which sometimes unexpectedly burst on the weary traveller in the midst of a barren and mountainous country, and which serve as resting places where he may refresh himself before he proceeds on his journey. But if the most entertaining experiments have lost the charm of novelty, by the young student's having been familiarized to them from childhood, may it not be feared he will turn with disgust from scientific studies, when he finds himself involved in a succession of abstruse problems and intricate calculations, without a prospect of his path being enlivened by new and entertaining objects.-Editor.

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CHAPTER XXII.

Drawing and Perspective.

I THINK a young gentleman should have such an insight into perspective, and so much skill in drawing, as will enable him to represent tolerably on paper any thing that he sees, except faces, and this may be acquired in a little time if he have a genius for it; but to be a perfect painter will require more time than a young gentleman can spare from his other improvements of greater moment.-Locke.

It is a matter of surprise to me, that a thing so obviously useful as drawing, and in many respects so in

dispensably necessary, should be so generally disregarded. Young gentlemen at an academy indeed sometimes learn a little drawing, but neither so often nor so completely as they ought; but it is not of those I mean now to speak, but of that large body of youth comprehended in the fourth class of people, i. e. the sons of tradesmen and mechanics.

As parents cannot know certainly what their children will be, it is fit that, according to their station, they should be so educated as to be prepared for whatever may suit their circumstances, their capacity, and their inclinations; and to this end, besides reading, writing, and arithmetic, I earnestly recommend drawing. All parents, without an exception, should implant in their children an ardent desire to excel: not to engage them in things they are unequal to, not to fill their heads with chimeras of fancied power and abilities, but that they labour with unwearied industry to become perfect in their way, be their profession, trade, or business, what it will. Thus, if a boy is to be a bricklayer, a carpenter, a smith, or any other trade relating to building, it is right that he should be animated with a desire to become perfect, and not sit down contented with a scanty superficial knowledge of his business; and to attain this, drawing should be made as familiar to him as writing, which would greatly contribute to his advancement in the world; for how often does it happen that a gentleman wants his own conceptions and designs executed and improved, which is easily done by a masterly workman! Thus also if an upholsterer is sent for, it is an advantage for him not only to give the proper dimenOo

VOL. II.

sions of furniture, but display the several ornaments and fancies in use, and even strike out new designs of his own. Drawing is also essentially necessary for calico printers and linen-drapers. But if we take a more general survey of things, in order to give us a true and solid estimation of real life, we shall find this art of surprising use. How many trades are there subservient to the arts and sciences! All those who make maps, charts, and globes, and all those who make mathematical instruments, and the vast apparatus for the dif ferent parts of experimental philosophy: so too engravers, sculptors, painters, and anatomists; all these, with many others needless to enumerate, stand in need of drawing; so vast is its use, and so necessary is the knowledge of it.-Nelson.

Little children are extremely fond of imitation, and they all attempt to draw. I would wish my pupil to cultivate this art, not merely for the sake of the art itself, but to render his eye accurate and his hand free. I would not however let him have a drawing-master, who would only give him pictures to copy; Nature should be his only master, that he may have before him the original object, not the paper that merely represents it. I would even prevent his sketching any thing by memory, till, by frequent practice, the exact figures of the objects are well impressed on his imagination; for by substituting ridiculous fantastical figures for reality, he may lose the knowledge of just proportion, and spoil his taste for the beauties of

nature.

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I am aware that by this method he will scrawl a long time before he will produce any drawing that has the slighest resemblance to the original, and be late in acquiring the elegance of outline, and the light touches of a finished artist. Perhaps he will never discern picturesque beauties, or possess a good taste in drawing; but on the other hand his eye will become more exact, his hand more steady, and he will acquire a knowledge of the just proportions, sizes, and figures of animals, plants, and other objects, and a quicker sense of optical deceptions.

But in this pursuit, as in others, I do not intend my pupil should have the amusement all to himself. I would make it still more agreeable by constantly partaking of it. I would not let him have any other rival than myself; but I would be his competitor without intermission, and without danger, and this would render his employment interesting, without creating any jealousy between us. I would follow his example, and, taking up the pencil, would at first handle it as awkwardly as himself. I would begin by drawing a man, as boys draw them on walls, a stroke for each arm, one for each leg, and the fingers longer than the arms. Some time after, one of us would perceive this want of proportion; we should remark, that a leg has some thickness, but that it is not equally thick at all parts, and that the length of the arm is determined by the length of the body. In this progress I should as much as possible keep pace with him, or would get so little before him, that it should always be in his power to overtake, or even occasionally surpass me.

We would then purchase colours and brushes, and

endeavour to imitate the colours of the objects as well as the figure. We would colour, paint, and daub, but in all our trials we would endeavour to copy Nature, and never do any thing but under her direction.

If we were in want of ornaments for our rooms, we have now found enough. I would have our drawings framed and handsomely glazed, that they may not be retouched, and that, finding they remained in the state we left them in, each one might be interested to do his best. I would have these drawings hung regularly round the room, every picture repeated twenty or thirty times, showing in each copy the progress of the artist, from the time when the house was only a misshapen square, till its front, sides, proportion, and shading are correct. The gradations preserved in these pictures will not fail of being constantly interesting to ourselves and entertaining to others, and of exciting our emulation. I would put the most unfinished in superb gilt frames, which would set them off, but when the imitation becomes more exact, and the drawings really good, I would only put them in plain black frames; for these will not want any ornament to set them off, and the border should not divert the attention from the merit of the picture. Thus we should all aspire to the honour of a plain frame, and when we meant to despise a picture, condemn it to the gilt frame. In drawing I should never let my pupil make use of a rule or compass, but keep them constantly locked up, only indulging him with them rarely and for a short time.-Rousseau.