who published about forty numbers of it. In 1800, Fontanes, La Harpe, the Abbés Morellet and B. de Vauxcelles, restored the Mercure in an octavo form. From 1802 to 1810, Fontanes, Chateaubriand, Auger and others were among the contributors. The Revue philosophique, a continuation of the Decade philosophique, being incorporated with the Mercure, in Sept. 1807, the principal editors of the Decade and the Revue, viz. Ginguené, Amaury Duval, &c. became contributors to the Mercure. In January, 1818, the Mercure was replaced by the Minerve Française."-Barbier's Dictionnaire des Ouvrages anonymes, vol. 2, p. 404. "Some articles in this Journal were supplied by the celebrated Biot and Frederic Cuvier. M. de Félés also contributed to it for some months; his articles are known by the initial F. The readers of the Mercure will perhaps be pleased to find in him the author of the articles signed A. in the Journal de l'Empire." -Barbier's Bibl. vol. 5, p. 189. NOUVELLISTE, &c. Nouvelliste du Parnasse, ou Réflexions sur les Ouvrages nouveaux, par Des Fontaines. Paris, 1732, 3 vols. 12mo. Observations sur les Ecrits modernes, par Des Fontaines, Granet, et Fréron, de Mars, 1735-Août, 1743, 34 vols. 12mo. -Jugemens sur quelques Ouvrages nouveaux, par Des Fontaines, de Mairault, Fréron, et Destrées. Avignon, 1744-46, 11 vols. 12mo. These three periodicals serve as an Introduction to Freron's Année littéraire. "The first periodical edited by Desfontaines appeared about 1730, under the title of the Nouvelliste du Parnasse. It was soon suppressed; but in 1735, the author obtained a new privilege for periodical writing. He then edited the Observations sur les Ecrits modernes. This publication was also suppressed in 1743; the following year, however, Desfontaines' periodical re-appeared under the title of Jugemens sur les Ouvrages nouveaux. His style is lively, clear, and natural, and written in the true spirit of criticism. Brilliant yet solid, perspicuous, crudite, forcible, delicate and enjoué such are the qualities which distinguish this celebrated writer."— Barbier's Bibl. vol. 5, p. 179. NOUVELLES, etc. Nouvelles de la République des Lettres, depuis le mois de Mars, 1684, jusqu'en Février, 1687, par Bayle; depuis cette époque jusqu'en Avril, 1689, par De la Roque et Barrin; suite depuis 1699, jusqu'en Juin, 1718, par J. Bernard, et J. le Clerc. Amsterdam, 16841718,56 vols. 12mo. "Bayle possessed the art, acquired by habit, of reading a book by his fingers, as it has been happily expressed; and of comprising, in concise extracts, a just notion of a book, without the addition of irrelevant matter. He had for his day sufficient playfulness to wreathe the rod of criticism with roses and for the first time, the ladies and all the beau monde took an interest in the labours of criticism. Yet even Bayle, who declared himself to be a reporter, and not a judge, Bayle, the discreet sceptic, could not long satisfy his readers. His panegyric was thought somewhat prodigal, bis fluency of style somewhat too familiar; and others affected not to relish his gaiety. In his latter volumes, to still the clamour, he assumed the cold sobriety of an historian; and has bequeathed no mean legacy to the lite rary world, in 36 volumes of criticism, closed in 1687. These were continued by Bernard, with inferior skill; and by Basnage more successfully, in his Histoire des Ouvrages des Savans, Rotterdam, 1687-1709, 24 vols. 12mo."-Curiosities of Literature, vol. 1, p. 22. NOUVEAUX, etc. Nouveaux Amusemens du Cœur et de l'Esprit, publiés par Philippe de Prétot. La Haye, 1737-1745, 15 vols. 12mo. "The Amusemens du Cœur et de l'Esprit, by Philip de Prétot, in 15 vols. 12mo. is worthy the first rank among Collections of this kind. Critical dissertations, history, manners, travels, and poetry of every class, constitute this a work of great variety. It was commenced by Philip in 1737, and continued by him without interruption, up to 1745, when occupations of another kind demanded the author's attention. He afterwards added a sixteenth volume in 1748, and a seventeenth in 1749."-Barbier's Bibl. vol. 5, p. 186, REVUE, etc. Revue Encyclopédique, ou Analyse raisonné de toutes les productions les plus remarquables. dans la Littérature, &c. Paris (Continued.) "The New Monthly Magazine has often laid before the British public, extracts from the Revue Encyclopédique, ono of the best, perhaps the very best periodical work at present published in France. All the different branches of human knowledge are embraced in its pages, extending into every country, and gleaning from every quarter of the globe. To those persons who read French, this work is highly useful, from the picture of the actual life, and of the existing literature of France, which it exhibits; and we recommend it in particular to those who desire to take in a French periodical, as the best and most useful they can order."-New Monthly Mag. vol. 15, p. 414. The Editor of the present work cannot allow this opportunity to escape of expressing his acknowledgments to the Revue, for the assistance which it has afforded him. |