their compofitions as unfit for other ears, as the French would their most exquifite wines for all palates, by diluting and lowering them with water, or more impure liquors. The English are but just mentioned by the author's friend, M. Suard, who farcaftically wonders that we, who give degrees in mufic at our univerfities, fhould have had no compofers whose names have reached the continent. But even the works of Handel, though not an Englishman, are unknown to the French. Is this owing to their want of merit, or the ignorance of M. Suard's countrymen ? We can, however, produce compofers of our own, in point of learning, folidity, contrivance, and pure harmony, equal at least to thofe of France at any period. Tallis, Bird, Morley, Gibbons, Lawes, Locke, Blow, Purcell, Crofts, Green, and Boyce, in the church ftyle, may be safely opposed to Goudimel, Orlando di Laffo (who was indeed no Frenchman, but a Fleming, and educated in Italy), Claude le Jeune, Mauduit, Caurroy, D'Aquin, Goupillin, La Lande, and Mondonville. And who knows any thing of thefe compofers out of France? Our early church mufic, had it been set to Latin words, would certainly have been received in all places where good harmony was cultivated and encouraged. Upon the whole, M. Laborde's publication is calculated for the meridian of France, to flatter national vanity, and that exclufive approbation of all its productions for which that country has ever been fo remarkable. And it appears, that in fpite of travelling through Italy, converfing with great Italian musicians, and hearing their works abroad and at home, that this ingenious writer has the happiness of returning to his own country, and remaining in it, thoroughly convinced that out of France there is no mufic built upon true principles, nor even in France itself, unless it has been compofed under the guidance of the fyfteme de la basse fondamentale, and the triple progreffion. Are the inhabitants of the rest of Europe to be pitied for their inferiority; or is the author to be envied for his feelings? Oeuvres complettes de M. de Belloy, de l'Academie Françoife, Citoyen de Calais. 6 Vol. 8vo. (Paris.) IT is well known that the freedom of the town of Calais was given to the late M. de Belloy, as a mark of gratitude for his excellent Tragedy of the Siege of Calais, the foundation of his popularity and celebrity. All his works are here collected and illuftrated, by a very friendly and laborious editor; who has opened the edition with a general preface, and an interesting life of his friend. These are fucceeded by the tragedy of Titus, with the author's preface, and his obfervations on that tragedy and on dramatic poetry, addreffed to M. de Voltaire; by Zelmire, likewife preceded by a preface and complimentary verfes, addreffed by the author to the famous actrefs Mademoiselle Clairon, on the manner in which the played the part of Zelmire. To every piece the fentiments of the Journal des Sçavans on its merits and defects have been fubjoined. Almoft the whole fecond volume is affigned to the Siege of Calais, 3 and and to feveral historical and critical pieces relating to that molt po pular tragedy, The third contains the various pieces relating to the tragedy of Gafton and Bayard, a drama, in the editor's opinion, not inferior to the Siege of Calais. The fourth volume is affigned to the Tragedy of Gabrielle de Vergy, confidered by the editor as the mafter-piece of M. de Belloy, and one of the most capital works of the French theatre. The edi. tor's critical obfervations are fucceeded by M. de Belloy's. Mémoire hiftorique fur la Maison de Couci, et fur la Branche de Vervin encore exiftante. This performance too has produced both great and good effects. The fifth volume opens with the editor's very minute Recherches Hiftoriques fur Pierre le Cruel, et Henri de Trantamare, relating to M. Belloy's tragedy, Pierre le Cruel, M. de Belloy himself has compofed a critical estimate of that drama; and this critique was found anong his papers, and is here published. The editor obferves, upon the whole, that of M. Belloy's fix tragedies, four have met with the greatest fuccefs, and are, after Mr. Voltaire's, moit applauded and frequented by the French public; that the first and the laft, Titus, and Pierre le Cruel, were acted only once, and then not heard throughout, and are of course not yet fairly appreciated; but he makes no doubt but that, when heard with attention, they will be highly applauded. In this collection they ap pear with their author's last corrections and improvements, and with fome notes by the editor. The fixth and last volume confifts chiefly of fuch of M. de Belloy's works as had never yet been published. It opens with the editor's obfervations on M. de la Harpe's general judgment of M. de Belloy the remainder confifts of fmaller pieces in profe and verse; fuch as, a valuable Treatife on the French Language and Poetry an interesting fragment, entitled, Effai fur l'Art Dramatique; and fome poetical epiftles, tales, fables, &c. : FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. L'Art de la Vigne, par M. Maupin. 8vo. Paris. THIS ufeful author of feveral treatifes on œconomical subjects, justly complains of the indifferent reception his former attempts, for improving rural economy in France, have met with among his countrymen. Yet he might comfort himfelf by recol lecting that this neglect, and very often fomething worse, has moft commonly been the lot of the greateft improvers of human life, and real benefactors to mankind'. In this new publication he inftructs his readers in the method of improving vineyards and wines. His method has been applauded by the French Academy of Sciences, and confirmed by the experience of a respectable magistrate, and the teftimony of other ocuJar witneffes. Maximes et Reflexions Morales du Duc de la Rochefoucauld. 24tà.. Paris. The merits of thefe Maxims and Reflexions are generally known. The prefent edition is complete, correct, and very elegant; and a well well written account of the character and works of the duke de la The first edition of part of this exeellent treatife was honoured by the Oeconomical Society of Berne with the offer of a medal; and its author invited to enlarge his obfervations and inftructions on the interesting subject of the beft method and application of various manures to the different kinds of foils. That valuable treatife is, in this fecond edition, corrected, confiderably enlarged and improved, and accompanied with an inftructive memoir on the most profitable management of bees. Idea Fidei Fratrum, oder kurzer Begrif der Chriftlichen Lehre in den Evangelifchen Brüder-gemeinen; or, A concife Idea of the Chriftian Doctrine of the Communities of Evangelical Brethren, published by Augult Gottlieb Spangenberg. One Volume in Octavo. Barby. (German.) A fatisfactory and authentic account of the whole religious fyftem of the Moravian brethren, published, at their own defire, by their bishop. Jo. Retzii, Philof. Mag. &c. &c. Fafciculus Obfervationum Botanicarum primus. 38 Pages, in Folio, with two Copper Plates. Leipfic. A number of excellent obfervations and accurate defcriptions must recommend the labours of this botanist to the attention and encouragement of naturalifts, and make them with for their con. tinuation. H. A. Grafen von Borcke, Befchreibung der Stargordtischen Wirtfchaft in Hinter Pommern; or, H. A. Count de Borcke's Account of the Management of his Efate of Stargordt in Pommerania. 19 Sheets, in Quarto. Berlin. (German.) Count and general de Borcke, formerly governor to the present hereditary prince of Pruffia, here gives a moft inftructive and encouraging account of the economical improvements made by his directions, and under his own infpection, on his eftate, fince 1764, and of their prodigious success. Pharmacopea Roffica. 142 Pages, in Quarto. Petersburgh. A Pharmacopca, calculated for Ruffia, was still a defideratum; this was, therefore, by the prefent emprefs's exprefs command compofed by the College of Phyficians. It is a judicious performance, and deferves on many accounts to be noticed, and in feveral even to be imitated by the physicians of other countries. Pharmacopa Caftrenfis Roffica. two Sheets, in Quarto. Petersburgh. Intended for the ufe of the furgeon-majors of regiments, and containing an enumeration of choice and neceffary medicines, and their respective weights and prices. Mémoire fur la meilleure Manière de conftruire les Alambics et Fourneaux propres à la Diftillation des Vins pour en tirer les Eaux de Vie. Par M. Baume, du College de Pharmacie de Paris, &c. with Cuts, 8v0. Paris. The judicious author points out the various imperfections of the ftills and diftilleries in France, and recommends a number of imVOL. L. Nov. 1780. Сс provements, provements, whose practicability is evinced by the practice and succefs of the English distillers. Chanfons et autres Poëfies pofthumes de M. l'Abbé de l'Attaignant; suivies des Particularités fingulières de la Vie de Mde. C**. Paris. This poet appears to have been a very entertaining and lively companion, rather for the table than the clofet. The fprightliett piece among his pofthumous poems are, his Adieu to the World, of which we will here quote a few tanzas: Adieux au Monde. J'aurai bientôt quatre-vingt ans, J'ai goûté de tous les plaifirs; Lorfque l'on prétend tout favoir, On n'en devient pas plus favant; On n'en meurt pas moins ignorant; Bon foir la compagnie. The Particularités fingulières de la Vie de Mde. de C •*, are indeed strange; but entertaining, and sometimes even interesting. MONTHLY CATALOGU E. Lucubrations on Ways and Means. Humbly infcribed to the right Hon. Lord North. By John Berkenhout, M. D. 8vo. 25. H. Payne. N thefe Lucubrations, amidst fome general and defultory, but ingenious reflections on civil polity, Dr. Berkenhout exprelles an opinion that we ought immediately to change our fyftem in refpect of finance; and that the luxuries and follies are fo firmly eftablished in Britain, as alóne to produce a revenue equal to the expence of the prefent war, without funding another fhilling. Upon this idea he propofes fixty-three articles of taxation, to which he fubjoins remarks, tending to evince their propriety. He has not attempted to make any eftimate of the produce of the taxes which he mentions; but there is reason to think that it would be very confiderable, though some of the taxes which he Specifies feem far from being proper. Nathan Nathan to Lord North. 8vo, 1s. Wilkie. From the original application of the title of this pamphlet, we might be led to imagine that it contained fome impeachment against the minifter to whom it is addreffed. And at first fight, indeed, this would appear to be the cafe: but the whole is an ironical invective, which, by its own extravagance, obviously implies an indirect eulogium on the noble lord. It might have been proper for the author to mention on what authority (probably the books in the Exchequer), he has extracted the following curious catalogue of the penfioners in the Long Parliament. Lenthal (Speaker) 7730 l. per annum, befides a gratuity of 6000l. Bulitrode Whitlock, Commiffioner of the Great Seal, 1500l. per ann. and a gift of 2000). Edmund Prideaux, 1200 l. per annum. John Lifle, 800l. per annum. Oliver St. John made above 40,000l. of his places of attorney and follicitor for the king, by ordinance of parliament, and by paffing all pardons upon commiffions. Sir William Allifon, 1600 l. per annum. Thomas Hoyle, 1200l. per annum. Thomas Pury, fen. 400 I. per annum, and a gift of 3000 I. Thomas Pury, jun. 200 per annum. William Ellis, 2001. per annum. › Miles Corbet, 1700 l. per annum. Sir Thomas Widdrington, 1500 1. per annum. Walter Strickland, 5000l. per annum. Sir Gilbert Gerrard, 1200l. per annum. as paymaster to the army, at 3 d. per l. 12000 l per annum, befides a gift of 60,600 1. Gilbert Gerrard, his fon, 500 1. per annum. John Selden, a gift of 2500 1. Sir Benjamin Rudiard, a gift of 50001. Sir John Hipfly, a gift of 2000 1. befides places. Sir Thomas Walfingham, rewarded with the greatest part of lord Dorset's eftate, on which he cut 4000 timber trees. Benjamin Valentine, Sir Henry Heyman, and Denzil Holles, each a gift of 5000 l. Nathaniel Bacon, a gift of 3000 1. John Stevens, a gift of 1000l. Henry Smith, 2000l. per annum. Robert Reynolds, 400 l. per annum, a gift of 2000l. and got 20,000 1. by the purchase of bishops lands. Sir John Clotworthy, treasurer of Ireland, permitted to cheat the state of 40,000 1. John Afh, a gift of 14,000 l. befides places. John Lenthal, the Speaker's fon, 2000l. per annum. John Bond, mafter of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Lucas Hodges, cuftomer of Bristol. Francis Allen, customer for London. |