7805.) Memoir of 
at efpecially in a manly and athletic 
figure, we fhould prefer tie manner of the 
Greeks. and thofe traits which give fuch- 
dghtnefs and nmjovement to the hair in 
their productions, 
Artifts in general hive tho ought the 
details very eel ftudicd, fuchas the fi its, 
the hands, the knees, and the hips; they 
have likewife remarkes a fyflem oF union 
of grand forms derived from the antique 
and anaccura cy in the details, which na- 
ture alone could have furnifhed 
If we confiier how dificult it is for an 
artift to be Aim/felf in {cul Upture, now that 
fo many che} vi @uvresoft antiquity com- 
mand imitation, and how eafy it is to 
dwindte into the fervile copyift of thofe he 
imitates; 1f we tarther reflect, that the 
incre difficult it is to be original in this 
art, the move defirous the public is of 
originality; we fhall probably be inclined 
to recognize, in Canova’s works, charac- 
ters, which conititute a manner, at the 
fame t.me original, and yet formed by the 
great models of antiqu'ty. 
eR 
ACCOUNT Of MICHAEL CONRAD CUR- 
TiUS, PROFESSOR of HISTORY and 
RHEFORIC, at MARBURG. 
URTIUS was born the r8th-of Au- 
gué, 1724, at Techentin, in the 
duchy of Mecklenburg, of which place 
his father was minitter. After his deceafe, 
his mother mairied his fucceffor, John 
Frederic Aepin; and it was from him 
that her fog’s mind received its firft eul- 
tivatian. He was then placed in the 
{chools at Parchim and Schwerin, and in 
1742 repainted to the univerfity of Roftock 
Having completed his academical ftudies, 
he accepted the fituation of private tutor 
in the family of the fuperintendant Paul 
Rehfeld, of Stralfund. Here he remained 
till the minifter of ftate, Baron von 
Schwicheldt, of Hanover, bc«came ac- 
quainted with him, and entrutied bim 
with the education of his childven. That 
gentleman gave Curtius many proofs of 
the regard he entertained for him. 
Among, other things, during the Seven 
Years’ war, at a time when he himiclf 
was overwhelmed with bufinefs, he once 
charged Curtius with an important com. 
miffion to the Duke of Brunfwick, who 
then commanded the allied army. He 
likewile gained the entire confidence of 
that excelent minifter, the Baron von 
Minchhauten, who had become acquainted 
with him by means of Schwicheldt. He 
held his fituation in the houfz of the latter, 
till 1759, when he was appointed regular 
profeflor at the academy of Liineburg. 
Michael Conrad 
_came principal of the faculty of + 
Curtius. DLS 
To the Istef period of his life, he never 
mentioned his refidence in Baron Scawich- 
eldt’s houfe, but with pleafures And his 
apartment was embellifhed with "the por- 
traits of the family. 
At Lineburg, he taught logic, meta- 
phy fics, rhetoric, hiftory, geography, and 
gave private inllruGtion in. belles-lettres. 
In the year 1767, on the deith of profeffor 
Geiger, ke was nominated to the vacant 
chair of ae TY, es and poetry, at 
the wniverfity of Marl burg, with the tithe 
of Counfellor to the La ndgrave of Helle; 
acd in May, 1768, he took poffeffion of 
that fituation. Aboni this time, appeared 
his admirable work, entitled, Commentarii 
de Scnatu Romano, fub imperatoribus: 
pot Tempora everfe Reipublice ad noflram 
fEtatem. He was, upon this, admitted 
an honorary m-mber of various learned 
focieties; but thefe diftin&tions only fti- 
mulared to increafed exertions to render 
himiclf worthy of the honours thus con- 
ferred on him. Among others, his being 
‘eleled a member by the eer So- 
ciety of Zellin the duchy of Brunfwick 
Luneburg, caufed him to commence a 
tranflation of the twelve books of Colu- 
mella cn Agriculture, which he publifhed 
in 1769, with the neccHlary remarks and 
annotaticns. 
In 1759, Curtius married Modefte 
Chrifliane, the daughter of John Frederic 
Liiders, ecclefiattical fuperintendant of 
Barenburg. Tis union, though without 
iflue, was attended with the greateft feli- 
city, notwithtanding the ill health of his 
wife, a very fenfible and refpeétable wo- 
man, who died in 1790. He was, the 
pieceding year, invetted with the dignity 
of privy-counlellor; and, in 1795, be- 
philofo- 
phy. He twice held the office of pro- 
rector of the univerfity, in which he gave 
univerfal fatis*astion. 
During a period of thirty-four years, 
he taught, with indefaticable diligence, 
al! the beanebes of hitory, ftatiftics, and 
ge. graphy 5 explained the. Roman anti- 
quittes, aeithetics or the imitative arts, nae 
tural and experimental philofophy, rural 
economy, &c. and gave introduéiory Je(- 
fons on the formation of a good Latin 
ftyle. At the fame time, he che ied all 
his other college-duttres with the mot 
f{crupulous fidelity, till the few lat weeks 
of his aétive life. His heaith was tolera. 
bly good, excepting that he was fometiires 
attacked with a paralytic affection, and 
fymptoms of the ftone. In the {pring of 
1802, his conftitution began to break ; 
and notwith{tanding all the attention OE 
3X2 hig 
