other fertile and extenfive regions, the rival power of France had ftill the afcendant, at least so far down as the conclufion of the last century. This our Author attributes to the political reunion and local contiguity of all the parts of the French monarchy, to the extinction of feudal government, the diminution of the power of the nobility by Richlieu, and other circumstances of a more accidental kind; while in the Auftrian dominions the flavery of the people, the overgrown opulence and power of the nobility or great vaffals, and the inconveniencies resulting from difperfed and unconnected territories, have been hitherto obftacles to the influence and progrefs of that afpiring power. This may change. And we have only to open our eyes to fee the germ of fome revolution of that kind, which we have no affurance that the peace lately concluded will prevent.

II. Hiftoire naturelle, civile, et politique du Tonquin, &c. i. e, A natural, civil, and political History of Tonquin. By the Abbé RICHARD, Canon of Vezelay. 2 Vols. 12mo. Paris. 1778. Price bound 5 Livres. The prefent Hiftory is drawn up from the papers of the Abbé de Saint-Phalle, a prieft of the diocese of Autun, who performed, during the space of twelve years, the laborious duties of Miffionary at Tonquin, and died at Paris in 1766. As the hiftory of this kingdom, which holds a confiderable rank among the empires of oriental Afia, is an object of confequence to modern literature, and has not hitherto been treated in a manner that ought to difcourage farther attempts in the fame way, the Public is obliged to the Abbé RICHARD for the pains he has taken in digefting the memoirs and obfervations of the Abbé de Saint-Phalle, correcting the inaccuracies of his ftyle, and in giving the work its prefent form.-It is divided into two parts. The first contains a geographical defcription of Tonquin, and an account of every thing relative to the customs, manners, and riches of that country, its population, industry, commerce, fciences, arts, trades, government, revolutions, revenues, forces, taxes, civil and criminal laws, and the form$ of judicial proceedings. This first part is terminated by a digreffion concerning the fundamental laws of the Chinese empire, from which thofe of Tonquin are taken. The refemblance between the people of Tonquin and the Chinese, with respect to manners, fcience, arts, funeral ceremonies, and religious laws, is very great for which reafon the most interefting accounts, in this first part, are those that relate to the natural history of the country, and its productions, which, together with its fituation on the borders of the richeft provinces of China, furnish ways and means of commerce, from whence Europe might derive the greatest advantages. The fecond part of this work contains an account of the mifions,-which have been attended

with fo little fruit in thofe regions,-and in almoft all othersas to juftify, in fome measure, the application of the prophet's expreffion, to this cafe-Can the Ethiopian change his fkin?

III. Hiftoire critique des Opinions des Anciens, &c. i. e. A critical Hiftory of the Opinions of the Ancients, and of the philofophical Systems relative to HAPPINESS. By M. DE ROCHEFORT, Member of the Royal Academy of Infcriptions and Belles Lettres. Paris. 8vo. 1779. Happiness is, in the sphere of moral investigation, what the philofopher's Stone is in the line of chemical, or rather alchemical, combination and analyfis. However, as the chemifts, though they did not obtain their main purpose, gathered, by the way, feveral fcattered fcraps of truth and ufeful knowledge, fo the moralifts have given us many ufeful directions, though they never have been able to mark out a certain path to true felicity, and that, for a very good reafon, even, that it is not the growth of any fublunary climate, but has its time, place, and maturity elfewhere. Be that as it may, we think there is both pleasure and profit to be obtained in the perufal of the work before us; yet we dare not flatter any of our Readers that it will render them happy. After having made a wife and judicious estimate of the different ftages of life, with refpect to their fufceptibility of pleasure and enjoyment, our Author enters upon the hiftorical part of his work, which is divided into five books. In the firft, he treats of thofe opinions of the ancients relative to happiness, that deferve notice, and that furnish the best and the most interesting materials for a hiftory of the human mind, and in the four following he unfolds and examines the philofophical fyftems, that were compofed on this important fubject, from Thales to Marcus Antoninus.

IV. Traité des Couleurs Materielles et de la Maniere de Colorer, relativement aux differens Arts et Metiers: i. e. A Treatise concerning Colours, and the Manner of Colouring, confidered with reSpect to the useful and mechanic Arts. By M. LE PILEUR D'APLIGNY. 12mo. Paris. 1778. In this useful work the Author treats of colours and colouring, neither as an optician nor a connoiffeur in painting, but as a chemift, who unfolds their phyfical principles, points out the methods of improving and modifying them, defcribes the merely mechanical operations in the different kinds of painting, and detects the improper and defective methods of proceeding in this line of practical fcience. After having pointed out the chemical procefs in the various colours employed in the different kinds of painting, he confiders the different fubftances of which they are compofed, and the manner of blending them. He obferves, that excepting cochineal, which belongs to the animal fpecies, all colours are drawn from vegetables or minerals. Our Author's first divifion, therefore, of colours, confidered with respect to the diverfity of their origin, is into vegetable and mi

E 4

neral;

neral; of these he enumerates the various kinds, and defcribes their compofition. He afterwards fhews their ufe in the five different kinds of painting, fuch as Patel, Distemper, Oil, Frefco, and Encauftic; and on each of thefe branches of that noble art, he makes obfervations, and gives directions, which discover a very extenfive acquaintance with natural philosophy and chemistry. This is an excellent book for painters: they will find in it the impofture of many pretended fecrets detected, and a number of preparations, founded upon repeated experiments, that deferve attention. The Author's receipt for making the fine colour, diftinguished by the name of Pruffian Blue, and his account of the late difcoveries for fixing the Pastel, are curious; but nothing surprised us more than his method of cafting wood in moulds, fo as to make it affume every poffible form without diminishing its natural confiftence. It is as follows: Take fine faw-duft of wood of any kind, and put into a veffel a pound of the parings or fhreds of parchment: pour upon them a quantity of fpring water, fufficient to form a liquid pafte, and let this mixture ftand three days. Take of gum arabic and gum tragacanth, two ounces each, put them into the water with the parchment, cover them, and let them boil between two or three hours, and add warm water, if that in which you have put the parchment is much diminished before the parchment is diffolved. Strain this mixture through a piece of linen; throw into it the pulverized wood or faw duft, and ftir the compofition on the fire until it has affumed the denfity or confiftence of pap or jelly: when the mixture is cold, put it into a mould which has been oiled: let it remain there during two days, at the end of which time it will be fit for working.'

V. Nouveaux Opufcules de M. Feutry, &c. i. e. New Pieces, or Opufcula, of M. FEUTRY, Member of the Philofophical Society of Philadelphia. 8vo. Paris. 1779. Price 3 Livres. The greatest part of thefe mifcellanies are tables, fonnets, epigrams, portraits, imitations, which are not amifs, but which would not have much attracted our attention to the work, were they not followed by two difcourfes in profe: one concerning the Origin of the Caflilian Poetry, taken from Don L. J. DE VELASCO; the other containing Hiftorical Refearches on Tufcan Poetry. The characters of the principal Spanish and Italian poets are delineated with judgment and tafte in thefe two difcourfes; and we learn from thence, that the bards of both nations have been indebted for a great part of their merit, to the ancient Mufes of Provence, to what the French call the Poefie Provençale, which took its rife under William VIII. Duke of Aquitaine, about the year 1100, and does not seem to have furvived the fifteenth century.-The Reader will find, at the

Should not the quantity of faw-duft have been mentioned?

end

end of this volume, fubjects treated, that are adapted to frighten the Mufes. Thefe we meet with in five memoirs or difcourfes. Firft, concerning warlike machines; fecondly, a plan for form ing, in the Royal Military School, a collection of arms and warlike machines that have been employed by all nations both in ancient and modern times; thirdly, concerning artillery, in which the Author gives an account of the properties of certain cannons of his own invention; fourthly, concerning a car or waggon, armed for war, which is alfo a new invention; and, fifthly, concerning a raft, defigned to carry a kind of fortrefs.-The French feem fo bufy in inventing every thing, that they have not leifure to execute any thing.

GERMANY.

VI. 7. J. Mofers-Erfte Grundlehren des ietzigen Europæifchen Voelker rechts, &c. i.e. The first Principles of the Law of Nations in Europe, at this prefent Time, both with respect to Peace and War. By M. MOSER, Counsellor of State to the King of Denmark. Svo. Nuremberg. 1779. When we had read the title of this book only, and obferved the words, at this prefent time (however accustomed we are to meet with grave and good things from the pen of M. Mofer), we were preparing ourselves to read a piece of pleafantry and fatire. The French alliance with America and hoftilities against England (laying afide all confideration of the American conteft with the mother-country), was fuch a violation of truth, honour, and justice, as hath but few examples; and the filence of the European nations, at this event, looked as if the law of nations had been reverfed. When we had perufed Mr. Mofer's book, we found he was ferious, and that he had compofed it for the ufe of the Military Academy of Wurtemberg.

The Reader must not here expect the philofophical principles of the law of nations; for thefe are not confined to Europe, but must be obligatory wherever reafon and humanity are found; but he will find here an account of the actual ftate of Europe, of the maxims (rendered facred by repeated examples) that direct the proceedings and conduct of its fovereigns, with refpect to all the various objects that relate to their mutual interefts and obligations. In twenty chapters, of which this work is compofed, our Author treats-Of the Law of Nations in general, and of Europe in particular-Of Europe, confidered as forming, in fome meafure, one political Body-Of the Perfons and Families of Sovereigns-Of the Ceremonial-Of Ambafladors and Envoys-Of the Lands and Seas that come within the Dominion of Sovereigns-Of the Servants and Subjects of Sovereigns Of Articles of Religion-Of political Maxims, and the Adminiftration of Justice-Of the Military and Marine Departments-Of Finances-Of Acts of Grace-Of Commerce

and

and Money-Of the Police-Of Treaties, and particularly thofe of Alliances and Guarantée-Of Pretenfions, Grievances, Contests, and Mediation-Of doing ourselves Juftice Of Seizures and Reprifals-Of Wars, Allies, Auxiliaries, and Subfidies-Of Neutrality-Of Truces and Peace.-Such are the principal articles treated in this excellent work.

VII. Vom Blitze, &c. i.e. Concerning Thunder and Lightning, &c. By the Abbé HEN. REIMARUS, M. D. 8vo. Hamburgh. 1778. Here we have a folid, judicious, and useful work. It contains the most excellent directions to prevent the deftructive effects of the electrical fiery fluid. The Author feems perfectly acquainted with his fubject: his reafonings are clear and accurate, his principles folid, and their application easy. In treating this fubject, M. REIMARUS firft points out, after the most exact obfervations, the directions of lightning and its action in different bodies; fecondly, he fhews how it is affected in its courfe by thofe metallic fubftances which are employed cure edifices against its pernicious effects, and how these metals may be the most effectually and fafely used for this purpose; he explains, in the third place, the effects of lightning by the principles of electricity, and in a manner conformable to electrical experiments. The ingenious Author of this work is fon to the celebrated Reimarus, who published several philofophical treatifes, and a very curious one, among others, on the inftincts of animals.

VIII. Briefe uber Rufland, &c. i. e. Letters concerning Ruffia. By M. J. H. C. MEYER, an Officer in the Hanoverian Regiment of Saxe-Gotha. 8vo. Gottingen. 1778. In thefe Letters the Author does not follow any regular plan, but treats of a great variety of interefting objects, among which we may place his accounts of the country of KamfchatkaOf the Emigration of the Kalmucs-Of the Commerce of the Black Sea-Of the Settlement of Colonies. His extracts from the books that contain the laws of the Kalmucs are curious; and his defcription of the collection of natural history at Petersburg, of that flourishing city, of the Ruffian manufactures, and of the ftate of taxes and population in that country, are inftructive and interefting. There is, more especially, much information to be had from those Letters, in which our Author defcribes the prefent ftate of the city of Petersburgh, the military force of Ruffia, and the oppreffion which reigns in the remote provinces under the defpotifm of their governors. According to M. MEYER'S eftimate, the revenue of Ruffia amounts to 30 millions of rubles*, befides a million and a half, which the gold and filver mines yield. This effimation fuppofes either

* A ruble (as is well known) is four fhillings and fix-pence.

that