BAR 



BAR 



two latires, written in verie againfl Racine, he was unfuc- 

 cefbful. Befidcs his " faftums " for Le Brun, he publidied 

 fome others. Nouv. Ditl. Hillor, 



Barbier, Mary Anne, was a native of Orleans, and 

 ranked among the dramatic writers of France. Her trage- 

 dies, and a comedy in verfe, were reprefented at Paris, and 

 printed in one volume, i2mo. The fubjcfts are well cliofen, 

 but the charafters, and thofe of the men efpecially, arc 

 without force, and the ilyle is diffufe and profaic. Mad. 

 Barbier was intimate with the abbe Pellegrini, who is faid 

 to have bellowed, at leaft, correflion on her works. She 

 died in an advanced age at Paris, about the year 1745. 

 Nonv. Diet. Hillor. 



Barbier, Myinfs, firft appeared as a new Englifh finger, 

 on the revival of the opera of ^ImahiJe in 171 1, while 

 queftions were alked in Italian, and anfwered in Engliftl, 

 and e contra. Her timidity on firft appearing on the llage, 

 gave birth to an admirable Speftator (No. 131), in which 

 Mr. Addifon apologifes for, and commends, diffidence and 

 modefty with a fympathetic zeal and fenfibihty. It is well 

 known, that this excellent writer, with all his learning and 

 abilities, was never able to perform his part in public as a 

 fpeaker, when he was fecretary of flate and in parliament, 

 long after this paper was written ; and here, by a kind of 

 precognition, he extenuates his fault before it was committed. 

 With refpeft to Mrs. Barbier's diftrefs on her firft facing an 

 audience on the ftage, Mr. Addifon has put it in the moft 

 amiable light poffible : " this fudden defertion of onefelf," 

 fays he, " fhews a dif&dence, which is not difpleafing ; it 

 implies at the fame time the greateft refpett to an audience 

 that can be : it is a fort of mute eloquence, which pleads 

 for their favour much better than words can do ; and we 

 find their generofity naturally moved to fupport thofe who 

 are in fo much perplexity to entertain them. I was ex- 

 tremely pleafcd," continues he, " with a late inftance of 

 this kind at the opera of Almahide, in the encouragement 

 given to a young finger, whofc more than ordinary concern 

 on her firft appearance, recommended her no lefa than her 

 agreeable voice and juft performance." This lady was a 

 native of England, who continued to Cng at tlic opera fe- 

 veral years, and afterwards was a favourite concert and play- 

 houfc finger, till the year 1729. 



In the year 1717, it feems as if (he had a little vanquilhed 

 her bafhfulnefs in private, however it may have incommoded 

 herin public ; for (he had muttered courage fufficient to elope 

 from her father's houfe with a perfon that was fufpcBed to 

 be of a different fex. During her abfence, Mr. Hughes 

 wrote the following pleafant verfes : 



" O yes ! — hear all ye beaux and wits, 



Muficians, poets, 'fquires, and cits ! 



All, who in town or country dwell, 



Say, can you tale or tidings tell 



Of Tortorella's hafty flight ? 



Vv^hy in new groves (lie takes delight ; 



And if in concert, or alone. 



The cooing murmurer makes her moan ? 

 Now learn the marks by which you may 



Trace out and ftop the lovely ftray. 

 Some wit, more folly, and no care, 



Tiioughtlefs her condudt, free her air } 



Gay, fcornful, fober, indifcreet, 



Ib whom all contradictions meet, 



Civil, affronting, peevifh, eafy, 



Form'd both to charm you and difpleafe you ; 



Much want of judgment, none of pride, 



Modifh her drefs, htr hoop full wide ; 



Brown U<in, her eyes of fable hue. 



Angel when pleafed, when vexed a fhrew. 



Genteel her motion when (he walks, 



Sweetly (he fings, and loudly talks ; 



Knows all the world, and its affairs. 



Who goes to court, to plays, to prayers, 



Who keeps, who marries, fails, or thrives, 



Lead lioneft or diflwneil lives ; 



What money match'd each youth or maid, 



And who was at each mafquerade ; 



Of all fine tilings in this fine town, 



She's only to herfelf unknown. 



By this defeription, if you meet her, 



With lowly bows and homage greet her|[ 



And if you bring the vagrant beauty 



Back to her mother and her duty, 



Aflv for reward a lover's blifs. 



And, if (he'll let you, take a kifs ; 



Or more, if more you wi(h and may 



Try if at chinch tlie words fiie'U fay. 



Then make her, if you can — obey. 

 BARBIERI, Giovanni Francesco, called Guercmo 

 Da Ctnto, an eminent hiftorical painter, was born at Cento, 

 a village near Bologna, in 1590; and was at firft the dif- 

 ciple of Benedetto Gennari, but afterwards ftudied for fome 

 time in the fchool of the Caracci. He preferred the ftyle 

 of Caravaggio to that of Guido or Albano, and conceived 

 it impofllble to imitate nature truly, without the afliilance 

 of ilrong lights and (liadows ; and on this principle, his 

 light was admitted into his painting room fron^ above. By 

 this oppofition of his ftrong hghts and (hadows he unquef- 

 tionably gave fuch force to his pidtures, that few, thofe of 

 Caravaggio excepted, equal them in their effeft. His prin- 

 cipal attention was employed in acquiring perfeftion of co- 

 louring, from a perfuafion that few perfons are qualified to 

 difcern the elevation of thought which conftitutes the ex- 

 cellence of a compofition, or are perhaps capable of examin- 

 ing even the correcfnefs of any part of a painting ; whereas 

 every eye, and even every imperfeft judge of a pifture, may 

 be fenfibly affefled by the form and beauty of the colouring. 

 His tafte of defign was natural, eafy, and often grand, but 

 without any extraordinary (hare of elevation, correftnefs, or 

 elegance. The airs of his heads are often deftitute of dig- 

 nity, and his local colours of truth : neverthelefs his colours 

 poffefs great union and harmony, although his carnations 

 are not very frefti ; and in all his works there is a powerful 

 and exprcflive imitation of life, which will for ever render 

 them eftimable. Towards the dechne of life, obferving 

 that the clearer and brighter ftyle of Guido and Albano 

 had attrafted the admiration of all Europe, he altered his 

 manner even agaiuft his judgement. But he apologized for 

 this conduft by declaring that he had formerly painted for 

 fame, and with a view of pleafing the judicious ; but he 

 now painted to pleafe the ignorant, and to enrich himfelf. 

 The moft capital performance of Guercino is the hiftory 

 of St. Petronilla, which is confidtred as one of the orna- 

 ments of St. Peter at Rone. He died in 1666. Pilk- 

 ington. 



Barbieri, Paulo Antonio, Da Cento, the father of the 

 preceding artift, vi-as bora at Cento in 1596, and feleftcd 

 tor his fubjctts fruits, flowers, infefts, and animals, which 

 he painted after nature with a lively tint of colours, with 

 great tendernefs of pencil, and a ftrong charadter of truth 

 and fife. Pilkington. 



BARBILLON, in Ichthyology, a name given by Brouf- 

 fonet, (Aft. Parif.) to the Squalus cirratus of 

 Gmehn. 



BARBING is fometimes ufed in Ancient Statutes for 

 (hearing. Cloth is not to be exported till it be barbed, 

 rowed, and (horn. 3 Hen. VII. c. 11. 



EAR. 



