1092 
Jordship’s skill as a tramslator of 
poetry. We cannot quit our task 
without further noticing, that in an 
Appendix his lordship gives the fol- 
lowing account of a memorial to 
the Royal Academy of History, on 
the games, spectacles, and public 
diversions of that country, which, 
‘at. the moment we are writing, 
affords toall Enrope the affecting 
spectacle of a people breaking 
the bonds of slavery, and rising 
against their foreign oppressors, to 
avenge the injured honour of their 
monarchy, and the insulted dignity 
of their nation. At sucha time, 
therefore, even this fragment which 
illustrates the character of their late 
government, deserves the attention 
of all who feel for: the sufferings of 
a people whose honour.is proverbial. 
“© Informe dado ala Real Academia 
de Historia, sobre Juegos, Espec- 
taculos, y Diversiones Publicas. 
‘¢ This treatise is the work of don 
Gaspar Meichor de Jovellanos,, late 
minister: of grace and justice in 
Spain: a man, who, after having 
devoted the labours, and even the 
amusements, of his useful life, to 
the improvement and happiness of 
his fellow countrymen, is now lan- 
guishing in the dungeons of Palma; 
imprisoned without an accusation, 
and condemned without the form of 
a trial. 
‘¢ The paper on the games, exhi- 
bitions, and public diversions of 
Spain, was uadertaken at the re- 
quest of the Royal Academy at Ma- 
drid, and completed in 1790, during 
his retirement at Gijon ; at a time 
when the displeasure of a minister 
did not necessarily imply the ruin, 
persecution and imprisonment of its 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
object. It has never been printed, 
probably owing to the fastidious 
severity with which this excellent 
author has generally viewed his 
own productions. As he is, how. 
ever, the only person who is dissa- 
tisfied with them, copies of the 
treatise in MS. are not difficult to 
be obtained in Madrid. 
‘* After a rapid historical sketch 
of the Roman exhibitions in Spain, 
and a short account of the diver- 
sions introduced by the northern 
barbarians and their descendants, 
he describes the state of the Spanish 
theatre, froin its first regular ap- 
pearance in Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella’s time, to the commencement 
of the present reign. He takes a 
view of the controversies to which 
it has given rise; and though he 
condemns such scandalous abuses 
of theatrical representations as have 
occasionally prevailed in Spain, he 
vindicates the use of that rational 
diversion, from the imputations of 
the clergy, with his usual eloquence 
and success. The latter part of the 
work is devoted to the exposition 
of plans for the revival of ancient 
exercises and diversions, and to the 
suggestion of expedients for refining 
the character of the drama, exalting 
the profession of players, and ani- 
mating the exertions of poets. Here 
it must be acknowledged that he 
allows his zeal for letters, and an 
anxiety to direct them to beneficial 
purposes, to divert him from con- 
clusions to which his own princi- 
ples would more naturally conduct 
him; and he somewhat inconsis- 
tentlwexpects from such regulations, 
more than any interference of go- 
vernments or academies was ever 
yet able to produce. His aversion 
to the bull feasts induces him alse 
to 
