Memoires concernant l'Hiftoire, les Sciences, les Arts, c Memoirs concerning the Hiftory, Sciences, Arts, Manners, and Customs, of the Chinefe. By the Miffionaries of Pekin, Vol. I. 4to. Paris. More food for fcepticifin in matters of hiftory! How long have the learned amused themselves with the high antiquity of the Chinese; whofe annals were carried back beyond the Mofaic creation! Poor M. de Guigne! alas! what is become of your fine, elaborate Egyptian fyftem? Pitiful Voltaire ! where are now all your brilliant conjectures and your mauvaises plaifanteries, on this charming fubject?-It is proved in this volume that all the hiftorical relations of facts, prior to the reign of Yao, about 2000 years before Chrift, are entirely fabulous. The proof, indeed, amounts to little more than probability, and even that is dependent in a great degree on the good faith of the Memorialifts, It may also be thought a little extraordinary that the Jefuit Miffionaries who have refided fo long in China, fhould not have found out this circumstance before but that it was neceffary for two Chinese to come oyer to be educated in Europe, in order, on their return, to be able to make fuch an important difcovery!We are by no means of the opinion that the Chinese nation is fo ancient as hath been pretended; but we cannot help thinking the result of the researches contained in the volume before us, the effect of an enquiry very partially directed, and therefore highly fufpi cious. The future ecclairciffement of thefe hopeful Chinese pupils may fhew better how far they have profited by their Parifian.education. Differtation fur la Nature du Froid.-A Differtation on the Nature of Cold, with Proofs founded on new Chemical Experiments. By M. Herckenroth, Affiftant Apothecary to the Army. Paris. It is a pity, as we have more than once obferved, that Che mifts do not make a diftinction between chemical elements in particular and phyfical elements in general. If they studied the mechanical philofophy with a little more attention alfo, it would not be the worfe for them. They would then learn to diftinguish better between fubftance and accident, matter and motion, than they now do. The chief defign of this differtation is to prove that water, hitherto deemed a chemical element, is no element at all, but a fubftance compofed of the principles, of heat and cold. Now heat and cold are merely physical accidents 3 dents or adventitious qualities of fubftances, and not either elements or principles. But it is not our bufinefs to enlarge here on a fubject, which more properly belongs to the writer's profeffion on which, notwithstanding, it is certain he talks more like a 'pothecary than a phyfician. Les Incas.-The Incas, or the Deftruction of the Empire of Peru. By M. Marmontel. 2 vol. 8vo. Paris. We cannot better define this work, as a literary production, than in Mr. Marmontel's own words. "Il y a trop de verité pour un roman & point affez pour une hiftoire." There is too much truth in it for a romance and too little for a history." -The principal action of the piece, continues he, takes up but little room: every thing indeed relates to it, but at a distance. It is therefore less the tiffue of a fable than the fingle thread of a fimple narration, founded on hiftory; in which the author hath intermixed a number of fictions confiftent with the truth of facts. The brilliancy of ftile and elegance of diction, peculiar to this writer, render it needlefs for us to fay any thing farther of this production, to recommend it to the reader. Precis de Loix du Goût, ou Rhetorique Raifonée.-The Laws of Taste determined, or Rational Rhetoric. 12mo. Paris. If the world be not in time reduced to reafon, it is not the fault of the philofophizing geniufes of the age. De guftibus non eft difputandum, is an ancient adage now grown into difrepute; there being nothing fo bizarre and whiinfical either in nature or art but our modern philofophers tax their brains to find out the reafon of it. Succefs to their enquiries! we would by no means wish to damp the zeal of their researches, as we are fully perfuaded they are in the right, in fuppofing a reason fubfifts, though they may be wrong in fuppofing it is, in all cafes, to be given. At leaft, we are convinced that if the improvements of the arts be the end of this clofe investigation of nature, they will be difappointed: the arts of poetry, rhetoric, and the like, notwithstanding they have their foundation in nature, being too artificial in their fuperftructure to ftand the teft of philofophical propriety. To a certain degree, nature is the nurse of the arts; but art hath its capriccios, and those amiable ones too, that are not countenanced by nature. Hiftoire Hiftoire de la Lorraine.-The Hiftory of Lorraine. By Abbé Bexon. Vol. I. 8vo. Paris. This volume of the History of Lorraine, which is well written, and is faid to be compiled from the most authentic materials, begins with the earlieft accounts of the ancient Aftrafia, and ends about the middle of the fixteenth century. It is propofed, in a second volume, to conclude the work, with the present time. Idée Sommaire, ou Vue generale du Syfteme Phyfique & Metaphyfi que de Monf. Needham fur la Generation des Corps organifes.A Summary View of the Phyfical and Metaphyfical Syftem of Mr. Needham, on the Generation of organised Bodies. Bruffels. Mr. Needham himself appears to be the author of this abftract; in which he explains his fyftem in a manner, more confiftent with the Chriftian theological theory than hath been represented by feveral deiftical philofophers. 4 Opufcoli di Fifica Animale e Vegetabile.-Effays on Animal and Vegetable Phyfiology. By the Abbé Spalanzani, Profeffor of Natural Philofophy in the University of Padua, and F. R. S. To which are added, Letters from Mr. Bonnet of Geneva and others on the fame Subject. 2 vol. 8vo. Modena. The subject of the firft volume of this work, are the animalsula, which are observed in the infufion of vegetable and animal feed, obfervable only by the microscope. Spalanzani controverts, with great plaufibility, Mr. Needham's notions on this head; as alfo M. de Buffon's refpecting the torpidity of animals during the winter; which the latter imputed to the natural coldness of the blood in that feafon.-In the fecond volume our ingenious abbot refutes the exploded notion of equivocal generation, which feemed of late to be regaining ground; together with the organical molecule of De Buffon: maintaining the existence of the fpermatic worms, firft difcovered by Leewenhoeck, which hath been as lately called in queftion. Several other curious fubjects in natural history are, alfo, difcuffed in this volume with great ingenuity and appearance of truth. Hiftoire Hiftoire General de Provence. A General Hiftory of Provence. By M. Papon of the Academy of Marfailles. 5 vol. 4to. Paris. A very capital work, deducing the hiftory of this celebrated province from the earliest times; and tracing the characters and manners of the provençaux from their ftate of barbarifm, through the revival of letters, to the final union of their province to the crown of France. Lettres edifiantes et curieufes ecrites des Miffions Eftrangers. Edifying and Curious Letters from Foreign Miffionaries. 12mo. Paris. The prefent volume of thefe well-known letters is the thirtythird of the collection; the publication of which has been fomewhat interrupted by the fuppreffion of the order of the Jefuits. That publication is now refumed by the editor of the volumes immediately preceding that event; and several others announced; whofe contents will probably be more interefting than those of the present. La Connoiffance de l'homme moral, par celle de l'Homme physique. The moral Character indicated by the Phyfical Difpofition. By Abbé Pernety of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin and Florence. 8vo. Berlin. An attempt to reconcile the different opinions of the Abbe P. and M. de Catt, refpecting the very uncertain science (if a fcience it may be called) of phyfiognomy. Hiftoire naturelle de la Parole, ou Precis de l'Origine du Language et de la Grammaire Univerfelle.-The Natural Hiftory of Speech, or an Effay on the Origin of Speech, and on Univerfal Grammar. By M. Court de Gebelin. 8vo., Paris. M. de Gebelin, author of that ingenious and excellent work, entitied, Le monde primitif, hath here extracted from it, that part which relates to univerfal grammar; which he has adopted to the capacity of youth and the generality of readers, whole abilities were not equal to the comprehenfion of that abftrufe and learned performance. Hiftoire ་ Nuova Efpofizione, c.-A new Expofition of the trus Structure of the Human Brain. By M. Malacarne, Profeffor of Surgery, at Acqui. 12mo. Turin. Mr. Malacarne, who has no doubt read Malphigi ánd Winflow, declares, notwithstanding, that we hitherto have known abfolutely nothing of the ufe of the different parts of the brain: our ignorance in this refpect being owing to the negligence of the the anatomifts, who have all contented themfelves with giving a fuperficial defcription of them. This neglect our chirurgical profeffor profeffes to fupply; to which end he has diffected upwards of forty heads, and has obferved a notable difference in each of them. But how far the intellectual powers of the feveral fubjects were affected by fuch difference, we are not told; which we think quite neceffary, to explain minutely the ufe of these varied parts. Perhaps, if Mr. Malacarne, would attend to this circumftance, and realife M. de Maupertuis fcheme, by procuring forty or fifty Patagonians of different intellectual abilities, he might arrive a little nearer this grand defideratum in phyfiology, the knowledge of the ftrue ture and use of the braini De la Senfibilité, par rapport aux Drames, au Romans et a The defign of this work is to prove that nothing is more |
