FOREIGN ARTICLES. Förfök til et biographiskt Lexicon öfver namnkundige och lærde SvenskeMän. af Georg Gezelius: or, An Essay of a biographical Dictionary of celebrated and learned Swedes.-By George Gezelius. Part I. A-H. 8vo. Stockholm, Upsal and Abo. (Swedish.) IN this interefting and entertaining work we meet with a great number of eminent deceased Swedish statesmen, military commanders, learned men, artists, and patriots, who have flourished fince and during the reign of Guftavus I. or the year 1521, to the beginning of the reign of Guftavus III, or the year 1771. Both the nature and degrees of the merits of the great number of perfons here introduced, muft indeed be very various: yet the names and lives of Adler Salvius, Jonas Alstromer, Andreas Laurentius, Meff. Banners, Benzelii, Bielkes, Bondes, Brahes, Bromel, Browallius, Celfii, count Dahlberg, Dalin, de la Gardies, Eckstroems, Elvius, Flemings, Grills, Hiorter, Horn's, Harlemann, Hiærne, &c. will not only intereft Swedes, but foreigners alfo. That all these lives are not equally well written, may be easily fuppofed and accounted for from the very unequal nature of the memoirs from which they have been drawn up; and which have been carefully and distinctly noticed at the end of every life. Thus, in writing the lives of noble perfonages, Mr. Gezelius has availed himself of Stiernmann's Collections; in recording thofe of clergymen, he has confulted Rhyzelius's Epifcopia Sveo-Gothica ; in commemorating phyficians, profeffor Bergius's Literary Endeavours; and in later times, with regard to the deceafed fellows of the Stockholm academy of sciences, the Commemoration Speeches, pronounced in that academy. As this biography is defigned for a cheap and popular work, and has in fact been encouraged and honoured with a very numerous lift of fubfcribers, a very great number of lives was to be compreffed in a very few volumes in octavo: its style is therefore concife yet fprightly; and the narrative enlivened with a variety of private and characteristical anecdotes. In judging of the nature and merits of enterprizes of feveral active perfonages, the biographer bas fometimes difplayed more candour than rigorous juftice. Several great and good features in the Swedish national character, will here often strike ftrangers. That liberality of fentiment with which merit and talents were fo often noticed and rewarded, in perfons of low birth and extraction; who were often raised to the very first places and honours in Sweden: for inftance, the Swedish fenators James Gyllenborg, Ehrenpreus, Cedercreuz: many persons of eminent merit were enobled, honoured with orders, with medals, with folemn burials, and panegyrics; and lately, the celebrated hiftorian Dalin, the mathematician Klingenstierna, the phyficians Linnæus and Rofenftein. The fame liberality of fentiment is alfo evinced by the frequent intermarriages of the nobility and citi zens. Nor is the inclination of the Swedes for diftant and dangerous voyages and travels lefs apparent; as thofe of archbishop Henry Benzelius, of Olof Celfius, of the presidents Carlefon and Hoepken, and and of Dr. Haffelquift to the Eaft, and Dr. Grimm to the EaftIndies. Meffieurs De Geer and Grill, have immortalized themselves by their uncommon liberality and patriotifm, in affifting the kingdom, in its greatest emergencies and diftreffes, with their fortunes. Mathematics, philofophy, Swedish hiftory, poetry, natural hif tory and oeconomy, appear to be the favourite studies and pursuits of learned Swedes. Changes in religion are extremely rare in Sweden. Some ftriking inftances, however, have happened befides that famous one of queen Chriftina; a Swedish count, Nils Bielke, became a fenator in Rome; and one John Guldenblad, was made father prior at Vienna, and in 1715, confeffor to the emperor. To this first volume a fecond and third will be added, and to the whole, in due time, the neceffary supplements. L'Euphrate et le Tigre; par Mr. d' Anville, prémier Géographe du Roi, &c. &c. 1 Vol. Quarto, of 160 Pages, with one Map. Paris. A Very learned and accurate illuftration of the theatre of fome of the greatest transactions and revolutions in Afia; by which great light is thrown on the retreat of the ten thousand Greeks; on the route of the Younger Gordian along the Euphrates to the place where he was affaffinated by the treachery of Philippus; on the expedition of Trajan, and Julianus; on the Stathmi Parthici of Ifidorus of Charax; on the provinces of the Parthian Empire; on the kingdom of Ofroene, called by its Grecian conquerors Mygdonia, and its capital Orfa, alias Edessa, and Antiochia; on the different names of Mefopotamia; on the country Barbaliffus, mentioned by Xenophon; on Thapfacus; on the Barbaricus Campus, noticed by Procopius, and a town called Zenobia, and now Zelebi; on Palmyra, or Tadmor; on the important city of Nefibis or Nefbin; in short, on the whole courfe of the Euphrates, and its navigation; and the relations of many ancient authors and modern travellers in the parts in question. From the Euphrates he proceeds to the Tigris, which he, with the fame concifenefs and accuracy, traces from its fource, through its whole course, and all the remarkable places bordering on it. He concludes his work with an account of Babylonia; and efpecially of the cities of Babylon, Seleucia, Ctefiphon, and Bagdad; and of the courfe of the Pafitigris, formed by the union of the Euphrates and Tigris, to the Perfian Gulph; of the city of Bafra; the canal of Baffora, and fome other canals, and of the mouth of the Tigris. FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. Elemens d'Agriculture de M. Duhamel du Monceau. Nouv. Ed. corrigée & augmentée. 2 vols. 12mo, with Cuts. Paris. THESE Elements are the refult of most accurate experiments made during a great number of years, in most provinces of France. They have been highly and generally approved, and gone through many editions; and may be confidered as a national and claffical work. Zur 1 Zur Gefchichte Simfons; or, on the Hiftory of Sampfon, by J. C. W. After having in the first and fecond part considered, and attempted to elucidate feveral inftances of Sampfon's strength and heorifin, M. Diederichs now proceeds to take a view of the whole history, from the character of that remote age. He finds that the whole of that history, from his birth to his death, confists of extraordinary and furprising events; and freely confeffes that though fome of thefe relations may, by means of a more intimate acquaintance with the Eaft and its languages, be placed and accounted for in a more natural light; yet there are till several great difficulties remaining. In order, therefore, to remove or avoid thefe, he obferves, that we ought to judge of the whole hiftory of Sampfon, not by our own modern ideas, but by thofe of the ancient Hebrews. Thefe, like other ancient nations, had their heroic ages; and heroes whofe fame was preferved down to later times by oral tradition. Since, therefore, writing was not then known, and fince all their heroic atchievements could be only recorded in songs, and oral traditions, thefe admired atchievments neceffarily have been liable to be exaggerated from age to age, and at length to be transformed either into miracles or fables; and thus he accounts for the friking likeness of the Hebrew Sampfon to the Grecian Hercules, and many other heroes; proceeding from the fame fource, viz. popular reports and tradition, Idea Aftronomia, Honoribus Regiæ Univerfitatis Budenfis dicata, a Jo. A fhort historical effay, occafioned by the late establishment of an aftronomical obfervatory at Ofen. The firth obfervatory was estahlifhed at Tyrnaw, for the ufe of that univerfity; the fecond, by the bishop of Erlaw, Charles, count Efterhazy, of Galantha; the third is that now fettled at Ofen, where M. Francis Weifs is first aftronomer, and M. Sajnovics his affiftant; who, in this tract, gives a plain and particular account of the ufe and purpose of aftronomical obfervations: and does not think three obfervatories too many in fo large a kingdom, where, befides the university, there are four academies, and thirty-nine gymnafia; and among nations long diftinguished by their bravery, who now bid fair, under the prefent government, foon to rival other nations in point of learning, tafte, and arts. Efthetica, five Do&trina boni Guftus, ex Philofophia pulchri deducta in The first volume treats of tafte, and its hiftory; of the nature of the beautiful, and its conftituent parts; of propriety and coftume; of fimplicity and variety; of grace and gravity; of gran.. deur and fublimity. The fecond, of the difplay of beauty; the mixture of light and fhades, and its refults; of novelty, and of all forts of tropes and figures; of ridicule, wit, and humour: and concludes with an enquiry into the nature of the paffions; the imi See Crit, Rev. vol. xlix. p. 465. tation of nature, and the mutual relation and connections of polite arts and polite learning. The author's diction is elaborate, and evinces his familiar acquaintance with the claffics; and the frequent and appofite examples with which he has illuftrated his precepts, are a very valuable part of his work. Recueil des Sceaux du Moyen Age, dits Sceaux Gothiques. 4to. Paris. Though Gothic feals are no very brilliant objects of enquiry, they are not entirely useless, as they furnish many lights for history, and for the elements of heraldry. The prefent collection exhibits, in the three firit plates, the feals of the first French kings; the three next, thofe of the dukes of Burgundy; the two following, those of the counts of Burgundy, or Franche Comté. Three other plates exhibit the feals of the town of Burgundy, and fome coins of the dukes. Four plates belong to the thirteenth, feven to the fourteenth, three to the fifteenth, and two to the fixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The author might eafily have increased this collection of plates, and incumbered, and perhaps funk it, with minute and voluminous explanations; but he has prudently left his reader to confider and study for himself fuch of these pieces as may happen to intereft him most. Vie d'Etienne Dolet, Imprimeur à Lyon, dans le feiziéme Siécle; avec une Notice des Libraires & Imprimeurs Auteurs, que l'on a pu decouvrir jufqu'à ce Jour. 8vo. Paris. Dolet became famous by his misfortunes. He was born about 1509. Amelot de la Houffaye, who has compiled many spurious anecdotes, fays, that Dolet was a natural fon of Francis I. and a certain lady of Orleans. Dolet devoted himself to study, and chose the printer's profeffion. He feems to have been vain, arrogant, quarrel fome; often involved in literary and religious difputes; and was often imprisoned. He was at last taken in custody for a translation of a dialogue of Plato, in which he had inferted the words, After death you shall be no more.' He was found guilty, and convicted of being a relapfed atheift, and condemned to be hanged and burnt.. This fevere fentence was executed at Paris in 1546. The Notice des Libraires & Auteurs, mentioned in the title, and fubjoined to Dolet's life, is a very short and imperfect performance. Oeuvres de Blaife Pafcal. 5 vols. 8vo. Paris. Many of the works of this great genius, and famous writer, having become exceedingly fcarce, and fome having never yet been published, a celebrated academician has obliged the public with an edition of this interefting collection; and a preliminary difcourfe of 120 pages, on the Life and Works of Pafcal; on the State of Geometry in 1650; and on the Origin of the Disputes concerning Janfenifm. Memoires Philofophiques du Baron de Sec. Edit. corrigée et aug mentée. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris. A pious work by Abbé de Crillon, whofe zeal for the defence of the Roman Catholic religion needs no encomium, fince it has been amply rewarded by a complimental breve from the holy father at Rome. MONTHLY CATALOGUE. POLITICA L. A Memorial moft humbly addressed to the Sovereigns of Europe, on the prefent State of Affairs between the Old and New World. 8vo. 2s. 6d. in boards. Almon. TH HE purport of this Memorial is to evince the many natural advantages, chiefly in point of commerce, which America enjoys over the maritime ftates of Europe. From this. confideration the author endeavours to perfuade his readers, that all the efforts of Britain can never prove effectual for reftraining the progrefs of America to a great and independent empire. Both the prognoftication and arguments have been repeatedly urged during the prefent conteft. An Effay on Conftitutional Liberty. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Dilly. The author of this ingenious Effay inveftigates, with precifion, the foundations and nature of civil liberty, as fixed by the British constitution; expofing at the same time the falfehood of those ideal principles of liberty, which have been maintained by fome mistaken political writers, and fome inconfiftent declaimers in parliament. His reading and reflexions on the fubject are accurate and extenfive; and through the whole enquiry he difcovers great force of argument. Letters to Caius concerning the Times. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Macgowan. The greater part of thofe Letters has been formerly published in a daily paper. The collection confifts of thirteen, feveral of which appear to have been written under the alarm occafioned by the late tumults. In general, they are of the declamatory. kind, and bear evident marks of the author's prejudice againft adminiftration, Au Addrefs to the Hon. Admiral Auguftus Keppel. Containing Candid Remarks on bis Defence before the Court-Martial; to which are added Impartial Observations on the late Trial and Acquittal of Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Pallifer. With an Explanation of Sea-phrafes. And a Letter to the Monthly Reviewers. By a Seaman. The Third Edition. To which is added a Supplement, containing the Subftance of Eight Letters to the Right Hon. the Earl of Sandwich, two to Sir Jofeph Mawbey, and three to Admiral Pigot; with a concluding Letter, addressed to the Right Hon. the Earl of Sandwich. 8vo. 35. Nicoll. We formerly obferved, concerning this Addrefs *, that the author's animadverfions on admiral Keppel's conduct appeared See Crit, Rev. vol. xlvii. p. 387. vol. xlix. p. 230. to |