1823.] [ 
529] 
NOVELTIES OF FOREIGN LITERATURE. 
Ww have been much amused with 
the perusal of aliterary quarrel, 
at least as good as any among Mr. 
D'Israeli’s ; and, in point of keenness 
and acerbity, equalto Lord B.’s and Mr. 
Bowles’s, between two foreign critics, 
regarding the comparative renown of 
the writers of the different states of 
Italy. Itappearsthat the character of 
the more northern literati has, of late, 
been advanced to distinguished emi- 
nence by numerous productions of un- 
common merit, while that of the 
Tuscan writers is accused of having 
proportionaliy deteriorated, in place of 
maintaining the high rank itheld during 
several centuries. ‘This charge is con- 
tained in the “Italian Bibliotéque,” 
on a review of the proceedings of the 
Della Cruscan Academy, in the fol- 
lowing words: —“ For some length of 
time, the best writers, both of prose 
and poetry, are no longer those of Tus- 
cany. The Tuscan people of this day 
speak the best Italian, and the learned 
among them write the worst of any in 
Italy.” In answer to this sweeping 
accusation, a Tuscan writer, dating his 
letter from Empoli, steps forward in 
vindication of the reputation of his con- 
temporaries ; and, in a spirited attack 
upon the editor, remonstrating against 
the injustice of such a dictum, he en- 
deavours to overwhelm his adversary 
with the number and the lustre of the 
living geniuses of Tuscany. It will 
be worth our while to touch upon a few 
passages, if it were merely to give our 
readers an idea of some of the leading 
characters, so distinguished at present 
for their writings in the various branches 
of art and literature. ‘“‘ You take 
care,” observes the anonymous l'uscan, 
“to bring forward Paoli, and Franckini, 
but you seem to have forgotten Fos- 
sombroni, who is no less one of the first 
mathematicians of Italy, because he is 
now become a secretary-of-state, and 
moreover one of the most correct and 
profound writers we have, as his works 
sufliciently declare, and fully deserving 
of the character given of him by his 
illustrious fellow-citizen Pignotti: 
“¢ Vittorio, a cni coll man prodiga diede 
Il cielo d’accoppiar con rara unione, 
E insiem gustar Virgilio ed Archimede.” 
You appear, also, to have held 
Baldelli in great contempt, but this 
will not prevent Italy from justly 
appreciating his “‘ Discourse on Mac- 
Montury MAG. No. 376. 
chiavelli,” his work on Petrarch, and 
on Boccaccio, written with so much 
taste and elegance, and challenging 
the very best productions of your first 
biographers. You cannot be ignorant 
that Tuscany prizes itself in the fame 
of that noble lady, whom both Alfieri 
and Monti allow to have been pos- 
sessed of the power of touching the 
inmost recesses of the soul,— 
“ Ai severi defficili nipoti 
Di Curio e di Camillo.” 
And from whose lips 
‘¢ Piu che mel dolci d’eloquenza i fiami,” 
led Alfieri 
honour 
“ De suoi carmi impensati andarne onnsto.” 
And yet you pass Vittoria Colonna 
without so much as once mentioning 
her. You accuse yourself and your. 
party, by confessing, that you think 
the strictures upon Anguillesi some- 
what too severe: they are not severe; 
they are unfounded and malignant. 
The extreme youth of Benedetti, and 
the genius shining through the most 
hasty of his productions, might have 
called for a little indulgence: but no; 
your Ghirardelli, just deceased, ex- 
hausted all your tenderness, because he 
happened to be a Lombard ; and, now 
we are upon this point, if you will not 
listen to my opinion, hear that of all 
Italy, Since it appears to you that 
the preference given to De Lucca over 
the correctly-beautiful and polished 
Pindmonte, was SO very unreason- 
able, know, that the writer of that 
article will have credit only for critical 
tact and discernment, when the palm 
of learning shall be yielded to the 
Spartans over the Athenians, but not 
before. 
“When you give an account of 
Niccoline’s work—‘ Sulla Lingua,’ 
you call the author a man of powerful 
intellect: but that is notenough. You 
seem, in fact, to wish to include both 
him, and one of our rural poets, 
Bagnoli, whose new poem is about to 
appear (Poemetto Sule Agricultura,) 
under the title of ‘‘ Peggio,” which 
you so liberally bestow on those ob- 
noxious to your literary dictatorship. 
If, however, you willhave the courtesy 
so far to descend as to answer a simple 
question ; can you tell me, whether you 
possess in Lombardy poets by the 
dozen, raised {0 an immeasurable dis- 
ant) 6 tance 
himself to wish for the 
