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Account of John of Ravenna.

lefs and famished, at the house of his former patron, who happened then not to be at home; but he was received and kindly entertained by his fervants, till their mafter returned.

Petrarch, by his entreaties and paternal admonitions, retained the young man at his houfe for about a year, and prevented him from engaging in any more romantic adventures; but, at the end of that period, his defire for rambling again returned; and as Petrarch found that all attempts to check him would be fruitlefs, he gave him letters of recommendation to two of his friends, Hugo de St. Severino and Francifcus Brunus, at Rome. To the former of thefe, Petrarch fays, "This youth of rare talents, but still a youth, after propofing to himself various plans, has at length embraced the nobleft; and as he once travelled, he is now defirous of doing fo again, in order to gratify his thirft of knowledge. He has, in particular, a ftrong inclination for the Greek language; and entertains a wifh which Cato first conceived in his old age. This wish I have endeavoured for fome years to fubdue; fometimes by entreaties, at other times by admonition; fometimes by reprefenting how much he is still defcient in the Roman language; and fometimes by laying before him the difficulties which must attend him in his journey, efpecially as he once before left me, and by want was obliged to return. As long as that unfortunate excurfion was fresh in his memory he remained quiet, and gave me hopes that his restless spirit could be overcome and restrained. But now, fince the remembrance of his misfortunes is almoft obliterated, he again fighs after the world; and can be retained neither by force nor perfuafion. Excited by a defire which betrays more ardour than prudence, he is refolved to leave his country, friends, and relations, his aged father, and me whom he loved as a father, and whofe company he preferred to a refidence at home, and to haften to you whom he knows only by name. This precipitation even has an appearance of prudence. The young man first wished to vifit Conftantinople; but when I told him that Greece, at prefent, is as poor as it was formerly rich in learning, he gave credit to my affertion, and at any rate altered his plan, which he could not carry into execution. He is now defirous of traverf ing Calabria, and the whole coaft of Italy, diftinguished formerly by the name of Magna Græcia, becaufe I once told him that there were in that quarter several

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men well skilled in the Greek language, particularly a monk, Barlaam, and one Leo, or Leontius, with whom I was intimately acquainted, and of whom the first had been fome time my fcholar. In confe quence of this propofal, he begged me to give him a recommendatory letter to you, as you have confiderable influence in that part of the country. This request granted, in hopes that the young man, by his genius and talents, will afford you fatisfaction equal to the fervice which you may render to him." In his letter to Brunus, Petrarch expreffes himself as follows: "He is a young man who wishes to fee the world as I formerly did, but I never reflect on it without horror. He is defirous of seeing Rome; and this defire I cannot condemn, as I myself have fo often vifited that city, and could ftill revifit it with pleasure. I fufpect, however, that he will venture on a more extenfive ocean, and imagines to find a fortune where he will, perhaps, meet with a fhipwreck. At any rate, he is defirous, he fays, of putting his for tune to a trial. I wish it may be favourable; fhould it be adverfe, he is ftill at liberty to return to my peaceful, though mall, haven; for I hang out a light, during the day as well as the night, to guide thofe who quit me through youthful folly; and to enable them to find their way back. The ardour by which he is impelled muft not be ascribed fo much to him as to his age, and is in itself commendable. If I am not much deceived, the young man loves me and virtue in general. He is unfteady, but modeft; and deferves that all good men fhould contribute to his profperity as far as they can."

From the letters of Petrarch, there is reafon to believe, that John de Ravenna lived with him only about three years in all; and that he had not attained to the full age of manhood when he left hir. It appears alfo, for this circumftance is very obfcure, that after he quitted him,. he wandered about a confiderable time before he was to fortunate as to meet with a protector and patron, at whole house, as he wrote to Petrarch, he at last found a permanent afylum. How long he remained with his patron, whom fome believe to have been Cardinal Philip, and what happened to him till the death of Petrarch in 1374, and for fome years after, is unknown. The literary monuments of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries fay nothing farther of him till his appearance at Padua; where, according

to

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Bouille's Memoirs....Mr. Houfman's Tour continued.

green ocean ftream, bordered with loud tumult; take a courfe, the third of the journey is done, fay that we fhall vifit Ardudwy.

Meffenger, be fetting off along the fair borders of the country, which Mervyn fwayed; go and be a gueft with Nêft of Nevyn; speak of our coming to Leyn.

Meffenger, be fetting off, drawing near a mild leader of magnanimous heart; go, armed knight, and traverfe Arvon; fay that we visit Môn.

The family of Owain the bounteous, to whom belongs the ravage of England, abundant in fpoils, will meet with a welcome af

TOUR OF ENGLAND,

(CONTINUED.)

Journal of a Tour through almost every county in England, and part of Wales, by Mr. JOHN HOUSMAN, of Corby, near Carlife; who was engaged to make the Tour by a gentleman of diftinction, for the purpofe of collecting authentic information relative to the state of the poor. This Journal comprifes an account of the general appearance of the country, of the foil, furface, buildings, &c. with obfervations agricultural, commercial, &c.

ter a tedious journey: thall we aide one night AUGUST 13. Wolverhampton to

at Rhôs?

Young man, go from me, and no one greet, unlefs it be my miftrefs; fweep along on the fleet bay fteed; fay that we vifit Lanerç.

Meffenger, be fetting off, over the strong region of a tribe deferving mead out of the horn, and traverse Tyno Bydwal; and fay

that we vifit Iâl.

País onward to its extremity, heeding not the gallantry of its men with the long yellow fpears; take thy courfe on the first day of January; fay we vifit Maelor.

Go, youth, and linger not, let not thy progrefs be half complete; to ftop thee is no eafy tafk; from tedious Marlor take thy way; make known we vifit Cynlaith.

Young man, go with difcretion, announce not our troop as of forry tribes; take thy courfe, with the fleetnefs of a ftag thy tidings bear; fay we vifit Megain.

The family of Owain the chief withftood kingdoms, may the regions of heaven be our retreat! A range altogether pleafant, altogether profperous, with united pace, the cir

cuit of Wales we have taken.

The places mentioned in the foregoing verfes are all well known at the prefent time; they are points which nearly defcribe a circle round North Wales. Your's, &c.

Jan. 6, 1798.

MEIRION.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

the Memoirs lately published by I the Marquis de Bouillé, he days, "The great Frederick himself confulted the conjuring tribe; and Guftavus, of Sweden, his nephew, was not without this fuperftition; a few days before he fet out for the Diet at Geflé, he went to confult a forcerefs named Harviffon." The fact thus related of the King of Sweden is fufficiently known; but I fhall be much obliged to any of your correfpondents who may inform me what authority the Marquis has for charging the Pruffian hero with this weakness.

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Sutton Colefield in Warwickshire, 12 miles. The foil chiefly clay, and a heavy fourish earth. I obferved fome good wheat, for which grain most of the foil is very fuitable. The furface level till within a few miles of Sutton Colefield, where fome eafy rifing grounds are met with. The country populous; I paffed feveral villages inhabited mostly by iron ma nufacturers. A little way from Sutton I croffed a barren common, almost wholly covered with heath, and of three miles in ex. tent---a number of bad oak and ash trees grow on the hedges. Near Sutton there is a park of 5000 acres, a great part of which is covered with wood. Farms in this diftrist are generally fmall, and the country, particularly towards Sutton, is open. Sutton Colefield is a fmall, but extremely neat, pleasant, and clean market town, and the furrounding country is equally pleasing; near the town I faw a field of oats cut. Harveft not fo forward as I ex

pected to find it in thefe parts: this only the fecond intance I have feen of its commencement.

Auguft 15. Sutton Colefield to Litchfield in Staffordshire, 8 miles. Soil light and gravelly, and produces much barley, clover, and turnips. Surface unlevel and irregular; the country open, except towards Litchfield, where the earth is flat, and the views more confined, but is a pretty country. In this district, feveral helds of barley and oats are cutt

Litch

field is a finall, pleasantly fituated city, containing three parish churches, and about 3,500 inhabitants. The cathedral is a remarkably fine ftructure; the highfpires at the weft end are now under repair. A finall river runs through part of the town, and pretty walks are formed by the fides of it, through beautiful meadows. The fields in the vicinity of Litchfield are fmall, and very fertile, and the hedges neat. This town is remark. able for having given birth to two eminent men, viz. the late Dr. Johnson, and

-Mr.

Mr. Houfman's Tour....Leicestershire....Northamptonshire.

Mr. Garrick, the comedian. Staffordhire is noted for its potteries of coarfe earthern ware; thefe, however, are eftablished further north than I have been thofe parts of the country which I travelled through are pleafant, the foil generally rather dry than otherwife, and the furface even; in fome parts, the profpects are all clofed up with trees and high hedges. Farms are small in general, but I heard of fome as high as 1oool. a year, and their fize is annually increafing, which circumftance is much complained of by the small farmers. The common rent is about il. per acre.

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five churches, of which three have spires, are prominent features: the town has a modern afpect, ftands on a fertile plain, is built with brick, and covered with tile, which tinges the whole with a red colour. The population of Leicester is about 15,000 inhabitants; most of the streets are narrow and dirty; but the marketplace is remarkably large, and well fupplied with butcher's meat and vegetables of all forts; the former is the fatteft and beft I ever faw, which indeed is not wonderful to those who have feen the fine paitures and fuperior sheep and cattle of this country. The principal manufac ture of this town is that of worsted stockings.

Auguft 24. Went from Leicester to Kibworth-Beauchamp, in Leicestershire, 9 miles. Roads in this, and last day's journey, neither very good nor very bad, but muft, I prefume, be rather unpleafant in winter. The foil a clay, or trong deep loam, and peculiarly fertile in grafs, to the production of which it is chiefly applied. This country was almost wholly in common fields 30 or 40 forty years ago, but now nearly all inclosed: it was then conftantly cropped with corn, as is ufual in that cafe; but fince inclosing, the farmers have run into the contrary extreme, and now very little corn is

Auguft 20. I left Litchfield and went to Afhby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, 17 miles. Soil light, and very suitable for turnips, barley, &c. to the production of which it is much applied: the furface pretty level; fine hedges, and a great number of trees thereon, particularly oak and ash, and the country in general is very pleasant. Here I fhall just remark to the north country farmer, that I do not remember seeing what he calls a dead bedge in any part of the fouth of England; every hedge is planted with fomething or other, which, with a very little repairs, is a continual good fence, a circumftance which ought to be more attended to in the northern counties; growing hedges contribute much towards foft-grown. The luxuriancy of the palturage ening the fharpness of the air. In this diftrict I again have the pleafure of feeing the beautiful and profitable Leicesterfhire breed of sheep, feeding on luxuriant paturage in pretty fields, a fight more truly pleafing, in my opinion, than all the fplendour the metropolis can afford. Afhby is a fall market town, and is inhabited by farmers, common tradefmen, and manufacturer's of stockings and hats; the country around it is fomewhat uneven, rather open, much in pafture, and, upon the whole, very agreeable. Farms from 40l. to 300l. a year, but moftly 50l. to gol. Rent of land 11. to 1l. 10s. per acre.

August 20. Afhby-de-la-Zouch to Leicester, 17 miles. The foil generally a ftrong clayey loam; land much in pafture, and grazed by fheep and cattle of the improved breeds. I croffed a long range of rocky hills, fome parts of which are rather mountainous; the rocks are hard, and of a blueish caft. This fcene reminds me of Cumberland and Weftmoreland. Approaching Leicester on this road, the town appears all at once from a finall eminence, at one mile and a half diftance, and has a pretty afpect. The

is beyond any thing I ever faw, and well ftocked with the fineft animals. I took a pleasant walk to feveral villages on different fides of this place, and paffed through many fine grazing farms of large extent, fome of which are occupied by gentlemen-farmers at a great distance: this, as well as changing the corn for the grazing fyftem, is much complained of by the lower orders of people. KibworthBeauchamp is a pretty farming village; the furrounding country is beautifully uneven, but the floping grounds have no rapid afcents or defcents. A few trees on hedges, and here and there a small plantation; thefe, added to the large pasturefields inclining to different directions, and depaftured with theep and cattle beautifully fpotted with red and white, gives the whole country the air of one great park. Size of farms, 20l. to 300l. a year, average about 100l. Rent 20 to 26s. per

acre.

About the year 1780, 3,600 acres were inclofed here, when the rector wa allowed, and accepted, one feventh part o the inclosure in lieu of tithes.

Auguft 28, Kibworth-Beauchamp to Brixworth in Northamptonshire, 17 miles. The roads pretty good, and for 10 or 12

miles

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miles goes through a fine grazing country; the furface rather uneven; trees numerous on hedge rows, but permit diftant objects to be feen from eafy rifing grounds: the foil a fort of clay, and cattle as before defcribed. Towards Brixworth the foil is more light, and the plow has more employ; good crops of turnips appear, and the people bufy getting in fine barley and oats. In all the districts I have paffed fince the commencement of harveft, I have observed, that barley and oats are cut with the fcythe, afterwards turned with rakes, then put into fmall cocks, and when fufficiently dry, carted home, and stacked in that loofe ftate; by that method much expence in reaping is faved, and both corn and ftraw got better off the ground; and I can fee no reafon why north country farmers fhould not adopt -it; but, fuch is the force of custom and prejudice, that it will probably be a very long time, before that judicious practice finds its way to Westmoreland and Cumberland. Brixworth is a farming village, and what is somewhat fingular, it wholly encompaffes a gentleman's feat, (whofe name I have forgot) gardens, pleafuzegrounds, &c. which are extenfive, and that without the villagers' being able to overlook any part of the gentleman's premifes. Here I lodged at the houfe of an honest Yorkshireman, who feemed to prefer this county to his own. In different parts of my tour, I frequently heard of north country curates and excifemen, and in London, the compting-houfes are much fupplied with country lads from Cumberland and Weftmoreland, who exchange the plow and flail for the pen, and prove as expert with the one as the other. Whether it be owing to the keen and pure air of thefe counties, which fharpens the genius of their inhahitants, or to the cafe and fmall expence with which education is acquired there, or to what other cause we ought to attribute the fuperior arithmetical and literary knowledge, &c. obfervable in the midling and lower claffes in the north, I fhall not attempt to determine; however, the fact, in my opinion, is indifputable. [To be continued.]

For the Monthly Magazine,
MR. EDITOR,

Tone Italian Literature, I now compleat the feries of my fentipropofe to lay before your readers, a fummary view of the best writers of the preceding centuries, and fome general re

marks on the language of that country. I fhall infert here the former part of my obfervations, and referve for a future Number of your Magazine, the latter part.

So great is the number of Italian writers upon all fubjects, that a foreigner, who wishes to acquire a knowledge of the tongue, is expofed to the hazard of making a bad choice, and to entertain, of courfe, the most strange prejudices against the books and their writers. The notice of fuch authors as have obtained the approbation of all ages and countries, would be fuperfluous; the names of Dante, Petrarca, Ariofto, Taffo, Guarini, Taffoni, and Sannazaro, speaking fufficiently for themfelves, as beyond all cenfure or praife. My intention is only to give my ideas concerning such as are well known in the republic of letters, but whofe merit has not been as yet exactly appreciated. In this review I fhall moreover limit myself to such writers as are of a general intereft, hiftorians, philologifts, poets, &c. and for fufficient reafons, I fhall take no notice of any of the prefent century, which is the true term from which the decay of the language has commenced,

Monsignor Della Cafa, is, in my opinion, the most truly correct and elegant of all the Italian writers. His works may be confidered as a model of what is called the didactic ftyle. He was archbishop of Benevento in the kingdom of Naples, and one of the greatest men in the golden age of learning. He publifhed, among other things, two ineftimable tracts on the "Civilities of Life," productions which must endure till the final diffolution of fociety. One of them is entitled, "Galateo, and contains precepts on the manners of common fociety; the other, intitled, "A Treatise on Common Duties," teaches how to behave in the relations connected with fuperior or inferior acquaintances.

A rival to the "Galateo" is the "Cortegiano, or Accomplished Gentleman," of Count Balthaffar Caftiglione, a Mantuan.

-That nobleman was bred in the fplendid court of the dukes of Urbino, and was well qualified, in every fenfe of the word, to write on the duties of courtiers. His ftyle is fprightly, elegant, natural, and eafy. By the Italians, the "Cortainly the epithet is applied juftly. tegiano" is called a golden book, and' cer

Cardinal Bembo, a Venetian, was in the court of Leo X. what in another illuftrious age the Mæcenafes were in ́that

of

Italian Literature.

of Auguftus. He is one of thofe who have deferved the best of Italian literature. His ftyle is admirable for the exquifite choice of words. He is cenfurable, however, for having conformed too much, by a fort of violence, to the genius of the Latin tongue; herein furnithing a bad precedent to the greater part of his cotemporaries.

However great be the progrefs of philofophy, and the exact fciences in other parts of Europe, and in spite of the prefent decay of Italy in history and poetry, the fuperiority of the Italians in hiftory cannot be called in question. What is still more remarkable is, that the best and greateft of those hiftorians are perfectly pure and elegant writers. Among thefe, Guicciardini and Machiavel take the lead. If the fciences could be appreciated by the judgment of men, like works of imagination, more difputes would have been Itarted in Italy concerning the respective merits of these two great political writers, than concerning the poetical fuperiority of Taffo and Ariolto. Both Guicciardini and Machiavel are fovereigns in the subjects of hiftory and politics; and the dignity of their ftyle is equal to their fentiments: it has been objected, however, to Guicciardini, that he is often too diffufe; and to Machiavel, that he has fometimes ftumbled in points of grammar.

In the next rank to Guicciardini is Bentivoglio. This excellent hiftorian was a cardinal, and had formerly been papal nuncio at Paris. He wrote the hiftory of the memorable war of the Netherlands, under Philip II. of Spain. His ftyle is natural, eafy, pure, and concife. Davila, Nani, and efpecially Paruta, are not at all inferior to Bentivoglio. The various hiftories of Davanfati, and, above all, his translation of Tacitus, are, however, in my opinion, the best calculated to give an advantageous idea of the Italian language to foreigners. It has been often objected to this tongue, that it is diffuse and imbecile: to avert this reproach, Davanfati undertook to tranflate into it the moft fententious writer of antiquity, and even to perform the task with a fewer number of words. His ftyle is therefore strong and pregnant with idea like the original: nor need any higher encomium be paffed upon him than to fay, that M. d'Alembert, allowed to be the moft concife of all the modern writers, has not been able to

tranflate Tacitus with more precision.

The Italian philologists of the greateft repute are Varchi, Caftelvetro,

109

No one

Muzio, and Beni, all of whom have
greatly contributed to the perfection
of the language. Their writings fur-
nifh alike both precept and example.
Varchi, a learned man of the first emi-
nence, was born in Florence, in the year
1502. His principal work is the history
of his country during the laft revolu̸-
tions of the republican government.
Next to this is the "Ercolano," which
treats wholly of language.
ever expreffed in Italian a philofophical
thought better than this elegant philo-
loger. Caftelvetro was born in Modena,
in the year 1505, and is celebrated for
his "Art of Poetry." Muzio, a Paduan,
was born in 1460; he left a number of
works, one of which is entitled " Strug-
gles in behalf of the Italian Language."
Beni was born in 1552, and was profef-
for of the belles lettres in Padua.
wrote a book called "L'Anticrufca,"
containing judicious critiques on the an-
cient Tuican writers.

He

The Italians have not excelled in political declamation, nor in bar eloquence. In pulpit eloquence, however, Father Segneri, a Jefuit, is not inferior to Maffillon or Tillotfon. He poffeffes a strong and infinuating elocution, and has carried the Italian language to its highest pitch of energy. He was born in Nettuno, near Rome, in 1694.

Foreigners who cultivate Italian fhould, before they enter on the ftudy of the claffical poets, make themselves familiar with two of them, whofe writings breathe the true genius of poetry, without the help of rhyme, figures, or common topics. I mean Alamanni and Marchetti. Alamanni wrote an excellent poem " On Husbandry," which has been compared to Virgil's "Georgics." Although he falls fhort of this comparifon, it is certain, that he has gained immortal honour in having been the first to employ the graces of poetry on didactic fubjects, and to rescue poetry itself from the thraldom of rhyme. Marchetti is, no doubt, the best Italian tranflator extant. many paffages he has furpaffed the Latin original of Lucretius: befides this merit, he will be ever dear to the Italians for having given to blank verfe all the majefty of poetry.

London.

In

J. DAMIANI.

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