4 
658 Retrofpelt of French Literaturee—Novels and Romances. 
Orientalifts, confiders the fables of Locke: 
man, as the models imitated by all fubfe- 
uent fabulifts, without excepting even 
fEfop himfelf. It ought not to be omit- 
ted, that the prefent volume contains the 
charming apologue of the drop of rain 
change inthe pearl, which has been more 
than once imitated in cur own language.- 
~ " NOVELS AND ROMANCES. 
¢ L’ftalienne; ou, Amour et Perfé 
vérance.” The Fair Lalian; or, Love 
and Perfeverance, by F.D. Author of Du- 
nois; or, the Pupil of Love and Mars, 
M. F. D. feizes this occafion to over-~ 
turn an opinion relative to the ladies of 
Italy, but too generally prevalent. He 
accordingly endeavours to prove by means_ 
of an anecdote, which he declares to be 
genuine, that many of the females of that 
country, to an uncommon energy of paf- 
fion, joins a fidelity feldom to be met 
with elfewhere. 
Denneval, a young Frenchman, paffion- 
ately addicted to the fine arts, embarks, 
at Marfeilles, on purpofe to vifit Italy. 
His veifel, although bound for Genoa, 
happens to be carried by a tempelt to 
Naples, and he luckily arrives time enough 
to witnefs an eruption of Vefuvius! This 
fpectacle, at once fublime and terrible, 
naturally induces him to mention. the 
death of the elder Pliny, and we are pre- 
fented with an interefing account of the 
laft {cene in the life of that celebrated na- 
turalift, imitated, rasber than tranflated, 
from the memorable Epiitle of the younger 
Pliny. 
From Naples, Denneval repairs firkt to 
Rome, and then to Florence, and, ming- 
ling a paffionate attachment to painting 
and fculpture with an equally ardent at- 
tachment te intrigue, he at once defcribes. 
the famous monuments of ancient and mo- 
dern art, and enumerates thofe amours, 
in which he, of courfe, was the hero; 
every heart yielding on the firft {ummons 
to the charms of this fortunate and all- 
accomplifhed Frenchman ! 
Immediately on his arrival at Milan, 
a young widow, rich, noble, and beauti- 
ful, becomes deeply enamoured of our 
gay adventurer, and even feizes the firft 
opportunity to declare her paffion. But, 
being now fatiated with his conquefts, 
and defpifing a nation where the women 
appeared to be fo facile, he returns to 
Paris, delivers himfelf over to the noifly 
pleafures of that gay capital, and foon 
fixes his attachment on an actrefs, who 
in return fpends all’his fortune. 
Notwithftanding his repulfive condué 
and fudden departurg from Italy, Oretta, 
feveral of the neighbouring cities. 
the fair Venetian, becomes mote deeply 
enamoured than before. After a fhort des 
lay, fhe fets out in purfuit of the man fie 
adores, and fearches for, him in vain in 
Hav-~ 
ing, at length, heard of his return to Paris, 
fhe purfues him thither, and finds him, 
not only ruined, but in a languifhing 
{tate of health, which rendered it extremely 
probable that he weuld foon be numbered. 
with the dead. While in this condition, 
her ¢are, attention; and patience, fnateh 
him from the tomb, and his heart,at lengthy. 
moved by this fingular inftance of affec= 
tion, actually begins to relent: To conr-: 
plete her triumph, fle not only pays all 
his debts, but demonftrates to him by 
the moft fatisfaftory evidence, that his 
gay comedian had not rermained faithfal :’ 
on this, he determines to confecrate that 
life, which the had thus preferved, to her 
happinefs, and an union founded on love 
and efteem immediately enfues. _ } 
«< L°Homme Errant Fixé parla Raifon, 
&c.” The Wanderer Fired by Reafon, 
by Madame Gascon Durovr, Author 
of the Dangers of Coquetry, &c. z vol&. ~ 
$vo. 
This work, whichenjoys the ineftimable 
advantage of pofleffing a moral balis, has. 
already paffed through two editions, and 
being entirely different from thofe impro- 
per publications, which hart the morals, 
and corrupt the heart, may be either read’ 
or noticed without {cruple. ee 
Celidor, a young many; poffeffing a- 
Jarge fortune, and educated according to 
the ftricteft principles, becomes eager at 
a certain age, to render himfelf better ac~ 
quainted with mankind! Accordingly, 
taking leave of iis confidential friend, Ms 
De Tobers, at Beziers, he promifes to 
make him acquainted with his obferva- 
tions on the manhers, manufa€tures, and 
cuftoms, of the different provinces through 
which he intended to travel. His reflee= 
tions abound with amiable examples of 
philanthrophy, and fome of his letters 
even aftord intelligence, yeriette appear 
among the ftatittical remarks Of the age. 
But unhappily, his philofophical jour- 
ney is interrupted ‘and even marred by™ 
love, and, to crown his misfortunes, the — 
object of his attachment is a married lady, 
the wife of one of his friends! Deeply 
enamoured with Madame d*Albron, he 
repairs to the caftle in which fhe refides, ~ 
and where he himfelf becomes expofed ° 
to all the diftractions arifing from violent 
love on one fide, anda nice fenfe of honour — 
on theother. At length, Celidor triumphs - 
over bis attachment, and he is partly oe 
