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IV. Nouveau contes Turcs et Arabes, &c. i. e. New Turkish and Arabian Tales, to which is prefixed a Chronological Abridgment of the Ottoman Houfe, and of the Government of Egypt; to which are added feveral Pieces of Poetry and Profe, tranflated from the Arabic and from the Turkish Languages. By M. DIGEON, King's Interpreter, and Correfpondent Member of the Academy of Infcriptions and Belles Lettres. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris. 1781. This work is not unworthy of curiofity. The hiftory of the Ottoman empire, in that branch of it which regards the government of Egypt (efpecially fince the conqueft of that kingdom by the emperor Selim, about the commencement of the 14th century), is little known, and has only appeared in the Arabick manufcript of which of M. DIGEON gives here the tranflation. It' may be alleged, that the curiofity of Europeans cannot be much interested in the events of this turbulent and unhappy country, which carries all the marks of impotent tyranny exercised at a distance, and of deplorable contests between its fubordinate, though immediate chiefs, whofe annals contain a dry lift of the uniform barbarities and extortions of a series of ftupid Bafhaws, and in which every fpark of literature and fcience has been totally extinguifhed many ages fince. However true this may be in general, it admits of reftrictions. As the work before us is the exact and faithful tranflation of a Mahometan author, it cannot be an object totally indifferent to such as have a tafte for oriental literature. Befides, it is not deftitute of curious anecdotes, not elsewhere to be met with, relative to the birth of Selim, the death of Bajazet, and other points of Turkish and Egyptian hiftory. It is a capital omiffion in M. DIGEON, to have left us in the dark with respect to the name, rank, and time of the Author of the work before us. He feems to have been a fenfible and knowing man, and lefs chargeable with blind credulity and exceffive exaggeration, than the generality of the Arabian and Turkish hiftorians; but not, however, beyond all reproach on thefe heads. He gives us, for example, a defcription of Conftantinople, that was compofed by Zecheria Effendi about the beginning of the 16th century, in which the number of the ftreets, mofquèes, fchools, convents, baths, &c. of that city must be greatly exaggerated; and yet he adds, that this number was doubled in later times. Amazing this, indeed, fince Zecheria counted in Conftantinople 3980 ftreets inhabited by Turks, 4900 by Chriftians, and as many by the Jews, above 5000 Mofquées great and small, with other wonders of equal magnitude.

V. Hiftoire de la Chirurgerie depuis fon Origine jufqu'à nos jours. i. e. The Hiftory of Surgery from its Origin to our Times. By M. PEYRILHE, M. D. Royal Profeffor of Chymiftry in the College of Surgery at Paris, Counfellor of the Royal Academy of

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Surgery,

Surgery, &c. vol. II. 900 pages. Paris. 1781. This work was undertaken fome years ago by M. DUJARDIN, who died prematurely, juft after the publication of the first volume. M. PEYRILHE was every way worthy to fucceed him, as appears by the volume now before us. This important work is defigned to mark all the fteps which Surgery has made, whether they led to, or went afide from, its true perfection; to fhew in what periods, and by what incidents, or perfons, its progrefs was retarded or accelerated; to exhibit the original difcoveries, and the peculiar views of each author; together with the most remarkable inductions, either from his own principles, or from thofe of his predeceffors; to arrange the various inventions and discoveries in a Chronological order, and point out the places where they are to be found; to fhew how one difcovery produced others, and to ascertain their true authors, the time when they lived, the places of their nativity and refidence, the more particular circumftances of their lives, their characters, &c. With the hiftory of the Art, this learned Author gives us that of the Profeffion;-and this is a part of the work, that will render it interesting, not only to practitioners in furgery in particular, but to men of letters in general. We fee here, what rank furgery held among the other arts in every period; the degree of esteem to thofe who practifed it, and the perfonal merit of those who contributed to its improvement.

VI. Difcours Public fur les Langues, &c. i. e. A Difcourfe concerning Languages in general, and the French Language in particular, accompanied with inftructive Notes. By M. DE VILLENCOUR, Profeffor of the French Language. Paris. 1781. This dif course discovers tafte, erudition, and a philofophical fpirit. it was delivered in public, the tone is of the declamatory kind; the Author fhews his eloquence, as well as his learning. The notes are really inftructive.'

I TA L Y.

As

VII. Storia Antica del Meffico, &c. i. e. The ancient Hiftory of Mexico, drawn from the best Spanish Hiftorians, from Manufcripts and ancient Indian Paintings, divided into ten Books, and enriched with Maps, Cuts, and Differtations. By the Abbé Don FRANCISCO XAVIER CLAVIGERO. 4to. Cefæna. 1780. The Europeans know little of the interior of Mexico; the accounts given of that country by travellers are difcordant, in confequence of their ignorance of the language and manners of the people they defcribe, and their unacquaintance with a prodigious number of memoirs and relations, that throw light upon the hiftory of that famous country. If ever a writer was qualified, by a combination of advantageous circumftances, for compofing a hiftory of Mexico, it is certainly the Abbé CLAVIGERO. For he has not only perufed, as it feems, with care, all

the

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the writers who make mention of this great empire, but he was born in the country, is mafter of its language, and has vifited all those parts of it, which the Spanish Government has rendered inacceffible to the curiofity of travellers. Nor did he. pay them only a tranfitory vifit; for he fpent above thirty years in obferving, with the eye of a philofopher, all the parts of this extenfive region, and in procuring from the natives exact information with respect to every object of any confequence; fo that he may be almost confidered as an ocular witness of what he relates. If to thefe uncommon advantages, the laborious and learned Author has joined that critical acumen, fo neceffary to appreciate the fources of information, to difcufs dubious facts,. to combine scattered fragments, and to separate truth from fable,' and has crowned all by that bold candour, which fuppreffes' every thing that is falfe, and difguifes or conceals no important truth, his work must be an ineftimable prefent to the republic of letters. Such it is efteemed by good judges, who attribute to him largely all these qualities.

The work is comprifed in three quarto volumes, which are to be followed by a fourth, containing Differtations on several points of the history of Mexico. The firft and fecond volumes have already appeared, and we shall here give a fummary of their principal contents.

The first is divided into five books. Book I. contains the' geography of Mexico, a defcription of its lakes, rivers, minerals, plants, and animals, and a particular account of the manners of its inhabitants. The fecond informs us of the different colonies or nations which paffed into that country from the northern parts of America, and dwelt in it, before it was inhabited by the Mexicans; of the arrival of thefe latter, and their first fettlements; and of the founding of Mexico and Tlatelulco. In the third, our Author treats of the origin of the Mexican mo: narchy, of its ftate under its four firft kings, of the conquefts made by these princes, of the illuftrious exploits of Montezuma Ilkuicamina, and of the revolutions of the kingdom of Alcolkualcan. The fourth book contains an account of the restoration of the royal family to the throne of Alcolkualcan, of the establishment of the kingdom of Tucuba, of the triple alliance between the kings of Mexico, Alcolkualcan and Tucuba, of the victories obtained by the Mexicans under Montezuma I. and Axajacat, of the conqueft of Tlatelulco, and other remarkable events, as far down as Montezuma II. the ninth king of Mexico. In the fifth book, the Author gives an ample account of the life of this unhappy monarch till the year 1519, of his government, of the magnificence of his palaces and gardens, of the famous war with the Tlafcalans, and other memorable events. In the courfe of this hiftory many noble exploits are

related,

related, and many fhining and heroic characters appear on the fcene.

The fecond volume is divided into two books. In the first, we have an account of the religion of the Mexicans, of their gods, and of their worship, which, with all its abfurdities, is ftill lefs fuperftitious than the religious inftitutions of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Author treats alfo, in this book, of the chronology of the Mexicans, of their kalendar, feftivals, and the ceremonies used at the birth of their children, their marrie ages, and funerals. The fecond book exhibits an account of the civil and military government of the Mexicans, of their police, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and commerce; of their fports, diet, and manner of living; of their language, poetry, mufic, and dances; and of their knowlege in hiftory, painting, fculpture, architecture, and other ufeful or pleafing arts. There is a great abundance and variety of matter in this voJume, which opens fome new fources of evidence, that may contribute to decide the long depending controverfy concerning the ftate and progrefs of civilization and arts in Mexico. Dr. ROBERTSON's cftimate of this matter is beyond all praife. It is the most masterly difcuffion we remember to have met with in any hiftory. It however leaves the mind in a state of scepticifm and fufpence or rather by rules of criticism, as folid and philofophical as they are acute and ingenious, it infpires a diffidence in the fplendid relations which the Spanish writers have given of the progrefs and perfection of the arts among the Mexicans. Thefe relations are fupported and augmented by new materials in the work now before us; the reader muft judge of what moment these materials are in the decifion of this nice controverly.

VIII. Atti, &c. i. e. Tranfactions of the Academy of Sciences at Sienna. Vol. VI. 4to. 359 pag. with cuts. Sienna. 1781. This academical collection is worthy not only to claim, but to command the attention of the learned. It is fufficient to obferve, that the celebrated names of Frifi, Ximenes, and Fontana, appear often prefixed to its Memoirs, and that a confiderable number of other learned Italians enrich it with their valuable labours. Of the 13 pieces contained in this volume, three are written in Latin, and ten in Italian.

IX. Del Fondamento, &c. i. e. A Differtation on the Foundation of the Right of Punishing. By J. B. G. Count D'ARCO, Chamberlain to his Imperial Majefty, and Member of the Inftitute of Bologna, and of the Royal Academies of Mantua, Bourdeaux, &c. 8vo. Cremona. 1781. This production is worthy of its Author, whofe nobility is dignified by eminent virtues, and a very high degree of literary merit. It was read, fome years ago, at a public Meeting of the Royal

Academy

Academy of Sciences and Belles-Lettres of Mantua; and though it contains nothing that will appear new to those who are acquainted with the moral and political writers of our island, and particularly with the excellent Treatife of Sir WILLIAM EDEN on penal laws, it neverthelefs does juftice to the reputation of its Author. The principles, on which he treats this important fubject, are juft and philofophical; and his critical reflexions on the famous treatife of the Marquis of BECCARIA are folid and judicious.

X. Lettere Capricciofe di Francifco Albergati Capacelli, &c. i. e. Mifcellaneous Letters (for they are too fenfible and judicious to deferve the name of capricious or whimfical, which are annexed to them in this title) between FRANCISCO ALBERGATI CAPACELLI and FRANCISCO ZACCHIROLI, published by themselves. 8vo. 276 pages. Venice. 1780. The Abbé ZACCHIROLI, and his Correfpondent the Marquis, are two very agreeable, humane, and judicious managers of the epiftolary pen; and we are very angry at the greyhound or maftiff, who was devouring a bundle of thefe letters in one room, while their Authors were deliberating about the publication in another. However, a remnant was faved from the jaws of the four-footed Vandal, and it contains 28 letters, which the lovers of Italian literature will read with pleafure. They come from two men of eminence in the republic of literature, and the subjects of the correfpondence are treated with amenity, judgment, wit, facility, and fentiment. Thefe fubjects are, the theatre, travelling, cicifbeifm, inoculation, ftudy, the contempt of calumny, criminal jurifprudence, imprudence, fentiment, morality, the various opinions concerning the fouls of brutes, cynicism, education, ancient and modern authors, &c.

GERMANY and the NORTH.

XI. Uber die Reformation. Concerning the Reformation. Volume I. 8vo. Berlin. 1780. This very thick volume is folid and extensive in its materials, and contains an important part of the general hiftory of the reformation in Europe. We find here judicious obfervations on the political fyftem of Europe. at the first dawn of the reformation, alfo an account of the ftate of learning, of ecclefiaftical government, and of religious tenets and rites before the reformation. The characters of Luther, Zuinglius, and Calvin, are examined and delineated; and the commencement of the reformation in England, Switzerland, and Germany, is accurately related. The most authentic fources of information feem to have been carefully confulted by this learned Author, who alfo difcovers an extenfive knowledge of the best books that have been composed on the fubject. XII. Briefe enis reifenden ueber den gegenwaertigens zustand Von Caffel, &c. Letters of a Traveller concerning the prefent State REV. Dec. 1781.

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