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limited to forty, out of whom, a director, a chancellor, and Jecretary are to be chofen ; the two former hold their poll for two months, the fecretary is perpetual. Several privileges and immunities were conferred on the new Academy, particulaily the Droit de Committimus, or a privilege of not appearing to anfwer before any court, but that of the king's houfhould. Their firft affemblies were held in the cardinal's apartment, after his death in that of the Chancellor Seguier. At laft an apartment was given them in the Louvre c , now called I'A- cademie Franeoifc. They meet three times a week in the Lou- vre; at breaking up, forty hlver medals are diftributed among them, having on one fide, the king of France's head, and on the reverfe, Protecleur de F Academic, with a laurel and this inotto, a I'lmnwrtalite. By this diftribution, the attendance of the academijls is fecured : thofe who are prefent receiving the furplus, otherwife intended for the abfent. To deft or expel a member, twenty perfons, at leaft eighteen ', are or- dinarily required ; nor can any be chofen unlefs he petition for it i : an expedient to prevent the affront of refufals from per- fons elected. Religious are not admitted «. None to be ex- pelled, except for bafe and difhoneft practices. There are but twoinftances of fuch expulfions, the firil of M. Granier, for refufing to return a depofit ; the other of the Abbe Furetiere, for the crime of plagiarifm. After the death of Cardinal Rich- lieu, firft protector of the Academy, the king took the office on himfelf '. The fociety met with great oppofition to its eftabhfhment, on the part of the parliament of Paris ; being delayed two years before the patents granted by the king would be regifter'd. Several fatyriils appeared againft them, as the Aobe Morgues ; la Comedie de I 'Academic, by M. St. Evre- mond - ; Rolle des prefentations faites aux grands jours de I 'Eloquence Franpife, by the author of Francion; and the Re- quite des Diclionaires, by M. Menage. As to the employment of the Academy ; its defign being not only to give rules, but examples of good writing : they began with making fpeeches on fubje<5ts taken at pleafure, each member in his turn : twenty of thefe have been printed. Their next work was a critique of the Cid of M. Corneille, a talk enjoined them by the car- dinal '. They fet next about a didtionary of the French tongue, which, after, about fifty years fpent in it, in order to fettle the words and phrafes to be ufed in writing, &c. was publiftied in 1694™; having in the mean while given occa- fion to fome fmart difputes with M. L'Abbe Furetiere, one of their own members' 1 . See the article Dictionary. Other works deftined for them are a perfeft French grammar and rhetoric ; and an art of poetry ; but it fhould feem thefe are laid afide. One of their own members in fome refleflions, with regard to their future employments, fhews the unfuitable- nefs of thofe works, and marks out another employment, viz. making critical obfervations on the fentiments of authors °. Some fpeak with great panegyric of the fuccefs of the Aca- demy, and its merits towards the French language <■ ; part of which feems to be true. Others objeft to them, that by re- fining they have enervated the language '. In effea we have ieen the academic flyle feverely ridiculed ', What is worfe; they are charged with having furfeited the world with flattery ■ ; and having exhaufted all the topics of panegyric in behalf of their founder ' : it being a branch of duty incumbent on every mem- ber at his admiffion to make a fpeech in praife of the king, the cardinal, the chancellor Seguier, and the perfon in whofe place he is defied *. Their hiftory is written with great elegancy to the year 1652, by M. Pennon - ■. improved and continued to the year 1 700, by M. l'Abbe d'Olivet r j the fame is given rhetorically, by F. le Camus ».
The Royal Spanijh Academy at Madrid, held its firft meetino- m July, 1713, ln the palace of its founder Don John Ema- nuel Fernadeus Pachcco, Duke d'Efcalona; it confided at firft of eight academifts, including the duke ; to which num- ber were afterwards added fourteen others, the founder bcin" chofen prefident or diredlor, and Don Vincent Squarcafko fecretary. Their firft aft was a petition for the king's confir- mation and proteflion, which was granted in 17 14. Their device is a crucible in the middle of the fire, with this motto, Limpia, Fya, y da Efplendsr, it purifies, fixes, and gives brightnefs; which fome have criticized' . Their objeft, as marked out by the royal declaration, is to cultivate and im- prove the national language : in order to which, they are to begin with choofing carefully fuch words and phrafes, as have been ufed by the beft Spanilh writers ; noting the low, bar- barous, or obfolete ones, and compofing a dictionary, where- in thefe maybe diftinguifhed from the former, &c. by which means, adds that prince, it will clearly appear, that the Caf- tdian tongue is inferior to none of thofe moft efteemed in the world ; and may be employed with advantage either in teach- ing the arts andfeiences, or in exprefling the moft perfefl Latin or Greek originals in exafl tranflations. The number of members is limited to twenty four; the Duke d'Efcalona to be direflor for life ; but his fiicceffors chofen yearly. The fecretary to be perpetual. The Academy to have its own printer ; yet not to put any thing to the prefs without per- million of the council. For further encouragement, all pri- vileges ana immunities enjoyed by the domeftic officers, ac- tually in the king's fervice and the royal palace, are granted the ctcademijls. Their affemblies are all to open with the
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anthem, Vent fancle fpiritus, and the prayer Acliomi nofti-as j and terminate with the prayer, Agimus iibi graiias. When the dictionary is finifhed, they are to compofe a grammar, poetry, and a hiftory of the Spanifh tongue b .— [' Vocabolario de gli Accademici della Crulca. 1691. Firenz. 4 vol. fol. b V. Fontanini PAmint. defefo. Mem. de Trey. an. 1702. p. 166. where he gives the hiftory of the dis- pute between Taffo and" the Academy della Crufca. c Becman. Hift. Orb. Terrar. P. 1. c. 9. §. 3. p. 386. d V. Stoll. Introd. Hift. Liter. P. 1. c. 4. §. 22. p. 182. e V. Brice y Defcript. Nouv. de Paris. Pafcb. de Invent. Nov. Antiq. c. 2. p.84. f Bibl. Franc. T. 14, P. 2. p. 191. * Segraifiana. p. 178. Jour, des Scav. T. 74. p. 138. B Mem. de Trev. an. 1719. p. 1023. ' Struv. Introd. ad Notit. Rei Literar. c. io. §. 18. p. 869. k V. Des Maiz. in Hift. Crit. Rep. Lett. T. 8. p. 338. l Baiilet, Jugem. des Scav. T. 4. P. 2. p. 404. feq. bee alfo T. 1. P. 1. p. 83. Jour, des Scav. T. 28. p. 713. feq. ro V. Oeuv. des Scav. Sept. 1694. p. 42. n V. A£t. Erud. Lipf. an. 1687. p. 372. Furetiere, Effaid'un Diftion. Univ, ap.Nouv. Rep. Lett. T.3. p. Ij $. Furetiere,Lett. aDowjat. ap.Oeuv.desScav. Mars 1688. p. 311. feq. ° Abbe de Saint Pierre, Reflex. furlesTrav^ de l'Acad. Franc. Maffon. Hift. Crit. Rep. Lett. T. 12. p. 142. Jour. Liter. T.3. p. 447. Item,T. 7. p. 193. p V. Sprat. Hift. Roy. Societ. P. 1. §. 19. p. 39. feq. La Matte, Difc. a fe Reception dans P Academic Franc. — Mem. de Trev. an. 1710. p. 1205- feq. Maffllon. Difc. a fa Reception. &c. Mtm.de Trev. an. 1719-p. 1023. feq. Honore de St. Ma- rie Reflex, fur ies Regl. Crit. Diff. 1. p. 70. * Reflex, on Learning. — Mem. de Trev. an. 1710. p. 1847. r Relat. de la Recept. de Mathanaf. a I'Aead. Franc. Hift. Lit. Franc. T. 9. p. 101. « Le Vajfor. Hift. de Louis XIII. T. 8. 1. 3. Nouv. Rep. Lett. T. 39. p. 541. * Muralt. Lett, fur Ies An- glois, &c. Bibl. Franc, an. 1726. p. 119. Buffer, Suit. de Gram. Franc. Jour, des Scav. T. 87. p. 42. feq. Le Clerc. Vie de Card. Richlieu. jour, des Scav. T. 56. p. 46. u V. Nouv. Rep. Lett. T. 46. p. 436^ Sentim. Crit. fur lesCha- ra6t. de h. Bruvere. Lett. 22. Nouv. Rep. Lett. T. 22. P-. 435- x Peliffan. Hift. de l'Acad. Franc, feveral times printed, at different places and in different forms. See ac- counts of it in Nouv. Rep, Lett. T. 54. p. 137. Jour, des Scav. T. 28. p. 712. Morhof. T. 1. 1. 1. p. 146. Sprat. Hift, of Roy. Society, P. 1. §. ig. p. 40. Nov. Liter. T. 5. p. 61. Bayl. Diet. Crit. voc. Pelijfon. Not. (A). J" Nouv. Hift. de l'Acad. Franc, depuis 1652. jufqu'a 1700. parM. L' Abbe d'Olivet. Paris 1730. Accounts of it are given in Bibl. Franc. T. 14. P. 2. Art. 1. p, 1. feq. Mem de Trev. an. 1730. p. 561. feq. The Book is properlya Bibliothecaof the writers of the Academy, defcribing, in the firft part, the works they have compofed jointly ; in the fecond, the life and writings of each member : Tho' the work properly terminates in 1700, with the elogyof M.Racine; the author has added that of M. Huet, who died twenty years after, with his defence againft F. Caftel. z V. Le Camus, Panegyr. Acad. Gallic, or an extract of it in Mem. de Trev. an. 1707. p. 1557. feq. a V. Jour, des Scav. T. 59. p. 389. b V. Fundacion, e Sta- tutes de la Real Academia Efpanola; an extract of it is given in Jour, des Scav. T. 59. p. 389. See alfo Struv. Introd. ad Notit. Rei Liter, c. 10. §. 21. p. 878.] Academies of Dancing, as that erected by the late king of
France, with privileges beyond all the reft. Academies of Painting, as thofe celebrated ones antientlyat Florence and Milan, called alfo Schools ; and that other at Bologna, lately incorporated into the new inftitute a ; to which may be added the Academy of painting and fculpture at Paris and Vienna b ; and another of defigning at Rome c . The Academy of Painting and Sculpture at Paris was eftablifhed fifty years ago, under the cardinal Mazarine, firft protector thereof; and the chancellor Seguier, vice-protector. It confifts of a director, a chancellor, four re&ors, a trea- furer, twelve profeffors ; adjun&s to the rectors and profeffors ; counsellors ; a fecretary ; a profeffor for anatomy, and ano- ther for geometry, and perfpective.
Perfons are here admitted either in quality of painters or fculp- tprs. — The painters are admitted according to their refpec- tive tajents ; there being a diftin&ion made between thofe who work in hiftory, and thofe who only point portraits, or land- fkips, or beafts, or fruits, or flowers, or paint in mignature ; or only defign ; or engrave ; or carve, &c. An account of it has beenpubifhed byGuerin. — [ a V.Jark. c.2.§.2i. feq. Vocke- rodt, c.2. §.3. b V. Bibl. Germ. T. 12. p. 217. c Giorn.de Letter, d'ltal. T.4. p.257. d V.Gtterin. Defcript. del' Acad. Roy. de Peintur. & Sculpt. Aft. Erud. 1717. p. 188.] The Romans had a kind of military Academies^ eftablifhed in all the cities of Italy, under the name of Campi Martis. Here the youth fit for war were admitted indifferently, to be trained to arms, at the public expence. They learned to fence, ride, fhoot with bows, fwim, run, leap, and vault, with all the evolutions of horfe and foot. — The Greeks, befide Acade- mies of this kind, had military profeffors called Tractici, who taught all the higher offices of war, as what related to the general, &c. Folard. fur Polyb. T. 2. p. ig. We have now a royal Acadc?ny at Woolwich, where youth are taught fortificitioiij gunnery, and fuch branches of the " , 2. ma-
