1S06,] Account of the Trtnch School of Aris at Rome. 



U% 



For the Monthly Magazine. 



ACCOUNT of the FRENCH SCHOOL of tkc 

 ARTS Ut ROME. 



THE Academy of France at Rome, 

 which, uii(icr the uufpices of the 

 French Government, and the indefati- 

 galtlc zeal of its prcfent direWor M. Su- 

 voc, had been re-cli:abliihed in the Corfo 

 Piilace, has iince been transferred to the 

 beautiful palace of Villa Medicis, uhich 

 the French Government obtained from 

 the King of Etruria, and will alVumc the 

 appellation of the Freiich School of Fine 

 Alts at Rome. By his exertions M. Su- 

 vee has prepared convenient accommo- 

 dations for five Undents of architecture, 

 five of painting, «ne of engraving on 

 copper, one of engraving on iione, and 

 efpecially cameos, and one of nnifical 

 compofition. Thefe Undents, after hav- 

 ing gained the principal prizes at Paris, 

 go to Rome to liniih their Itudies, and 

 there find all poflible means of facilitat- 

 ing their progrefs. 



In the old Gallery of the palace, which 

 before contained a beautiful collection, 

 M. Suvee has placed cafts of the fined 

 iiutues, buds, vales, baflb-reUevos, orna- 

 ments, and fragments, the originals of 

 •vhich ia mar!)le are preferved in the 

 iliifio Fiij Ciemciitino, in the Capitoline 

 A.'ufeum, and in diilerent palaces at 

 Rome, at Florence, and in France. This 

 collection is fo numerous and fo well ar- 

 ranged, that it may with truth be affirm- 

 ed to be the richeft and n)oll beautiful in 

 the world. It is worthy of remark, that 

 it lerves alike for the French artifts an-d 

 thole of Home, who eaiily obtain admif- 

 lion to it. To contribute in every point 

 of view to the inllru6tioi) of the pupils, 

 the indefatigable director has placed a 

 felect library in the palace ; and that 

 they may always have before them the 

 bolt antique figures, he has ornamented 

 yvith the moll beautiful Itatues, balVo- 

 relievos, and bulls, not only the Hall and 

 the apartments on tlie grouud-tioor, but 

 likewife the portico or veitibule of the pa- 

 lace, where he has placed bulls of Ila- 

 piiael and I'ouliin ; fo that at every flcp 

 the minds «f the pupils are ftruck with 

 fome monument which furuiflies tlnm 

 willi an opportunity of reflecting on tlie 

 beautiful in the artsof defign. 



M. Sinfc has m^t llievvn lefs anxiety to 

 embellilh the Garden and the alleys. He 

 }ias> couvertod this fpot into a real Lyce- 

 um, in which the young lludenls may en- 

 j.->y iccrcaUon, ajul iclVclli tiicii' ijjiagina- 



tions after their labours. A plantatioa 

 of trees will in a few years render it ono 

 of the moll delightful and frequented, 

 places in Rome. 



His zeal and pains have not bee» 

 thrown away. All Rome had an oppor- 

 tunity of convincing itfelf of the happy 

 progrefs made by the French School ia 

 the tine-arts, by the public exhibition of 

 the productions of the lludents, in archi- 

 tecture, painting, and fculpture, during 

 the lalt months of the year. All the 

 friends of the arts have lamented the 

 premature deceafe of M. Harriet and AL 

 Godard, fome of whole unfiniflied works 

 were in this exhibition. 



S. 



To the Editor of the MontUy Magatine. 



SIR, 



YOUR inufical correfpondents lia*'^ 

 not yet Itumbled upon the truie 

 meaning of the term Polacca, as applied 

 to feverjil of our prcfent popular airs; — 

 the following explanation will, I have aa 

 doubt, let the matter at rell. 



Polacca is the name given to a certaia 

 defcription of row-vcifels* in the Levant; 

 and the pallion of the natives of the de- 

 lightful illands of the Archipelago for 

 mulic is well known. The mariners ac- 

 company their labours with metrical etfu- 

 lious, and the Polacca is fimply the " boat 

 fong." The kinds of melody which the 

 airs known by the name of Polaccas dif- 

 play, is a« additional proof of my opii- 

 nion. The celebrated Sicilian mari- 

 ner's hymn to the Virgin is a true Po- 

 lacca. 



In the Highlands of Scotland, where T 

 have travelled, the Gaelic fongs of the 

 filhenuen are fung to a diliinCt fpecies af 

 melody,; and the exertions of rowing or 

 drawing their nets are alivays accompa- 

 nied with vocal mulic. There is aifo a 

 Gaelic word aiilwering to our Polacca, 

 and alio meaning the " boat fong." F.acli 

 of the boat's crow lings a verle of the 

 ballad alternately, and the whole join in 

 the chorus. 



In Ihort, Polacca is a very appropriate 

 name for that kind of melody bell adapt- 

 ed for performing on the watery clement. 



London, I am. Sir, &c. 



Oct. S, laOC. TURXEBUS. 



* Felucca is alfo ufed to diftinjuilh the 

 vcflel t'tom Polacci, by its ri;;ginj. 



