DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1041#0181
History of the Society of 'Dilettanti 161
if published, may be expected to repay a part, yet an entire
reimbursement can scarcely be hoped for- and, at all events, such
money must be laid out before any return can be made. It is,
however, by thus incurring risk of ultimate loss in giving to the
world valuable information, that the Society render themselves
most useful to the cause of literature. Individuals cannot in
general incur the expense necessary for the publication of great
works on the arts; and persons engaged in publication in the way
of trade are not to be expected to publish, without pretty nearly
a certainty of profit. It has been highly to the honour of this
Society, that without any support from the public, or any funds but
what have arisen from the liberality of its Members, the only two
literary expeditions which, during a period of eighteen years, have
been sent from England for the purpose of investigating the
remains of Grecian taste and splendour, have sailed at their
expense.
' Whilst, however, we justly claim to ourselves great merit from
this, we ought not totally to forget, that, although this employment
of our funds is highly creditable to ourselves, we are in fact merely
disposing of what we have had very little share in collecting, and
that the spirited liberality of our predecessors, and the fortunate
purchase and re-sale of a piece of ground in Cavendish Square,
have put it in our power to do what perhaps has not ever been
done by any private society of individuals in Europe.
' As the Society now stands, we can scarcely be said to have given
anything towards the Promotion of these noble ends. Our annual
subscriptions just defray our annual expenses. No one has paid
more than .£10 \os. as his contribution on admission, the great
majority only £^ <$s: and the guinea which most of us pay as face
money is all that can properly be said to be our annual contribution
to the promotion of the arts j except the occasional contributions
on marriage or increase of income, which form a very inconsider-
able branch of our revenue. Is not this the moment to do something
more ? The African Association, the Palestine Association, have
had the Merit of contributing essentially to the great cause of
literature by the annual contributions of their Members, and it
would be a sort of insult to this most respectable and illustrious
Society to doubt of their readiness to complete the work, of which
the most difficult part is already so happily done, and diffuse the
information now in our own private possession. It must also be
remembered, that, as life is frail, if we neglect to employ and
arrange what has thus been collected, the common lot of mortality
may deprive us of those distinguished talents, so absolutely necessary
to their being reduced to a complete readiness for publication; and
that, if that publication be as slow as without further aid from
M
if published, may be expected to repay a part, yet an entire
reimbursement can scarcely be hoped for- and, at all events, such
money must be laid out before any return can be made. It is,
however, by thus incurring risk of ultimate loss in giving to the
world valuable information, that the Society render themselves
most useful to the cause of literature. Individuals cannot in
general incur the expense necessary for the publication of great
works on the arts; and persons engaged in publication in the way
of trade are not to be expected to publish, without pretty nearly
a certainty of profit. It has been highly to the honour of this
Society, that without any support from the public, or any funds but
what have arisen from the liberality of its Members, the only two
literary expeditions which, during a period of eighteen years, have
been sent from England for the purpose of investigating the
remains of Grecian taste and splendour, have sailed at their
expense.
' Whilst, however, we justly claim to ourselves great merit from
this, we ought not totally to forget, that, although this employment
of our funds is highly creditable to ourselves, we are in fact merely
disposing of what we have had very little share in collecting, and
that the spirited liberality of our predecessors, and the fortunate
purchase and re-sale of a piece of ground in Cavendish Square,
have put it in our power to do what perhaps has not ever been
done by any private society of individuals in Europe.
' As the Society now stands, we can scarcely be said to have given
anything towards the Promotion of these noble ends. Our annual
subscriptions just defray our annual expenses. No one has paid
more than .£10 \os. as his contribution on admission, the great
majority only £^ <$s: and the guinea which most of us pay as face
money is all that can properly be said to be our annual contribution
to the promotion of the arts j except the occasional contributions
on marriage or increase of income, which form a very inconsider-
able branch of our revenue. Is not this the moment to do something
more ? The African Association, the Palestine Association, have
had the Merit of contributing essentially to the great cause of
literature by the annual contributions of their Members, and it
would be a sort of insult to this most respectable and illustrious
Society to doubt of their readiness to complete the work, of which
the most difficult part is already so happily done, and diffuse the
information now in our own private possession. It must also be
remembered, that, as life is frail, if we neglect to employ and
arrange what has thus been collected, the common lot of mortality
may deprive us of those distinguished talents, so absolutely necessary
to their being reduced to a complete readiness for publication; and
that, if that publication be as slow as without further aid from
M