66 
has publifhed ‘a tragedy, entitled Zelinda, 
thought to be the moft perfect dramatic 
poem which has appeared in Italy in this 
century. ; 
Count Pepont, a Bolonefe fenator, 
has alfo written a number of tragedies, 
which are in little repute from their bad 
verfification. 
An attentive obferverof the viciffitudes 
of literature in Italy, will mot fail to 
have remarked that fome of the petty 
‘ftates in that extenfive country have 
rifen of late to a high degree of cele- 
brity, while others, which flourifhed ex- 
ceedingly in centuries paft, have expe- 
rienced a confiderable decay. Ever fince 
the revival of the arts and fciences in 
Europe, Tufcany had been the Attica of 
Italy, and it has been computed that the 
number of writers who have arifen in 
that little duchy, is equal to that 
of all the other Italian writers put toge- 
ther. Next to Tuicany. the Venetian 
‘dominions were the fear of literature and 
the arts; Rome appeared with {ittle 
éclat; the kingdom of Naples was only 
famous for forenfic eloquence; and 
Lembardy was funk into the -deepeft 
ignorance, or smcuriu. About half a cen- 
tury ago, fome, political changes in the 
re{fpective governments produced confi- 
derable alteration in the minds of the 
inhabitants, ‘Tufcany, after the extinc- 
tion of the illuftrious Houfe of Medicis, 
has not experienced, in the fucceeding 
dynafty, the iiberal patronage and ardent 
Jove of letters. 
tion. of Venice is of itfelf an invincible 
obftacle to the progrefs of that branch 
of philofophy which conftitute$ the prin- 
cipal glory of this age:—con the othe 
hand, the city of Naples, become once 
again the feat of a powerful: monarchy, 
has made fuch bold advances in literary 
and philofophical improvement, as’ it 
could never have poffibly made under the 
fervile government of the Spaniards. 
Lombardy has experienced a fimilar 
change, and to fo vreat a degree, that 
Milan may be now faid to enjoy as great 
literary honours as Paris and London. 
Accordingly, we meet with but a fcanty 
number of writers all over the little ftates 
of Iraly, a confiderable number in 
Naples, and a luxuriant abundance in 
Milan: each of thefe ftates, however, 
has, in its mode of cultivating the arts 
and {ciences, a charaéter peculiar to itfelf. 
Mr. Afro; a Parmefan, has lately 
publifhed feveral tracts relative to the 
hiffory and antiquities of his country ; 
Italian Literature. 
The political ‘conftitu- - 
f Aug. 
fuch as The Mint and Coins ef Parma— 
Memowrs of the Parmejan wiriters—An Effay 
o2 the Parmefan Typography, and The Lives 
of Cervdinal Pallavicing and Taddeo Ugaleto ; 
all thefe works illuftrate, more or lefs, 
the general hiftory of Italy, and all of 
them have been printed by the famous 
Bodoni. 
Mr. ANpDREs, an Ex-jefuit. has pub-— 
lifhed a valuable treatife on The Orzgin, 
Progrefs, and Prefent State of every Branch 
of Literature; printed by Bodoni. ‘The 
fcheme is bold, but not completely exe- 
cuted. Mr. ANDREs poffeffes, however, 
the uiiexceptional merit of writing Ita- 
lian in perfeétion. 
Mr. ARTEAGA is the author of an 
admired piece, The Rewolutions of the 
Mufical Theatre in lialy. It is elegantly 
written, and was printed firft at Bologna, 
in 1783, in 4 vols. 8vo. . 
The ftates of the Pope, Iam concerned 
to fay, are the moft ignorant of any in 
Italy ; and, what will be thought a very 
fingular phenomenon, the country towns 
are more enlightened than Rome. An 
Hiftorical B biography of the Pope’s ftates 
was printed in Rome, in 4792. Mr, 
Mrirzia, a great amateur in the fine 
arts, publithed, in 1782, Memos of an- 
cient and niodern Architeés: a fimilar work 
appeared in «78s, in 4 vols. gto. intitled, 
Memoirs for tbe fine Arts. Cardinal Bor- 
GiA, however, is confidered as one of the 
moit learned men in Europe. His prin- 
cipal work, relative to rhe Supreme Dowt- 
nion of the Holy See over the Kingdom of 
Naples, was publifhed in 1788. It was 
juftly obferved, at that time, that he was 
ike beft advocate in the «worft- caufe.. 
The Aznali Bologuefe of SaviOLt is 
only a compilation. 
The Piedmontefe nation may boaft of 
two great men, both of them expatriated ; 
the famous L.A GRANGE, now in Paris, 
fuppofed to be the g:eateft mathemati- 
cian in Hurope, and Denrtna, who lives 
in Berlin. This: lat publithed, before 
he left Italy, The dLeterary and Poliiieal 
Hijiory of Greece, The Revolutions of Lialy, 
and many cther valuable productions, 
He afterwards wrote The-Viciffitudes of 
Literature, and the Pruffe Liréruire. 
Nothing betrer proves the decay of 
literature in Tufcany, than the Col/edion 
of Writings for Royal Furifarétion, publithed 
in Florence in 1770, in 38 vels.; in an 
enlightened age, it was ridiculous to in- 
veitigate the abfurd pretenfions of the 
court of Rome. Mr. Lanz. has pub- 
lithed two tracts; Eyfays ou ithe Ancient 
Languages 
