1 habuit, incidente proximis poft Chriftum natum fæculis migra tione gentium a populis borealibus ad meridionales pervenerit, an vero fubfecutis demum temporibus ad horum exemplum in feptentrionem introductum fit. The premium for the perfon who fhall write the best treatise on the above-mentioned fubjects will be a gold medal of the value of a hundred Danish crowns. They muit be written either in Latin, French, German, or the Danish tongue, and addressed, poft paid, to Signor Jacobi, perpetual fecretary of the fociety, before the end of June 1790. ART. XV. Saggio Ragionato fulla Origine ad Effenza dell' Ar- ART. XV. Efay on the Origin and Nature of Civil Architecture. IN N the first part of the work the author treats of the origin of architecture, and gives us a regular hiftory of the art, beginning from the Egyptians, among whom are found the principles of the beautiful Grecian ftyle of architecture. He then proceeds to the Greeks and Romans; examines the two different epochs of the Gothic ftyle; places the revival of the art in the 14th and 15th centuries; mentions the three great Italian luminaries of architecture, Brunnelefchi, Bramante, and Palladio; notices the causes of the decline of the art in the 17th century; and, lastly, demonAtrates the progrefs it has made in the 18th. In the second part he establishes the effential principles of architecture, founded on convenience and stability, which are the end and object of the art; determines the propriety of beautiful arthitectonick proportions, as derived from the general beauty of nature, which confifts in the threefold combination, grandeur, unity, and variety; applies this theory to the principal conftituent parts of architecture; examines the different ornaments that may enter into their compofitions; their qualities, end, and the manner in which they may be employed; and concludes with a chain of arguments in oppofition to those who think that there is no effential beauty in the arts, but that all depends on fashion and caprice. This work is worthy of the philofophical age in which we live; fince the author, far from being perverted by national prejudices, or thofe of education, fetting himself above all authority, and guided by reafon and good fenfe alone, endeavours to effablifh the fundamental principles of architecture upon a folid and durable base, proper for all times and all nations, unalterable by caprice, opinion, or fashion. This work feems to fix the taste of architecture, and to serve as a criterion of the art. It ought therefore to be continually in the hands not only of those who belong to fo noble a profeffion, but of all men of fcience who intereft themfelves in the progress of the art. MONTHLY MONTHLY CATALOGUE For JANUARY 1789. o MISCELLANEOUS. ART. 16. The Belle Widows; with characteriftic Sketches of real Perfonages, and living Characters. A Novel, inferibed to the Beau Monde; with a Preface by the Editor of the Letters of Charlotte during ber Connexion with Werter. 2 vol. fmall 8vo. Kerby. London, 1789. TH HOUGH not a work of genius, the Belle Widows is a tolerable novel. The characters are not uncommon, but correctly enough drawn; and, excepting a few flips, the language is fufficiently accurate. In the character of Crampton, who is intended for an honeft, blunt oddity, the author has not fucceeded; but has had wonderful fuccefs in contaminating the language of the book by introducing French expreffions almost in every page. Had this been done in the dialogue part of the work, it might have fometimes paffed for characteristic, but to introduce this motley jargon into the narrative part is unpardonable. It is rather unlucky, that, with all this oftentatious and abfurd display of French, the author fhould have been ungrammatical in the very title, it should have been "Belles Widows." It may gratify the curiofity of fome readers to be informed that the Belle Widows is faid to be the production of the celebrated Mrs. Rudd, alias Stewart. While that lady was confined in the FleetPrison in 1787, experiencing the mifery of extreme want, fhe is faid to have written this novel, then called "Vulgar Prejudice," to anfwer a private purpose. It has fince been revifed and corrected by the author of Charlotte's Letters," The "Final Farewell," &c. who has ushered it into the world with a preface. ART. 17. The Cottage of Friendship; a Legendary Paftoral. By Sylviana Paftorella. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Bew. London, 1788. This little volume is more than an inoffenfive production in one view, as it is tolerably written, and has an evident moral tendency; but it is faulty in painting manners which do not exift, and thus communicating to the youthful mind ideas which never can be realised. ART. 18. The Man of Benevolence. 12mo. Printed for the Author, Hughes and Walsh. London, 1789. The hero is an example of virtue, and of virtue which leads to happiness. There is an unaffected eafe and fimplicity in this production; the language is plain and the incidents natural; but much more is requifite to the compofition of a good novel, and that much more we Reviewers feldom meet with. ART. 19. Poems on various Subjects. By Mrs. Rowfon, author of the Inquifitor, &c. 8vo. 3s. fewed. Robinfons. London, 1788. Mrs. Rowfon thus fpeaketh of herself in her poetical Dedication to Mrs. Johnfon;-"being naturally fond of Fame," &c. We agree in Opinion with Mrs. R. that he has not yet got half way up the hill; for none of her poems rife above, and most of them fall below, mediocrity. ART. 20. Remarks on the Nature of Pantomime. Stockdale. London, 1789. 12mo. 1s. 6d. The pantomime, it is well known, was a favourite entertainment with the ancients, among whom it appears to have been conducted with a degree of excellence and dramatic utility fuperior to its general eftimation in modern times. The author of the Remarks has collected several particulars relative to the hiftory of this fpecies of entertainment; and afterwards gives an account of the ballet of Cupid and Pfyche, with that of the curious allegory on which it is originally founded. ART. 21. The English Tavern at Berlin; a Comedy, in Three A&ts. 8vo. Is. 6d. Harlow. London, 1789. This comedy confifts of three acts, and has the appearance of being founded upon a domestic incident at the court of Pruffia. We are juftified in this conjecture when we find the great Frederic engaged in compofing a quarrel between two of his pages, and in attending to the effufions of an eccentric tavern-keeper. Though we cannot entirely approve of the dramatic conduct by which his majefty is brought into fuch company, yet the dignity of the monarch is fupported with propriety, and his humanity is placed not only in an amiable, but an interesting light. ART. 22. French Morality cut short; or, The Chance of attending a The work of the younger Crebillon, of which this is a translation, is rich in a vein of polite wit and agreeable vivacity; but being originally calculated to favour fentiments of gallantry inconfiftent with the principles of virtue, it is liable to objection in many parts. The tranflator, therefore, has very properly omitted fuch paffages as were likely to offend the delicacy of an English reader. With thefe retrenchments the dialogue is much improved in its tendency; and though neither the perfonages nor the subject of their conversation can prove in any high degree interefting, yet the attention is kept awake through the different fcenes by the charm of colloquial flippancy, and it is, in the end, with fome regret that we quit the company of the agreeable interlocutors. ART. 23. Zelia in the Defert; or, The Female Crufoe. Tranflated from the French. 12mo. 2s. 6d, fewed. Forster. London, 1789. Marvellous, dull, and often unintelligible. ART. 24. The Genders of the French Subftantives alphabetically arranged, according to their Terminations. By B. Arleville. 12mo. 1s. 6d. Philips. London, 1789. To acquire a thorough knowledge of the genders, is one of the chief difficulties attending the ftudy of the French language. Dif ferent ferent rules for obviating this inconvenience have been delivered by grammarians; but befides their being liable to many exceptions, they are oppreffive to the memory of learners. This author, therefore, has given a kind of dictionary containing all the terminations; at each of which, after specifying the exceptions, he gives a general rule for the gender of all fuch words as have the fame termination. To render the work more useful, he has added Mr. Bridel's new table of articles, and likewife a table of the fimple and compound tenfes of verbs. On the whole, we think this manual calculated to facilitate, in a confiderable degree, the acquifition of the French language. MEDICAL. ART. 25. The Hiftory and Chemical Analyfis of the Mineral Water lately discovered in the City of Gloucefter. The various Difeafes to which it is applicable confidered; and the necessary Regulations for drinking it with Success afcertained and prefcribed. By John Hem. ming, M. D. 8vo. Is. Hookham. London, 1789. Dr. Hemming feems to have used much judicious precaution in analyfing this water; which, according to his experiments, contains fixed air, calcareous earth, magnefia, and iron. He fpecifies the quantities of these different materials as they were found to exist; and afterwards confiders the diseases in which this water may be of fervice. There appears to be a great fimilitude between it and thofe fituated near the German Spa. But the only fatisfactory proof of its virtues will be a fair trial of them; which, we doubt not, will foon be inftituted. ART. 26. An Inquiry into the Copernican Syftem, respecting the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies, wherein it is proved, in the clearest Manner, that the Earth has only her Diurnal Motion, and that the Sun revolves round the World; together with an Attempt to point out the only true Way whereby Mankind can receive any Benefit from the Study of the Heavenly Bodies. By John Cunningham. 8vo. 2s. Parfons. London, 1789. We had imagined that the truth of the Copernican fyftem was fo fully established upon the principles of aftronomy, and fo generally ratified by the concurring affent of the fcientific world, that no attempt would ever more be made to shake the ftability of its foundation. Mr. Cunningham, however, has thought proper to revive thofe obfolete doctrines which have been termed the Hutchinfonian philofophy, in which the motion of the fun round the earth is afferted upon the authority of the fcriptures, as if it were neceffary towards confirming the truth of thofe divine oracles, that even where they feem only to have accommodated the reprefentation of the phænomena of nature to the common perceptions of mankind, they ought to be interpreted in a literal fenfe. This incongruous mode of profecuting the knowledge of aftronomy has been fo often refuted, that it would be fuperfluous now to enter upon the task; befides, we must acknowledge that the doctrine of the prefent author is, in fome particulars, unintelligible. He tells us, for inftance, when the fun is in the equinox, to a perfon on the equator, beholding the fun in the E 3 horizon, horizon, his antipode, and two more, one under each pole, thefe four would behold the fun in the horizon at one and the fame instant of time.' According to this theory, the fun ought to be vifible at one and the fame inftant of time in every part of the earth's orbit. Until we receive an explanation of this paradox, we can attend no farther to Mr. Cunningham. ART. 27. Faulkner's Obfervations on Infanity; with a Plan for the more speedy and effectual Recovery of Injane Perfons. 8vo. is. Reynell. London, 1789. The author of these Obfervations inveighs against the economy of private madhouses, which he affirms to be, from interested motives, perverted to the purpose of preventing, rather than of accelerating, the cure of the unfortunate perfons for the reception of whom they are intended. An act of parliament was paffed a few years ago authorifing the royal college of phyficians to elect five fellows of that body as commiffioners for licenfing and infpecting fuch houses, and impofing a penalty on fuch commiffioners as fhould, while in office, be interested in keeping any house for the reception of lunatics. This act, however, the prefent author obferves, has not guarded fufficiently against all the abuses to which these houses are liable; or it would not only have excluded commiffioners, while in office, but at all times, from having any intereft in fuch houfes; and not only commiffioners, but all medical people whatever. He affirms that it would be of great importance to amend this act by the addition of a clause exacting an oath from every phyfician, furgeon, &c. that he has no intereft whatever in recommending a patient to any particular house, and for impofing a fevere penalty on thofe who fhould be found to have fuch intereft. As even poffible abufes deferve to be guarded against by every check which the legislature can impofe, the hints fuggefted by this author feem not unworthy of attention. ART. 28. Trial of Mr. Sykes for Crim Con. with Mrs. Parflow. 8vo. 25. Ridgeway. London, 1789. This trial may juftly be confidered as one of the moft remarkable of the kind, in refpect both of the particular aggravation of the defendant's guilt, and the importance of the verdict which was given against him. The fpeech of Mr. Erskine, counfel for the plaintiff, was animated with all the force of pathetic oratory; the charge of the lord chief juftice correfponded with the pureft fentiments of equity and rectitude; while the jury, by awarding to the plaintiff the whole of the damages which he claimed, have fet a falutary example for the future restraint of fuch flagrant violations of moral duty. For |