the state of the arts at prefent, as it seems in general to be accurate, and deduced from his own obfervation. Two* Speaking, in the preface, of his motives for presenting Dolce to the public in an English drefs,' he fays, more especially at this time, when, after feveral attempts to establish the arts of painting and fculpture in this kingdom, we at length have a fair profpe&t of their fettling among us. flourishing focieties have been formed for effecting this purpose, under the patronage of our most excellent fovereign; and the merits of feveral artifts belonging to each of them, give us hopes that the idea of an English fchool is not fo abfurd as fome writers, proud of what they esteem a more favourable climate, have reprefented it. We fee a noble spirit of emulation among our own artists, from which, and the liberal encouragement thofe of the greatest merit among them have received, we have a favourable profpect that this kingdom, already celebrated for its fuperiority in arms, will not be less fo for the arts. • If we confider the ftate in which they are at prefent in the feveral countries where they formerly flourished, we thall find them not inferior in our own to any. They have totally deferted Greece, for a long time their favourite abode; and are fo far degenerated in Italy (where they revived in the pontificates of Julius II. Leo X. and Clement VII. after having lain in oblivion above one thousand years) that we hear of very few celebrated painters there, and of none to rank with the old mafters, fince the death of Carlo Maratti, and Sebaftiano Conca. France, the fucceffor of Italy, finds her glories fading very faft. The encouragement the arts received under Louis XIV. enabled them for a time to hold up their heads; but the national character of the people, and the nature of the government, would not permit any long train of fuccefs. If we may be allowed to judge by the exhibition at the Louvre, this laft fummer, 1769, they are indeed at a low ebb. Although they have only one exhibition in two years, and the artists are not divided into feveral diftinct bodies, as they are here, it acquires no hesitation to say, that the pictures neither equalled in number, or merit, our annual exhibitions." This obfervation he proves by a critique on the paintings exhibited, for which we must refer the reader to the book itfelf, it being too long for an extract We come now to the Dialogue between the celebrated Aretin and John Francis Fabrini, one of his literary contemporaries, who, * The incorporated Society of Artifts and the Royal Academy. from speaking of Titian's well-known picture of the death of Peter Martyr, enter into a dispute on the comparative merits of Raphael and Michael Angelo, the latter of whom is fuppofed by Fabrini to be the most excellent painter that ever exifted. Aretin (whom Dolce has very properly made his principal speaker) propofes to fhew the falfity of this opinion, by a comparison of their respective merits, in the feveral particular excellencies of a painter. In order to this he enters into a difcuffion of the fubject of painting, in general, as a neceffary ground-work to the comparison, and divides his difcourfe into feven parts: 1. Of painting in general; its utility and elegance. 2. Its divifions; and firft of invention. 3. Of defign; with obfervations on compofition. 4. Of colouring; with fome reflections on expreffion. 5. A comparison of the refpective merits of Raphael and Michael Angelo on each of these heads. 6. An hiftorical account of Titian, .and his works. 7. Some strictures on the merits of the other contemporary mafters; as Lionardo da Vinci, Giorgione, Julio Romano, Correggio, &c. In the three divifions on the component parts of painting, the author is in general clear, and explicit: but the nature of the perfpective part not easily admitting of an extract, we can only fay, that we think it may be useful to the students in painting.. The comparison illuftrates the precepts, and is drawn with candor and attention. The historical account of Titian, with the ftrictures on the merits of the contemporary painters, are judicious and entertaining. The following anecdote of Titian's first appearance as a painter, may fuffice for a fpecimen of the work. Titian, leaving the ignorant Gentil, his first mafters applied himself to John Bellin; but not perfectly pleased with his manner, he chofe Giorgio da Caftelfranco, Defigning and painting with Giorgione, as he was called, he became, fhortly, fo excellent in his art, that when Giorgione was painting the front of the German warehouse which looks over the great canal, that part already mentioned regarding Mercery was given to Titian, who was not yet quite twenty years of age; in which he painted Judith fo admirably, both for defign. and colouring, that on its being opened to public view, and generally thought to be the work of Giorgione, all his friends congratulated him upon it, as far the best thing he ever had. done. Giorgione replied with regret, that it was the work of a difciple who already thewed himself greater than his mafter; and what is more, he ftayed at home feveral days, VOL. XXX. July, 1770. behaving behaving like a madman, that such a youth fhould furpas him.' This work has one great advantage for the ftudent, which is that of brevity. A few rules, and a great deal of practice, bid much fairer for fuccefs than the reading of very long works. Laireffe is too long, and wants method. Mr. Webb's Enquiry into the Beauties of Painting, though admirably written, is rather a book for a connioffeur than a ftudent; Dryden's tranflation of Du Frefnoy, with the notes, is the most useful book hitherto published; and the prefent publication appears to be a very proper companion to it. The notes with which this work is furnished, are useful in pointing out the opinion of later writers, the different difpofition of pictures at prefent, and fometimes enlarging upon or illuftrating the author. Upon the whole, we are of opinion that the clearness of the precepts here delivered, the circumftance of the Tinca, and the fcarcity of the original, were very fufficient and proper motives to induce the tranflator to this publication; and we recommend it both to the ftudent and the connoiffeur as an useful manual of the art. V. Sermons on Several Subjects, by Thomas Secker, LL.D. late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. Published from the Original Manufcripts, by Beilby Porteus, D. D. and George Stinton, D. D. his Grace's Chaplains. 4 Vols. 8vo. 16s. White. To O these discourses the editors have prefixed a review of his grace's life and character; the fubftance of which we fhall give our readers in the following abridgment. Dr. Thomas Secker was born in 1693, at Sibthorp in Nottinghamshire. His father was a Proteftant Diffenter, who, having a finall paternal fortune, followed no profeffion. He received his education at several private schools and academies in the country. Before he was twenty he made a confiderable progrefs in Greek and Latin, in the Oriental languages, in geography, algebra, &c. In the academy of one Mr. Jones, kept firft at Gloucester, then at Tewkesbury, he laid the foundation of a strict friendship with Mr. Butler, afterwards bifhop of Durham. Mr. Secker had been de flined by his father for orders among the Diffenters. With this view his ftudies were chiefly turned towards divinity. But not being able to fatisfy himself with regard to fome abftrufe doctrines, nor to determine abfolutely what communion he fhould embrace, he refolved to pursue some profeffion which fhould not oblige him to declare, or teach publickly, opiniors which were not yet thoroughly settled in his own mind. He therefore, about the end of the year 1716, applied himself to the study of phyfic, and attended the best lectures of anatomy, &c. during that and the following winter, in London. In order to improve himself still more in the knowledge of that science, he went to Paris in January 1718-19. There he lodged in the fame houfe with Mr. Winflow, the famous anatomift, whose lectures he attended, and at the fame time, those of the materia medica, chemistry, and botany at the king's gardens. The operations of furgery he faw at the Hôtel Dieu, and attended alfo for fome time M. Gregoire, the accoucheur, but without any design of ever practising that, or any other branch of furgery. Here he became acquainted with Albinus, father Montfaucon, &c. and contracted an intimacy with Mr. Benfon, afterwards bishop of Gloucester. During his continuance at Paris he kept up a constant correfpondence with Mr. Butler, who before this time had taken orders, and on the recommendation of Dr. Clarke, and Mr. Edward Talbot, fon to bifhop Talbot, was appointed by Sir Jofeph Jekyll, preacher at the Rolls. Mr. Butler took occafion to mention his friend Mr. Secker, without his knowledge, to Mr. Talbot; who promised, in cafe he chose to take orders in the church of England, to engage the bishop his father to provide for him. This was communicated to Mr. Secker in a letter from Mr. Butler, about the beginning of May 1720. He had not at that time come to any resolution of quitting the study of phyfic; but he began to foresee many obftacles to his pursuing that profeffion; and having never difcontinued his application to theology, his former difficulties, both with regard to conformity, and fome other doubtful points, had gradually leffened, as his judgment became ftronger, and his reading and knowledge more extenfive. It appears alfo from two of his letters, ftill in being, written from Paris to a friend in England, both of them prior to the date of Mr. Butler's abovementioned, that he was greatly diffatisfied with the divifions, which, at that period, prevailed among the Diffenters. In this state of mind Mr. Butler's unexpected proposal found him, which he was therefore very well difpofed to take into confideration; and after deliberating carefully on the subject of fuch a change for upwards of two months, he refolved at length to embrace the offer, and for that purpose quitted France about the beginning of August 1720. On his arrival in England he was introduced to Mr. Talbot, with whom he cultivated a close acquaintance. But it was unfortunately of very short duration; for in December that fently roufed from this fituation by the agitation of my mind, and propofed that a kind of way should be made over the ice with boards or branches of trees; but the people were fo obftinate, that they found all my propofals impracticable, and peremptorily refufed undertaking them. This made fuch an impreffion on me, that I was inclined to force them to go along with me; but the project which then came into my head, of buying up the horfes and conducting ourselves, made me a little more calm. I went out for a moment to confider what I should do, and imagined this laft fcheme was the most eligible; as my attendants feemed refolved never to leave me. I came into the house again pretty calm, called for fomething for fupper, and gave brandy to every body; as the first thing neceffary, after what had paffed, was to bring people into good humour again. <In the mean time my thermometer was brought me, and I fixed it against the wall, to determine the heat of this place, which was fuffocating. The people were as much furprized at this inftrument, as the inhabitants of Kuzmodemiansk had been at the barometer, which they took for a clock. The thermometer had the greater effect on the people of Vakfarina, as it rofe with great velocity when brought out of the cold air into a very hot ftove. Obferving they were very attentive to this phenomenon, I told them, without any particular intention, that the thermometer pointed out heat and cold; that the mercury rofe in the firft, and fell in the laft inftance. This fimple explanation was not understood; they thought there was fomething wonderful in the inftrument, which I foon perceived, and determined to take my advantage of it. The thermometer prefently rofe to twenty-five degrees, I then took hold of it, and very confidently told them, that by carrying it out of doors it would fhew us whether there was any danger in croffing the river; and that if there was not, it would fall down to a eertain point which I fhewed them. This point was one degree below o: the thermometer, at this time, was generally two or three degrees below that point in the open air; and the place I marked was more than four inches below the twenty-five degrees. They directly fixed the thermometer out of doors: I came in immediately, and spoke no more about going away. I foon perceived that ignorance and fuperftition were at work in their minds, already agitated by fome expreffions I had dropped about the defign of my journey, and which they understood no more than the use of some of my instruments they had seen. : I was employed in making them drink, when the moft ftubborn fellow among them, who had flipped out without my feeing him, came in again, and told me with enthufiafm, that the animal had got down below the mark. They all ran immediately to be convinced of this fact, and I had now no difficulty to ftruggle with, except that of hindering my interpreter from explaining that the mercury was not an animal. I prefently got a fufficient number of horfes, and the poftilions went away immediately the one who had been moft fullen all the day, was now the warmest in the cause. I gave him the care of the fledge where my inftruments were; he went foremost, and the others followed. As foon as we got out of the hamlet we difcovered the river, and this was the only obje&t we could difcern, in the midft of the darknefs which covered this hemifphere the faint glimmering of the ftars, reflected in the water, which flowed on the uneven furface of the ice, made us fee the river at a distance, by the different fhades of their dim light, and made an appear |