In the obituary of this number, is announced the decease of five persons whose loss will be long lamented throughout Europe : Marmontel, Montucla, Préville, Le Mounier, and Daubenton.

No. CXCVI. Fragment of a Latin Poem on the French Revolution. This poem, and almost every article of this number, are levelled at Bonaparte's usurpation, and his flight from Egypt. The intercepted letters from Kleber, Poussielgue, Dugua, and Bonaparte himself, form a considerable part of the number; which is terminated by the second proposal of the French Government to open a negociation for peace; with Talleyrand's letter to Lord Grenville, and his Lordship's

answer.

No. CXCVII. Intéret, a Poem by Vigée. The radical vice of self-interest, which can assume such innumerable shapes, has been attacked in all by moralists and satirists, both in prose and verse, to little purpose. It is implanted in every animal, but disguised by none so artfully as by man. subdued sometimes by education and a good heart, but is resolved by others into the first law of nature: self-defence. In this poem, we have a string of well-known facts-cases for moral doctors to pour in cathartics, or apply caustics : but we fear that the distemper is incurable, at least by the poetical incantations of Dr. Vigée.

Farther Remarks on the Alexandrian Library; which, though we are not allowed to believe that it was burned down, we plainly perceive is to be written down.

Anecdotes of the celebrated Comedian Préville, lately deceased. No. CXCVIII. This number contains much interesting matter; and there are several articles on which we should wish to dwell, had we room and leisure: but, in order to overtake the editor, with whom we have been so long in arrears, we must necessarily proceed with great brevity.

The first article in this number is a fragment of a poem, -Time acquaints Homer, in a dream, what great men will do him homage, and what poets endeavour to follow his steps. It is a wild rhapsody, and very properly styled a dream, of which it has all the incoherence: the author jumping from antient to modern, and from modern to antient times, with visionary rapidity. We should dispute some of his opinions, if he were awake.

A new piece at one of the theatres, entitled the Beneficent Judge, has been well received. We have part of a long and Laboured examination of the comedy of the Preceptors; and an inedited letter from Diderot to Voltaire on his tragedy of Tancrede, and Voltaire's answer.-Literary Anecdotes: none of which are sufficiently striking to be remembered, except

the

the fashion in France for extending transportation from the living to the dead: as we are told that citizen Le Noir, keeper of the Museum, has obtained permission to transport thither the tombs of Abelard and Eloisa!

No. CXCIX. War of the Demi-gods; a burlesque poem, in 6 cantos. This satire seems to have been written (text aud notes) in imitation, pede claudo, of the Pursuits of Literature. As we are unacquainted with many of the heroes of this Dunciad, we know not with what justice they have been treated by the anonymous author.

Polities.

On this division of the work, we have chosen to be silent; and we must now suspend our attention to M. PELTIER'S labours, having arrived at the end of the xxvth volume.

ART. VIII. Voyage Historique, Littéraire, &c. i. e. Historical, Literary, and Picturesque Travels in the Islands and ci-devant Possessions of the Venetian State in the Levant; namely, Corfu, Paxo, Bucintro, Parga, Prevesa, Vonizza, St. Maure, Thiaqui, Cephalonia, Zante, Strophades, Cerigo, and Ceregotta. By ANDREW-GRASSET SAINT-SAUVEUR, jun. Consul of France, Resident at Corfu, Zante, &c. from the Year 1781 to the 6th Year of the French Republic. 3 Vols. 8vo. and 4to. Atlas. Paris, 1799. Imported by De Boffe, London. Price il. 11s. 6d. sewed.

few remains of antient splendor and high cultivation are now to be found in the islands to which these volumes relate, after having been so often pillaged and in the possession of new masters, that they are become of little value to taste and learning: but they afford an opportunity for pedants to shew their reading, in discovering how often they have been mentioned incidentally by antient authors. Their importance is now almost wholly confined to commerce, and to those powers who have ambitious designs on them. For all other purposes, the work before us is too dry and minute to be amusing; and the places described are scarcely of importance sufficient to excite a wish for instruction concerning their present government, police, cultivation, and degraded state.

It might have been of consequence to France, who had seized, and intended to keep possession of these islands, to know what taxes, requisitions, forced-loans, and conscriptions, the inhabitants could bear: but for unambitious and idle readers, who only seek amusement and topographical knowlege, few œconomical and political details will suffice.

The author, in his preliminary discourse, complains of the scarcity of materials for the illustration of the antient state of these islands.

Their antiquities have long been insensibly exhausted by the curious, who have enriched their mansions and cabinets with the precious spoils of these countries. A few memoirs have indeed been composed concerning them by persons of erudition: but, unluckily, they have been concealed from the public, with the antiquities which they explain.-Working on the spot, however, with the assistance of antient authors, and such publications of modern writers relative to these islands as I could procure, I did not despair of accomplishing my design.

The first modern book which I found to answer my purpose, was a history of the island of Corfu in Italian, published at Venice 1672, under the title of, Istoria di Corfu, descritta da Andrea Marmora, nobile Corcirense. The Gothic style and ridiculous reflections of this work did not discourage me; I perused it several times with great attention; and it is from this publication that I took most of the medals, and Greek and Roman inscriptions, which I have inserted in my work.

The second literary assistance which I obtained was a tract of Cardinal Quirini, intitled: Primordia Corcira; which only treats of the antiquities of the island of Corfu. His labours, however, and his profound erudition, were of great use to me.

The third writing, which I procured in MS. with great difficulty, has for title: Corsi di Penna e Catena di Materie Sopra l'Isola di Cefalonia, by Andrea Morosini, a Venetian nobleman, written in 1628.

The fourth work is by Balthazar Maria Remondi, Bishop of Zante and Cephalonia, 1756; written in Latin, and entitled: De Zacynthi Antiquitatibus et Fortuna Commentarius.'

To fill up this wide chasm in the antient history of these islands, the author has given long extracts from the history of other countries, wholly unconnected with the present subject.

After the preliminary discourse, Book I. contains the natural history of the island of Corfu; which, after the loss of Cyprus, Candia, and the Morea, became the principal naval establishment of the Venetian marine in the Levant.-II. Treats of the political state of the island of Corfu, under the antient Greeks. This book is divided into nineteen chapters, all compiled from slight materials and gleanings of antient history.-III. Political state of this island under the Romans, thirteen chapters.-IV. Ditto under the Grecian empire.-V. Under the Kings of Naples.-VI. Under the Venetians. This seems to be the most interesting book, and composed of the most authentic materials. Book VII. Vol. II. Contains the state of the island of Corfu under the Venetians, from the last siege by the Turks, to the taking possession of the island by the French; fifteen chapters.-VIII. Physical and political state of the islands of Paxo, Bucintro, and Parga, dependant on Corfu.-IX. Physical and political state of Privesa, Vonizza,

and

and St. Maure.-Book X. Vol. III. Physical and political state of the islands of Thiaqui and Cephalonia.-XI. Physical and political state of the islands of Zante and the Strophades; twelve chapters.-XII, and last, contains the physical and political state of Cerigo and the Rock Ceregotta.

The table of contents only of the first volume, which (together with nearly the whole of vol. ii.) is entirely confined to the island of Corfu, would extend our article to too great a length. We shall, however, give the contents of the first two chapters of the first book, as specimens of the author's arrangement of his materials, and of his minute descriptions in the rest of the work.

The first chapter, under the title of The Natural History of Corfu,' treats of the situation, extent, canal, small islands, rocks, anchorage, winds, climate, rivers, marble quarries, coal-pits, mines of sulphur, mineral waters, earthquakes, productions, wood, hunting, fishing, coral, animals, fruits, vegetables, and population.

The second chapter contains a description of the city of Corfu, its fortresses, residence of the purveyor or superintendant of provisions for the fortress, statue of Count Schulenbourg, armory, barracks of the Sclavonian and Italian troops, residence of the purveyor-general, apartments of the officers of administration, magazines, port of the galleys, force, powder magazines, dykes, prisons, cisterns, parades, ramparts, military hospital, new fortress, Roman catholic cathedral, convents, episcopal palace, road for shipping, small islands, synagogue.

In speaking of these islands under the antient Greeks, the author relates events and circumstances in the antient history which are so well known to every school-boy, that even common readers of the work must be surprized at their insertion; and when under the Venetians, the islands were inhabited, cultivated, and governed, in so similar a manner, that they afforded little variety of description.

The island of ZANTE (olim Zacynthus), which occupies a considerable part of the third volume, seems to afford the most amusing articles. This, like the other Greek Islands, passed from the antient Greek republic to the Roman, from the Roman to the Greek empire, from that power to the Turks, and from the Turks to the Venetians. The inhabitants were converted to Christianity by St. Veronica. The established religion was that of the Greek church under the Venetians; though there is a nominal Roman catholic bishop, and with a cathedral: but few of the inhabitants are diocesans of that' church; the generality being dependant on a Protopapa, suf

ragan

ragan

of the Archbishop of Cephalonia. For the antient state of this island, the author has given every scrap of intelligence to be found in the Greek poets and historians.

Few antiquities remain in this island that are of any value. A tomb, with two or three unknown names in Greek capitals, is indeed now and then discovered; and what the author says of the paucity of antiquities in Cerigo, (Cytherea,) will apply to all the rest of these islands: there remain here but few inconsiderable vestiges to illustrate its antient splendor: no inscription, and seldom a medal, of which the study might supply, in part at least, the want of annals.'

From his description of the customs and manners of the people of Zante under the Venetians, we might be led to think that the author had never been in Italy, nor read the journals of travellers through that country: since he mentions as new and extraordinary what is common and general, not only in Venice, but in every other Italian capital. The comedy which he describes, with Harlequin and Brighello, who speak the Bergamasque jargon; Pantaleone and his daughter Colombine, the Venetian; and Il Dottore the Bolognese; is wholly Italian :as are the Opore Buffe, or comic operas, of which he speaks; and the horse-races in the streets, called corsi.

The author is not a lively narrator, nor does he often select for narration what is worthy to be related: but, in vol. ii. p. 41. we find a nuptial feast described, which, the author assures us, is such a ceremonial as is performed in the country, à la Grec, and not after the Italian manner, as in the city where Venetian customs prevail; we shall therefore present a part of it to our readers:

These alliances are wholly arranged by the parents, on a principle of interest, in the way of bargain, without consulting the inclinations of the young persons, or even letting them see each other. When the agreement is made, the father of the female counts the dowry to the father of the intended bridegroom; and a few days afterward, accompanied by his relations, he makes his first visit to the lady; who, surrounded by her family, modestly receives his addresses. He presents her a jewel, and embraces her; and the sacred decree is irrevocably pronounced. This visit is followed by two others in the same ceremonial, and always accompanied by a new present. The spouses have each of them two parents, or friends, to give them away, and to bear testimony to the union; and they are present at all the visits, and sign the contract. These assistants are generally chosen among the most opulent friends of the young couple, and it is expected that they will make presents, and in future times patronize and assist them as relations, in any emergency.

The ceremony is performed in the house of the bride. A table is prepared in the best room, on which the evangelists are placed between two wax-candles. On one side, on a saucer, are placed a

glass,