"order to bring to greater perfection, by the intervention of fire, the fubftances which enter into the composition of mixt "bodies. It is more especially alleged, that these afhes, mixed "with the earth of which the China ware is made, render the "latter more folid, tranfparent and beautiful, than it would "otherwise be." If this remark be true, it may be poffible to produce the fame effect by the afhes of the bones of young animals. A very general account of the Chinese government (or ra ther of the Emperor's manner of governing), as alfo of the fucceffion to the empire, is the next object of controverly between our Miffionary and M. Pau, that we here meet with. This is followed by an account of the climate of Petchely, and a defcription of the ceremonies obferved at the funeral of the Emprefs-Mother, who died the 2d of March 1777, the 42d year of the reign of Kien-long. ART. V. Hiftoire de l'Homme, confideré dans fes Mœurs, dans fes Ufages, et dans fa Vie privée, &c.-The History of Man, confidered with respect to his Morals, Manners, and Customs in private Life. Vol. I. 12mo. Paris. 1779. HE encomiums that have been lavifhed upon hiftory, as TH adapted to give us an extenfive knowledge of human na ture, will appear more or lefs undeferved to thofe who confider attentively the objects exhibited in almost all the hiftorical productions known to us, and more especially in modern hiftories. Is it in the recital of wars, revolutions, and conquefts, in the exhibition of that uniform circle of viciffitudes and events, that relates to the fall or rife of empires, and is turned round by the main fprings of rapacity and ambition, that we fhall find the portraiture of human nature? Is it here that we find man, the primitive lines of his moral conftitution,-the fentiments and manners that are the true ornaments of humanity, and the effufions and exertions of the human heart in the different fcenes and relations of private life; in a word, shall we find here the true portrait of man? No certainly our Author at least thinks as we do." In the midft (fays he) of "that immenfe hiftorical confluence of accumulated facts, "which form (if I may fo exprefs myfelf) a coloffal groupe, "I look about for MAN, and can fcarcely perceive him: I "fee nothing of his afpect in private life: his morals and "manners escape my fight: I fee him on the throne,—at the "head of an army,-furrounded with pomp, triumphal en figns, and marks of elevation and grandeur; and instead of "being entertained with a history of the human heart, I learn "the hiftory of the four parts of the world." Our E Our Author propofes to do better: his defign is to give the true and complete hiftory of man in all his afpects: the human understanding, and the human heart, are the objects he propofes to unfold and illuftrate in his moral and philofophical hiftory. This hiftory is divided into four periods. The firft, which takes up entirely this first volume, comprehends 1656 years, beginning with the creation, and ending with the deluge; the Second, which is to employ the two fuccceding volumes, comprehends 1164 years, which elapfed between the deluge and the fiege of Troy; the third period will bring down this history to the birth of Chrift; and the fourth to the prefent time. The first volume only has yet appeared, which comprehends the first period. Here the birth of the world and of man are related. The origin of language,- the primitive language,agriculture,-population,-inventions,-difcoveries,-means of fubfiftence, and ufeful arts, are treated with a circumstantial detail:-the origin of idolatry and fuperftition is unfolded,civilization is defcribed, in its degrees, progrefs, means and infruments. We fee here, farther, cities built, nations formed, legislation introduced, fubordination and laws eftablished, civil government fucceeding anarchy, lands divided, property regulated, commerce increafing, morals, virtues and vices exhibited in all their afpects, whether in private, domestic, or public life, until corruption of manners arose to that height, which drew down upon mankind the chaftifement of Heaven in the univerfal deluge. Such are the principal contents of this first volume, in which the Author follows the progrefs of the human mind with attention, defcribes its efforts and operations, its virtues and vices, with an exact and animated pencil, and thews himself to be no mean master in the fchool of moral painters. ART. VI. Lettres Phyfiques et Morales, fur l'Hiftoire de la Terre et de l'Homme, Sc. E have not, in many years, met with a work more WE tion, and which we can more confcientiously recommend to M m 4 with with precipitation and rapidity; it is the fruit of a long, laborious, and attentive study of nature, carried on, with little interruption, during the space of thirty years; and it bears all the marks of a fagacious and experienced obferver, a profound and original thinker, a found logician, and a good man. It is filled with precious materials relative to the natural world, and to the branch of philofophy of which that world is more peculiarly the object; and it exhibits rational, extensive, and noble views of the connection of Nature with its AUTHOR, and with the moral and religious fyftem of the univerfe. As Man is not lefs the fubject of this work than the globe he inhabits, a subject, fo extenfive and complicated in its relations, could not but open to this ardent, this eagle-eyed inquirer a vaft and varied field of obfervation: fo that M. DE LUC, who has hitherto been only known as one of the first natural philofophers of our time, affumes here new afpects, ftill more interefting to humanity, namely, thofe of the moralift, the citizen, the friend of man, who fpeaks the language of wifdom to the peasant, the artift, the legislator, and the fovereign, and appreciates with fenfibility, truth, and precifion, the genuine fources of human felicity. So much for the Author and his Work in general: and now a previous word to our Readers. The fuperficial Reader will here find things beyond his reach, but he may yet pick up many facts, truths, and obfervations, that will afford him much inftruction and entertainment; and there is no Reader, who, with a competent degree of attention, may not comprehend the great and effential lines of our Author's fyftem, with refpect to the theory of the earth, and the destination of its principal inhabitant.-It is alfo to be noticed, that there are parts in this Work, which (notwithstanding the peculiar merit of their affemblage) do not ceafe to be highly interesting, even when detached from the whole.-There is, for example, a rich field of curious objects for the lover of natural history :There are fubtile refearches concerning matter and spirit, and their mysterious union, for the metaphyfician :-there are important difcuffions, experiments, and refults, for the natural philofopher :—there are useful views of rural and political œconomy for the true patriot :-and the minifters of religion will meet with judicious and interefting difquifitions, relative to their profeffion, polity, and the mafter-fcience, that connects the theory of this world with a profpect of a better.-In short(permit the metaphor) there is here a rich and varied feaft; and though all palates may not relish, nor every ftomach be able to digeft the contents of each dish, yet no guest need rise from table without having made a good meal, and many will make an exquifite one. At At the fame time, the epiftolary form under which M. DE Luc's work appears, muft neceffarily caufe a relaxation of the rigorous rules of method; and we think the work rather gains than lofes by this circumftance. It is a series of letters addressed to our Queen, as the patronefs of every thing that is great, good, elegant, and humane; and it is not in the letters of a philofophical traveller (who cannot help affociating with his main object incidental views that open to him in his progrefs,) that we are to expect the fevere fymmetry of a regular system. The Work is divided into eleven parts. FIRST PART. The FIRST PART contains fourteen Difcourfes, which serve eminently to ascertain the connection of many discussions (that may appear to fome digreffive and epifodical) with our Author's main defign; and thus to fhew, that the materials really conftitute a complete edifice. It will not be improper to give fome account of thefe Difcourfes. The first announces the great point of natural history and phyfical chronology, which is the main foundation of the whole work, viz. That our continents are not of a very ancient date. M. De Luc contends, throughout the courfe and progrefs of this work, that ALL the phenomena of our globe, as alfo the history of man, concur to perfuade us, that, by a fudden, though not a violent revolution, the SEA changed its bed,-that the CONTINENTS, which are now inhabited, are the bed, which IT formerly occupied, and that the number of ages which have elapfed, fince this great revolution, and fince the retreat of the waters of the ocean from the prefent continents, is not very great. His method of proving these propofitions in the courte of his work, is here indicated before hand, to fhew the Reader where he is to employ his principal attention. It is from the records of NATURE, and not from those of history, that he has deduced the chronology of our continents and that of human nature; and as arguments have been drawn from the flow progress of the fciences, to prove the high antiquity of the human race, he obviates thefe by a curious difcuffion of this interefting fubject, -in which he fhews, that the fciences, which depend upon genius, may have acquired their prefent degree of improvement in a fhort time, while thofe which depend on experience are yet but in a very imperfect state. In the fecond Difcourfe M. DE Luc fhews the connection fubfifting between the great point of natural hiftory, now mentioned, and the truth and authenticity of divine revelation, and particularly of the Mofaic hiftory, whose principal lines are confirmed, and of whofe relations none are contradicted, by an attentive ftudy of our globe. This leads our Author -into into a series of remarks on the connection of the fciences with the felicity of man, and their infufficiency to promote it without religion, which alone can prescribe a certain rule of conduct.The reflections on the foundation of morality, which terminate this difcourfe, are curious and interefting. Our Author condescends to refute the nonfenfe that runs through the book of Helvetius, concerning man and his education: but indeed, as this book more particularly feems to have been composed in a delirious ftate of mind, we do not think it deferved the notice which M. DE LUC has thought proper to bestow upon it. What can be faid to a man, who, reafoning concerning the influence of religion on fociety, confounds religion perpetually, either with fuperftition and fanaticifm, or with the conduct of those who use the mask of religion to accomplish perfidious and ambitious views? What can be faid to a man, who, to give the people a certain obligatory and efficacious rule of life and manners, would have religion and its minifters fuppreffed,—and morality preached-by whom? by philofophers and statefmenforfooth! by the Diderots and Maupeous-by the Richlieus and Voltaires, and fo on! Even were thefe names ever fo refpectable,-what change do names make in the business?In short, fuch a reafoner as Helvetius requires no answer; but however contemptible this antagonist may be, he furnishes our Author with an occafion of faying many excellent things on the fubject of religion, in its connection with the true interefts of man. The third, fourth, and fifth Difcourfes are relative to the history of man, and exhibit a variety of objects that deserve the attention of the man and the citizen. The improvement of lands as yet uncultivated, (the furprising quantity of which feems to furnish an argument of the recent emerfion of our continents from the ocean)-the advantages to humanity refulting from commons-the happiness refulting to the villager from fimplicity, which wifdom would chufe as the true fource of happiness to all men,-the effects of agriculture, manufactures, commerce, fciences, and civil polity, confidered in their relation to the method of bettering the state of the human species by the cultivation of deferts ;-all these objects furnish important details in the body and progrefs of M. DE Luc's work, and matter for many judicious reflections in the Difcourfes now mentioned. The fixth and feventh Difcourfes contain reflections on final caufes, and remarks on the natural difpofitions of man, who is the final caufe, in which the greatest part of the productions and arrangements of this terreftrial globe feem to terminate. The natural propenfity of man to benignity and goodness, though fometimes rendered imperceptible by foreign impreffions, |