which we live to the degree of eminence we enjoy, more than the liberal encouragement which had been given by persona in the most
elevated stations in society, to men
engaged in the various branches of
trade, manufacture, or in the cultivation of the arts and sciences,
whose genius, industry, or skill
marked them out as fit objects of
patronage and attention. The gentlemen of the jury knew by experience
that great and extensive transactions
could seldom be carried on without
the assistance of others; and they
knew likewise, that the skill and talents of men eminent in their respective professions, could be obtained only by liberal encouragement and ample remuneration. The effect which this obvious system produced upon genius and industry, was evinced by the thriving state of the arts and sciences,
the trade, commerce, and manufactures of the countryin short,
every thing which surrounded us in
ill is mighty capital, afforded abundant proofs of it. The jury, he
hoped, would pardon him these
preliminar) observations, which naturally arose out of the case he was
about to lay before them. It was
unnecessary for him to state, because every one knew, how beneficial a patron the late Alderman
Boydell had been to the professors
of the fine arts, particularly painting and engraving. Previous to
the Shakspeare Gallery, historical
painting, whence the art of engraving arose, was at a very low ebb in
this country; and whatever priests
of this description were wanted, we
were under the necessity of importing from aboad: but so much had
the liberal encouragement of the
late alderman and his partner altered the nature of this business,
that during the existence of trade
and of communication with the continent, this country exported considerably to our neighbours. By
this means other nations were made
to contribute to the wealth and encouragement of our artists, and ultimately to the improvement of the
arts themselves in this country.
The late alderman had always maintained, that there was not, wanting genius in this country to produce either fine historical paintings, or good artists who might do them justice in the engraving: he thought ingenuity only wanted encouragement, to bring it into action; and, by extending that encouragement with a munificent and discreet liberality, he accomplished, in a great degree, his object. The alderman, he said, was one of those valuable men to whom society owes the most, because they enrich themselves by enriching others, and their labours are at once a profit and an honour to the country that gave them birth. It occurred to Alderman Boydell, that nothing could further the plan he had in view, or so effectually answer the purpose, as that of illustrating by prints the enchanting text of our immortal poet. It was almost needless to add, that this was Shakspeare. For this purpose, he entered upon a plan with Mr. George Nicol, the king's bookseller, to produce a splendid edition of the plays of our poet; the letterpress to be under the direction of Mr. Nicol, and prints illustrative of the various texts from that work, were to be produced under the superintendence of Mr. Alderman Boydell, and the undertaking was
