66 cording to his own choice, to work out "his own happiness, which prevents his 66 valuing, nay, even feeling satisfaction at, the prosperity which others have made "for him. It is founded on a right prin 66 66 66 ciple, because it endeavours to trace out a plan, according to which, by providence, by self-denial and perseverance, not only "will the servant be raised in his physical " and moral condition, but the master also "will be taught how to direct his efforts in 66 aiding the servant in his labour to secure "to himself resources in case of sickness, "old age, and want of employment. It is “founded on a right principle, because in "its financial scheme there is no temptation "held out to the servant by the prospect of probable extravagant advantages, which "tend to transform his providence into a "species of gambling; by convivial meet 66 66 66 ings, which lead him to ulterior expense ; or by the privilege of balloting for the "few prizes, which draws him into all the "waste of time and excitement of an "electioneering contest." Another striking instance of this exhaustiveness, and also of his generosity of feeling, dinner of the Royal Academy, is to be seen in those passages of his speech at the dinner of the Royal Academy in 1851 66 Speech at the where he speaks of criticism. "Gentlemen," he said," the production of all works "in art or poetry requires in their concep"tion and execution not only an exercise "of the intellect, skill, and patience, but 1851. 66 66 particularly a concurrent warmth of feeling and a free flow of imagination. This "renders them most tender plants, which "will thrive only in an atmosphere calcu"lated to maintain that warmth, and that "atmosphere is one of kindness towards the "artist personally as well as towards his productions. An unkind word of criticism passes like a cold blast over their tender 66 66 66 shoots, and shrivels them up, checking the "flow of the sap which was rising to pro"duce perhaps multitudes of flowers and "fruit. But still criticism is absolutely necessary to the development of art, and "the injudicious praise of an inferior work "becomes an insult to superior genius. 66 "In this respect our times are peculiarly "unfavourable when compared with those "when Madonnas were painted in the se❝clusion of convents; for we have now on "the one hand the eager competition of a "vast array of artists of every degree of "talent and skill, and on the other, as 66 66 66 66 judge, a great public, for the greater part wholly uneducated in art, and thus led by professional writers who often strive to impress the public with a great idea of "their own artistic knowledge, by the mer"ciless manner in which they treat works "which cost those who produced them the highest efforts of mind or feeling. 66 "The works of art, by being publicly ex“hibited and offered for sale, are becoming "articles of trade, following as such the unreasoning laws of markets and fashion; 66 "and public and even private patronage is swayed by their tyrannical influence." 66 How thoroughly the Prince here feels with the artist! At the same time, how he demands the highest order of criticism! What discernment is shown in the comparison between our own time and other times as regards the peculiar circumstances of criticism! And, in the last paragraph, how justly he points out what are the dangers to High Art in the present period! Indeed, this speech, taken as a whole, may The Prince's desire to get of action. claim to be one of the best that have been delivered in our time. Again, another characteristic in the at principles Prince's speeches is the evident desire in them to get at the law, or the principle, upon which the matter in question should be settled. As an instance of this I would adduce the following extract from his speech when laying the first stone of the Birmingham and Midland Institute : "Without Speech on laying the first stone of "such knowledge we are condemned to one the Birming-❝ of three states: either we merely go on to ham and Midland "do things just as our fathers did, and for 66 66 66 no better reason than because they did so ; or, trusting to some personal authority, we adopt at random the recommendation "of some specific in a speculative hope that "it may answer; or, lastly, and this is the "most favourable case, we ourselves im 66 66 66 prove upon certain processes; but this can only be the result of an experience hardly earned and dearly bought, and I which, after all, can only embrace a comparatively short space of time and a small "number of experiments. 66 66 "From none of these courses can we 66 hope for much progress; for the mind, "however ingenious, has no materials to "work with, and remains in presence of phenomena, the causes of which are hidden " from it. 66 "But these laws of nature, these divine "laws, are capable of being discovered and 66 understood, and of being taught and made 66 our own. This is the task of science : "and whilst science discovers and teaches "these laws, art teaches their application. "No pursuit is therefore too insignificant "not to be capable of becoming the subject both of science and art." 66 of the Prince's Contrary to our feeling in reading most speeches, we are always sorry when the Prince has ended, and we want more to have been said by him; and yet, if we look attentively at any of the speeches, we cannot Condenseness but see that so much has been said that we speeches. must acknowledge ourselves somewhat unreasonable in wishing to have had any more. His speech on laying the foundation-stone of the National Gallery at Edinburgh affords a notable instance of this. It is so short that you feel inclined to clamour for more; and |