moft important fervices that has been rendered to found literature during the courfe of the year. An elegant edition of Phædrus's five Books of Fables has been prefented to the friends of learning by the Abbé Brotier. But it is not recommended by the beauty of the types alone, though its merit is great in that refpect. It poffeffes every advantage by paffing under the hands of the Abbé, who has already fo eminently diftinguifhed himfelf by his Tacitus and his Plinv. By the aids he has received, and by the exercife of his own ingenuity and diligence, M. Brotier has arranged the five books of Fables in better order, and has exhibited the text in fo pure and correct a ftate, that it will undoubtedly be the standard in future editions of the Roman fabulist. The notes are fuch as they ought to be, not accumulated by learned pedantry, without reafon or without meafure, which hath often been the cafe. The Abbé hath added fupplements, to complete the fables that have been mutilated in their defcent to modern times. Several other things are fubjoined to the work, in confequence of which it appears to the public eye with all poffible advantage.-In connection with philological and claffical learn ing, we fhall barely mention, tho' they might deferve a larger diferimination, Count de Saint Cyr's "Compendious Views of the Genius, Military Difcipline, and Tactics of the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Kings of Afia, the Carthaginians, and the Romans ;" M. Le Roy's "Account of ancient Navies ;" "Letters written by the Abbé de St. L*** of Soiffons to the Baron de H***, concerning feverai rare Editions of the fifteenth Century;" and the Abbé Mably's Two Dialogues concerning the รุ

Manner of writing History." Of these Dialogues we have given a particular character, under the department of Domeftic Literature. We shall here add, Count de Choifeul-Gouffier's twelfth number of Voyages through different Parts of Greece, illuftrated by a Series of Engravings." Befides admiring the noble remains of ancient art that are exhibited in this fplendid work, the reader will be ftruck with the ardent zeal which the Count expreffes for the liberty of the Greeks, and will with that the attainment of it were as practicable as is hoped by the worthy and warm-hearted author.

To the great objects of natural and experimental philofophy no nation applies with a more ardent zeal than France, and the figure it makes in this refpect is very eminent. The philofophical publications of the year 1783 have, indeed, been fo numerous, that it will not be in our power to pay to all of them that tribute of applaufe they may deferve. The grand work of the Encyclopedie is in the first place entitled to our regard. It is well known that this noble undertaking is now carrying on in a new and improved form. The defign is to digeft and methodize the former Enevelopedie into twenty-feven regular dictionaries, each fcience and art being diftinctly given in feparate alphabets. This is to be done by men of the first reputation in every branch of learning, and with confiderable alterations and additions. There will be two editions of the work, one in quarto, and the other in octavo; but the plates, the number of which will be fomewhat reduced, will only be published in quarto. Of this fcheme, which is executing with as much rapidity as could be expected, we fhall have occafion to fpeak more at large, when

it

it approaches nearer to its completion. The Royal Academies of Sciences and of Inferiptions and Belles Lettres have not, we believe, given any of their memoirs to the public in 1783. But a volume hath appeared from the Academy of Dijon; and feveral of the papers contained in it are curious and important. The communicators are Morveau, Maret, Roger, Gauthey, Chauffier, Durande, Champy, Mont beillard, Parumot, and Willemet. Monf. Maret, who is perpetual fecretary to the Academy, hath diftinguished himself by the number of his contributions, and by his active zeal in promoting the laudable purposes of the inftitution.-The humour of framing new cofmogonies, which has fo often employed fpeculative men, both in ancient and modern times, has not yet ceafed. This difpofition is ftrongly difplayed in the Cofmological Syftem of Natural Philofophy, by Meffieurs de Marivetz and Gouffier. It is Monf. Marivetz who takes the lead in the bufinefs. The work is allowed to be ingenious, learned, and interefting; but how far the hypothetical part of it is capable of being rationally fupported, it is not in our power, at prefent, to determine. M. Carra hath published the fourth volume of his "New Principles of Natural Philofophy," adorned with cuts, and dedicated to the prince of Pruffia. The author is a bold adventurer in the way of hypothefis, and appears to have let his imagina tion run faster than reafon and experiment will justify. M. Carra, in his own opinion, hath performed wonders with his elementary fluid; but he would have acted a wifer part if he had trodden in the fober fteps of the Franklins, the Priestleys, the Cavendishes, and the Kirwans, of the age. The Philofophical Ef

fays on the Manners of feveral foreign Animals," are the production of an anonymous writer, who hath paffed a confiderable part of his life in India, as an officer in the French king's fervice, and who hath made long and frequent voyages in Afia. His turn of mind engaged him to employ his leifure hours in the study of human and animal nature, efpecially the latter. Many of his remarks are curious and entertaining; but he is not the first naturalift, who, in his defcriptions of animals, hath paid a peculiar attention to their difpofitions and characters. The great Buffon hath gone before him with eminent fuccefs in this beautiful fubject of enquiry. Nevertheless, our author has a number of new and ingenious obfervations; and his account of the manners, characters, and education of the monkeys affords an uncommon degree of inftruction and amufement. It is the writer's opinion, that the ouran-outang belongs to the lowest class of human beings. But the contrary has been fo well afcertained by M. Buffon and profeffor Camper, that every judicious reader must be a convert to their arguments. Lord Monboddo, in deed, will rejoice to be fupported by the fentiments of the prefent author, as the humanity of the ouranoutangs conftitutes an effential part of his metaphyfical fyftem.-M. Roma's de L'Ile, who, in 1772, publifhed a cryftallography, which was well received, has now enlarged his work into four octavo volumes. It is entitled "Crystallography, or a Defcription of the Forms peculiar to all the Bodies of the Mineral Kingdom, in their State of Saline, Stoney, or Metallic Combination," and is illuftrated with figures, and fynoptical tables of all known cry. ftals. In this publication the au

thor

thor hath found means to include almost every thing relating to minerals; and he even takes a curfory view of those bodies which, with out being crystallized, appear under a polygonal form. The work, therefore, comprehends lithology, whilst it exhibits as complete a crystallography as the prefent knowledge of the fubject will admit. -The abbé Bertholan Lazare's Treatife, concerning the Electricity of Vegetables, is a production which is entitled to peculiar attention. It is, indeed, a very ingenious and valuable performance. Whilst the author has availed himfelf of what has been advanced by preceding writers, he has added to the ftock of knowledge by many new obfervations, and has enlarged the sphere of useful purposes to which electricity may be applied.-It was impoffible that the air-balloons fhould avoid giving rife to various publications. Of M. de St. Fond's Defcription of Experiments with the Aeroftatic Machine, an account has been inferted in our Philofophical Papers. Obfervations on the fame fubject have been published by count Milly. The count is fenfible of the dangers to which these wonderful experiments are liable, and is folicitous for contriving methods to render them more eafy and fecure. It is not improbable, but that fome unlucky accidents may, at length, bring the air-balloons into difreputation. With regard to feveral other productions of the philofophical kind, it must fuffice us to announce them. Thefe are M. Barral's "Differtation concerning the Natural History of the Ifland of Corfica;" M. Dupré de St. Maur's "Effay on the Advantages that may be expected from the Cultivation of Tobacco in Guienne;" the "Veterinarian Almanack;" the Abbé

Rozier's "Complete Course of Agriculture;" the Abbé Teffier's "Treatife on the Disorders of Corn;" and the Abbé Rochon's "Collection of Memoirs, relative to Mechanics and Phyfics."

A great work hath lately been completed at Paris, entitled an "Univerfal and Scientific Repertory of Civil, Criminal, Canon, and Beneficiary Jurifprudence." It hath been compofed by feveral lawyers, and digefted and published by M. Guyot. The whole comprizes fixtyfour octavo volumes, and is ranged in alphabetical order. As it relates chiefly to French jurifprudence, the utility of it will not extend much beyond the country in which it was produced.

In hiftorical writing, France has by no means diftinguished itfelf, in the year 1783, by fuch excellent performances as have appeared in England. The "Hiftory of Francis the Second, King of France," is confined to too fhort a period to be of the first importance. It is not, however, deftitute of interefting events. The reign of Francis the Second, though it did not continue two years, was a bufy one; the characters that figured in it were rendered ftriking by the magnitude either of their virtues or their vices; and the tranfactions that followed were of great moment. There is added to the present work a tranflation of a difcourfe, written in Ita lian, by a Venetian ambaffador, concerning the state of France at the acceffion of Charles the Ninth to the throne. Though the account of Francis appears to be drawn from authentic materials, and is written in a fufficiently agreeable manner, we do not perceive the immediate neceffity or the eminent utility of the publication.The history of Hyder Ali Khan, relates to a per

fon

fon who hath recently fhone with fuch luftre in the eastern world that a faithful narrative of his tranfactions cannot fail of highly gratify ing the curiofity of the public. If credit is to be given to the title page of this work, it is written by a gentleman who was general of ten thoufand men in the Mogul empire, and formerly commandant and chief of the attillery in Hyder Ali's army. The book profefles to be genuine, and is understood to be fuch. As an English tranflation of it has been published, we fhall confider it more particularly under the Domeftic Literature of the next year.

In geography hath appeared the first volume of a "Geometrical Defcription of France," by M. Cafini de Thury, accompanied with a large map. This, after a long interval, is faid to be part of the refult of an undertaking first encouraged by Colbert. The prefent work contains the measurement of near eight hundred great triangles in France. In the fecond volume will be many other materials, tending to complete the defign of a general and accurate map of that country. It is to be wished that fomething of the fame kind were done, by public authority, with regard to England.-M. Mentelle's "Comparative Geography; or, Analysis of the Ancient and, Modern Geography of all Countries and of all Ages," is a progreffive undertaking. The volume now published extends only to Spain. In confequence of the affiftance which the author has received from the learned in that kingdom, he has been enabled to render his work more complete than any other perform ance upon the subject.

With refpect to biography, the New Historical Dictionary, in eight volumes octavo, by a fociety of men of letters, deferves particularly to

be mentioned. This edition of the dictionary is the fifth; but it is increafed by two volumes wholly new, and the mistakes of the former pub. lication are corrected. The prefent work is confidered as fuperior to that of M. l'Advocat; and the accounts of the learned men of France are faid to be drawn up with peculiar accuracy.-Several fingle lives have appeared in France, which are thofe of Andrew Doria, by M. Richer; Michael de Ruiter, by the fame; Profper Lambertini, pope of Rome, under the name of Benedict the Fourteenth, by M. Caraccioli; Daniel Bernoulli, by the Marquis de Condorcet; and M. Turgot, by an anonymous author. M. Richer has formed the defign of publishing accounts of the most eminent fea commanders. His lives of John Bart, Barbaroffa, and Tourville, appeared before the year 1783. His next publication will be the life of Duquefie. M. Richer is more diftinguifhed by the correctnefs of his facts than by the elegance of his compofition.

In voyages and travels, France has been fufficiently productive dur ing the year. The "Letters concerning a journey to Rome in the Year 1773," are upon a subject concerning which the publications are uncommonly numerous. Every ingenious. traveller has, however, fomething new to offer; and this is the cafe with the prefent writer, whofe defcriptions are lively, and whofe obfervations and reflections difcover a penetrating mind.-M. Deodat de Dolomieu, in his Voyage to the Islands of the Lipari, hath gone upon ground far lefs trodden. His principal object has been to colleft materials for a hiftory of volcanos.-The "New Voyage to the South Sea," undertaken by M. Marion, and after the death of this commander

commander in chief, continued by M. Duclefmeur, will excite the greater attention at this time, as part of the courfe was the fame with captain Cook's. M. Marion met, likewife, a fimilar fate with that of our great English navigator.-The Letters instructive and curious, writ ten to the foreign mitions, are fupplemental to a work which has long been carrying on. A new edition of that work has lately been printed, and the prefent publication, which contains feveral important pieces hitherto unknown, makes the fifteenth and fixteenth volumes of the undertaking.-The "Memoirs concerning the Hiftory, Sciences, Arts, Manners and Cuftoms of the Chinefe," by the miffionaries of Pekin, conftitute the ninth volume, in quarto, of the collection. This work affords a prodigious variety of information, relative to the empire of China. Some of the papers are extremely valuable, but others, as might be expected in fo large a heap of matter, must be very unintereiting to the generality of readers. The whole defign is to be accomplished in the tenth volume. A more authentic, accurate, and complete life of Confucius than has yet appeared, is promifed by M. Amiot, one of the millionaries. Another publication with regard to the eaftern world is M. Sonnerat's Voyage to the East Indies and to China. It is what relates to natural history that will give to this work its principal recommendation; for the writer's informations of a different kind confist of facts which have been more agreeably communicated by various authors. The picturefque Voyage to the Iflands of Sicily, Malta, and Lipari, which is published in numbers, will afford an elegant entertainment to the lovers of art. One advantage poffeffed by the voyager

is, that he hath been where others had not been, and that he has defcribed a number of objects which others had omitted.

Without pretending to enter, at large, into the mifcellaneous literary productions of France, which in fuch a country must be very numerous and diverfified, we shall only take notice of a few productions. Some pofthumous works of Montefquieu have appeared, profefling, though falfel, to be print ed in London. The volume confifts of four articles: Arfaces and Ifmenia, a political novel; a Difcourfe on the Restoration of the Parliament of Bourdeaux, in 1725; Confiderations on the Caufes of the Pleasure we derive from the Works of Genius and the Productions of the fine Arts; and a fketch of an Historical Eloge of the Marshal Berwick. Any ge nuine remains of to great a man will in fome degree be interefting to the public.-M. Servan, in his Illuftrations of the character and Writings of John James Rouileau, has candidly appreciated the merit of that extraordinary genius. The author has been careful to difplay his own eloquence, whilft he does justice to that of Ruffeau.-The Collection of Pleadings and of Oratorical Difcourfes," intended as examples for oung men, and to be complet ed in three volunes, may be useful to the end for which it is defigned.King Lear has been the fubject of a tragedy in France. We hazard nothing in faying that it is not equal to the Lear of Shakspeare. This play has, however, met with great approbation from the Parifians.Paris, we know, abounds with novels; and most of them, like thote in our own country, are too infignificant to be mentioned An exception must be made in favour of "The Unknown Inland, or Memoirs of the

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