Tofcan language, fince the time of Petrarcha, who flourished one hundred and fifty years before the period we speak of, had been too much neglected; but was now refumed with the moit defirable fuc cefs; particularly by Taffo and Ariofto, who carried the Italian poetry to its highest perfection. "The other fine arts were no.lefs fortunate in the hands of Raphael and Palestina. What Homer was in poetry, thefe authors were in painting and mufic. Their works are ftill regarded as stan dards of good taste, and models for imitation and though improvement may no doubt have been made lince their time, in fome inferior branches of their respective arts, particularly in what regards delicacy of manner; it may with reafon be doubted, whether in grandeur of defign, and ftrength of invention, they have as yet been excelled or equalled. Greece owed much of her literary glory to the merit of her ancient authors. They at once fixed the fashion in the feveral kinds of writing; and they happened to fix it on the immoveable basis of fimplicity and nature. Had not the Italian mufic in its infant state fallen into the hands of a great genius like Paleftina, it would not have arrived at maturity fo foon. A long fucceffion of inferior compofers might have made difcoveries in the art, but could not have raised it above mediocrity and fuch people are not of influence enough to render a new art refpeâable in the eyes, either of the learned, or of the vulgar. But Palestina made his art an object of admiration, not only to his own country, but to a great part of Europe. In England he was ftudied and imitated by Tallis, in the reign of Henry the Eighth. All good judges were fatisfied, that this fyftem of harmony was founded on right principles; and that, though it might perhaps be improved, nothing in the art could be a real improvement, which was contradictory to it. "In the age of Leo, a genius like Palestina must have been diftinguished, even though the art he profeffed had gratified no important principle of the human mind; but as his art gratified the religious principle, he could not fail, in thofe days, and among Italians, to meet with the highest encouragement. In fact, music fince that time has been cultivated in Italy with the utmost attention and fuccefs. Scarlatti, Corelli, Geminiani, Martini, Marcello, were all men of extraordinary abilities; and any one of them, in the circumstances of Palestina, might perhaps have been as eminent as he. Need we wonder, then, at the unequalled excellence of the Italian mufic? "But other caufes have contributed to this effect. Nobody who understands the language of modern Italy, will deny, that the natives have a peculiar delicacy of perception in regard to vocal found. This delicacy appears in the fweetness of their verfe, in the cadence of their profe, and even in the formation and inflexion of their words. Whether it be owing to the climate, or to the influence of the other arts; whether it be derived from their Gothic ancestors, or from their more remote forefathers of ancient Rome; whether it be the effect of weakness or of foundness in the vocal and auditory organs of the people, this national nicenefs of ear must be confidered as one saufe of the melody both of their speech and of their music. They C 2 are are mistaken who think the Italian an effeminate language. Soft it is, indeed, and of eafy modulation, but fufceptible withal of the utmoft dignity of found, as well as of elegant arrangement and nervous phrafeology. In hiftory and oratory, it may boast of many ex cellent models and its poetry is far fuperior to that of every other modern nation, except the English. And if it be true, that all mufic is originally fong, the moft poetical nation would feem to have the fairelt chance to become the most mufical. The Italian tongue, in ftrength and variety of harmony, is not fuperior, and perhaps not equal, to the Englith; but, abounding more in vowels and liquid. founds, and being therefore more eally articulated, is fitter for the purpofes of mufic: and it deferves our notice, that poetical numbers. were brought to perfection in Italy two hundred years fooner than in any other country of modern Europe." We are perfuaded Dr. Beattie here fpeaks from what he knows the English language capable of being applied to, rather than from what it generally has been. He muft be fenfible that nothing can be more execrable than the English verfes (as they are called) of late years fet to mufic.-If words were properly chofen, it were not impoffible to fhew, that even English poetry hight be fet to mufic with as much advantage as the Italian. But this choice of words is not to be made by fidlers, harpfichord thrummers, and mere mufical compofers. It were to be wifhed, that a poct of Dr. Beattie's tafte for musical expreffion would give an example of the kind. At the fame time, we canhot help expreffing our hopes, while we ceafe with extreme reluctance from farther quotation, that the public will be foon favoured with an edition of thefe annexed Eflays, in an octavo form, for the ufe of thofe who poffefs the Effay on Truth in that fize; in order that fuch as, with ourfelves, do not altogether relifh Dr. Beattie's Dr. Reid's common-fenfe, may be happily convinced that he poffelles every other kind of fenfe, notwithstanding he be too refined for the plain refult of the fimple understanding of mere rational beings. Dialogues Moraux et mufants, en Anglois et François, pour l'Infruim de la Jeuneffe: Or, Moral and entertaining Dialogues, in English and French, for the Improvement of Youth. By Madame Fauques De Vauclufe. 12mo. 2 vols. 6s. Dilly. The ingenious author of thefe Dialogues profeffes that the compofed fometimes in English and fometimes in French: tranflating from each as literally as elegance would permit. To do her juftice in both, we must confefs we cannot always decide decide between the original and the tranflation; which we take to be the greatest compliment that can be paid her. In respect to the fentiment and compofition, they are in general as unexceptionable as the ftile; the profeffed view of the writer being to guard youth against the dangers of the paffions; with which view fhe has properly joined examples to precepts, in conformity to the obfervation of the poet, Example moves where precept fails, And fermons are less read than tales. The firft volume contains, befides a dedication and introduction, a dialogue on Curiofity; in which the allegory of Pfyche is placed in a new light.-On Envy; exemplified in the story of two unfortunate lovers.-On Vanity; difplayed in the fingular education of Sefoftris.-On Love; illuftrated by the marriage and amours of Mark Anthony.We fhall felect from this volume a fpecimen of the French part of the work in the intro ductory colloquy to the dialogue on curiofity. "SUR LA CURIOSITE. BAUCIS. JE. fuis charmée de remarquer dans les yeux de toute la compagnie une ardeur femblable à celle que éprouve pour l'amufement qui nous a éé promis, et j'ef ére qu' Allée ceffera de nous tenir en fufpens; et confiderera que, tandis que pour jouir de notre impatience elle continue à fe taire, nous pourrions bien nous emparer de fon privilége de président en entamant nous même la converfation. AS TREE. Vos propres paroles font la meilleure des introductions à un entretien fur la curiofitè; car elles prouvent ainfi que j'allois l'avancer, que la curiofité eft la prédominante, comme la prémiére paffion du genre humain, et que le fage, plus encore que le fot, eft gouverné par elle. PHILEMON. Et la gouverne quelques fois, j'efpére. AS TREE. C'est là juftement ce qui eft en queftion. La curiofité etant une paffion qui nous eft donnée pour notre converfation et notre inftruction, ne fauroit être qu'une bonne chose de foi même, mais, qui perverție devient, ainfi que les autres dons de la nature, un mal réel, et confequemment mérite ou nos éloges ou notre cenfure. Rejette. -tons-nous donc le bienfait comme trop dangereux? Eft-il tel généralement et fans remede? Difcutons ces deux points; mais auparavant que Janus nous dife fon fentiment puis qu'aïant propofé ce fujet d'entretien, il eft, fans doute, préparé pour la défenfe et pour l'at taque. JANUS. Je me déclare franchement le champion de la curiofité; et confidérant dérant cette paffion comme le germe du favoir, je penfe qu'on en s recueilli plus d'excellens que de mauvais fruits. ASTRE E. Thalie paroit n'être pas perfuadée de ceci. THALI E. Qui peut, en effet, refléchir fur les maux dans lefquels nos prémiers parens nous ont plongés fans blamer la curiofité? AGLA E. Helas! leur tentation fut bien grande! JANUS. Et leur crime ne confiftat pas dans le defir de devenir favans, mais dans leur defobeiffance au commandement divin. EUPHROSYNE. Tout bien confideré, la curiolité peut être comparée à un courfier indompté, auquel il faut un cavalier auffi fort qu'adroit. PHILEM ON. Et qu'on ne fauroit confier à la main foible d'une femme, témoin la defaitreufe Pandore. BAUCIS. On accufe injuftement Pandore, pour avoir le plaifir de parler mat de notre fexe; puifque ce fut fon mari Epimethée qui ouvroit le boëre fatale, d'où fe répandirent fur la terre tous les maux qui nous affligent. EUPHROSYNE. Et au fond de laquelle, quoi qu'on en dife, l'efpérance ne resta pas; car heureufement le genre humain en poffede une bonne doze. AS TREE. On apperçoit aisément dans cette fable, ainfi que dans plufieurs autres des païens, la vénérable tradition de la vérité, ce qui doit nous convaincre que la curiofité eft la prémiére caufe de nos malheurs. JANUS. Je nie pas que la curiofité n'entraine quelque fois de grands maux après-elle, mais je foutiens qu'elle donne à l'efprit la force de les fupporter; ce que je pourrois prouver par une fable, qui n'eft pas dénouée de fens myfterieux fi elle n'etoit fi fort connue qu'elle en a perdù les charmes de la nouveauté." The fecond volume contains Dialogues-On Friendship, exemplified in the hiftory of an Athenian and of a Roman familyOn Anger, illuftrated by a Frenchman of quality retired from the world-On Cruelty, an Eastern tale-On Avarice; the hiftory of two Genoefe merchants-On Sloth; the two Islands. Of the English part of this work, we fhall felect the introduction to the laft tale. "ON SLOTH. ASTRE A. WE have traced the paffions inherent in us to their fources, and taken a review of the muddy channels which have been drawn from them s them; but where fhall we find the origin of Sloth? Shall we afcribe it to the weak construction of our material form? this would lead us to the very oppofite conclufion; for, who can fee man fo helpless against want, fo defenceless against aflaults, fo difabled for attack, and, in fhort, one of the most deftitute of all creatures in respect of bodily qualifications, without concluding, that the mental power which moves and directs fuch a machine ought to be perpetually exerted? It is, in fact, to fupply thefe neceffities peculiar to our being, that we are endued with stronger faculties and a clearer reason than the beafts, and poffefs, unrivalled by them, the gift of an imagination which knows no bounds. Who, then, after having confidered all this, can fay whence Sloth fprings? POLLUX. It must be from the reafons hinted at by Thalia; that is to fay, from the difguft and fear which feize on an honest and timorous mind in reflecting upon the odious exceffes of the paffions. BAUCIS. You speak as if reafon was not given to us as a ruler over thefe paflions. EUPHROS Y NE, As reafon feems to be a very weak fovereign, I do not know if it would not be better that the fhould contrive to lull asleep her turbulent fubjects, inftead of endeavouring to keep them under a yoke which they fo often shake off, to the great detriment of mankind. JANUS. And what would then fill the annals of the world? THALIA. I would rather find every page of them a blank, than the records of all forts of wickedness. JANUS. I am so far from being of your opinion, that I would chufe to be branded by pofterity as one of the moft cruel tyrants, rather than have the fhameful epithet of fluggard added to my name, as a whole race of kings have had, who flept on the throne of France. AGLAIA. This, Janus, is a flight of your pride, in which we are not obliged to follow you, when we are feeking for the firm ground of good fense. CASTOR. The defire of being remembered after our death is fo univerfal, that I cannot help thinking it must have fome purpofe. ASTREA. It is undoubtedly given us as a fpur to accelerate our pace in the mad to that immortality which is attained by great and laudable actions. PHILEMON. And, confequently, as an antidote against the fubtle poifon of Sloth. Yes; this pride of being fpoken of in future ages, which, however, |
