eftablishment of Chriftianity. He treats alfo, in this first epocha, of the origin of writing, the primitive forms of letters, of the substances on which writing was performed,— of the inftruments employed in it,-of the form of books; and a fuitable degree of attention is given to the Writers.

The fecond epocha contains an hiftory of books, relative to the eastern, the western, and the remoteft nations. It exhibits the preludes (if we may ufe that expreffion) to the art of printing, its actual difcovery, according to the different accounts of Meerman and Schoepflin, and its progrefs and improvement during the fifteenth century. We here meet alfo with curious and learned obfervations on the ancient editions, and the ancient printers.

The third period exhibits an hiftory of the most celebrated libraries in Italy, England, France, Holland, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Ruffia, Germany, and Vienna; comprehending printed books, and manufcripts. In this exhibition, the books are reduced, like the fciences, under the diftinct claffes of theology, law, philofophy, phyfic, mathematics, hiftory, and philology, and are confidered with refpect to their number, their qualities, their rarity, &c. and the manufcripts, whether Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Gothic, Lombard, French, or Anglo-Saxon, are enumerated, though without many critical illuftrations.

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III. Memoires Hiftoriques et Geographiques fur la Valachie, &c. i. e. Hiftorical and Geographical Memoirs concerning Wallachia, together with the Profpectus, or Plan of a Geographical and Military Atlas, relative to the laft War between Ruffia and the Ottoman Porte. By M. B. Francfort on Mein. 1779.-If it be true, as we have reason to believe it is, that M. BAUER, Lieutenant-General in the Ruffian fervice, who commanded in Wallachia during the last war, is the Author of these Memoirs, this is a ftrong circumftance in favour of the truth of the hiftorical narrations, and of the accuracy of the geographical descriptions, contained in this work. The Author, who, by his valour and conduct, acquired the faireft laurels in this war, was an eye-witnefs of what he relates and defcribes, and feems to have studied, with uncommon attention and affiduity, the accounts given of this country by the most efteemed writers who have preceded him. The Atlas, which this excellent officer proposes to publifh, will contain, in twenty-nine sheets, Moldavia, Walachia, Podolia, Volhinia, the Crim, and the Streights that feparate Europe from Afia Minor, together with plans of the principal towns, battles, and encampments.

IV. Nouvelles Recherches fur la Science des Medailles, Infcriptions, &c. i. e. New Inquiries concerning Medals, Infcriptions, and Ancient Hieroglyphics. By M. POINSINET DE SIVRY. 4to. with Plates. Maeftricht. 1779.-The Author of this

work,

work, who is already known in the republic of letters, by feveral learned and voluminous productions, and more efpecially by his Tranflation of Pliny, and his ample Commentary on that author, has here ftepped into a neighbouring field, and cut out work for the Antiquaries. This, indeed, is not his firft effay on the subject of medals and ancient coins, on which he has fometimes thrown feveral rays of light by his critical fagacity, and his extenfive knowledge of hiftory. The present work is extenfive and profound. It contains the principles which are fuppofed to afford a folid foundation to the science of medals, and is defigned to cure learned men of the folly of going roundabout ways to come at the fignification of feveral medals, while there is a plain and natural sense contained in their inscriptions. The learned Author begins, by diftinguishing between medals, medallions, and pieces of money, and by proving this affirmation, that the greateft part of the ancient medals, and more efpecially the Roman, are not pieces of money, or current coin, but real medals; and that no coins are to be placed in the monetary clafs, but fuch as have the character, weight, and other marks of current fpecie. It is a general opinion, that there are very few medals, properly speaking, and that many pieces fo called, are coins which had a pecuniary currency in ancient times. Our Author maintains the contrary opinion, and proves, with confiderable erudition, and force of argument, that there are few monies, and a great number of medals. He anfwers the objections, that may be raised against his hypothefis, His researches concerning the origin of fcutcheons, medals, and medallions, at Rome, are curious, and he avails himself of the natural confequences, deducible from them, to throw light upon Numifmatical fcience, and to clear up fome of its moft embarraffing difficulties. To thefe confiderations, M. DE SIVRI adds a new theory of the explication of medals, founded on two principles: First, The rejection of the method of converting initial letters into words, when these words make out a complete fenfe--which method, however fpecious, is certainly fallacious; and our Author proves, from ftriking examples, Secondly, The analogy of the fymbols, with the names of the perfons. After having given, on thefe principles, a new expli cation of a great number of the most difficult medals, which feems ftrongly to confirm his theory, our Author treats of amulets, talifmans, aftrological rings, and other ancient forms of divination and enchantment, not indeed with the spirit of an Aftrologer, but with the fagacity of an Antiquary, who confiders these whimfical figures as a fort of hieroglyphics, that may tend to the illuftration of Numifmatical erudition. Here, among other things, he paffes in critical review, Ticho-Brahé's collection of the odd figures, under which the Chaldeans and REV. Oct. 1779.

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other

other ancient nations reprefented the planets, which they fuppofed to be governed by celeftial fpirits. Thefe drawings are effential materials for decyphering the amulets and talifmans, that are often found on antique gems, and make a part of hieroglyphical fcience, which is ftill covered with thick darknefs.

Our Readers may remember the literary conteft, occafioned by Mr. Needham's Obfervations on the fuppofed Egyptian fymbols, found on the fuppofed buft of Ifis at Turin, and which he reprefented as fimilar to feveral Chinese characters. The learned Abhé Guafto, and the celebrated M. Pauw, have maintained, that this ftatue and its infcription are no more than the fanciful compofition of fome modern artift, and that many productions of this kind, of which travellers and antiquaries are frequently the dupes, are to be met with in Italy. Our Author combats the opinions of these two learned men with feveral fpecious arguments. He compares with the buft of Turin, a Serapis, covered with hieroglyphics (of which mention is made by Pierius), and another antique in Petau's collection, published by Neaulme at Amfterdam, in 1757, and draws from the refemblance between the figures of thefe two latter, and thofe inferibed on the Ifis, fome grounds of fufpicion, that Meffrs. Guafco and Pauw may have been over hafty in their decifions. However that may be, nothing can be more ingenious, than M. DE SIVRI's explication of the characters in queftion.

The most eminent adepts in Numifmatical fcience, will find in this work, illuftrations fufficient to remove many of the difficulties that have hitherto perplexed them, and to correct feveral errors into which they have fallen,-and the fame work will ferve as a Manual, or elementary guide to those who have not yet got far into the rugged and winding paths of the science now under confideration. Such will find their progrefs greatly facilitated by the Hebrew, Arabic, and Phenician alphabets, as alfo by the Perfian, African, Turkish, Tartar, and Chaldaic characters, which are here exhibited for their ufe and direction.

V. Hiftoire Naturelle du Tuffilage et de la Petafite, &c. i. e. The Natural History of the Tuffilago and the Petafites. By M. DE NECKER. 8vo. Manheim. 1779.-This is the first of an interesting series of Memoirs, or Difcourfes, which the learned Author (already known by fome botanical productions of great merit) propoles to publifh, concerning the phytology of the Palatinate, and of the duchies of Juliers and Berg. The title of the prefent publication announces much less than the volume contains: for beside the natural hiftory of the plants, mentioned in the title, the ingenious Author has opened new paths in his botanical refearches, which feem adapted to pro

mote

mote the progrefs of that fcience, hitherto much retarded by defective methods. It is not fuch defcriptions of Plants, as are calculated for the use of the cook or the apothecary, that alone constitute their natural hiftory: though it must be acknowledged, that an acquaintance with their medical and dietetical virtues makes an effential part of botanical science. It is, however, but one part: and it only conftitutes the fourth article of the plan of investigation laid down in this work. The first, is to mark diftinctly, what forms the varieties in plants of a fimilar nature.-The fecond, to give the names appropriated to them by different authors, compared with the drawings or engravings, in which they are reprefented.Thirdly, to diftinguish their native foil, from the countries in which they may be cultivated.-Fifthly, to attend to the alterations they are fubject to, when tranfplanted into another foil and climate.-Sixthly, to employ repeated experiments on the fecundation of plants, and the various methods of effectuating it, whether in their native or in a foreign foil.-Seventhly, to examine the refults of these effays or experiments until the fecond, third, or fourth generation; and Laftly, to compare and confront the mongrel plants produced artificially with the exotics and indigenous plants, which refemble them.-It is easy to fee the advantages that muft arife from this excellent method, in the hands of fuch a botanist as M. NECKER.

Among other interefting matters contained in this volume, the reader will find a fharp fkirmish with the Sexualifls (i. e. thofe who maintain the existence of organs of generation, and two vivifying lymphs in all plants without exeception), in which our Author comes off victorious. He affirms, that among forty thousand plants, there are, at least, a thousand that are not fubjected to the ordinary laws of fecundation, fuch as moffes, mushrooms, ferns, and others, comprehended in the Cryptogamia of Linnæus, which are in the lower claffes of the vegetable kingdom, and only poffefs fome attributes that imitate fructification. The details into which our Author enters concerning the generation of plants, and the fexual coalitions from whence it proceeds, are interefting, and in feveral particulars new: and they give us a notion, that though thefe androgunes are not fo happy as thofe of Plato, they are not deftitute of fome fort of fenfibility.

As to the hiftory of the two plants mentioned in the title of this work, it is treated in a masterly manner according to the plan indicated above; and will naturally excite the impatience of the botanical reader to fee the following volumes.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For OCTOBER, 1779.

POLITICAL.

Art. 11. The Alarm; or, Irish Spy. In a Series of Letters on the prefent State of Affairs in Ireland, to a Lord high in the Oppofition. Written by an Ex-Jefuit, employed by his Lordship for that Purpose. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Bew. 1779.

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N intelligent comment on, and free juflification of, fome recent proceedings of discontented Hibernia; who appears ftrongly inclined to tread in the fteps of revolted America. The fubject of the grievances, and the demands, of Ireland, is ferioufly and ably difcuffed by this pretended Ex-Jefuit; who is, no doubt, an Irishman, and (with a fair appearance of moderation) obviously partial to his country, in his reprefentation of the nature of her connexion with Great Britain, and of her claims of emancipation from thofe reftraints under which the has been laid by the policy of our government.

Art. 12. A Plan for recruiting the British Army, in which, under the Suppofition of an Act of Parliament obtained for that Purpofe, the Alternative is offered to each County of Great Britain, either to fupply the Army with a proportional Number of Recruits by Ballot, or to affes each Parish, at a proportional Rate, to inftitute an Affociation Fund, which is to increase so in the Time of Peace, as to pay Bounties to a fufficient Number of Volunteers in the most preffing Exigency of War. To which are added, Thoughts on the prefent Method of Imprefs for the Sea Service, calculated to render that Method of manning the Navy more expeditious, and more consistent with the Intereft of the Merchant Service. By the Hon. and Rev. James Cochrane, Chaplain to the 82d Regiment of Foot. 4to. Is. Dixwell, &c.

The bad confequences attending the prefent methods of recruiting the army, and of manning the navy on fudden emergencies, are well known, and generally complained of. Our Author's plan feems well calculated for remedying thefe inconveniencies; and it certainly merits the ferious attention of government.

Art. 13. A Speech intended to have been spoken in Coach-Makers Hall, on Thursday, Sept. 23, 1779, upon the Question," Does the City of London, in withholding its Affiftance from Government at this alarming Crifis, act upon Principles of true Patriotifm?" 8vo. 6d. Richardfon and Urquhart,

Difapproves the late conduct of the City in withholding its voluntary affiftance from government; and zealously exhorts us to unanimity in defence of our country: leaving, at fo dangerous a crifis, the merits of the Miniftry out of the queftion. For, argues the Author, how abfurdly fatal would it be to fuffer the nation to fink, for the fake of finking a weak or wicked Administration with it?

To clear himself from the imputation of ministerial attachment, the Author grants that the measures of Administration have been in the highest degree difgraceful and dangerous to the nation; and he advises the citizens of London not to forego their enmity to the

Miniftry