Genevan character, habit, and institution." - London Mag. April 1828. ROGER (Abraham.) Théâtre de l'Idolatrie, ou La Porte ouverte, pour parvenir à la connaissance du Paganisme caché, ou la vraie représentation de la vie, des mœurs, de la religion, etc. des Bramines, qui demeurent sur les côtes de Chormandel, at aux pays voisins. Amsterdam, 1670, 4to. "This work, a scarce one, is not so well known as it deserves to be. By obtaining the confidence of an enlightened Bramin, Roger obtained on the manners and the religion of the Indians, information more authentic and more extensive than had ever been possessed by any European, previous to the late translation of the Sanscrit."-Dictionnaire Historique. SAVARY (M.) Lettres sur l'Egypte. Paris, 1785,3 vols. 8vo. 1785, 3 vols. 8vo. are it They were, at first, atten "Savary's Lettres sur l'Egypte, must be admitted, sufficiently lively. ded with considerable success, but I am not sure, whether from the testimonies of French biographers and critics themselves, Savary ought to receive a great share of credit. The reputation of his work was cut to pieces by Michaelis, in a review in a foreign journal of oriental literature; which M. Silvestre de Sacy made intelligible and acceptable to the French public, in the Journal des Savans, 1787, reprinted in the Esprit des Journaux and in the Tablettes d'un Curieux." Dibdin's Library Companion, p. 442. SIMOND (L.) Voyage en Italie et en Sicile. Paris, 1828, 2 vols. 8vo. "We may fortunately spare ourselves the necessity of saying a word on his general character as a writer, for his former tours in this country and Switzerland, have established his reputation as a shrewd and sensible observer of men and things, and a writer of no ordinary spirit and vivacity. We shall only say that he might well have spared the expression of his fears, that his present work would detract from the fame he had gained by his former ones. On the contrary, it appears to us, that his spirit of observation is as keen and as active as ever, and his style is full of point and spirit."— Foreign Quarterly Review, No. 3, p. 277. Voyage en Angleterre, en 1810-11. Paris, 1817, 2 vols. 8vo. Voyage en Suisse, fait dans les années 1817, 1818, et 1819. Paris, 1824, 2 vols. 8vo. "Since the peace few travellers have written, ex professo, on Switzerland. We are unacquainted with any complete tour, except Simond's, and that we can hardly call complete. His observations are often common-place, and the almost total want of feeling for the beautiful, which is apparent in the works of this writer, leaves a dryness in his pages which is wearisomely felt by the reader."-London Mag. April 1828. "We ought not to class the work of M. Simond among the many descriptions of Switzerland, written by common observers. This author has already published a Voyage en Angleterre, which obtained a success it well deserved, and this new work can only add to his fame, notwithstanding the singularity of some of his opinions. ** * * In general the work of M. Simond contains sound observations upon the history of Switzerland, and the manners of the inhabitants. He has less than any former writer, attempted to describe the scenery, but has given a fuller account than any other, of the actual state of society in Switzerland."-Revue Ency. vol. 15, p. 55. STAPFER (P. A.) Voyage pittoresque de l'Oberland, ou Description des Vues prises dans l'Oberland, district du canton de Berne. Paris, 1812, 1 vol. 4to. with plates, etc. That part of the canton of Berne to which this work relates, is the richest in beautiful and picturesque scenery. No spot in Switzerland is so much frequented by travellers; in fact the foreigner who cannot make a long stay in that country, or traverse different regions of the chain of the Alps, cannot better employ his time than in visiting the Oberland of Berne. The views are taken on the banks, and to the south of the Lake of Thun, where nature seems to have displayed all her magnificence. They are executed by native artists, and coloured with great care and fidelity. The text, written with ability and spirit, contains a vast number of new particulars and documents; and will contribute much to the amusement and infor mation of those who visit this fine country, |