society, which, a short time pre- many good pieces by Siepese vious to my departure from Rome, masters, together with some capidid me the honour to elect me a tal productions of other schools. member. At Leghorn I was most curious I spent two days at Siena, and to see the library of Gaetano Pog. was employed the greatest part of giali, a man of letters, and the that time in viewing the Sienese proprietor himself. He is a memschool, with which I had before ber of the Academy of Florence, but an imperfect acquaintance. Its and one of the most zealous Crusfinest master-pieces have fortu- canti. He is solely occupied in nately been preserved from the endeavouring to add to the reputatempest of the revolution, proba- tion of the literature of his native bly because in France this school country, by editions of classick is less known than it deserves to works, combining elegance with be. I saw in the churches a great the utmost correctness. For this number of exquisite pictures by purpose he devotes two days in Balthasar, Peruzzi, Sodena, Cason the week to the collation of manulani, and others, which, in colour scripts and early editions, for ing and expression, far excel the which he has four assistants. works of the Florentine school, of Poggiali's library, which contains the same period. The mannerists 10,000 volumes, is unrivalled by of this school, however, begin any in Italy, as well in the ancient with Beccasumi, and Vanni, and, and rare editions of Italian authors, since their time, it has furnished as in those which are more modno productions of merit. I could ern and elegant. There is not not procure a sight of the cele. a book in it which is not distin. brated Madona, painted, in 1221, guished either by its rarity or corby Guido di Siena, which enabled rectness, or by some other typothe Sienese to dispute with the graphical excellence. How little Florentines the merit of their it wants of being complete, appears Cimabue in the restoration of from the catalogue of the books painting ; for the church of St. which are still wanting, and whose Domenico, where it formerly number amounts, to about 800. hung, was destroyed by the late He besides possesses a considera, earthquake, and the pictures have ble collection of manuscripts,which, been removed from it to a place with the early editions, occupy to which I could not obtain admit- another apartment ; among these, tance. The paintings executed he shewed me, as the most preby Pinturicchio, and by Rafael cious article in the collection, a d'Urbino in his early youth, which manuscript copy of Dante, on are placed in the library adjoining parchment, which he considers as the cathedral, were much inore one of the most ancient, and prointeresting to me than the floor of bably contemporary with the authe latter figured by Beccafumi. thor. Poggiali has a design of If with these productions you printing this work, which contains compare those of Pinturicchio's a great number of passages that pencil alone, the superiority of vary considerably from the ordinaRafael's genius immediately ap- ry versions, and would clear up pears. The galleries of Span- many obscurities in Dante, togetdinocchi and Saracirvi are likewise er with the marginal commentary worthy of notice ; they contain with which it is accompanied. Poggiali's bibliographick knowledge, acquired in thirty years spent in collection and study, is as unique as his library. He mentioned that he had some idea of publishing, at one time or other, a bibliography of Italian literature. Poggiali, in conjunction with four other members of the Academy of Florence, has, for several years, been collecting materials for a new edition of the great Dizionario della Crusca, and he shewed me a whole chest full of papers, which contained spoils taken, for that purpose, from a multitude of authors both ancient and modern. He himself was unable to say when this new edition would appear. The present state of affairs in Italy is too unfavourable to large and expensive publications, but he thinks that the want of such a work, which is universally experienced, would procure a consider able demand for it. The Parnasso Italiona, which appeared at Leghorn, twelve years ago, in fifty pocket volumes; the collection of the Novellieri Italiani, in twenty five volumes octavo, and the works of Machiavelli, in 6 volumes octa vo, besides many other works of ancient Italian authors, very ele gantly printed at the same place, were edited by Poggiali, and are regarded as the most correct editions. With respect to Machia velli, who is his favourite author, he told me, that he intended to publish another splendid edition, inferiour in no respect to Didot's or Bodoni's, and then he could die happy. The impression produced by the cathedral of Siena, together with the Battisterio and the hanging tower, situated in a remote and solitary spot, where you scarcely meet a human creature, is singular and striking. The spectator imagines himself transported into another age, or into a country of the East. The deception was heightened by the unexpected sight of a train of ten or twelve loaded camels, which passed just at the moment, when we were leaving the cathedral to go to the Battisterio. About a league from Siena a colony of these animals has been established, where they propagate, and are employed in carrying burdens. In the cathedral of Siena, among the multitude of large pictures which de corate the walls, I found only one good piece, by Perin del Vaga; all the rest are scarcely worth looking at. The printing-establishment of the Typographical Society of Pisa is a recent, but apparently a successful institution. The works printed at it are distinguished by the beauty of the letters, the goodness of the paper, and the correctness of the impression, As a proof I need only mention the new edition of Cesarotti's Works, of which nine volumes were printed when I was at Pisa. The tenth will contain the Academick Dis courses of the author, which were never before published. Rosina, a man of letters, who conducts this establishment, gave me the first sheets of the volume. The discourses are written with great eloquence as well as elegance, Among the living authors of Italy, Cesarotti is, without dispute, one of those who possess the greatest talents and the most polished taste. The Society has announced splen did folio editions of the four first classick poets of Italy, Dante, Petrarca, Ariosto, and Tasso. The number of subscribers was com plete, but they had not yet commenced printing. I, however, saw a proof-sheet of Dante, with whose works they begin. The paper de Medici. The two statues of and impression were very beauti- the family of Niobe (the second ful, but the form appeared rather daughter and the son, who lies too long in proportion to the dead and extended on the ground,) breadth. The collection will together with other pieces which form twelve volumes, each of had been removed to Palermo, which will cost three sequins (about had recently been brought back, 11. 108. English,) and the works and, to my great joy, I found them of each author will be accompanic in their former places. The stated with his portrait, engraved by uary, Santarelli, a native of Rome, Morghen. It is now the fashion who had resided, for the last ten to print the name of each subscri. years, at Florence, is one of the a, ber on the title of his copy, and blest artists in his line, He likewise that method will be followed with imbosses portraits in wax, and his this work. The Society likewise success in taking likenesses proprints a literary journal, which cured him abundance of employ- . seldom pronounces any opinion ment during the war. He has likewhere it cannot praise, and mere- wise much talent for mechanicks. ly inserts a notice or extracts. At the house of Fabre, a pupil of The greatest part of the works of David's school, who obtained some which it treats are foreign, and distinction in the last exhibition of principally French ; the literature the Academy of Rome, before the of France being how exclusively death of Basseville, and has, since cultivated in Italy. The native that period, constantly resided at productions are so few, that a jour- Florence, I saw an historical picnal, devoted only to Italian litera- ture, the subject of which is taken ture, could scarcely be supported, from Alfieri's Tragedy of Saul, especially if it were obliged to ap- and represents a vision of that pear regularly at stated periods. king, tormented by his evil con At Florence I could not stop science. It would be difficult to longer than four days ; and what discover the subject, without some are four days in a city which, next explanation ; but the artist, in exto Rome, contains the most nu.. cuse of himself, says, that he merous and the most precious chose this circumstance at the treasures of the arts, and where particular desire of Alfieri, who four months would scarcely be had much more talent for the sufficient to survey, with proper composition of a tragedy, than attention, all that is worthy of no- of a picture, I never observed in tice? I immediately relinquished any modern painter such a per the idea of seeing every thing, and fect execution of all the parts, such confined myself to the most capital a masterly disposition of the co. works and the first-rate artists re- lours ; and in the mechanical part siding in that city. The Palazzo of his profession Fabre is indispu. Pitti is now scarcely worth the tably as accomplished an artist as trouble of going to see it. The can possibly exist. The plan and French carried off between sixty ground of the picture, which com. and seventy pictures, and among prise a good deal of landscape, are them all the good pieces it con- so exquisitely beautiful with regard tained. In the Gallery I missed to the disposition, colours, and not a single article, either statue proportions, that, excepting Reinor picture, excepting the Venus hart, I know no landscape-painter who could excel it. The same aims only at neatness and perfeccommendation may be given to all tion, with which he charms the the other subordinate parts of the eye of the amateur. Desmarez piece, but does not apply to the possesses the talent of invention, principal object : for accuracy in fire, and energy; he is partial to the details, brilliancy in the colour- grave,pathetick,and tragick scenes, ing, and the highest degree of per- and his colouring is suitable to the fection in the execution, are not gravity of his subjects, but it is sufficient to form a good dramatick rude, inaccurate, inharmonious, picture : and those are almost and rather repulsive than agreeathe only good qualities of this ble to the eye. He has more tal. piece. The composition is patch- ent than art. If both agree in any ed, the action theatrical, the ex- point, it is in that which they depression overcharged, and the rive from their common school ; in style has the usual faults of the the theatrical disposition and overFrench school ; the figures are charged expression of the postures invariably muscular, the drapery and attitudes,in which consists the precisely folded into a thousand real essence of the French school, small plaits, and the light thrown and, perhaps, generally of the upon the most brilliant colours, so French manner of considering nathat the eye has no repose, excepto ture. Desmarez, however, inconing in the landscape. The car. testably possesses a genius for nation resembles ivory, and the na- dramatick painting, and a creative ked parts are daubed. The tone imagination, of which Fabre is of the whole is much too glar- destitute ; only it is a pity that he ing and lively for a grave subject. has been spoiled by his school. At the same artist's I saw several All the compositions I saw at his fine portraits, in which his great house, consisting principally of mechanical merit is ably displayed. small sketches, painted in oil, were Among these were the portraits of of tragick subjects ; for instance, General Clarke, who commands at the death of Lucretia, the death Florence, and of the Queen of of Virginia, the death of Cæsar, Etruria, both striking likenesses. &c. a dying Cato, as large as life, Fabre possesses a beautiful ancient tearing his bowels out of his body, portrait, which he attributes to Ra. is a truly horrible figure, which he phael, and six admirable land executed for Lord Bristol, and had scapes, two by Caspar, two by almost completed ; but as that ecPoussin, and two by Annibal Ca centrick Mæcenas of the arts is racci, which are all in the highest now dead, he will scarcely find preservation, and are alone a sufe another customer for it. This the ficient inducement to visit the art, artist himself apprehended when I ist. Another French painter, nam- brought him the unexpected aced Desmarez, likewise deservescount of his Lordship’s death from the traveller's notice. He belongs Rome. It was late before Desma, also to the French school, but a rez embraced the profession. The greater contrast cannot exist than revolution, which has otherwise between him and Fabre, and it is been so prejudicial to the arts, interesting to see the former im- brought them, in him, a worthy mediately after the latter. Fabre pupil. Before the revolution he has neither invention nor fire ; his was secretary to the French em whole art is mechanical, and he bassy at Stockholm, and practised at his leisure for his own amusement; but when he lost that post, he devoted himself to the art with such zeal and success, that he has arrived at this degree of perfection in the most difficult of its branches. He is still in the prime of life, so that probably his talents may not yet be completely developed. He lives entirely in his art, has a cultivated undertanding, gravity of character, and yet great vivacity in conversation. I should rather have taken this artist for an Italian than a Frenchman, and to me his acquaintance was extremely interesting. You may be sure I did not omit to visit our worthy countryman, Don Filippo Hackert. He does not indeed reside here, as he did at Naples, in a royal mansion, but he has handsome and spacious apartments in a palace; and the great number of his works, some just begun, others half finished or completed, proves him, notwithstanding his increasing age, to be the same active and industrious artist that he has been all his life. Through the immense multitude of pieces which he has continually in hand, his art has at length become purely mechanical. Hackert composes little; he has enjoy ed the felicity of residing the best part of his life in a country,where nature is so highly picturesque that the artist may produce a fine picture by only copying the views, and filling up the fore-ground, not so much from his own invention as from studies after nature. Of this description are most of Hackert's pieces. To the poetry of the art he never attained. His landscapes are poetick only in the same degree as nature, which he copied, possessed a poetick character. His distances are in general fine, and have the genuine tone of an Italian climate. Almost all his mid dle grounds are now of a uniform bright green, and his fore-grounds of a pale bluish green colour, which not rarely destroys the harmony of the back-grounds. The figures commonly introduced into his pictures are the shepherds, shepherdesses, herdsmen, and cattle of those countries where he found his originals; but the ladies and gentlemen, with whom he was frequently obliged to decorate the landscapes which he painted at Naples for the king, are intolera ble. Hackert was just employed upon three landscapes, destined for Weimer, all of which were about half finished, It was the latter end of July when I saw him, and yet he assured me that all three would be sent off to Weimer in September, Two of them, a View near Rome from the Villa Madama, over Pont Molle, of the Sabine Mountains, illuminated by the setting Sun; and another of Fiesole and the Vale of Arno, near Florence, are for the Duke of Weimer, and the third for an English gentleman residing in that town. Of the other numerous paintings of this artist, which I saw, I shall say nothing. A person can scarcely look at all Hack, ert's paintings in two hours; they fill two spacious rooms, and form a small gallery. The spectator' would be induced to believe, that they are the productions ef sever al persons, though they are the labour of his hands alone. I cannot, however, deny, that Hackert's whole system has something of the air of a manufactory. I should like to say a few words concerning the master-pieces of modern sculpture, the statues of Michael Angelo Buonarotti, in the Capella del Depositi, the architectecture of which is the work of the same artist. But when a person |