Marfhal de Catinat was one of the greatest generals under Lewis the XIVth. He was bred to the profeffion of the law, and for fome time pleaded as a counsellor at the bar; but, taking a difgut at the profeffion, he entered into the army, and ferved as lieutenant in the cavalry; in which rank he foon distinguifhed himself in the prefence of the king, who gave him a commiflion in his guards, and afterwards promoted him to the dignity of marshal, and command of the French army. ART. 19. L'Art d'obferver, &c. 2 tom. 8vo. Geneva 1775- In this tract, written by Mr. Senebrier, librarian to the city of Geneva, the author expatiates firft on the qualities requifite to enable a person to obferve fucessfully on the phenomena of nature. He next points out the circumstances, to be attended to, in making fuch obfervations; proceeding thence to inveftigate the caufes whence thofe phenomena proceed. ART. 20. Les Oeuvres de M. de Saint Marc, &c. 8vo. Paris 1775. The Works of M. de Saint Marc. This collection confifts of epiftles, odes, tales, the Tragedy of Adele de Ponthieu, paftorals, and the oration delivered by the author on being made a member of the Academy of Bourdeux. They abound in delicacy of fentiment, and are free from the frippery that diftinguishes moft French productious of this kind. ART. 21. Recherches Critiques, Hiftoriques, & Topographiques fur la Ville de Paris, &c. Par M. Faillot. tom. XIX. 4to. Paris 1775: Critical, Hiftorical and Topographical Researches, refpecting the City of Paris. This is the nineteenth volume of a very minute and copious defcription of Paris, which will be compleated in the next volume. ART. 22. La Vie du Pape Clement XIV. Paris 1775. The Life of Ganganelli, Pope Clement XIV. This is the production of the rapid pen of the Marquis Caraccioli, who was perfonally acquainted, it feems, with the late Pontiff, and has therefore hastily raised this monument to his memory; which would probably have been more worthy of it, if erected with more delibera tion. ART. 23. De la Connoiffance de l'Homme dans fan être & dans fes Rapports, &c. 2 tom. 8vo. Nancy 1775. An Effay on the Knowledge of Man, respecting his Effence and Relations. The ingenious author of this work feems to have well digested the many tracts that have already been written on this copious fubject, to which he hath added many judicious obfervations of his own. ART. 24. Cleopatre, Tragédie, en Cinq Acts. Paris 1775. Cleopatra, a Tragedy, in Five Ats. This performance, we are told, hath its admirers'; but whether they are of the first reputation for judgment and tafte, we are not told. ART. ART. 25. Le Barbier de Seville, Comédie, en Profe, en Cing Acts. The Barber of Seville, a Comedy in Profe: reprefented at the French The talents of M. de Beaumarchais are well known and admired; his example is likely to be much followed in fhaking off the fetters of rhime, which fit very aukward on the writers of humorous comedy. ART. 26. La Medicina Veterinaria Ridotta ai fuoi veri Principi, This is the first volume of a work, which promifes to treat the fub ject much at large, and with proportionable accuracy. ART. 27. Parnafo Efpanol. Coleccion de Poefias efcogidas de los mas célebres Poetas Caftellanos. tomo VIII. Madrid 1775. The Spanish Parnaffus, a Collection of Poems, compofed by the most celebrated Caftalian Poets. The Spanish bookfellers, taking the hint, we prefume from our Dodfley's and Almons, have published it feems a collection of their own country poems, in feparate volumes; of which publication this is the eighth volume. We do not pretend to judge critically of their merit; it may, however, be fome recommendation to the reader to learn that, the great fuccefs of Mr. Garrick in his version of the ele-. gant copy of verfes, inferted in Mr. Twift's travels, has encouraged that gentleman to difplay his farther acquaintance with Spanish poetry, in obliging the public with the tranflation of a number of pieces of pure Caftilian poetry, extracted from this collection. GERMAN, LOW DUTCH, SWEDISH, &c. ART. 28. Verfuch über Pindars Leben, &c. 8vo. Strasbourg 17754. This tract is written by M. Got. Schneider, and affords a judicious comment on the writings and education of that prince of lyric poets, Pindar. He ridicules, however, the divifions of ftrophe, antiftrophe, and epode; which modern lyrifts have adopted in their imitations of that bard: those diftinctions relating, as he fays, merely to the ancient manner of finging this fpecies of poetry; and therefore totally inapplicable to verfes that are to be merely read or recited. ART. 29. Vollständige Typographie, &c. Par M. Busching.. 2 Tom. 4to. Berlin 1775. The compleat Topography of the Marquifade of Brandenburg, by` A mot particular and minute defcription of the Marquifate of Brandenburgh, by one of the moft laborious and elaborate geogra phers of his time. ART. ART. 30. Vom Alter der Oelmablerey, &c. 8vo. Brunswich 1775◄ On the Antiquity of the Ufe of Oil-colours in painting. Mr. Leffing, the author of this tract, endeavours to prove, from a manufcript treatise, preferved in the library of the Duke of Wolfenbuttle, that the ufe of oil in painting is of more ancient date than is generally conceived; having been probably in ufe in Greece. ART. 31. Verhandelingen van het Bataaffch Genootschap der Proefondervindelyke Wysbegeerte. Eerfte Deel, 4to. Rotterdam 1774Tracts and Differtations by the Dutch Society of experimental Philofophers. Part the First. This is the first publication of an ingenious fociety that has subsisted fome years, though their modesty, or other motives, have hitherto prevented their obliging the world with the refult of their researches ; which are not confined merely to experimental philofophy, as from their appellation may be fuppofed; fubjects of natural hiftory, medicine, anatomy, and mechanics, coming within the scale of their infiitution. ART. 32. Handlingar Kgl. Vetenfk. Acad. i Stockholm. Ap. Mai. och Jun. 1774. Stockholm. The Tranfactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm fer April, May and June 1774. The effays and treatifes contained in this publication are eight in number. The first, on the nature and properties of magnesia, by M. W. Scheele.-The fecond, on an improved air-pump, by M. Nich. Landebeck of Upfal.-The third confifts of meteorological obfervations made in Scania, by Olaus Nenzelius.-The fourth is a defeription of the rein-deer, by M. J. Houften.-The fifth contains a fingular anatomical cafe refpecting the fituation of the pupil in the eye of a patient, under the cafe of M. Hayftrom.-The fixth contains obfervations on the foregoing account, by Profeffor Acrell, who proves, by many examples, that the uvea may be greatly damaged without injury to the eye.-The feventh relates to the construction of fire-engines; and the laft to the admeasurement of all forts of veffels and fpherical figures; by M. Plautin. ART. 33. Verhandelingen, uitgegeeven door de Hollandfche Maatfchappy der Weetenfchappen te Haarlem. Vol. XV. 8vo. Haarlem 1775 Tracts, published by the Dutch philofophical Society of Haarlem. The Philofophical Tranfactions of this fociety, now amounting to fifteen volumes, are well known, and defervedly efteemed. We may hereafter take an extract or two from the prefent volume, for the entertainment of our readers. ART. 34. Korte Affchetfing der Toon meeting of Maetklank in de Nederduitfche Vaerfen. 8vo. 'sGravenhage 1775. A concife Account of the Profady or Measure of Low-dutch Poefy. We do not notice this work as a matter of much importance to English readers, but to hint to them, that the measure and profody of Low-dutch verfification is an object of as much importance with Dutchmen as that of English poetry is in England; nay, that they have their enthufiafts for toon meeting and maetklank, as well as we for chime and blank-verse. ART. 35. Rituum Romanorum Tabula. In ufum auditorum concinnavit Jer. Jac. Oberlinus. 8vo. Argentorati. Tables of Roman Ceremonies, &c. An abstract of Roman antiquities, divided into thirty-two tables, with fubdivifions into many other claffes, with great method and accuracy. ART. 36. Daniæ & Suecia Literata Opufcula Hiftorica, Philologica, Theologica, ed. Joh. Oelrichs. tom. 1. 8vo. Bremen. A collection of hiftorical, philological and theological tracts by the Literati of Sweden and Denmark. ART. 37. Tobia Mayeri, in Univerfitate Göttingenfi quondam Profeffore ac Societatis R. Scient. S. Aftronomi Opera medita. Vol. 1. Gottingen 1775. The pofthumous works of the celebrated aftronomer, profeffor Mayer of Gottingen; published by profeffor Lichtenberg of the fame univerfity; who has illuftrated the works of his author by learned and judicious annotations. ART. 38. Volumen tertium hiftoricum actorum Academiæ Theodoro Palatina. 4to. Manheim 1775. The third Volume of the Tranfactions of the Palatine Academy. This volume contains many curious difcoveries relative to the hiftory and antiquities of Germany. CORRESPONDENCE. TO THE GENTLEMEN, LONDON REVIEWERS. Not having the pleasure of being known to Dr. Priestley, I take the liberty of making your publication the means of conveying the following letter. To this I am induced for two reafons; the one, that the caufe, of complaint contained in it, is already made public, and the other, that you have, yourselves, given fanction to that caufe, viz. the countenancing a doctrine that ftrikes at the root of all morality and religion. The heinoufnefs of this charge requires me to be explicit in the fupport of it; and for this I may appeal to your own work for fufficient grounds. It has been hitherto generally, if not univerfally, admitted among moralifts and divines, that the doctrine of the immortality of the foul is effentially neceffary to the practice of piety and the theory of morals. Now this doctrine is not only indirectly attacked, but grofsly infinuated to be falfe, in the following paffage which you have quoted from Dr. Priestley's Introductory Effays to Hartley's Theory of the Human Mind. ́ I have not yet indeed feen the book, but rely on your authority for the fidelity of the quotation. VOL. I. "I am "I am rather inclined to think that man does not confift of two principles, fo effentially different from one another as matter and "Spirit; the one occupying space, the other not occupying any space nor bearing any relation to it; fo that my mind is no more in my body than it is in the moon. I rather think that the whole man is of fome uniform compofition, and that the property of perception, as well as the other powers that are termed mental, is the result of such an organical ftructure as that of the brain. Confequently that the whole man becomes extinct at DEATH, &c." On this paffage you make the following remark: "this fome may "think going too far; but we are glad to find a writer of Dr. "Priestley's eminence, bold enough to declare fo important a truth." What is this, gentlemen, but giving your exprefs fuffrage to à tenet of the most dangerous and pernicious tendency? for, whatever falve you may deduce from the Scheme of revelation, as Dr. Priestley calls it, if the foul have no natural immortality, its refurrection to a future ftate of retribution is as unintelligible as it is improbable, and, without reproduction, or a new creation, impoffible. I am yours, &c. July 3, 1775. J. SETO N. The obligations, we are already under to Mr. Seton, would enfure the infertion of his letter, were the subject of it lefs important, and our own credit less concerned. Thefe obligations, however, do not make us blind to the injury, we think, he hath done us in mifreprefenting the fuffrage, by which he fuppoles we have countenanced Dr. Priestley's affertion, that the body and foul of man become extinct at death. Mr. Seton, indeed, has not accurately quoted the Doctor's words, as may be feen by turning to page 469 of our Review. In regard to ourselves, alfo, he hath betrayed confiderable want of candour, by omitting the principal part of the latt fentence; which runs thus, « Confequently that the whole man becomes extinct at death; and that we have no hope of furviving the grave but what is derived frora the fcheme of revelation." It is the obfervation contained in this laft part of the above fentence, that we declared to be a bold and important truth; as, we prefume, is moft evident by the context. Our readers will excufe us, therefore, for citing the whole paffage. "This fome may think going too far: but we are glad to find a writer, of Dr. Priestley's eminence, bold enough to declare fo important a truth. Revelation must ftand (and it can ftand) on its own bafis. It needs not the buttreffes or abutments of human reafon; while, at the fame time, it affords to the mind that confolation, which arifes from the profpect of a futurity of which pbilofophy (even the firf) can give us no affurance. The gloomy fatisfaction of knowing little, doubting much, and the consciousness of being ignorant of more, is all that is to be attained by the profoundest researches and fublimeit investigations of human reafon. Happy the philofopher who hath proceeded so far as to discover this impotence of natural knowledge and to make timely reliance on that wisdom which furpasses all understanding”.” We may fafely appeal to the candid reader for an exculpation from the intention of giving countenance to the doctrine in question; whatever inaccuracy we may have been guilty of, in not making the proper diftinction between the two parts of the above fentence. Indeed the inaccuracy and fallacy of Dr. Priestley's expreffion and reafoning, through the whole paffage, is obvious. He thinks, he fays, that man is not a compound of two principles fo effentially different as matter and fpirit; but that the whole man is of fome uniform compofition. It is not, however, uniformity of compofition that he means, but the bomogeneoufnefs of the fimple principles forming the compound. In which cafe it is plain that the body of man is not extinct in death; why then should the foul?The truth we meant to countenance is, that "man hath no hope, of furviving the grave, as a moral agent, but what is founded on reve *See page 470, of our laft Review. lation." |