In one particular the villa of Cardinal Albani must be confidered in a different light from almost all others in the country.. It has been begun, and compleated, as it were, by one perfon, which is hardly the cafe of any befides itself. The Cardinal has had great leifure, and every opportunity of purchasing almost at his own price; otherwife, it would have been impoffible for an individual to have paid for fo much treasure. The Abbé Wincleman contributed much, I believe, to the order and arrangement of the collection, and was of great use and affiftance to the cardinal.' MADONNA DEL POPOLO. In the Chigi chapel is a ftatue of Jonah, from a moulding by Raphael *. It has great merit †; though the idea of it be much borrowed from the Antinous. There are some very elegant ornaments, of the architectural kind, by Sanfovino, at the east end of this church, which fhow the rapid progress of taste at the revival of the arts. In a chapel about half way up the church, on the right hand, is a curious infcription, which feems to fay, that a certain difeafe was known in Europe, before the difcovery of t America, and confequently not first introduced to us from that country, as has been generally fuppofed. The infcription says, MARIO. ANTONII. EQUITIS. ROMANI. S. PIETRO IN VINCULIS. • S. Pietro in Vinculis is in one of the fummits of the Efquiline hill, built with the remains of part of Titus's baths, and ftanding on the ground of Mecænas's gardens. Mofes at the tomb of Julius the fecond, by M. Angelo. The ftatue is a very fine one, and full of majesty, though in Bellori fays, he chiffelled it alfo himfelf. V. Pitture del Vaticano, p. 64. + Perhaps to fay only that it has great merit, is to speak too coldly of the production of fo great a genius. Many people confider it as the greatest effort of modern fculpture, and few up prejudiced perfons would exchange it for the most esteemed remains of antiquity. Columbus difcovered Cuba and Hifpaniola in 1493. The fouthern continent was not difcovered till four years afterwards, by Americus Vefpufius, who deprived Columbus of the honour of giving name to the country. many many points extravagant. I could not, however, find in what it refembled a goat, an idea Mr. Richardfon feems to be very fond of. S. Peter in prifon, by Dominichino. A very learned difagreeable picture. One figure is remarkably forefhortened. There are many learned landfcapes decaying on the walls (by Gafpar Pouffin, with figures by Nicholas) that are little obferved, notwithstanding they have great merit. They are painted in diftemper, they relate to the life of the pretended founder, Elifha. I fhali juft mention a flory that is introduced into one of them, that is not a little remarkable. The angel of justice is represented pointing at the Almighty delivering the fafces to the Roman emperor, with orders to revenge the death of Chrift on the Jews. Our Saviour is fitting under the Father, and Titus ftanding at an altar. The legend fays, that Titus confulted the prophets whether he should fucceed in the fiege of Jerufalem.' We recommend this book to young travellers, as it will inftruct them both what to feek, and how to judge. MONTHLY L. CATALOGUE, For JANUARY, 1777. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY. Art. 10. A Letter to Lord Chatham, concerning the prefent War of Great Britain against America; reviewing, candidly and impartially, its unhappy Caufe and Confequence; and wherein the Doctrine of Sir William Blackstone, as explained in his Commentaries on the Laws of England, is oppofed to Miniflerial Tyranny, and held up in Favour of America. With fome Thoughts on Government. By a Gentleman of the Inner Temple. 8vo. Is. Kearsley. HIS fpirited, but very inaccurate writer, is warm for liberty, apprehends to be the real intereft of this country, as well as with the common rights infeparable from the very idea of a free community. But, amid the horrid din and difcord of thefe violent times, it cannot be expected that the voice of any pacific remonstrant will be heard.-Our Templar, however, has nothing very new, or material, to offer to the confideration of the contending parties. But we fuppose he could not have refted content, without entering his protest against the measures of adminiftration; and he thinks the people of this country cannot be too often reminded of their [perilous] fituation, under profligate minifters.'-as he ftyles the gentlemen who are, by writers on the other fide of the queftion, styled, "The King's Friends." REV. Jan. 1777 F Art. II. Art. 11. Reflections on the State of Parties; on the national Debt, the Neceffity and Expediency of the prefent War with America. 8vo. Is. 6d. W. Davies. This reflector is a most unbounded panegyrift on government, and a moft malignant afperfer of the Americans. Art. 12. An Appeal to the unprejudiced; or, a Vindication of the Measures of Government, with Refpect to America. 8vo. Is. Oxford printed, and fold by Rivington in London. This juvenile advocate for administration appears with great dif advantage, by coming after the able writers who have figured on both fides of this important queflion.-The tide of this controversy feems, now, to have spent itself, and to have left only the mud behind. The decifion is left to the fword. DRAMATIC. Art. 13. Caraclacus, a Dramatic Poem. Written on the That Mr. Mason has been happy in the alterations which he has made in this drama, in order to adapt it to the English stage, is evident, from the fuccefs with which the reprefentation hath been attended at the theatre in Covent Garden. The alterations however are not many; but they have been made with judgment by the Author himself; who has dedicated it to his learned friend Dr. Hurd, Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, in a pretty fonnet, equally worthy of the patron and the poet. For the reft, we refer to our former account of Caractacus, where it first appeared in print: See Review, Vol. 20. P. 507. C. Art. 14. Semiramis, a Tragedy, as it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury lane. By George Ayfcough, Efq. 8vo. 1s. 6d. DodЛley, 1776. Nearly a literal, but not a literary tranflation from a tragedy, bearing the fame title, written by Voltaire.-Voltaire had the confidence to fhoot in the fame bow with Shakespeare, and failed; Captain Ayscough has given Voltaire his revenge. c. Art. 15. The Hotel; or the Double Valet. A Farce, of two Acts; as performed at Drury-lane. By Thomas Vaughan, Esq. 8vo. 15. Becket, 1776. Taken from two farces of Goldoni. It has neither novelty of character, nor humour of dialogue; yet the incident of the valet hiring himself to two mafters, is attended with fome laughable circumftances. c. Art. 16. Songs, Duets, Trios, &c. in the Dramatic Romance of Selima and Azor, as performed at Drury-lane. 8vo. 6d. Wilkie, 1776. Not above the level of operatical poetry. C. The original poem was, in like manner, addreffed to Dr. Hurd, in an elegy, which we find reprinted in the third edition of our Author's poems. 8vo. 1773. 1 HUSBANDRY, MONTHLY CATALOGUE, Hufbandry, t. x 69 writtinly Art. 17. Rural Improvements: or, Effays on the most rational Methods of improving Eftates; accommodated to the Soil, Climate, and Circumstances of England. 8vo. 5s. boards. Dodley. A great variety of Remarks, on moft branches of husbandry and farming, and which appear to be the refult of practical obfervation, are to be met with in this work. The importance of fuch a treatise, fuppofing it the genuine production of an experienced and judicious cultivator, is fufficiently obvious. It is not, indeed, to be expected that every new book on this, or any other, fubject, fhall contain many improvements that are abfolutely new to the world; yet if, among the multitude of fuggeftions thrown out, in fo large a volume as this which is now before us, one erroneous practice is reformed, or one ufeful discovery made, the purchaser is amply repaid the expence of the book.-With respect to the ornaments of ftyle, they are matters of inferior confideration. If the writer on Husbandry or Agriculture is juft in his reafoning, let us excufe him a few flips in grammar and good English. The Author of Rural Improvements is fometimes a little defective in point of language; and fome of his obfervations may, perhaps, be found rather fuperficial; but on the whole, many useful hints may be drawn from his very miscellaneous performance. Art. 18. Agricultura: or the Good Husbandman. Being a Tract of ancient and modern experimental Obfervations on the green vegetable Syftem. Interfperfed with exemplary Remarks on the Police of other Nations; to promote Industry, Self-Love, and Public Good, by reducing Forefts, Chaces, and Heaths, into Farms. Together with fome Obfervations, &c. &c. By Matthew Peters; Member of the Dublin Society for the Encouragement of Husbandry and other ufeful Arts. Author of the Rational Farmer *, and Winter Riches †. 8vo. 3 s. fewed. Flexney. Mr. Peters, who appears to be an honeft fanguine Husbandman, has brought together a great number of mifcellaneous obfervations, from which men of practical experience may collect many good hints. Farmers who read, may be fuppofed fuperior to that obftinate prejudice which adheres inflexibly to old methods, and spurns all inftruction that leads to improvement; yet much caution is neceffary where risks are great, and gentlemen-farmers often fuffer feverely by yielding too implicit credit to the pofitive affurances of writers on Agriculture. Art. 19. Every Farmer his own Cattle Doctor: containing a full and clear Account of the Symptoms and Caufes of the Diseases of Cattle, with the most approved Prescriptions for their cure, &c. &c. By John Swaine. I2mo. 2 s. Richardfon and Urquhart. Collections of recipes are fo eafily to be made both for man and beaft, that they ought not to be trufled to without great caution. It соб is vain to expect the ordinary clafs, even of profeffed cattle-doctors, to be what a countryman would call high learned; to underftand anatomy, or any fuch kind of outlandish foolish stuff; fo that a fenfible farmer or grazier, whofe interest will prompt him to obfervation, may perhaps as well be his own cattle doctor, as fuffer himself to become the property of any illiterate Mayerbach of a farm yard. Hence, out of a fmall compilation of this kind, fomething may chance to be picked, worth the purchase. POETICAL. N. Art. 20. The Tears of Alnwick; a paftoral Elegy, in Memory of the late Duchefs of Northumberland. By a Student of the Middle Temple. 4to. 1 s. Dodsley. From the fuddennefs of the thought,' the fhortness of the time," and the Author's 'eager defire' to publish his poem in due feafon*,' he hopes for indulgence.-and he needs it. There are faults in this elegy which may, perhaps, be excufed, from the foregoing confiderations; but (in a poem of this kind, in which the bard, duly impreffed by his fubject, will never defcend from the dignity of woe) the groffness of the following line is unpardonable: The Donor's palm with fhare of profits greas'd' Art. 21. Fane Shore to her Friend: a Poetical Epiftle by the Authorefs of the Exemplary Mother, &c. 4to. 1 S. Becket. 1776. The writer of this little poem, Mrs. Maria Sufanna Cooper, having made feveral fuccessful attempts in the humble walks of novelwriting, is now beginning to climb the fteep afcent of Parnaffus: and though we cannot flatter her with an expectation that the will ever have ftrength to reach the fummit, fhe may perhaps be able to cull a few flowers at the foot of the hill, which will form a bouquet not unacceptable to those who have never vifited the fuperior regions of the facred mount. In this first attempt, though we meet with none of thofe fublime flights of fancy or original conceptions which characterise the poet of nature, and with but few of thofe tender ftrokes of paffion which the fubje&t might feem to promife, we are pleafed to obferve truth and elegance of fentiment, and an agreeable flow of verification. E. MATHEMATICS. Art. 22. Mifcellanies, or a Mifcellaneous Treatife; containing feveral Mathematical Subjects. 8vo. 7 s. 6 d. Nourfe. 1776. Mr. Emerson is an indefatigable, and, upon the whole, a valuable writer on the most abftrufe parts of mathematical fcience; but the rapidity, with which he writes and publishes, expofes him to many inaccuracies which time and patience might prevent. The preface to this volume exhibits a specimen of the mystery of fcolding, which, it might have been prefumed, a mathematician and a philofopher had never studied; the threat with which it clofes is fufficient to awe perfons, poffeffed only of a moderate fhare of refolution and firmnefs; • Part of it referring to the approaching Christmas-festival. |