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Lands among the Romans from the Beginning of the Republic to the Time of Julius Cæfar, in which their Commerce, as far as it related to their own Productions, is incidentally treated, and also the little influence that agriculture had on their manners and morals is fully proved. By the Author of the Theory of Luxury. 8vo. 528 pages. Paris. 1779.-This author is M. DUMONT, and the work here announced obtained the prize proposed by the Royal Academy of Infcriptions and Belles Lettres for 1776. It is a very learned and inftructive publication, and throws light upon fome objects, of which hitherto confused, vague, and imperfect ideas have been generally entertained, and, among others, upon the state of agriculture among the Romans in the different periods of the republic.The work is divided into three parts. In the firft the Author treats of territorial property and poffeffions, and of the laws, cuftoms and fettlements relative to that object in the second he treats of the labours of the field, of all the forms and branches of rural economy; the third contains an account of the commerce founded on the produce of lands, and of internal circulation; and concludes with an inquiry into the influence of agriculture on the manners of the Romans.

III. Nouveau Syfteme de Mineralogie, ou Effai d'une nouvelle Expofition du Regne Mineral, &c. i. e. A new Syftem of Mineralogy, or an Attempt towards a new Explanation of the Mineral Kingdom: To which is added, A Supplement to the Treatife concerning the Diffolution of Metals, and Remarks upon the Dictionary of Chemistry. By M. MONNET, Inspector General of the Mines in France, &c. 12mo. pag. 605. Paris. 1779. The ingenious Author fets out with an inftructive fummary of the progrefs which the science of mineralogy has made in France, and with appreciating the refpective merit of the writers who have contributed to its improvement, fo far down as the year 1773This is followed by a definition of mineralogy, and a compendious account of the fituation and characters of minerals, of the primitive and effential principles of bodies, and of the primitive and fundamental earths, with their diftinctive properties. He then divides mineral fubftances into four claffes. In the firft he places earths and ftones-uniting these two objects, because the former is, for the moft part, derived from the ruins of the Jatter. This clafs contains 21 genera and 112 fpecies. In the fecond he places metals and femi-metals under 13 genera and 78 fpecies. In the third, falts under 4 genera and 15 fpecies. In the fourth, inflammable fubftances in 4 genera and 9 fpecies. These four claffes are treated in a very masterly manner by M.

include tenures, laws, cuftoms, &c, as well as the cultivation of landed property.

MONNET,

MONNET, who has not only ftruck out a new method of claffification and arrangement, but has moreover afcertained the nature and compofition of feveral bodies, hitherto unknown, or known but imperfectly. The part of this work that relates to the knowledge of the state and properties of mineral fubftances, will be farther elucidated in a work which M. MONNET proposes to publish foon, under the following title, The Foundation or Principle of Mineralogy-or, Refearches concerning the Nature and Qualities of Minerals.

In the remarks on Macquer's Chymical Dictionary, which terminate this work, our Author defends himself with spirit and dexterity against the attacks that had been made upon him in feveral parts of that Dictionary; and his defence is, at least, ingenious and inftructive.

IV. Nouvelles Obfervations fur l'Angleterre: i. e. New Obfervations upon England. By a Traveller. 8vo. Paris. 1779. This traveller is the fenfible, judicious Abbé CoYER; and thefe Obfervations do honour to his penetration, difcernment, and candour. It is not poffible to conceive any thing more oppofite to the national fpirit, genius, and manners of the French, than what the Abbé observes with refpect to the English.

V. Difcours prononcé dans l'Academie Françoife, &c. i. e. A Difcourfe delivered in the French Academy on the third of March, 1779. By M. DUCIS, at his Reception as a Member of that Academy. Paris. 1779. The defign of this fociety, which is rather adapted to improve founds than fenfe, feems to be abundantly anfwered by fuch compofitions as the frothy and fulfome heap of quaint wit, far-fetched ornaments, and difgufting adulation, that forms the windy fubftance of this Difcourfe of M. Ducis, in honour of Voltaire.-The Exordium alone, will enable us to judge of the merit of the piece. This part of an oration is ufually defigned to give us, by its modesty and fimplicity, the pleasure of afcending gradually into the clouds with the fubject, instead of being toffed up to them abruptly, as it were, in a blanket, by the author. But M. Ducis has attempted the latter: obferve how he begins- The day on which that famous conqueror died, whose presence ftruck the earth with filence, all thrones appeared vacant by the decease of one man, and the univerfe was for a moment without a mafter. Thus Voltaire, after having governed, until the age of eighty, the univerfal monarchy of talents, left, at his death, the fame confufion in the empire of letters, and the throne of genius became vacant. No man dared to step forth, or lay an audacious hand on this immenfe inheritance of complicated honours and glory, which Europe, for a whole century, had been accustomed to behold with refpect, united in him alone. The fplendour of his name, which caft a deep obfcurity on all other

names,

names, eclipfes them ftill; and those, whofe temerity and ambition would prompt them to afpire after the glory of fucceeding him, would deferve to hear the following fentence applied to them :

Soldats fous Alexander et Rois apres fa mort."

Is not this enough, gentle Reader?

VI. Les Anciens Mineralogifles du Royaume de France, avec des Notes: i. e. (literally tranflated) The Ancient Mineralogifts of the Kingdom of France, with Notes, by M. GOBET. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris. 1779. Price 9 livres 12s. The mineralogifts, here mentioned, are not (as one would imagine at first fight) authors who treat of that branch of natural hiftory relative to minerals and foffils; but the French writers, ancient and modern, who have treated the subject of mines, their produce, fituation, and the manner of working them. It feems, that the present king of France turns his views, with peculiar ardor, to the encouragement of this important object, and never, indeed, was there a period of time in which fuch an object was more adapted to attract all the attention of the Most Christian King than the prefent.

The filver mine, that was discovered at Chitry in Nivernois, near three centuries ago, was particularly defcribed in a treatise, published by Fr. Garrault in 1579, and is here republifhed at the head of this collection. This mine yielded, in certain years, eleven hundred marks of filver, and a vast quantity of lead. The defcriptions given by De Malus, and his fon, of the mines in the Pyrenean Mountains, which were discovered in the year 1600, are, indeed, worthy of their place in this work; as alfo the researches of Savot, concerning the Metallurgy of the ancients, which abound with a folid and valuable erudition: but we cannot conceive how M. GOBET came to difgrace his collection with the filly reveries and fictions of Martine de Bertereau, baronefs of Beau-Soleil, whofe brain was really turned with the vifions of the Alchymifts, and whofe productions were treated with contempt, even in the middle of the last century. The account given in 1667, by Cafar d'Arcons, of the advantages that might be derived from the mines of Languedoc, are curious; but the most interefting part of this collection, is that which contains the obfervations and inquiries relative to the fubject under confideration, that have been made in the prefent century by Reaumur, Hellot, Iars, Le Monnier, Desmarest, de Fuffica, count d'Herouville, GenfJane, Courtepeé, Monnet, Sage, and many other naturalifts of great merit, who have related their excurfions, and publifhed their remarks on the greatest part of the mines difcovered in the kingdom of France, and mingled with these accounts feveral curious obfervations on other interesting points of natural hiftory. At the fame time, the Pre

faces

faces and Notes, with which M. GOBET has enriched this col lection, render its perufal both agreeable and instructive.

VII. Efai fur la Jurifprudence Univerfelle, où l'on examine quel eft le premier Principe de la Justice and le Fondement de l'Obligation Morale, &c. i. e. An Effay concerning Univerfal Jurifprudence, in which an Inquiry is made into the first Principles of Justice and the Foundation of Moral Obligation. By FATHER THOMAS JACOB, Prior of the Jacobines at Paris, I2mo. Paris. 1779. We are glad to fee Monks writing on such fubjects as thefe, when their productions do not smell of the convent. This Effay, which is a warm attack upon the Encyclopedifts of Paris, as enemies not only of Revealed, but alfo of Natural Religion, would be read with more pleasure and profit, if the Author had treated his fubject with more precifion. He establishes, on folid foundations, the exiftence of a law of nature.-He fhews that Christianity is not only its beft interpreter, but also the difpenfation that finishes its confiftence, its obligation and perfection; but he has not carried the fagacity of the true analy tic fpirit into his researches concerning the principles of moral obligation. He is far behind the British writers on this fubject.

VIII. Effai fur l'Hiftoire Generale des Tribunaux des Peuples tant Anciens que Modernes, ou Dictionaire Hiftorique et Judiciaire, contenant des Anecdotes piquantes & les Jugemens fameux des Tribunaux, &c. i. e. An Historical Effay concerning the Tribunals of ancient and modern Nations, or, An Historical and Juridical Dictio nary, containing interefting Anecdotes, and the most remarkable Judiciary Sentences of Public Tribunals in all Times and Nations. By M. DES ESSARTS, Advocate, and Member of feveral Academies. Vol. III. 8vo. Paris. 1779. Price 4 Livres. In this, and the two preceding volumes, we have an hiftory of the paffions and crimes of men, at least in their effects and punishment; and as the penal laws, employed by different nations for the difcovery and chaftifement of offenders, have a connection with the manners and government of each people, and are, generally speaking, no bad prognoftic of the national spirit and character, a work of the nature of that before us, when well executed, muft be curious and inftructive; and fuch is the work of M. DES ESSARTS.-It is, indeed, likely to be voluminous; for this third volume goes no farther than the first articles of letter H.

GERMANY.

IX. De Angyna Polypofa five Membranacea: i. e. Concerning the Membranous Quinzy, or that which is called the Angina Polypofa. By M. MICHAELIS, M. D. 8vo. Gottingen. 1778. The Author of this work is phyfician to the Heffian troops in the fervice of Great Britain; a fituation favourable to the ad

vancement

vancement of medical knowledge by obfervation and experience. It is from these two guides, rather than from the perufal of the writings of his predeceffors and contemporaries in the art of healing (with which, nevertheless, he feems perfectly well acquainted), that he has derived his knowledge of the difeafe here treated, and his opinion with respect to its nature and cause. It is from having opened the bodies of many persons, who died of this disease, that he deems the membranous quinzy lymphatic in its principle, inftead of proceeding from phlegm, as many have fuppofed; for he found the membranes, in the perfons he diffected, of the fame nature with the polypus of the heart and the large blood veffels, and much fofter and fooner corrup tible than phlegm, which contracts a certain aridity and hardnefs. With refpect to the manner of treating this disorder, Dr. MICHAELIS diftinguishes the quinzies into different claffes, according to their different circumstances and symptoms, prefcribes what is requifite in each cafe, and confiders, with peculiar attention, thofe cafes where bronchotomy, or the opening the wind-pipe, may be ufeful. His hiftory of the diforder is curious, though chargeable with fome omiffions: we must not, however, confider as fuch, his making little or no mention of the authors, who have written concerning inflammatory quinzies, or other branches of that disease distinct from that here treated of.

X. Lobfchrift auf Winkelman, &c. i. e. The Eulogy of the late Abbé Winkelman. By CHR. GOTTL. HEINE. This excellent piece, which is in every respect worthy of its subject, on whose tomb the arts and the graces will long weep, was crowned by the Academy of Antiquities at Heffe Caffel. In it the learned and judicious Author, fo famous for his merits in claffical liteFature, not only examines the writings of the celebrated Abbé with taste, judgment, and impartiality, but also points out the qualities that conftitute the true Antiquary, and the improvements that have been hitherto made; as also those that are yet required in that line of science.

XI. The New Edition of the Abbé DICQUEMARE's Aftronomy, which has lately appeared, with important Additions and Improvements, deferves particular notice. Its new title is, Connoiffance de l'Aftronomie, rendu aifeé & mife à la porteé de tout le Monde: i. e. The Knowledge of Aftronomy made eafy and propor tioned to every Capacity. 8vo. With Cuts. Paris. 1779. The additions, which diftinguifh this edition, confift in feveral obfervations; in fome articles entirely new, and in inftructive notes, relative to the folar atmosphere, the apparent motions of the fixed stars, thofe of the planets, the parallax, &c. all which objects are illuftrated by two new plates. Among the tables, we find one of the annual equation of the sun's mean motion, which

may

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