beautiful one; and many such, we admit, are to be found in the tales of the Thousand and One Nights. We would not, however, affix a degree of importance to these translations, which apparently is not assigned to them by the learned Professor himself;- they constituted the amusement of his leisure hours:-it was an elegant and commendable one; and we think that every man, who endeavours to transplant the beauties of foreign composition into his native idiom, is deserving of honorable mention. It was suggested to Mr. C. That, by arranging the several productions in chronological or der, and affixing a short preface to each, which should contain a few anecdotes of the author, and an account of the occasion of his composition, the whole would not only afford a specimen of the writings of the principal Arabian poets, but would form a sort of history (slight indeed and imperfect, yet to an English reader perhaps not instructive) of Arabian poetry and literature during the most splen did period of the Mahommedan empire.' This design, we think, the Professor has executed with considerable success. For the biographical part, indeed, he was furnished with ample materials; since the enthusiastic admiration of the Orientals for poetry has displayed itself in innumerable collections of anecdotes relative to the authors; the most trivial particular in the life of a poet is in Asia recorded with minute accuracy, and perused with corresponding interest; and even here the biographical portion of this publication will not, probably, be considered as the least attractive. The most antient poems contained in this compilation were written by contemporaries of the Prophet; the most modern, in the beginning of the thirteenth century. The national genius reached its highest point of elevation about the first of these periods, and, as invariably happens, fell with a declining empire. Mr. C.'s design being to give a general idea of Arabian poetry, he has admitted riddles, charades, and other specimens, the trifling nature of which would otherwise have excluded them. The originals of the whole are prefixed in a beautiful Arabic character: but we wish that more attention had been paid to the proper position of the points which discriminate the consonants, as we have remarked several inaccuracies that must prove not a little perplexing to the student. Some of the elegies are distinguished by sublimity of thought and force of expression, and the epigrams are not destitute of poignancy. To enable our readers to judge how far Mr. C. has been happy in transfusing the spirit of his originals into English verse, we present them with two specimens, selected not not merely on account of their shortness, but also for beauty of idea; to each of which we prefix a literal translation. The first consists of a single verse, composed on the disgrace of the Barmecides, so justly renowned in the East for generosity and talents. "Alas! for you, son of Barmec! for the woes which you are still doomed to suffer. With you, the world was as a bride, and since you as a mournful widow." Mr. C.'s version is as follows: Upon the Ruin of the Barmecides. 1. No, Barmec! time hath never shewn 11. Spouse of the world! thy soothing breast And now no more by thee caress'd, The widow'd world bewails her Lord.' The second is addressed to a Dove, by Seraj al Warac, "The wild dove who soothes me with her notes, like me has a dejected heart. She complains: but I suppress my secret, or only divulge it by my tears. As if Love were divided between us, and murmurs were her portion, while tears were mine." To a Dove, by Serage Alwarak. 1. The dove, to ease an aching breast, 11. Her plaints are heard in every wood, III. Sure, gentle bird, my drooping heart From these specimens, the reader may form a pretty accurate idea of the unequal merit of the learned Professor's versions. He will remark that, in the first, Mr. C. has deviated from the simple pathos which characterises the original, and, by admitting the questionable expression of "Spouse of the world," has rendered it even ludicrous;-and that the first couplet of the second specimen is prosaic, while the last expresses with happy energy the elegant idea of the Arabian poet. Ham....n. ART ART. VIII. A complete Treatise on Electricity, in Theory and Practice. By Tiberius Cavallo, F. R.S. In Three Volumes. Vol. III. Containing the Discoveries and Improvements made since the Third Edition. 8vo. pp. 330. 5s. Boards. Dilly. 1795. S CIENCE owes its progress and diffusion not more to the happy efforts of original genius, than to the judicious industry of those authors who, from time to time, employ their talents in digesting and elucidating successive discoveries. In this useful class of philosophic labourers, Mr. Cavallo holds a distinguished rank. His treatises on popular and interesting branches of physics may be justly esteemed the best elementary works that are extant in our language. They possess every requisite of such performances; perspicuity of style, proper selection of materials, and clear arrangement. Mr. Cavallo, however, does not merely compile with judgment. He never aspires indeed to form new and comprehensive views; yet he generally improves, in some degree, the stock of valuable facts, by his own occasional experiments. As a foreigner who has chosen to live among us, he may likewise claim the gratitude of the English nation. By birth a Portuguese, he was destined to be initiated at London into a mercantile profession:-but the study of nature displayed superior charms, which seduced him from the dull routine of the accomptinghouse to the leisure of a philosophic retreat. Twenty years have elapsed since the Treatise on Electricity was first presented to the British public; and during that time, it has passed through repeated impressions. The recent discoveries in Electricity afforded large additions of curious and useful matter; and the work was successively augmented from one volume to three. On its present improved form, we may bestow our encomiums with less reserve. It is unquestionably the neatest, the clearest, and the most sensible elementary treatise to be found on this popular science; and it is excellently adapted to furnish the mind with those brilliant images. and facts, which provoke inquisitive genius to closer and more profound researches. Of the intermediate editions, we were prevented by various accidents and delays from taking particular notice in our Review but this was the less to be regretted, as, in the regular discharge of our functions, we had generally had occasion to examine the materials at their sources. The first volume was noticed in our 57th vol. p. 362. As to the second, it may be here proper only to observe that it contained an account of Volta's electrophorus, and the theory connected with it; of the electrical contigurations of Lichtenberg; of the propertics of the torpedo and other electrical fish, with their anato 7 mical structure; of Earl Stanhope's theory of the returning stroke and the illustrative facts; of the celebrated plate-electrical-machine in the Teylerian museum at Haarlem, and its astonishing performance; with other matters of smaller note. We now proceed to examine at some length the contents of the third volume, which is sold separately, to complete the 3d edition of the preceding volumes. It consits of various distinct articles, which shall be considered in order, and with a degree of attention proportioned to their novelty or importance: 1. An Account of the Discoveries concerning musculur Motion which have been lately made, and are commonly known under the Name of Animal Electricity.-This is a candid and judicious abstract of those truly surprising facts that have been detected by Galvani, Volta, and others, with some new experiments which Mr. Cavallo has performed in conjunction with Dr. James Lind. The descriptions are rendered very intelligible by the aid of an engraving. We are only sorry that a subject so specious has rather served to amuse the physiologist than to afford much real and philosophical instruction. Its reputation was brilliant but momentary, and seems already almost quite forgotten. A noble field of inquiry certainly is opened: but that inquiry, to be successful, must be conducted in a different manner from that which has been hitherto attempted. With the general facts, our readers are already acquainted, and it would be unnecessary to resume them; we shall therefore confine ourselves to a few miscellaneous remarks. It appears that, previous to Dr. Galvani's decisive experiments, Dr. Cotugno, Professor of Anatomy at Naples, had observed, so early as March 1784, in dissecting a mouse, very evident electrical appearances, and had even felt a shock, attended with stupor and giddiness. There is a tide in discovery; and different persons engaged in similar pursuits, and led by the prevailing fashion of opinion, will often, without communication, seize on the same fact, and form the same views. The prepared limbs of a frog are thrown into convulsions during a thunder-storm. The degree of agitation is proportioned to the nearness of the stroke: but the most important circumstance is, that, at every clap of thunder, the limbs, instead of a single contraction, are affected by a sort of tremor or succession of convulsions, corresponding to the reiterated peals; which proves, as Mr. Cavallo rightly observes, that the rumbling noise of thunder is not occasioned by the prolonged echos of a single electrical explosion, but by the sound of a number of partial explosions in rapid succession., To cast some light on the theory of animal excitement produced by the application of metallic conductors, Mr. C. in troduces troduces a consideration which appears to us equally ingenious and accurate, and which we shall now lay before our readers in his own words: • When a person with a dry hand rubs a piece of paper sufficiently dry, some electricity will be produced or accumulated upon the paper. If the paper thus electrified be held by one corner, the electricity will presently disappear. This effect is easily explained, by considering the imperfect conducting and non-conducting state of the bodies concerned. The friction of the hand accumulates some electricity upon the paper; but the paper being an imperfect Conductor, cannot carry away to the other hand that holds it, all the electricity as quickly as it accumulated upon it; the friction being interrupted, the electricity is gradually dissipated. When the paper is less dry, the electricity will remain for a shorter time, or it may be conducted away as quickly as it is generated. Now, in order to apply this effect to the case of animal electricity, we must first consider, that though the whole animal is a Conductor of electricity, yet every part of it is not an equally good Conductor. Admitting then, or supposing, that in the body of the animal a quantity of electricity is produced by some cause or other to us unknown, it must follow, that this electricity must be conducted by, or expanded through, some parts much easier than through others; consequently the former will contain more of that power, than the latter. The metal, then, which is applied to form the communication between the former and the latter, being a better Conductor than either, restores the equilibrium, and thus the animal electricity itself may produce the effects of the artificial electricity.” After the excitability of the mangled animal is nearly exhausted, a very manifest diversity is perceived among the effects of different conductors. Hence our author was enabled to ascertain the series of conducting substances, which he ranges in the following order: 1. Malleable Platina. 15. Copper. Iron. 10. The Human Body. Salt Water. This catalogue is useful, however incomplete. It would be desirable likewise to determine the proportion of the conducting powers of those substances. We believe that zinc should be placed at the head of the list. Sulphuric acid was found to conduct better than water. Charcoal did not answer, except when it was actually burning. The flame of a tallow-candle placed in the circuit prevented the transmission of animal electricity-but,-which seems very extraordinary, if not altogether anomalous alcohol proved a better conductor than water. We recommend this experiment to be repeated with scrupulous attention. When the circuit is composed of several contiguous substances, the contact must be very perfect. It is frequently ne cessary, |