InlookingroundthewideandluminouscircleofourgreatlivingEnglishmen，toselectonetowhomImightfitlydedicatethiswork，——onewho，inhislifeasinhisgenius，mightillustratetheprincipleIhavesoughttoconvey；elevatedbytheidealwhichheexalts，andserenelydwellinginagloriousexistencewiththeimagesbornofhisimagination，——inlookingroundforsomesuchman，mythoughtsresteduponyou。Afarfromourturbulentcabals；fromtheignoblejealousyandthesordidstrifewhichdegradeandacerbatetheambitionofGenius，——inyourRomanHome，youhavelivedamidstallthatisloveliestandleastperishableinthepast，andcontributedwiththenoblestaims，andinthepurestspirit，tothemightyheirloomsofthefuture。

　　Youryouthhasbeendevotedtotoil，thatyourmanhoodmaybeconsecratedtofame:afameunsulliedbyonedesireofgold。

　　Youhaveescapedthetwoworstperilsthatbesettheartistinourtimeandland，——thedebasingtendenciesofcommerce，andtheangryrivalriesofcompetition。Youhavenotwroughtyourmarbleforthemarket，——youhavenotbeentempted，bythepraiseswhichourviciouscriticismhasshowereduponexaggerationanddistortion，toloweryourtastetothelevelofthehour；youhavelived，andyouhavelaboured，asifyouhadnorivalsbutinthedead，——nopurchasers，saveinjudgesofwhatisbest。Inthedivinepriesthoodofthebeautiful，youhavesoughtonlytoincreaseherworshippersandenrichhertemples。ThepupilofCanova，youhaveinheritedhisexcellences，whileyouhaveshunnedhiserrors，——yourshisdelicacy，nothisaffectation。

　　Yourheartresembleshimevenmorethanyourgenius:youhavethesamenobleenthusiasmforyoursublimeprofession；thesameloftyfreedomfromenvy，andthespiritthatdepreciates；thesamegenerousdesirenottowarwithbuttoserveartistsinyourart；aiding，strengthening，advising，elevatingthetimidityofinexperience，andthevagueaspirationsofyouth。Bytheintuitionofakindredmind，youhaveequalledthelearningofWinckelman，andtheplasticpoetryofGoethe，intheintimatecomprehensionoftheantique。Eachworkofyours，rightlystudied，isinitselfaCRITICISM，illustratingthesublimesecretsoftheGrecianArt，which，withouttheservilityofplagiarism，youhavecontributedtoreviveamongstus；inyouwebeholditsthreegreatandlong-undetectedprinciples，——

　　simplicity，calm，andconcentration。

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