where he found greater opportunities of difplaying his talents. A fociety of amateurs having conceived the project of re-engraving with magnificence the paintings of Raphael, which are in the Vatican Palace, Volpato was the moft diftinguithed of all the engravers who engaged in this enterprife. The fame artift published also designs in miniature, which, by means of the colours, gave a ftill more perfect idea of the originals.

FRANCE.

The admiffion of the celebrated aftronomer Burchardt to the title of French citizen is officially announced.

The last letters of the celebrated traveller, M. Humboldt, dated from Mexico, announce, that infurmountable ob

ftacles having delayed him longer than he expected, he could not return to Europe till the month of April or May 1804.

Philip Guidi, a Neopolitan profeffor of phyfic and chemistry in the Central School of the department of Ardèche; and Sebaftian Guidi, a Neapolitan likewife, provifional profeffor of mathema➡ tics in the fame fchool, are admitted to the rights of French citizens.

The painter Vanderburg, well known for his talents in land cape painting, is dead.

M. Boudet, one of the moft diftinguiflied members at the French bar, died lately, at the age of forty-eight, owing to the exceffive fatigues of study,

IF the ftate of the King's health was fuch as to occafion confiderable anxiety when our laft report was made, though it was great fatisfaction to the public to have the Chancellor's authority that he was fo far recovered as to be competent to tranfact neceffary bufinefs, the last month has added in fome degree to that fatisfaction, by its being known, that a varie ty of bufinefs requiring the royal fanction has in this inverval been performed. Few perfons have had accels to the Royal Perfon, as it might be expected after fo harafling a diforder; and time and quiet are the only means of restoring in fuch cafes a patient's vigour. In fuch a cafe, it is not furprifing that a variety of reports fhould be in circulation in the

* There exifts a prior collection of engravings from these fame painters: it is called "Picture Raphaëlis Sanctis. Urbanitatis ex aula et conclavibus Palatii Vaticani, &c. Roma 1722. Fol." (Franc. Aquila delin, et inc.)

It appears that Mengs was not altoge

ther content with this collection. When it appeared, he said, They have been tranflating Raphael into Venetian." "This bon mot," fays Fiorillo, "is as keen as it is true; for the difference between the character of thefe engravings and the true character of the works of Raphael is as ftriking as that which appears in a poem tranflated into a different language."

higher circles, that regencies, and even refignation, fhould be talked of; d that it should be faid, that the hei apparent was fpeedily to affift his father in fupporting the fatigues of royalty. This, of courfe, creates expectation of change: but it is by no means fettled what the change is to be; and, what is of still more importance, of what ule any propofed change is to be to the country. If the ad miniftration is fuppofed not to poffefs fufficient energy, the divifions of the oppofition do not promife any very great advantage by their co-operation.

But the eyes of all Europe have been chiefly directed towards Paris. The late confpiracy against the life of the First Conful, and the exifting government, has led to the imprifonment of a great number of perfons; but the feizure and execution of one has both astonished and excited the indignation of the greater part of Europe. The Duke of Enghien, grandfon of the Prince of Condé, refided at his ries of the Elector of Baden. A depalace at Ettenheim, in the territotachment of French troops marched from Strafbourg in the night, feized the Duke with his papers, and feve ral other French emigrants, whom they brought with them back into the territories of France. The Duke was hurried off immediately to Paris; and a commiffion was opened on the 21t of

tices were fent of his conduct to the ambaffadors then refident at Paris. Molt of them expreffed in ftrong terms their abhorrence of fuch conduct, as well they might; for if ambafiadors defcend to fuch practices, there can be no longer any fecurity for, or any facrednefs attached to, their character. But little notice has been taken by any court, except that of Sweden, of the violation of territory, in the feizure of the Prince of Enghien. The King of Sweden has not only expreffed his indignation in ftrong terms, but in his capacity of Duke of Pomerania has made a ftrong remonftrance to the diet of the empire.

In the mean time preparations are making at Paris for the trial of the confpirators. The chief of them has, however, prevented the formalities of law from taking place; and, anticipating its fentence, has executed it upon himself. Pichegru was found dead in the morning when his keeper came in to attend as ufual upon him, having contrived by a final piece of tick to tighten his neckcloth in such a manner as to ftrangle himfelf. The fecrets of a prifon who can tell? But there feems no reafon to fuppofe that any thing unfair was practifed upon this unfortunate General, as it was more for the intereft of the French cabinet that he thould die publicly, than leave the chance of imputing his death to affaffination. The countenance, however, that the unhappy man received in England, previous to his laft journey into France, and death by his own hands, will tend to fix in the minds of the French their fufpicions of this country, and of the guilt of the deceased. From what has been done, there cannot be a doubt of the French government taking advantage of both circumftauces.

The war. is thus carried on with every fpecies of aggravation by words on both fides; for if the French accuse us of baseness and treachery, of employing the meaneft arts to obtain our purposes; our public papers enjoy, in the fulleft latitude, the liberty that feems not only to be allowed to, but to be encouraged in them, of loading the government of France with every fpecies of invective that thoughts can devife, or words exprefs. The engraver is not behind hand; and the ftature of the French fovereign is a VOL. I.

fource to them of inexhaustible de light; and one would think, upon looking to our hops of caricature, that bravery varied in proportion to the load of fleth with which the human bones are covered. Bad as this fpecies of warfare is, it is ftill better than deftruction and defolation; than the cries of the widow, the tears of the orphan, and the groans of the wounded. A waste of money is better than a waste of blood; and both nations after a time will grow weary of the conteft, and difcover what is the real object of contention.

Our fyftem is that of defence. The immenfe navy of England is chiefly employed in guarding its own coasts; and even with that defence many are not fatisfied, and batteries are erected to defend spots to which the French, it is hoped, will never have accefs; for if they have, it will be on the land fide, to turn them against our own fhipping. Some would not be content with covering our fhores with Martello towers, but they even erect works, and draw lines of circumvallation in the interior. Little avails it to boat of our antient valour, when fuch marks of contemptible cowardice are received, not with indignation, but with apparent marks of fatisfaction.

The French, however, with reafon, guard their thores; for by fuch means they fecure to themselves the paffage of their boats from one port to another, with little or no moleftation; and though it is well known that our veffels cannot, from their fize, annoy them, it has not inftructed us to accommodate our failers with veffels fuited to this new fpecies of warfare. But a more admirable plan is to be adopted. As the French have now fecured a prodigious armament in the port of Boulogne, we are to render it by one blow perfectly ufelefs. A rock is to be made across the harbour, and fhips laden with stones are prepared to be funk at its mouth. The contrivers of this expedition have doubtless confidered the depth of water, force of waves, and the breadth of the channel, and fupplied a fufficient number of ftone-fhips for the purpofe; or the failure of their plan will make us the laughing-ftock of Europe.

Whilft we are thus employed, Frauce is not entirely without external preparations. An expedition has been I i i

fitted out in the West Indies, which has taken poffeffion of our settlements at Goree, and will probably commit the fame ravages on the coaft of Africa, as a fimilar expedition did in the last war.

The settlement of Sierra Leone, which excited at one time great expectations, will probably fall among the reft, and relieve the directors of the company from an anxiety which bears at prefent heavy on their minds. About fourteen or fifteen years ago, after the very laudable endeavours by petitions to parliament to prevent any farther trading in the perfons of men by English veffels on the coaft of Africa, a fubfcription of upwards of 200,000 pounds was raised for forming a fettlement at Sierra Leone, and for introducing civilifation into that part of Africa. A charter was granted, and a board of directors appointed; and the new inftitution was announced under the style and title of the Honourable Sierra Leone Company. The Honourable Company could not be without honourable officers, who must have honourable falaries. Subjects were found in the new fettlement by the importation of maroons from Jamaica, and negroes from Nova Scotia, the one party having always poffeffed notions of independence, the other having acquired fentiments of freedom in the American war. The confequence was, that the honourable company, which was fo zealous for the improvement of the native blacks of Africa, felt fome inconvenience from the civilifation of its own blacks, and foon quarrelled bitterly with them. The natives took advantage of their divifions, and the honourable company and the natives were at war. Year after year the company was entertained with a verbofe report by the directors, filled with digreffions on philanthropy, and the civilifation of Africa; but if a proprietor ventured to make any enquiries into the nature of the expence and expenditure, or to attempt an mination of any thing that led to the real knowledge of the ftate of the colony, and the affairs of the company, he was borne down by a clamour for thanks of the company to the directors, and the bufinefs clofed for that year by the re-appointment of the directors. Thus, with very little change, the fame directors have feen the rife and fall of their capital; for,

exa

by the laft account, it did not feem that they had five thousand pounds remaining in hand. They are now attempting to negociate with government to take the affair into its own hands: but, however skilled the directors are in the management of their own concerns, it does not seem that, if double the former fubfcription were configned to their management, the honourable company would ever receive a farthing of intereft for their money.

The fucceffes of the French on the coaft of Africa are not likely to be of long duration, as the moment government thinks it neceffary to put an end to their predatory expeditions, a few fhips, which may be almoft faid to be now idle, will clear the African coaft of any enemy, and retake whatever we have loft. Indeed, it is difficult to fay what the navy of England has been employed about: a very few gun-boats have indeed been taken; yet the corporation of London could not perceive the ridiculoufnefs of its interference, and has fubjected itself to the laughter not only of the navy but of the kingdom in general. Some one or another, thinking himself it must be imagined of very great and his words of more confequence, propofed, that the thanks of the corporation fhould be given to certain admirals for keeping the feas in bad weather: an uninterefting debate took place, not on the impropriety of the motion, but on the admirals who fhould receive this fuppofed honour. At laft, a fufficient number was included, the motion was paffed, and on the return of the admirals into port, fome aldermen, it is prefumed, will be deputed to take boat at Portfmouth, and, running all the dangers of the feas, communicate to each admiral in his ftate cabin, these mighty honours with which by the city he has been decorated.

The merchants and brokers of London have diftinguifhed themfelves in a fimilar manner with their brethren in the corporation. An Eaft India prize fhip was fome time ago carried into Liverpool; and by a late act of parliament Eaft India goods must be brought for fale to the capital. The captors were defirous, as every one muft in the fame fituation have been, to avoid the expence and rifque of conveying the cargo to London; and petitioned