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14 imports a thousand "chefs-d'aenvies," the produce of a foreign land'. "The correctness of this assertion" adds Mr Morse, 'is abundantly proved by the practice of those noblemen and others, who stand first [[strikethrough]] by the practice [[/strikethrough]] among the encouragers of art in England.' The examples grew of this practice, are the purchases [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] by three noblemen of Allstons Uriel and Jacobs Dream, and of Leslie's Saul and the Witch of Endor; which, instead of being the humble works of humble artists, are, two of them at least, among the [[strikethrough]] first [[/strikethrough]] finest pictures of modern times, and by artists, who stand at the very head of their profession. When such pictures are neglected, because they are not old, or foreign, Mr Morse may well be indignant; that it is a very different question, whether it is expedient to buy the works of our own artists, simply because they are so. If good American paintings were left unsold, because others of less merit were bought, or for any other cause, one would join heartily in censuring such illiberality. But the fact is not so. The real want in America is not so much of good patrons, as of good painters, and we doubt very much whether Mr Morse could tell us of a
Transcription Notes:
. The end is hard to decipher
chefs-d-aenvies = masterpieces