CHAP. 
VIII. 
The first Discourse of 'Mr. lVest to the Students of the 
Academy.  Progress qf the Arts. - Qf the Advantages of 
Schools of Art.  On the Natural Origin of the Arts._ 
Of the Patronage which honoured the Patrons and the 
Artists.   Adbice.  Promising, State of the 
Arts in Britain.  
MR. WEsT's 
first 
discourse 
to 
the 
students of 
the Royal Academy was delivered on the 10th 
of December, 1792, on the occasion of the distri- 
bution of the prizes. Without ostensibly differing 
in his views from Sir Joshua Reynolds, who by 
his lectures acquired, 
3S 
an 
author, 
a degree of 
celebrity equal to his fame as an artist, the new 
President confined himself more strictly to 
professional topics. He recalled to the remem- 
brance of his auditors the circumstances in 
which the Academy originated, and reminded 
them of the encouragement which the eH'or1;g 
of 
artists 
had 
received 
from 
the 
countenance