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[In our next Namber we propofeto commcace an extenfive feries of interefting articles, under the bead 
of WALPOLIANA, being a colleftion of original Bon-mots, Anecdotes, Gc. by Horace Wal-. 
pole, late Earl of Orford; taken from bis MSS. notes, and from numerous converfations 5 with 
Extracs from many of his unpublifhed Letters. 
This valuable article will be furnifped by a literary 
Gentleman, who was honoured with the Earl intimate acquaintance for fifteen years, from 1782 
to bis death. | 
GOLDONI, THE MODERN ITALIAN 
DRAMATIST. 
(Communicated by Mr. Damiani.). 
HARLES Goldoni was born at Ve- 
nice, in the year 1707. He gave 
early indications of his humeurous cha- 
racter, as well as his invincible propenfity 
tothofe fiudies, which have rendered his 
name immortal. His father, perceiving 
that the darlmg amufement of his fon 
was dramatic performances, had a {mall 
theatre ereCted in his own houfe, in which 
Goldoni, while yet an infant, amufed 
himéfelf, with three or four ef his com- 
panions, by acting comedies. Before he 
was fent to fchool, his. genius prompted 
him to become an author. In the feventh 
and eighth years of his age, ere he had 
{carcely learned to read correctly, all his 
time was devoted to the perufing comic 
writers, among whom was Cicoguini, a 
Florentine, little known in the dramatic 
commonwealth. After having well ftu- 
died thefe, he ventured to {ketch out the 
plan of a comedy, which needed more 
than one eye-witnels of the greateft pro- 
bity, to verify its being the production 
or a child. : 
After having finifhed his grammatical 
fiudies at Venice, and his rhetorical 
fiudies atthe fefuit’s College in Perugia, 
he was fent to a boarding-fchool at Ri- 
mini, to ftudy philofophy. ‘The impulfe 
of nature, however, fuperfeded with him 
the fludy of Ariftotle’s works, fo much 
in yogue inthofe times. He frequented 
_ the theatres with uncommon curiolity 3 
and pafling ‘gradually from the pit to the 
flage, entered into a familiar acquaint- 
ance with the a€tors. When the feafon 
_ of comic performances was over, and the 
axtors were to remove to Chiozza, young’ 
Goldoni made his efcape in their com- 
pany. This was-the firft fault he com- 
mitted, which, according to his own con- 
feflion, drew a great many others after it. 
His father had intended him to’bea phy- 
fician, like himfelf: the young man, 
however, -was wholly averfe tothe ftudy.: 
. Be propofed afterwards te make him an 
25 
‘advocate, and fent him to be a_practi- 
tioner in Modena. An horrid ceremony, 
of ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, at which he 
was prefent, inipired him with a melan-. 
choly turn, and he determined to become 
a Capuchin. His father, perceiving the 
whimiical inconftant humour of his fon, 
feigned to fecond this propofal, and pro- 
miled to go and prefent him to the 
guardian of the Capuchins in Venice, in 
the hope that after fome ftay in that ex- 
tenfive and merry city, his melancholy 
fit would ceafe. ‘The fcheme fucceeded ;: 
for the young man, indulging in all the 
fafhionable diflipation of the place, was 
cured of his foolith refolution. __It was 
however neceflary for him to be fettled 
.in fome employment, and he was prevailed 
upon by his mother, after the death of his 
father, to exercifé the profeflion ofa law- 
yer in Venice. By a fudden reverfe of 
fortune he was compelled to quit at once 
both the bar and Venice. He then went 
to Milan, where he was employed by the 
refident of Venice in the capacity of de- 
cretary, where becoming acquainted 
with the manager of the theatre, he 
_ wrote a farce, entitled, IZ Goudoliere Ve- 
nexion?, the Venetian Gondolier; which 
was the firft comic produétion of his. that 
was performed and printed, Some time . 
after, Goldoni broke with the Venetian 
refident, and removed to Verona. ‘There 
was in this place, at that time, the com- 
pany of comedians of the theatre of St. 
Samuel of Venice, and among them the 
famous a€tor Cofali, an old acquaintance 
of Goldonit, who introduced him to the 
manager. He began therefore to work . 
for the theatre, and became infenfibly . 
united to the company, for which he 
-compofed feveral pieces. Having remov- . 
ed along with them to Genoa, he was for 
the firft time feized with an ardent paf- 
fion for a lady, who foon afterwards be- . 
‘came his wife. He returned. with. the 
company to Venice, where he difplayed, 
‘for the fir time, the powers of his ge-. . 
nius, and executed his plan of reforming 
the Italian fage. He wrote the Momolo, 
Courtifen, the Squanderer,. and other pie- 
‘ 1H) } CCS 
