only marked by the initials, L. R, is the ingenious Abbé Ro BAUD. IV. The ingenious and eloquent, but too voluminous Mr. TURPIN, Author of a very bad Univerfal History, a very good Hiftory of the Prince of Condé, a tolerable History of Mahomet, and of fome other literary productions and tranflations, commendable for ftyle and compofition, has published at (Paris under the name of) London, in two vols. in 12mo. the following work: Hiftoire d'Alcoran, où l'on decouvre le Syfteme Politique, &c. i. e. A History of the Alcoran, containing_a Dif covery of the Political and Religious System of the Falfe Prophet, and the Sources from which he drew his Scheme of Legislation. Dedicated to the marquis de Miromenil.-Though we do not confider the religious and political fyftem of Mahomet as a fecret, yet we do not deny that it may be fufceptible of illustration by the difcovery of ancient records and monuments hitherto unknown; and we cannot but confider as curious and interefting, every real illuftration of an event, that has produced fuch ftriking, expenfive and permanent confequences, as the establishment of lamifm. Mr. TURPIN'S book will convey no real illuftration to the learned or even to the halflearned that they had not received before; but it will prove both entertaining and inftructive to thofe that are little acquainted with the fubject. He feems to have confulted, (or at leaft to have followed those who have confulted) a good number of the almoft innumerable volumes, that have been published concerning the religious legiflation of the Arabians. He has, among other things, taken great pains to rectify the ideas vulgarly received concerning the Koran (which he calls the Alcoran, we know not why, though we guefs) and its author, and to fhew, that it was not in giving countenance to fenfuality and licentioufnefs, that this falfe prophet gained fuch an amazing afcendant over the minds of men, but on the contrary, by exhibiting, in his external conduct, an afpect of aufterity-by prefcribing pains and mortifications to his followers, as the means of calming the tumults of appetite and fenfe, and by expofing them to the obligations of a painful circumcifion, to fatiguing pilgrimages through burning fands, and to multiplied ablutions, as the outward marks of internal purity. Mr. TURPIN has allowed himself the liberty of making fe veral digreffions from the thread of his hiftory, which amuse the reader, and, after having given a pretty accurate account of the fundamental principles of Islamism, and described the articles of circumcifion, prayer, fafting, pilgrimages, marriage and divorce, eunuchs, polygamy, conjugal cloisters, and the other fubjects, which are treated in the Koran, he concludes his hif Nn 2 tory tory by paffing in review the natural and moral caufes, which gave weight and credit to the legislation of Mahomet.-This work may be confidered as a supplement to the author's history of that impoftor. V. There is a laudable intention and a fund of obfervation and good fenfe vifible in the following treatife: De l'Esprit du Gouvernement Economique par M. BOESNIER DE L'ORME, à Paris chez Debure.-The French call Gouvernement Economique all that part of the internal adminiftration of a country that relates to police, agriculture, arts, manufactures, commerce, credit, finances, national revenue and riches, public loans, &c. and thefe different fubjects are treated here, in a fingle volume, with perfpicuity and precifion. VI. Les Oeuvres de M. de Saint Marc, &c. The works of Mr. de St. Mark, in one volume, large 8vo. adorned with cuts and the author's portrait, and printed by Manory at Paris, form an elegant collection of poetical compofitions that are full of delicacy, fentiment, and grace, difcover a tafte for the beautiful and the decent, and breathe a fpirit of amorous fenfibility, unpolluted with the varnished turpitude of French gallantry. This collection confifts of epiftles, anacreontic_odes, tales, the lyric tragedy of Adele de Ponthieu, paftorals, and the difcourfe delivered by the Author at his reception in the academy of Bourdeaux. His firft epifle, the fubject of which is chivalry, recalls to the remembrance of his countrymen, the noble, frank, and virtuous manners that diftinguished ancient knighthood, when patriotifm, and an ardent, but pure attachment to the Fair, enlivened their tournaments, and animated their military exploits; when virtue was the principal charm of the fex, and when without it beauty loft all its power on the noble and the brave. This portraiture of ancient manners will prove, it is to be feared, but a ufelefs fatire on modern French love, which is too generally fpeaking, composed of feduction, inconftancy, and fenfuality. All the other pieces of this collection have confiderable merit. VII. The excellent Dictionary of Natural Hiftory, published at Paris by Mr. Valmont de Bonmarre, and which has paffed through feveral editions with univerfal applause, has encouraged the Abbé FAVART D'HERBIGNY to complete a branch that has hitherto been more or lefs defective in almost every work of this kind, we mean, that part of the animal world which comprehends the teftaceous kind, or fhell-fish and shells in general. It is well known, what a confiderable progress the fcience of conchyliology has made, from the days of Pliny down to the prefent period; and the multitude of fhells that have been discovered in the eastern and western feas, on various coafts, and even in inland countries, has furnished rich materials materials for the attention of the naturalifts in ranging, diftin- work has been communicated in MSS. to Meflis. Guetard, VIII. Though the following publication contains but a fmall number of pages, yet its contents are too interefting to juftify our paffing over it in filence. Its title is Remede Eprouvé pour guerir radicalement le Cancer occulte manifefte ou ulceré, &c. i. e. A Remedy for Cancers, whether concealed or external, whofe Efficacy has been ascertained by _Experience, by Meffire G. R. le Febure de Saint Ild. ***. Paris. Printed by Lambert, rue. de la Harpe, 1775. The Author of this remedy, or at least of this pamphlet, has made a great variety of chymical experiments with a view to difcover the nature of the cancer. Among others having examined the ichor or matter that flows from the open cancer in the cases of two patients, he found that the matter of the one gave a red hue to the fyrup of violets, and that of the other a green to the fame fyrup; from whence he concludes that the examination of the virus that accompanies certain diforders is not always a fure direction with refpect to the choice of remedies. Be that as it may, his remedy for the cancer is arfenic, and that taken inwardly. This is, at leaft, one devil driving out another. However, M. LE FEBURE pretends to modify the ferocity of this medical demon with as much fuccefs as Van-Swieten has tempered the corrofive-fublimate, and Stork the deadly influence of hem, lock. Befides, our Author is not the first phyfician who has given arfenic as an internal remedy: Jacobi administered it in all fevers, and more especially in intermitting ones; and Pitcairn, Zacutus Lufitanus, and feveral other celebrated practi tioners have employed it in the dyfentery. He is, indeed, the first, who has used it internally in the cure of cancers; for though Fallopius, Penot, Theodoric, Valefcus, and others made ufe of it as a topical application to cancerous ulcers, yet they only employed it as a cauftic and frequently mixed it with corrofive-fublimate, M. LE FEBURE therefore, in his method, has, at least, the merit of originality and invention, fince it is to the specific virtue of arfenic that he attributes the cure of the cancer. He does not, indeed, tell us what property of this mineral it is, that produces fuch a falutary effect, and he even thinks, that it is beyond the reach of the human understanding, generally speaking, to explain the action or operation of fpecifics, properly fo called and as to his conjectures, on this head, he defigns to withhold them, until the efficacy of his remedy be afcertained by a ftill greater number of experiments than have yet been made. IX. Mr. GOULIN continues, with fuccefs, his ancient and modern History of Phyfic and Phyficians, of which two sheets are published every fortnight in 4to. under the following title: Memoires Litteraires, Critiques, Philofopbiques, Biographiques, Bibliographiques, pour fervir à l'Hifcire ancienne & moderne de la Medecine, à Paris chez Pire & Baftien Libraires. M. GOULIN has been employed 15 years in preparing materials for this curious and important work, in which the phyfician will find an interefting account of his predeceffors in the art of healing, of the tranfactions of their lives, the fuccefs of their practice, the honours they received, the discoveries they made, and the works they compofed. X. Mr. TURPIN (ecce iterum Crifpinus!) has affumed the character of the French Plutarch, in the following work, which may be confidered as a monument raised to the glory of the illuftrious men that have fhone in the French annals: La France illuftre ou le Plutarque Francois; contenant l'Histoire des Generaux des Miniftres & des Magiftrats, par M. TURPIN, vol. in 8vo. à Paris, chez Lacombe. This work is to be published in numbers, monthly; each number will be adorned with the portrait of the perfon, whofe history it contains, and a thirteenth number will be annually published (and given gratis to fubfcribers) comprehending an account of the learned men and artists, who were contemporary with the heroes or statesmen, whose history has occupied the twelve numbers or the year preceding. We know not why Mr. TURPIN begins his work with the great men men that adorned the reign of Lewis XV. unlefs he be fond of writing backward, or apprehenfive that the modern worthies would appear only like pigmies to the view of the Reader, whofe imagination had been fwelling and glowing with the admiration excited by the Bourbons, the Montmorencies, the Bayards, the Colignis, &c. He had a mind to place the moderns firft, that they might draw fome attention before the mind was occupied by nobler objects. But this is not all: for we find a fort of a bull committed, at the entrance of this work, as the first French hero exhibited to view is a Saxon, even the famous Marfhal DE SAXE, who revered, feared, and reputed the British legions at Fontenoy. Our Author perceived the incongruity of Frenchifying this hardy, nervous, brawny, valiant, and victorious German, and not willing to own that the fterility of the period at home fet him on recruiting abroad, he excufes himfelf in the following manner: Though Maurice Count de Saxe was born in a foreign country, yet France which HE ADOPTED (this rather makes France a Saxon lady, than Maurice a Frenchman, the adoption coming from the wrong fide makes another bull) yet France, which he adopted and rendered victorious has a right to infcribe his name in her annals, and to count him among ber heroes! -The country of a great man is that region which has been the theatre of his glory." This is a new fcheme of patriotic genealogy. However that may be, the life of Marfhal Saxe is written in a manner that gives a promifing profpect with respect to the merit of the work in general. The anecdotes are interesting, the reflexions often pertinent, and feldom trivial, and the style is animated and elegant. Mr. Turpin feems, really, to have imbibed fome of the best parts of the fpirit of Plutarch, his model. The fubfcribers to this work pay yearly 30 livres (about one pound and a half English) for the thirteen numbers. XI. Annales du Regne de Marie Therefe, Imperatrice Douariére, Reine de Hongrie & de Boheme, &c. par M. FROMAGEOT, Prieur Commendataire, &c. in 4to and 8vo. This is one of those tinfel productions, of whofe demerit it is the duty of a Reviewer to inform the too credulous and unwary reader. The French journalists have celebrated this infipid, frothy, mass of adulation, which is fet down before the Queen, to whom it is dedicated, and which nothing but filial affection can hinder from turning her Majefty's ftomach. XII. We mentioned in our laft Review the important work of that celebrated botanist and naturalift, Mr. BuсHOZ. The copper-plates relative to that Work are published quarterly. Each number contains hitherto 24 fheets. The fecond number is now before us, and is entirely taken up with Chinese plants; of which the greateft part are, as yet, unknown in Europe. One of thofe favourable circumftances, that rarely Nn 4 happen, |