1799:] 
jngenious painter met with no fuccefs. 
It is even faid that he has not been paid 
for the four cielings which he painted for 
the winter palace of the Emperor, a work 
worthy of a reward truly imperial. Ther 
is alfo at prefent another eminent foreign 
artift at Peterfburgh, M. Le Brun, 
firft ftatuary to the late king of Poland, 
whofe works were fo much in eftimation 
at Rome in 1766 and 1767 that his butts 
were put in competition with thofe of 
BERNINI and Le Moine. The Pope 
and feveral of the cardinals had butts 
modelled by Le Brun. But at Peters- 
burg his works attract no notice: he has 
never been uble to procure a fitting of the 
Emprefs ; and it was very lately that he 
was allowed the honour of ftanding be- 
hind the farnous Madame LE BRuUN 
while fhe painted her Majefty. Madame 
Le Brun, for a female artift, is cer- 
tainly not without talents; but fhe has 
little depth ; her pictures will not bear 
State of Public Affairs. 
» 237 
examination, either clofe or at a diftance. © 
The defigns are pititul, their colouring 
like chalk ; and defective as they are, 
they appear {till worfe when placed, ‘as 
we find them, in the colle&tion of the 
_ Grand Duchefs, by the fide of the mafter- 
pieces of Vandyck, Rubens, and Rem- 
‘brandt. The only other artift of emi- 
nence to be mentioned is M. KLAUBER, 
Profeflor in the Academy of Peterfburg, 
&c. one of the firft engravers in Europe. 
He had feveral works of confequence pro- 
pofed to him, which have been prevented 
by the death of the Emprefs. He hag 
_ engraved a portrait of the Emperor after 
a very indifferent French painter; the 
King of Poland after Madame Lz Brun; 
and very lately the Grand Duchefs Eliza- 
beth after the fame, which will be pub- 
lifhed. How can we be furprifed at this 
corrupted tafte in the fine arts in a - 
country where the libraries of moft of the 
nobility are furnifhed by the carpenter ! 

STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 
In March 1799. 
FRANCE. 
HE important event of his Neapolitan 
majefty’s being driven from his ca- 
pital and his throne, was noticed in our 
Jaft ; fince which, fome interefting par- 
ticulars relating thereto have tran{pired. 
The fituation of general Mack in Capua 
becoming defperate, a great multitude of 
peafants and lazaroni aflembled in Na- 
ples, where the French troops were ex- 
pected foon to arrive, and proclaimed 
prince Militorni, who had gained their 
confidence by his vigorous defence of 
Capua, captain-general: he for fome time 
endeavoured to reftrain the unbridled 
violence of this banditti, who, under 
the name of defenders of religion, royalty, 
and order, committed the moft horrid a&ts 
of injuftice and barbarity upon all thofe 
whom tBey fufpected to be friendly to 
the French caufe; but, finding all his 
efforts fruitlefs, humanity didteted to 
him and to fome of his friends, that it 
would be better even to deliver Naples 
into the hands of the difciplined troops 
of the French republic, than fuifer it to 
‘be pillaged by fo ungovernable a rabble. 
In this {tate of things, therefore, he went 
in fecret to Caferta, to concert meafures 
with Championet for faving the city 
from deftrugtion. All the fubiequent 
events were the refult of an agreement 
between them. A great number of the 
lazarori marched in’a body to the very 
walls of Capua, which they attempted 
to take by aflault. The 19th and 2oth 
of January were fpent in fruitlefs efforts 
to this end, in which they were dread- 
fully cut up by cafe-fhot. Hearing, at 
leneth, that a French column was at the 
gates of Naples, they marched rapidly 
back to affilt their comrades, who ob- 
ftinately defended the avenues of the Ne. 
Atter blocking up the ftreets with the 
furniture of the houfes, they divided 
into feveral bodies, the better to repel the 
French, and fought the whole of the 
22d, and part of the 23d, when the re- 
publicans at length forced a paflage. On 
their entrance, the caftles Novo, St. Elmo, 
and Del Uevo, furrendered without re- 
fiftance, but the citadel of the Carme- 
lites, occupied by the lazaroni, ftood a 
fieze of three hours. Meanwhile, the 
Jazareni and the peafants, who retired 
fighting from ftreet to ftreet, were driven 
to the gate, where they rallied for the laft 
time, and were defeated. At nicht, 
general Championet entered the cit 
to the inexpreffible’ joy of the peaceable 
citizens. In confequence of this happy 
deliverance by the French, te deum was 
celebrated with great folemnity. As 
foon as tranquillity was reftored, thofe 
who, whom the French called Neapolitan 
patriots, fo long reftrained, were re-ani- 
mated 
