On fentiments like thefe our author observes with becoming Spirit:

• What fentiments of indignation must be felt by every person of genuine tafte, when he is told that Milton has no other merit than that of being a fuccessfui imitator of Homer; when he meets with a pedant, who, though intimately acquainted with every one of the Greek tragedies, had never the curiofity to read a drama of Shakefpeare; who talks moft familiarly of Ariftophanes and Plautus; but would fmile with contempt and pity for your ignorance, if you ventured to mention the School for Scandal; who expatiates with rapture upon the various beauties to be found in the Odes of Pindar and of Horace, but is aftonished when he hears of the Lyric Pieces of Collins; and ftares when you tell him of the bard of Gray; who will repeat to you readily, whenever you defire him, more than half of the amorous epiftles of Ovid, but never condefcended to charge his memory with a fingle couplet of Eloifa to Abelard.

"Were opinions like these confined entirely to pedants, their tendency could not be very dangerous, either from the influence of precept or example. But, when we find perfons, who, upon other occafions have given ample proofs of the elegance of their taste, cenfuring every compofition as defective, that is not formed upon the models of antiquity; when we hear fuch an eminent writer as Hurd, profcribing (in conformity to thefe principles) every kind of fictitions hiftory not decorated with the trappings of poetical numbers, without condefcending to make any exception in favour of the labours of Richardfon and Fielding, it were difficult to determine whether fuch a sentence tends more to move our indignation or our pity.”

We do not, however, think our author's ideas more accurate than the learned bishop's; for the latter afferts that novels ought to be poems, and the former, that they are fo.

He fhould be forry if he were capable of making fuch a narrow definition of poetry as would exclude the Hiftory of Clariffa Harlowe. Every work, which addreffes either the fancy or the heart, and is compofed in elegant and animated language, he has always held to be poetry,'

Now, of all interefting compofitions, the author could not have chofen one that had lefs affinity to poetry than Clariffa Harlowe; it has not a fpark of that kind of fancy which we call poetical, and the ftyle is only that of converfation. As to the pathetic, it by no means belongs exclufively to poetry. on the contrary, the fimplicity of profe rather fuits it beft. We fhall not quarrel, however, with any critic who chufes to affert that Clariffa or Gil Blas is very near as good verfe as this author's poetical epiftle, which, we must fay, is written in a very carelefs, flovenly manner, and beginning with blank verse, suddenly charges to rhyme. Subjoined are five fonnets

from

from palages of Werter verfified, which by the way is rather unneceflary if they were poems before. Thefe are finished with more care than the epiftle; but we cannot help thinking the fentiments appear to more advantage in the narrative, to which likewife they must be referred before they can be understood.

A Sketch of a Tour on the Continent, in the Years 1786 and 1787. (Concluded from our laft.}

THE

HE fecond and third volumes of thefe interefting travels do not yield in inftruction or entertainment to the first. We fhall now return to our author, whom we left furveying the wonders of Rome.

The Borghefe chapel is of the fame fize and figure as its oppofite neighbour, and in like manner decorated with the maufoleums of Paul V. the founder, and Clement VIII. The altar, and indeed every part, is as richly adorned as poffible, and in a style worthy of the materials. In this chapel a fingular ceremony is performed in Auguft every year, in memory of the building of the church. A plentiful fhower of flowers of jafmine is made to fall from the dome to the floor during fervice. This is to commemorate a fhower of fnow, of which a certain pope is faid to have dreamed one night in Auguft, and when he awoke, to have found it had really fallen in the night on the hill where this church ftands, where he could certainly do no less than build a church in memory of the important miracle. How much tafte has this elegant people, even in their moft contemptible mummery! How pleafant to dream of fnow at Rome in Auguft, and how luxurious to imitate it with jafmine! We were told, however, that no women ever partook of this luxury. Such is the averfion of the fex in Italy to all kind of perfumes, that they avoid this church as they would a peftilence, whenever this ceremony is performed.'

Our author's defcription of the last day of the carniva is lively and ftriking :

We mixed with the motley crowd every afternoon, our English clothes ferving most completely as a masquerade drefs, and procuring us a number of rencounters, all of the facetious and good-humoured kind. Tuefday, February 20th, was the laft day of Carnival, and on that evening all the diverfions were carried to their highest pitch. The crowd was prodigious; but although every body was full of tricks, and all diftinétion of ranks and perfons laid afide, the whole paffed off without the leaft ill behaviour, or any thing like a quarrel. It was the most good-humoured mob I ever faw. About dufk every body took a fmall lighted taper in their hands, and moft people held feveral; happy were they who could keep the greatest number lighted, for the amufement confifted in trying to extinguish

each

each other's candles. Some people carried large flambeaux. All the windows, and even roofs, being crowded with spectators, and fcarcely any body without lights, the ftreet looked like a starry firmament. Below were many carriages parading up and down, much more whimsical and gawdy than had yet appeared. Some refembled triumphal cars decked with wreaths of flowers, and party-coloured lamps in feftoons. The company within carried tapers, and a plentiful ammunition of fugar-plumbs, with which they pelted their acquaintances on each fide, infomuch that the field of action looked next morning as if there had been a fhower of fnow. Thefe carriages contained the first company and most elegant women in Rome, fantastically dreffed, but generally unmasked. They were open to the jokes and compliments of any body who chose to stand on the fteps of their coach doors, which were very low, and the ladies were not backward in repartee. When they had no anfwer ready, a volley of fugar-plumbs generally repulfed their befiegers. The ranks on the raifed foot-way, and the crowd below, were in a continual roar of laughter, fome with effufions of real humour, while thofe who could fport no better wit, bawled out, as they carried their branches of wax candles, "Sia amazzato chi non ha lume," (Kill all thofe that have no lights); to which the others answered, “Kill all thofe that have." Others called out, "Siano amazzati gli abati, barbieri, capucini, or my-lordi," the latter to us Englishmen; and fometimes they called us Francfi (Frenchmen). A few fire-works. were exhibited, but no very capital ones. On the whole, we were highly entertained with this grotefque amufement, and could not but admire the perfect good-nature of the people, who could carry off fuch a fcene without the leaft diforder. Between eight and nine o'clock every body retired, and all was quiet.'

The St. Richard of England, who puzzles our ingenious traveller, vol. II. p. 85, may be found, we believe, in the Hagiologies of Ribadeneira, and others. He belongs to the Saxon times; and has no connection with our Richard I. or II. far lefs with the third of that name:

Our author proceeds to Naples.

• I am affured, on very good authority, nothing can exceed the ignorance of the Neapolitan nobility, except their infolence and meanness. If one of them recommends a tradeíman to a stranger, he will lay that tradefman under a contribution in confequence. Here and there one meets with a duke or a prince who has fo much of the fhadow of literature, as to be a collector of old uícless books; but it is rare to find one who can read them. All the Neapolitans in general beftow great contempt on the ftrangers whofe curiofity prompts them to afcend Mount Vefuvius, and fcarely one among an hundred of them can be found who has been upon that mountain. Few have ever feen Portici, or Pompeia. Their prevailing

inclination

inclination is for empty fhew and idle diffipátion, for they have fcarcely fpirit or feeling enough to purfue even pleafure with ardour or tafte. If thefe be the "Corinthian capitals of polifhed fociety," it must be allowed they are as yet but little advanced from the block. In mufic alone their tafte is refined. I accompanied Mr. Slanbusch, in his chariot, to the Corfo one Friday, on which day, throughout Lent, a great parade of equipages is to be feen there. Many of the coaches, gay and fantastic as pofiible, were drawn by eight horfes, and fome by ten. Each equipage was preceded by one loose horse, decked with ribbands, and a running footman or two befide him. This has a very elegant appearance, as the animals are trained to exhibit themselves to the best advantage. The women of this country did not frike me as handfome; at least whenever I met with an English woman at Naples, or indeed in other parts of Italy, fhe feemed, by comparison, an angel; but perhaps that is not a fair way of judging.'

At Portici we faw fuch parts of the mufeum as we had not time to vifit the preceding day; but many days and months would be requifite to study this amazing collection. The infinite variety of bronze vafes, ftatues, tripods, lamps, &c. for the moft part in a fine tafte; the culinary utenfils, many of them unintelligible to modern luxury; the provifions themfelves, as loaves of bread, dates, bird-feed, pine-nuts, carobs, &c. whofe fhape is very perfect, though their fubftance is changed to charcoal; the fight of thefe gives an impreffion not to be defcribed. One cannot think they belonged to people who lived 1700 years ago. The beautiful mofaics are lefs aftonishing, for they are made to laft to the end of the world. Here are many utenfils of glafs, and fome pieces of very fine paftes, particularly a mafs of yellow, a portion of which has been polished, and looks as well as any thing made at prefent. Alfo many things of ivory, and fome curious gold lace, made of wire only, without thread. Some of this, with fome linen, were found about the bones of a lady, the impreffion of whofe neck and breafts may be seen moulded in the lava. The rolled manufcripts have been often defcribed, as well as the contrivance for unfolding them; but the operation goes on very flowly, nor have the difcoveries hitherto repaid the necefary pains. The best ftatue is a large bronze Mercury in a fitting posture.'

We fhall pafs many interesting particulars, to return with our traveller to Rome. The warrior kneeling before a buck, with a crofs between its horns, vol. II. p. 225, is St. Hubert, not St. Eustatius: but the worthy dofter has not botanized among the faints. When he arrives at Venice, our author certainly errs in his affertion, vol II. p. 402, that the doge's palace is of Saracenic architecture. From the annals of Dan

delo,

delo, and other early works on Venetian history, it is certain that the architects, painters, &c. were all Greeks from Conftantinople, between which city and Venice, there existed for eight centuries fo intimate an intercourfe, that almost all the fingularities of architecture, drefs, customs, &c. which diftinguifh Venice, are completely Byzantine. Even the Saracenic monarchs in Spain had their artists from Conftantinople (fee Cardmunés, and other hiftories, of the Moors in Spain); and the greater part of Morefque architecture may be fafely believed to be late barbaric Grecian.

The glafs manufactory carried on at Murano, an island scarcely one mile from Venice, deferves to be vifited, rather for what it has been, that what it is. About a century ago, Venice glaffes were as much in requeft as Venice treacle; but the French first, and now the English, have greatly furpassed this manufactory.. The water of the canals happening to be very low, vaft numbers of small crabs, Cancer Manas, were seen sticking to the walls, juft above the furface, as we went along. They are collected in great quantities for food; but kept fome time in ponds at Murano, to purge them, as it is faid, before they are eaten.

It

On arriving at Murano we faw the making of plate glass. is first blown into a long cylinder, the end of which is cut off, and then a flit made with a huge pair of fhears all the way up, fo that it may be expanded into a fquare piece; which is then laid on an iron or brafs plate, and heated till it becomes flat. The glafs is alfo obliged to be heated repeatedly during the first part of the procefs, as no man's breath is fufficient to inflate it to a proper fize at once; nor indeed can any glaffes poffibly be made fo large by this method, as by the French mode of cafting them. The plates are afterwards tempered, or annealed. We did not fee the polishing, as that is performed at another place, and may be feen in greater perfection at Paris or London.

At another houfe beads are manufactured, by drawing out coloured glafs into flender cylinders, which are afterwards cut into beads, and these rounded by heat. Two workmen take a lump of red-hot glass between them, applying a pipe to each end. After blowing a little, they run different ways, throwing the mafs into undulations like a string as they draw it out, by this means forming aflender tube, perhaps 150 yards in length, and scarcely a line in diameter, perforated all through, and fometimes coated only with coloured glass.

A warehouse adjoining exhibited a prodigious variety of patterns of beads, nife handles, and other toys made here, chiefly for the Turkish trade. We bought a few bell handles as a fpecimen of fo celebrated a manufactory. After our return, being at dinnner, at man, who had ferved us as cicerone at Murano, came in with a written meffage from the proprietor of this warehouse, as he pretend