FOREIGN CATALOGUE. FRANCE. ART. 52. Poefies philofophiques et defcriptives des auteurs qui fe font diftingués dans le 18e. fiécle. 3 Voll. in 18mo. Paris. Each of these three volumes is ornamented with an engraved frontifpiece, reprefenting a lyre, from which are hung medallions of the poets whofe philofophic and defcriptive pieces are collected in it. The frontifpiece of the first volume reprefents Voltaire, Marmontel, Thomas, Colardeau, the Abbé Delille, Dorat, Laharpe, Lemierre, Ducis, Ximenes, and Treffan. In the fecond we are prefented with medallions of Chamfort, Rhu lieres, Saint-Marc, Mme. Verdier, François (de Neufchateau) Fontane Florian, Laugeac, Rivarol, Berenger, Bonneville, and Lebrun. The third exhibits Cubières, Paris, Maréchal, Imbert, Parny, Villette, Bulidon, Roucher, and Regnault. To name these poets, will itfelf be confidered as a fufficient recommendation of the collection, which is, however, very far from complete. The poets of thofe times had likewife not yet adopted the prefent political creed of that country, as in thefe Treffan would moft probably not have ventured to say what he says in his Epistle to Voltaire : "Dès l'age de quinze ans je ne fus plus à moi. L'aimer et le fervir fut ma fuprême loi. Tout Français fe doit moins qu'il ne doit à fon roi." Our readers will also, no doubt, approve of such sentiment as the fol "Le veritable honneur eft d'être utile aux hommes. Fais le bonheur d'autrui, c'est le feul qui te refte. Mons fils, fur les humains, que ton ame attendrie Le fage eft citoyen: il refpecte à la fois Je crains un honneur dangereux: It would be eafy for us to multiply these interesting and agreeable citations. Efpr. d. Journ. ART. 53. Dictionnaire de l'académie française, cinquième édition, revue, corrigée et augmentée, et récemment publiée par J. J. Smit's et compagnie. Paris. The title of this work points out only a part of what it contains: it comprises, befides the Dictionary of the Academy, revifed and corrected by it, a Supplementary Dictionary, made by the anonymous continuators, prefenting the words which have been introduced, and confidered as admitted into the language, fince the revolution. A preliminary discourse, likewise anonymous, precedes the whole, fubftituted in the place of the preface prefixed by the Academy to the edition of 1762. There are certainly confiderable augmentations in this edition, independently of the Appendix juit mentioned; each volume containing about 100 pages more than the laft edition; there are likewife fuppreffions. Some perfons will, perhaps, be aftonifhed to find under the word Roi of this new edition, publifhed in the 6th year of the republic, this axiom of the ancient monarchy: le roi ne meurt pas; but it is to be understood, that this is the Dictionary left by the Academy in its portfolios in 1791; fo that it is not, in reality, the fit of the monarchy, but the last of the republic. Whatever may be the imperfections of the Dictionary of the Academy even in this last edition, it cannot be denied that it is the best which any language offers, and that in the French there is none to be compared with it. In its origin, fays the author of the preliminary difcourfe, others were published in oppofition to it, and its excellence was but the more confpicuous. In the Supplement, which was, of course, not drawn up by the Aca-demy, we meet with fuch as the following words: arrestation, dépopu larife, divorcer, démoraliser, fanatifer, terrorisme, vociferer; guillotine, guillotiner, lanterner, noyades, feptembrisades, septembriser, Sc. HOLLAND. 1bid. ART. 54. Callimachi Elegiarum Fragmenta, cum Elegia Catulli Callimachea, collecta atque illuftrata a Ludovico Cafparo Valckenaer. Edidit, praefatione atque indicibus inftruxit Johannes Luzac. Leiden, 1799; xliv and 320 pp. in l. 8vo. We perfectly agree with the learned editor, who fn his Exercitatt. Academ, p.132, pronounces this to be confummatiffimum Valckenarii opus; and with Valckenaer himfelf, who fays, p. 20, jam juvenis atque vir in lingue Grace formofo corpore minutiffima ligamenta, fibrillas ipfas, attentus fpectavi. To the Elegy of Catullus, which occupies a confiderable part of the volume, p. 33-202, the following feparate title is prefixed: Integra Callimachi Elegia, qua loqui fingitur Bepeviens 1126napos, Coma Berenices; Catulli verbis numerifque reddita. Graca quæ hucufque detegi potuerunt, Elegie Callimachi fragmenta Catulli Latinis funt interjetla. Thefe fragments, which are much more numerous than than would have been expected, are corrected and illuftrated with great learning and ingenuity. The prefatory Dedication of the editor to Bav. Voorda, contains fome valuable observations on the analogy of the Greek language, 1 GERMANY. ART. 55. Propylaen, eine periodische Schrift, heraufgegeben von Göthe. The Propylaa, a periodical work, published by Goethe; Vol. I, Part I, xlvi and 127 pp.; Part II, 176 pp. in 8vo. Tubingen, 1798-9 "The young man attracted by nature and by, art," fays Mr. Goethe, in the Introduction prefixed to the first Part," fancies that he. fhall foon, by means of extraordinary efforts, penetrate into the fanctuary; whereas the man of more advanced age, and suitable proficiency, finds that he is still only in the vestibule. "Such are the confiderations which have occafioned the title of this collection. The place to which we fhall condu& our friends will only be the door, the entry, the vestibule, the space between the interior and exterior part, between the fanctuary and that part which is open to the profane. "By the name of Propylaa we wish to remind our readers of those edifices which led to the citadel of Athens, to the temple of Minerva. We do not, however, defire it to be thought that we should have the prefumption to undertake to construct fuch an edifice.....We intend only that under the name of the place fhould be comprehended what might have paffed there, and difcuffions which may not be reckoned anworthy of it." It is thus that Mr. G. explains himself in regard to the title which he has given to this periodical work; which, according to what he fays afterwards, is defigned to prefent obfervations on nature and art, by fome friends who have joined in this undertaking. He fhows that one of the principal rocks which artists ought to be careful to avoid, is the habit of confidering objects under one point of view only; and developes the advantages which may refult in these matters from the communications of different friends. He fpeaks of the attainments neceffary to the artist, and points out the effect which may be produced by a refidence in Italy, where he will have fo many opportunities of ftudying the most celebrated monuments of antiquity. Mr. G. adds, they very often call the ancients their mafters, though they are not guided by their maxims; he speaks of thofe which the artift ought to draw for himself, from the obfervation of the monuments of antiquity; of the attention with which he ought to ftudy them; of the difficulty found in treating of them, and of the only useful way of writing concerning these monuments, for the ufe of thofe who do not enjoy the advantage of having them before their eyes; laftly, he gives his opinion on what ought to be expected from an history of art. After this interefting Introduction, Mr. G. prefents his readers with an article on the Lancoon; to which another, at the end of the fecond Number, on the reftorations of this group, may be regarded as a fup. plement. plement. In the firft Number, we have likewife a good engraving of it. Another article treats of the fubjects of the arts of defign, first of those which may be reckoned far rable; and, afterwards, in the fe cond Number, of the indifferent and unfavorable. In the first Number, we have likewise two interefting letters on Etru fean monuments; one on the remains of the plastic art, the other on the remains of Architecture among this people; they are described by the author. He fhows the difference between the Etrufcan and the ancient Greek monuments, with the affinity between the works of these two people; an affinity which foon ceased, because the taste of the Greeks was improved, whilft that of the Etrufcans ftill preserved the fame gloomy and heavy character. This firft Number is terminated with an excellent article on Raphael and his works, particularly those which are in the Vatican. Having treated of his different works, he speaks of the invention, the difpofition, the expreffion, the defign, the colouring, the effect of the males, of the light, the draperies, and of the parts of a particular beauty which the young artist ought to study; lastly, of the engravings, after the works of Raphael. Befides the articles which only form the continuation of the pieces inferted in the firft Number, the fecond contains alfo two others: the firft is a tranflation of the firit chapter of Diderot's Efay on Painting, in the Notes on which, Mr. G. difcuffes very ably the opinions of Di derot, which often differs from his own. The fecond treats of the art of engraving in wood, and was occafioned by the works of two Englifhmen in this way, Berwick and Anderson, which are allowed to have great merit. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. All friends to Biblical Literature should be informed, clearly and explicitly, concerning the ftate of that most important work, the Collation of the Septuagint Verfion, by DR. HOLMES. The former fubfcription was intended to enable the learned author to complete the Collation, which is now done. It is at prefent required to fupply the means for printing the Colla tions, in the manner which the Public has feen exemplified in the Book of Genefis; (fee Brit. Crit. vol. xiv. p. 217) and fuch meafures are taken as will enfure the completion of the work under all contingencies. We cannot conceive that any remiffness will be found among the dignified and opulent Clergy, and other friends to Religion, in fupplying the means for effectuating fo very ufeful and neceffary a defign. The carefully corrected edition of Homer, projected and fuperintended by the noble family of Grenville, is very nearly completed. Mr. Sotheby has a Tranflation of the Georgics in Mr. Wright's prefs; and the fame writer will, in a few days, publifh a Tragedy, to which he has given the name of Cuzco. A fecond volume of the admirable poetical version of the Fabliaux, from the papers of the late Mr. Way, will foon appear. The work will be edited by George Ellis, Efq. M. P. to whom the former volume was indebted for much valuable affift ance. The lamented author, was his intimate friend. Major Beatfon's account of the laft Campaign in India, containing much curious information on the fubject of the late Tippo Saib, is nearly finished. Count Devaux is printing an English tranflation of his Hif tory of the Mauritius, with elegant plates. The Board of Agriculture has in confiderable forwardness, a fecond volume of Communications. Sir Jofeph Banks, it is faid, will foon oblige his friends with a fupplementary volume to his valuable Catalogue. A very curious volume, on the Feet of Horfes, may shortly be expected from Mr. Morecraft. A fifth volume of the Plutarch, by Wyttenbach, is nearly finished at the Clarendon prefs; whence the Fafti of Sigonius are alfo expected. Dr. White, we are informed, meditates the completion of Pocock and the Philoxenian Teftament. A new edition of Wells's Geography is nearly prepared for publication. Mr. Dallaway has completed for publication, "Anecdotes of the Arts in England, or Comparative Obfervations on the Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting, illustrated chiefly by fpecimens at Oxford." A New Farmer's Calendar, defcribing practically the busi nefs of every month, is in its progrefs through the prefs.. CORRESPONDENCE. To Candidus we fhall only fay, in answer to the last sentence of his letter," very likely not.' |