RAPHAEL MENGS. 73
ing the art and artists. This protection ought
to be essective, and not a mere appearance, by dis-
tinguishing the professors according to their merit,
and not confounding them with artisans, and em-
ploying them in works of importance ; because, if
the nobles and rich men os a kingdom have not an
inclination to encourage works, and so to difsuse
the taste of arts throughout a nation, they will periih
for want of support; because, if the king alone em-
ploys artists, he cannot employ more than a limited
number, and the taste os the arts concentres itself
in his person alone, causing barbarism in all the
remaining part of the kingdom ; as in another
place has been said to have happened srom the
reign of Philip II. unto that of our sovereign,
notwithstandihg they loved and protected the
arts, and chiessy that of painting, and nevertheless
good taste has never diffused itself generally
through the nation. These circumstances being
supposed, the academy of Madrid is to be con-
sidered either as an academy or a school, or
both together. Whichever of these things it
may be, it is always required that the members
who compose it be masters the most expert
in the arts, since the academicians ought to be
capable of explaining the definitions of the art
from whence the rules are deduced, because, to
aft like a master, it is necessary to know well
the profession. Academic discourses discover
the difficulties os the art to youth who are
willing to profess it, and place the dilettantis in
a Situation to understand, and to be capable of
soundly judging of works. This circumstarc^