Friendship well chofe, of ev'ry bleffing chief, Which, vile and weak itself, must always feek True greatnefs, fure, unfolds a nobler fcene, Smit with true glory's charms, thus far the mufe 'Tis her's to praise true greatness on the throne, 'Tis thine, O George! to make that praife thy own." The character of lord Melcombe, as poet, appears to great advantage in this beautiful epiftle; but genius, in him, was the leaft confpicuous qualification; for his life was a continued example of the moral greatness which he defcribes. Dr. Young's corrections, in general, are made with judgment; but we do not think that, in the following, he has improved the text, either in respect of elegance or propriety. Blasts heroes' laurels, ‡ blights the statesman's bays ; . * And + Ne'er fails beyond our world to ftretch her aim.* FOREIGN FOREIGN ARTICLES. XIV. Viaggio in Dalmatia dell' Abbate Alberto Fortis. 2 Vol. 4to. Venice. SIGNOR Fortis having formerly accompanied Dr. Hervey, lord bishop of Londonderry, in a journey through Dalmatia, was afterwards engaged by three Venetian noblemen to unde.take another tour through thefe countries, in which he directed his attention to their natural hiftory, geography, antiquities, and the characters and manners of the inhabitants; and after his return published the refult of his obfervations in these volumes. The first contains his tour through the islands that border the whole coaft of Dalmatia, through the diftricts of Zara, into Morlachia, Scardona, and Sebenico; and is illustrated with feven plates and a map. The fea is continually encroaching on the coaft of Dalmatia; remains of ancient buildings appear every where under the water. The islands of Ulibo and Selve produce the fame fpecies of marble as that at Caferta. Near Simoskoy, Signor Fortis met with that identical fpecies which was by the Romans used for ftatues and monuments. Coral is alfo found off the Dalmatian iflands, whose inhabitants are, however, not well skilled in that fishery. At Coflawatz, and in fome other places, manna exudes from afh-trees, but is not gathered by the Morlachians. Ruins, though frequent in Dalmatia, will not furnish antiquarians with infcriptions. The Morlachians have formerly been ob liged to tranfport fuch ancient monuments gratis to the fea coast, and, in order to avoid these fruitless labours, they have defaced and destroyed all the remaining incriptions. The Morlachians, a nation distinguished by their bravery against the Turks, call themfelves More Vlafi, the Nobles of the Sea: their language is the Sclavonian. In breadth of face, and in their manners they are faid to bear fome resemblance to the Calmouks. They are very different from the inhabitants of the iflands, and bear them an hereditary hatred. The Morlachians on the fea coafts are alfo by the breadth and fairness of their faces, their hair, and their fofter manners diftinguished from the highlanders. The Heydouks are a race yet more favage, living miferably in caverns, and support themselves by stealing, especially cattle. There is fome dignity in the character of the highland Morlachians; they are faid to be tenacious of their fashions, honeft, fincere, faithful, unfufpecting, generous, hofpitable, and inviolably true to their word. Their fenfe of honour is quick, keen, ftrong and lafting; the poorest Morlachian will not condescend to beg. Among these highland Morlachians, the fentiments and duties of friendship are known as they were to the Scythians of old; for, with them it is a folemn and awful engagement, contracted before the altar, under the refpective names of fraternity and fifterhood, and inviolably kept through life. The fame quick fenfe of honour renders them revengeful. Vengeance they confider as a facred duty, and tranfmit it to their heirs. Whoever kills a Morlachian must fly the country for many years; and if by interceffions, entreaty, or redemption, he ever receives his VOL. XLI. Mar. 1776. R pardon pardon from the injured family, he must crave and receive it in the humbleft polture. Superftition is another feature in their character. The fierceft Heydouk will fly from what he fancies a spectre. The Morlachian votaries of the Greek and the Roman catholic religion bear a violent rancour to each other. Their marriages are celebrated with great folemnity; and, like the Ruffians, they require the proofs of chastity prefcribed by Mofes. The mother nurfes her child till fhe becomes again pregnant, were it even for fix years together. Their houfes are mean; their food, milk and garlick; their drink, water; and fome hemp their only plantation. They delight in dancing and poetry, chiefly in a variety of ballads, fometimes in rhyme; their verse confists of ten fyllables. One of their most tragical ballads has been inferted by Signor Fortis; and we could wish to fee it tranflated. Of phyfic they know but little, perhaps because they want it not much. The tertian ague they cure with wine and pepper, &c. They are alfo well skilled in fetting fprained or dislocated limbs, and, probably in fome other chirurgical operations. By way of appendix to the fixth volume, Signor Fortis has fub- › joined an account of the journey made in 1553, by Anthony Venanzio, bishop of Fünfkirchen, (Quinque Ecclelia) from Buda in Hungary to Adrianople. (To be continued.) XV. Albert Prémier, ou Adeline, Comédie-heroïque, en trois Actes. 8vo. Paris. MR. la Vrance, an officer, dying in the service of his fovereign, left his widow and his daughter Adeline in neceffitous circumftances. They live at one Mr. Derick's, a fenfible, good-natured tradefman, who, with a generofity fuperior to his station and fortune, proves himself their only comfort and fupporter in their dif trefs. Baron de Tezel, a courtier, attempts to feduce Adeline; and, in order to promote his purpose, endeavours to fink her mother into yet greater want. He therefore buys up her debts from her creditors; under their names fues for their immediate payment; and at the fame time pretends he has interceded in her behalf with the emperor, but that his endeavours in her favour have proved ineffectual. ་ The emperor, confidering the poorer and diftreffed part of his people as being more particularly entrusted to his care and protection, often vifits them in difguife, attended only by the captain of his guards; and in one of his excurfions happens to meet Adeline and Derick, who, by Madame la Vrance's direction, are going to fell her jewels, &c. in order to pay her debts. He learns from Derick the misfortunes of a family, whose name and services are known to him, and wonders that they have never yet applied to the emperor for relief. Derick tells him that Baron de Tezel has already to no purpofe folicited the bounty of that prince in Madame la Vrance's favour. Finding himself thus flandered among his subjects by the Baron, the emperor offers fome immediate affiftance to Adeline, which is declined by her from motives of delicacy, but accepted for her by Derick and appoints them to meet him the next day, at the emperor's audience, to whom he promises to introduce them, giving them a diamond for a mark by which he may know them. Thus Baron Tezel is detected, confounded, and punished. Madame la Vrance and Adeline are restored to their former former ftate of profperity and fplendour. The emperor marries Adeline to Wilkin, one of his guards, her lover, to whom he had before been nobly refused by her mother, left he should be involved in their diftrefs. Wilkin is raised to la Vrance's employments; and Derick's good-nature is rewarded. The defign of this piece is excellent, and well executed. It has been received with distinguishing marks of approbation, both in its reprefentation and in the closet. XVI. Dictionnaire Hiftorique & Géographique portatif de l'Italie, contenant une Description des Royaumes, des Républiques, des Etats, des Provinces, des Villes, et des Lieux principaux de cette Contrée, &c. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris. AS Italy is fo very remarkable in every refpect, it is no wonder to fee it fo much frequented by travellers of all nations, and described by numberless writers; from whom the editor of this inftructive and entertaining compilation has chofen Meffieurs Grofley, Richard, la Lande, d'Obeffan, and fome other modern travellers, for his chief guides and vouchers. The first of these authors, fays he, is rather inclined to reflect on what he fees, than to enter into minute details; the second speaks as a connoiffeur of the productions of arts, and especially as an antiquarian; the third embraces a greater number of objects, and obferves ancient and modern monuments, natural history, fine arts, manners, laws, cuftoms, trade, and industry, and gives a fuccinct hiftorical account of every confiderable place. Of the fourth, it were to be wished that he had not confined himself to fo fmall a number of objects; but he preferred accuracy to variety. Befides the hiftorical account and geographical descriptions of the various states and places of Italy, this Dictionary contains a great variety of remarks on its trade and commerce, the genius, manners, and induftry of its inhabitants; on mufic, painting, architecture; with the hiftory of its kings, princes, popes, eminent writers, artifts, military commanders; an account of its principal laws, of the fingular cuftoms, and the character of the Italians. One effential omiffion, however, we cannot forbear remarking; at every article the editor ought to have mentioned the writer from whom its contents were extracted. FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. 17. Les Annales de la Bienfaifance, ou les Hommes rappellés à la Bienfaifance, par les Exemples des Peuples anciens et modernes, qui ont donné, foit en public, foit en particulier, des Exemples d'Humanité, de Vertu, de Generofitė. 3 vols. 12mo. Paris. HAD this work been executed answerable to its title, it would have proved an interefting and inftructive performance. But now it is a mere compilation of extracts from various books, made at random, and most of them foreign to the fubject announced in the. title-page. 18. Eloge de Jean Dorat, Poëte & Interprete du Roi, &c. par M. l'Abbé Vitrac, Profeffeur des Humanités. 8vo. Limoges. John Dorat was one of the restorers of literature in France under Francis I. For fome time he ferved in the army; after his return to Paris he was appointed Greek profeffor and principal of the collége of Coqueret. On account of his Greek and Latin odes he was by his contemporaries complimented with the furname of the Greek. Latin Pindar; others called him the Gallic Homer. He had indeed fung the exploits of all the French generals under five kings, and been in his turn celebrated by many eminent French writers. He is faid to have compofed above 50,000 verfes, of which but a very fmall part is contained in the edition of his works published by his difciples in 1586. 19. Difcours publics et Eloges auxquels on a joint une Lettre, où l'Auteur développe le Plan annoncé dans un de fes Difcours pour reformer la Jurisprudence. Par M. ***, Avocat General. 2 vols. 12mo. Paris. Moft of the fpeeches contained in this interefting collection were at first published separately. Their favourable reception determined their author to collect them, and to fubjoin three other pieces never printed before. The first difcourfe treats of the diverfity of opinions as the foundation of the abufe of the profeffion of the law; the fecond, of the, actual state of jurifprudence in France; the third, of morals and manners, To the first volume is fubjoined a letter on a plan for rendering jurifprudence fimple, uniform, univerfal, and confiftent. The fecond volume contains eulogies on prefident Jeannin, on king Charles the fifth of France, and on the late prefident Bouhier. Every piece, and almost every period in this collection does credit to the head and heart of its,author. 20. La Morale Evangelique, ou Difcours fur le Sermon de J. C. fur la Montagne. 2 vols. 8vo. Neufchatel. In these fenfible fermons Mr. J. Bertrand explains and enforces the excellent moral delivered in our Saviour's fermon on the mountain, and cenfures an exceffive zeal for orthodoxy, and the fruitless attempts to inftruct, efpecially the inferior claffes of an audience, in fuch truths or tenets as are obfcure, difficult, and not neceffary in order to falvation. Mr. Bertrand was formerly an ambassador's secretary at Warfaw. His plan appears to be not yet completed in thefe volumes, and his work will probably be continued. 21. Hieronymi Petri Schlofferi, J. V. D. Poematia. 8vo. Frankfurt. The author of these trifles has printed them for the fatisfaction of his friends; who will be too polite to cenfure them for want of poetical spirit. 22. Dell' Acqua falubre e Bagni di Nocera. Small Quarto. In Roma. Nocera has a very fertile and healthy fituation, and all the conveniences and accommodations requifite for a watering place. Its waters are by the author of this treatife, Lorenzo Maffimi, a Roman phyfician, faid to be very pure and limpid, perfectly taftelefs, lighter than any other waters, cooling and diuretic; and excellent remedies against fevers, fcurvy, the venereal difeafe, the fluor albus, the dropfy, and barrennefs. 23. Les Tableaux de la Nature: par un Membre de plufieurs Academics. 8vo. Paris. A poetical defcription of fome beauties of nature, under the titles of Morning and Evening Walks. 24. Der Chrift und der Bürger, in jedem Alter und in allen Steenden, von C. Loeper. Or, the Chriftian and Citizen in every Age and Station of Life. 8vo. Vienna. German. In treating of education, Mr. Loeper, tutor to a young nobleman, attends his pupil to the age of maturity. His obfervations are folid, his fentiments liberal, his zeal in the caufe of virtue and religion meritorious, and his diction not inelegant. |