than thoſe which were inculcated by the old academy of Socrates and Plato, and the ſceptical notions which were propagated by Arceſilas, Carneades, and the other diſciples of the ſucceeding academics.
ACADEMY, in antiquity, a garden or villa, ſituated within a mile of Athens, where Plato and his followers held their philoſophical conferences. It took its name from one Academus, or Ecademus, a citizen of Athens, who was the original owner of it, and made it a kind of gymnaſium: he lived in the time of Theſeus. Cimon embelliſhed it with fountains, trees, and walks; but Sylla, during the ſiege of Athens, employed theſe very trees in making battering-engines againſt the city. Cicero too had his villa, or place of retirement, near Puzzuoli, which he alſo named an academy, where he compoſed his Academical queſtions, and his book De natura deorum.
Academy, among the moderns, is moſt commonly uſed to ſignify a ſociety of learned men, eſtabliſhed for the improvement of any art or ſcience. Charlemagne was the firſt that eſtabliſhed an academy in Europe. Moſt nations have ſince followed his example; but Italy has by far the greateſt number. In the cities of Piedmont, Ferrara, and Milan, Jarckius reckons 550. We have but few in Britain. In England thoſe of note are, the Royal Society, the Antiquarian Society, Society for the encouragement of arts, and the Academy of Painting; in Scotland, the Edinburgh Society, College of Phyſicians, and Muſical Society; all which ſee in their proper places.
The French have ſeveral academies; as, the Royal Academy of Sciences, for the improvement of phyſics, mathematics, and chemiſtry. It was firſt inſtituted in 1666, by the aſſiſtance of Mr Colbert, comptroller-general of the finances, but was not confirmed by the French king till the year 1696, who, by a regulation dated the 26th of January, new-modelled and put it on a better footing. According to this regulation, the academy was to be compoſed of ten honorary academicians, eight ſtrangers aſſociates, twenty penſionaries fellows, twenty eleves or ſcholars, and twelve French aſſociates; theſe were to be divided into ſix classes, viz. geometricians, aſtronomers, mechanics, anatomiſts, chemiſts, and botaniſts: the honorary academiſts to be all inhabitants of France, the penſionaries and eleves all to reſide at Paris.
In the year 1716, the duke of Orleans, then regent, made an alteration in their conſtitution, augmenting the number of honoraries and aſſociates to twelve, admitting regulars among ſuch aſſociates, ſuppreſſing the claſs of eleves, and eſtabliſhing in lieu thereof a new claſs of twelve adjuncts to the ſix ſeveral kinds of ſcience cultivated by the academy; and, laſtly, appointing a vice preſident, to be choſen yearly by the king cut of the honorary members, and a director and ſub-director out of the penſionaries.
The academies of Florence and Bologne, of Montpelier and Boardeaux, of Leipſic and Berlin, and of late thoſe of Peterſburg and Seville, were formed upon the ſame model with the Royal Academy of Sciences.
French Academy, a ſociety of forty, eſtablished for improving the French language.
This academy was founded by Cardinal Richlieu, and confirmed by the edict of Lewis XIII. in 1635. They have compiled a dictionary, intitled, Le Dictionaire de l'academie Francoiſe. This work was begun in 1637, and finiſhed in 1694. They have a director and chancellor, who are drawn by lot every three months, and a ſecretary who is perpetual. They meet at the old Louvre, on the Mondays, Thurſdays, and Saturdays, all the year round, and hold an extraordinary meeting at the reception of a new member, and on St Lewis's day, when the prizes of eloquence and poetry are adjudged.
Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. This ſociety was founded about the year 1648. The members were at firſt about twenty-five in number, viz. twelve officers, called ancients, eleven private members, and two ſyndics; but at preſent it conſiſts of forty painters and ſculptors. There are four perpetual rectors, nominated by the king; a director and chancellor; a ſecretary, who keeps the regiſter, and counterſigns the diſpatches; a treaſurer, twelve profeſſors, adjunts to the rectors and profeſſors, ſix counſellors, a profeſſor for the part of anatomy that belongs to painting and ſculpture, and another for geometry and perſpective.
There is alſo an academy of painting, ſculpture, &c. at Rome, eſtablished by Lewis XIV. wherein thoſe who have won the annual prize at Paris, are entitled to be three years entertained for their further improvement.
Academy of Medals and Inſcriptions. called alſo The academy of belles lettres, was erected by Lewis XIV. for the ſtudy and explanation of ancient monuments, and to perpetuate the remembrance of great events, by medals, relievos, inſcriptions, &c. The plan of this academy was formed by Mr Colbert, and eſtabliſhed in 1663. In its firſt inſtitution it conſiſted only of four or five members; but in 1701, they were increaſed to forty, viz. ten honoraries, ten penſionaries, ten aſſociates, and ten novices or eleves, under the direction of a preſident and vice-preſident, who are annually appointed by the king.
Their chief employment has been upon the medallic hiſtory of the reign of Lewis their founder. But the learned are indebted to this academy for many volumes of eſſays on other parts of hiſtory, publiſhed under the title of Memoirs, &c.
Academy of Architecture, eſtabliſhed about the end of the year 1671 by Mr Colbert, conſiſted at firſt only of ſix architects; but their number is ſince conſiderably increaſed.
Academy of Politics, is compoſed of ſix perſons, who meet at the Louvre, in the chamber where the papers relating to foreign affairs are lodged. But as the kings of France are unwilling to truſt any, except their miniſters, with the inſpection of foreign affairs, this academy is of little uſe to the public.
Royal Academy of Dancing was eſtabliſhed by the King of France in 1661. It conſiſts of thirteen able dancing-
