GOL 332, GOL | 
Gold-beat- only the fine exterior membrane_of the gut. After- effusion which babes been prompted to circulate against. Golde 
ing _ wards they are beaten between leaves Of soft paper to some of the inhabitants of the town, who had givenhim Gold 
6 il . absorb the grease, moistened with inftisions of strong offence. After several changes of fortune, he at fength, 
a ony spices; and are lastly dried and ‘pressed flat. Before engaged in practice at the bar of Venice; where he 
being used, they aré rubbed over with a pounce, com-' published an Almanack for the year 1732, and compo-. 
posed of plaster of Paris, which is rubbed strongly with sed 4 lyrical tragedy, entitled Seren which he af-_ 
a hare’s foot,'to prevent the gold from adhering to the terwards suppressed. ae? been obliged to leave 
membrane, which is very thin but tough; and so trans- Venice in aay he removed to Milan, where he be-. 
parent, that small print may be read through it. The came attached’ to the suite of the Veneta resident. 
skins will serve for beating séventy or eighty times; but Here he composed a short comic opera, called The Ve= 
at length the gold will not extend’ well between them. nelian Gondolier, which was peers and afterwards. 
It'is said in the French Encyclopedie, that their virtues printed among his works. He afterwards returned to_ 
may be again restored, by placing them between pa- Venice, where he employed himself in composing | 
pers wetted with vinegar or white winé, beating them pieces for the theatres. His Belisarius, a tragi comed 
for a whole day, drying them, and then rubbing them " was represented, for the first time, on the 24th of Jo-. 
again with the pounce. It is also recommended to vember 1734, and experienced a most brilliant recep- 
dry and press the skins every time before they are used. tion, having been repeated every day until the ath ‘of 
Gilt-leaf. 
“The Dutch manufacture a false gold leaf, which is 
made of brass covered with gold. The brass is reduced 
to a fine thin ribband, ‘by laminating in the same man- 
ner as'we have described for the gold. The ribband is 
then gilded by the wash gilding process, ‘and after. 
wards cut'up into pieces, which are beat out into leaves, 
by the same means that aré used for gold beating ; but 
the extension is not carried so far, because there is less 
inducement to make the leaves thin. 
It is difficult to distinguish this Dutch leaf from true 
gold when new, but it very soon tarnishes and wholly 
loses its colour, which’ renders it unfit for any other 
kinds of gilding than ‘those which are to be varnished 
over." (3. F.) 
GOLD Coast. See Guinea, 
GOLDONI, Cuar.és, an eminent Italian dramatic 
author, was born at Venice in the year 1707. He dis- 
played an éarly disposition for study, and could both 
read and write when only four years old. The peru- 
sal of the comic writers of his country was his favotirite 
occupation.” Of these, his father’s small library afford- 
ed him a considerable fund ; and he made it a practice 
to transcribe those passages which gave him most plea- 
sure. At the age of eight, he ventured to sketch a co- 
medy of his own invention. ~ 
His father having been called to exercise his profes- 
sion of a physician at Perugia, he placed his son at the 
college’ of the Jesuits there, where he studied grammar 
and rhetoric ; and his preceptors weré so highly plea- 
sed with his proficiency, that when he was about to 
leave the college, they offered him a situation in their 
Society, which he, however, thought proper to decline. 
He thence went to Rimini, to pursue his philosophical 
studies at the college of the Dominicans. But the dry 
dogmas of’ the scholastic philosophy had no attractions 
for the lively mind ‘of’ Goldoni, who thought himself 
much more usefully and agreeably employed in peru- 
sing the works of Plautus, Paveniee: ai Aristophanes, 
and in neta tee troop of comedians, who were then 
performing’ at ‘Rimini. At thé énd of their engage- 
ment, the players prevailed upon him to accompany 
them to Chiozza; Where his mother resided.’ His father 
was a good deal irritated at this foolish step, but soon 
became pacified; and intending that his son should 
embrace his own profession, he took him occasionally 
to visit his patients. “The son, however, showed no in- 
clination for the medical profession ; and it was then 
resolved that he should study law. With'this view, he 
was’ placed for some time as a clerk with his uncle, M. ” 
Indric, a respectable practitioner at Venice, and was af- 
terwards removed to the papal college in the uhiversi- 
ty of Pavia ; but inthe third Year of his studies, he was 
expelled froin the ¢ollege, in ‘consequence of a ‘satirical’ 
December. 
“Inthe spring of the following year, he accon 
the comedians to Genoa, where he married a lady ¢ 
that place. From this period, he continued to compos 
dramatic pieces for several of the Italian theatres, In_ 
the year 1742, however, he was induced to settle as an 
advocate at Pisa, and he appears to have practised for 
some time with considerable success ; but the theatre at, 
length seduced him from his legal pursuits, and he again . 
attached himself to a company of comedians. He ac-— 
cordingly returned to Venice, and continued to con 
pose for the theatres of that and other cities of I 
until the year 1761, when he received and accepted 
invitation to Paris. Here he furnished a number r 
pieces for the Italian opera; and even ventured, ; 
though a foreigner, after a nine years residence, to com-_ 
pose comedies in the French language. One of these, _ 
Le Bourru bienfaisant, experienced a very flattering re- 
ception, and was admitted among the number of stock - 
plays. He also attended some of the French princesses _ 
in the capacity of Italian teacher ; and besides some , 
presents in money, he obtained the grant of a yearly _ 
pension of four thousand livres. At the period of the. 
revolution his prospects darkened; his pension was _ 
withdrawn ; and after passing some years in Boyer 
and distress, he died in the beginning of the year 1793,. 
at the af 86. 
‘In private life, Goldoni appears to have been amiable, 
chearful, easy, and artless. As a comic author, he ranks. 
high among the writers of his age and country. Like_ 
Lope de Vega, he seems to have possessed an almost . 
miraculous fertility of conception, and rapidity of exe-. 
cution, In one theatrical season at Venice, he furnish-. 
ed no less than sixteen new comedies, besides other pie-. ; 
ces. He also composed a great number of operas, both 
serious and comic ; but of these he was. pring H+ 
indeed never thought them worthy of publication. His , 
admirable comic opera, however, entitled La B — 
Figliuola, set to music by Piccini, and first perform ( F 
in London on the 9th of December 1766, established 
the reputation both of the author and composer in this. 
country. sods alas. 
The works of Goldoni are very numerous. The most 
complete edition, it is believed, is that printed at vy 
horn in 1788-91, in 31 volumes 8vo. See Memoires de 
Goldoni, Paris and London, 1814 ; and Monthly Maga- _ 
zine, vol. Vv. (z ' oil 
“GOLDSMITH, O iver, was born in. the Pash 96» 
Forney, and county of Longford, in ireland. He was _ 
the second son of the Rev. Charles Goldsmith, a respec- 
table clergyman of the established church, Tis pe 
education was limited to reading, writing, and arithme 
tic, such as could be acquired from, the sch 
" 
T a 
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