XVI

P REFACE to

not without Pain a Lover of Liberty hears the Gloryof Arts flourishing ascribed either to an Augustus or toLewis XIV. It was Mæcenas who turn’d the for-mer, a Prince naturally cruel and barbarous, to the Loveand Courtship of the Muses. And it was Mr. Colbert,a Minister , who gave the same Turn to his Master sVanity , of whose Generosity to Men of Merit, Mr.Rollin mentions an Instance j not to be paralelled inany Country , at least in modern Limes*. Mr. Colbert ,^ fays he, set apart forty thousand Crowns a Year out ofhis own private Estate, for the Supply and Encouragementof those chiefly who had distinguished themselves inany Art or Science: And he charged Mr. Perrault andsome others, whom he had entrusted with the Careof making ingenious Men known to him, that he mightreward them, in the folemnest Manner, to makeConscience of discharging their important Commis-sion faithfully and diligently ; telling them, “ That" if any Person of Merit was in Distress or pinch-" ing Circumstances throughout France , whom he" could relieve, the horrid Guilt must lie upon them;" they must answer for it.” Is it any wonder to findthe Arts and Sciences thriving under a publick Mi-nister, who was such an intelligent Lover of them , andand so generous a Re warder , so zealous a Distinguishof Merit ; and whose Maxim and Study it was to makean arbitrary Government , he could not change , as lightand easy to the Sub j eels, as could possibly be done.

Foreigners have indeed Reason to wonder , that an Es-tablishment so requisite , as that of Academies of BellesLettres, Painting, &c. to do Justice to Merit , to ren-der

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La maniere d* etudier les Belles Lettres.