41% 
drums, faftened to a flick, which they beat 
with an inftrument made of iron-wire, 
“ having a wooden: handle at the lower end, 
and af the upper a leather knob. The 
remaining two of the officiating priefts, at 
the fame time, with various ridiculous 
grimaces, clapped their hands, and, in 
conjunétion with the two kettle-drummers, - 
ehaunted with great veciferation. ~The 
penetrating {queaking noife of the two 
imal! pipes, the loud droning of the horns, 
the inceflant drumming and -clapping of 
hands, and the harfh voices of the pricfts,’ 
formed a moft abominable concert, fuch 
as might be expefted from a band of Fu- 
ries; and we were heartily ¢lad when it 
was finifhed.. They then murmured forth 
a few prayers in unifon, with which the 
fervice concluded ; when we again returned* 
to the tent of the Prince. Here a large, not 
very clean, veffel full of Calmuc tea 
awaited us. They prepare their tea with 
milk, butter; and falt, and it looked like 
muilk-coffee. Some of this liquor was 
» 
— 
Memoirs of Galiani. 
[ Dec. t, 
offered to us in a large wooden-bowl ; 
but we declined partaking of it, alleging 
as an excufe, that we were not accuftomed 
to drink hot liquors at that time of the 
day. . a . 
The priefts then mixed in the conyer- 
fation, reprefenting to us the flate of the 
horde, and complaining of the encroach- 
ments of the new Ruffian colonies, which 
were fo numerous, that the neighbouring © 
Calmucs began to be in want of pafiuie 
for their flocks and herds. 
It being now time for us to returp 
home, we took leave of the Prince’s fa- 
mily. His mother recommended her 
children to M. Pallas, adding, that fhe 
herfelf was too far advanced in years to 
be able to enjoy the benefit of his protec- 
tion. ‘The Prince and his {uite. accompa- 
nied us a part of the way, and we arrived 
in fafety at Sarepta, without repenting that 
we had made this excurfion to vifit the 
chief of a nomadical horde of Calmucs. 
x 
“MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
MEMOIRS OF GALIANI, 
WERDINAND GALIANI was born 
in Naples about the year 1720. He 
was defcended of a noble family, his father 
being a Marquis, and his uncle a. benedic- 
tine monk, and afterwards promoted to 
the dignities of Archbifiop and Great 
Aimoner to the King. The Archbifhop 
was a man of fuperior talents, celebrated 
for his prudent condué (being that of a 
nice neutrality) during the memorable 
firugeles between Sacerdotium and Impe- 
rium, and entitled to unfading honours in 
the Hiftory of the two Sicilies, for having 
been the chief author and promoter of the 
farnous concordate of 1741, which happily 
terminated the juriidiftiona] difputes be- 
tween the court of Naples and the Holy 
ee. ‘ 
To the high preferments and eare of 
this uncle “Galiaai was indebted for a li- 
beral education, and for the high charac- 
ter he afterwards attained in Italian lire- 
rature. By an ancient law of the king- 
com of Naples, the Great Almoner ef the 
King, is ip/ofao conktituted fuperintendant 
‘of the univertity, and exercifes a confiderabie 
fhare of authority. and fome jurifdittion over 
its profefiors aid fiudents. It was there- 
fore no wonder that a perfon in fuch a 
fituaticn. fhould be courted by the fir 
literary men-; and ftill lefs fa; that the 
education of the nephews of Monfignor Ga- _ 
~ 
liani fhould be affigned to tutors of emi-. 
nent abilities. 
If the teRtimonies of the inftru@ors of 
young Galiani may be implicitly credited, 
he difplayed very early an extraordinary 
genius in every line of ftudy. According, 
to their reports, at the age of fixteen, he. 
had mafteved the Latin and Greek lan- 
guages, and was equally acquainted with 
claffical literature, the mathematics, phi- 
lofophy, and with the civil and canon law. 
At the age of twenty, about the year 
1740, he made his entrance on the ftage of 
literature, by publifhing a ludicrous work, 
which evinced the turn of his genius for 
wit and humour. It was a prevailing 
cuffom at that time in Naples (as well as 
in-other Cities of Italy), on the deceafe of 
any great or eminent perfon, to make a 
large collection of fongs,.fonnets, epi- 
grams, elegies, and infcriptions, in praife 
of the real or reputed talents and virtues of — | 
the deceafed. ‘This nonfenfe had grown 
fo much into fafhion, that Counfellor di 
canero, and Canon Mazzechi, the former 
one of the mof illuftrious civilians, the — 
latter deemed the grezteft antiquarian of 
the age, both a!lowed to be men of polite 
and elegant talte as Latin writers, and 
perhaps 
a” 
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