of the great variety of interesting particulars contained in this closely-printed volume. Many parts of the work will be found more interesting on account of the physical and botanical remarks, than from any other species of entertainment: but our extracts will evince that there are pages adapted to the amusement of every description of readers. The translation appears to be executed with fidelity, but with little elegance or correctness; and we consider the publication as valuable, both as it adds to the stock of information respecting Portugal in various points, and as it vindicates the general character of that people from the censures which have been cast on them.

The subjoined Dissertation on the literature of Portugal, and on the Spanish and Portuguese languages, contains some statements and observations which are worthy of attention: but, with respect to literature, Portugal has yet but few attractions.

ART. VIII. Memoirs of the Life of Froissart. With an Essay on his Works, and a Criticism on his History. Translated from the French of M. de la Curne de St. Palaye, by Thomas Johnes, Esq. M. P. Crown 8vo. pp. 211. 5s. Boards. White.

MA

ANY of our readers, without doubt, have heard that Mr. Johnes has been engaged for a length of time in translating the celebrated chronicles of Froissart; and we trust that we may regard the present interesting little publication as announcing the speedy appearance of that desireable work. We have been informed that the translator intends to publish only a very limited number of copies: but we enter our strongest protest against this design, for it is utterly unworthy of a man of a liberal mind. We hope, indeed, that the report is without foundation; and that it will be seen that Mr. Johnes is not one of those who think that claims to rank and fashion can be asserted only by marked contempt for the public,

The perusal of these few pages will excite, in all curious readers, a lively wish to see the productions of the favourite veteran; while it will materially assist the comprehension of them, and account for the distinction which they have always maintained. We here discover with what laudable zeal this patriarch historian pursued his object; and that serious difficulties, journeys long and perilous, tedious attendance, and pecuniary disbursements, could not damp his ardour:—we see what labour it costs to earn the distinction which belongs to an original historian; and at what a distance he is placed from the ordinary herd of compilers.

Alluding to Philippa the Queen of Edward III., we are told that during the five years that Froissart was attached to the service

of

of this Princess, he travelled at her expence to various parts of Europe, the object of which seems to be a research after whatever might enrich his history.' Some years after the death of this princess, he determined in 1388 to take advantage of the peace which was just concluded, to visit the Court of Gaston Phoebus Count de Foix and de Béarn, in order to gain full information in whatever related to foreign countries, and the more distant provinces of the kingdom, where he knew that a great number of warriors signalized themselves daily by the most gallant actions.' In the course of his journey,

He was fortunate enough to meet with a knight from the country of Foix, who was returning thither from Avignon, and they journeyed together.

Sir Espaing du Lyon, the name of the knight, was a man of high distinction; he had had considerable commands, and was employed all his life in negociations as delicate as they were important. The two travellers agreed perfectly well together; the knight, who had served in all the wars in Gascony, was equally desirous to learn every thing which related to those that Froissart was acquainted with; and Froissart, more in a situation to satisfy him than any one, was not less curious to be informed of those events in which the knight had borne a part: they mutually communicated all they knew, with a reciprocal complaisance. They rode side by side, and frequently only a foot pace: their whole journey was passed in conversations; by which they mutually instructed each other.

Towns, castles, ruins, plains, heights, valleys, defiles; every thing awakened the curiosity of Froissart, and recalled to the memory of the Lord Espaing du Lyon the different actions which had there passed under his eyes, or which he had heard related by those who had been engaged in them.'

If they arrived at a town before sunset, they profited of the rem nant of day to examine the outworks of the place, or to observe those parts of it which had suffered from assaults. On their return to the inn, they continued the same conversations, either between themselves or with other knights and esquires, who might be lodged there; and Froissart never went to bed until he had put in writing every particular he had heard.

After a journey of six days, they arrived at Ortez. This town, one of the most considerable in Béarn, was the ordinary residence of Gaston Count de Foix and Viscount de Béarn, surnamed Phoebus, on account of his beauty. Froissart could not have chosen a Court more suitable to his views. The Count de Foix, at the age of fiftynine years, was the most vigorous, the handsomest, and best-made man of that period. Adroit at all exercises, valorous, an accomplished Captain, noble and magnificent, he never suffered any warrior who waited on him to depart without carrying with him proofs of his liberality his castle was the rendezvous of all those brave Captains who had distinguished themselves in combats, or in tourna ments. Their conversations solely ran on attacks of places, surprizes, sieges, assaults, skirmishes, and battles. Their amusements were REY. JUNE, 1803.

:

N

games

games of address and force; tilts, tournaments, and huntings, more laborious and almost as dangerous as war itself. These details deserve to be read, in Froissart: I can only imperfectly trace what he has so excellently painted.'

The Count de Foix's reception of the historian was most flattering; and we learn that

The prince took pleasure to inform him of those particulars of the wars in which he had distinguished himself. Froissart did not gain less information from his frequent conversations with those knights and esquires whom he found assembled at Ortez; more especially from the knights of Arragon and of England, attached to the household of the Duke of Lancaster, who at that time resided at Bourdeaux. They related to him all they knew of the battles of the Kings John of Castile, and Denys of Portugal, and their allies. Among others, the famous Bastot de Maulion, in giving him the history of his own life, told him also that of almost all the wars which had happened in the different provinces of France, and even in Spain, from the time of the battle of Poitiers, at which period he first bore arms.'

The reader will have some idea of Froissart's claim to the gratitude of posterity, from a perusal of the following ex

tracts:

Froissart had been present at all the feasts which were given on the marriage of the Duke of Berry, celebrated the eve of Whitsunday at Riom, in Auvergne. He composed a pastoral for the morrow of the nuptials; then, returning to France with the Lord de la Riviere, he went to Paris. His natural activity, and his ardour for information, with which he was incessantly occupied, did not permit him to remain there long. We have seen him in six months go from the Blaisois to Avignon; then to the county of Foix; from whence he returned again to Avignon, and cross Anvergne to go. tó Paris. One sees him in less than two years successively in the Cambresis, in Haynault, Holland, Picardy, a second time in Paris, at the extremity of Languedoc; then again at Paris and at Valenciennes; from thence to Bruges, Sluys, in Zealand, and at last in his own country.

He accompanied into the Cambresis the Lord.de Coucy to the castle of Crevecoeur, which the King had just given to him. He relates to him all he had seen, and learns from him the different particulars of the negociations between France and England.

After having staid fifteen days in his own country, he passed a month in Holland with the Count de Blois, entertaining him with the history of his travels. He then goes to Lelinghen, to learn the details of the negociations for peace, which were carrying on at that place. He is present at the magnificent entry which Isabella de Baviere makes into Paris.'

What he had learnt relative to the war in Spain did not satisfy him; he felt a scruple at only having heard one side; that is to say, the Gascons and Spaniards, who had been attached to the King

of Castile. It was the duty of an exact and judicious historian to know also what the Portuguese had to say on this subject: and, on the information he had, that numbers of that nation were to be found at Bruges, he went thither.

Fortune served him beyond his hopes; and the enthusiasm with which he speaks of it, paints the ardour with which he was desirous of a perfect knowledge of facts. On his arrival, he learnt that a Portugueze knight, "a valiant and wise man, and of the Council of the King of Portugal," whose name was Juan Fernando Portelet, had lately come to Middleburgh, in Zealand.

Portelet, who was on his road to Prussia to join in the war against the infidels, had been present in all the wars of Portugal. Froissart immediately sets out, in company with a Portugueze, a friend of the knight; goes to Sluys, embarks, and arrives at Middleburgh, where his fellow-traveller presents him to Portelet.

This knight, "gracious, amiable, and easy of access," relates to him, during the six days they passed together, every thing that had been done in Portugal and Spain, from the death of King Ferdinand until his departure from Portugal. Froissart, equally pleased with the recitals of Portelet, as with his politeness, took leave of him, and returned home; where, having arranged all the information he had acquired in his various travels, he composed a new book, which makes the third of his history.'

It has been shewn with how much pains and fatigues Froissart had visited the greater part of the Courts in Europe. Admitted into the palaces of the greatest Lords, he insinuated himself into their confidence to so great a degree, that they not only related to him many particulars of their own lives, and of those events in which they had had a share, or been eye-witnesses; but they discovered to him sometimes the secret of the resolutions which had been entered into in the councils of the Cabinet, upon the most important affairs: he never failed to take advantage of his conversations with those with whom he could converse and interrogate with greater freedom.'

We have bestowed the more attention on this small volume, on account of its relation to the expected appearance, in English, of the productions to which it bears so much reference. M. de St. Palaye's criticisms on his author are sensible, just, and candid; he vindicates him successfully from the hacknied imputation of a mercenary partiality to the English; while he ably states, and fairly and satisfactorily estimates, the merits of his editor, Sauvage.

The translation is apparently faithful, but not polished correct; and we were surprized to find that such inaccuracies as the following could have escaped the pen of Mr. Johnės: I have three of different dates to those he mentions.' He mangles them near as bad as old Froissart, &c. &c.' We hope that he will take care not to allow similar negligencies to deform the pages of his promised splendid publication.

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ART.

ART. IX. Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. VIII.

[Article concluded from pp. 71-77-]

IN resuming our analysis of this volume, we turn first to the consideration of those papers which, in our former article, we left unnoticed in the class of

SCIENCE.

A Description of a Reflecting Level, or an Artificial Horizon for taking Altitudes of the Celestial Bodies, c. on Land by Hadley's Quadrant; with some Remarks on different Levels. By the Rev. James Little.-There are two obvious ways of procuring an artificial horizon, one by the horizontal surface of a fluid, the other by adjusting a plane surface at right angles to a plumb line; and both methods depend on the same principle. The author of the present memoir follows the second method; because, the surface of a fluid being very liable to be ruffled by the agitation of the air, it is only at particular times, and with great care, that the first method can be used. Of the construction of Mr. L.'s instrument, however, even with the help of verbal description and figures, it is not very easy to form an adequate notion; and without actually inspecting and trying an instrument made accordingly, we dare not pronounce on its uses and advantages.

On the Orbits in which Bodies revolve, being acted on by a centripetal Force varying as any Function of the Distance, when those Orbitshave two Apsides. By the Rev. J. Brinkley, A. M. Andrews' Professor of Astronomy in the University of Dublin.-In the 9th section of the Principia, Newton finds the angle between the apsides in those orbits only that are nearly circular; but this method cannot give the motion of the apsides in excentric orbits; one reason for which is, that then the terms of (T—X)" expanded after the second (-nTn-X) would have a ratio not less than any assigned ratio to the first and second. The di rect and accurate solution of the problem is to be sought in the 8th section. The general expression for the fluxion of the KN 2× IN angle is ог CI

or

2.4

and

A1× √ ABFD-Z' AABFD-Z ABFD =√ A; if o be the function of the distance which expresses the force; and consequently the fluxion of the angle = 2.1.

Hence, if the integral of this fluxionary ex

pression could in all cases be exhibited, we should only have to substitute for A the two constant values of the distance when