whofe honour they were ftruck, and the events which gave occafion to them.

BERLIN.

X. The king's printer, Decker, has published lately a small, but fingular pamphlet of 53 pages, entitled Confiderations fur l'Etude de la Jurifprudence, i. e. Confiderations upon the Study of Jurifprudence: or, the Science of Natural Law. By ABRAHAM PERRENOT. We fuppofe, from the dedication, that Mr. PERRENOT lives at Berlin, and is pretty much under the influence of hope or fear; for if this were not the cafe, it is fcarcely conceivable, how a production that has Natural law, Humanity, and Reason, for its objects, could be placed with any propriety under the protection of a patron, who is characterized in a Latin dedication of five or fix words, as the victorious Alumnus of MARS and APOLLO, the former of whom teaches to cut throats, and the latter to play upon the flute.-As to the pamphlet itself, it does not feem to be the production of a man of mean abilities; on the contrary, it discovers, in many places, penetration, wit, and erudition; and yet it is one of those productions, which even an attentive reader totally forgets the very moment he has done perufing it. The want of connexion, which is defigned to give an air of ease to the piece, at the expence of the lucidus ordo,—the affectation of an uncommon phrafeology which feems intended to give an aspect of novelty to objects that are not new-a variety of thoughts that are fo dreffed up that we are at a lofs to know whether they are new or old-principles that are fo vague that we know not whether to pronounce them true or falfe, conclufions drawn from them, that are as uncertain as their fource,-ingenious digreffions that difperfe attention, a number of metaphorical expreffions that dazzle, but do not enlighten, all these concur to render the piece before us obfcure and unfatisfactory. Nevertheless there are several acute things, and fome interesting points of view prefented to us in this pamphlet. The Author's principle of Natural law is the love of order and humanity.-He fuppofes phyfical order to be the rule of moral, and yet afferts, that the will of a Superior is the only fource of moral obligation and fo he goes on.

MANHEIM.

M.

XI. The doctrine that the feveral claffes of beings rife in a regular gradation or fcale, has received much confirmation from modern difcoveries in natural history. From these it is manifeft that there is a nearer affinity between the several kingdoms into which the natural world has been divided, than fuperficial obfervers are aware of. But fome modern naturalifts, not fatisfied with acknowledging this general affinity, have proceeded fo far as to maintain, that it is impoffible to lay

down any characteristic distinctions between the animal and vegetable world, and that those characters by which they have hitherto been diftinguifhed are in reality common to both. This opinion is fupported with great ingenuity, and by a curious detail of facts, in a work juft published at Manheim, by Fof. de Necker, entitled, Phyfiologia Mufcorum. The Author is fo fully perfuaded of the truth of his fyftem, that he does not hefitate to affert, that if his readers will examine attentively and without prejudice the facts which he has collected, they will agree with him in the opinion, that there is in nature only one general kingdom. In fupport of this doctrine, the Author first compares the manner in which mofles, and fundry other vegetable productions are propagated, with the mode of generation in the polypus, and fome other animals, in order to fhew that in each the fpecies is propagated in a fimilar manner, without the aid of fexual organs. He then examines the structure. of moffes and fome other plants, and the organization of the polypus, and of feveral kinds of worms and other animals, and points out a wonderful fimilarity in their formation, and their powers of reproduction: after which he proceeds to fhew the resemblance between these vegetable and animal bodies, with respect to the manner in which their growth and nutrition are conducted. He next maintains, that many bodies, animal as well as vegetable, are without fexual organs or powers. And laftly, he enters into a farther comparison of the properties and powers of various animal and vegetable bodies; the refult of which is, that neither form, organization, loco motion, irritability, fenfation, nor any other known properties, can furnish a characteristic diftinction between the animal and vegetable world. On the whole, the work abounds with curious facts, and ingenious obfervations; which, if they do not fully eftablish the Writer's opinion, at leaft give it the appearance of probability, and will afford much entertainment to those who study nature with a true philofophical fpirit of inquiry.

HOLLAND.

LEYDEN.

E.

XII. A Review of L'Hiftoire Philofophique et Politique des Etabliffemens du Commerce des Europeans dans les deux Indes, under the title of Analyfe de L'Histoire, &c. has lately appeared at Leyden. It is a malignant but feeble attack upon a work which has defervedly engaged the public attention. Notwithftanding the uncommon traits of genius, good fenfe, extenfive knowledge, and a manly philofophic fpirit which this work dif covered, the Author ventured too far out of the beaten track, to be fecure from the calumny of those who look upon herefy as the most heinous crime a man can commit. The Analyft,

See APP. to Rav. vol. xlvi. p. 633.

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highly offended at the liberties which his Author had taken with cftablished fyftems of religion and policy (liberties which we do not mean entirely to juftify) fits down with a full determination to reprefent the work as nothing better than a compofition of blunders and contradictions, herefies and blafphemies. It would be a task equally tirefome to ourselves and our Readers, to enter into a particular detail of the accufations which are here brought against this generally admired work. We think it fufficient to remark that, from the perufal of this Analysis, we have only learned that genius and philofophy cannot ablolutely fecure a writer from falling into miftakes, or preferve him from the influence of prejudice and falfe judgment; and that a bigotted and flavish attachment to any fyftem, political or religious, blinds the understanding, corrupts the taste, and depraves the heart..

E. XII. The commencement of the third century or fecular year of the UNIVERSITY of Leyden, was celebrated, with great folemnity, in the month of February laft; and, upon that occafion, the fages of the Lyceum and the votaries of the mufes felt all that infpiration, which the joint influence of the love of liberty and the love of letters could excite in ingenuous minds. Accordingly, the annual academical rector or chief magistrate, who was to refign his place to a fucceffor (on the 8th of February), turned the difcourfe, which is ufually delivered on this occafion, towards the folemnity of the day; and this magiftrate happened to be the very learned and illuftrious Profeffor GAUBIUS, whose name has long appeared, and will always continue to appear, with diftinction, in the annals of medicine, literature, and philofophy. The Panegyrical Oration, he delivered upon this literary festival, to a moft numerous and fplendid audience, with the Serene Prince Stadtholder of the United Provinces at its head, has been lately publifhed, and the subject of it is, The admirable difplay of a Divine Providence in the origin, prefervation, and progreffive luftre of the University of Leyden. This excellent Difcourfe (of which we fhall here give fome account) was applauded, and continues to be read with fingular pleasure by all ranks and orders of men. The Rhetoricians pronounce it eloquent; the Latin critics acknowledge it claffical; the philofophers efteem it a mafter-piece of philofophical hiftory, the courtiers find it infinuating without meanness, and the Belgic divines declare it not only pious, but even orthodox.-The title of the piece is as follows: HIERON DAVID GAUBII Oratio Pans gyrica in Aufpicium Sæculi Tertii Academiæ Batavæ quæ Leida eft, Autoritate Publica Die VIII Februarii 1775, in æde D. Petri Recitate cum Magiftratu Academico tertium abiret. Folio.

In the fame volume with this Oration, we find a very elegant poem or CARMEN SECULARE, which was recited to the fame audience, and upon the fame occafion, by a two-fold fon of Apollo,

(if we may use that expreffion) the Profeffor ADRIAN VAN ROYEN; who has, during a long courfe of years, filled the medical and botanical chairs in the univerfity of Leyden with an high and deferved reputation, and has often twined round them poetical laurels of a lively, permanent, and delightful verdure.

These two pieces, befide the natural effect of their uncommon merit, are interefting and affecting, from this confideration, that the ORATOR and the POET are advanced in years, and have upon this occafion both refigned their academical dignities; fo that we contemplate them, with a fort of fenfibility, as two old fwans finging their melodious exit upon the banks of the Belgic Meander. At the end of the Oration and the Poem, a bird of a different clafs comes in (a defcendant of those that once faved the capitol) and cackles a few Latin verfes (twelve in number) which we will pafs over in filence.

The Oration of Profeffor GAUBIUS Contains an hiftorical view of the rife and progrefs of the Univerfity of Leyden, which is interefting in the highest degree, deferves to be made known whereever learning and philofophy are cultivated, and is compofed with a truly masterly hand. After a lively description of the deplorable state of fervitude and fuperftition, under which the United Provinces groaned in the iron age of Spanish tyranny, and the incredible ftruggles and efforts it coft them to recover their liberty, he asks, with reafon, the following question: Was this period of tumult, confufion, and despair, a time for forming the plan of a feminary for Philofophy and Letters? He answers this question in the negative; maintains that human wisdom could never have formed the idea of fuch a project at fuch a period, and from hence he is led to attribute the attempt to the fuggeftion and interpofition of a miraculous Providence. This, however, is ftraining the point rather too far even for a Chriftian philofopher. The fact is, no doubt, furprising; nay more, it is aftonishing. A civil war raging in the very heart of the republic-the moft powerful monarch in Europe directing all the thunder of his arms and vengeance to the destruction of this little diftrict-an exhausted treasury-fcenes of carnage, rapine, and defolation-divided counfels, and contradictory interefts, producing all the difmal effects of anarchy-all thefe were, certainly, moft difcouraging, and, in appearance, unfurmountable obftacles to the establishment of a feat of learning. Such establishments are, generall fpeaking, the fruit of leifure and tranquillity, and there is nothing that the Mufes abhor more than the din of arms, and the barbarous tumults of war. But if we call fupernatural, every thing which is furprifing, we may extend too far the fphere of miracles, and it is only by granting a proper indulgence to the effufions of a pious

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and patriotic eloquence, that we can juftify this conclufion of the refpectable Profeffor. We could wish, however, that he had given to his pious conclufion, lefs the air of a doctrine or a tenet; because, in this form, it ftands more exposed to the chicane of infidels.

After having thus defcribed the amazing fpirit, that laid the foundations of this famous Univerfity, the learned Profeffor confiders the human and visible means that contributed to increase its luftre and to extend its reputation. WILLIAM I. (whofe projects and exploits look as like miracles as things can look, that are not fuch) was one of the zealous protectors of the Infant-university, and took care to provide it with learned and ingenious men from all quarters: and though the tribunal of the Inquifition, the erection of rival univerfities at Louvain and Doway, fanguinary edicts, and many other impediments oppofed the growth of this feminary of learning, yet it grew and flourished even from its birth. The Orator relates, and relates in a very pathetic manner, the various fates of the republic, that threatened the Univerfity during the first hundred years of its exiftence, fuch as the inaufpicious government of the earl of Leicester, the theological war between the Gomarifts and Armiians, and the lawlefs and perfidious invafion of the French in the year 1672.

The fecond century of the Univerfity prefents a new and more profperous face of things. It arrives at full maturity: it is frequented by the flower of the European nobility: its academical honours, efpecially in certain branches, are objects of ambition in all countries: the ftudious youth from other seminaries repair thither to finish their education: and though, in procefs of time, the erection of academies in other countries, the edicts of fovereigns in favour of their national schools, and feveral other circumftances diminish the number of ftudents at Leyden, yet its renown has ftill fubfifted, and ftill remains.

The caufes that contributed to its luftre and renown, are pointed out with truth and judgment by our venerable Orator. We shall not dwell upon thofe that are only of an accidental and fubordinate nature, fuch as the magnificent library so often augmented by noble donations, the botanical garden, and the chemical laboratory, which are perfect in their kinds, the exquifite anatomical preparations of Ravius and Albinus (which exceed any thing that Europe can exhibit in that way) the precious collection of antiquities, the admirable apparatus of inftruments relative to experimental philofophy in all its branches, and the curious cabinet of natural hiftory: all thefe, though highly ornamental, would (as our Profeffor obferves) be little better than a lifeless body, if they were not (as it were) animated by the vivifying fpirit of philofophy and genius, in thofe

whe