Retrofpe& of French Literature.—Poetry. 
his patron on the throne, and afferting 
the independence of his country : but the 
court of Madrid having heard of the plor, 
the Admiral Don Lopez receives orders 
to feize the duke, and convey him to 
Spain. ; 
Pinto, however, contrives to have the 
admiral himfelf arrefted, in the place of 
Braganza, who, affembling the confpira- 
tors at midnight, overcomes the partifans 
_of the vice-queen, feizes on the citadel, . 
and obtains poffiffion of Lifbon. 
POETRY. 
‘« Stratonice et fon Peintre, &c.” Stra- 
tonice and her Painter; Phryne before 
the Areopagus ; Pradon at the Comedy, 
or the Hiffes; and Bonaparte in Italy. 
Paris. 
This litthe colleétion of tales, &c. in 
verife, is written by M. DEGUERLE, who 
has exhibited more talent than delicacy. 
‘The praifes of Bonaparte are, however, 
fung by a mufe that feems to have rifen 
with the fubje&t, while treating of a vic- 
torious general who had, at that period, 
fubdued all Italy, either by the arts of 
the negociator, or the arms of a con- 
queror. It ought to be remarked once 
more, that feveral of the verfes will not 
fiand the teft of rigid criticifm, on ac- 
count of their deficiency in the effential 
article of modefty. 
“ Les Fleurs de Parnaffe, &c.’? The 
Flowers of Parnafias, containing a Va- 
stety of Poems, Odes, Tales, &c. 
This is a colleétion of fuyitive pieces, 
which have already appeared in France, 
fuch as * Reméde d'Amour ;”” ** L’Ori- 
ginerdes Oneanxs Le Temple de 
Pareffe ;” “Les Amours de Leandre et 
Hiero,” &c. 
‘© 1’Homme des Champs, &c.” The 
Man of Nature, or the French Geor- 
gics, by Jacques DELILLE, 1 vol. in 
78mo. with plates. Alfo in 12mo. 8vo. 
and gto. Bafle and Hamburgh. A new 
edition. 
This interefting work, the produétion 
of the celebrated Abbé Delille, after hav- 
ing been impatiently expeéted during 
two years, hath at length made its ap- 
pearance ; and a fecond edition is already 
called for, in a volume of four different 
fizes. 
““Thefe new Georgics,”’ fays the au- 
thor in his preface, ‘are totally diffi- 
milar to the other French poems that 
have hitherto appeared under the fame 
or fimilar titles, more particularly the 
*’ Seafons” of the Cardinal de Bernis, 
639 
the term being here emnployed ia a more 
extenfive degree than ufual. 
‘© This poem is divided into four can- 
tos, which although all conneéted with 
the enjoyments of the country, have each 
a particular object in view. Inthe firft, 
it is the fage, who poffeffing a more re- 
fined fenfibility, and a more {kilful eye 
than the vulgar, contemplates the rich 
decorations of the fylvan fcenes, and 
multiplies his enjoyments, by multiply - 
ing his fenfations ; who knowing how to 
render himfelf happy in his country re- 
fidence, Jabours alfo to fpread happinefs 
around him—happinefs the more delight. 
ful, as it is the more general. The ex- 
ample of beneficence is prefented by Na- 
ture herfelf, which appears to exhibit an 
eternal fucceflion of benevolence. In his 
fublime endeavours, he affociates all the 
conftitured authorities of the neighbour- 
ing village, and by means of this con- 
courfe of humanity, enfures the happi- 
nefs and the virtue of infancy and old 
age, 
“© The fecond canto paints the ofeful 
pleafures of the cultivator. But this is 
not the ordinary farmer, who reaps the 
productions of nature, obeys the impulfe 
of obfolete rules, and follows the ancient 
practices of his forefathers. No; it is 
the enlizhtened agriculturift, who is nor 
content with turniny the benefirs of hea- 
ven to his own advantage ; it is one who 
triumphs over obftacles, renders home and 
foreign productions more perfect, im- 
proves the varicus breeds of animals, 
forces the rocks to give way to the vine, 
the torrents to manufacture filk and ren- 
der meials malleable. He knows how to 
create, or to correct the fuil, dig canals 
for the purpofes of agriculture and com- 
merce, fertilize the moft arid {pots by 
means of the ftream, and either repre{s 
or take advantage of the inundations of 
rivers. In fhort, fuch a perfon appears 
In the country, fometimes like a deity 
who fcatters his bleffings, and fomertimes 
hke a fairy, prodioal of enchannnents. 
‘<The tiird canto is confecrated tothe 
philofopher, who, furrounded by the pro- 
digies of nature, endeavours to become 
acquainted with them, and thus takes a 
grearer intereft in every thing chac he 
obferves in the courfe of his walks, en- 
joys more charms in his dwelling, and 
more benefit from his leifure. Such a 
man forms to himfelf a cabinet of natu- 
ral hiftory, adorned, not with foreign ra- 
rities, but with thofe that furround him, 
and which being produced in luis native 
AN 2 
foil, 
