Le Fage, poffeffing much facility of execution, and a rapid invention, and refting fatisfied with their first conceptions excelled in the number, but by no means in the merit of their performances. While Bouche, though he poffeffed many requifites of a good painter, by painting folely from his own ideas, totally loft fight of nature and of truth.

Left the ftudent fhould be led, from a mifconception of the precept, to lean too fervilely upon former mafters, the Prefident expreffes himself in the following guarded and elegant manner.

Ifhould hope, from what has been lately faid, that it is not neceffary to guard myfelf against any fuppofition of recommending an entire dependance upon former mafters. I do not defire that you fhould get other people to do your bufinefs, or to think for you: I only wish you to confult with, to call in, as counfellors, men the molt diftinguished for their knowledge and experience, the refult of which council must ultimately depend upon yourfelf; fuch conduct

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in the commerce of life has never been confidered as difgraceful, or in any refpect to imply intellectual imbecility; it is a fign rather of that true wifdom, which feels individual imperfection; and is confcious to itself how much collective obfervation is neceflary to fill the immenfe extent, and to comprehend the infinite variety of nature. I recommend neither felf-dependance nor plagiarism. I advife you only to take that affistance which every human being wants, and which, as appears from the examples that have been given, that the greatest painters have not difdained to accept."

There is one thing mentioned by Sir Joshua which, if properly executed, would be of infinite confequence in the tudy of the art. We fhall give it in the words of the author.

If I was to recommend method in any part of the study of a painter, it would be in regard to invention, that young ftudents fhould not prefume to think themselves qualified to invent, till they were acquainted with thofe ftores of invention the world already poffefs, and had by that means accumulated fufficient materials for the mind to work with. It would certainly be no improper method of forming the mind of a young artist, to begin with fuch exercises as the Italians call a Pafticcio, a compofition of the different excellencies which are dispersed in all other works of the fame kind.”

We shall not anticipate the pleasure of our readers by entering more minutely into the merits of this performance. The Royal Academy is happy in the poffeffion of a Prefident who unites fo much tafte and judgment with his profeffional knowledge. We cannot however perfectly agree with our author in all that he has faid. We are ready to allow that chance and circumftances will in a great meafure direct the ftudent in painting as well as in every other art and science; but it does not follow from this that no certain rule is to bẹ laid down. On the contrary, it appears to us that, as far as it can be done, the young artist fhould be provided with rules for his conduct in every poffible contingency. Because character and circumftances influence education, muft we therefore have no plan of education at all? If we underftand our author, he appears to fupport another opinion, to which, though influenced by the weight of his authority, we cannot poffibly fubfcribe. He feems to infinuate that induftry, well-directed, will invariably lead to excellence in painting. It follows from this, that genius is of no use, or rather that there is no fuch thing exifting. We cannot confent to the annihilation of genius; and, were this the place, apprehend it might be proved both abftractly, and from ex. ample, that fomething more is requifite besides a well-directed industry to arrive at excellence in the art.

This difcourfe is, like all the former ones, well-written. "Industry and eagerness of purfuit has forfook them," and one or two inaccuracies of the fame kind can be attributed only to inadvertency.

ART. XIV.

ART. XIV. Letters to Dr. Horley, Part 2. containing farther Evidence that the primitive Chriftian Church was Unitarian. By Jofeph Priestley, L. L. D. F. R. S. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Johnfon. 1784.

AS we clofed the laft article, in which we undertook to detail, with as much accuracy as we were able to employ, the merits of this celebrated controverfy, with fome animadverfions upon the treatment our author had received from his antagonifts, we will introduce the prefent with a few fpecimens of the manner in which thefe attacks are repelled in the prefent publication. Regardless of the obnoxiousnets and unpopularity of Dr. Prieftly's opinions, we have already ventured to avow our perfuafion of his perfonal integrity. And perhaps there are few exhibitions more interefting, than that of the language of a mild and ingenuous character, who has been expofed to unmerited cenfures.

You will perhaps be ftruck with the change in the style of my addrefs to you, when you obferve me beginning with Rev. Sir, in-› ftead of the Dear Sir of my former letters, an appellation to which our perfonal acquaintance gave a propriety, and which you have returned; but when I confider how ill it corre ponds to the spirit of your letters, and the ftrefs you lay on your Archidiaconal dignity, which appears not only in the title-page of your work, but at the head of many of your letters, and which you intimate, that I had not fufficiently attended to, I thought the style of Rev. Sir, and occafionally that of Mr. Archdeacon both more proper, and alfo more pleafing to yourfelf, and therefore I have adopted it. And if, by any accident, I fhould wound your feelings, you will find the proper balm in my running title.

While perfons who have fome perfonal acquaintance treat each other with decent refpect, and are uniform in doing it, as I have been to you, the usual style of Dear Sir is natural, and proper; but when you charge me with numerous inftances of the groffelt artifice, and impofition on the public, you in fact give me the lie; and therefore ought yourself to have dropped all terms expreffive of affection and regard. I renounce all particular refpect for the man who has treated me in this manner; and in the outfet of this fecond part of our correfpondence, I fubfcribe myfelf, merely because cuftom authorifes the form. Rev. Sir,

Your very humble fervant." You are pleafed, indeed, to balance the account of my wilful mifrepresentations, &c. with an allowance for the general probity of my character, and a cordial efteem and affection for the virtues of it, which, you fay, are great and amiable. What you know of my private character I cannot tell; but I fuppofe not much; and I fhall not attempt to balance your account in the fame manner; for really of your private character, I know but little, either good or evil; and therefore I prefume the former, though the liberties you have taken as a writer are not very favourable to that prefumption. But this kind of apology is abfurd; and had I thought you, or Mr.

Badcock,