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though the editor very prudently put Colonia inftead of Neapoli in the title-page, the fale of Cellini was prohibited; the court of Rome has actually made it an article in their Index Expurgatorius, and prevented the importation of the book into any country where the power of the Holy See prevails.

The life of Benvenuto Cellini is certainly a phenomenon in biography, whether we confider it with respect to the artist himself, or the great variety of hiftorical facts which relate to others: it is indeed a very good fupplement to the hiftory of Europe, during the greatest part of the fixteenth century, more especially in what relates to painting, fculpture, and architecture, and the most eminent mafters in thofe elegant arts, whose works Cellini praifes or cenfures with peculiar freedom and energy.

As to the man himself, there is not perhaps a more fingular character among the race of Adam: the admired Lord Herbert of Cherbury fcarce equals Cellini in the number of peculiar qualities which feparate him from the rest of the human fpecies.

He is at once a man of pleasure, and a flave to fuperftition; a defpifer of vulgar notions, and a believer in magical incantations; a fighter of duels, and a compofer of divine fonnets; an ardent lover of truth, and a retailer of vifionary fancies; an admirer of papal power, and a hater of popes; an offender against the laws, with a strong reliance on divine providence. If I may be allowed the expreffion, Cellini is one ftriking feature added to the human form--a prodigy to be wondered at, not an example to be imitated.

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Though Cellini was fo blind to his own imperfec tions as to commit the most unjustifiable actions, with a full perfuafion of the goodness of his cause and the rectitude of his intention, yet no man was a keener and more accurate obferver of the blemishes of others; hence his book abounds with farcaftick wit and fatirical expreffion. Yet though his portraits are fometimes grotesque and over-charged, from mifinformation, from melancholy, from infirmity, and from peculiarity of humour; in general it must be allowed that they are drawn from the life, and conformable to the idea given by cotemporary writers. His characters of pope Clement the feventh, Paul the third, and his baftard fon Pier Luigi; Francis the first, and his favourite mistress madam d'Eftampes; Cofmo duke of Florence, and his duchefs, with many others, are touched by the hand of a mafter.

General hiftory cannot defcend to minute details of the domeftick life and private tranfactions, the paffions and foibles of great perfonages; but these give truer representations of their characters than all the elegant and laboured compofitions of poets and hiftorians.

To fome a register of the actions of a statuary may feem a heap of uninterefting occurrences; but the difcerning will not difdain the efforts of a powerful mind, because the writer is not ennobled by birth, or dignified by ftation.

The man who raifes himself by confummate merit in his profeffion to the notice of princes, who converfes with them in a language dictated by honest freedom, who fcruples not to tell them those truths

which they muft defpair to hear from courtiers and favourites, from minions and parafites, is a bold leveller of diftinctions in the courts of powerful monarchs. Genius is the parent of truth and courage; and thefe, united, dread no oppofition.

The Tufcan language is greatly admired for its elegance, and the meaneft inhabitants of Florence fpeak a dialect which the reft of Italy are proud to imitate. The ftyle of Cellini, though plain and familiar, is vigorous and energetick. He poffeffes, to an uncommon degree, ftrength of expreffion, and rapidity of fancy. Dr. Nugent feems to have carefully studied his author, and to have tranflated him with cafe and freedom, as well as truth and fidelity.

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A

VIEW OF THE CONTROVERSY

BETWEEN

Monf. CROUSAZ and Mr. WARBURTON,

ON THE SUBJECT OF

Mr. POPE's ESSAY on MAN.

In a LETTER to the

EDITOR of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, Vol. xiii.

Mr. URBAN,

IT

T would not be found useless in the learned world, if in written controverfies as in oral difputations, a moderator could be felected, who might in fome degree fuperintend the debate, reftrain all needlefs excurfions, reprefs all perfonal reflections, and at laft recapitulate the arguments on each fide; and who, though he should not affume the province of deciding the question, might at least exhibit it in its true ftate.

This reflection arofe in my mind upon the confideration of Mr. Croufaz's Commentary on the Effay on Man, and Mr. Warburton's Anfwer to it. The importance of the fubject, the reputation and abilities of the controvertifts, and perhaps the ardour with which each has endeavoured to fupport his caufe,

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cause, have made an attempt of this kind neceffary for the information of the greatest number of Mr. Pope's readers.

Among the duties of a moderator, I have mentioned that of recalling the difputants to the fubject, and cutting off the excrefcences of a debate, which Mr. Croufaz will not fuffer to be long unemployed, and the repreffion of personal invectives which have not been very carefully avoided on either part; and are lefs excufable, because it has not been proved, that either the poet, or his commentator, wrote with any other defign than that of promoting happiness by cultivating reafon and picty.

Mr. Warburton has indeed fo much depreffed the character of his adverfary, that before I confider the controverfy between them, I think it neceffary to exhibit fome specimens of Mr. Croufaz's fentiments, by which it will probably be fhewn, that he is far from deferving either indignation or contempt; that his notions are juft, though they are fometimes introduced without neceffity; and defended when they are not opposed; and that his abilities and parts are fuch as may entitle him to reverence from those who think his criticisms fuperfluous.

In page 35 of the English tranflation, he exhibits an obfervation which every writer ought to imprefs upon his mind, and which may afford a fufficient apology for his commentary.

On the notion of a ruling paffion he offers this remark: Nothing fo much hinders men from obtaining a complete victory over their ruling paffion,

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