though in profe, have all the foft and affecting melody of paftoral poetry: they are dedicated to her parents; and what tender and delightful emotions muft fuch an offering, from fuch a hand, have excited in their breasts * ?

Tbe fubject of the first of these idyls is, The dangers of love, which, though represented with a tender naïveté, seem rather to be painted from fancy than from feeling. The titles of the following idyls are, Filial Love-the Dream-the Birth-dayLifts and Alexis-the Spring-the Midnight Conversation.

AR T. XIX.

Collection univerfelle des Mémoires particuliers relatifs à l'Hiftoire de France, i. e. A general Collection of particular Memoirs relative to the Hiftory of France. 10 Vols. 8vo. Paris.

THI

HIS valuable Collection comes forth fucceffively, and exhibits a circumftantial view of characters, events, and revoJutions, accompanied with interesting notes and obfervations on all the most important points of French hiftory. The tenth volume goes no farther down than to the first book of the memoirs of Philip de Comines, fo that a multitude of volumes is yet to be expected.

ART. XX.

Obfervations fur les Obftacles qui s'opposent aux Progrés de l'Anatomie, i. e. Obfervations on the Obftacles that retard the Progress of Anatomy. By M. TENON, Regius Profeffor in the College of Chirurgerie, and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences. 4to. 47 Pages. Paris. 1786.

BUY the book, anatomical Readers! it is fmall, and cheap;

it is judicious, and therefore worthy of a perufal. It is published with the approbation of the whole anatomical Faculty, and alfo of the Academy of Sciences; and all this, furely, is fufficient to recommend it.

AR T. XXI.

Recherches fur la Direction du Fluide magnetique, i. e. Inquiries concerning the Direction of the magnetic Fluid. By M. BRUNO, Mafter of the Ceremonies to MONSIEUR, the King's Brother. 8vo. 206 Pages. With 8 Plates. Paris. 1785.

OUR Author flatters himself, that after a long series of experiments made on a variety of natural and artificial loadftones, he has at length arrived at the knowledge of all, or almoft all, the laws to which the magnetic fluid is fubjected.

* The father of this lady is M. LEVESQUE, Author of the Hiftory of Ruffia (of which we have given an account), who has been lately promoted to the profefforfhip of history at Berlin.

This knowledge has led M. BRUNO to form what he calls a new idea, and new indeed it is to us, and will appear probably fo to many of our Readers. This idea is, that we are all miftaken when we fay or think that the magnetic fluid is emitted from one pole or extremity, and circulates to, and enters the oppofite one: for our Author's experiments have convinced him, on the contrary, that this fluid, or effluvia, precipitates itself toward the poles, through all the points of a spherical circumference; that it afterward re-unites itself at one common center, and that at this center a re-action is produced toward all the points of a spherical circumference. He may be in the right or in the wrong for aught we know; for we do not well under. ftand him: but we are tempted, by analogy, to apprehend, that he is in the wrong, when we fee him affirming, in another place, that the inclination of the earth's axis may be explained by the action of the magnetic fluid on our globe.

As to the attraction and repulfion of the magnet, our Author attributes them to the elafticity and preffure of the air and the furrounding fluids. Thefe impel the iron towards the part where it will find the leaft refiftance; and that part is the space occupied by the magnetic fluid, in which there is a fmaller quantity of air (or of any other groffer fluid) than that which acts upon the loadstone. We fhould be glad to fee the experiments

that led to fuch results.

ART. XXII.

Defcriptions des Machines electriques à Taffeta, &c. i. e. A Defcription of electrical Machines made with Faffeta, with an Account of their Effects, and their various Advantages. By M. ROULAND, Profeffor of Experimental Philofophy in the University of Paris. With Plates. 8vo. Paris.

A GENTLEMAN, furprized at the beauty and brilliancy of the electrical pencils and corrufcations which he had produced by rubbing, in the dark, with a cat's fkin, two large taffeta curtains, conceived the idea of employing filk in his electrical machine. M. ROULAND caught the idea, and in a large machine has employed taffeta inftead of the two plates of glafs that are used in the machine of M. Van Marum, of whofe prodigious effects we lately gave an account. The construction of this machine, in which there is no glafs, and which is much less expensive, and lefs liable to accidents, than that of the Dutch philofopher, has been examined by commiffioners appointed for that purpose by the Royal Academy of Sciences: and their report is, that the machine of M. ROULAND is ingeniously conftructed, and exempt from the accidents to which others

* See Appendix to our 73d volume.

are

are expofed-that it opens a new field for electrical experiments, and is adapted to produce the greateft effects. This report, given into the Academy by Count de Milly, Meffieurs Leroi, Briffon, and de la Place, is every way worthy of the confidence of the Public.

ART. XXIII.

Etudes de la Nature, i. e. The Study of Nature, or rather Studies of Nature. By J. HENRY BERNARDIN DE ST. PIERRE. 3 Vols. 12mo. With Plates. Paris. 1785.

THIS

HIS is a first-rate publication. Its plan is irregular, but moft extenfive; for it takes in the whole compass of nature (that is, what we can fee or conjecture of it), both in the phyfical and moral world. It is, in point of originality, one of the most remarkable productions we have met with; for, befide a multitude of new ideas, the old ones acquire an afpect of novelty in paffing through this Author's pen, and we do not recollect any writer who has drawn fo conftantly from an internal fund of native genius and deep obfervation. Ancient systems, eftablished principles, fage authority, received notions, new difcoveries, are nothing to him, until they have been melted down in his crucible (if we may use that expreffion), and examined in all their conftituent parts. He attacks, without refpect of perfons, what he looks upon as erroneous; but his attacks are always conducted with decency, candour, and amenity: he pulls down many new fyftems, and revives feveral old ones: he feems, indeed, to be over-fond of deviating from the beaten track but he never quits the main path of genuine religion, though he feparates from it the fpirit of fanaticifm, that gives it an odious afpect, and the follies of fuperftition, which would render it contemptible. His ftyle is eloquent, animated, and often picturefque and poetical. He deferves to be tranflated-but who shall translate him? as we may apply to him the Hibernicism in the bathos:

None but himself can be his parallel.

ART. XXIV.

La Religion défendue contre l'Incredulité du Siecle, &c. i. e. A Defence of Religion against the Attacks of modern Infidelity; containing a Summary of Sacred Hiftory, and fome preliminary Reflections, relative to the Design of this Work. 12mo. 6 Vols. Paris. 1785. THOUGH we need not foreign aid to repulse the ad

verfaries of religion, it is nevertheless an interefting, and may fometimes prove a ufeful object of curiofity, to know how a controverfy of fuch moment is carried on by our neightours, and particularly in a country, where a bold and pernicious affociation of fophifts have been long undermining or endea

vouring

vouring to undermine the facred foundations of religion and morality. We have frequently had occafion to mention productions of confiderable merit, which have defended the fanctuary of truth against these cruel fpoilers, whofe fect seems now verging towards oblivion, though they have deluded many. The prefent work deferves an eminent place among these productions. The folid reasoning, the extenfive erudition, and the spirit of moderation which it every where difplays, render it. peculiarly commendable.

ART. XXV.

Commentaires de Céfar, avec des Notes hiftoriques, critiques, et militaires. i. e. The Commentaries of Cæfar, enriched with hiftorical, critical, and military Annotations and Remarks, by Count TURPIN DE CRISSE, Lieutenant General of the King's Armies, and Member of feveral Academies. 4to. 3 Vols. Adorned with 43 Plates, a Medallion of Cæfar, and the Portrait of the Author. Paris.

WHO

HO could be more proper to write annotations and remarks on the Commentaries of Cafar, than the learned commentator on the Theory of Vegetius, and the Memoirs of Montecuculi, whofe extenfive erudition and lively genius, are accompanied with the experience of feventeen campaigns? Accordingly, in this valuable and fplendid work, he does not explain the text, but the expeditions of the Roman conqueror. He unfolds the motives of his conduct, contemplates him amid the obftacles he had to furmount, defcribes the characters of his friends and enemies, weighs the great interefts, and appreciates the objects, which animated at that time the first perfonages on the public scene; and from these important fources he draws the maxims and leffons of military inftruction with a masterly hand.

Count TURPIN has published the text of Cæfar as it stands in the fplendid edition of Dr. Clarke, and he has employed the French tranflation of Wailly, which he has corrected where he found it neceffary. The plates that enrich the work will enable the reader to follow Cæfar in his expeditions, marches, encampments, and battles, with the greateft eafe; and the nations, cities, and rivers, mentioned by the Roman chief, are placed in alphabetical order at the end of it, with their ancient and modern names. Prefixed to these volumes we find a Preface, or Introductory Difcourfe, compofed with great fpirit and energy, in which, after defcribing the extraordinary genius, capacity, and talents of the conqueror of Gaul, Count Turpin maintains with eloquence the honour of the military profeffion, against what he calls the paradoxes of certain philofophers.

ART.

ART. XXVI.

Mémoires d'Agriculture, d'Oeconomie rurale et domestique, &c. i. e, Memoirs of Agriculture, &c. Published by the Royal Society of Agriculture at Paris, for the Year 1785 (the Summer Quarter). 8vo. Paris. 1786.

THOUGH the labours of this learned Society be more espe

cially calculated for the meridian of France, they are executed on fuch an extenfive plan, as muft render them generally ufeful. The fpirit that animates the enlightened and opulent members of the Society, is generous and patriotic. They come to the fuccour of the poor peafant, whofe wretched ftate of indigence and oppreffion deprives him of the means of acquiring the knowledge, and making the experiments, that are neceffary to the improvement of his farm; and, at the fame time, their views extend to the advancement of the practical science of agriculture, in all its branches. The first thing we meet with in the volume before us, is a compendious hiftory of the Society; which is followed by an account of their Deliberations, from the 21st of April to the 11th of Auguft 1785. These turn on a variety of ufeful objects, among which we find the lift of Questions, &c. delivered to the Abbé Mongés, who is one of the circumnavigators on board the frigate commanded by M. de Peyroufe. In thefe queftions, they defire information with refpect to the methods and inftruments of agriculture employed by the nations that inhabit the coafts of the South Sea-to the black colour with which they dye their garments, the vegetables that form their tiffue, and thofe of which they make their beautiful mats. They defire alfo fets of the mulberry-paper tree, of whofe bark the greateft part of the paper in Japan and China is made; and the linfeed of New Zealand, with an account of the best manner of introducing into France the culture of that plant. They defire moreover, to facilitate the importation of other trees and plants that grow in New Holland and New Zealand, the ftrawberry trees of Chili, and fome of the useful animals of the South Sea islands, fuch as the hogs of thofe countries, and a kind of dogs, that do not bark, and are excellent food.

Under this article of the Deliberations of the Society, we shall jult mention (because we think it may be useful) one of the obfervations of M. Thouin, member of this Society, of the Academy of Sciences, and chief gardener of the Royal Garden of Exotics. This obfervation relates to the plant rhubarb. • Rhubarb,' fays he, is already cultivated with fucceís in dif-. ferent parts of Great Britain, and in the environs of Paris; but, it has been hitherto cultivated only on account of its medicinal, root, though it might be employed with fuccefs to other purpofes. The Tartars make of the ftalk of this plant a kind of armalade, which is agreeable to the tafte, very falubrious, and