L THE following Letter regards an ingenious Set of Gentlemen, who have done me the honour to make me one of their Society. Mr. SPECTATOR, Dec. 4. 1712. T HE Academy of Painting, lately established in London, having done you and themselves the Honour to choofe you one of their Directors; that ' noble and lively Art, which before was intitled to your Regards as a Spectator, has an additional Claim 6 to you, and you seem to be under a double Obligation to take fome Care of her Interefts. THE Honour of our Country is also concerned in ⚫ the matter I am going to lay before you: we (and per'haps other Nations as well as we) have a National ⚫ falfe Humility as well as a National Vain Glory; and tho' we boaft ourselves to excel all the World in things wherein we are outdone abroad, in other things we ⚫ attribute to others a Superiority which we ourfelves ⚫ poffefs. This is what is done, particularly, in the Art of Portrait or Face-Painting. PAINTING is an Art of a vaft Extent, too great by much for any mortal Man to be in full pof⚫feffion of, in all its parts; 'tis enough if any one fuc⚫ceed in painting Faces, Hiftory, Battles, Landskips Sea-pieces, Fruit, Flowers, or Drolls, &c. Nay, no Man ever was excellent in all the Branches (tho' many in number) of these several Arts, for a distinct Art I take upon me to call every one of those several kinds of Painting. AND as one Man may be a good Landskip• Painter, but unable to paint a Face or a Hiftory tolerably well, and so of the reft; one Nation may excel in fome kinds of Painting, and other kinds may thrive ⚫ better in other Climates. 6 ITALY may have the Preference of all other Nations for Hiftory-Painting; Holland for Drolls, and a • neat finished manner of Working; France for Gay, Janty, Fluttering Pictures; and England for Portraits: but to give the Honour of every one of these • kinds of Painting to any one of those Nations on account of their Excellence in any of these parts of it, 6 is like adjudging the Prize of Heroick, Dramatick, Lyrick or Burlesk Poetry, to him who has done ' well in any one of them. WHERE there are the greatest Genius's, and moft Helps and Encouragements, 'tis reafonable to fuppofe an Art will arrive to the greatest Perfection: By this • Rule let us confider our own Country with respect to Face-Painting. No Nation in the World delights fo ⚫ much in having their own, or Friends, or Relations Pictures; whether from their National Good-nature, or having a love to Painting, and not being encouraged ⚫ in the great Article of Religious Pictures, which the Purity of our Worship refufes the free use of, or from 'whatever other Caufe. Our Helps are not inferior to ⚫ those of any other People, but rather they are greater; for what the Antick Statues and Bas-reliefs which Italy enjoys are to the Hiftory-Painters, the Beautiful and Noble Faces with which England is confeffed to abound, are to Face-Painters; and befides we have the greatest ⚫ number of the Works of the best Masters in that kind of any People, not without a competent number of those of the most excellent in every other Part of Painting. And for Encouragement, the Wealth and Generofity of the English Nation affords that in fuch a degree, as Artists have no reason to complain. AND accordingly in Fact Face-Painting is no where fo well performed as in England: I know not whether ⚫ it has lain in your way to observe it, but I have, and pretend to be a tolerable Judge. I have feen what is ⚫ done abroad, and can affure you, that the Honour of 'that Branch of Painting is juftly due to us. I appeal to "the judicious Obfervers for the Truth of what I affert. If Foreigners have oftentimes, or even for the most part excelled our Natives, it ought to be imputed to the Advantages they have met with here, join'd to their own Ingenuity and Induftry; nor has any one Nation diftinguished themselves fo as to raife an Argument in ⚫ favour of their Country: but it is to be obferved that • neither French nor Italians, nor any one of either Na⚫tion, notwithstanding all our Prejudices in their favour, have, or ever had, for any confiderable time, any Character among us as Face-Painters. THIS 6 THIS Honour is due to our own Country; and ⚫ has been fo for near an Age: So that instead of going to Italy, or elsewhere, one that defigns for Portrait-Painting ought to ftudy in England. Hither fuch fhould come from Holland, France, Italy, Germany, &c. as ' he that intends to practise any other kinds of Painting, fhould go to those Parts where 'tis in greatest Per'fection. 'Tis faid the Bleffed Virgin defcended from 'Heaven, to fit to St. Luke; I dare venture to affirm, 'that if she should defire another Madonna to be painted by the Life, fhe would come to England; and am of opinion that your prefent Prefident, Sir Godfrey Kneller, from his Improvement fince he arrived in this Kingdom, would perform that Office better than any Foreigner living. I am, with all poffible Respect, SIR, Your moft Humble, and Moft Obedient Servant, &c. THE ingenious Letters fign'd The Weather-Glafs, with Several others, were received, but came too late. POSTSCRIPT. IT had not come to my Knowledge, when I left off the Spectator, that I owe feveral excellent Sentiments and agreeable Pieces in this Work to Mr. Ince of Gray's-Inn. R. STEELE. THE THE INDE X. ACTION, A. CTION, a neceffary Qualification in an Orator, Actor, absent, who fo called by Theophraftus, N. 541. Allegories: the Reception the Spectator's Allegorical Art, the Defign of it, N. 541. Audience, the Grofs of an Audience of whom com- Auguftus, his Reproof to the Roman Bachelors, N. Authors, their Precedency fettled according to the Bulk B. BACON (Sir Francis) his extraordinary Learning and Parts, N. 554. Bamboo (Benjamin) the Philofophical Ufe he refolves to Beauty, |