table, or foffil, but what are common in other places. There is neither wood nor wafte ground in the parish; and we know, that where man has completely fubdued the foil to his own ufe, he permits nothing to feed or profper, but what is ferviceable to his private intereft. The air here is dry and healthy; fogs are not frequent, and clear off early when they happen. The inhabitants are happy, and many of them live to a good old age. "Their fue! here is pitcoal, which they have chiefly brought from Derbyshire and fome from lord Middleton's coal-pits near Nottingham. The carriage being heavy, and the roads bad, it used to coft them 15d. or 16d. per hundred weight: but, fince the navigation has been completed to Loughborough, they get it for 10d. or 11d. per hundred. 'No great road leads through the parifh; but the turnpike road from Oakham to Melton paffes within a mile by Leefthorp, and they come upon it in going to Melton, at about the fame diftance before they come to Burton. There is not any river that runs through the parish, or comes near it; and only one inconfiderable brook, which is fometimes dry. This joins another, more confiderable, that comes from Somerby by Leefthorp, and both, proceeding jointly by Burton Lazars, fall into the river Eye, between Brentingby and Melton. There is no papift in this parish, nor one diffenter of any denomination. Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Abbate Metaftafio. In which are incorporated tranflations of his principal Letters. By Charles Burney, Muf. D. F. R. S. 8:30. 3 Veli. 1796. THE name of Metaftafio has long been affociated in every European metropolis with the exquifitepleafures of the noble, the opulent, and the polifhed. The euphony of his lines and the fitness of his fentiments have been impreffed on our recollection, in concert with the moft vivid and brilliant difplays of all the arts of delight. Melodies of the moft fafcinating compofers, affifted by punctual or cheftras, cheftras, by fingers the most compaffing and fimooth toned, have concurred in winging the fhafs of his fong to our inmolt fenfibility. The painter's magnificent perfpectives, the dazzling pageants of the decorator, the eafy floating motions of groupes of graceful dancers, and all the magic glories of realized mythology, have mingled at the theatre their influence with that of the poet, and have aflifted in ftirring up within us that luxurious irritation and tumult of feeling, which form the higheft fcope of the artift and the pureft enjoyment of the connoiffeur. Stript, however, of all these circumstances of effect, Metaftafio has acquired a reputation for genius and abilities, which the philofopher who perutes his writings in the clofet will not, probably, hesitate to ratify. Yet how often does it happen that, removed from within the glare of theatric illumination, the god of the operahoufe has withered into an ordinary man; and that the liquid language of the kies had lent an oracular folemnity to fimple thoughts, or a bewitching harmony to ingnificant infipidities? Be this, however, as it may, and even fuppofing that the literary character of Metaftafio himself thould be fated to futter depreciation by time and revolutions in tafte; thould his dramatic writings even become a mere fchool-book for the learner of Italian-yet he has refided fo much at courts, and has been the darling of fo many artifts, that his life can never be an object of indifference to thofe whofe gentle eye preferably fixes on thofe places and periods, in which the pleasures of men have been the chief occupation of his rulers; and in which factions have confined their bloodlefs ftruggles to the establishment of a theory of mufic, and have never extended their profcriptions beyond the condemnation of a tragedy. To the inherent fafhion of the fubject of these volumes, is fuperadded the ftronger recommendation which they derive from the celebrity of the author. The hif torian of mufic is accustomed to convene and to fatisfy an elegant audience; and, whether he touches the harp or the monochord, he difplays a masterly hand. His materials have been induftriously collected at Vienna and in Italy, and comprehend, befides the wellknown biographies of Retzer and of Chriftini, many works of inferior note, as well as the pofthumous edition of the poet's letters. The bulk of this publication confists indeed of a tranflation of those letters, connected by the requifite interstices of narrative; all which form a very amusing whole. Metaftafio was born at Rome in 1698, where his father had settled as a confectioner. At school he difplayed early talents as an improvijatore, and before eleven years of age could fing extemporaneous veries. Gravina, the civilian, known by having written tragedies on the Greek model, heard, admired, and adopted the young bard; to whom he gave a literary education, getting him admitted to the bar, and to deacon's orders, that civil and ecclefiaftical preferment might be alike open to him. When 22 years of age, Metaftafio vifited Naples, having inherited the property of Gravina, and attached himself as cicifbeo to the female finger Romanina. He there wrote an opera, which fucceeded, and and from this time he applied wholly to theatric poetry. In 1729 he was invited to Vienna as the Imperial Laureate, and continued to furnish fuch dramas as his patron befpoke, until his death in 1782. Dr. Burney well obferves that it is poffible for a man of learning, ftudy, and natural acumen, to be a good critic on the works of others without genius for producing original works himself, fimilar to thofe which he is able to cenfure. The opinion of Metaftafio, therefore, may have its weight even when he criticifes the great operawriters of antiquity: for the modern opera is the only faithful imitation of the antient tragedy. From his practice it appears, however, that he entertained one fundamental error in theory, and had not difcovered that, in the opera, the means of imitation being peculiar ly apparent, the diftrefs fhould be more harraffing and the crimes more atrocious, in order to excite an equal degree of tragic emotion with thefe reprefentations which approach more nearly to real and common life. We had felected fome paffages in order to give an idea of the fpirit of his criticism: but, finding them too long for our infertion, we must refer our readers to the 3d vol. in which they occur, p. 356-379. Let it not be a reproach to our eflimable biographer, that he has defcribed, with the voluminous gravity of hiftory, a groupe of poets, fingers, actors, and muticians. It is well that a work of this kind fhould make its appearance. We are fcarcely accustomed as yet to affign, in human ftory, a place to each proportioned to the extent of his influence on human happiness. The crowned and the titled have their peculiarities immortalized, although they may have never added to the enjoyments of a nation ten evenings of glowing delight. The amufers of our leifure, the artifts of our pleafures, may juftly be ranked among the benefactors of focicty. Let it belong, then, to the mufe of fame to elevate monuments over their remains, and to firew flowers on their grave, in token of our grateful remembrance! THE END. Printed by J. Crowder, Warwick-Square. THE HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAP. I. Situation of the French Nation and Government, and Views of the Directory. CHAP. II. A Proclamation offering a large pecuniary Reward for the Discovery of any Perfons guilty of the recent Outrages against the Perfon of the King.- Conference between the Lords and Commons on this Subje&t.—A Bill for the Safety and Prefervation of the King's Perfon and Government.-Debates thereon in both Houfes of Parliament.-A Bill for the Prevention of Sedi- tious Meetings.-Debates thereon.-The two Bills under Difcuffion in Par- liament occafion a general Alarm, and much Oppofition without Doors.- In this Oppofition the lead was taken by the Whig-Club.-Which was fol- lowed by the Corresponding Societies and other Affociations.-As well as different Bodies legally incorporated.—The Ministry fill perfevere in their Measures.-Debates on the numerous Petitions against the two Bills now pending in Parliament.-General Indignation against the Principles and In the Houfe of Commons, Regulations refpecting the Sale of Flour, and the Р twenty- |