and with how much lefs difficulty foreign architects may conftruct theatres in their manner than in that of Italy, which prefents boxes of different plans, divided, and clofe, not open like a gallery. But the Italian ladies not being willing to abandon thefe fmall boxes, very commodious to them, though prejudicial to the harmony and elegance of the ftructure; and fathion overcoming every other confideration, the architect can only moderate the fyftem.

The first part concerns the proper fpecies of curve to be used in defcribing that part of the theatre allotted to the spectators, fo as to facilitate their view of the ftage. The fecond points out improvements in the auditory province, calculated to promote the circulation of found from the stage and the orchestra. The third delineates the complete plan of a theatre, with our author's improvements. But as the plates and minute defcrip tions become neceffary to understand the feveral improvements, we fall only further obferve that eminent fkill is difplayed in the work, which may be particularly recommended to the attentive perufal of thofe concerned in the construction of the

atres.

. From the Florentine prefs has iffued a fingular work, by Alexander de Sanctis, intituled Delle Paffioni e Vizi dell' Intelleto, &c. or, a Treatife on the Paffions and the Vices of the Intellect, 12mo. Who would expect to find in this work an apology for the Bucolics and Georgics of Virgil? The treatise on the pathons and the vices of the intellects occupies 106 pages; and forms a kind of introduction to the other, including inftitutes of elementary logic, or of the art of criticism.

The titles of the chapters, by our author denominated tables, are a little uncommon; for example, Of deceit arifing from the intellect not being divided. Of an increafing judge. Of a diminishing judge. Of a weary judge. Of a ftupid judge, &c. The examples of the pallions and of the characters of intellects are derived from the council of devils in the Malmantile. But the defence of Virgil againft twentythree cenfures, is ingenioufly conducted. Another volume, apologifing for the Aneid, is expected.

At Naples has appeared, in fix octavo volumes, the Storia Critica de' Teatri antici e moderni, &c. or, a Critical Hiftory of Theatres ancient and modern, by Pietro Napoli Signorelli. It is an enlargement of a work originally forming only one 8vo. volume, and printed in 1777. The author points out many improvements in the intellectual influence of the theatre. His firit volume treats of the ancient theatres, particularly the Grecian: the fecond explains the changes in the Roman, till the incurfion of the barbarians; the third difplays the revival of the drama, and its progrefs till the fifteenth century. In

the

the fourth the history is extended to the more civilifed foreign kingdoms; in the fifth the hiftory of the French stage in the laft and the prefent century is given, with fome account of the theatres of more northern countries; the fixth concerns the ftate of the Spanish and Italian stage in the prefent century.

Dr. Pignotti's Favole e Novelle, or Fables and Novels, have been fo favourably received that seven editions have appeared. Parity of language, and an eafy verfification, recommend this little book to thofe who wifh to ftudy Italian.

The fixth volume of Tirabofchi's valuable Storia della Letteratura Italiana, History of Italian Literature, a new edition revifed, corrected, and enlarged by the author, has appeared at Modena in 4to.

Father Riccardi's Curiofita Filofofiche e Teologiche, &c. Philofophical and Theological Curiofities concerning Man, printed at Vicenza in 8vo. have excited the ridicule of the Italian journalists. Questions relating to the formation of Eve, and the birth of Antichrift, the drefs of Enoch and Elias when they fhall fight Antichrift, &c. &c. are little adapted to the tafte of the eighteenth century.

Signior Zatta has begun to publifh his Portraits of the illuf trious Men of Italy, accompanied with the eulogies of the abbe Rubbi. This work is deferving of a favourable reception.

The abbe Seftini has added to numifmatic fcience by his Dif fertatione fopra Alcune Monete, &c. or, Differtation on fome Armenian coins of the race of Rupen, in the collection of fir Robert Ainsley, printed at Leghorn in 4to. This author was already celebrated for his researches on the Greek coins of the iflands in the Archipelago, and of many towns in Afia; and has now turned his attention to the Armenian coins of the last monarchs of that nation, being the fourth dynasty, denominated Rupenic. The uncertainty concerning the hiftory of Armenia our learned abbe has endeavoured to remove, chiefly on the authority of two recent works published at Venice; the one being an abridgment of Armenian history in Italian, the other an Armenian history in the language of the country. About the year 800 before Chrift, the Armenian monarchy began in the perfon of Baruyr, and ended in the year of the Incarnation 1375. The first dynasty, named Haycana, lafted above 400 years; the fecond, called Armeno-partha, or Arfacidica, began after an interval of 200 years, and lafted to the year of Chrift 428: the third, called Bocaradic, began in the year 859, and clofed in 1080; the fourth, or Rupenic, commenced in 1080 and ended in 1375. Nine coins are engraven of Leo II. Otho I. Leo IV. Otho II. Thoros III. Simbato, and Conftantine II. and are illuftrated by a chronological account of this dynasty.

The

The pfeudonomous tract intituled Theotimi Eupiftimi de Doctis Catholicis viris, &c. or, an Account of those learned Catholics who, fince the year 1580, have retracted Writings of theirs, printed at Rome 1791, is not ill-written. Fenelon, Montefquieu, and Helvetius, are among the examples.

PORTUGAL.

Our defect of information concerning Spanish and Portu guefe literature we regret; and should be happy if any learned correfpondent would enable us to fupply it. Endeavours on our part have not been wanting; and though it is believed that a literary Journal, called the Memoria Literaria, is ftill published at Madrid, we have not been able to procure recent Num

bers.

At Lisbon two works of confequence have been lately publifhed. The one is entitled Memorias, &c. Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences at Lifbon, established to promote the progrefs of agriculture, arts, and industry in the kingdom of Portugal, and in its fettlements, vol. i. This production is a favourable omen of the revival of folid fcience in that country. The other work bears the title of Colleçaos, &c. a Collection of Memoirs for the Hiftory of Portugal, drawn from manufcripts hitherto unknown, printed at the prefs of the academy, two volumes, folio. Thefe volumes throw new light upon many events.

GERMANY.

Mr. George Forfter has published a German translation cf the Indian drama called Sacontalá*, from the English, with cu rious notes on Indian mythology and manners.

Lorfbach's Archiv für die Morgenlandifche Litteratur, &c. Archives for Eaftern Literature, Marburg, 1791, 8vo. vol. i. contains feveral curious articles, particularly an extract from the Syriac chronicle of Barheber.

Alzingen's Biomberix ein ritter-gedicht; or Biomberix, a poem of chivalry, in twelve cantos, Leipfic, Svo. is regarded as a production of eminent merit, diftinguifhed by a bold vein, and rich imagination. The ninth canto is particularly admired. But the author is blamed for fubjecting himself to the yoke of rhyme, in a language already delivered from that bondage.

A fmall but interefting tract, by Dr. Reimarus, has been printed at Hamburg, entituled Die Freyheit, &c. the Free

• See Crit. Rev. Vol. I. New Ar. p. 18.
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APP. VOL. IV. NEW ARR.

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dom of Commerce in Grain, eftimated by nature and hiftory. The author produces the remarks of the late beneficent emperor Leopold II. tending to fhow, from experience, that the corntrade ought in all countries to be abfolutely free, and unfettered by any regulations whatever. The infallible confequences are plenty, and the rapid advance of agriculture and national profperity.

Pezzl's Skizze von Wien, or Picture of Vienna, in fix parts, 8vo. is an imitation of Mercier's Tableau de Paris. The au thor's ftyle is not fo picturesque as that of his model; but he gives many curious details; and a tranflation might be acceptable.

Of Beekman's Bietræge, &c. Memoirs for a History of Difcoveries, the third part of the third volume has appeared at Leipfig. This work has been favourably received.

Hacquet's Reife, &c. Journey to the Noric Alps, Nurenburg, 8vo. is, like his other productions, full of curious and interesting matter. Topography, chemistry, botany, rural ceconomy, and the hiftory of man, furnifh their proportion of information.

The Nachtrag, &c. or Supplement to the fourth edition of an Account of the German Literati, printed at Lemgo, 8vo. has its value. The number of living German literati is now cal culated at 7000, while twenty years ago it was only eftimated at 3000. Yet fome of the provinces are ftill under the level of this enlightened century.

HOLLAND.

De Zedelyke Toeftand, &c. or the Moral State of the Belgic People, towards the End of the eighteenth Century, by Yiband van Hamefveld, Amfterdam, 8vo. is a useful work. It is divided into twelve fections: 1. Preliminary difcourfe; 2. What is worthy of praife or of blame in the Low Countries; 3. Manners of the inhabitants in general; 4. Education; 5 Youth; 6. Marriage; 7. Oeconomy; 8. Social virtues; 9. Sciences, and national tafte; 10. Public worship; 11. Parti cularities; 12. General review, perfpective of the future, falutary advices.

A continuation of Wagenaer's Hiftory of the United Provinces, forming the fifth part of the work, Amfterdam, 8vo, contains a hiftory of Holland, from the commencement of the American war to the peace.

Engel's de Kunft, &c. Art of Imitation by Geftures, part i. Harlem, 8vo. explains the gefticulation of eloquence, and that of pantomime.

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DENMARK.

The work of Niel Morville, intituled Geometriske och Economiske, &c. the Geometrical and Economical Divifion of Lands, Copenhagen, 1791, 4to. with plates, has a confiderable claim to utility. To unite geometry with agriculture, and to fhew that geometry, and even algebra, may be of great advantage to rural oeconomy, is an object worthy of attention. The author of this production, having been employed by the Danish government in many labours of this kind, writes with great fkill: and his book fhews, that in Denmark that useful fcience, which nourishes and preferves ftates, begins to attract deferved attention.

In the Aufzug der Schriften, &c. Extracts from the Acts of a Commiffion of Agriculture, inftituted to re-establish the rights of the peafants, Copenhagen, 1791, 2 vols. 8vo. we find a laudable inftance of the attentions of the prince of Denmark to the grand interefts of the kingdom. There was occafion for the power of this celebrated prince to effect the grand defign of overturning feudal barbarism, and of restoring the peafantry to the rank of freemen: the glorious exertion will fecure him a fame far fuperior to the fanguinary triumphs of

war.

Under the auspices of count Bernstorf, and of the royal Norwegian Society of Sciences, Dr. Thorkelin is about to publish the ancient laws of Norway and Iceland. A large body of Icelandic annals, from the birth of Chrift to the middle of the thirteenth century, and the fourth volume of the new edition of Snorro, will probably appear about the month of September next. The chevalier Bulow, marshal to the prince, has at his own expence fent a gentleman, well verfed in natural history and in drawing, into the interior parts of Africa: and the accounts already received are interefting. The Danish press remains completely free.

SWEDEN.

Few books of confequence have been recently published in this country. The late monarch impofed heavy fetters upon the prefs; and even forbad the importation of all pamphlets and periodical works, in which the French revolution was mentioned. Swedish literature has for fome years chiefly confifted in operas, comedies, and poetry in general. In fuch toys the late defpot occupied his people: remembering the remark of Tacitus, that tyranny is beft eftablished by enticing the fubjects to the allurements of luxury. It is, indeed, rifible to fee

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