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THE

HISTORY

OF

KNOWLEDGE, LITERATURE,

AND TASTE,

IN GREAT BRITAIN,

DURING THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES II.

THE

PART V.

'HE anecdotes of a civil war are the history of destruction in all ages the mob have vented their hatred to tyrants on the pomp of tyranny; the magnificence which the people once have envied, they love to demolish; and, mistaking consequences for causes, the first objects of their fury are the palaces of their masters: if religion is thrown into the dispute, the most innocent acts are catalogued with sins. This was the case in the contests between Charles the First and his parliament; as he had blended love of the fine arts with a lust of power, scrupulosity and ignorance were adopted into the creed which comprised the liberties of the subject. By the presbyterians, painting was considered idolatry; monuments were deemed pride; and an ornamented cathedral supposed to be alike prohibited by Magna Charta and the Bible. The restoration of royalty brought back the artsbut not taste. Charles the Second had a turn to mechanics 1801.

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