1805.] State of Literature 
olations of good tafte  obfervable in their 
ftyle:; They are fymbolical. The hero 
Alexander is reprefented riding againt the 
tempeft, which blows back his robe and 
the mane of his fnorting charger. The 
whole group has an air of boldnefs, and 
appears to be pufhing forward witha refo- 
lution becoming a warrior. The figure of 
Alexander is however rather too mean for | 
a heio. The other, who is a-ftatefman, 
rides at a more moderate pace, and ina 
more cautious manner, The forms of 
both the horfes might be better; but 
thereis great fpirit in their movVements.— 
How different is the inrpreflion made by 
the reprefentation of a Cofmo de Medici, 
an Alexander Farnefe in the coat of mail 
of the middle ages, and mounted ona fta‘e- 
ly charger, and by the figure of a naked 
Bonaparte, ftriding forward witha globe 
in one hand, and along ftick in the other, 
as Canova has reprefented him, and for 
which, as may eafily be conjectured, that 
arcit has received unbounded applaufe. 
The nearer the traveller approaches to 
Milan, the more dufty, but likewife the 
more lively, the roads become. Toe foil 
is alfoin a much higher ftate of cultiva- 
tion. To difcover here any traces of the 
war would require a penetrating eye:- that 
ics effects are {till felt both by the inhabi- 
tants of the country and of the city, I was 
informed by feveral: yet the general afflu- 
ence and the native induftry of the people 
announce, that ina few years of peace 
they would ceafe to be felt, if the mother 
republic did not continually fend out new 
leeches. Milan is at prefent, beyond dif- 
pute, the moft chearful and lively town 
in Italy ; and though in the populous city 
of Naples there may be more noifé and 
tumalt, yet in the former there is more 
really ufeful a@ivity and buftle. The 
exceflive luxury which now prevails at 
Milan, indeed fhews that a' {mall number 
are revelling at the expence of the majo- 
rity; You, however, perceive no mife~ 
ry ; and though the neceflaries of life are 
dear, yet there is a great quantity of {pe- 
cie in circulation. Every thing is fo 
Frenchified at Milan, that you. fcarcely 
conceive yourfelf to be in Italy ; and to a 
perfon coming from the fouth of Tialy, 
the Milanefe diaie&t founds like a French 
Patois. 
- In this place you hear a great number 
of the literati {peaking of Kant's philofo- 
phy, but I did fot meet with one who was 
acquainted with it intimately, and through 
the original fource. In general, an inéx- 
—preffible confufion and fermentation at 
preient prevails in the heads of the young 
Montpiy Mac. N». 125. 
’ 
and the Arts in Ltaly. : O5 
hiterati at Milan, Unfortunately it can 
never take a favonrable turn as long as ~ 
they are obliged to borrow the light that 
is to illumine them from their neigh- 
bours on the Seine. The celebrated poet 
Monti, who obtained fuch reputation by 
his Baffevilliade, is legturer of the belles- 
lettres at the academy of Brera. The aca- 
demy of ar’s is under the direction of a 
young artift, of twenty-five, called Bofli, 
who, noiwithfanding his youth, fills that 
poft with ability and dignity. He isan 
artift of extraordinary talent, and an un- 
commonly cultivated mind. By his» 
means many an important improvement 
has already been made in the academy, 
and he hopes to effcét others with the aiz 
fiftance of Me'zi, whofe confidence he 
poffefles. Theclafs of decorators and of 
the artifans in general, who make architec- 
tonic ornaments, enjoys the benefit of the 
inftruétion and models of Albertolli, the 
moft expert artift in that line in all Italy. 
Nothing can be more tafteful, more neat 
and ornamental, than bis drawings and 
Inventions, which are partly known by’ 
three volumes of engrayings of his em- 
bellithmen:s. Appiani is efteemed a ca- 
pital portrait-painter, and indeed the firk 
in Italy, and he deferves that character ; 
but he muft not be compared with the 
ancient great- portrait-painters of Italy 
and oiher countries. Our modern art has 
its peculiar charatter, and a particular 
point from whichit mu be viewed, Ouc 
prefent painters are no more able to riva 
Vitian, Raphael, Durer, and Holbein; 
than our feulptors can vie with thofe of 
ancient times, The ancient works are 
the fixed claffic rule, the ftandard of un- 
attainable excellence, and only to ap- 
proach this perfection is a great commen- 
dation for a modern artitt. A modern 
production of art-poffefes great merit if ic 
but evince fome traces of refemblance to 
the works of antiquity. I {aw fome por- 
traits at Appiani’s, which had much n3- 
ture and gracefulneis in the difpotition.—. 
His colouring is charming, but not true; 
rather delicate than (trong. I was parti- 
cularly pieafed with his treatment of iate- 
rior objects, which apvear to be, butac-. 
tually are not, mnegleéted. . They are 
merely fubordinate to the pfincipal fub- 
ject. This artift has likewife made fome 
attempts in the hiftorical way, but. he 
will f{carcely obtain any great reputation 
in that line. He is not deftitute of inven. 
tive talent, but bis compofition and de- 
fign are deficient jn ttyle, and his figures 
in charagter.. Appiani poffefles a Ma- 
doaaa in excellent preicrvation, fad to be 
i 2 by 
