entirely according to a previous vote of the Rota, comprehending the merits alfo; fo that, in this cafe, he has only the honour of pronouncing the decifion of the Rota, and feeing it duly executed.' The ordinary judge is not to proceed without a previous vote or decifion of the Rota: at other times, he has only the honour of pronouncing the d.cifion of the Rota. Where then is the injuftice and abfurdity, inttanced by this writer, in the proceedings of the feveral courts? That the Rota is an highly refpectable tribunal, almost every perfon knows. Nay, its excellence is fully acknowleged in the prefent work, as may be feen by the quotation below *.-The writer's latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning. So far with regard to the laws of the country; whole general operation, as far we are enabled to judge from this account, appears not to be inimical to the rights of the subject †. The author adverts repeatedly, in the course of his work, to the poverty of the state, and of the people; and confiders it as the refult of the weaknefs and impolicy of the government. But his conclufion is far from being fatisfactory . The condi tion * We readily admit, that this (the Rota) is, on the whole, by far the most refpectable tribunal in Rome; and that feveral of its members are learned, ingenious, honeft, and induftrious men, who do honour to the whole body of the prelacy. Thefe, no doubt, are excellent judges, and take great pains to come at a thorough inveftigation of the matters brought before them. Yes, ye glorious affertors of the ancient Roman jurifprudence! with the most heartfelt fatisfaction, to you we infcribe this public teftimony of our applaufe, efteem, and veneration.' A modern author goes a step or two beyond us in the matter: "I here conclude my remarks on the happiness of the people of Rome, founded indeed on an apparently political flavery, but in real fubftantial liberty." The following extract from his performance is adduced in proof of this affertion: No foreign article either of luxury, convenience, or neceffity, is prohibited from importation. The quantity of foreign manufactures, and other merchandise, continually pouring into the country is immenfe. To give fome notion of the enormity of the imports, we fhall endeavour to ftate the value of one article only, and that of mere luxury: we mean chocolate (wherein the Romans mix a confiderable dofe of cinnamon), which is become of daily confumption among all the higher and middling claffes of people. We fuppofe only two hundred thousand perfons in all the Pope's ftate to drink one cup of chocolate every day, though nothing is more common than to fee the fame perfon drink three or four;we will ftate the value of a cup of chocolate at no more than two bajoes and a half (about five farthings), exclufive of the duty and manufacture, and this will amount to five thousand crowns per day, or one million eight hundred and twenty-five thousand crowns per annum. tion of which he speaks, is certainly to be feen in the territories of the Pope: that is, among the lower clafs of people; but then it fhould not be attributed to any mifmanagement in the adminiftration of the ftate. If wealth-no matter whence arifing-be checked or diverted in its courfe, the country through which it was wont to pass in a confiderable ftream will, confequently, ceafe to flourish as before. This, however, it is very poffible, is in no fort occafioned by any defect in the original conftitution of that country, nor even from any change which may have been made in its ordinances; but entirely from a concurrence of circumftances which it was wholly impoffible to forefee, or which, feeing them, it was impoffible to prevent. Such, for instance, were those attending the defection of Luther from the church of Rome: for from the time of leffening the value of fpiritualities, the trade of Rome would neceffarily decreafe. But though we may remark of Italy, that it no longer deferves the character given to it by Virgil, Terra-potens armis atque ubere gleba: and though the indigence of the labouring part of the community is great and ftriking, they yet are not in actual want; were they fo, we should see them in commotion. "The rebellions of the belly (fays a great philofopher, when fpeaking on the subject of fedition) are the worft; and if a broken eftate in the better fort be joined with want and neceffity in the mean people, the danger is imminent and great." Now this is not the cafe in the annum. Though we do not pretend to prefcribe it, yet there must be fome limit, fome line, beyond which the prefent ruinous fyftem cannot be extended. The evil is at prefent very great, and fenfibly felt by all ranks of people, whofe complaints have hitherto failed of roufing their governors from that fupinenefs, wherein they affect to repofe with equal fecurity and indifference.' Now it muft here be observed, that the author argues on mistaken grounds. It is abfurd to endeavour to prove the ruin of a state by inftancing its luxuries. If the people, generally fpeaking, be really poor, they will defift from the confumption of fuch articles: if, on the other hand, they perfevere in the ufe of them, the greater, by reafon of the duty, must be the riches of that ftate. What he, at the fame time, farther obferves with refpect to draining the country of fpecie, in order to pay for the feveral imports, the exports being but few, and from which he predicts its speedy deftruction, is open to confutation-nay, the author will even confute himself; for, in another part of his volume, he remarks: The immenfe fums of money poured into Rome (fix hundred thousand pounds) by other nations for fpiritual concerns, even fince the protestant diffenfion, have been generally fufficient to counterpoife all the defects of internal economy, as well as the immenfe load of merchandize continually importing from foreign countries, beyond the balance of its own exports.' To fuch contradictions, what can we poffibly say? REV. Sept. 1789. Р country country in queftion; and the commonalty, though poor, are happy. When we confider the matter well, indeed, it will be found impoffible immediately, and on account of certain prejudices, to change their condition. In Italy, there are, properly fpeaking, but two claffes of men: the rich, and the poor. The clafs which we denominate the middling fort, and who constitute the riches of a ftate, by reafon of the traffic in which they engage, are at prefent little known among them, though, from the improving condition of their manufactures, there is an appearance of their speedily increafing in number, as we gather from the work before us: the particulars of which, for want of room, we are under the neceffity of paffing over. We may, however, obferve in a general way, that Italy, fo far from being in an abfolutely ruinous ftate, as this author would lead us to understand, appears to be actually rifing, in confequence of the before-mentioned manufactures already eftablished in fome of the provinces. When, therefore, the hall boaft her citizens (properly fo denominated), which we fhall probably one day fee, for it may be expected that her induftrious poor will be tempted gradually, and in the hope of gain, to quit the plough for the fhuttle, &c. while her vagrants and beggars, which are more in number than in any other country of Europe, will be induced, in their turn, to take up the plough which has been abandoned-when this, we fay, fhall be the cafe, and we repeat, that there is really a pleafing profpect of it, the nation which we have hitherto been taught to defpife may be deferving of our particular regard. A word or two more on affairs of ftate. The principal vice in the papal government appears to arife from the farming of the taxes, "It has been eftimated (fays the author) by fome able and impartial people, that not two thirds of the fums really paid by the fubjects ever get clear into the Pope's coffers.' This, no doubt, deferves inquiry, and a speedy remedy. Thus having brought our readers acquainted with the contents of the prefent performance, we have only, ultimately, to lay before them the author's concluding reflection. For many years paft, fome foreign powers feem nibbling at the Pope's ftate, and nothing appears requifite to a complete partition of it, but an agreement between the Houfes of Austria and Bourbon. Happy will it be for the afted people whenever it happens; and charity obliges us to with the epocha not far diftant.' Now, in regard to this, we muft obferve, that the Pope is as much a fovereign de jure as the Emperor himself; and that he has a fubftantial right to the country which he now pofleffes by virtue of Matilda's gif, anno 1070, and which has been fince confirmed to him by the empire. Neither France nor Auftria have there. fore any thing to do with it. We agree entirely with the cele brated brated Montefquieu, who maintains, that it will always be a glorious undertaking to render government fubfervient to human happiness." But if change be neceffary in a ftate, it fhould furely be brought about by the people themfelves, and not by any foreign matters-for, as the before-named writer has further observed, whoever has a power fufficient to dethrone an abfolute prince, has a power fufficient to enable him to become abfolute himself. A mere change of rulers would therefore, it is probable, be to little effect as to the relief of any particular nation, however aggrieved it might be. But having extended our article to a confiderable length, becaufe we conceived the fubject of the volume to be important, we can only, in conclufion, remark, that the author is entitled to commendation, as he is evidently a friend to the rights of humanity. Reafoning, however, on general principles, and without adverting to particular circumftances attendant on the ftate and people, he is repeatedly fubject to error. When Solon was afked whether be had given the beft laws to the Athenians, he answered, "I have given them the best they are able to bear." The answer would fufficiently apply to the fubjects of the Pope. ART. V. Falfe Appearances, a Comedy, altered from the French; and performed at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. By the Right Hon. General Conway. 8vo. pp. 71. Is. 6d. Debrett. 1789. ENERAL Conway informs us in his preface, that this G comedy is altered from the Dehors Trompeurs of Monf. Buiffy; as we have not the original before us, we cannot fay how far the copy is improved by the General's alterations: we hall proceed then to confider whether, in its prefent ftate, it is fuited to our manners, or likely to become a favourite on an English ftage. In regard to plot, Falfe Appearances has very little to boaft. It is fimply this: The Baron expects to marry Lucile, daughter to the Governor; but being quite a man of fashion, he neglects the daughter, and affrents the father, who beftows her, where he had placed her affections, on the Marquis. Neither is the poverty of the plot counterbalanced by any contrivance in the management of it. We not only know, almost from the beginning, how every thing is to conclude, but we are frequently difpleafed at the manner in which the conclufion is produced. The Baron, who, though gay, is apparently a man of fenfe, behaves toward Lucile with an hauteur and contempt of which, we fhould hope, no man could be guilty and which furely is unnatural in him, who is fuppofed to love Lucile; who is foliciting her hand in marriage; and to whom the connection is of importance. Equally improbable appears P 2 his his treatment of her father, whom he feems ftudiously to offend, at the very time when he moft wants his affiftance. The Governor's character, alfo, is deficient in parental tendernefs. After arriving from the country, although under the fame roof with his daughter, he has no interview with her, till in the last scene of the play, when he meets her without emotion, and beftows her on the Marquis, who receives her without gratitude. The Marquis himself has little to do; and Lucile's character is not very highly coloured. In the beginning of the play, the is introduced to us as a pretty fimpleton; and the makes no very ftrong pretenfions to fenfe at the clofe of it. Being defired to declare the man of her choice, fhe hefitates; and when the Countess pitches on the Marquis, fhe coldly obferves the Countefs has gueffed it.' Indeed we are left in doubt through the whole piece, whether ber fimplicity, or rather folly, is affumed; or whether it arifes from her natural referve, increased by the force put upon her inclinations.' If affumed, we fhould, by fome means, have been told fo: if supposed to be real, it is highly improbable. Of the remaining characters, the Countefs is the beft; and it exhibits a good fpecimen of the lively and unthinking woman of quality. The Abbé is a character not found in the original; and General Conway deferves credit for the manner in which he has introduced him into the copy. This was a difficult attempt, and he has managed it adroitly. The Abbé not only ap pears to be himself natural to the drama, but ferves to connect others with it, who without his help would appear very independent perfonages. The chief excellence of this comedy, and from which it must derive its power of pleafing, is the eafe and vivacity of the dialogue, which poffeffes all the fprightliness of free converfation, and engages the ear, though it may not very forcibly intereft the mind. To enable our readers to judge of this, we will extract the following fcene from the third Act. (M. de Forlis (the Governor) ftopping the Baron.) I ftop you at your outlet,-and it's high time, egad. • Baron. But, Sir, I have promised. Forlis. That's very little to me. Countess (to the Baron). Very fine, Sir, is this the way people muft wait for you? Here am I obliged to come to your own houfe and fetch you. This neglect really furprises me.-You, who are all attention and exactness! Baron. Pray, pardon this delay,-an accident- · Baron. |