1806.] > 
allow them, in this refpect, a diftinguifh- 
ed rank amorg the nations of Europe. 
Their refearches, however, are replete 
with tov minute details, and while they 
furnifh rich materials for the future hifto- 
rian of Itaiy, they will render his tafk 
extremely laborious by this very {vper- 
abundance. Some idea of thefe. ftores 
may be formed from the catalogue pub- 
lifhed by the Marquis de Villabianca: 
Catalogo di tuttii parti litterati editi ed 
tneditt interno alla Storia Sicula Palermi- 
tana, 1794. ‘The celebrated hiftoriogra- 
pher Paolo di Blafi is reproached, perhaps 
with juftice, for having written rather a 
hiftory of the Viceroys of Sicily than of 
the nation, in his Storia cronologica, de 
vice-ré, luogotenenti e prefidenti del revno 
at Sicilia; but it is not els true that he 
has fuceefsfully treated the moft dificult 
period of the anna!s of his country. Ro- 
fario Gregorio enjoys a well-earned repu- 
tation. His Bibliotheca feriptorum, qui 
res in Sicilia geftas fub Aragonum imperio 
retulere, cautes his ‘* Hiltory of the Go- 
vernment of Sicily,” which will {peedily 
appear, to be expected with impatience, 
- Another valuable work, by the fame au- 
thor, Rerum Arabicarum que ad biflo- 
riam Siculam fpetiant ampla Collaio, 
Arabice et Latine, 1790, folio, raifed up 
againft him in Vella an opponent, who, 
however, obtained but a very tranfient 
fuccefs. We fhall likewile mention here 
with commen:tation, Pasla a’ Avolio Sag- 
gi0 fovra lo flato prefente della poefia in | 
Sicilia, per fervire alla Storia della littera- 
tura nationale del Secola XVIII. though 
in many places he is not perfeétly free 
from the reproach of partiality. 
Statiftics, fo generally cultivated in all 
thereft of Europe, is a fcience almoft en- 
tirely negleted in this ifland. Emma. 
nuel Sergio is engaged in a work on the 
commerce of Sicily, but his plan is too 
extenfive, fo that there is rea‘on>to ap- 
prehend that he will never be able to ac- 
_complifh it. 
‘Though the Sicilians have not addiéted 
themfelves fo much to the abfrufe re- 
fearches of metaphyfics, they are not 
lefs philofophical- than their neighbours 
on the continent of Italy. The literature 
of France and England is better known 
in Sicily than in all fouthern Iraly. A 
fingle glance at the booklellers’ fhops in 
the ftreet of Caffero at Palermo, is fufi- 
cient to convince you that foreign litera- 
ture poffefles a decided advantage over that 
of the country. The works of the moft 
efteemed philofophers are there read ia the 
eriginal; but only one work of Bonnet’s 
MenTHLY Mae, No. 140. 
 Hiftory of Literature, Se. in Sicily. 
tion equally fplendid., 
129 
has yet been tranflated, Contemplazione 
della Natura con nuove note ed offervazi- 
oni dell Abb. Fr. Ferrara, and sothing of 
Locke’s but his logic. 
It is a remarkable circumftance that 
the journals and other periodical works 
which have hitherto appeared in Sicily, 
and many of which are jaftly regretted, 
have had but a very tranfient exiftence. 
Such are the Ejfemeridi enciclopediche 3 
Saggio di la Storia Sicula; Giornale ec 
clefiaftico di Sicilia; Notizie litterarie ; 
Nuova racolta degli autori Siciliani, &ce 
&e. You every whiere difcover with 
pleafure traces of an intimate acquaint. 
ance with foreign literature; a high com- 
mendation, which cannot be conferred on 
the reft of Italy. The belt German 
works are tranflated into the dialect of 
the country. 
Every Sicilian, who pretends to any 
education, is a poet; paftoral poetry is 
their favourite branch. But moft of thefe 
fons of Parnaflus fortunately poffe(s the 
good fenfe not to be defirous of fhining 
except in the circles which they frequent. 
They write in the idiom peculiar to thems 
felves, and hence it very frequently hap- 
pens that what is thought charming at 
Palermo is not underftood at Syracufe. 
Meli is their model; this poet enjoys the 
higheft reputation, and the new edition of 
his works is expected with an impatience 
of which it is impoffible to form any idea. 
All its contents are already known by 
heart. This is of no confequence ; he 
is the fafhionable author; the whole na- 
tion, nay even his rivals have decreed 
him the crown. Count Cefar Gaetani, 
author of a poem entitled Pi/cegiont, 
might, perhaps, have afpired to a reputa~ 
The tunny fifhery 
is an amufement of which all the inhabit- 
ants of the coafts of Sicily are paffion- 
ately fond. ‘This fifhery is a kind of na- 
tional feftival which continues feveral 
days fucceffively; but Gaetani has em= 
ployed the Tufcan diale&, which is not 
generally known in S-cily.  Befides, his 
-verfes have not the native fimplicity of 
Melis. Zanotti, Poli, Bondi, have Iike- 
wife printed colleGtions of poems. Pro- 
capio has tranflated Geffner’s ‘* Death of 
Abel,’” but nene of thofe works produced 
any ereat fenfation. Dramatic poetry is 
neglected to fuch a degree, as cannot be 
conceived uniefs it be known that tie dra 
matic art itfelf found in that country bift 
a very {mall number of partizans. The 
theatres are commonly empty, ard thefe 
who go to them for paitime are frequent- 
ly unable to tell, on leaving them, what 
R piece 
