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this difpofition he offers himeself as a cook to the rector of the jefuits, he is taken upon tryal, and at length admitted a novice; here his deportment is fo extremely recommendatory, that the fociety fend him to Saragofa, where they appoint him their steward, and so remarkable is his œconomy, that he foon gains the confidence of all his fuperiors.

Never were the revenues of the house, as they imagined, To well conducted, while he, in the mean time, indulged himfelf in pleasure, and gratified every irregular appetite. In the different excurfions which he made, under pretence of procuring provifions at the cheapest rate, he became acquainted with Victoria Fortieri, a young Spanish girl living at Huefca, with whom he fell deeply in love: he devised many methods to obtain her hand, without abandoning his order, and at length, by deceit and impofture, compaffed his intention.

His often repeated journeys and being frequently absent, rendered his fuperiors fufpicious of his conduct, so that they ordered him to one of their houses forty leagues distant from Saragofa. There was no refifting the command, he was obliged to abandon Victoria. About this time fome of the order were setting out for America upon a miffion, and these he begged leave to accompany, fearing that his iniquities might át one time or other come to light to his confufion; and his request was granted.

It was now that a treaty was concluded between Spain and Portugal, whereby the former was to cede the latter the island of St. Gabriel, in confideration of fome provinces bordering upon Brazil: a guilty confcience making Nicholas very uncafy at Buenos Aires, where he feared that justice might purfue him from Europe, he ftole away in a disguise to St. Gabriel. Here he mixed himself among the natives, foon became an excellent proficient in their language, and what with his artful infinuating addrefs, and the help of fome ftrong liquors which he carried with him, he gained their confidence and friendship: a very powerful acquifition, if we confider they by far outnumbered the Portuguefe, whom he spirited them up to maffacre; at the fame time painting to them in the strongest colours the cruelty of the Spaniards; thus confirming their averfion to those barbarous conquerors. His orations

have the defired effect; he fets himself at the head of an army of the natives, and foon makes himself master of those civilized colonies which the jefuits governed, numbers of whom were put to death. Rapid in fuccefs and wonderful in conquest, he is proclaimed king of Paraguay, and defeats every endeavour to overthrow him. The * Mamalukes, informed of his fame and power, offer him their imperial crown and their chief town to live in. These he accepts of,with great pleasure ; his coronation is performed July 27, 1754, and our author leaves him labouring for the good of his fubjects, and establishing among them equitable laws; but promifes, however, to oblige us with a fequel, as foon as ever materials come to hand..

It would be finning against the laws of Romance not to conclude the intrigue between him and Victoria: I dare fay we fhall hereafter find them brought together again by fome means or other: king Nicholas may fend to feek her in Spain, or, with very little more trouble, fhe may be borne by the spirit of adventure to America; fhipwrecked in her hufband's dominions, carried to his court, where he may receive her with open arms, and great rejoicings be made on account of their meeting.

Anonymous authors are fometimes the publishers of bold truths, but oftener carry with them arrows of calumny, from which the most useful, nay, the most refpectable bodies have no fhield. Something of this latter fort feems intended by the history of our Nicholas, which is really a romance founded upon the fabulous story of this jefuit, published not long fince in the news-papers. To the authority of thefe, however, our author pretends to pay no manner of respect, but, on the contrary, accuses them of grofs falfities; which he takes upon him to confute. Upon the whole, we cannot fay much in praise of the performance.

*Who these Mamalukes are we cannot poffibly conceive, not recollecting any fuch nation of people in America; or any where elfe, at prefent.

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ART. X. Foreign DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES.

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N the year 1752, the royal academy of mufic at Paris, exhibited an opera called Zoroafter, the plot of which was

tragical;

tragical; the mufic compofed by Rameau, the words by Mr. Cahufac. It was received with some success, but the authors, in confequence of certain criticisms that appeared to them not unjuft, withdrew it for correction, and have now once again submitted it to the judgment of the public, confiderably altered and embellifhed. That it is an elegant entertainment is indifputable, and it is conducted in the following manner.

In Bactria, two deities were worshipped, that of light, a benevolent being, conferring happiness; that of darkness, the author of evil. Zoroaster priest of the god of light, falls in love with Amelita, rightful heiress to the throne of Bactria, in confequence of the death of Phares: but being rivaled by Abramanes, whom the princefs hates, is thro' his intereft banifhed. Abramanes confpires with Crinice to deftroy these lovers, of whofe mutual affections fhe was jealous, and the price of their infamous conjunction is their plighted faith.

Zoroafter, informed by fome fecret power of the misfortunes threatening his better half, prefers the safety of his country and his miftrefs, to the offered throne of the people amongst whom he was exiled; and is tranfported in a chariot of fire to the walls of Bactria.

The inhabitants, intimidated by the inchantments of Abramanes from fiding with Zoroafter, he has recourse to heaven; and in confequence of his invocation, the walls tumbling present to him a fight of his mistress, ready to fall by the hand of Crinice, who being difarm'd by fright, quits the place with precipitation, and the two lovers are once more happily united. While, together with the Bactrians, they are employed in rejoicing at their felicity, a thick vapour rifes from the bofom of the earth, Abramanes infpires' the people with dread, who abandon them in this extremity; Zoroafter again invokes the Gods; they send hin a magical wand, by aerial spirits: thus armed he flies to combat his antagonist.

Abramanes is next difcovered in a fubteranean temple enlightened with lamps, where he celebrates fome horrible myfteries, and here, a prey to rage and grief, he is informed that his rival is befriended by heaven: the news is confirmed to him by Grinice; he makes an infernal facrifice, many evil

fpirits

fpirits obey his call, and he is promifed fuccefs by a lying ora

cle.

Zoroafter, followed by the Bactrians, imparts the news of his profperity to the tender Amelita; the ceremony of their coronation is broken in upon by Abramanes, whom the earth opens and fwallows, while the lovers mount the throne of Bactria.

Thus are the wicked punifhed, and thus is virtuous love crowned with its due reward.

:

This is the fubftance of a piece finely devised, and nobly conducted and whether we confider it with respect to the mufic or poetical composition, we shall find it the offspring of real genius; yet we are forry to fay, that it has not been received fo well as it deferves; nor is it the public taste of England alone that feems to be vitiated.

The opera of Bertholdus at court, is not yet forgotten in London; a comedy of three acts founded thereupon, was formerly presented on the ftage of the Italian opera houfe at Paris, which has been lately reduced to two, great part of it being curtail'd; in confequence of which alteration it appears more lively, is more interefting, and the approbation of the public confirms our opinion.

VIENN A.

There appeared on the German theatre of Vienna, during the carnival, a burlesque tragedy of two acts, in verse, written by Sieur Kurz, known by the name of Bernardon, who is an actor on the fame ftage. It is intitled the Princess Poumphia; or, the faithful Perfian, and has for plot the amours of Kouli Khan king of the Tartars. One would imagine that, by this piece, Bernardon seriously intended to create a digust for tragedy in the public, which is already too much inclined to favour extravagant farces.

The author, who played the part of the princess, falling ill the fixth night of the reprefentation, put a stop to the run of the piece, which was very great. Two other novelties fucceeded on the fame ftage; one intitled Le Carnaval inter-. rompu; tragi çomedie; the other La fin du Carnaval.

All

All the characters in Poumphia were played by men; thofe in Le Carnaval interrompu by women; and in La fin du Carnaval the women's parts were performed by men; thofe of the men by women.

There was also exhibited on the fame stage a German tragi-comedy in two acts, called The Fortunate Island; and another, intitled The Enchanted Shipwreck, taken from L'Anglois magnanime, which is to be found in the Theatre Italien. A German farce of one act was alfo prefented at the fame time, called The Carnival of Pluto, which was followed by a fort of tragedy taken from the Phaedra of Racine, but the catastrophe totally changed.

We hope in our next number to be able to give some account of a comedy, called La Coquette corrigée, The reform'd coquet, which has had a great run at Paris.

ART. XI.

MR

Clariffimis viris eruditionis ecclefiafticæ ftudiofis Fauftus Amidei bibliopola Romanus S. P. D.

TULTOS multa de fanctorum faftis, deque ecclefiæ univerfæ annalibus fcripfiffe, innumera pene clariffimorum virorum quæ hactenus lucem viderunt opera teftantur. De Slavis etiam, five Græco-mofchis, five Dalmatis & Illyriis, non defuere, qui fpiffos commentarios ediderunt; fic tamen, ut de Slavica hujufmodi hiftoria illud ufurpari poffe crediderim, quod de Ethiopica Job Ludolfus pronunciavit in hæc verba : Vix ulla peregrina hiftoria corruptior, ut quæ de Ethiopia dicuntur, de Utopia dicta putes: multa in majus au&ta, multa fecus ac res eft, tradita fuerunt: quædam ftudio, aut odio depravata : pleraque non recte intellecta : denique quovis modo audita, pro compertis relata. Quamobrem, dum Illmus præful Jofeph Simonius Allemanus, bibliothecæ vaticanæ præfectus, vir editis jam pluribus omnigenæ eruditionis operibus fatis clarus, pervetuftas Capponianas Slavicas Ephemerides illuftrandas fufcepit, operæ pretium duxit, præmittere ecclefiafticas Slavorum omnium origines, tum eorum nempe, qui Latinum ritum in Polonia, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Illyrico, & alibi fequuntur; tum aliorum, qui Græcas cerimonias in Ruffia, Bulgaria, Servia, Valachia obfervant: omnia è puris fontibus, ideft ex coævis

fcriptori

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