picture, and with large illuftrations from the claffics, and other ancient authors, by way of notes.

Some of the pictures are extremely pleasing, especially the dancing Nymphs and Centaurs in the first volume.-The dra peries of the dancing, or aerial, Nymphs, are wonderfully light and flowing, fo that one fees them fufpended in the air almost without any idea of their gravity. The attitudes of fome of them are extremely elegant, and their motions apparently fmooth and graceful. The plain black grounds make a strong contrast to the figures, and being free from fubordinate obects, that generally (poil the pictures they are intended to embellish, the figures themselves engage the whole attention of the spectator, and have a good effect.

The Chiron and Achilles, the Marfyas and Olympus, and thè Domeftic Supper, in the fame volume, are striking pictures; and many of the boys at play are extremely agreeable.

The landscapes, of which there are multitudes, are curious, as they furnish ideas of the taste of ancient Italy, in sea ports, country buildings, and rural fcenes and diverfions.

In viewing many of these landscapes, as well as the pictu tefque architecture, our thoughts are irrefiftably led to the Oriental ftyle of gardening and ornament, and particularly to that of the Chinese, which bears fo near a resemblance to that of Herculaneum, that one would almost imagine there had formerly been more connexion between the civilized part of Europe and the Eaft of Afia, than the writings of the ancients would lead us to believe; and we cannot but apprehend that a more perfect knowledge of the prefent manners of Indoftan, and other parts of the Eaft, would throw great light upon Greek and Roman antiquities.

In the second volume we meet with a fet of Mufes, not finely drawn, but many of them in good attitudes, preceded by a very indifferent character of an Apollo Mufagetes: and a little farther we are prefented with two prints of the expofition of Ariadne on the coafts of the island of Naxos; in the defign and compofition of which there is great merit.

In the former, Ariadne appears alone, feated upon a couch Jaid upon the fhore, under a tremendous rock, beaten by the waves of the fea. She fupports her body with one hand, and extends the other, in which he holds up a part of her garment, towards the veffel that has juft left her upon the fhore, and is beginning to move away, with that grace and perfuafive eloquence of gefture that he might hope would make her cruel Thefeus relent: while the action of the only figuve feen in the veffel plainly indicates that her eloquence is in vain, and that the only concern on board is to crowd all the fail they can, and to fly as speedily as poffible out of her fight......

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The idea of this picture is well expreffed; there are few objects, and those effentially neceffary; no fubordinate trumpery, and minute divifions, to take off the mind from the principal fentiment. The vaft ocean; the craggy rock; the departing veffel; and a beautiful woman, abandoned by a cruel and ungrateful lover, whofe life fhe had faved, are all the materials of this picture; and they are fo employed by the judicious painter, who knew where to ftop, as to produce that full, clear, and almoft inftantaneous effect, which all intricate and tumultuous pictures muft for ever want.

In the next picture we see the fame Ariadne in an agony of grief, with her face and eyes lifted up towards heaven; not vulgar grief, but fuch as might become the daughter of Mines. The fhip is far out at fea: a sweet Cupid, with his bow unftrung, and dartlefs arrows, weeping by her fide; and a winged female behind, ftretching out one arm towards the veffel, and refting the other upon Ariadne's fhoulder: perhaps meaning to fay that, "though this lovely woman is abandoned by a faithlefs man, fhe fhall be fupported by the gods;"-which does not ill agree with the fequel of her hiftory.

In the third volume we have a great variety of curious pictures, that may ferve to illuftrate the manners and taste of the place and age in which they were executed; but none of them are excellent, though fome few, from the attitudes and compofition, feem to indicate that they were derived from nobler originals.

In the fourth volume Nos 189, 195, 201, 207, and 211, feem to be fragments of valuable pictures. The reft of this volume has the fame kind of merit as the third.

The fifth volume contains prints of a great number of excellent bufts: and the fixth, as we faid before, is the firft volume of the general catalogue.

1. Connoiffeurs of the most critical taste, who have examined the originals at Portici, inform us that the drawings of the best pieces in this work are not equal to the originals; and fo far as we can judge, from the copy before us, which we apprehend indeed is not an early impreffion, the engravings in general are far from being excellent, though fome of them are delicately touched, and above mediocrity.

At the fame time we muft acknowledge the work to be of immense value, confidering the variety and importance of its contents; and we hope to fee the effects of this vaft harveft of antiquities, in the improvement of all the arts that depend upon defign: but we apprehend there may be fome reafon to doubt whether this vaft profufion of materials, publifhed under the venerable name of Antiques, in which good and bad things are indifcriminately blended, may not be a temptation to many of

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our artists to employ them too generally, and scatter them with too bountiful a hand over the walls of our apartments.

It ought to be remembered that Herculaneum was destroyed at a time when the decay of tafte, in the fine arts, was lamented by the best Roman writers; that in every place, and in every age, there are a hundred ugly things called ornaments for one good defign or compofition: that ornament, from its nature as ornament, requires to be used very fparingly; that much space, fhould always be left for the repofe of the eye; that all objects of fight fhould bear a due proportion to the magnitude of the fpace in or upon which they are to be feen, and to the distance at which they are to be viewed; and, laftly, that no compofition can be good which has not a fuitable effect; that is, that does not please, move, or properly exercife the mind of an intelligent fpectator.

It is with pleasure we obferve the rapid progrefs which the fine arts have lately made in this country; and we believe nothing has contributed more to it than the ftudy of the antique: but at the fame time we beg leave earnestly to recommend to our artifts a close attention to the principles of beauty, as they are founded in Nature, and inveftigated by many ingenious authors, who have written particularly on this fubject; that they may know how to choofe and apply the materials they poffefs to the beft advantage; and then we fhall not fo frequently be disgusted with cielings and walls of faloons, and drawing-rooms painted, all over with ftrings of flowers and grotefque fcrawls, better cal-, culated for the embellishment of toys and fan-mounts; nor fee. huge draperies and heavy wreaths borrowed from the ftone-, mafon, overwhelming our veffels of filver, often as deftitute of beauty in the form, as of proportion in the ornaments.

Nor fhould we did our painters understand the true principles of their art, and especially the divine beauty of fimplicity, fee in our exhibitions fo many laboured and well-pencilled works, which have no fault but the want of effect upon the fpectator.

ART. II.

Hiftoire philofophique et politique, des Etabliffemens et du Commerce des Europeens dans les deux Indes.-A philofophical and political History of the Settlements and Commerce of the Europeans in the East and' Weft Indies. 8vo. 6 Vols. Amfterdam.

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OMMERCE, which connects the most diftant countries, and is productive of the most important and interesting confequences, cannot fail of affording a fruitful fource of reflection to the philofopher and the politician. But, in general, it has been treated by men who understood only its mechanilm or practice, and who were unable thoroughly to investi

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gate the alterations which it will naturally occafion in the condition and arrangements of nations.

This, however, we obferve with pleafure, is not the cafe with the Author of the prefent performance. The advantages and the calamity which have accrued to the ftates of Europe, from their settlements and trade to the East and West Indies, he has explained with fingular ability. He appears to have perufed, with much attention, every work from which he could gather information; and his penetration and ingenuity have enabled him to make the beft ufe of the ample materials which he had collected. It is difficult to determine whether his Readers will be more enlightened by his facts, or by his reflections. Nothing can exceed his accuracy in the former, or the depth and juftnefs of his views in the latter. Of his narration, it is fufficient to fay, that it is generally fpirited, and that it sometimes exhibits ftrokes of a manly and pathetic eloquence.

As the great extent of this work does not permit us to attempt an analysis of it, we fhall prefent only a fingle specimen to our Readers; and with this view we fhall give an extract from our Author's deduction of the rife and progress of commerce in England.

It is not known, fays he, at what period the Britannic inlands were peopled; and the origin of their first inhabitants is involved in obfcurity. All that we learn from thofe hiftorical monuments which are the most worthy of credit, is, that they were fucceffively frequented by the Phenicians, the Carthaginians, and the Gauls. The traders of these nations went there to exchange earthen vafes, falt, and inftruments made of iron and brass, for hides, flaves, dogs, and tin. But in thefe early times the Britains were in the ftate of favages, who are equally ignorant of the value of what they receive, and of what they part with.

If we give way to vague fpeculation we may fuppofe that iflanders arrive the fooneft at refinement. The inhabitants of a continent can at the fame time fly from danger, and find the neceffaries of life. But in iflands, the calamities of war, and of a confined interc urfe, we fhould imagine, would almoft inftantly produce a neceffity for conventions and laws. It hap pens, notwithstanding, that manners and government are there formed flowly, and exift imperfectly. Hiftory and tradition atteft this fact; and it is particularly applicable to Great Britain,

The dominion of the Romans in this ifland was too much difputed, and lafted not long enough, to advance the industry of the inhabitants. Even the fmall progrefs which, during this period, they had made in civilization and the arts, was annihilated as foon as these fierce conquerors abandoned them.

Befides,

Befides, the fervile fpirit which the inhabitants of the southern provinces had contracted, reftrained them from repelling the incurfions of the Picts, who had faved themfelves from the Ro man yoke by retreating to the northern extremities of the island and made them give way to the obftinate valour of those bands, that came to overwhelm them from the most northern quarters of Europe,

No country efcaped the ravages of the barbarians; ravages the most deftructive of which history has preferved the remem brance; but in Britain, the calamities that were fuffered are inexpreffible. Every year its fields were laid wafte, the houses of its inhabitants were burned, their wives and daughters were ravished, the churches were spoiled of their ornaments and riches; its people were maffacred, tortured, or reduced to the condition of flaves. When the country was defolated, and of fered nothing to excite the avidity of thefe enemies, they ftill contended for its poffeffion. Nation fucceeded to nation; the invading hord or tribe chafed before them or exterminated that which had already eftablished 'itfelf. A crowd of revolutions perpetuated idleness, miftruft, and mifery. There is reafon to think, that during thefe unfortunate times, the Britains carried on no trade with the continent. Barter, or the exchange of commodities became even fo rare among them, that witnesses were neceffary to give validity to the meanest purchase.

Such was the 'fituation of affairs when William the Conqueror fubdued Great Britain, a little after the middle of the eleventh century. Thofe who followed his fortunes had been bred in countries more polifhed, more active and industrious than that in which they were to fettle. The natural confes quence of this communication ought to have been the extending the ideas of the vanquished. But, as this did not happen, it must be ascribed to the introduction of the feudal government, which, at this period,' was the fource both of the ftability and diforder of the kingdoms of Europe. Under these imperfect inftitutions England continued to languifh; and its civil wars were a new calamity that repreffed and retarded its refinement.

"The whole of its commerce was managed by Jews, and bankers from Lombardy, whom they encouraged and plun dered, whom they regarded as useful and neceffary, yet punished; whom they alternately, fent into exile, and recalled from it. Thefe diforders were augmented by the audacity of pirates, who indifferently attacked all veffels, and were fometimes under the protection of government, which fhared'in their spoils. The intereft of money was at fifty per cent. It exported for a small fum, hides, fur, butter, lead, and tin; and thirty thoufand bags of wool brought it a profit more confiderable. But as the

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