1768. Anecdotes of Luca Jordano. horn of the Rhinoceros here defcribed is feen in the PLATE. The dimenfions are as follows, viz. The length of the anterior horn, measuring with a ftring along the convex fore part, is 20 inches; perpendicular height 18; circumference 21 at the bafe; the pofterior horn is in perpendicular height 19; circumference round the bafe 18 length of both bases together upon the nafal bones 14; and the weight of both together is 14 pounds 10 ounces. The Rhinoceros of the year 1739, defcribed in the Tranfactions, was three years old; and the horn not three inches high; and hence by comparing that with this, one may imagine this to be many years old, perhaps above twenty; and that this animal lives to a great age. It is alfo plain that the horns are perpetual as are thofe of oxen. Anecdotes of Luca Jordano, an eminent Painter. LUCA Jordano was born in Naples in the year 1632, in the neighbourhood of Jofeph Ribera, called Spagnoletto; a native of Valencia in Spain, and difciple of Caravagio; whofe works attracted Luca fo powerfully, that he left his childish amufements for the pleasure he found in looking on them. Luca's father (a middling painter) finding in his fon fo manifeft an inclination for painting, placed him under the directions of Ribera, with whom he made fo great advances, that, at feven years old, his drawings were furprizing. Hearing that at Venice and Rome were many excellent models for painting, he privately left Naples and went to Rome; and from Rome he and his father went together to Bologna, Parma, and Venice. At every place Luca made sketches and ftudies from the works of all the great mafters, but particularly Paul Veronefe, always propofing him for a model to himself. His father who fold his defigns and sketches at a great price, kept him close to his work; and that he might not quit it, prepared his dinner for him himfelf, often calling on him Luca fa preflo, or dispatch: a name which he always retained. Luca was a great copyift; and the number of his ftudies gave him a furpriz Jan. 1768. 41 ing eafinefs, and was the first rife to the elevation of his thoughts: but being defirous of gaining a higher degree of perfection, Luca and his father fet out for Florence, and there copied the works of Leo da Vinci, Michael Angelo, and Andrew del Sarto. Then he returned to Rome, whence after a fhort ftay he went back to Naples, and there married. Luca quitted his mafter's manner, and by having a happy memory he recollected the manners of all the great mafters, which occafioned Bellori to write that he was like the ingenious bee, that had extracted his honey from the flowers of the works of the best artists, and had the art of imitating them fo well as to occafion frequent mistakes." Some of his pictures getting into Spain, pleased Charles II fo that he engaged him to come to his court in 1692, to paint the Efcurial, (his palace). The king and queen often went to fee him work, and commanded him to be covered in their prefence. In the space of two years he finished the ten arched roofs and the stair-cafe of the Efcurial. He was fo engaged to his bufinefs, that he did not reft from it on holidays; for which a painter of his acquaintance upbraided him: to whom he pleasantly answered, "If I was to let my pencils reft, they would grow rebellious; and I fhould not be able to bring them to order, without trampling on them." His lively humour and fmart repartees amufed the whole court. The queen of Spain one day enquiring after his family, wanted to know what fort of a woman his wife was: Luca painted her on the fpot, in a picture he was at work on, and fhewed her to the queen; who was the more furprized, as he had not perceived what he was about; but was fo pleased, that he took off her pearl necklace, and defired him to prefent his wife with it in her name. The king being defirous of a companion to a picture he fhewed him, which was painted by Baflan, Luca painted one for him fo exactly in his manner, that it was taken for a picture of that matter. The king, in return, knighted him, gave him feveral places, made one of his fons a captain of horfe, and nominated another judge and predent of the vica F riate 42 REVIEW OF BOOKS. riate of Naples. One of the king's coaches attended him every evening to carry him out; and further ftill, the king married his daughters to gentlemen of his court, beftowing on them good places for portions. After Charles II's death in 1709, King Philip retained him in his fervice to go on with thofe great works he had begun; and his stay being fo long in Spain, his wife, then at Naples, on a falfe report, believed him dead; to undeceive her, he painted himself on a card, and fent her his picture by the poft. Luca was the innocent caufe of the death of Carlo Dolce. This painter ufed to finish his works with too much labour, and was conftant in working to a great age, and not being inriched, died with chagrin, on Luca's reproaching him with the lofs of fo much time. When Luca returned to Naples, all perfons were eager to have his works. The jefuits, who had befpoke a picture of St. Francis Xavier, complained to the viceroy that he would not finish it, though it ought to be placed on the altar of that faint on his feftival, which was juft at hand: Luca, finding himself preffed on all fides, painted this picture in a day and a half. Oftentimes he painted a Virgin holding a Jefus; and, without any reft in an hour's time, would finish a half An IMPARTIAL REVIEW HE Hiftory of a late infamous Adventure Jan. length; and, for dispatch, not waiting for the cleaning his pencils, would lay on the colours with his finger. Nobody ever painted so much as Luca, not even excepting Tintoret. Two Neapolitans having fat for their pictures, never thought of fending for them when they were finished: Jordano, having waited a great while without hearing from them, painted an ox's head on one, and put a Jew's cap on the other, and placed a fuit of cloaths on his arms, and exposed them to view in this manner; on the news of which they haftened away with money in their hands, and begged him to efface the ridicule that was annexed to their pictures. Luca loved his difciples, touched up their works with great readinefs, and gave them many of his defigns with pleasure. His generofity was great: He made prefents of altar-pieces to churches that were not in a state to purchase them. He painted the cupola of St. Bridget, for his reputation, gratis; and, by a particular dexterity, that roof, which is rather flat, feems very much elevated, by the lightnefs of the clouds which terminate the perfpective. Though his humour was gay, he always fpoke well of his brother painters; and received the hints that were given him on his own works with great docility. of NEW PUBLICATIONS. poem on fuch a subject to the ladies can be Tbetween great Man and a fair Citizen only equaled by the execution of it. It is vie In a Series of Letters from a Lady near St. James's to her Friend in the Country-Is. Bingbey. Every fubject which engroffes the attention of the public, is a delicious meal for the hungry fons of Grub-freet; and this lady of quality is mo probably fome needy pen from that celebrated quarter, who is engaged to give a late remarkable tranfaction an air of confequence. The impofition is however too glaring, and, we dare say, general contempt will be the author's portion where he is read, instead of general approbation. Memoirs of the Seraglio of the Bashaw of Merriland. By a difcarded Sukana, pt. is. 6d. Bladon. Another ftroke of bookselling on the foregoing occafion, and executed with an equal have of abilities. The Rape a Poem, bumbly infcribed to the Ladies, pr. 15, Steare. The sclicacy of interibing fibly dictated by the fame fpirit which breathes in the two preceding articles, and as a fpecimen of our author's abilities, the following lines are felected for the confideration of our readers. Cou'd be unmov'd behold a maid in tears, With fofteft words affault his callow ears, Call on the beapens, ber parents, and ber friends, To change his purpose and defeat his ends And beat her breaft with forrow and despair? 1768. MAKARONY FABLES. An Apology for Lord B—with an Addrefs to the Town, pr. 6d. Flexney. A defpicable catchpenny, like the other Simley productions relative to the conduct of the nobleman alluded to in the title page. Makarony Fables; with the new Fable of the Bees. In two Cantos: Addressed to the Society. By Colmo, Metbogelaftick Profeffor and F. M. S. Almon, pr. 2s. 6d. Thefe fables are written chiefly in a very irregular measure, and are also of a political tendency-The author is a man of fenfe, but the whimsical nature of his verfification, rendering his numbers frequently extremely uncouth, there is no poffibility of deciding with certainty on his poetical abilities-For the readers fatisfaction however we have felected the following tale, which is as little disjointed in the verfe as any in the performance, A TALE. How many years it was ago, And all their tricks went glibly down; This little piece is dedicated to Mr. Garrick and Mr. Colman, and has but one prine pal fault, which is, its being wholly unneceffary. The enthufiaft whom the author takes the trouble to answer, has long 43 been totally forgotten, and was he even remembered, his arguments conld excite nothing but the universal ridicule of the public. The Contraft, or the dying Profligate, and the dying Chriftian, in two Poetical Essays, by Da niel Turner, Robinson pr. 6d. Thefe little pieces feem to be the effufion of a good heart, and a found understanding, but the author cannot be reckoned a poet of first rate abilities. His verfification however is frequently pretty, though it is not nervous, and as to the tendency of his work he has fufficiently declared it in his title page. The Birth of the Jefuits a Poem, in three Books, by George Marriott, 2s. 6d. Flexney. Mr. Marriott, though he is far from defpicable as a poet, in this work teems chiefly defirous of recommending himself as a proteftant to his orthodox readers.-The whole force of his mufe is bent against the church of Rome, whofe perfecutions he exclaims against with an honeft indignation, and we fhould not be furprized, if fome zealous advocate for the papal fee was to give a flaming anfwer to his performance. But thongh we think Mr. Marriott is not by any means the moft indifferent writer of his time, yet if we were inclined to criticife, we could point out feveral inflances where he has been extremely negligent in his numbers, and where an illnatured critic would be apt to treat him with feverity, for example "I fee the godhead, in his effence one, The first of thefe lines though clear enough in its religious fenfe, borders nevertheless upon a blunder in its grammatical acceptation; and as for the laft, it is deficient a foot in the measure, unless we read changed as a word of two fyllables, which instead of encreafing its harmony will materially add to its diffo nance. The following lines are abfolutely profe notwithstanding their metrical termination. Who think it ferves no great important end The proteftant religion to defend. and these befides running into a pleonafm contain as miferable an anti-climax as ever difgraced the alphabet, What countries wafted! wealthy towns undone! Empires betray'd, and lofty towers o'erthrown! To fpeak of a wealthy town being undone after a whole country has been wafted, is more calculated to raise the laughter than the pity of a fenfible reader; and to mention the fall of a lofty tower as a misfortune after an empire has been betrayed, argues an auther to be little converfant with, or little attentive to the fundamental principles of poetry. Thoughts, Efays, and Maxims, chiefly Religious and Political. By Charles Howard, Esq; of Greystock in Cumberland. The author of the little wok before us is, 44 ETYMON OF we believe, heir prefumptive to his grace the duke of Norfolk, and it is with pleafure we lee gentlemen of fuch expectations manifeting a partiality for fcience, and fhewing themselves proud of obtaining a literary character from their countrymen.-As to the merit of Mr. Howard's pieces, though it is not fufficient to rank him with the most eminent ellayifts in our language, it is however fufficient to prevent him from being numbered with the most indifferent, and though his fentiments are not in many places new, it is but juftice to acknowledge, that in moft they are pretty fenfible. As a fpeciof his manner we have felected the following maxims for the entertainment of our readers; not because we think them the baft in his production, but because their shortnels renders them more proper for the nature of our publication. MAXIMS. A good preacher or orator, if he has good fenfe and judgment (and without thefe effential requifites it is almoft impoffible to be one) will adapt his fermos and difcourfe to the under&andings and fituation of his audience; otherwife he will do very little fervice and convey little fatisfaction, but on the contrary only expofe his own vanity. A man by converfation will rarely convince another upon any point, of which he is not 'convinced himfelf: From the heart not the tongue proceeds conviction. It is better to read the good sense of a judicious author, than to preach one's own nonfenfe though never fo well intended; but there are men who do the latter, when varity and ignorance are united, which is often the cafe. Critical D Jertations on the Origin, Antiquiries, Language, Government, Manners, and Religion, of the antient Caledonians, their Poperity the Pits, and the British and Irish Scots. By John Macpherson, D. D. Minifier of Slate in the Ifle of Sky. Becket This is a work of great merit, and will, we dare fay, have an immediete admittance to the libraries of the curiousIn the beginning of it the author endeavours to refute apopular erior, which has been fo long eftabished, relative to the Scots being defcended from the Irish, and we think his endeavour is not altogether unfuccessful; but as fome fpecimen of his abilities may be neceffary, we here give an extract from what he fays upon this fubje& for the entertainment of our readers. "Antiquaries are much divided about the etymology of Caledonia. Buchanan, though native of the Highlands, and of course converfant with the Galic language, is not happy in his conjectures on that fubject. Calden according to him, fignifies a hazel tice, from thence proceeds the famous Cladonian foreft, and the name of Caledonia. It is amazing to obferve, how a man of his learning and Jan. great abilities could give into such a puerile conceit. But had Buchanan confidered properly his native tongue, he would have found that caultin and not calden fignifies a hazel tree; and that there is no fuch a word as calden to be met with in the Galic language Dr. Lloyd, bishop of St. Afaph, derives Caledonia from cilydien a British word fignifying borderers. The Caledonians, fays that learned prelate, bordered on the Roman province of Britain, and therefore were with great propriety called borderers. The bishop did not confider that the boundaries of the province were often changed. If we fuppose the wall conftructed by Adrian marked out the limits of the Roman empire in Britain, then the Brigantes, Ottadini, and Meatæ, had a much better title to the name of borderers than the Caledonians. If the wall built by Antoninus P.us is to be looked upon as the boundary of the province, then it na turally fhould follow, that the Caledonians did not require the name of clydien or bors derers, till after the construction of that wall, But the patlage mentioned from Lucan proves, that the name of Caledonians made fome noife in the world as early as the reign of Nero. Thus the bishop's etymon of Çaiedonia falls to the ground. Camden, one of the beft Antiquaries that the world ever produced, has endeavoured to give the etymon of Caledonia. Kaled, obferves that learned writer, is a British word, which fignifies bard. In the plural number it makes Kakdien, and hence proceeds Caledonii, that is, a people bardy, rough, uncivilized, as northern nations generally are: people fierce in their temper from the extreme coldness of their climate; a people bold, forward, and intrepid. from the abuadance of their blood. a The feverity of this obfervation on the na tional character of the Caledonians does not at all favour the etymon produced by Camden. If the name of Kaledien was first framed by the Britons of the South, it may he juftly queflioned whether they then felves before the reign of Nero were lefs bard, rough, and uncivilized, than their neighbours of the north, or, of course, lefs intitled to that name. But, as every thing that falls from fo juftly celebrated a writer makes a great impreffion; I confess this etymon had fuch weight with me, that I long confidered the word kaled as the root of Caledonii, this led me further into the fubject; and I fubmit to the world, with great deference to the great merit of Camden, the additihnal obfervations I have made. Kaled in both the antient British and Galic languages fignifies bard, in both thefe languages in or yn fignifies a country. From the monofyllable in comes the diminutive innis, which in the Welch and Galic is of the fame import with the English word ifland, by |