of humanity; and I tender you, sir, my thanks, for the courteous manner in which you have communicated them.

The parents and children, with others of his Sicilian majesty's subjects, whose freedom I have been so fortunate as to obtain, will embark for Malta, under the American protection, and I fervently hope, that they may be safely restored to their country and their friends.

Assuring you sir, that I shall ever retain a lively and grateful sense of the honour conferred on me by the approbation of the senate and people of Sciacca, I pray you to be persuaded of the profound respect and consideration,

with which I have the honour to be,

Your letters addressed to Mr. Greogory Maltei, his Sicilian majesty's commissioner, and to Mr. Gibbs, consul of the United States, concerning the two Sicilian children, and the other Sicilian captives, liberated through your intercession, were forwarded to me; but the one mentioned as having been written to me, did not come to hand.

The king, my master, whom I had the honour to inform of the contents of the same, has admired the sensibility of your heart, and it has been truly gratifying to his feelings, to contemplate a stranger so interesting himself from mere humanity for individuals of other nations.

While I have the honour to transmit to you, sir, the warmest acknowledgments from his Sicilian majesty, for this honourable act of humanity towards his subjects, I am happy to inform you that the institution, called the Redemption of the Slaves, has received the king's commands for taking the most proper and speedy measure, for the safe return to their homes of the children, of

whose safe arrival at Malta, I am just informed, and of Micheli Scotto and Gaspero Lintenelli of Syracuse. I hope the object of your liberality, and of your humane undertaking, will soon be accomplished.

I have the honour to be, with great regard and distinguished consideration,

sir, your most obedient servant,

THE MARQUIS OF CIRCELLO.

George Davis, Esq. U. S. Consul, Tripoli.

Tripoli, 16th November, 1809.

To the most honourable the marquis de Circello, his Sicilian's majesty's minister for foreign affairs,

MY LORD,

THE letter which your lordship did me the honour to write on the 2d October, was transmitted to me through the medium of Mr. Gregori Maltei, his Sicilian majesty's charge d'affaires, at Malta.

I pray your lordship to express to his majesty my grateful sensibility for the condescension with which he has been pleased to notice my conduct, and I also tender to your lordship my highest acknowledgments for the flattering manner in which you communicated his majesty's approbation.

By this conveyance Calmero and Francesco Buttaro, natives of Syracuse, who have been seven years slaves to this regency, embark for Malta; and I have recommended them to the good offices of his majesty's charge d'affaires, in procuring them a passport to Sicily.

I have the honour to inclose a copy of the letter I addressed to your lordship on the 9th October, 1807; and with sentiments of profound respect and consideration,

I have the honour to be,

my lord,

your lordship's most obedient servant,

GEORGE DAVIS.

MR. OLDSCHOOL,

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.

July 20th, 1810.

BEING engaged in the construction of a chain bridge three miles out of Newburyport, state of Massachusetts, prevented my seeing Mr. Finley's publication in the June Port Folio, until it was too late to take notice of it in your July number.-I shall therefore thank you to publish the contents of this sheet, in your August Port Folio, merely to let my friends and the public know, that my feelings are outraged, and that I mean to pursue the subject until I have justice as publicly done me as the injury has been inflicted.-The attack was so unexpected, unmerited, and unprovoked, that I cannot fully comprehend it, unless it is attributed to motives the most unworthy-or that it may be barely possible, that his mind operating under the influence of avarice, jealousy, and old age, may have conceived some imaginary offence. But as I had strong grounds for supposing that we were on good terms, and as we were actually in a state of negociation, for a long contemplated, and a more equitable arrangement, between us; I do not see on what grounds he expects to vindicate his insidious, jesuitical, and highly injurious publication, without first having given me information. The rattlesnake itself generously sounds its rattles and gives notice to its enemy, before it attempts to inflict its poison. If this gentleman calculates on some supposed improper act of mine towards him, under which to shield himself, he will be most egregiously disappointed, for I have committed none, but such as have been eminently calculated to promote his interest.

I pledge myself to my friends and the public, in the event of a quarrel, to show that he is under more obligation to a highly respected character near the city of Washington and myself, for the introduction of his then totally neglected Chain Bridge, than to all the world besides—And I do also pledge myself to show that whatever difficulty he may have on his mind respecting me, if in fact he has any at all—has originated from his inordinate avarice, ill-founded jealousy, and want of justice towards me. Nothing now restrains me, but a perfect conviction that a

rupture between us would result in serious injury to us both, and the pleasing reflection, that notwithstanding he has thrown the first stone, if we do quarrel, it shall be his fault, and not mine. In order to bring about an equitable compromise between us, to prevent one from suffering while the other is gouged; I have placed the power on my part, in the hands of a third person, and given Mr. Finley information of it; and if he is that pure character, that in the early part of our acquaintance he took pains to induce me to believe he was, he will set all to rights in the Port Folio himself.

I am, sir, most respectfully,

your humble servant,

JOHN TEMPLEMAN.

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.

PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS.

It is with a satisfaction the most sincere, and wishes for its prosperity the most cordial, that we are enabled to announce the establishment of a new society in this city, by the title of the SOCIETY OF ARTISTS OF THE UNITED STATES, upon principles at once correct, liberal, and enlightened; and calculated in an eminent degree to call forth, in every walk of art, the latent worth and genius of our country. Two months have scarcely elapsed since the first formation of this society, and already its members amount to upwards of eighty; many of whom are of the first character for talents and respectability.

We shall take the first opportunity, in a future number, to present our readers with a copy of the constitution of this society. The principles upon which it is founded are correctly delineated in the following address, delivered before the society, by Mr. George Murray, engraver, of this city.

We ardently hope that this infant society, nourished and invigorated by taste, by talents, and public spirit, will, in its turn, become the nurse, inspirer, and guardian of the genius of our country; for we heartily coincide with the sentiment of the artist, (who is himself so distinguished an ornament of his profession) that "the prosperity, and even the existence of a republic depends upon an ardent love of liberty and virtue; and the fine arts, when properly directed, are capable in a very eminent degree, to promote both."

The following address was delivered by Mr. George Murray, before the Society of Artists of the United States, on the first of August, 1810, and ordered to be published.

To establish a society of artists on liberal principles, and to render the same permanent and useful, is a matter of no small difficulty. Various opinions are entertained respecting the best means of insuring the success of such an undertaking.

It is hardly possible that all the members can be acquainted with each other's real sentiments, and it is very natural to suppose that misunderstandings on many points, and even jealousies will exist among those who, perhaps, are equally anxious to promote the advancement and welfare of this institution.

It appears to be necessary, in the commencement, to state clearly what are the objects and prospects of the society; this will tend much to promote harmony and good understanding among the members.

It is well understood that the primary objects of this society are, the establishment of schools in all the various branches of the fine arts; a public exhibition of the productions of American artists; to improve the public taste; and to raise a fund for the relief of decayed members; but the most important object is, to remove existing prejudices, and to give a character to the FINE ARTS in the United States. To examine with impartiality in what true excellence consists, and to render as simple as possible the means of acquiring a knowledge of the arts.

It has been the practice with all the old academies, to lay too much stress on what may be considered the mere rudiments of art.

A knowledge of drawing, so as to be able to delineate any object with tolerable accuracy, can soon be acquired by persons of even ordinary capacity; and being taught upon mathematical principles, may be considered as purely mechanical; but the superior arts of design, composition, and the choice of subjects, require all the energy of a reflecting and fertile mind. Many persons possessing fine imaginations and cultivated understandings, are deterred from entering the list of artists, on account of the great length of time generally spent in preparatory studies.

The great school of art is nature; and every artist who ex-, '. pects to become eminent must always be a student there.