marks on the Queftion of the alienation of the National Forefts, prefented to the National Affembly, by the Royal Agricultural Society, Feb. 3, 1792," are intended to fhew, that it is not for the intereft of the public that the national forefts fhould become private property. The Venetian plan for managing the public forefts is recommended by them as the most judicious one which the legiflature can adopt.-The "meteorological and economical Obfervations, made in the Courfe of the Year 1791, in the Department of Upper Vienne, by M. Juge," are highly important and valuable. A continued feries of fuch obfervations, in different diftricts of any kingdom, would prove of the great eft national benefit, as it would enable the agriculturift, in many inftances, to expect the returns made to his industry and attention, with fewer hazards of a difappointment.

Under the head of Mathematics and Philofophy, our attention is drawn, in the first place, to the "History and Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, for the Year 1788; extracted from the Regifters of the Academy." This volume contains a variety of important and valuable papers in general phyfics, chemistry, natural history, aftronomy and geography, and mathematics, which reflect great honour on the fociety, and on the individuals who have contributed fo much to fupport its reputation and utility. Among other names, dear to fcience, we meet with thofe of M. Briffon, M. Coulomb, M. Sage, M. Fourcroy, M. Fougeroux de Bandaroy, M. Duhamel, M. le Gentil, M. Monnier, M. Caffini, M. de la Lande, M. de a Piace, M. le Gendre, and M. Charles. The historical part of the volume is compofed of two

1793.

reports of a committee confifting of Meffrs Borda, La Grange, Lavoif fier, Tillet, and Condorcet, who were appointed by the academy for the inveftigation of fome important queftions relative to the ftandard of metals for coins, and the moft convenient fcale of divifion for coins, weights, and meatures; and of four eulogies on deceafed members, drawn up by the elegant pen of the ingenious fecretary.The "Tranfactions of the Society of Natural History at Paris, Vol. I." are the firft fruits of an inftitution which promifes to be of effential fervice to the interests of fcience. In the French Journals we are informed, that it owes its origin to a number of gentlemen attached to the ftudy of natural hiftory, who in the year 1788 formed a fociety under the name of the Linnean. The affronts, however, to which that fociety was expofed, not enjoying the pri vileges of royal protection, and feveral of its members being even threatened that they should be excluded from all that were estab, lifed by the government, foon occafioned its diffolution." when, in confequence of the Revolution, individuals were at liberty to purfue plans for the general good of fcience, without the fanction o government, the members of that fociety again united, and fomewhat enlarged their fcheme. In the preface to this first volume of their Tranfactions, an accouut is given of the origin and progrefs of natural hiftory in France, by M. Aubin Lewis Millin. The body of the volume confifts of a variety of papers on fubjects within the province of the fociety, from which the naturalift will derive information and entertainment. The authors of thefe papers are profeffor DefX fontaines,

But

fontaines, M. Bofc, M. Latreille, M. Lefevre, M. Geoffroy, junr. M. Labillardiere, M. J. Ch. Fabricius, M. Lermina, M. Pinel, M. Richard, M. D. Andrada, M. Lamarck, Father Cotte, and M. le Blond. M. le Français la Lande has pub. lifhed a new edition of his "Afronomy;" which is noticed by us on account of the confiderable additions which it contains, and the celebrity of the author in the mathematical world. The prefent edition is in 3 vois. in 4to." The Ephemerides of the Movements of the Heavenly Bodies, for the Meridian of Paris, Vol. IX. containing the Eight Years 1793-1800, revifed and published by M. de la Lande," is a work the importance and utility of which are fo obvious, that it is fufficient in this place barely to announce its publication. One

thing we are forry to obferve, that M. de la Lande fhould have reafon to lament that the confined fale of the Ephemerides would not permit him to add fome new and useful tables to this volume.-The treatife entitled, "New Elements of FortiAcation, containing every thing neceflary to be preferved of the Works of la Blond, Deidier, and other Authors, &c. by A. P. Julienne de Belair, formerly a Captain in the Dutch fervice," is fpoken of as an highly interefting and important work to the ftudent in military fcience. So likewife, is the " Complete Treatife on Fortifications, &c. Pt. I. by M. **, fecond Captain of the fecond Clafs in the Royal Corps of Engineers." In natural hiftory the following publications have appeared: Phytological Effays, by J. E. Gilibert, &c. Vols. I. and II. the Plants of Lithuania compared with thofe of Lyons; and An Abftract of the French Flora, of the Chevalier de la Marck, containing

44

an Analysis of Vegetables, as a mean of obtaining a Knowledge of their Genera."

Among the publications in" French literature belonging to the heads of hillory, biography, and antiquities, we meet with "A Summary of the civil and Eclefiaftical Hiftory of France, by J. Mich. Lorentz, Public Profeffor of Rhe toric and Hiftory at Strasburg, in 4 Vols." This Summary was originally compofed by the profef for, for the ufe of his lectures; and is principally valuable on account of the critical accuracy with which he has inveftigated his authorities. For general readers it does not poffefs very attractive_charms.-The abridged "Hiftory of the South Seas," embellifhed with feveral Charts, by M. de la Borde, in 3 Vols." is an inftructive and entertaining work, which is calculated to be of confi derable benefit to the student in geography, as well as the young mariner. It contains an abstrac of the difcoveries made by the different navigators in the South Seas, from Ba boa in 1513, to lieutenant Riou in the Guardian frigate, in the year 1790, which will be acceptable to every reader who is not in poffeffion of the numerous and expensive volumes in which they are more minutely detailed. "The Hiftory of the pretended Revolution of Poland, with an Examination of its new Conftitution, by M. Mehée," contains much new and curious information relative to that event; and a difpaffionate appreciation of its merits, especially when compared with those of the French Revolution. Such a comparifon may be read with advantage in this country, where a confiderable party has affected warmly to applaud the former, while they avow themselves inurical in the extreme to the latter. M.

Meheé

Mehée conducted for fome time the gazette de Warfovie, and from his fituation and connexions had the beit opportunities of collecting materials for fuch a work as the prefent." The Hiftory of the Revolution of 1789, &c. by two Friends to Liberty, in 5 Vols," appears to be an impartial and candid work; and will be acceptable to those who wish to poffefs a minute detail of the occurrences attending that extraordinary event. -The work entitled "Pictures of the French Revolution, &c. Vol. I. confifting of Twelve Numbers," is chiefly valuable on account of the fplendid and interefting prints which it contains, defcripture of the principal and moft ftriking fcenes, from the meeting of the national affembly at the tennis court at Versailles, on the 20th of June 1789, when they took an oath not to feperate 'till they had formed a conftitution for France, to the expedition of the Parifians to Chantilly, to feize the cannon at that palace, on the 9th of Auguft in the fame year. Thefe prints are twenty-four in number, arranged in chronological order. The narrative accompanying them is drawn up with concifenefs and elegance, and printed on a large folio paper, with the famed types of Didot. The "National Antiquities, or a Collection of Monuments. &c. in the Kingdom of France, by Aubin Louis Millin, Vols. I. II. III." are part of a valuable and fplendid work, which, from the diligence, reading, and tafte difcovered by the author, and the interefting nature of the principal objects which he has defcribed, is fecure of a favourable reception with the public. The author's defign is, to give an accurate account of fuch public buildings, monuments, infcriptions, drefles, ufages, and of the perfons,

circumftances, and events to which they relate, as wil, ferve to illuftrate. the internal hiftory of France, private and public, and occafionally elucidate that of other nations. The volumes already completed abund antly fupply the reader with amufement and inftruction; and they are illuftrated with a yaft number of elegant engravings, which cannot fail to recommend them to the lovers of the fine arts.-The "Secret and interefting Anecdotes of the Court, of Ruffia, &c. in 6 Vols." contain many historical particulars, and obfervations relative to the cuftoms and natural hiftory of the several nations of the Ruffian empire, which are curious and important The author appears to have had accefs to authentic fources of information; and his narrative throws confiderable light on the hiftory of the country, and particularly the political intrigues by which it has been agitated from the time of Peter the Great, to the reign of the prefent emprefs." The Memoirs of the Minority of Louis XV, by J. B. Malilon, bishop of Clermont, &c." are faid by the French journalists to be the genuine production of that celebrated prelate. They deferve attention, as they prefent us with many new anec dotes and facts, with which the hi orian of that period, whether, defcribing the political ftate of France, or the neighbouring coun tries, may confiderably enrich his narrative.-"The Memoirs of the Adminiftration of the Duke d' Aiguillon, Peer of France, and of his Government of Bretagne," are the production of an anonymous writer, who is the zealous and fullome penegyrift of that noble. 18an, while every other contemporary minider is the object of his cenfure and averfion." The Memoirs of the Count de MauX 2

repas,