. August 6 I must inquire into the Faith of these Gambia Mandingoes; some of them I see will not drink wine, but most of them will, and porter too, for which they will almost part with their eyes. The same with the meat killed by Christians; some will not eat of it. But, if any of them are Mahome dans, they certainly are the least strict I have ever seen in their profession. August 7. A canoe from the Floop side came alongside this morning with rice, which looks as if it were very good indeed. There seems something in want of explaining in it, that on the Floop side there should be a great abundance of grain, as well as of honey, bullocks, &c. when on this side the people are almost starving. sixpence, all that the poor fellow gets for his cake, and the trouble of bringing it perhaps ten miles. Nor did he get all that, for half the Bar of beads was in my presence paid to the Alcade for lodging: that is, he brought the wax down here expecting to get a market for it; but there happened to be no money here at the time, that is, trade goods. Well, he waited in the Alcade's house till money came; perhaps he has been waiting a fort night for this 18d. worth of wax, and for his lodging at the Alcade's he pays half a Bar. I must give a place here to Ghilali's account of the seasons, particularly as he made the present time the corner stone of his calcula tion. Three months past before this time, the "rains begin, and they put small grain and "rice in the ground. The crew of this canoe breakfasted on board, on their own victuals, viz. sour milk and a little rice in it: it was put down on the deck in a large wooden bowl, and six lusty" fellows squatted down, and helped themselves with their paws like as many monkies. August 8. In the course of a walk to Seeko, we saw a great number of small green paroquets, as well as an abundance of pigeons, &c. &c. Capt. H, likewise pointed out to me the mahogany-tree, which this part seems to abound with." We passed by several large corn-fields, but they are few in number to what they might be, if we consider the number and ability of the natives; the goodness of the soil; the facility with which it may be cleared and cultivated; or the repeated experience of want and inconvenience the people are plagued with about this time every year. August 10. At noon started with some goods in the long-boat for Barrowfat, and arrived there at half past four; but could not get the things landed till near eight, on account of the tide. At Barrowfat there are two large houses, belonging to Signoras Plena and Nancy. Plena's is to be my lodging. I measured it; it is 34 feet by 28; the walls are 15 inches through: and this house, I am told, was built two years ago for two slaves' money. August 11. Bought only one cake of wax, weight 15lbs. I found the steelyards made it 15lbs. I called it 14, making sure of one pound for dirt; and allowance short I suppose by 2lbs. of what is usually made in such cases. By and bye, after some palaver with the bringer of the wax, Ghilali, my linguister, told me the owner wanted a piece of iron and one Bar of beads: an iron bar was cut in four, he got one-fourth, and a Bar of mock coral, for his 15lbs, cake of wax. Now the cost-price in England of this fourth of an iron bar, was one shilling, and the Bar of beads cost something less than sixpence, but say sixpence: there goes one and "This time, now small grain about ready, begin cut him. ***One moon more pass, from this time, rice then ready. "This time, you see, they plant large "corn, they put him in the ground now. "Three moon more pass, from this time, "and then large corn ready, and rain alg "done." "Rain all done when three moon pass?! moon pass. I think about two moon more Yes, I think rain done before three "and fain all over; but about three moon te and then large corn ready." August 12. I wanted to go to see the Floop town, but they tell me it would not be safe to do it; that they were never yet visited by a white man: indeed the account I receiv ed of the Floops, represents them as in very uncivilized state; they never come further from home than Barrowfat and Vintain : These two places are, properly speaking, in the Floop country, but, being frontier towns, they are chiefly inhabited by Jolliffs and Mandingoes, who sit down here to transact the business of the Floops with the Whites. The Floops are represented as afraid to venture on the water at all. They are Pagans in the most complete sense: they sell a good many slaves. By the account I had of the distance their principal town is off, I could there and back again a-foot in day. I was told deridingly that their houses were perfeet huts, and that they and their cattle lived together. I thought of my own countryThey raise a good deal of grain and have abundance of cattle, but are careful how they part with their breeding cows. They have no writing, no Grigris, among them. So much the better, thought I, to have no writing, if writing cannot come unaccom panied by Grigris. N 3 A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE GOBELINS IN OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE. abuses crept into it, and called for the interference of the ministry, who remedied them, and endeavoured to revive the establishment (which had cost the nation vast sums of money) to its former flourishing state for this purpose many committees were held at The Gobelins is the name of an esta- the house of M. Fagon, financier, in 1737} blishment formed at Paris, at the extremity where the plan was projected which has since of the Fauxbourg Saint Marceau for the been followed, of transferring the tints of the' fabric of tapestries. The house in which painting to transparent paper, which was this manufacture is at present carried on, was applied to the warp in the same manner as built by the brothers named Gobelins, who the model itself had been. At first, this were celebrated dyers in the 15th century, thethod was only adopted to the raised tapestry, and who first introduced into Paris that but in 1749 the new plan was applied to the beautiful scarlet colour which has since manufactures of the smooth tapestry likewise. borne their name, as has the little river The following is the mode of procedure now Bièvre, upon whose banks they first settled, employed. The sketch of the painting is and which among the Parisians has no other taken off on oiled paper, which being then appellation than Rivière des Gobelins.Col-placed under the warp serves as a guide to the bert purchased the ground from these brothers, for the purpose of establishing there a manufactory of tapestries similar to those of Flanders, and having erected the requisite buildings, he procured a number of workmen from Flanders. Messrs, Jans, Laurent and Lefevre, senior, were appointed superintendants of the raised tapestries, Messrs. Monin and Sonhaite of the smooth tapestries, and Kerchove, another Fleming, was vested with the management of the wool dyeing department. The manufacture of tapestries commenced in 1663, but did not flourish till 1666, when it was endowed with many pri vileges, one of which was that the freedom of the goldsmiths', cabinet makers', watch makers', joiners, and other companies, should be attached to the Gobelins manufactory, in which it was intended to bring up sixty youths to these different trades. At length the celebrated painter Le Brun was appointed chief director of the Gobelins manufactures, to which he communicated that beauty and energy which his admirable talents were so well calculated to introduce. One of the first steps taken, was, to procure a consider able number of paintings by the first masters; but it was not then foreseen that the method used in making the tapestries caused the destruction of their valuable models the paintings were, at that ti time, cut into parts, to which the warp was so applied that the threads of the one matched the tints of the other. The raised tapestry, rendering copies closely artist, who, having the original painting in more fait roaching the originals, was far of their former réputation. The materials than the smooth. The smooth tapestry had the same destructive effect on its models, and its copies were all reverses. The original being placed under the warp, could only be discerned by the artist be tween the threads, and from the horizontal position of the work, that frequent comparison of the copy with the original could not so readily be made as in working the raised tapestry. The Gobelins manufacture at one time experienced a decline; divers used in the Flemish fabric are equal to those of the Gobelins, both in quality and quantity, and the workmen of both are equally diligent; but the talents of the artists, and the influence of authoritative protection, are in favour of the Parisian establishment. A manufactory on the plan of the Gobelins has been established at Petersburgh; and is supported at a great expence by the government, which receives the profits arising from the sale of its produce: this manufactory has produced some very fine portraits. In Spain, and in several parts of Italy and Germany, similar manufactures, have been established, but with indifferent success; that at Turin is the most flourishing. In 1773 there was worked at Turin a series of tapestries representing the principal events of the life of the Carthaginian general, Hannibal, beginning with that of his swearing enmity to the Romans, and ending with the catastrophe of his death by poison. The best of these is that representing him when surrounded by the Romans in a valley, employing the stratagein of tying lighted faggots to the horns of oxen, in order to scare the Roman soldiers, who guarded the defiles. In this piece the figures have considerable expression, and the warmth of the original painting is exceedingly well preserved. The Gobelins manufacture in France has suffered considerably by the Revolution; and particularly that branch which derived a profit from the dyeing of cloths. Fashion also has affected it, for scarlet cloths are now very little worn in France; and the army has no longer any Swiss regiments, the officers of which formerly consumed vast quantities of cloth dyed, of the Gobelins scarlet. There are other colours dyed in the Gobelins, which, though inferior to the scarlet, are nevertheless very fine. The prices are as follow: Royal blue .... £.10 0... per yard. Dark ditto........... 100 Common ditto Green Do. Saxon Yellow 1 00 1 00 1.10 0 ...... ditto ditto ditto ditto ditto Red dyed with madder 1 4 Yard wide scarlet.... 4 10 0...... ditto An attempt was made, under the patronage of Frederick Prince of Wales, father of his present Majesty, to introduce this manufacture into England: but the expences of it were found to be so considerable, that it was abandoned. Neither, indeed, was it understood that the demand for it, among the British nobility and men of wealth, was likely to be so general as to render it an object of national effort. The process is extremely slow and tedious; the purchase is very heavy, and almost restricted to Princes, and, when a palace is once furnished with it, the future employment of the loom is diminished in proportion. Under all these preventive circumstances, an institution to rival the Gobelins was relinquished. John Ellys painted, by command, a set of four pictures representing the Seasons; they were put up in their places, to see how the designs would look when wrought in this intended fabric; they were found to give complete satisfaction, and to suit extremely well, as pictures, and so the andertaking ended. POETRY.** PROLOGUE TO THE NEW TRADITIONARY PLAY, ENTITLED, THE MYSTERIOUS BRIDE," AV PERFORMED AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE, WRITTEN BY LUMLEY ST. GEORGE SKEFFINGTON, ESQ. With anxious mind, with agitated breast, By ev'ry terror forcibly impress'd, Our Bard no longer treads on Fairy-land, Where Fancy, like a despot, holds command; No longer now endeavours to excite Ideal grief, and fabulous delight; That love, when noble, never slumbers here. "THE FORTUNE-TELLER." Divides the daisied mead, Where shepherds meet the dawning beant, Unshod too went my feet, Than charity intreat; My mother did to me reveal The future turns of Fortune's wheel; NEW PÓEM OF THE ABBE DELILLE. To the Editor of the Literáry Panorama. Sir, I send you a fragment of the Abbé Delille's poem of Les Trois Règnes de la Nature. It is but lately published, and Itrust I shall see an elegant translation deck your pages from some of your poetical correspondents.-As the Abbé is not regularly in the habit of vilifying our immortal bard (like too many of his modest literary countrymen, who, à la Feltaire, rob and then abuse him), he will not, I am sure, be the least offended, if I hint, that I have no doubt he had the following passage in his mind when he wrote his poem: "What a piece of work is a MAN! how noble in Rea"son! how infinite in Faculties!' in Form, and Moving, "how express and admirable! in Action, how like an "Angel! in Apprehension, how like a God! the Beauty "of the World, THE PARAGON OF ANIMALS !” 1am, Sir, yours, &c. T. B. ....Tels sont les Animaux; mais tel'n'est point leur Maitre, Lui seul dans l'Univers sait, par un art suprême, Aux spectacles pompenx dont ses yeux sont témoins, Par la réflexion accroît sa jouissance; De ses nouveaux besoins sont nés des arts nouveaux Mais ces arts bienfaisans que Pinstinct fit éclore, Le langage parut et changea l'Univers; Et de la brute à l'homme agrandit la distance. Non que des animaux la parfaite éloquence Qui dit tout par les mots, qui rend tout par les sons, Le temps instruit le temps; médiateurs heureux, Et tandis que l'instinct, à sa place arrêtê, Là, dans tout l'intérêt de sa dernière scène, Savent-ils s'ils ont eu des enfans, des ancêtres, S'ils laissent des regrets, s'ils sont chers à leurs maltres? Gloire, amour, amitié, tout est fini pour eux : L'homme seul, plus instruit, est aussi plus heureux. Quand ce monde finit commence un autre monde JUSTIFICATION OF FRENCH PROCEEDINGS, TO WHICH THE IGNORANT WORLD HAVE - ATTACHED THE IDEA OF CRUELTY! Gabriel Naudé was born at Paris in 1600, and died in 1653. As instances of truly heroic spirits are very rare, and therefore deserving of uncommon distinction, we deem this singular personage well worthy of a place in the Panorama. But, we have also a secondary view in so doing, for as we presume that an apologist equal to the task would be of great use to His Majesty the Emperor and King, we humbly beg leave to recommend and we know that our recommendations are never without their weight and influence on the opinion of his most august consideration— that search should be made throughout France, after the descendants of the said Gabriel, and that his issue in a direct line, if such can be found, be immediately appointed to the post, office, situation, employment, or duty of Historiographer Imperial, in order to vindicate to posterity the righteous deeds of His Majesty, he having a peculiar dexterity, and intrepidity in all such matters. By way of proof and specimen, we insert a passage from this writer's "Considérations Politiques sur les Coups d'Etat." Unquestionably, for myself, although the affair of St. Bartholomew be at this moment equally condemned by Protestants and Catholics, and although M. de Thou reports his father's opinion on it by these verses of Statius, number; that Quintus Fabius sent into the other world colonies of 100,000 Gauls, in the same company; Caius Marius sent 200,000 Cimbri; Charles Martel 300,000 300 senators, were sacrificed to the passions Teutons; that 2,000 Roman knights, and of the triumvirate, four complete legions to that of Sylla, 40,000 Romans to that of Mithridates: that Sempronius Gracchus desolated in Spain three hundred cities, and the Mexicans, &c. with seven or eight millions Spaniards in America ruined all those of the seeing the necessity and justice of such pro-My astonishment is, that scriptions, and that the execution of St. Bartholomew was singularly requisite,—my åstonishment is, that it was not conducted on a greater scale. The truth is, that the error lay in the defective execution of the deed...→→→ of inhabitants HAD EVERY IT WAS DONE BUT BY HALVES: WHEREAS This specimen may convince His Majesty the Emperor, that no cause can be so despe rate but what some may be found who view it in a just light and are equal to the defence of it. And as the world at large has very absurdly presumed to censure some of His Majesty's actions as cruel, unjust, and the motives of them; it is hoped that they inhuman, because it could not comprehend also will meet with equally well qualified defenders in the family of the said Naudé: and this the rather, as it is presumed that none of his Majesty's actions will be liable to the Occidat illa dies avo, neu postera credant imputation of having been done by halves ;— Sæcula. Nos certè tacemus, et obruta multá Nocte legi propriæ patiamur crimina gentis ;: or of having left any to complain of defects or forbearances in the executions of his Mayet shall I fearlessly proclaim that it was anjesty's august purposes and commands. action distinguished by justice-It appears to me to be absolutely a meanness in the French historians to have abandoned the character of King Charles IX.and never to have displayed the just causes which he had to rid himself of the Admiral of France, and his colleagues.It is highly proper that we should imitate expert Surgeons, who when they open a vein, continue to draw off blood till the patient faints, in order to clear the distempered body of its bad humors. "If any remark, that such bloody executions are objects of horror, I answer, that the inhabitanss of Cesarea slew 80,000 Jews in one day that in Judea were slain in seven years That the illiberal and untractable do actu ally misunderstand and malignantly mistake, some of His Majesty's actions, is notoriously apparent from a famous libel lately published, purporting to be composed by a certain DON CEVALLOS, calling himself Secretary of State affected to assume that title and dignity with to a certain King Ferdinand of Spain, who out having received His Majesty's fiat for that purpose, and who therefore is justly consigned to immortal oblivion. We add a copy of the said libel; induced thereto by the most profound regard to His Majesty, and Cæsar 40,000; that, as Pliny informs us, the pleasure of shewing in due time, its boasted of having been the destruction of 1,192,000 men in his foreign wars, and Pompey had deprived of life, a still greater destructive discomfiture by the pen of the representative of the said Gabriel Naudé! |