during life a European reputation. His youth was passed in travelling over Europe and in the most romantic adventures, and his later life was almost one continual roaming from place to place. He is said to have visited England four times, to have resided several years in France, to have been presented to Frederick the Great of Prussia, and to have met Metastasio at Vienna. After the death of the Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, he secretly married his widow, the Countess of Albany, a woman of great beauty and refinement. Alfieri's dramatic career began with the composition of "Cleopatra," in 1775, and having once turned his attention to literature, he pursued it with the greatest zeal and enthusiasm. The intensity and vigor of his character displayed themselves in all that he did; his classical taste led him to learn Greek at the age of forty-six, and to carefully imitate the style and method of classic writers. He greatly admired Shakespeare and despised the artificiality and effeteness of Maffei and Metastasio; he was an ardent lover of liberty, and dedicated his tragedy, "The First Brutus," to George Washington. Alfieri's masterpiece is his "Saul," which has been thought to resemble Shakespeare's "King Lear." The most celebrated of his other dramas are "Felipo," "Merope," "Rosmunda," Philip II.," and "Sophonisba." His tragedies are wanting in the development of the characters which are always made subservient to the plot.

Girolamo Tiraboschi (17311794) produced

a great work entitled "Storia della Litteratura Italiana." in eleven volumes, from which Gingue

né drew largely in his history of Italian literature.

1798), a lecturer on anatomy at Bologna, and celebrated as the discoverer of galvanism.

Cultivation of Satirical Poetry by Parini.-The most eminent Italian poet of this age was Giuseppe Galvani (1737– Parini (1729-1799), who restored life and vigor to poetry, which had suffered a continual decline since the time of Marini. His principal poem is "Il Giorno" (The Day), a satire on the vices and follies of the nobility. It is written in blank verse, and has been compared to Pope's "Rape of the Lock," Cowper's "Sofa," and Virgil's "Georgics." His lyrics have been much admired, and those which treat of love are close imitations of Anacreon.

IV. Spain.-FERDINAND VI., 1746-1759. CHARLES III.,

The reign of Charles III. was progressive politically as well as intel

lectually. The finances of the kingdom were improved, and there was a great increase in population and industry.

1759

Revival of Spanish Poetry. Melendez.-That strong national feeling which so especially characterizes the Spanish nation, and which had lain dormant for more than half a century under the rule of a French dynasty, revived in the latter part of the reign of Charles III. and gave an impulse to literature. About that time, also, began Spanish acquaintance with English literature. A new group of writers appeared, under the leadership of Melendez, called the Salamanca school, which sought "to give a new splendor to Spanish poetry, partly by the study and imitation of the ancient and good Spanish writers, taking advantage of the national forms, and partly by making it more profound and substantial, imitating not only and exclusively the French, but also and especially the English." Of other poets of the age the most eminent were Jovellanos, who has been called the first great writer in modern Spanish literature, and Iriarte, whose literary reputation was more widely extended than that of any other modern Spanish poet.

BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

Walpole's "Journal of the Reign of | Morley's "Diderot."

George III."

H. G. Graham's "Rousseau."

Lord Brougham's "Statesmen of the Carlyle's "History of Frederick the

John Stoughton's "William Wilber- J. Kennedy's "Modern Poets and

force."

F. S. Pulling's "Sir Joshua Reynolds."

Poetry of Spain."