Vie du Dauphin, pere de Louis XVI. &c.-The Life of the Dauphin, father of Louis XVI. the prefent King of France: By the Abbé Proyart. 12mo. Paris.

A well written and entertaining hiftory of the late Dauphin, compiled from as authentic materials as thofe contained in the preceding article; if it be true, as afferted, that they were drawn from the fame fource. One great object of Abbé Proyart's hiftory, however, feems to be the exculpation of his hero from the imputation of having countenanced Montefquieu and other philofophers; and to give us the idea of his living and dying the best of good Chriftians; agreeable to the box mot, imputed to him in his childhood: when, being asked which of all his ancestors he preferred, he replied, "Saint Louis; for I intend to be a faint like himself." With fo good a difpofition, it would have been contrary to the proverb had he lived long: young faints feldom make old kings.

Nouvel Abrégé Chronologique de l'Hiftoire et du droit public d'Allemagne. A new Chronological Abftract of the Hiftory and civil Law of Germany. By Mr. Peffel, Counsellor fer Foreign Affairs to the King. 2 vols. 4to. Paris.

The plan which Mr. Peffell has obferved, in compofing this chronological abftract of German hiftory, is that of Prefident Henault's celebrated hiftory of France: the concifeness of which, however, is not imitated fo much as its exactitude and precifion; Mr. Peffel entering on important occafions into particulars much more minutely than Henault.

Hiftoire du Cardinal de Polignac.-The Hiftory of Cardinal de Polignac. By Father Chryfoftom Faucher, Author of the Hiftory of Photius, &c. 2 vols. 12mno. Paris.

In the preface to this work is given an eulogium on the object of it; which is the lefs neceffary, as the whole performance tends to the fame point. Cardinal de Polignac was born at Velai, in the year 1661. He ftudied the claffics under the Jefuits at Paris; and philofophy, in the college of Harcourt: A double thefis, which he maintained at the clofe of the latter

course,

courfe, procured him great honour. In the first part he defended the fyftem of Defcartes, from his own conviction: and in the fecond, that of Ariftotle, out of complaifance to his preceptor; fatisfying equally in both the partizans of the old and the new philofophy. This literary phenomenon gave the public the firft idea of the rifing merit of the young Abbé; and recommended him to Cardinal de Bouillon, whom he accompanied to two conclaves to Rome; where he became highly refpected for his abilities in the art of political negotiation. It' is faid that Pope Alexander VIII. on the breaking up of a conference, which he had with the Abbé, made ufe of the following remarkable expreffion: "I know not how it is, but this young Abbé has a feductive way with him; he never contradicts me; feems to be always of my opinion, and yet brings me always over to his."-A finer field foon opened, for the exercise of our Abbé's talents in this way; by his being fent envoy, with the title of Ainbaffador extraordinary to Poland. On the death of Sobieski, however, he failed, for want of pecuniary resources, in attempting to fet the Prince of Conti on the throne of that kingdom. His ill fuccefs was, notwithftanding, imputed to his want of abilities as a minifter, and he was ordered to retire to his abbey of Bonport. Here it was he began his celebrated poem, entitled, Anti-Lucretius; at which he continued occafionally to labour, as his avocations from public affairs, in which he was almoft conftantly employed, would permit. So well established was his literary reputation, that, in the year 1704, he was chofen, on the death of M. Boffuet, to fill the place of that prelate in the Academy; the other candidates declining, and the fuffrages of the academicians being unanimous in his favour.-It was owing to the firmnefs and refolution of this member, that the famous Abbé de Saint Pierre was expelled the fame Academy, for his political projects; which were thought to reflect injurioufly on the chrracter and conduct of Louis XIV. After another embafly to Rome, in which he folicited, and at length effected, a reconciliation between that fee and Cardinal de Noailles, by the acceptation of the Bull Unigenitus, he returned to France; clofing a long and illuftrious courfe of life on the 20th of November 1742, aged eighty years.

Dictionnaire Iconolgique, &c.-Iconological Dictionary; or, an Introduction to the Knowledge of Paintings, Statues, Engravings, Medals, Prints, &c. together with Defcriptions drawn from the Poets, ancient and modern. By M.D. P. Petit. 8vo. Paris.

Prefixed to this dictionary is a well written and inftructive effay, on the knowledge neceffary to qualify a connoiffeur in the fine arts. The dictionary itself is an useful af fiftant to fuch artifts as have a genius and difpofition to defign.

Cours d'Architecture Civile, &c. A Courfe or Syftem of civil Architecture; or a Treatife concerning the Decoration, Dif tribution and Conftruction of Buildings, begun by the late J. F. Blondel, the King's Architect and Profeffor in the Royal Academy of Architecture, and continued by Mr. Patte, Architect to his Serene Highness the Prince De Deux-Ponts. Paris.

The fifth and fixth volumes of a moft capital work in its kind; accompanied with a feventh volume, confifting entirely of plates, to the number of one hundred and thirty-fix, illus trative of the work.

Recherches fur la Preparation que les Romains donnaient à la Chaux, dont ils fe fervoient pour leurs Conftructions.—Researches concerning the Manner in which the Romans prepared the Lime which they ufed in Building as alfo on their Me. thod of mixing and ufing their Mortar. By M. de la Faye. Paris.

This writer conceives, that even the vaults and columns in the labyrinths and pyramids of Egypt, were made of factitious ftone, as well as the pillars of the church of St. Amaud in Flanders, and that of Vereley in Burgundy. However this be, M. de la Faye feems animated with the hopes of forming a compofition equally durable from the fuccefs he has met with in imitating the cement of the ancient Romans. Whether he has yet exceeded the attempts, to form artificial ftone, that have been made in England, must be left to time and experience to determine.

Le

La Marine des Anciens Peuples, expliqueé & confidéréé par Rapport aux lumieres qu'on en peut tirer pour perfectionner la Marine moderne. Avec des Figures reprefentant les Vaiffeaux de Guerre de ces Peuples.--The Marine of the Ancients explained and confidered, with respect to the ufes that may be made of it, in improving that of the Moderns. Illuftrated by Figures, reprefenting the Ships of War of the Ancients.-Par M. La Roi. 8vo. Paris.

An entertaining and learned performance, tracing the marine of the ancients from its earlieft ftate, through its progreffive improvements among the Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Syracufans, to the end of the Eaftern empire. We are promifed, in a fubfequent volume, an account of the Carthagipian and Roman marine, to the end of the Weftern empire.

Hiftoire des Progrés de l'Esprit humain, dans les Sciences & dans les Arts qui en dependent.-The Hiftory of the Progress of the Human Mind, in the Arts and Sciences dependant on the Understanding. 8vo. Paris.

The defign of this work is a good one, and much better than its execution. It may not be, nevertheless, totally without its ufe, as the author hath fubjoined a lift of the moft celebrated writers on the fubject of the intellectual sciences.

Efai fur la Caufe des Diffetes des Bled, qu'on a eprouvé pendant les 7 ou 8 Années qui ant prêcedè celle de 1775; & fur les Moyens qui pourroient dimimer ces calamites.-An Effay on the Caufe of the Dearth of Corn, which was experienced for the feven or eight Years preceding that of 1775; and on the Means of preventing fuch calamities for the future. By M. de Sauffure. 12mo Geneva.

The principal means advised by M. de Sauffure, to prevent the bad effects of fevere froft in Northern countries, is to fow feed, procured from warmer climates.

Traité

Traité de la Connoiffance des Hommes.-A Treatise on the knowledge of mankind, written in the year 1758, by order of the late Dauphin. 12mo. Paris.

This treatife, written by the celebrated Father Griffet, has great merit. It is divided into three parts: in the first of which the author treats of the knowledge of men in general. In the fecond he confiders the difference between individuals, in regard to their mental qualities: and in the third with refpect to the qualities of the heart.-The most interefting paffage, in the first part of this ingenious tract, is that in which the author points out four general methods of coming at the knowledge of men, viz. By converfation with them: By comparing them with thofe of paft ages: By comparing them with each other; and by confulting those who have had opportunities of knowing them well.-Among a number of fenfible and juft reflections contained in the other parts of this treatise, we meet with a reflection, that we do not think altogether well-founded. "Il eft très rare," fays this writer, " de trouver les qualités du cœur unies à celles de l'efprit. Karement les hommes d'une mérite fupérieur font-ils verteux."-It is very rare to find the good qualities of the heart and those of the head united. It is feldom that men of fuperior genius are virtuous We look upon this reflection, we fay, as not only injurious to men of talents, but groundlefs. By being virtuous, father Griffet plainly means formally devout; agreeably to his own illuftration, when he tells us that Marthal de Catinat was no longer employed in the command of the army because he was faid to have no religion. "Il fçait fon métier (faid Madam de Maintenon) mais il ne connoit pas Dieu." Father Griffet, however, very fenfibly obferves that fhe fhould have been answered thus. S'il ne connoît pas Dieu, il faut le plaindre, et puifqu'il fçait fon métier, il faut l'employer."-He fhould have proceeded alfo to do the fame juftice to men of ingenuity, in their moral character, as well as to that of men of devotion. "Les maximes de la religion," fays he, "n'etouffent pas le germes des vertus fociales; quoiqu'en difent Bayle et fes partifans." Without taking part with Bayle or his partifans, we may affirm alo, in the fame manner, that ingenuity and science are no more destructive to focial virtue, than are the tenets or practice of religion.

Hiftoire