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FOREIGN LITERATURE

Of the Year 1785.

THE

HE feven Catholic Epiftles of the Apostles have been published in Ruffia, after the MSS. found at Moscow by profeffor Matthai, with various readings, remarks, and Greek fcholia, never be fore printed, together with the Vulgate Latin verfion of a MS. carefully examined. It is printed by Hartknoch, at Riga. The fame author has publifhed the Gofpel according to St. Luke, in Greek and Latin; Paul's Epitiles to the Romans, Titus, Philemon; the first and fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians; the Epiftles to the Hebrews and Coloffians, each in Greek and Latin. It is now above four years fince profeffor Matthæi began to publifh his edition of the New Teftament, according to the Moscow MSS. which perhaps he holds in too much veneration. The learned in theology will find many remarkable deviations in his opinions and decifions on various parts of the Scriptures. M. Jaenifch has given a "Treatife on the Cure of the Cancer," at Petersburg. M. Apinus has printed a defcription of his new invented microscopes. The "Opufcula Analytica" of the great Euler, were published at Petersburg, in 1783, after his death. M. Pallas has published Tom. I. pars I. of his "Flora Ruffica," under the aufpices of the emprefs, at whofe expence the work is undertaken, and who gives all the copies away.

Each tree and plant has its name written in each of the European languages, and likewife in every dialect fpoken throughout the Ruffian empire; a method extremely useful to the students of botany." Anecdotes of Peter the Great," collected by Jacques de Staehling, have been publifhed at Leipfic, many of which are curious, and defcriptive of the fingular and impetuous character of that remarkable man. That, for instance, which informs us, that the emperor being at church at Dantzick, and finding his head cold, took off the perriwig of the burgomafter that fat befide him, and put it on his own head. As alfo that of madame Borstein, whom he himself tapped for the dropfy. M. Nicholas Fufs read before the Royal Academicians of Petersburg the "Eulogy" of his great mafter Euler, which contains an abstract of his life and works. The labours of Euler are immenfe, and well known. He went from his native country, Swifferland, to Petersburg, whence he was invited by the late king of Pruffia; and who (as we think very much to his difgrace) would fcarcely permit Euler to leave Berlin, when he had once more a defire to return to Petersburg. The famous M. Turgot, comptrollergeneral of France, at the folicitation of the marquis of Condorcet, prevailed on the French monarch to prefent fix thousand livres to Euler,

in reward for the benefit his difcoveries had done to fociety; to which the emprefs of Ruffia, when fhe heard of it, added eight thou fand more. Euler had thirteen children, five of which only arrived at puberty; three of them were fons, each famous for his learning and abilities: and the grandchildren of Euler were thirty-fix, all living at the time of his death.

In Sweden a tract has been publifhed, called "Trangrums Acten,' which fignifies the refufe of herrings after the oil has been extracted. The making of this oil is a branch of commerce extremely lucrative to Sweden, and it had been pretended that the refufe of the herrings, after the oil was made, being cast into the fea, injured both the fishery and navigation. The king accordingly iffued an edict, prohibiting this refufe to be thrown into the fea. But this being deftructive to the interefts of the manufacturers, they obtained leave to make experiments, by, which they have proved, that, instead of being injurious, this refuse, by being caft into the fea, was remarkably beneficial to the fifhery, and no impediment to navigation,

Peter Frederic Suhm has written the History of Denmark, from 804 to 941, in which many interefting facts are to be found relative to the Ruffians, Germans, French, Englifh, Irish, and Scotch. The author has therein given many welleftablished facts, hitherto unknown, of the invafions the Normans made on those kingdoms, and which will be of the utmost confequence to future hiftorians. M. Suhm has likewife written a novel, or romance, called "Afsol", (printed at Copenhagen) which is in great repute, and thews how perfectly the

1785.

author is acquainted with the manners of the remote ages in which his fuppofed perfonages lived, as well as the power he has over the imagination and the heart.

M. Schmidts has published his third and fourth volumes of the "German Hiftory," which is to be continued. It is already fuppofed a work fo well authenticated, that' the emperor, in his late conteft with the king of Pruffia, quoted the authority of this hiftorian.

M.

We gave an account last year of M. de Rivarol's "Prize Memoir on the Univerfality of the French Language. " The author of it took every poffible means to make himfelf and his memoir known. Schwab, profeffor of Stuttgard, and a more modeft man, between whom and M. de Rivarols the prize was divided, has likewife published his Memoir, and from the extracts we have feen, he appears to be a much better philofopher

M. Goeze has given "A Histo rical Effay on Worms, found in the Inteftines of Animals," in which are numerous, excellent, and new obfervations. The author's patience has been unconquerable; he has examined a vast number of animals and animalcula, with the help of the microfcope, and his account of the folium, or tape worm, is written with great care.

M. Dobrizhoffer has printed three vols. of his "Hiftory of the Abbiponions," a warlike nation of Paraguay, in which, though the author has not that extended and philofophic mind fo much to be defired in all writers, yet many very curious particulars may be found, as well relative to the natives as the Jefuits, to whom the author is a friend. Their fettle ments in that country, the good they have done, and the falsehood

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A fmall mythological work has been publifhed at Paris, written by M. de Landine, entitled "The Hell of the Ancients, or, A Hiftory of their Infernal Deities, &c." The apologues and tales of the Abbé Blanchet are known in England, by the best of them having been already tranflated; they are entitled "Tales, Anecdotes, Apo. logues, &c." M. Savary's "Letters on Egypt," are now completed in three volumes; they have had the greatest fuccefs in France, which they juftly deferved. The author's knowledge of ancient literature, aided by his travels into the country he defcribes, make his work truly valuable; "The Memoirs of the famous Baron de Tott" have fcarcely found more readers in France, than "The Letters on Egypt." The academic collection of "Select Memoirs of the most celebrated Societies in Europe," printed at Paris, is still continued; the VII. VIII. and IXth volumes have appeared. M. Berrenger has given a continuation of his "Letters on Provence," they are de fcriptive of this part of France and its natural productions. The IIId. and IVth volumes of M. Muftel's "Treatife on the Theory and Practice of Vegetation," are pubfifhed at Rouen and Paris; the work is highly efteemed, and the author's knowledge of agriculture and gardening, have obtained him the refpect of Europe.

The "Philofophic and literary Mifcellanies" of counfellor Gin are the work rather of a labori ous man than a man of geni

France abounds in periodical works at prefent a univerfal collection of memoirs particularly relative to the history of France are coming out monthly at Paris. The French journalists praife the

editors highly for their care, judgment and taste in the selection. "Letters on France, England and Italy, by Count H. Chamberlain to his Imperial Majefty," appear from the extracts we have feen, to be written with confiderable taste and intelligence. They are published at Geneva and Leige. The Abbé Brizard has given a fmall tract on the love of Henry IV. for literature. It had ufually been fuppofed this favourite monarch of the French was but little addicted to letters. The Abbé, jealous of the glory of the good king, has endeavoured to rescue his memory from the wrong which he conceives done to it by this opinion. The first, fecond, and third volumes of a historical effay on the Teutonic order of knighthood have appeared at Paris, and contain a fund of historical knowledge, and a multiplicity of interrefting facts but little known. The fecond part of the Memoirs of the academy of Dijon, for the year 1783 contains many valuable memoirs. "The Life of Andrea Doria," written by M. Richer, is interefting from its fubject. The fame author has written the lives of John Bart, Cornelius Van Tromp, Duguay Trouin, and De Forbin. The famous Marmontel has given the world his "Memoir on Languages," read before the French a. cademy, where it met all the applaufe an author of fuch etablished fame had reafon to expect. We cannot, however, forbear faying, the learn· ed fecretary fucceeds much better when analyzing his own language than thofe of foreign nations; the English efpecially, concerning which we dare affirm he is frequently erroneous. Meffieurs de la Chau and la Blond have prefented the connoiffeurs with their fe

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cond volume of engraved precious ftones in the cabinet of the duke of Orleans, which, we are in formed, is with regard to the plates, one of the best executed of the kind. M. Heffen has printed a "Memoir on the Art of Watch-making," with the approbation of the royal academy of fciences at Paris. A quarto pamphlet by by M. Vicq-d'azyr, containing the eulogies of MefGeurs Fothergill, Montigny, Du Hamel, Pringle, Dr. Hunter, and Sanchez, all medical men, has been given from one of the royal preffes at Paris. The fourth vofume of fermons of father Elyfee is published. The author is acknowledged to be one of the most eloquent of the French preachers of the prefent age, and the character of his difcourfes is rather that of reafon, precifion, and mildness, than of the thundering oratory of Bourdaloue or the enthufiafin of Maffillon. M. de Chabanon, of Paris has given his countrymen "A treatise on Mulic confidered in itself, and the relation it bears to Words, Languages, Poetry, and the theatre. The author's literary talents are well known, and there is little doubt of the value of the prefent performance. The XIX. and XXth. volumes of the Abbé Berault-Bercaffel's church history appertain to the year 1785, and conclude the work. Thefe two volumes comprehend a general history of the church from the council of Trent to the year 1630. Madame de Genlis Theatre" for the Ufe of young Perfons is known in England by a tranflation under the title of Sacred Dramas." The high and well deferved reputation of the author leaves no doubt concerning the merits of the work;

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her writings are in general fuch as parents, guardians and teachers fhould encourage youth to read by every means in their power. Catalogue of the Works on Mineral Waters in general, and on those of France in particular, by M. Carrere Paris." The title of the author would fcarcely leave the reader to imagine that a character of each work is given, but fuch is the fact. "The claffic Books of China collected by father Noel, preceded by Obfervations, Paris, volumes III. and IV." The two firft volumes were written by Abbé Pluquet. "An Abstract of the Life and Works of Francis le Fort, prime Minister of Peter the Great." The nature of the fubject makes this work interefting, if the materials are authentic, as they are faid to be. To la Fort the revolutions made in, and the civilization of Ruffia, may be attributed, at least fo his biographer afferts, and he has not been the first who made this affertion. La Fort was a citizen of Geneva. "An Abftrapt of the Experiments made on Corn, by Order of Louis XV. at Trianon;" a fhort but excellent Pamphlet, printed by Moutard, at Paris. "Letters by an Algerine Captive freed from Slavery by the Canons of Saint Trinity, Paris." The Marquis de Condorcet, fo well and fo defervedly known to the literary world, has publifhed "An Effay on the analytic Application of the Probability of Decitions by a Plurality of Voices." This work bears, very juftly, a high character among the French mathematicians. A moft remark. able poem has appeared by M. de Piis on the imitative harmony of the French language, We fay remarkable, becaufe in fearch of harmony its author feems to have

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FOREIGN

LITERATURE.

run into every kind of error. One of his chief modes of producing harmony is by harth and eternal alliteration, which, though one of the inferior beauties of poetry, when introduced by a matter of his art, is one of its greatest defects, thus employed. M. de Piis, not withstanding, poffeffes confiderable entnutiaim and invention, two of the firft qualities of a poet, but he has bestowed them either improperly, or on a barren fubject. "Let ters critical and political, on the Colonies and Commerce of the maritime Towns of France, addreffed to the Abbe Raynal, Paris." The intention of the work is to controvert fome of the Abbe Raynal's strictures and opinions refpecting France and her colonies. "An Account of the Works of Gafper Schott Jefuit," by the Abbé de St. Leger, Paris. Gafper Schott was a famous experimental philofopher, and fearcher into the fecrets of nature and arts; believed many fables, rejected others, and endeavoured frequently to promote the interefts of fcience; he died in 1666. M. Boiffi has published "Critical Differtations on the Jewith Hiftory," by way of fupplement to Bafnage. The Abbé Teffier has alfo publifhed "Experiments on the Smut in Wheat;" from which he deduces that quick-lime is the only agent that can effectually prevent the difeafe. The proportions are nine pounds of new quick-lime to about fifty quarts of water, for two hundred and forty pounds weight of wheat. "An Historical Account of the Genius and Character of the French Literati, with a Collection of their Sayings and Literary Anecdotes," by M. Taillefer, Paris. A work ufeful to the collectors of anecdotes and lovers of biography. M. Garnier con

tinues publishing his "Hiftory of France," the XXIX. and XXX. volumes have appeared. One of the chief amufements of the French at prefent, is to elucidate fynony mous words. The Abbé Girard's excellent work on that fubject has long been known. A refpectable rival has lately rifen; the Abbé Roubaud has published "French Synonymes," in four volumes, and his work has met the applaufe of his nation. The "Adventures of Frifo" is a French tranflation from a Dutch epic poem. A fmall tract called "An Efflay on Love," printed at Amfterdam, but to be had at Paris likewife, is faid to be a work of tafte, feeling, and philofophy. "Caroline of Lichtfield" is a novel that has defervedly had the greatest fuccefs in France; it has already run through feveral editions, and its best property is, that while it delights the mind and affects the heart, it does no injury to moral conduct; but on the contray, infpires a true and fincere love of virtue. It is already known in England by a tranflation. Hiftorical and Critical Memoirs of the life and writings of Voltaire, is another tranflation from the French of a very entertaining and authentic work.

Spanish literature though it does not stand ftill, makes not the rapid advances that might be wifhed. The means of procuring Spanish books being few, we fhall just give a litt of fuch as have come to our knowledge. The first volume of a "Hiftory of the European Colonies," by Odoardo Mala de Luque, that is to fay, the anagram being interpreted, the duke of Almodovar, faid to be a good work. "Effni of a Spanish Library," or rather on Spanish literature, volume the firit,

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