which the Society, at whose head you are
placed, aims at. As to patronage, you are right in supposing that I hold
it in little esteem for helping genius forward in the fine arts,
especially those whose medium is words. Sculpture and painting _may_ be
helped by it; but even in those departments there is much to be dreaded.
The French have established an Academy at Rome upon an extensive scale;
and so far from doing good, I was told by every one that it had done
much harm. The plan is this: they select the most distinguished students
from the school or academy at Paris and send them to Rome, with handsome
stipends, by which they are tempted into idleness, and of course into
vice. So that it looks like a contrivance for preventing the French
nation and the world at large profiting by the genius which nature may
have bestowed, and which left to itself would in some cases, perhaps,
have prospered. The principal, I was indeed told the only, condition
imposed upon these students is, that each of them send annually some
work of his hands to Paris. When at Rome, I saw a good deal of English
artists. They seemed to be living happily and doing well, tho', as you
are aware, the public patronage any of them receive is trifling.

Genius in poetry, or any department of what is called the Belles
Lettres, is much more likely to be cramped than fostered by public
support: better wait to reward those who have done their work, tho' even
here national rewards are not necessary, unless the labourers be, if not
in poverty, at least in narrow circumstances. Let the laws be but just
to them and they will be sure of attaining competence, if they have not
misjudged their own talents or misapplied them.

The cases of Chatterton, Burns, and others, might, it should seem, be
urged against the conclusion that help beforehand is not required; but I
do think that in the temperament of the two I have mentioned there was
something which, however favourable had been their circumstances,
however much they had been encouraged and supported, would have brought
on their ruin. As to what Patronage can do in Science, discoveries in
Physics, mechanic arts, &c., you know far better than I can pretend to
do.

As to 'better canons of criticism and general improvement of scholars,'
I really, speaking without affectation, am so little of a Critic or
Scholar, that it would be presumptuous in me to _write_ upon the subject
to you. If we were together and you should