lian author, who has written an ac count of the library, fpeaks of the room in these words, è così nobile e maefofo, e di sì rara, e perfetta architettura, che lingua umana non ha lode baftevole per commendarla*.

Here you have the ftile of modern Italy. How different from the Ciceronean, or even the latter ages of Rome! The Italian language feems adapted to flattery and high-flown thoughts. It has the honour to have arisen out of the afhes of the Latin Tongue, which fubfifted, and was generally spoken in Italy, impure indeed, till the time of St. Bernard, and the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa. After the twelfth century, it was entirely loft in converfation, and remained only in public acts, and public prayers; and even in them, mixed, confounded, and fcarce intelligible.

Towards the middle of the thirteenth century, fuch base coin being of no currency, fome ingenious men, particularly Brunetti, and afterwards his difciple Dantè, the three Villani, and others, began to form a new language, a more fweetfounding, fofter kind of Latin,

which they appropriated to the ufeand benefit of their own country. Towards the middle of the fourteenth century appeared Petrarch. The Italians juftly call the fourteenth century, the age of pu"rity," as their language flourished very particularly in that æra. Petrarch was the Waller of his day.

In the fifteenth century, the correctness and encouragement of Greek and Latin, was revived throughout Italy, and especially in Florence, under the influence of the houfe of Medici. The Italian language remained in equilibre till it was raifed again by Politianus +, and farther encreased in purity and fimplicity by Sannazarius 1.

In the fixteenth century appeared Cardinal Bembo's remarks on the Italian language, a book at that time much applauded.

In the beginning of that century an academy was established in Florence for arts and fciences, particularly for languages. In the year 1580, it had the authority of regular ftatutes. It was begun, inftituted, and patronized by the princes

of

of the house of Medici. The dictionary della Crufca*, a molt perfe & work in its kind, was forty years in compiling.

The Italian language lies under the imputation of weakness and effeminacy. On a thorough and candid inquifition, it will be acknowledged foft, but ftrong; gentic, but expreffive; fit indeed for love and compliments. Too much of it has been applied in that ftrain; but look into the hiftorians, I mean thofe of real worth, you will find nervous fenfe, decorated with forcible words, and fupported by judicious obfervations. For a moment let me play the part of a grammarian, and fay, that the diminutives and augmentatives are to be envied by every English writer. The gerunds and infinitive moods, when turned, as frequently, into fubftantives, are fufficient to wipe away all afperfions of imbecility. Whence then, you fay, arife thefe fuggeftions? I believe I can account for them.

They arife from a fingular fafhion, deemed politeness, of speaking to men in the feminine gender; a method, which, however eftablished by custom, must always ap-. pear to frangers, unnatural and abfurd. It is not fufficient to banish the words thou and thee in the Jecond perfon, which are univerfally underflood as vulgarifms, but you must be excluded, and the third perfon feminine introduced into the place, Signora ella malcreato, è

would fcarce be tranflated by a novice in the language, Sir, you are uncivil." It is difficult to guess from whence this odd piece of good. breeding and courtlinefs could arife. Surely not in complaisance to the Welch, who in the very depth of blundering, make use of fhe and her, instead of he and him ; little imagining that they may be faid to draw their muddy water from the pure fountain of La Crufca.

Before we shut our grammar, let us try a sentence of Florentine ele gance, in the rough plain English tongue. "Sir, as I have the ho"nour to speak to her, and as I find he is general of our army, I hope he will permit me to ak my orders from her, as upon her "courage, ftrength, and bravery, "depends the fuccefs of the day." With full as much propriety the Amazons might have affumed the appellative be; and Acca might have mourned over her mistrefs Čamilla, by exclaiming, "Ah! he was a dear and excellent lady,

nor would be have expired in my "arms by any incident lefs embar"raffing, than his petticoats being "in his way." The confufion of fexes muft produce abfurdity and feeming weakness in any language whatever.

Three extraordinary Pieces of WaxWork, in one of the Rooms adjoin

a duke, have privilege of entering, and the whole caftle is encompaffed with a large dry ditch; over which are draw-bridges. The emblem of this king was a falamander in Aames, which is placed alternately with a crowned F round the turrets, as also carried over the gateway. The apartments within are noble, and the conveniencies for the fervants very great. The gardens are not large, but there is, perhaps, the fineft terrace in the world on the fide of the foreft, two thousand feven hundred yards long, and fifty broad, from which you have a view of the Seine, and a most beautiful country. The forest itfelf is of vaft extent, and finely wooded, cut into walks and flars; and is by nature as much fitted for walking, as any garden in England As by art. In this paluce the fucceeding kings of France generally lived, till Lewis XIV. (who was born here) built Verfailles, much more extenfive, lefs noble, and refigned this to King James II. fince the death of whofe widow the royal lodgings have been unfurnished, and it is now of much the fame ufe that Somerset-houfe is in London. There are ftill fome remains of that abdicated court: amongst others, is Lady Middleton, fifter to Lady Weftmoreland, and two years older than herself, in perfect poffeffion of her health and fentes. She followed her husband out of England, was Jady of the bed-chamber to Queen Mary, and governefs to the Princefs Louifa, whofe picture I faw, and, if I had not feen it there, fhould have taken it for our Princefs Caroline. This poor lady, while I

youngest fon, whofe ftory has fomething fo particular, that (as I can anfwer both for the truth and knowledge of the perfons who told it me) believing it may entertain you, I will relate it.

He was born about the time of the Revolution, and chriftened Charles. As foon as his mother was able to travel, (as I faid before) the followed her husband, taking this boy along with her; whofe beauty, when he grew up, was only equalled by the wit, politeness, and a thousand other perfections that he poffeffed, and that made him the admiration and delight of all his acquaintance. When he was old enough, he entered into the army, where his behaviour was anfwerable to all his other merits. One winter, that his regiment was quartered in Normandy, he lodged in the houfe of an officer, who had an only daughter, young, pretty, and ingenious. You will eafily guess, the event of this acquaintance was first a liking, and then a love; and that fo violent and open on his fide, that the father thought fit to interpofe, and tell him, with all the respect due from an inferior, and all the warmth of an alarmed parent, that "he knew his daughter undeferving of the honour of being his wife, but also thought her above being his mifirefs." On this he was obliged to quit the houfe, but could not quit his paf. fion; and finding equal return from the young lady, he, to affure her of his faith, and himself of hers, gave and received a contract. As this affair could not pafs in filence, Lord Clare, (who was his colonel)

and others of his relations, fent word of it to Lady Middleton, who immediately ordered him to return home; where he made ufe of fo many arguments, threats, and perfuafions, (amongst others, that he would ruin the young woman he loved, as well as himself) that after contending with them for two or three years, he yielded to write a letter, in which he faid, that he believed it would be happier for her to think no more of a "man, whofe friends were determined never to receive her; and that he might not be a hindrance to her fortune elsewhere, he returned her promife, and defired his." The lady fent it directly, affuring him fhe had never taken it with an intention to injure him, whofe happinefs the preferred to her own, and heartily wifhed it him in fome more worthy choice; but did not long outlive her generofity, and his change, falling into a confumption, and dying within the year. The news of which made fuch an impreffion on Mr. Middleton, that from the most lively, he became the moft melancholy of men; and, though he lived fome years after, he never enjoyed life, for the last three months of which, he fecluded himself from all company, and died of a fever that had no appearance of being mortal.

You fee, dear Madam, by the length of my difcourfe, I do not mean to part foon with you, whenever you come, for I find myfelf on the laft fide of my paper, and have not asked you one of those many things I want to know. The actions, the words, the defigns of

our acquaintances, must be agree. able to hear of, if you relate them; for even the duke of Marlborough's purchase, in Lady Hertford's letter, is worth the money. Write me word then, dear madam, what is doing where we do no more, but, fafe in harbour, fee the main covered with floating veffels, fome failing with aufpicious gales, fome ftruggling with adverfe winds, fome cruifing, fome finking. I am not out of humour with the world, though retired from it, and therefore fhould take as much pleafure in hearing how it goes, as in feeing a new play; where, though I am no actor, I am as attentive to the opening, progrefs, and catastrophe of the plot. I believe, you will more than once with, (if you have the patience to read this out) that I had thought of concluding fooner; but fince I have gone fo far, I muft detain you fo much longer, as to fay, I am, dear Madam,

Your Ladyship's most faithful,
and most obedient,

humble fervant, Henrietta Louisa Pomfret.

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