will be delivered to the purchafers, in four Parts, feparately, at the diftance of fix months between the publication of each Part. GOTHA.

IV. The late and justly celebrated Profeffor Albert Schultens of Leyden had formed the defign of publishing feveral pieces that might contribute to throw light upon the Hiftory of the Arabians in the earliest times; but in the execution of this defign he went no farther than the publication of the Monumenta Foktadinarum. A learned German, who poffeffes many precious Arabian manufcripts, and among others thofe of the late Mr. Reifke of Leipfic, fo famous for his profound acquaintance with the Oriental languages, has undertaken to execute the plan of Mr. Schultens, and has begun by the following publication: Monumenta Antiquiffimæ Hiftoria Arabum Poft Alb. Schultenfium collegit ediditque cum Latina Verfione & Animadverfionibus. J. GOTTFRED EICHHORN. The four pieces that compose this volume are a Differtation on the most ancient historical Records of the Arabians-Genealogical Tables of the Arabians, from. Ibn. Ko-, thaiba.-An Hiftory of the Kings of Syria, from the fame.-An Hiftory of the Hirtenfian Kings, from the fame.

GOTTINGEN.

V. The Royal Society of Gottingen publifhed, in the course of the last year, their fifth volume of Novi Commentarii, for 1774, 4to. A great number of valuable pieces appeared in this volume; among which, the following deferve peculiar attention-A Memoir of the famous Haller, concerning the Genera and Species of Corn-An Inquiry into the Art of Perspective, as it was employed by the ancient Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, by Mr. Meifter-A Memoir concerning the Pyramids of Egypt, by the fame Author-A Differtation concerning the Authenticity of the five Books of St. Irenæus against the Heretics, by Mr. Walch, who is undoubtedly one of the most learned Men of the prefent Age, more especially in the Branches of facred Philology and Ecclefiaftical Hiftory-A Differtation concerning the Circumftances that determine the Moment of cutting for the Hernia, by M. Richter-A Memoir concerning the Internal Variolous Puftules, by Mr. Wrifberg-An Inquiry concerning the Mineral Purple, by Mr. Erzleben-And an Effay on a Method of whitening wax without bleaching it.

BERLIN.

VI. The third volume of the celebrated work of Mr. JOHN BERNOULLI, intitled, Recueil pour les Aftronomes, is just publifhed. Befide the large collection of tables, memoirs, and other new treatifes it contains, for the ufe of the aftronomer," it is farther enriched with a series of aftronomical letters: by the fame excellent Author.

VII. Another collection of eminent merit, is that which was published toward the conclufion of the year 1775, under

Y 4

the

the following title: Befchaftigungen der Berlinifchen Gefellschaffs Naturforschender Friende, &c. . e. The Philofophical Labours of a Society of Friends, who are employed in the Study of Nature. Part I. This Society is compofed of twelve members, among whom fuch names as thofe of Martini, Gleditfch, Bode, Achard, and Zucheft, fhew that philofophy has good things to expect from this voluntary, difinterefted, and zealous affociation. Accordingly, this first volume of their productions contains twentytwo excellent pieces, upon a great variety of interesting fubjects. Among others, particular notice is due to four Memoirs, viz. The Defcription of a proper Inftrument for obferving the celeftial Phenomena-A Comparison between the Force of Electricity and that of Attraction-Remarks upon an inflamma tory, malignant, and epidemical Fever, to which Horfes are fubject-Confiderations upon the mucilaginous Principle of feveral Plants, and upon the farinaceous part of them, which is a real Starch.

FRANC E.
PARIS.

VIII. The Obfervations on Natural Philofophy, Natural Hiftory, and the Arts, for November, by the Abbe ROZIER, contain ten Articles, which are felected with his usual taste and judgment. Among these the most attention is due to two letters of Mr. Morveau, one on the manner in which mercury as in those diforders for which it is a specific-and the other on the Pruffian blue-to Pfachler's Differtation on the Chryftallation of Salts, and to a Differtation of the celebrated Comus concerning the Motion and Elements of Matter; not to omit a curious memoir concerning the Blade of a Sword melted by Lightning, while the Scabbard received no Damage, by Mr. Bertholon, who accounts, for this phenomenon upon known principles of electricity.

IX. As it is difficult to reprefent, in anatomical diffections, the organs of Senfe, with all their connexions and dependencies, the following plates of Mr. AGOTY, with the explica-. tions that accompany them, will be fingularly acceptable to the lovers of natural knowledge. They are fix in number, and are published under the following title: Expofition Anatomique des Organes des Sens, &c. i. e. An Anatomical View of the Organs, of Senfe, together with a General Neurology of the Human Body, and Conjectures concerning Animal Electricity. Folio. The figures are engraved with their natural colours, according to the new method, and the ingenious Author continues his labours, in this way, with fuccefs; fo that we are led to expect from him a whole courfe of anatomy exhibited in this interefting manner. X. M. HOUARD, Advocate in Parliament, and Correfpondent Member of the Academy of Infcriptions, &c. at Paris, has published the Profectus of a work, in four vols. 4to. which

is to bear the following title: Traités fur les Coutumes AngloNormandes qui ont été publiées en Angleterre depuis le onzieme jufqu'au quatorzieme Siecle, &c. i. e. A Series of Treatifes concerning the Anglo-Norman Cuflems and Laws, which were published in England from the 11th to the 14th Century; accompanied with Remarks upon the principal Points of the Hiftory of French Jurifprudence anterior to the Laws of St. Lewis. This work muft excite the curiofity of both the English and French nation, we mean of thofe in both nations who have a tafte for the study of the ancient jurifprudence and hiftory of their country. It will contribute to remove any uncertainty that may yet remain, with respect to the true origin of the English laws and cuftoms, and diftinguish more clearly thofe we owe to Alfred from those which are derived from William the Conqueror: and it will have a tendency to fix the vague and uncertain notions which the French have of the legiflation of their country, from the ceffation of the Capitularies, to the laws and conftitutions of St. Lewis. The firft and fecond volumes of this work, which is to be printed by fubfcription (the fum 36 livres) will be delivered to fubfcribers in July, and to those who have not subscribed the price will be 54 livres.

ITALY.
PARM A.

XI. Though volumes have been prodigiously multiplied in foreign countries, of late years, on the fubject of education, and the literary appetite, fated with abundance, may have loftis eagerness for productions of that kind, yet the merit of the following work, and the name and reputation of its Author, will procure it a favourable reception, particularly among readers of a philofophic turn: Cours d'Etude pour l'Inftruction du Prince de Parme, &c. i. e. A general Course of Study, drawn up for the Intruction of the Prince of Parma (now reigning) by the Abbé CONDILLAC, Member of the French Academy, and of the Royal Academy of Berlin, and formerly Preceptor to his Royal Highnes, in 16 vols. 8vo. Sixteen volumes will bear, no doubt, a formidable and forbidding afpect to the generality of modern readers; but when it is confidered that an elegant abridgment" of ancient and modern hiftory is compreherded in this Course, and makes more than two-thirds of it, its fize will not appear enormous. Be that as it may, it will not be improper to give fome account of its various contents.

The first volume opens with a preliminary difcourfe on the different methods of communicating inftruction, and more especially on that which our Author followed with his royal pupil. His general maxim is, that the pupil ought to be inftructed by the fame procedure that led the more early and untutored nations to the discovery of truth, even by afcending from obfervation

obfervation to obfervation to the formation of a fyftem, and thus to conclude with, inftead of fetting out from, general principles. If it be objected, that this method is flow, that it deprives paft discoveries of a great part of their utility to future generations, our Abbé answers this objection with more fubtlety than evidence, as we could fhew without much difficulty, if this were the place to enter into fuch a difcuffion.

This difcourfe is followed by fome preliminary metaphyfical lefons, which are full of fenfe and fimplicity, and are defigned to give the young inquirer a notion of his intellectual frame and faculties, the knowledge of which will render his progress in the path of obfervation more rapid than the progress of the first inquirers, who wrought, fays the Abbé, with inftruments, with which they were not acquainted. A grammar of 365 pages, more refembling the productions of an HARRIS and a BURNET than an elementary treatife adapted to the capacity of a beginner, concludes this volume. The ingenious Abbé looks upon grammar as the first part of the Art of Thinking, and it is in the analysis of thought that he, confequently, investigates the priciples of language. He accordingly divides his grammar into two parts. The first he calls the Analysis of Speech, in which, by inquiring into the figns, which the languages furnish for analyzing thought, he gives a general grammar, which exhibits the elements of fpeech and the rules common to all languages. In the fecond part, which treats of the Elements of Speech, he examines separately, and in a philofophical detail, each of these elements, unfolds their nature, and the rules to which they are fubjected.

The fecond volume, which treats of the Art of Writing, comprehends a complete course of rhetoric, followed by a differtation on harmony of ftyle.

The method obferved in the third VOLUME, is fomewhat fingular. The Reader will expect from the title (the Art of Reasoning) a courfe of logic: but he will find rather the prin cipal lines of natural philofophy, cofmography, and aftronomy, preceded by feveral interefting chapters on the different methods of arriving at truth, and on the nature and various kinds of evidence, and followed by ingenious and ample difquifitions concerning the ways of fupplying the want of evidence by conjecture and analogy, and the concurrence of these with the evidence of fact and the evidence deduced from reafoning. All this is comprehended in five books. In the two firft the Author applies his illuftrations on the evidence of Reafon, Senfe, and Fat to the laws of motion, the principle of gravity, and the science of mechanics; in the third he fhews how the evidence of fact, and the evidence of reafoning concur in demonftrating the truth of the Newtonian fyftem; and in the fourth and fifth he applies

his accounts of conjecture and analogy, and of their concur rence with fact and reafon to the fcience of cofmology, and fhews by what series of conjectures, obfervations, analogies,, and reafonings, the motion, figure, and orbit of the earth have been ascertained, its diameter measured, its feafons and the inequalities of day and night explained and determined, &c. &c. In this volume the Author gives many examples and few rules,. because (fays he) it is only by reasoning that the art of reasoning can be learned,'

The fourth VOLUME treats of the Art of Thinking (commonly called Logic, a word which, together with its affociate, Syllagifm, cur Author does not mention) and opens with some metaphyfical preliminaries, that lead happily to the main subject. In the first part of this volume, in which the nature and caufes of our ideas are confidered, the Author exhibits the foul in different points of view, as governing the fenfes, and as dependant upon the fenfes for its knowledge and ideas: he points. out the causes to which the errors of our fenfes must be attributed, the different degrees of the knowledge we have of our own percep tions, the caufes, effects, advantages, and inconveniencies of the affociation of ideas, and the neceffity of figns to indicate and fix. our ideas, to exercise reflection, and to improve our faculties. But the most curious chapters in this first part are those in which the ingenious Abbé treats of the formation, neceffity, and abufe of abstract and universal ideas, of the fynthesis and general principles, of identical propofitions, of our ignorance with respect to the ideas of fubftance, body, space, and duration, and that in which he examines the idea of infinite, and denies that we have it. In the fecond part, which is employed in pointing out the propereft methods of acquiring knowledge, the method of analyfis, of which our Author is perhaps too exclufively fond,: is handled in a masterly manner, and many excellent things are here to be met with, relative to the procedure of the under ftanding in the pursuit of truth, and the order that must be observed in communicating it to others.

The fifth VOLUME opens with an Introduction to the study of ancient history, and contains a variety of ludicrous obfervations on hiftorical conjecture, and upon the laws, government, population, and religion of ancient nations; from which the Author proceeds to give us, though under the title of an introduction, an elegant abridgment of ancient hiftory, in which minute circumstances and details are left out, and the narration is confined to the principal events, revolutions, and characters of ancient times, which are confidered in their moral caufes and effects with a truly philofophical fpirit. This ancient hif tory is contained in the fifth, fixth, feventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth volumes. The hiftorical narration is, however, diverfi