ills and curses than were ever supposed to flow from Pandora's box. Justice will be bound, as well as blind; and it will be in the power of every revengeful minister, or mercenary villain, to satiate his revenge, or fill his pockets, at the expence of the best and most virtuous men in the commonwealth.

MR. WILKES.

On the Petition of the Trustees of the British Museum. BEFORE the petition of the trustees of the British Museum is referred to the committee of supply, I beg the indulgence of the house, to submit a few general ideas on that subject, entirely independent of party or politics. The encouragement of all useful knowledge, and the protection of the arts and sciences, appear to me, sir, just objects of public regard, and highly deserving parliamentary attention, especially in this great commercial country. Among the many proofs of the improvement of our national taste and love of polite literature, the establishment of the British Museum claims the pre-eminence. It rose under the favourable auspices of this house; has been carefully watched over by us; and I hope, will still continue to receive our friendly protection and support. Various branches of learning have already derived singular advantages from that rich repository, and I think it may be made yet more extensively useful to this kingdom. This, sir, can only be done by this house, by parliamentary assistance. I shall at present confine myself to ge neral ideas, and only throw out some hints for a future day's consideration.

It seems to me, sir, highly expedient, that the trus tees of the British Museum should not only be enabled

adequately to fulfil the objects of their public trust, by making what is already collected as useful as possible to the nation, but still farther to extend the laudable purposes of this institution. Their present funds, we find by their petition, are incompetent even to the contracted plan now pursued. It is a general complaint, that the Museum is not sufficiently accessible to the public. This must necessarily happen from the deficiency of their revenues: the trustees cannot pay a proper number of officers and attendants. This will, to day, be in part the consideration of the committee into which the house will soon resolve itself. But, sir, I wish their plan much enlarged, especially on two important objects-books and paintings. This capital, after so many ages, remains without any considerable public library. Rome has the immense collection of the Vatican; and Paris scarce yields to the mistress of the world, by the greatness of the king's library. They are both open at stated times, with every proper accommodation to all strangers. London has no large public library; the best here, I believe, is the Royal Society's: but even that is inconsiderable; neither is it open to the public; nor are the necessary conveniences afforded strangers for reading or transcribing. The British Museum, sir, is rich in manuscripts; the Harleian collection, the Cottonian library, the collection of Charles the First, and many others, especially in our own history; but it is wretchedly poor in printed books. I wish, sir, a sum was allowed by parliament, for the purchase of the most valuable editions of the best authors, and an act passed, to oblige, under a certain penalty, every printer to send a copy bound of every publication he made, to the British Museum. Our posterity, by this, and other acquisitions, might perhaps possess a more valuable treasure than even the celebrated Alexandrian collection: for notwithstanding that selfishness which marks the present age, we have not quite lost sight of every beneficial prospect for futurity. Considerable donations might like

wise, after such a sanction of parliamentary approbation, be expected from private persons, who in England, more than in any country of the world, have enlarged views for the general good and glory of the state.

The British Museum, sir, possesses_few valuable paintings; yet we are anxious to have an English school of painters. If we expect to rival the Italian, the Flemish, or even the French school, our artists must have before their eyes the finished works of the greatest masters. Such an opportunity, if I am rightly informed, will soon present itself. I understand that an applica tion is intended to be made to parliament, that one of the first collections in Europe, that at Houghton, made by sir Robert Walpole, of acknowledged superiority to most collections in Italy, and scarcely inferior to the duke of Orleans's, in the Palais Royal at Paris, may be sold: I hope it will not be dispersed, but purchased by parliament, and added to the British Museum. I wish, sir, the eye of painting as fully gratified as the ear of music is in this island; which at last bids fair to be. come a favourite abode of the polite arts. A noble gal. lery ought to be built in the garden of the British Museum, for the reception of that invaluable treasure. Such an important acquisition as the Houghton collection would, in some degree, alleviate the concern which every man of taste now feels, at being deprived of view. ing those prodigies of art, the cartons of the divine Ra phael. King William, although a Dutchman, really loved and understood the polite arts: he had the fine feelings of a man of taste, as well as the sentiments of a hero. He built the princely suite of apartments at Hampton Court, on purpose for the reception of those heavenly guests: the nation at large were then admitted to the rapturous enjoyment of their beauties. They have remained there till this reign at present, they are perishing in a late baronet's smoky house, (sir Charles Sheffield's,) at the end of a great smoky town. They are entirely secreted from the public eye; yet, sir, they were

purchased with public money, before the accession of the Brunswick line, not brought from Herenhausen. Can there be, sir, a greater mortification to any English gentleman of taste, than to be thus deprived of feasting his delighted view with what he most admired, and had always considered as the pride of our island, as an invaluable national treasure, as a common blessing, not as private property? The kings of France and Spain permit their subjects the view of all the pictures in their collections.

A remarkable opportunity, sir, of improving the national taste in painting, which was lately lost, I hope may now be recovered. The incomparable sir Joshua Reynolds, and some other great painters, who do honour to our country, generously offered the late bishop of London (doctor Richard Terrick) to adorn the cathedral of St. Paul's (a glorious monument of the magnificence of our ancestors,) with some of their most valuable works; but the proposition had to encounter the absurd prejudices of a tasteless and ignorant prelate, which were found to be insuperable. We have the satisfaction at present, of having in the see of London a gentleman not only of solid piety, but of the soundest learning, and of exquisite classical taste (doctor Robert Lowth.) I hope at such a favourable moment, the proposition will be renewed and accepted.

As almost all arts and sciences have a connection with each other, they will likewise give each other mutual assistance; and the beautiful art of engraving, which is now carried among us to an astonishing degree of perfection, will come to the aid of her sister, painting. We have shewn our attention to that art this very session. I hope, hereafter, even in this cold, raw climate, to be warmed with the glowing colours of our own Gobelins' tapestry; and I wish encouragement was given by parliament to that noble manufacture, which, in France, almost rivals the power of painting. The important advantages of such a commerce, too, we may learn from our neighbours.

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I am not alarmed, sir, at the great expence which some gentlemen seem to dread, as the inevitable consequence of what I have mentioned. The treasures of a state are well employed in works of national magnificence. The power and wealth of ancient Greece were most seen and admired in the splendour of the temples, and other sublime structures of Pericles. He boasted, that every art would be exerted, every hand employed, every citizen in the pay of the state, and the city not only beautified, but maintained by itself. The sums he expended on the public buildings at Athens, in the most high and palmy state of Greece, after their brilliant victories over the Persians, diffused riches and plenty among the people at that time, and will be an eternal monument of the glory of that powerful republic. The Pantheon only, or Temple of Minerva, which is said to be the most beautiful piece of antiquity now remaining in the world, and is of the purest white marble, cost, with its statues and sculptures, above 1000 talents-near 200,000 pounds.

One observation here, sir, naturally occurs, which justice to the trustees of the British Museum demands. No public money has ever been more faithfully, more frugally applied to the purposes, for which it has been given, than what they have received. Perhaps the trustees of the British Museum are the only body of men who have never been suspected of want either of fidelity or economy. I think, therefore, we may safely trust them farther; not penuriously, but largely; especially when their accounts are so frequently submitted to our examination.

Learning, sir, and the polite arts have scarcely more than three enemies-ignorance and stupidity always, superstition often. The noble lord with the blue ribband, (lord North) who is at the head of the finances of this country, possesses wit, genius, a great deal of true taste, "In the high and palmy state of the monarchy of France."

Burke.