any thing of the latter till they were taught by Europeans. The exertion of national spirit upon any particular art, promotes activity to prosecute other arts. The Romans, by conftant study, came to excel in the art of war, which led them to improve upon other arts. Having in the progrefs of fociety acquired fome degree of taste and polish, a talent for writing broke forth. Nevius compofed in verse seven books of the Punic war; befide comedies, replete with bitter raillery against the nobility (a). Ennius wrote annals, and an epic poem (b). Lucius Andronicus was the father of dramatic poetry in Rome (c). Pacuvius wrote tragedies (d). Plautus and Terence wrote comedies. Lucilius compofed fatires, which Cicero efteems to be flight, and void of erudition (e). Fabius Pictor, Cincius Alimentus, Pifo Frugi, Valerius Antias, and Cato, were rather annalists than hiftorians, confining them (a) Titus Livius, lib. 7. c. 2. (d) (e) VOL. I De finibus, lib. 1. N° 7. A a felves felves to naked facts, ranged in order of time. The genius of the Romans for the fine arts was much inflamed by Greek learning, when free intercourfe between the two nations was opened. Many of those who made the greatest figure in the Roman ftate, commenced authors, Cæfar, Cicero, &c. Sylla compofed memoirs of his own tranfactions, a work much esteemed even in the days of Plutarch. The progrefs of art feldom fails to be rapid, when a people happen to be roufed out of a torpid ftate by fome fortunate change of circumftances: profperity contrafted with former abafement, gives to the mind a fpring, which is vigorously exerted in every new purfuit. The Athenians made no figure under the tyranny of Pififtratus; but upon regaining freedom and independence, they became heroes. Miletus, a Greek city of Ionia, being destroy'd by the King of Perfia, and the inhabitants made flaves; the Athenians, deeply affected with the mifery of their brethren, boldly attacked that king in his own dominions, and burnt the city of Sardis. In lefs than ten years after, they gained a fignal victory over him at Marathon; 1 Marathon; and under Themistocles, made head against a prodigious army with which Xerxes threatened utter ruin to Greece. Such profperity produced its ufual effect: arts flourished with arms, and Athens became the chief theatre for fciences as well as fine arts. The reign of Augustus Cæfar, which put an end to the rancour of civil war and restored peace to Rome with the comforts of fociety, proved an aufpicious æra for literature; and produced a cloud of Latin historians, poets, and philofophers, to whom the moderns are indebted for their taste and talents. One who makes a figure rouses emulation in all: one catches fire from another, and the national fpirit flourishes : claffical works are compofed, and useful discoveries made in every art and science. This fairly accounts for the following observation of Velleius Paterculus (a), that eminent men generally appear in the fame. period of time. One age," fays he, "produced Efchylus, Sophocles, and Euર ripides, who advanced tragedy to a great height. In another age the old comedy r (a) Hiftoria Romana, lib. 1. in fine. A a 2 "flourishel "flourished under Eupolis, Cratinus, and "Ariftophanes; and the new was invent"ed by Menander, and his cotemporaries “ed "Diphilus and Philemon, whofe compo"fitions are fo perfect that they have left to posterity no hope of rivalfhip. The philofophic fages of the Socratic fchool, appeared all about the time of Plato and “Aristotle. And as to rhetoric, few ex"celled in that art before Ifocrates, and < as few after the fecond defcent of his "fcholars." The hiftorian applies the fame obfervation to the Romans, and ext tends it even to grammarians, painters,. ftatuaries, and fculptors. With regard to Rome, it is true that the Roman government under Auguftus was in effect defpotic: but defpotifmn in that single instance made no obftruction to literature, it having been the politic of that reign to hide power as much as poffible. A fimilar revolution happened in Tuscany about three centuries ago. That country was divided into many fmall republics, which by mutual hatred, ufual between nations in close neighbourhood, became ferocious and bloody. These republics being united under the Great Duke of Tufcany, enjoy'd the the fweets of peace in a mild government. That comfortable revolution, which made the deeper impreffion by a retrofpect to recent calamities, roufed the national fpirit, and produced ardent application to arts and literature. The restoration of the royal family in England, which put an end to a cruel and envenomed civil war, promoted improvements of every kind: arts and industry made a rapid progrefs among the people, tho' left to themfelves by a weak and fluctuating adminiftration. Had the nation, upon that favourable turn of fortune, been bleffed with a fucceffion of able and virtuous princes, to what a height might not arts and sciences have been carried! In Scotland, a favourable period for improvements was the reign of the firft Robert, after shaking off the English yoke: but the domineering fpirit of the feudal fyftem rendered abortive every attempt. The reftoration of the royal family, mentioned above, animated the legislature of Scotland to promote manufactures of various kinds : but in vain; for the union of the two crowns had introduced defpotism into Scotland, which funk the genius of the people, and rendered them |