on Government *. His foul, we are perfuaded, would have difdained to accept a bribe, especially from an abfolute monarch, upon any pretence whatever.-The former suppo fition is therefore a thoufand times more credible than the latter. The author having given us the most material parts of Plato's Phædon, and, in his opinion, fully proved, that this eminent philofopher is unworthy of the rank in which he stands in the republic of letters; that he is in reality a miferable reafoner, a pitiful declaimer, a frothy ranter, a rhapfodift, a trifler, a wretch, a fool, an old woman, proceeds to refute the argument's which Tully, Wollafton, Clarke, Addison, and other eminent writers have advanced in favour of the immortality of the foul. In this attempt he fhews more vivacity than prudence. For, by endeavouring to invalidate what he CANNOT DISPROVE, the credibility of this important article, he weakens, in proportion to his influence, the bonds of fociety, robs the miferable of their greateft confolation, and damps the nobleft ambition. An cenfes, fays Tully, with a more generous ardor, an cenfes, me tantos labores diurnos nocturnofque domi militiæque fufcepturum fuiffe, fi iifdem finibus gloriam meam, quibus vitam effem terminaturus ? nonne melius multo fuiffet otiofam ætatem, et quietam, fine ullo labore & contentione, traducere ? Sed nefcio quomodo animus exigens fe, pofteritatem femper ita profpiciebat, quafi, cum exceffiffet è vitâ, tum denique victurus effet quod quidem ni ita fe haberet, ut animi immortales ef fent, haud optimi cujufque animus maximè ad immortalem gloriam niteretur.' De Senect. fub finem. The author of this work fometimes amufes himself with defcriptions glowing with concupifcence. He tells us, in the ftrain of a good muffulman, that women, confidered in a senfual view, afford us joys greater than we can guess hereafter;' and that, if there is a heaven without them, he shall not envy those who go thither. In two or three places, he fteps out of his way to depreciate the character of a prince, whose virtues will tranfmit his name with honour to posterity.-But thefe deviations from propriety and decency are nothing but what the world must expect in a gentleman of gallantry, and an extraordinary genius; or, as he ftiles himself," one of the children of the fun, who have fouls made of fire." • See Sidney's Works, Lett. to H. Saville, p. 46. Difcourfes, p. 216, &c. laft edit.~ IX, El IX. Elements of Navigation or the Practical Rules of the Art, plainly laid down, and clearly demonstrated from their Principles; with fuitable Examples to thefe Rules. To which are annexed all the necefiary Tables. By William Wilfon, M. A. 8vo. 75. 6d. Robinfon. THE HE art of navigation, both in theory and practice, has been fo repeatedly treated upon, that it is now become as difficult for an author to find an adequate apology for prefenting to the public a new book upon this fubject, as it is for the reader to find any thing new in the book itself. The infufficiency of other writers, which has been fo often pleaded in excufe for in reafing the number of nautical publications, can no longer fubfift, as the many excellent performances of this kind now extant, as well in other languages as in our own, fufficiently evince. It is true, there are ftill fome things effential to navigation, of which a farther knowledge and improvement may be obtained, fuch as the variation of the compafs, the determining the longitude at fea, and a few other particulars; thefe, indeed, are matters attended with confiderable difficulty: notwithstanding which, fome of them have lately been rendered tolerably eafy in practice to mariners in general, and may hereafter be reduced to ftill more mple operations. The author of the work now 'before us, for his attempt to increase the number of the books upon this art, has recourse to a charitable motive for his apology; he acknowledges that the fecond edition of Robertfon's Elements of Navigation, contains every thing neceffary in a book on that subject; but fays its fize and price not fuiting many who have occafions for fuch a book, it is not of that general ufe which otherwise it might be of.' This notion of our author, we apprehend is fo far from being general, that it seems to us, the public have thought the fize and price of Robertson's Elements was no impediment to its general ufe, which may be fairly concluded from the fmall time elapfed between the fecond and third editions. The author, in his preface, tells us, he has received great affiftance from Robertfon, which, indeed, is very apparent; for in comparing the books, we found in moft parts he has copied precepts, examples, diagrams, and modes of expreffion fo frequently, that we think Robertfon's book must have lain before him during the whole compilation of his work; yet, notwithftaning thefe helps, it appears to us, that in the prefent treatise there is a great deficiency of that judgment really neceffary to put together a good imitation of a work which the public have been pleased to esteem a judicious perform ance. We must also observe, that printing the book in the fame fize, and under the fame title, feems intended to mislead buyers who had been recommended to purchase Robertson's Elements. How our author could take for his pattern Robertson's second edition, when the third, which is confiderably improved in fome parts, was, we believe, published fome time before this injudicious imitation appeared, is somewhat problematical. We shall farther obferve, in general, that in thofe parts, particularly, which feem to have been worked up from this compilator's own stock, there are, in our opinion, moft glaring impro prieties, relative to beginners in fcience; and that this work feems neither well adapted to learners, or to teachers: hence the charitable labours of our author are in a great meafure rendered ineffectual, through his want of a neceffary degree of judgment to make his pious and moral defign an useful one. X. The Poet. A Poem. 4to. 2s. 6d. Flexney. THE author here delineates the general character and fortune of him who is properly entitled to the appellation of a Poet; in the course of which defcription we meet with some ardent fentiments, and fuch fallies of imagination, as fhew that Mr. Stockdale poffeffes a degree of poetic enthusiasm. The exordium juftifies thefe remarks. Hard is the task the poet's life to scan, Now raised to raptures fuch as angels know: "Yet of these strange effects the latent caufe X Muft Must not he quit the common mortal spherey Now æther's heights undauntedly explore, doid uses Proftrate his mind, and rapt in blifs, by turns, 1 As the man flags, or as the angel burns* 25 201 By virtue, now, to groves Athenian ledys Where Plato's genius hovers o'er his head A heedlefs victim, now, to low defire; All nerve his body, and his foul all fire?' Mr. Stockdale has admitted into his poem several strokes of fatire, introduced fometimes with address, but respecting the ufe of which the propriety may be queftioned. We mean the farcafms he throws out against perfons, rather than vice and folly. As it might be invidious to give place to such paffages as reflect on individuals, we fhall confine our next extract to the author's reprefentation of a national character, where juf tice obliges us to remark, that he betrays a prejudice incon fiftent with the liberal fentiments he profeffes; and that here, as on some other occafions, he has facrificed candour to an affectation of wit. As Sol his genial warmth, and brightnefs gives Above each groveling, undermining deed; Where frigid minds with genius never glow; Claims not from thorns the grape's nectareous juice, We believe it will be admitted that the Scots have never been remarkable for producing works of humour, but ought we to exclude them from all share of the irradiations of ge hius, on that account? Several inftances might be produced where that Bocotian climate, as the author confiders it, has given birth to more diftinguished compofitions in poetry, than the winding fhades of Peckham ever produced. Such general reflexions as thofe are are obviously injurious, and call for the animadverfions of every impartial reader. Exclufive of the blemishes we have mentioned, this poem has merit, and almoft every page of it contains animated thoughts. FOREIGN ARTICLES. XI. Recherches fur la Loi des Condensations de l'Atmosphère, et fur la Manière de méfurer par le Barométre la hauteur des lieux acceffibles. Par M. Jean André de Luc, Citoyen de Geneve. T HIS work has actually left the prefs, but its publication is de ferred until 600 copies fhall be fubfcribed for. All that we have yet feen is a well-written profpectus, closely printed on one theet, from which we conceive a very favourable idea of its merit, and a fincere esteem for its author. From this profpectus we shall present our readers with the general contents of the work, the outlines of its plan, the judgment of the French Academy of Sciences of its merits, and the terms of fubfcription. It is, properly fpeaking, a journal of experiments and meditations, in which Mr. de Luc fhews the occafional rife of his ideas, the hypothefes formed from the phænomena, the experiments tried in order to verify thefe hypotheles; errors corrected, truths difcovered, inferences drawn, and immediately afcertained; and, finally, the formation and the applications of his fyftems. The work is divided into five parts of which Part I. contains an inftructive and interefting hiftory of the barometer, beginning with the descriptions of various barometers, in chronological order, with remarks on their respective perfections and defects: from which the author proceeds to the obfervations made on that instrument; then gives a critical view of the various fyftems formed in order to account for feveral perplexing phenomena concerning it; and concludes with an account of the attempts made at different times, to measure heights by means of the barometer. Part II. The refult of M. de Luc's experiments and meditations, concerning both the barometer and the thermometer. Part III. A full and accurate defcription of the particular inftruments employed in his experiments, illuftrated with plates. Part IV. An account of his experiments on the modifications of the atmosphere, the refult of nearly 400 obfervations, made in fifteen different stations, fixed upon for that purpose, on the mountain of Saleve, near Geneva. Part V. Concludes the whole, with general confiderations on the usefulness of barometers and thermometers. When M. de Luc fubmitted his manufcript to the judgment of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, in 1762, that learned body appointed Meff. de la Condamine and de la Lande for its examen: and on their report, confidered it as one of the most va X 2 Juable |