1510.) 
A Frenchman and an Italian had in. 
troduced into England, about the middle 
of the eighteenth century, the art of 
copper- plate engraving, which was so 
flourishing in France during the seven- 
teenth; and those two foreigners caused 
it to prosper in London, while the coun- 
try of .Audran, Edelinck, Nantueil, 
Poilly, Masson, Drevet, &c. | scarcely 
counted two or three engravers whom it 
coald acknowledge.* 
In 1789, the only engravings of any 
consequence executed in France, were 
the galleries, of the Palais Royal, and 
that of Florence. Since that period, and 
. particularly since you, Sire, hold the 
reins of government, we shall have to 
quote a great number of magnificent 
works which occupy the art advantage- 
ously, both for itself and for commerce. 
The greater part of these undertakings 
is due to the encouragements given them 
by your Majesty. One- alone has con- 
stantly occupied towards of a hundred 
artists for the last eight years.f 
The view of the progress or of the 
decline of music, cannot be traced with 
the same precision as that of the other 
arts, because its productions are not 
placed in the same aspect, and ander 
the influence of a single cause. 
It has not followed the same line, on 
the great theatre of the Comie-Opera. 
Qn this last, the natural grace of Mon- 
* Vivarez, born in France; and Bartolozzi, 
in Florence, very able engravers : the former 
in landscape, the latter in history. Before 
them, England possessed but one engraver 
worthy of notice, John Smith, and his was 
the black manner, ‘ihe two foreigners formed 
some native talents ; one of whom, Woollet, 
a pupil of Vivarez, is justly celebrated. 
+ The description of the Napoleon Mu- 
seum, due to M. M. Laurent, and Robillard- 
Peronville. The other works will be quoted’ 
in the general view, under “aie article En- 
graying. 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
163 
signy, the happy, fruitful, and witty 
genius of Gretry, seduced ‘without ob- 
stacle; and was an honour to France, 
while irksomeness was seated 
Lyric theatre, and almost insuperable 
Shackles impeded composers who could 
have brought about a better taste. 
In 1774, Gluck, four years. after, 
Piceini, and in 1788, Sacchini, fortu- 
nately took possession of the scene. 
Their success had nothing national in 3t, 
besides a just admiration, and the im. 
pressions made by the animated and long 
debates, carried on by the warmest par- 
tisans of the German and Italian schools, 
Hence, however, results the fact, that the 
French are not insensible to the heauty 
of music, as it has been pretended. It 
is to be obsetved,. hkewise, that Philidor 
and Gossee eg ‘before the arrival. of 
Gluck, attempted to substitute, in the 
room be the trailing melopcea, which 
constituted the old French singing, the 
animated toves of the passions, and that’ 
‘they were es In order to finish 
the view of music in 1789, we have to 
state ‘that a few years previously, ag 
school for singing had been established 
from a persuasion ‘that the theatre could 
never be subjected to the art, unless the 
only means which can insure suceess 
were employed, namely, sound instruc- 
tion. Gut that school was neither 
grandly coneeived, nor ‘ably organized ; 
and when it was destroyed ag a royal, 
establishment, mm 1798, it bad already 
passed under ‘the influence of the Opera, 
which it was intended to regenerate,, 
Such was. the state of dramatic music 
in France, when ae pohacal revolution 
commenced. | 
4 
eae 
- Philidor, in his Opera of Ernclinde, per- 
formed in 1767, and es in Sabinus, acted 
in 1773. y 
+ In 1785, the Saree ae Breteuil, estab- | 
lished the school for singing and declamation. 
VARIETIES, 
LITERARY AND PHILOSsopnical. 
Including Notices of Works in Hand, Domestic and Foreign. 
*,* Authentic Communications for this Article will always be thankfully revered, 
ES 
: he is in contemplation to publish a new 
-and hanglsome edition of “ Fuller’s 
Worthies,” under the sanction of 
the association of booksellers, who 
are presenting to the public. improved 
and uniform editions of the most valuable 
of our English Chronicles. If any one 
had the presumption to attempt impro- 
3 
ving Fuller, the consequence, would naru- 
rally and very properly be a total! failure 
in the speculation, Tt is nat by this as- 
sertion intended’ to say that he is faulr- 
less; but such is his general accuracy, 
and so pleasant are his excursory digres- 
sions, that it will be highly preper to con= 
sider him so striclly as an English classic, 
as 
at the. | 
——— 
See 
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