to Me last, appear. to 1111,TO occurred, and the palliation

or expedient 0 knighting acmr. baltdozen or is of the R. A.. to have been recently restated to. But this is neither thoroughly priucipleti, nor effective. It will nppear to posterity too much like the hasty sporting of royal caprice. or the dandyism or amateur legislation. The re- sult of the critical anti artistical collective judgment of the professor. is thus super- seded end nullified : a practitioner. perhaps of very inferior rowers, and,it may be. not belonging to the AcaAetnical hierarchy. is, by a uot uncommon sally of Court favour, placed above all Academicians diet aro not knighted; and a scene is played in strict analogy with that In Anonora's Spectator, where a Negro invested w ith a dress of muchmoveted pattern, is made to outshine and discomfit tho paragon of beauty. excelleuce, end fashion. Far better than this it were (in words which the Ettrick Cheplierd has attributed to Sir WALTER SCOTT) to " let every hen Mg hang by its uwu head."

The knighting remedy, whoever prescribed it, is at hoist as bad as the tlisense. A military title, literally meaning ts valiant warrior ou horseback. is irrelevant In the peaceful pursuits uf an artist ; and a title which has been tarnished by being °inferred on one JONATHAN NIILES, the keeper of a house of refuge for lunatics, and On trading citizens who have merely paraded to Court with adulatory addresses, ought not to have been supposed as in itself more honourable than that of &gat Acaderni. faun or as worthy to precede or to add to it an atom of dignity.

This Academic apellation of Royal Acaderniciau ought also to be supposed far above any ouch addition or preceding title. as that of Eaqiiire, which figureeon the Ilia al diplomas nail the Academical publications. Academicians have no more to do anti settirehood than the clergy Or riala honourable.. There is surely something tin- English and incongruous in this kuighthood and &unframed. It is too much as if Great Britein bordered on Rusitia. and her arts of amelioration and adornment were sontaminated by the barbarisms of bad neighbourhood cud bsgone ages. Eveu our Eighth HENRY, tyrant as he was, hut taste and discernment enough to repulse au affronted noblemen who, thinking to take advaetage of the King's regardlessness of Pittman life and seclug no MOM ill I101.5515.5 abilities than Mr. CUNNINGHAM,men- daciously life, of his Sovereign the destruction of the Lehi artist : but he reckoned without his host ; for Ilzierty immediately told him that lie" could make seven kuights (lords, I believe. was his Majest)'s wend) of as many ploughmen, but could not make one 110LBEIN of .oven herds.'

What patriotic K lug would have desired that himself and unknown, peanut. tasteless, SIICCOSSOTS S1101114 possess and retain such a power as that of royally over- stepping Acadentimil appreciation ? What wise Academy. or what other legislative assembly of artists in a free country. than our own sapient founders, would have con- seated to such a stipulation? By this inconsiderate be-hnighting process, Sir • • • • and Sir • • • • • are at once put upon a level with Sir FRANCIS CH•NTRZY cud Sir Davin Wtratix ; without passing through the iuferior grail. now termed Associates, or passing the Academic ordeal at alt: that it to say, in the estimation of the great vulgar, who surrender their own jildgment hoodwinked, or who have no judgment to surrender. But then, these are the people who, in mammon island, are cated fur by the Court knights. Oh, for a ray from the sun which shell enlighten posterity I• It is the custom of England that in all other learned and liberal professions the gra duations on the scale of honourable estimation should be considerately and specifically narked. lit divinity, or the science of theology, the Church is an hierarchy : between the curate or cleik, and the archbishop. I count from bine to twelve ordere. In the legal profession are at least eight of these grades, before we antes at the Lord Chau. Geller. In the navy are nine. Of hereditary lionolirs there are seveu or yield ranks. all constituting hitt a single deliberative chamber of Peers, The army has still moreof grades between tile corporal and lieiti.marshal : but I hasEly avert myself from the idea that in Englnial It e art of war is placed sot fir before that of peace. I feel too much tat:tuned as an Etiglishman, to entertaiti for five minutes the comparison between the expense of wealth awl honour which my country lavishes on its machioery of destine: ion, and that which it stingily deals or tittles out to those arts tool uzieucee from ohich alone it can rationally expect to derive fame from surrounding nations, or lasting glory or advancement uu the road of happiness, or the honourable estintation of posterity. The fine arts, the inseparable sisters of the seiences, coinhabit and minister with th •rn in the sacred asylum where stands the palladium of natioual prosperity and hi:leasing social enjoyment. What should take precedence of them in the public estimation, or in that of the leeisitilorial authorities ? Will you not then grant Si, those arts a higher station in England than has been assigned to them, for the sake of Personal aggrandizemeot. by the despots of the Continent? And still you not, geutde men, as comduche to this cud and ad one mean of introit in; the natioual Intonation ef At t, ordain for them a more wise and well-considered gradation of launotirahle esti. rnatiou thou the three existing Academical orders of Student, Associate, and Acatleini. eau ?

We will next, if you please, proceed to conehlee what may with advantage be substi- tuted tor these. Techuie specifications or houourable titles should, as nearly as pos. Sihie, not only keep pace with the nppreeititions of sound taste and judgment, but be relevant to or homogeneons with those nppreciations, aisticip‘Oino them wherever anti- apation may be found practicnble. We eliteild therefore be averse from the employ ment of unmeauing words, or words of mere semblance, such as have sometimes been iucondi- deratele entployed in confei ring titles intended to be of honourable diatinction ; and should Probably, for these reasons, strike out from the scanty academic vocabulary of titles the word epsodate, unless we can associate it with some meaning. At present It is so much an inversion of SHAHS/TARE'S witchcraft-so nearly" a name without deed "-or without other deed thau that of eating an annual dinner-where certainly it mast be admitted that princes and lords are 11140 associates of the Royal Academy - that it had probably better be omitted. Meanwhile, as everybody understands what ao Advocate, or a Judge, or a Genend, or an Admiral, means (the last cord being, as I believe, derived front the came etymon with admiration) I would, if possible, employ none but expressive terms, or words of messing: at least I could prefer such in de- signating those six or SEVEN grades or elders uf practitioners of the arts studied at the Metropolitan Academy, fur which I would beg leave to aeggeet it will mottably not he Improper to ask, as one easily practicattle MMUS of impost ing the percent establish- Meet.

In ¬:limiting the superior classes of these grades, I would also beg to recommend for contideration the eligibility of employing the names of the great artists of ant kph y ; aimnchic Roman empire those of Ca:salt and Amman; were employed, as flail or cog- nomina, denoting the highest dignitiea, lint in the event of my suggestions being adopted, what the distinguished artists wet e termed would signify little. Relative degrees of honour could Soon attach to the titles, ,,fosterer sounds were employ ea to designate them. Wherefore, mares more appropriate designations fur the proposed seven degrees or orders of artists should be thought of. I would beg vermin:ion to recornmeud the ful lowing-1u specifying which. I have further adventured to suggest the respectite num. tiers for each gristle, revisable every half-eentury, with it •iew to their adapt:Ohio to the then existing state of the rehitions between art and patronage. auti the moral demands tithe country ; co that the Academy of Arts may grow with the social grow th cf the United Kingdom. Acadetnical art has outgrown its frocks and petticoats. Sixty-six members were too many at the first, but ore too few now. Untitled artists of impeller talents are throng- tug forwent, and the relations between art and patronage appear to require that the cumbers of seventy years ago shall now be increased. Upon which assumptions I respectfully submit the followiug tubular scheme.

S. Students-number unlimited but by the discretion of the mitigative body, as at present. E. Exhibitors (or Probationers)-number unlimited. P. Proficient. 20 A. Acatteinicians 20 A.A. Arch Academicians 20 RA, Royal Amuleinieians 12 P. or P.A. Phidii or Martian Aeademicians 10

The Evegratlet of Which the manhole aft United- *halt bore Toile in the General

Aesevably, as well upon the awasions et elating new members when ammoies shad ,• ague. as %won all other ocasions of their assembling: but only the four super Mr grades shall be eligible to seats in the Council or executive government. And this is rotations the newly-eleeted members being entitled to preeietienee as at present, that they may the sooner become acquainted with their official duties. Let the loal government of the Academy not remain 'vastly as it is-though perhaps much alteration may not be needed. At present we have a sort of imprimis. imperio. The Council (or executive government) for the time being has been under too little, and too remote and dubious responalbility to the General Assembly; and hence iuconsistencies, •udemb rrrrr ments, and misgovernment, have occasionally arisen. One Council has sometimes counteracted another ; and when favourite personal objects were to be aceemplialed-' Oh ! wait mail I and — c nne into the Council," or some such sinister advice, hiss stood instead of prineipled, amenable re. ference to the culleetive wisdom and salutary control of the General Assembly. The printed " Abstract of the Institution" says " This Council shall fnme all ay. lows and regulatious, but they shall have no flocs till ratified by the mustn't of tile General Assembly and the approbation of the King ; " etid afterwards, in statiug the duties of the General Assembly. adds. " If at a general assembly of the Amoteiniciaus five members object to any law or regulation made in the Council for the government of the society, they shrill deliver their objeetions in writing. eigneil with their reepective names, which dime, the law and regulatiou objected to shall be referred to the Cottle:it to be — reconsidered." Upon which may be observed. that not withstanditig no line made in Commit shall have force till retitled by the General Aaseeday, it Ilan be in the power of five members oat of the forty to disturb these proceeding.. They appear not to have perceived that the major included the minor of the matter at issue; aud they have pat it in the poyrer of five out of forty to enibarrams tbe whole. without rational prospect of a sultitnry issue : fin should it be said that it is umieretoel the General Assembly must first coincide with the live objectors. before the inupostal hew may be sent back either by the Lieueral Assembly or by the five is itli ptescribed

unction of their respective names — for what is it to be referral to the Council? Why," to be recomidered." And what if the Couucil persist in maintaiiiieg the pro-

priety of their mojeeted law or regolation to which objectiou has been raised." This the legislators have out stated. The law itself leads to embarrasement. and stops there. Now, instead of all thie nonsense and empty show 0 law making. aud parade ot law.roakers, mould it not FP better that the responsibility of Lite Council te the Gene- ral Aesembly should be entire, avowed. and explicit ? If delegated or inferior 10Ther be detached front the main body aud rendered inbepteolent and arbitrary, et,' y accurate pi inciple of legislation it confonniled, mid in danger of being lost. And sine,: there exists not any reason. that I am aware of, why any niem'etr should nut be at liberty to propose any thiug that may occur to him fur the general reel of the Acadiens, sod of the public in the General Assembly", why uot let the legislating faculty, or origination of lies, reside there ratlin than in the Council? And why nut let the ditties of the latter be entirely executive? We can only coo:teeters: acre 'bat the itieonmetent primislegialators-having lost sight of siusplicity, and beguu their work in a wrong place and in a wrong matmer, by calling the asioneixtraritet or exec*. hive government a council- proceeded to suppose they must give them sometniug to de that might seein or a delibetat it e clutramer. The silly enactntent coecerning Associates says, " They shall be artists toy profess Mon." And lest these artists to whom it is adtreseed should not know ohat is meat by that word. it adds the following inaccurately-re.tr:ctise delitlitiou-" That is to say. painters, seniptors. er architects. Their number shall tea exceed tweuty. "l 'hey shall be at least twenty four years ef age, and hot apprentices."

Gentlemeo. ns I have ventured to suggest the propriety of your abolishing this article and this order of Academic inendwrs, I shall nut deal upon the eritiori part of this enactment fin-titer than to uote the air of legislatorial presumptium au i the tacit ackboaledgment of bliielneea which it implies; and the insidiousness, at once fooliela, indecent, and unfounded, of thus endeavouring by an idle attempt at tholuition to exclude the tut of engraving flout being regarded ea an :in. Despite of tlte example, the inperior tippreciation, altd the somaler judgmeol on this point of the Academies of the Continent ; in the most commercial country of the world, the maa cotomercial of the arts-the very art that was destined to call forth the only early patroaoge to that of paitaiug that Euglaud landed, and which calling forth mud obvioaels and of IN- Cessit, IA, lii propol than as the cogravers of England t•Xeeneil those 0 ths l. 'ontinent- y es, this sery primithe shoot ef British ort -boatitiful. eminently useful,aud aboundiug with moral and mercantile fruits as it has not svithstauding proved in its *cloth aud developments- o as hill rutty, ungratefully, awl indecently pi:oda:filed to 1.e nut even entitled to rank as au art by the legislators the British [los al Academy. I lere. as in patting a ith (leer revenues for a biasing isetn.! (of which partiug I sirill presently slieek ). the proto-Aewletni-inus-the drsijoiaj fellows of the liat c.mtery, las iiMephis- topheles then mint oted, that he might now laogli at -exhilded -what? a most pre- cocious poiser or imitating the Milieus dog iu the apologise, who let go the mutton in catehing at a shadow.

Anil did the King ego e to this illiboral and tin iii eashision, with the admi- rable engravings of Wooto,r3v, Sreaata, tv•ers, 1;55701.0ZZ% soil Reos 75, before ? We are compelled to neli11051e.:ge lilt it 111lIsS 113%c been au. T• et poorly tenanted on the6;11,;,•il to super, ise the co:sanction of an :ieademy of arts, the diemembeter of the hliiioh Empire, SHEEPIO A laSitiOAN tht, niust also Lase oonsentod to this most ignorant and nowise disinembermout of British att. Ile alas! ale as s to have di5CUVert51 his political it rors when it it as too late to ametel them ; and that tAith•raille proprietor of lloikliam might well deplore this. Ile was constrained to %jet:lint:emelt:mice to America ; mid how dal lbs Ina tic ears .ie:er it,C.et in,: O., affront- overluoking the i jury inflicted on c Amerce and engrarie,i -try to console Si a vein the engraver ?-Wils, by the offer of knighthood stiu:tilt the art at WAS tOe iso to accept v. idiom. a ; urse well enough filled to support the raid:. Allow nue lie to eay that I

was delighted when the iiberal .itel beuevolent SATIIMY biarted Ow, fully forth With iti5 epigram upon the oceanion, tooling " by George, it is Slot ANSE !" The fine oil falOW litUaliC.i till bis eyes were suffused withi tears; anti who could forbear to as inpathise? Permit me uow to met-v.11. Yon will not, gentlemen, omit to ito ire that the short paragraph I have cited from the Academic laws respectina at tists and Associates, contains muotlisr tea less egregious asstimptiun ; that theft. prime Academical legislAtor, koew helter th•ou i' us :deuce at what age a human twine migia boconic au artist. or, in their emalloniteied ail ction for technicality, would illost tirei fah; Witting a rule. where God bud twit ehall be . t... .15. age IL

11011C ; and nor-over, knew better thou the statote laws of Etigland t

youth might reinnin an apprentiee. They (the applicailts for Academical honours) shall be at least ticentgAur years of age. awl net orpreot;ces." Was t 'tete the least os- casket to say any thing about the age of on aspiraat a hose prodateems. placed before the arkPers, were hie legitimate and only cam/ priuciple of recotuusendat ion ? Do we

nut know that natural genius spurns at such preaerilted ? will listen to no ouch dicta; aud eometimes choOftes. as if in contempt of !twit narrow mini!ed enactments, to ',retinae boi■s muter age that shall tithe full-fledged Acaderniciaus (to n the field? If a boy of seventeen, or even of less, otashit e a mat, of tweuty.four: good WSW and sound sense, regarding him as the more extraordinary artist, will. witluett much 031•0' tion.of liberality, prefer to honour hint as a mender upon that very aecount. I am afraid this must be regarded as another of the line lie altenapte at trowelling; whet* incompetent anti misempowered leeislators. thinking of themselves ivatead of the publie purposes (of which themselves were but :WON) have fruetrated, as tar as their mistakes could frustrate, those public purposes; hy stultifying the topciath., p.tir of vi %bast i a the very act of constructing a nAnOUni apparat ite,wherein their chief Care should have been to have availed themselves to the uttauet of its bit:seed stud blessiug advan- tages. The remit:der. if peseible, next week.

From Sir, sour very obedient servant, 3. i,•NDSEER.