NAPOLEON a Lettere aperte per inserirsi nel Codice in in foglio stampato dai Torchi di Molini, Landi, eComp. Le prime copie con le lettere non hanno l' indirizzo dei soprannominati Editori. *199 L'Immagine del Salvatore in piccolo tondo tratta da un orignale di eguale grandezza, che dicesi di Lionardo da ́ Vinci esistente presso gli ornatissimi Sigg. fratelli Trivulzio di Milano *200 Il Ritratto di Lodovico Ariosto. E unito all'Edizione citata al N. 183. 201 La Trasfigurazione di N. S. sul Monte Tabor Intaglio non ancora ultima to, e le di cui prove fino ad La semplice preparazione La medesima con una testa finita. Tre soli esemplari con la figura della Donna, che credesi la Fornarina, pressochè ultimata, uno de' quali si possiede da noi. Otto detti più le figure del Salvatore, e di un de' Profeti e metà dell' aria abbozzati alla punta. In due di questi esemplari vi è inciso intorno alla testa del Salvatore Hic est filius meus dilectus, ed uno di essi trovasi nella nostra Collezione. Dodici detti più la figura dell' altro Profeta, e l'aria quasi ultimata, e diverse figure di prima veduta pressochè finite. gere al Bambino Gesù con In tutti e trei detti rami non Ritratto del Cardinale Heranz inciso da Ottaviani. Fra Bartolommeo AGGIUNTA. Ant. Maron ERCOLE FANCIULLO, da una statua antica Stef. Tofanelli delin: 1293. Sul piedistallo vi è scritto Heros Aventinus in Capitolio; Questa notizia la dobbiamo al citato Sig, Marchese Serra Cassano, non conoscendo noi il detto intaglio, nè rammentandosene lo stesso Autore. N. P. REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS, &c. ART. VIII. APICIUS REDIVIVUS. The Cook's Oracle : containing practical Receipts, the result of actual experiments made in the Kitchen of a Physician. LONDON, 2nd edition, HATCHARD, 1818. AMONG all the arts, the children of necessity and genius, cookery must take a distinguished rank. From the wandering and warlike Tartar, who prepares his savoury steak between his saddle and his seat, cooking as he flies; or the sturdy Cambrian who toasts his cheese on his knife; to the Emperor who regales on dishes of peacocks tongues and nightingales brains, this art is alike acceptable and universal. Cookery is both an art and a science, and they who have experienced the maladies of life, and have rejoiced at being surrendered to the cook by the doctor, must admit it to be an art-a fine art, replete with taste. As an art it embraces the sublime-the beautiful-the VOL. IV. NO. 15. Ss pretty-with all their connecting shades and delicate ramifications, where the line is but faintly traced that separates them, unseen by vulgar eyes, but clear as the Peplon of Minerva to the tasteful amateur and initiated professor. Lord Mayors feasts and coronation dinners are historical pieces in the grand style. A dejeuné à la fourchette, with its meandering streams, shepherds with their crooks, and little temples, are like Claudes or Gaspar Poussins, while a family dinner at our friend -'s is like a domestic scene by Wilkie. Skilful cooks, of their various schools, may be compared with skilful painters and their schools, and an able table decker to an experienced architect. Bartolomeo Scappi, the magnus coquus to a splendid Pope, may be compared to Fra. Bartolomeo,* from his dislike to the nude, and his love of dressing. Drapery to the human figure in the plastic art, is like dressing in the culinary art; and splendid table in the golden gothic dining room at Carlton house, spread, arranged, and ordained by the great Wattier, Towards the close of the fifteenth century, the state of the morals at Florence was become perfectly vicious. The pencil was made contributory to disgraceful lusts, even a picture of Julius Farnese and the Virgin Mary, was made subservient to their pas sions, and was worshipped in the chamber of the Pope (the infamous Borgia, Alexander VI.), with a rapture exceeding the adoration which was represented in the picture. Baccio della Porta, called Fra. Bartolomeo di S. Marco, after his joining the convent of Dominicans, the artist here alluded to,was shocked at these indecencies, and though not fond of painting in the nude, in which, Fuseli says he eminently excelled, yet whatever he had so painted, that was within his reach, he publicly committed to the flames. Fuseli asserts that a St. Sebastian by this painter, for skill in the naked and energy of colour, obtained every suffrage of artists and critics, but unfortunately became such a favourite with the female visitants of the chapel, that it was obliged to be removed from public view. What must we think of the state of morals, when such a picture produced such an effect. is scarcely less resplendent, gay and fascinating than a fête champêtre, by the no less illustrious Watteau. The grand festival at Guildhall, London, given to our reigning Prince and his Imperial and Royal Allies, by our tasteful fellow citizens, drest by a civic Alderman in his scarlet robes and gold chain, was an eminent rival to the marriage feast at Cana, cooked by Paolo Veronese, in his equally honourably earned chain and honours. A decorated cook is as grand in his way as a decorated painter, and an alderman in chains has always been estimable in the eye of taste a saucepan or griddle of honour is no more to be despised than a medal, or a star-and the splendid carvingknife hanging from the long "thews and sinews" of the famous sesquipedalian cook, Solomon, of the Piazza, whose ragouts and entremets regaled of old the labours of our Roscius Kemble, during his most splendid career, and during his Fabian campain called the O. P. war, looks scarcely less formidable, and even almost as graceful, by the side of his nankeen breeches and silk stockings, guarded by his delicately white apron, as erst did in more youthful days, the dress sword, ironically called a spit, by the side of our first and most amiable of beaux, Sir Lumley St. George Skeffington, or the no less renowned sword of state of our present great tragedian Kean. It was pleasing to observe, and it is more pleasing to record the civilities which passed between these illustrious heroes of the sock and saucepan. Roscius often after the fatigues of Hamlet, and of Coriolanus, refreshed his mortal frame at Solomon's kitchen fire, a place more privileged than the green-room, and perhaps equally so with a masonlodge. Often have we seen vulgar intruders driven from the scene by a graceful application of the master-cook's right-hand to the hilt of his knife, the scabbard grasped by his left, and with a frowning brow, an heroic stamp, and with a Cook-ish, nay, with almost a Kemble-ish repulsion, Scowl out "BEGONE"-while the caitiffs ran, thankful they still retained their heads. ΕΚΑΣ ΕΚΑΣ ΕΣΤΕ ΒΕΒΗΛΟΙ was the motto to his kitchen, as is ΟΥΔΕΙΣ ΑΜΟΥΣΟΣ ΕΙΣΙΤΩ to the great room of the Royal Academy, its vain-glorious rival. But how are the mighty fallen! Solomon's kitchen, under the Piazza of St. Paul, Covent Garden, though confessed it must be as inferior to that in the Piazza Papale before mentioned, with all his brilliant stew and saucepans, silver soup basins, tureens and spits; is by no means so much so as is the aforesaid great room to theVatican chambers, which the master-cooks thereof pretend to equal. But one more civility that passed between these personages, not surpassed in Homer, must be recorded in our Annals of Art. The hero of our scenic art, whose tasteful palate was so often satisfied by Solomon's savoury soups, as Mr. Shee would say, exchanged the freedom of his theatre for the freedom of Solomon's kitchen sanctum, and often have we been gratified with a peep from behind the door at Don John's heroic form leaning against the mantle tree, sipping his turtle, applauding as he sipped, his Solomon's art and again seen Solomon in the dress circle as loudly applauding his Roscius' art, improved in voice and bulk by his peristaltic persuading condiments; and often have we witnessed his Stranger strengthened by Solomon's ox-tail, his Penrudduck polished by his beef and bouilli, his Coriolanus corrected by his condiments, and his Hamlet heated by his hot-pot. We have said that cookery is an art-it is also a science, and a science which depends on the most abstruse calculation, experiment and practice. Sir Humphry Davy, in his laboratory, has not a more anxious task, nor awaits the results of his co-mixtures with more patience than does the scientific cook in his kitchen. The retorts of the one may be surcharged with poison-as well as medicaments, |