The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-03-22

fecting subject In the hack grcvnd he
represents the Supreme Eeing, With Gun -
viour at his right hand, win al the suL.iniy
which the canvss could oispl.y: stu tins
il a subject too swtu. for tic pencil, ;rd
have never myself been s.tished with 4 G
highest attempts to &C ineate tlar LGn5,
whom 6 eye hath not seen" IL the ioge
ground we see ChaIon with his lo-t, iery.
ing over the StyX the souls CT tie ccp.rted.
1t must be acknowied? eG, Il at this is : strange
confusion OF sacred md plCfaae iGesg, and,
with due respect 70 the memory of that great
man, and to The piety Of the roles who per-
n,itted it to be executed in their chapel, Il Gp-
pears to me to be little short oi baspiemy.
There was piece OF satire also in iris
piece, which still more onder how Tie Sac
cred CoAege could forgive. Michael Augelo
had been offended with cardiLai, ana he
revenged himself'by placing the head OF LIS
Eminence upon the shoulders Of one of tie
damned in purgatory.
A monument has been erected to this
artist in the church Of Santa Croce but Of
what avail are monuments and funeral hen.
ours 10 a man, Nlo will live forever In his
works Sc. Peters is tire mausoieum Of
Michael Agnolc, and it is prouder one,
and viii endure longer, than these which the
vanity of Augustus OF Adri:n caused to be
erected to pcipetuate tLeir memories.
AS Florence had the honour to give Michael
Aenolo lis education, SO she cen boast a
greater number of Lis distinguished works.
The chapel of the Meoici is fun of them, and
every church has some statue at least of one
of his pupils, ali Of whom were much distin-
guished. Cnc proof often cited of the supe-
riority of this IIe.t master is, that lie left
two st&utes incomplete, Which no succeed.
ing artist has dared to attempt to finish
Cne OF them is the Virgin bewailing the
death of cur SaviC4ir, ard the other the head
oil Brutus. Under tie last, cardinal Bcnrbo,
TO show his detestation Of Brutus' cri.ae,
wrote the following couplet, with which DR..
Moore, who pretended TO be great stick
Ter for civil liberty, finds great fault.
Dunn Bruti efigiem, Mcbal de marmore fnSt,
In mentem sceleris Vent ct abstinut,
Formy part, iully agree with the cardinal:
for no man, who recollects the Obligations OF
Brutus to Caesar, can fail to detest the as
sassin OF his own patron and friend.
I cannot close this letter without making
a remark, th.t ills age of Michael Agnolo,
and Of the Italian painters, was, in my opin-
ion, as splendid as the Augustan, or the age
Of Louis XIV. Peter Perugine, the master
of Raphael, Michac,Agnoio, Raphael An.
drea del Sarto, ,Giuiio Romano, Carravagio Cor.
regio the most eminent men who have appear.
cd since the revival of letters, in architecture,
sculpture, aud painting, and whose chef
d'nuvres still constitute the most valuable pos
sessions Of the countries which they honour
ed by their residence, were all Contempo-
rarics. What brilliant age what galaxy
of talents Where shall we find its equal
since the age of Augustus Ifto this per-
iod, we add the age of Louis XIV. and Of
Queen Anne, what pretencc is there 10 say,
as some of our philosophers do, that we
have improved upon those who have gone
before us, especially in the more refined
parts of literature? Adieu.