The Sun.
London, England, 1808-12-26 00:00:00

LAIP REPORT.

COURT OF KING'S ,LUNCH, DEC. 24.
BOYDELL V. DRUMMOND.
The A.TrORNEY-GENERAL opened this case by
Observing, that perhaps there was nothing that
had contributed to raise the State in which .we lived
- to the degree of eminence in which it now stood, as
• the liberal encouragement which had been given by
those in the most elevated stations in Society; to
those whose genius, industry, and skill, marked
them out as objeas of attention ; whose labours
thereby became most useful, as well as. most con-
spicuous. Tnis the Gentlemen of the Jury knew to
be the case in those large mercantile transactions in
which they were en ;aged; for they knew, by experire
ence, it was impossible for them to carryon any great
_concern without the aid of others ; and those, too,
men of talents and skill in the branch in which they
were employed ; and.their exertionscould never be
obtained without liberal encouragement by amele
remuneration ; and experience chewed us daily the
beneficial elfea of that remuneration, when made
to those whose genius, industry, and skill, adapted
them to the purposes of the improvement of that`
branch of business on which they were engaged.'
These effeets were visible in the thriving state of our
arts and sciences, our trade and commerce, our rpa-
nufaaures and mechanics, in almost every thing
that_surrounded us, of which this mighty capital
most strikingly abounded in proofs. The Jury
would excuse him for msking
.these few rematks,
because they grew out of the case which he was
about to lay before them. The aelion was brought
by Josiah Boydell; Esquire, late partner, and now
worthy representative of the late Mr. Alderman
Boydell, to• whom the art of engraving owed so
much of its present eminence in this country. . For-
merly, that branch of the Fine Arts was at rs very
low ebb in this country, there being very little emi-
nence among us of historical painting, whence the
art of engraving arose ; but by the gcniu4 of the late
Alderman Boydell, from his spirit and exertion, from
-his taste and judgment, from. his liberality end AUU—
nificence, there was brought together as it were
at once, whatever there was of genius in this coun-
try in the science of engra% ing, by which that
branch of the Fine Arts 'became a subject of great
national advantage .; ti,r, until then, ail we had of
fine engraving was itneorted here frem other coun-
tries. But by she exertions of Mr. Alder Man Boy-
dell; this country became an exporting instead of
an importing country in the yvorks of taste and
historical engravings. This distinguished 'peitOn
knew there was not wanting genius in this could ry
•in the art of engraving any more than in any other
-art, and it wanting nothing but encouragement to
bring it into salon ; and by that encouragement he
accomplished to a great degree his purpose. And
he was one of those valuable men to whom society
owes the most, who enrich themselves by enriching
others, and whose labours are at once a profit and
an honour to the country that gave them birth. In
fUrtherance of this.obje6t, it occurred to Mr. Alder-
man Boydell, that nothing could so effeaually an an-
swer the purpose he had in view, as that of illustrat-
ing by prints the enchanting text of our immortal
Poet. It was almost needles 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 letter-press to be under the direaion of
Mr. Nicol, and prints
_illustrative of the _various
texts from that work were to be produced under the
superintendence of Mr. Alderman Boyden, and the
undertaking was agreed upon ; but as it required al-
most an immense capital, as well as prodigious la-
bour; it could only be undertaken by subscription,
it being necessary to raise 40,0001. in the first in-
stance. A prospe&tus was therefore published, and
a subscription opened in the year i'Ssfi, by Which
they proposed to bring out this splendid work in
numbers; and in which the subscribers were to have
seventy-two plates of engravings illustrative of the
most interesting scenes in the Plays of Shakspeare;
the subscribers to have ,their plates preciSely in the
order in which they entered their names in the list"
et subscribers, so that priority of subscription
should secure superiority of impression. This rule
was Observed rigidly. There were to be 150-copies
first taken off by the way of proofs, and the:rest,
came in their order. The proofs were all subscribed
for within six weeks. after the subscription was
opened. Our illustrious' Monarch himself setting
the example to his subje&s for the improvementeot
taste and encouragement of the arts. In the pi
gress of the-work, Mr. Drummond, the flanker, be-
came one of the subscriberS„ and stood at- No. 1103.
Inc plates were all laid by for him exaelly on the
tu3d number. The only notice which the sub-
scribers had of, the plates coining out was by means
of advertisement in the publie.Nawspapers, aril they
tent_ !OF them accordingly. The Shakspearts - Gal-
, lery was opened in Pall-Mall on the first of May
►7ttg. sith thirty-four of the paintings, and Marc),
1.70, there were ,fifty-six of theme _to ‘mhitiir Ciel;-
lery 'every subscriber had a ticket 'of admission,

4.t putiashe WILL Lllll IA IG CRI,P P •SQUiti
or the Pager, /lien Lus the -Edit(n.-, &xi (PosP.P2idJ wust be addiessed.