St. Peter does in his First Epistle) to the ftrangers scattered abroad in different places: others have imagined that Spartos was of the fame import with Spartanos; but it is not probable that the epiftle of St. John, which is ftiled General, was addreffed to any one particular people: others, again, have obferved, that by Spartos may be understood Parthos; and it is remarkable not only that St. Auguftin makes mention of an Epifle of St. John addreffed to the Parthians, and must have had the First Epiftle in view, as he quotes feveral paffages from it; but that Pofidius, his difciple, and the writer of his life, places in his lift of the works of that Father, De Epiftola Johannis ad Parthos Sermones Decem. It may be, that St. Auguftin obferving that the General Epiftle of St. Peter was addreffed to the inhabitants of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia, abridged that long title in a general and comprehenfive denomination, even that of the Parthians; a name given to all the different nations fubjected to that empire, of which Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bithynia were provinces. Hence it is very poffible, that fince the time of St. Auguftin, the title ad Parthos may have been given to the epiftle under confideration:-It may also be obferved farther, that the term Parthian fignifies fometimes the Perfians, whofe empire was fucceeded by theirs: St. John feems to allude to the opinions of the Perfans and their philofophy, in his frequent ufe of figurative expreffions drawn from light and darkness.-The two principal opinions, which contend respectively for the readings ad-Sparfos, or ad Parthos, may be reconciled; for the word Parthus fignifies diSperfed: Scythico Sermone Parthi exules dicuntur, Jústin. lib. xli.ˆ See alfo Fourn. Litter. d'Allemagne, T. i. and Bibliotheque Raifonnée, Txii

But what deferves particular attention, in this manufeript, is that it contains the famous paffage of the three that bear witnefs, I. John v. 7 and 8, but placed in a different manner from that of our Bibles and pofterior manufcripts. The 8th verfe is placed before the 7th, and the words in earth are omitted. The whole paffage runs thus: Quia tres funt, qui teftimonium dant, Spiritus et aqua et fanguis, et hi tres unum funt; et tres funt qui teftimonum perhibent in cælo, pater, verbum & fpiritus, et tres unum funt.-The omiffion of the words in terra is quite natural;for, before the interpolation of the 7th verfe, it was not neceffary to diftinguifh the witneffes, and to mark the difference between the celestial and the earthly witneffes. And as to arrange. ment of thefe verfes, it is probable, that the interpolated verfe was, at firft, placed after that which belonged to the original text; but when it was read for fome time in the public affemblies, it is natural to conjecture, that, out of refpect, they thought proper to place the celeftial witneffes before the terref. trial,

I

trial, and that the verfes were tranfpofed on that account. See concerning this interpolation, the New Teftament of Mill and Werftein.L'Europe favant. Mai. 1718, and Biblioth. Ang. T. v. 317

cords

Subjoined to this manufcript are fome curious records, and among thefe feveral acts placed in the margins to afcertain their authenticity. Of thefe M. SENNEBIER gives a particular account. The mixture of uncial and capital letters-the fre quent junction of different words, the frequent placing of an h before words that begin by vowels, particularly by the a, with feveral other circumftances, fhew that this manufcript is not more recent than the ninth century.,

IT

We fhall give another fpecimen of this work from the 99th No. of the Latin manufcripts. It is a poem in honour of MAHOMET, under the following title-MARII PHILELPHI A, et L. U. Doctoris, Equitis Aurati, Poet Laureati ac Comitis, de Vita, Rebufque geftis Invictiffimi Regis et Imperatoris, Clariffimi MAHOMETI, Turcarum Principis. This remarkable poem has been hitherto abfolutely unknown, as appears by a letter from M. Tirabofchi, the librarian of Modena, to our Author, and alfo from what that learned man obferves in his excellent literary Hiftory of Italy, volume v. p. 296.-The prologue to this poem, which is in profe, is addreffed to Mahomet, by Othman Lillus Anconitanus, who had engaged Marius Philelphus to fing the exploits of that conqueror. M, SENNEBIER gives an ample and interefting account of this epic, or rather hiftorical poem. It is divided into IV. Books, or Cantos. In the Ift, the poet re lates the hiftory, of Mahomet, from his birth; and the book concludes with the defign formed by that great leader to overe turn the Grecian empire. The IId begins with an account of the death of Amurath, the father of Mahomet, in 14515 it con, tains a variety of interefting events, enumerated in our Author's Analyfis, and ends with the death of Conftantine, and the tak ing of Conftantinople, The IIId Book relates the fending of Conftantine's head to the Sultan of Babylon; the furrender of the Greeks, the divifions of Thomas and Demetrius, the brothers of Conftantine, who had fled to Peloponnefus; the furrender of that peninfula to the arms of Mahomet;, his conqueft of the kingdom of Colchos, the city of Trebifond, Lesbos, Bofnja, and Sclavonia; and his fitting out, a fleet to attack the Venetians., The IVth Book contains the reflections of the poet on the destiny of empires; with a defcription of the defeat of the Venetians by Mahomet, and a feries of all the victories of that enterprifing man.

We learn from this poem, that Mahomet neither understood Latin, nor the fciences of his times; that the taking of Conftantinople was owing to the inteftine divifions of the Greeks;

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to their weak defence; and their falfe fecurity;-that the con queror tranfported his gallies by land into the Gulph of Ceratinum; and we fee here the terror that Mahomet fpread through Italy, displayed in the moft lively colours. We find here alfo (fays our Author) the circumftances that attended, the taking of Moncaftro, or Bialogorod, in Beffarabia; which place was abandoned and burned by the inhabitants, at the approach of Mahomet. Hiftorians are filent as to this fact; but, in all the reft, their accounts are conformable to the poetical relation of Philelphus. This bard was born at Conftantinople, in the year 1426.'

"

ART. XII.

BIBLIOTHEQUE ORIENTALE, ou Dictionaire Universelle, contenant tout ce qui fait connoitre les Peuples de l'Orient, Ec.-The Oriental Library, or, Univerfal Dictionary, containing every Thing requifite to the Knowledge of the Eaftern Nations, their Hiftory, Traditions, Religions, and Sects,-their Forms of Government, Politics, Laws, Manners, and Revolutions, their Arts and Sciences, Theology, Phyfic, Mythology, Magic, Natural Philofophy, Morality, Mathematics, Natural History, Chronology, Geography, Aftronomical Obfervations, Grammar, and Rhetoric; alfo the Lives of their Philofophers, Poets, Hiftorians, and Military Commanders, with Extracts of their Writings in the Arabic, Turkish, and Perfian Languages. By Mell. C. VISDELOU and A. GALAND. Folio and Quarto. Hague. 1779.

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HE quarto impreffion of this learned work makes the fourth volume, or Supplement, to the elegant, correct, and improved edition which Meff. Neaulme and Van Daalen have published, at the Hague, of HERBELOT's Oriental Library. This fourth volume (which is alfo printed in folio for the advantage of those who have the folio edition of Herbelot), was compofed by CLAUDE VISDELOU, known by the titular denomination of Bishop of Clandiopolis, and who was one of the miffionaries fent to China, in the year 1685, by Lewis the XIVth; and it was defigned by him as a fupplement to HerbeJot. The contents of this fupplemental volume are, ift, Obfervations of M. de VISDELOU on Twelve Articles of the ORIENTAL LIBRARY, relative to China.-2dly, A History of Great Tartary, that extenfive Region, known to the Ancients under the Name of Scythia, and whofe Sovereigns twice fubdued China-3dly, A Diflertation on the Title of KHAN, in Ufe in the Eaft.-4thly, Obfervations on Forty-one Articles of the above-mentioned Library, more or less relative to China.5thly, The famous Monument of Chriftianity in China, with a Paraphrafe, and learned Notes, and alfo a Defcription of the Roman Empire, according to the Chinele.-6thly, A Defcrip tion of the Chinese Empire, in a Letter addreffed to the late

Prince EUGENE of Savoy.-7thly, Two Treatifes of the late M. GALAND, which are become exceedingly rare: the one entitled, REMARKABLE SAYINGS OF THE EASTERNS, and the other ORIENTAL MAXIMS.-It must not be omitted, that this 4to edition of HERBELOT has the peculiar advantage of being improved by the ADDITIONS of M. SCHULTENS, lately chofen profeffor of the oriental Languages at Leyden, in the place of his learned and worthy father; and who reflects new honour on the very refpectable name he bears. This learned profeffor, whofe tafte is as elegant as his erudition is extenfive, has furnished new articles to the work before us, and corrected fome of the old ones.

AR T. XIII.

Des Moyens que la faine Medecine, &c.-Concerning the Means that may be employed by a wife Practitioner in Medicine, to render the Individuals of one Sex more numerous than those of the other. By M. SAURI, M. D. Correfpondent Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Montpellier. Paris. 1779. (Price Livre 10 Sols.)

TH

HIS is the Sixth Part or Number of the Opufcula of Dr. Sauri; and a curious piece it is, both with refpect to the nature of the subject, and the manner of treating it: more curi-, ous, indeed, than important; for the prefent proportion between the numbers of the two fexes, feems to be well enough arranged for the purposes of fociety, and the merit, manners, fpirit, and genius of the male and female orders in our islands, as well as elsewhere, are become fo equal, both in kind and degree, that it seems of no great confequence which of the two be moft ftocked with individuals. However, if, in any future time, it should become a matter of moment to have more caps. than wigs, or the vice verfa (which is more likely to be the cafe, all things confidered), M. SAURI'S book will deferve the attention of our political economists. His method of proceeding is as follows: After expofing to view the different hypothefes of philofophers, with refpect to the nature and mechanifm of generation, and adopting that of M. Buffon, with certain modifications which do not alter it effentially, he concludes, from that theory and his own repeated obfervations, that the individual of the two fexes who poffeffes the generative faculty in the highest degree (we fuppofe he means at the time of their union), gives his or her fex to the off-fpring;-and, if we may believe Dr. SAURI, this takes place both in the human and the animal fpecies. The confequence is, that if medical science can give a fuperiority to the generative faculty of male or female, it must be capable of determining the fex of their progeniture. Our Author thinks he has difcovered a method of giving the medical art

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this fingular influence; nay, the means prefcribed are remarkable for their fimplicity. Thofe who defire information on this head, may confult the work itfelf, for which they must apply to the Author; who acknowledges no copies to be genuine, that do not bear his fignature. He lives at Paris, in the street Richlieu-Sorbonne, in the College des Treforiers.

Τ

ART. XIV.

Obfervations fur la Formation des Montagnes et les Changemens arrivés au Globe, &c.-Obfervations on the Formation of Mountains, and the Changes and Revolutions which have taken place in our Globe; compofed with a View to the Natural History of M. de Buffon By P. S. PALLAS, Member of the Academy of Peterf burg, in 12mo. pp. 90. Price 24 Livres, Printed at Paris. 1779. HIS laborious and intelligent Author, who by the order and and peculiar encouragement of the Empress of Ruffia, travelled through her dominions in Europe and Afia, to examine the ftate of Nature in thefe vaft regions, has communicated to the Public, in the fmall work now before us, a confiderable number of important obfervations. The origin and formation of mountains, is the object that has more particularly employed his attention in this work. He undertakes to refute, by undoubted facts, the opinions, much in vogue, of certain Naturalifts, who fuppofe, that the mountains arofe out of the waters, and derived exiftence and formation from the ocean. His ob fervations, repeated in different places, have convinced him that the great ridge or chain of primitive mountains, that binds together the various parts of the globe, as the beams do the mafonry of a building, neither has been, nor could be, the production of the waters. This majeftic chain, which he follows in an ample and interefting defcription, is all granite, with a bafis of quartz, more or lefs mixed with fpars, mica, and little portions of bafaltes, fcattered without order, and in irregular fragments. This ancient rocky fubftance, and the fand produced by its decompofition, form (according to M. Pallas) the bafis of all the continents. But this rocky granit is never found in trata or beds; it is either in blocks, or at least in maffes, accumulated the one upon the other, and never exhibits the least mark or veftige of petrifaction, or of any organical impreffion whatever. Befides thefe primordial mountains, M. PALLAS maintains, that there are others of a more recent origin. Thefe he calls fecondary and tertiary: the former, which are fchiftous, were produced at the fides of the primordial mountains by the decompofition of the granites; the latter arife from the wrecks and contents of the fea, raised and tranfported by volca nic eruptions and confequent inundations.

Here