530 
tance above our Anguillesi, Bagnoli, 
and Niccolini, to say nothing. of 
Benedetti, and occupying the highest 
stations on the immortal hill,— 
«Tra i fiori assisi allo spirar deli’aure ?” 
Nor should Ibe afraid of meeting you 
on a numerical point, in regard to our 
learned and poetical contemporaries; 
though Tuscany is in proportion only 
of one-twelfth part to the kingdoms 
and dukedoms of Piedmont, Lom- 
bardy, Venice, Parma, Modena, to- 
gether with the three legations, yet it 
would give us singular pleasure if you 
would point out to us, in all these,— 
1st. ‘en writers on matters of science, 
like Paoli. 2d. Ten mathematical, 
philosophical, and legislative geniuses, 
like Fossombroni. 8d. ‘Ten prose 
writers, such as Baldelli, 4th. Ten 
poetesses, like our own Bandettini. 
5th. ‘Pen. poets, -however indifferent 
you may consider them, such as 
Benedetti and Anguillesi. When you 
have done this, and more than this, we 
shall be able to mect on more equal 
terms, and you will have a_ better 
chance of arriving at that terrible de- 
monstration, and fixing upon our lite- 
rary character the ominous word of 
“Pevgio,”'a worse than which we can- 
not hear. 
The champion of Tuscany next pro- 
ceeds to notice a long tirade, contained 
in the “ Biblioteca,” against the acts, 
or, to speak more correctly, the 
omissions, of which the great aca- 
demy, whose constitution appears to 
be in a decline, has of late years been 
guilty. He then taxes the various 
¢riticisms which have appeared in the 
Review with partiality and a most illi- 
beral spirit, which he attempts to show 
by quotations from the work. But 
here, we think, he fails in making out 
a good case against the editor and his 
party ; as we are at a loss to perceive 
any thing, besides the general accusa- 
tion already stated, which discovers a 
prejudiced and malignant tone, as 
asserted by the Tuscan champion, 
throughout a series of these reviews. 
This is clearly made out in the reply of 
the editor, Signor Acerbi, who has 
very fully and satisfactorily proved, 
both by annotations, point by point, 
affixed to the Tuscan’s letter, and ina 
regular answer to the whole, that he 
and his friends have been actuated by 
no personal and illiberal motives in the 
opinions advanced in the review. It 
is, also, sufficiently galling and severe, 
Novelties of Foreign Literature. 
[Jan. 1, 
exposing the weakest points of his 
adversary’s letter, seriatim, inmarginal 
notes, and repeating his blows ina sin- 
gle attack, and in a manner which 
shows, that he has not received the 
name of Acerbi without deserving it. 
There is, no doubt, a little angry feel- 
ing on both sides, arising from the 
state of literary parties, much more 
divided into separate interests in a 
country ‘under different legislative au- 
thorities, like Italy. The fact appears 
to be, that most of the great writers of 
Tuscany had already appeared, before 
those of other parts of Italy came for- 
ward into notice; and, it is not in the 
least extraordinary, that the literary 
superiority characterizing the genius of 
Tuscany, at one period, should be ina 
degree transferred to the other states of 
Italy at another. 
We shall subjoin a few of the ob- 
noxious criticisms which called forth 
the vindicatory letter of ‘‘a Tuscan,” 
in order that our readers may have the 
Opinions of a native critic upon the 
writings of some of the most distin- 
guished characters of the age in which 
we live: and may, at the same time, 
form a judgment, if not of the particular 
merits of each author, of the tone of 
feeling, and the spirit which dictated 
them. : 
Among the productions of the last year, 
(1817) the Satires of the Cavalier d’Flci 
deserve honourable mention, though we 
could have wished to see a little more ease 
and flow of versification. But they are 
animated by a certain sententious and epi- 
grammatical force, which promises to out- 
live many less powerful satirical pieces of 
the day. It would, indeed, be unjust, not 
to bring these satires, containing so many 
beauties, with commendation before the 
public.—(No. XXV. p. 10.) 
Rossini, with singular modesty, observes, 
that no writer can now expect to hand 
down his name to posterity by the mere 
effusion of sounets, capitoli, and canzoni. 
This redounds not a little to the credit of 
Signor Rossini, who has produced two 
small volumes of excellent little poems, 
every way entitled toa lasting reputation. 
—(No. XX XVII. p. 59.) 
Among the Transactions of the Gruscan 
academicians, some doubtless do honour to 
that society of learned men, and Tuscany 
has reason to value them, whether we con- 
sider the purity of their lansuage or the 
elegance of their style The exactness of 
their researches, and the utility of the 
objects they have in view, are equally en- 
titled fo our notice.—(No. XLI. p. 167.) 
Signor Zanvoni has singular merit in the 
mapner in which he has arranged his 
“ Discourse,’ 
so 
