nected with what we have already noticed, a fondness for the exhibi• tion of dreadful spectacles, Verbera, carnifices, robur, pix, lamina, tædæ. The want of moderation is particularly observable in the affectation of excessive feeling, of tenderness and sensibility in the extreme; of naïveté and simplicity, without bounds. Innumerable instances of this occur in most of the German compositions with which we are acquainted. This sentimental style, this rage of being very very natural, even to a degree of artificialness that is disgusting, predominates too much in the best German writers, such as Gæthe and Wieland, and abounds in almost every page of Kotzebue. The German writers, not satisfied with this display of excessive tenderness and sensibility, seem to consider the representation of passion as the great business of a poet, and the impassionated vehement style as his great perfection; and in the attempt to pourtray passion and feeling there is no discretion; these writers are all for a raging vein, a part to tear a cat in. They tear the passion to tatters, to very rags. It is not merely that sorrow is sunk, in such a superabundance and complication of calamity, such an excess of torment as real life never experienced, and human nature could not endure; that love is sublimed into frantic ravings and fiend-like jealousy, and breathes nothing but poison, poniards and self-destruction; that in the magnanimous, the heroic, the fierce, the vindictive, all is effort, and you perpetually see the writer standing on tip-toe, strutting and straining to reach something extraordinary; but the Germans, in their pursuit of the sentimental and impassioned, write, as if they sought to persuade themselves and their readers, that the indulgence of passion is the great business of life and the great privilege of humanity.' P. 29, Our author moreover-and his remarks merit particular attention-finds in the German dramas those innovating principles, to which all our late misfortunes may be traced. The restraints of law, of government-the gradations in the ranks of social order-the unequal distribution of property-are the subject of perpetual declamation and resistance. Every motive is inculcated, which may induce men to be discontented, with the government under which they live, or, indeed, with any government, and to become active partizans of anarchy and disorder. The miserable condition of the many, the luxury, the pride, and avarice of the few, the insolence of office, the corruption of courts, the crimes and vices of kings and sovereigns, the wickedness and oppressive arts of their ministers, are themes of constant declamation, and are painted in the blackest shades of exaggeration. Many of these things we may potently believe, but we hold it not honesty to have them set down. The precepts of morality, the rules of decorum, established customs, received opinions, and even the principles and sanctions of religion are treated with contempt, and exploded as vulgar errors, and priestcraft, fitted only to impose on weak understandings, and overawe little minds. The doctrine of absolute decrees and fatalism, the irresistible power and unquestionable dominion of pas sions are inculcated; and their influence and sway held up to view, as a full excuse for the broadest deviations from rectitude, the grossest enormities of conduct. The heroes are robbers, cut-throats, suicides, poisoners and parricides. The heroines are devoid of chastity, the slaves of passion, fearless of shame, unawed by God, they talk blasphemy and call it sentiment. The blasphemous exclamations against Providence, in the Leonora of Burger, the ferocious and criminal rhapsodies of Charles de Moor and his associates, in the Robbers, and particularly the Minister throughout, may serve to establish and iliustrate my assertions. In fact, the writers of the German school seem to imagine, that as the imitative arts have the physical power of representing objects good and bad, pleasing and hideous, so, their professors have the dangerous privilege of exhibiting to public view every object, that lies within the compass of physically possible representation, without regard to the principles of sound morality, or the rules of correct taste, which forbid the representation of some things, as licentious, and criminal; of others, as too horrid and disgusting.' P. 44. These are strong colourings; but, on the whole, they are fair representations, and this essay merits considerable.commendation. It is, perhaps, too much dilated, and wants that comprehensive energy which would make it more striking, which would add momentum and effect to doctrines which require, in these times, the strongest support. We have dwelt longer on it, in order to extend, if possible, the sphere of opinions so truly judicious, at a period so necessary for their propagation. (To be continued.) ART. V.-Commentari intorno all' Istoria della Poesia Italiana, ne' quali si ragiona d'ogni Genere e Specie di quella, &c. Commentaries on the History of Italian Poetry; containing an Examination into its different Orders and Species, written originally by G. M. Crescembini, and re-published by T. J. Mathias. 3 Vols. 12mo. 11. 4s. Boards. Becket. 1802. FEW writers in the class of polite literature have composed more voluminously than Crescembini; and still fewer of those who have composed so voluminously, have either deserved or obtained the same success. The Commentaries here re-pub-. lished by Mr. Mathias constitute but a part-yet, perhaps, the most entertaining part-of a work composed by Crescembini, in six volumes, quarto, of which the third edition was published at Venice, in 1731, by Lorenzo Basegio, and entitled Istoria della volgar Poesia-History of Tuscan or Italian Poetry. These Commentaries are introduced by an address from Mr. Mathias to poetic and learned English readers: it is written in the Italian language, and with his accustomed facility and enthusiasm for Italian literature. To this is subjoined a life of the original author, composed by the abate Michel Giuseppe Morei, from which we shall select the following narrative. Crescembini was born October 9, 1669, of a noble family, in Macerata: he was christened Gio. Maria: but, being in after years displeased with so ungrammatic a termination in his name, he changed it to Gio. Mario. He received his education in a school of the Jesuits, in his own country; and, having afterwards resided with an uncle at Rome, who had acquired much reputation as a barrister, he initiated himself into the profession of the law: but his attachment to more pleasant studies prevented him from paying a requisite attention to this abstruser science; and, in spite of the admonitions of his uncle, and the prospect of success which was fairly presented to him, he soon withdrew from the bar altogether, and totally devoted himself to polite literature. He now became acquainted with a variety of men of letters, both of his own age and more advanced in life, and especially with Vincenzo Leonio, a man deeply versed in the sciences, and whose philological labours are well known and admired, even in the present day. It was a custom with Crescembini, and many of his literary friends, to retire in the summer evenings from the city, into some sequestered spot in its vicinity, and there amuse themselves with an alternate recitation of some favourite pieces of Italian poetry. It happened that, during one of their meetings, a companion, whose name is not recorded, was so transported with the beauty of a light pastoral effusion, which was, on this occasion, rehearsed, that he suddenly exclaimed, Methinks we have this day recalled Arcadia into existence.' The exclamation was heard with rapture by every one; and Crescembini was so struck with it, that he immediately began to consider of planning, in conjunction with his friend Leonio, an academy which should bear the name of Arcadia, and the members of which should call themselves. Arcadian shepherds, and should each assume a name descriptive of some place in this region of ancient poetry. The institution was soon completed; and was opened October 5, 1690, by a convention of fourteen of the most renowned scholars of the city of Rome, of whom the greater part have obtained immortal fame by their writings. Their first academical meetings. were held, either in the forest of the Padri Minori, on Mount Gianicolo, or in that of St. Peter, in Montorio; and so universal was the applause with which these first attempts were received, that many of the chief ranks in literature and nobility contended for the honour of being admitted members of the institution. All Italy was pleased with the idea: Crescembini, who was universally regarded as its founder, was elected keepex (custode) of this new establishment. A purer taste, derived from its labours and exertions, was soon generally diffused throughout the whole country; and innumerable associations of a similar kind, on both sides of the Alps, were speedily produced, holding a communion with the parent lodge, submitting to its authority, and readily receiving its laws. The life of Crescembini was devoted to a promotion of the prime object of this philological establishment; and the learned Commentaries, of which the present work consists, were written,,in conjunction with many other exercises of a like nature, with this express view. Crescembini composed also in verse, as well as in prose: but, notwithstanding the purity of taste, and excellence of fancy, which are displayed in all his productions, his poetic effusions have been uniformly regarded as inferior in merit to his prose compositions. His volume of Rhymes, however, which was published under the title of Arcadia, was considerably prised in its day, and even attained a third edition. About the middle of life, he entered into the church, and was elected canon of Santa Maria, by pope Clement XI, who, as well as his two successors, Innocent XIII and Benedict XIII, successively testified for him the highest esteem and friendship. Crescembini had the honour, moreover, of a very extensive foreign connexion and patronage; and among his correspondents were the king of Portugal, the queen of Poland, her son prince Alexander Sobieski, Cosmo grand-duke of Tuscany, the elector of Bavaria, several of the dukes of Parma, prince Eugene of Savoy, Zondodari grand-master of Malta, and many others of equally elevated rank. He died unexpectedly at Rome, March 8, 1728, universally lamented, after having been for thirtyeight years keeper of the Academy of Arcadia. The work before us is divided into six books, and each book sub-divided into a great variety of chapters. Book I treats of the origin of the Italian or vulgar poetry, and examines, at full length, its orders of versification, of rhyme, and style. Book II investigates the different kinds of lyric compositions which passed from Provence into Italy. Book III examines the different kinds of lyric compositions invented by the Italians. Book VI exhibits the origin and different kinds of Tuscan dramatic poetry. Book V, the origin and present state of vulgar epic poetry. Book VI treats of various other modes of vulgar poetry which bear an equal relation to all the species hitherto noticed; and also of a variety of other matters which relate to the same subject. In the times, says our author, in which the court of the Neapolitan monarchs was held in Sicily, towards the close of the twelfth century, originated this vulgar poetry, which by some was called Italian, and by others Tuscan; and which, at first, as indeed happens to every thing else, was regarded as of little or no value, being merely introduced for the purpose of pleasing the fair-sex, who far more readily listened to the songs of their lovers, when addressed to them in their native tongue, than in Greek or Latin; which, although not diminished in value, were in these days allotted to graver and more important subjects. And hence it occurs, that we still meet with Greek and Latin compositions of the bards of Sicily, but not with productions in their own language; the latter, from their trivial merit, having in no instance descended to posterity. From the Sicilians, the Italians learned to poetise in their own tongue; and this tongue, like the art of poetising itself, they derived from the former. The Sicilians, who introduced the art of modern or vulgar poetry into Italy, derived it, according to our author, from the Provençals or Troubadours. Of this, there is little doubt: for it is highly probable that the vernacular poetry of most modern European nations is attributable to the same source; and that, scattered over Gascony, France, Italy, Spain, Artagon, and England, these traveling minstrels, under the various names of Troubadours or Trouveres, Jongleurs, Cantadours, Violars, and Musars, first reduced to metre the different languages of the countries through which they wandered. We should add, that they seem to have made their earliest appearance in the province of Provence, towards the close of the tenth century, and that they were uniformly denominated Provençals, from this circumstance. It is nevertheless asserted by Castelvetro, that the Sicilian minstrels were the elder of the two, and taught the art of poetry to the bards of Provence-an assertion, however, which is altogether untenable, since we are still in possession of Provençal specimens, of high cultivation and polish, of as early a date as the twelfth century, while the earliest specimens of the Sicilian Muse which have descended to us, do not reach beyond the end of the fourteenth, and beginning of the fifteenth, centuries; and are, at the same time, rude and barbarous efforts, and afford evident testimony that the metrical art of the Sicilians was, even at this time, in its infancy. Among the most celebrated Provençals of the twelfth century, were Arnaud Danielle and Joseph Rudelle, the merits of the former of whom are thus established, by the immortal testimony of Petrarch, in his Triumph of Love. Fra tutti il primo Arnaldo Daniello, Gran maestro d'amor, ch' alla sua terra All early modern versifications were, in the opinion of our author, derived from good Latin poetry, as the Latin was from good Greek; and, although, in the decline and mutilation of the Latin tongue, its accuracy of quantity was altogether lost, it still retained a degree of harmony in the regularity of its measured feet, to which, at this period, was added the new grace |