thoughout the whole, and a nice attention to the laws o f per-
fpe&ive.
Mr. Deprez, firft achiteft to the king, well known, as I fhoiild
fuppofe, in England, where he paffed fome time, and where he
excited fome attention. He perhaps is the greateft fcene painter
for the decoration o f theatres in Europe. He has a thorough
knowledge o f hiftorical feenery, the contraft o f light and (hade;
the effeCts produced by- the different lights of the fun and the
moon by perfpeCtive, and various machinery. T he richnels o f his
mind and imagination is aftoniihing. His mafterpiece is the decorations
for the opera o f Guftavus V a fa : in this, the ftyle o f architecture
for the palace o f Chriftierna is well conceived; the different
decorations o f the tents o f Guftavus and Chriftierna are
fuperb. The dreams o f Chriftierna are worthy o f ail the ftores o f
his own exuberant fancy. His greateft difficulty is to moderate
and bring down the conceptions o f his warm and highly exalted
imagination to the finallnefs o f the fize o f the theatre o f Stockholm.
It was impoffible to fix on. a man more calculated to give
iatisfaftion to Guftavus III. or between whofe mind and that
monarch’s there was greater affinity. The king, when in a high-
ipirited and communicative mood, was wont to % to thofe about
him, “ There is nobody who has any real fancy but myfelf and
“ Deprez. It is much to be regretted that this great man, lb
well fitted to difplay to advantage his genius and talents on an
extenfive theatre, Ihould be buried in Sweden, where, no longer
employed in the theatre, he fearcely can contrive to exift, and
where
where ignotance, and cabal, and envy, have borne him down, perhaps
never to rife again. I f Guftavus III. had lived, this man would
hhve probably'coft Sweden feveral millions o f rix-dollars. It was
h(i who finilhed the defign o f the new palace at H a g a ; the groundwork
alone, on which it is now built, has coft an enormous firm to
fo poor a country. Projeft was concerted after project, and the
reftlefs and exalted imaginations o f thofe two enthufiafts (the king
and Deprez) muft have exhaufted the public treafury. Mr. D e prez,
perceiving the impoffibility o f finding employment in a
country where the finances are fo narrow as in Sweden, and where
every thing is-under the reign o f intrigue, gives himfelf up for the
prefent to the reveries o f imagination ; and the greater part o f his
defigns in architecture are truly caftles in the air. He amufes his
l§ifure with drawing-plans o f edifices, more magnificent and
fumptuous than the ancient pyramids o f E g yp t: he forms projects
o f piles and monuments a thoufand times more expenfive than
any recorded in the hiftory o f the world. He has lately conceived
the idea o f a pyramid, the bafe. o f which could not be fixed any
where elfe than in the deferts o f Arabia, in which ftatues o f all
the great men in the world, of every poffible kind o f celebrity or
diftinftion, are to be depofited. He admits himfelf, that in order
to carry this defign into execution, it would be indiipenfibly ne-
ceffary for all fovereign powers to join in one ibciety, or club, for
defraying the expences. Mr. Deprez is alfo an hiftorical painter ;
but his colours are wretched. I have feen feveral o f his picture?
o f naval engagements; in feme o f which you perceive nothing
Y 2 but