gral arithmetick, both practical and theoretical; originally compiled by T. Dilworth, and revised and adapted to the currency of the United States, by D. Hawley. A new and corrected edítion. Troy, New York. Obadiah Penmiman & Co. 12mo. 1805. An introduction to fpelling and reading, in 2 volumes, being the 1ft and 2d parts of a Columbian exercise. The whole comprising an eafy and fyftematical method of teaching and learning the English language. By Abner Alden, A. M. Troy, New York. Obadiah Penni man & Co. December 1805. War in difguife; or, the frauds of the neutral flags. London, printed: New York, re-printed by Hopkins & Seymour, for I. Riley & Co. &c. 1806. Pp. 215. The Salem collection of claffical faered mufick, in three and four parts, confifting of pfalm tunes and occafional pieces, felected from the works of the moft eminent compofers, fuited to all the metres in general ufe. To which is prefixed, a fhort introduction to pfalmody. Salem, Maffachufetts. Cufhing & Appleton. The fafety of appearing at the day of judgment in the righteoufnefs of Chrift. By Solomon Stoddard, formerly pastor of the church in Northampton. 12mo. price 1 dol. Northampton, Maff. E. & 8. Butler. 1805. IN THE PRESS. Επια Πτερόεντα, or the diverfions of Purley. By John Horne Tooke. In 2 volumes, large 8vo. from the latest London edition in 2 vols. quarto. The types and paper have been made for this work alone, and Saxon and Gothick characters, the first of the kind executed in the United States, have been caft at the expenfe of the publisher at the foundery of Binny & Ronaldfon. The plates, with which the laft edition was ornamented, have alfo béen engraved for this edition by an artift of Philadelphia. Price 2,50 per volume, in boards. Philadelphia. Lectures on the gofpel of St.Matthew, delivered in the parifi church of St. James, in the years 1798,1799, 1800, and 1801. By the Right Reverend Beilby Porteus, D. D. Bishop of London. 8vo. Two volumes in one. The 2d American from the 5th London edition. ampton, Mall. S. & E. Butler. North The new American Clerk's Magazine. Hagerstown, Maryland. Dietrick PROPOSED TO BE PUBLISHED BY SUBSCRIPTION. A monthly magazine, to embrace ecclefiaftical history, morality, religion, and a variety of other ufeful and interefting matter. Each number to confift of 32 pages 8vo. ftitched in blue. Price 1,50 per annum iffued fingly; or 1,25 in packages of not less than ten each. Dan bury, Conn. John C. Gray & Co. Carr's northern fummer. 1 vol. 8vo. fine paper. Portland. Thomas Clark. Brooke's general gazetteer; or a new and compendious geographical diction ary: Containing provinces, cities, towns, forts, seas, harbours, rive A description of the empires, kingdoms, states, ers, lakes, mountains, capes, &c. in the known world; with the government, customs, manners, and religion of the inhabitants; the extent,boundaries, and natural productions of each country the trade, manufactures, and curiosities of the cities and towns; their longitude, latitude, bearings, and distances, in English miles, from remark able places; and the various events, by which they have been distinguished: including a detail of the countries, cities, boroughs, market towns, and principal villages in G. Britain and Ireland; together with a succinct account of, at least, 700 cities, towns, and villages, in the United States, more than has appeared in any preceding edition of the same work; in which the numerous mistakes and deficiencies of European Gazetteers, respecting this country, are corrected and supplied. illustrated by eight maps, neatly executed. Originally written by R. Brooke, M. D). The first American from the latest European edition, with great additions and improvements in every part. In one 8vo. vol. to contain about 8 or 900 pages of close printing and well bound. Price to subscribers 3,50. Philadelphia. Jacob Jolinson. Milton's Paradife Loft, in miniature. 1 vol. Price in morocco 1 dol.`; sheep 75 cts. Philadelphia. Kelley. Goldfmith's poems. Same ftyle and price. Philadelphia. Kelley. INTELLIGENCE. Samuel F. Bradford, of Philadelphia, is preparing to put to prefs, The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. in eight volumes octavo. This edition, the publisher as-` ferts, will be much cheaper and warran ted more correct and more beautiful, than the latest and best London editions. American edition of Hudibras.The fubfcribers have juft put to press, and will have ready for fale in the spring, a new (and, they believe, the first American) edition of "HUDIBRAS: in three parts written in the time of the late wars-by SAMUEL BUTLER: with annotations, a complete index, and a fhort life of the author." It will be printed from the best Edinburgh edition, on wove paper, with a neat type, aud will contain about three hundred pages, duodecimo. To add any thing to the merit of a poem, which for original wit and genuine fatire the literary world confiders unrivalled and inimitable, would be as unneceffary as it would be difficult. WRIGHT, GOODENOW, & STOCKWELL, Troy, N. Y. Jan. 14, 1806. is entitled to fend to the general affém map Dr. Cowdery has it in contemplation to publish a pamphlet, or small volume, to be entitled, The American captives in Tripoli, containing the particulars of the capture of the Philadelphia frigate-a general description of Tripoli, with the adjacent country, its curiofities, &c. and a fketch of the customs and manners of its inhabitants. To which will be added, the journal at length, kept during his captivity, and an appendix containing the treaties and general relations between the United States and the Barbary powSome accurate views and drawings will be attached to the work. ers. Mr. Cufhing, of Amherst, Newhampfhire, has iffued propofals for continuing the publication of The Pifcataqua Evangelical Magazine. which was published the last year at This work, Portsmouth, has for its object the promotion of religious knowledge and evangelical piety, particularly among the common people, who, it is believed, ufually feel the greatest interest in works of this nature This magazine will contain effays of a moral and religious tendency,, biographical sketches, occafional illuftrations of fcripture, accounts of remarkable providential occurrences, &c. &c. It will be published in numbers every two months, each number containing not less than forty pages octavo. Mr. Jofeph Scott, author of the modern geographical dictionary, 4 vols. 8vo. dictionary of the United States, &c. &c. has iffued proposals for publishing, in a neat duodecimo volume, A geographical defcription of the State of Pennsylvania, including an account of the rivers,moun tains, trees, animals, foil, climate, diseases, mineral fprings, ores, foffils, produce, fruit, farms, manufactures, publick improvements, roads, canals, bridges, education, colleges, and academies. Also, a defcription of the counties; the extent, boundaries, and number of acres in each; the rivers, creeks, &c. and number of fenators and representatives, which each STATEMENT OF DISEASES, FOR JANUARY. of this month was cold and clear. THE weather, during the first part ther, with rain and frequent snows. This was succeeded by milder weaAfterwards, extreme cold, continued and heavy snow, rain with violent winds followed by a perfect calm, which has continued through the latter part of the month, attended with a thaw, and a very moist and foggy atmosphere. The last circumstances will very probably influence the character of disorders in the month of February. Inflammatory diseases have been most prevalent; but even of these the number has been small. Among children under three years, there has appeared a severe catarrh; in those above this period, peripneumony; in adults, pleurisy and peripneumony. to the power of medicine. All these diseases have yielded readily instances of fever have occurred, and Very few scarcely any of severe rheumatism. Apoplexy has been unusually com mon. Editors' Notes. AMONG the few bookfellers, who have tranf mitted to us for our notice or review the books which they have published, we mention with gratitude mers. Riley & Co. of New-York. We hope they will not accufe us of neglect in not having yet noticed any of the numerous volumes which we have lately received from their libcrality, for in truth the pages destined to reviews, in feveral of our late numbers, have been entirely filled with materials, which we have had a long time on hand. We have been much furprifed at hearing, that feveral of our readers believed, that the remarks upon Rev. Dr. Holmes and Mrs. Warren, in the review of the Historical Collections in our laft number, were farcaftick, illiberal, and difrefpectful. We certainly never intended to convey fuch opinions, and we know that a critical analyfis of the fentences in the review would not juftify fuch a construction. Perhaps however we were obfcure in the compofition, and perhaps fome of our friends were careless in the perufal. Writers are not always perfpicuous, and readers are not always intellectual," MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY. FEBRUARY, 1806. FOR THE ANTHOLOGY: ACCOUNT OF THE ANCIENT LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA. WE (Concluded.] -3. A critical examination of the recital of Abulpharagius and Abdollatif: We may reasonably suspect that, As a story is not absolutely inconsince Abdollatif was the first hisá testible, because it is related by one torian, Abulpharagius had seen or two witnesses, sone have doubtt' is passage, and has only commené ed this. Renaudot, in his history ted upen und embellished it after of the patriarchs of Alexandria, his own manner. Abdollatif does has shaken its authenticity by sayo not relate any of the circumstances ing, “ this recital hus something suswhich attended the destruction of picious; as is very common among the library ; but what confidence the Arabians.” At length Querci, can be placed in a writer who re- the two Assemani, Villoisin, Giblates, that he saw what we know bon, and, in the last place, the au: no longer existed at that time? thor of the German dissertation, ." I have seen, says he, the portico have all declared their disbelief of and the college which Alexander the fact. the Great built, and in which was Gibbon remarks, that 'two an. contained the superb library." Now nalists, both of Egypt, have not these buildings were placed in the said one word of a circumstance Bruchion, and since the reign of so remarkable. The first is Euty. - Aurelian, who had caused them to chius, a patriarch of Alexandria, be destroyed, that is to say, at least who lived there three hundred nine hundred years before Abdol- years after the capture of the city latif, the Bruchion was no better by the Saracens, and who, in his than a barren wilderness covered annals, has given a very long hiswith ruins. tory of the siege and of the events Abulpharagius, on his part, pla- which succeeded. The second is ces the library in the royal palace. El-Macin, a very veracious writer, The anachronism is equally appa. author of the history of the Sara The royal buildings, being cens, and who particularly relates all in the Bruchion, could not have in minute detail the life of Omar remained at that time. Besides, and the taking of Alexandria. Is what signified the royal palace in a it to be conceived, is it credible, country which, for a long time that these two historians were igbefore, had had no kings,and which norant of a circumstance so imporhad submitted to the emperours of tant ; that two learned men, whom the east ? such a loss would have greatly inVol. III. No. 2. H terested, should not have made approves of this demand, and se. any mention of it ; men, wlio verely prohibits all pillage and dilived, who wrote at Alexandria, lapidation. and one of whom (Eutychius) at an We observe, that Amrou, in his epoch very near the event ; and official relation of his conquest, that we should bave the first infor- seeks, as is the custom in our days, mation from a foreigner, who wrote to exaggerate its value and imporsix centuries afterwards on the tance. He does not omit a barfrontiers of Media ? rack, nor a Jew, nor a gardener. Besides,Gibbon further observes, How could he have forgotten the how could the caliph Omar,who was library? He whom Abulpharagius himself by no means an enemy of describes as a friend of the arts the sciences, have acted on this oc- and philosophy ? Could he have casion against his own particular thought, that this celebrated and character, while he had only, to ex- ancient monument was not of suficuse himself from such an act of cient value for him to have taken the barbarism,the sentiment of the cas- trouble to render some account of it? uists of the Mussulman law? These El-Macin also records the letter declare (see the third volume of of Amrou, nearly in the same the Dissertations of Reland on the words ; he says not one word of military law of the Mahometans) the library. It may be objected, " that it was unlawful to burn the that this letter was perhaps never reiigious books of the Jews or written by Amrou, and that the Christians, on account of the name two historians have forged it : but of God which they contained, and this would be an additional reason, that the works of profane science, why the library should have been of historians or poets, physicians or mentioned, had it remained at that philosophers, may be lawfully ap- time. Would they both have oplied to the use of the faithful." mitted an article, which must have This decision discovers no spirit appeared of such vast importance of Vandalism. in the eyes of learned men, inhabTo these reasons Mr. K. Rein- itants of Alexandria ? Would they hard adds his own. He remarks, have prided themselves of appearthat Eutychius in his annals (vol. ing better informed on baths, and ii. page 316) records the words of a of kitchen gardens, than of the liletter, in which Amrou gives an brary? But if the letter be authenaccount to the caliph Omar of the tick, as its contents give us reason taking of Alexandria, after a long to believe, we must also pay some and obstinate siege. I have taken attention to the answer of the cathe city, says he, sword in hand, lif, who orders them to spare erand without previous capitulation. ery thing found in the city. I cannot describe 10 you the treas- We may then without much ures it contains. Let it suffice to hazard draw the conclusion, that inform you, that I have found four the library of the Ptolemies no thousand palaces, four thousand longer existed in 640, the time of baths, forty thousand taxable Jews, the taking of Alexandria by the four hundred theatres, twelve hun. Saracens. dred gardeners selling vegetables. We will adduce still further Thy Mussulmen demand the pillage proof, founded on two writers, of the city and a division of the nearly cotemporaries of Omar. spoils. Omar, in his answer, dis. One of them, John Philoponus a a (whom Gibbony and others have and for which he had a great parconfounded with John the gram- tiality. marian, of whom Abulpharagius If we consult natural probaspeaks), says, in his commentary bilities, we shall find them against on the Analyticks of Aristotle, the recital of Abulpharagius and " that in the ancient libraries there the existence of a library in the were found forty different books of time of Omar and Amrou. The the Analyticks.” He does not ex- books of the ancicnts were written pressly mention the libraries of on parchment, or on leaves of the Alexandria ; but he lived, he wrote papyrus. Those of the library of in that city, where they doubtless Alexandria must have been parcalled the libraries by distinction, ticularly of this last kind, as the and he could not here speak of a. papyrus was an Egyptian plant. ny others. We know beside,from Now the leaves of the papyrus were Athenæus, Strabo, and Plutarch in very subject to dissolution and to his life of Sylla, that the writings insects, particularly in the warm of Aristotle had been very careful and humid climate of Alexandria, ly collected for the library of the so that it was necessary frequently Ptolemies. to renew the copies. Can we beBut if there still remains a lieve, that all the necessary care doubt, let us consult the master of could have been given to the presPhiloponus, Ammonius Hermias, ervation of such a library after the in his observations on the Catego- reign of the Ptolemies, in the ries of Aristotle. He lived at A- midst of wars, of insurrections lexandria, before the invasion of the that prevailed, and during which Saracens. “ Ptolemy Philadel. the taste for sciences and letters, phus (says he) has the reputation as we well know, declined ? The of having made great exertions to manuscripts in parchment, which collect the writings of Aristotle, probably were not numerous,might and to have liberally recompensed have lasted a longer time; but all those who collected his produce the others must have become, after tions, in consequence of which two or three centuries, food for many fictitious copies were brought worms. to him, and in the great library Abulpharagius does not deterthere were found forty different mine the number of the books, books of the Analyticks." It is which, according to him, were very certain, that Ammonius and burnt ; but, says he, they served Philoponus both here refer to the for six months to heat the baths Alexandrian library ; thạt, which of the city, and we know that these the former calls the great, being amounted to four thousand. “Hear the same, which the latter denom, and wonder !” adds he. It is ininates the ancient library. They deed an object of admiration ; books, both mention it as a thing which which heat four thousand baths, had been, and which remained no during six months. A wit might longer. We may even believe, observe, that Amrou, having taken that they allude to the library of the city precisely in the month of the Serapion ; for Philadelphus, May, there could not have been a who collected with so much care great necessity of hot water in the the writings of Aristotle, would baths of Alexandria. The vol, doubtless have placed them among umes or rolls of the ancients were a collection which he originated, not comparable to ours in folio, |