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Eleven additional Letters from Russia, in the Reign of Peter II. By the late Mrs. Vigor. Never before published, With a Preface and Notes. Small 8vo. 15. 6d. Dodley.

The Letters formerly published by this lady commenced with the year 1730, and terminated in 1739*; but all in the prefent collection bear the dates of one or other of the two years preceding the first of those periods. The late Mrs. Vigor was the daughter of the Rev. Mr. Goodwin, a clergyman of large fortune in Yorkshire, which, after her brother's death, devolved to her. She was married fucceffively to three husbands; the firit of whom was conful-general to Ruffia, and the fecond was refident at that court. She died at Windfor in September laft, aged eighty-four. Her understanding, which was ftrong by nature, fhe had cultivated both by books and an extenfive commerce with the world; and her vivacity was the delight of all who had the pleafure of her acquaintance. With thefe talents, he was eminently qualified for obfervation, as well as for communicating her ideas either by oral or literal intercourse. Her Letters, therefore, contain many curious particulars relative to perfons of diftinction at Petersburgh; and they are written with that agreeable ease which ought to be the chief characteristic of epiftolary compofition.

Lectiones Select; or Select Latin Leons in Morality, Hiflory, and Biography. By the Rev. John Adams. 12m0. 8d. Law.

From the extreme facility of thefe Leffons, they are not calculated to convey the idioms of the Latin; but they may be ufed with advantage by boys who are just beginning the study of that language.

The Tea-Purchaser's Guide. Small Evo. 15. Kearsley.

The author of this pamphlet delivers the common obfervations relative to the judging of teas; and likewife the methods of qualifying any fort of tea, by mixing it with another. Ac cording to his information, great quantities of bad prize-teas are at this time in London, and are faid to be the cause of the complaint fo prevalent with respect to this commodity.

* See Crit. Rev. vol. xl. p. 165.

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CRITICAL REVIEW.

For AUGUST, 1785.

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Travels in the Two Sicilies, by Henry Swinburne, Esq. in the Years 1717, 1778, 1779, and 1780. Vol. II. 4to. in Boards. Elmfly.

WE

E have now the pleasure to refume the narrative of this agreeable traveller, who, after his return from Puglia, devoted the cooler days of summer and autumn to excurfions in the neighbourhood of Naples. This is a fcene which has often been described by other authors; but every object receives fresh beauty from the imitative pencil of Mr. Swin burne. His first voyage was to the island of Capri, anciently called Capreæ, about eighteen miles fouth of Naples, at the entrance of the gulf. Steep cliffs and grand maffes of rock, he obferves, gave it a wildnefs of feature which, as he approached, was gradually foftened by patches of verdure, and clufters of white houses.

The landscape round the place of debarking, fays he, is 'composed of various trees rich in luxuriant foliage, cottages raised on terraces, a fmooth ftrand with bufy groups of mariners, painted boats drawn on shore, or dancing on the furge, villas peeping through the grove, and, to complete the fcene, bold rocks projecting into the bofom of the deep. On a ridge between two rugged eminences, which form the extremities of the land, and rear their fhaggy fummits to a tremendous height, I difcovered the cupolas and buildings of the epifcopal city; at a distance it had the appearance of a confiderable place, on a nearer view it dwindled to a village.

From the town I followed an ancient caufeway to the eastern fummit of Capri, where cliffs of ftupendous attitude overhang the channel that feparates the island from Cape Campanella. Though my eyes had long been accustomed to vaft, as well as charming profpects, yet the view from hence is fo extenfive, grand, and beautiful, that it was impoffible to behold it without emotions of furprife and rapture at one glance I took in a range of coaft exceeding one hundred miles in length, VOL. LX. Auguft, 1785. G reach.

reaching from Mondragone to Cape della Licofa. Within these bounds is comprifed an affemblage of objects that few countries can boast of; before me lay feveral rich and populous islands; Naples, with all its hills and swarming suburbs, backed by the towering Appenine; Vefuvius pouring forth volumes of fmoke; at its feet innumerable villages and verdant plains contrasted with purple lavas; immediately under me Minerva's Promontory advancing towards C-pri, and dividing the Neapolitan bay from the femicircular bafon of Salerno, at the bottom of which the fun-beams pointed out the white ruins of Pæftum.’

This island was polluted with the infamous pleasures of Tiberius Cæfar, who built upon it twelve villas, the ruins of fome of which are yet to be feen. Vaft numbers of stockdoves and quails are here intercepted in their annual flights, by means of nets laid across every break in the woods, or chafm in the hills. We are informed that eight years ago, in the month of May, forty-five thoufand were taken in the course of one day.

Our author concludes his account of Capri with the following remark.

This ifle reunites fuch a variety of beauties and advantages, that it is a matter of wonder to me, why fo few of our my fanthropic countrymen refort to it; a man of an indolent philofophical caft would here be fuited with a fcene for meditation and folitary enjoyments; the temperature of the air, and the excellence of the fruits, would fecure his health; and the delightful fcenery around him would difpel his cares, and give an even chearful flow to his fpirits. An English gentleman of the name of Thorold, fpent many years of his life here, at a charming retreat, which he had formed with every convenience the climate required, in one of the most agreeable fituations upon, the ifland. If I am not misinformed, he breathed his laft, and was interred in this his favourite refidence.'

The island of Ifchia, formerly known by the names of Inarime, Arime, and Pithecufa, is likewife defcribed by our author as a moft defirable retreat. He obferves, that for richnefs of foil, abundance of products, and beauty of fituation, it may vie with the most celebrated spots on the face of the globe.

On the fhore of Patria are fome heaps of ftones, the ruins of Liternum. This place was rendered venerable by the voluntary exile of Cornelius Scipio Africanus. About fix miles eastward is the infulated rock, where ftood the citadel of Cuma; the capital of a state which, as the traveller obferves, ruled the feas before either Rome or Carthage were heard of.

This rocky hill, fays Mr. Swinburne, is the produce of an eruption, and hollowed into many fpacious caverns, amongst

which

Which we look in vain for the grotto where the Cumean fybil pronounced her oracles; that fanctuary was deftroyed in the Gothic war. Agathias informs us, that it was fcooped into the form of a temple, the roof of which ferved as a foundation for one of the principal towers of the fortrefs. When Narfes invetted the citadel, he caused this rocky cover to be cut through in feveral directions, and then propped up with beams; as foon as every thing was in readiness for the affault, the wood was fet on fire. Upon the props being confumed, the rocks gave way, and brought the walls down headlong with them into the temple; and on these accamulated ruins the imperial troops entered the breach.'

On landing at the canal by which the lake Fufaro discharges its fuperfluous waters into the fea of Ifchia, the traveller was fhown fome ruins, faid to be thofe of the tomb of Caius Marius. At the foot of the fhelving promontory of Mifeno, are also the scattered ruins of a city of that name; and the remains of a theatre are very apparent. A fine fragment of the marble cornice is yet left, to bear teftimony to the elegance with which it was decorated in the rich luxuriancy of the compofite order. The channel where the fleet of Agrippa moored, has now, as Mr. Swinburne remarks, but one crazy cobble, ftationed to ferry over travellers. He paffed it to the Elyfian fields, which are bounded on the north fide by a small eminence covered with vines. The furface of the bank is hollowed into numberlefs caves and places of fepulture; and an ancient way leads from the ferry towards Capua, between rows of monumental buildings, which, from being filled with the afhes of the dead, are now occupied by living peafants.

Under the lofty headlands of the celebrated Baix, the fands abound with fragments rolled from the ruins; and fome men employ themselves in the fummer in dragging the bottom of the fea with fmall bafkets. They wash the fand in feveral waters, and feldom fail of bringing up a cornelian or medal that repays them for their time and labour. Near the foot of Monte Nuovo, we are informed that the fubterraneous fires act with fuch immediate power, that even the fand at the bottom of the fea is intolerably heated.

This entertaining traveller afterwards conducts us to the lake of Avernus, which he defcribes both in its ancient and prefent ftate. He juftly obferves that the change of fortune in this and the Lucrine lake is fingular.

In the fplendid days of imperial Rome, the Lucrine was the chofen fpot for the brilliant parties of pleafure of a voluptuous court; they are defcribed by Seneca as the highest refinement of extravagance and luxury; now a flimy bed of rushes covers the fcattered pools of this once beautiful sheet of water,

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and the dufky Avernus is now clear and ferene, offering a moft alluring furface and charming fcene for fimilar amusements.'

The next object of our author's attention is Puzzuoli, which, in very remote times, was the arfenal and dock-yard of the Cumeans. The ruins of its ancient edifices are widely spread along the adjacent hills and fhores. An amphitheatre ftill exifts almoft in its original ftate, with a great part of the temple of Serapis. The latter is fquare, environed with buildings for priests, and baths for votaries. In the centre remains a circular platform, afcended by four flights of fteps, vafes for fire, a centrical altar, rings for victims, and other appendages of facrifice.

Among the relics of ancient grandeur in this neighbourhood is the Campanian way, paved with lava, and lined on each fide with venerable towers, the repofitories of the dead, which are richly adorned with fucco in the infide. This road was executed by the order of Domitian; and of all the monuments remaining of that emperor, is perhaps the most honourable to his memory. Not far hence lies the Solfatara, ftyled by the ancients the court of Vulcan; with the lake of Agnano, on the verge of which are the fweating ftones of San Germano, and the celebrated grotta del Cane. A phenomenon obfervable in this lake is its perpetual bubbling, with refpect to which Mr. Swinburne informs us that he has difcovered an additional caufe.

I now, fays he, paffed down to the lake of Agnano, which exhibits true elegance of landscape, without any of the bold features of wild nature; its waters are unfavourable to fifh, being covered in many places with fulphureous flime; all the flax that is gathered in the vicinage of Naples is brought to foak in this pool, under a weight of stones, till it be fufficiently foft for beating; a putrid fmell, occafioned by its fermentation, encreases the natural unwholesomeness of the air, and is often fenfibly felt even in the city of Naples. By order of the police no steeped flax can be carried through the streets except in the night-time; and even then, the efluvia are fo ftrong that I have fometimes been waked by them: the flax produced near the lake is in the highest estimation. These waters are faid to bubble inceffantly from the fixed air forcing its way through them; but I could difcern another caufe of this bubbling in the continual leaping up of a large fish or tadpole. This fingular creature has two fore-legs, a fifh's head and tail, and frequently is found full of fpawn; their motions are fo swift and frequent, that if I had not caught them by putting a net fuddenly into the water, I fhould never have difcovered the cause of the bubbles.'

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