as an upright and fagacious judge, will not be affected by any effufion of private difappointment, The queftion of the effect of perjury is, however, momentous to a high degree.

ART. 54. An Account of the Difcovery of the Body of King John, in the Cath dral Church of Worcester, July 17, 1797, from authentic Communications; with Illuftrations and Remarks, by Valentine Green, F. S. A. Author of the Hiftory and Antiquities of the City and Suburbs of Worcester. 410. 2s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

Antiquaries had formerly differed in opinion with respect to the precife place of this monarch's interment; fome averring it to have been within the choir, near the place on which the tomb ftands; others, that the royal body remained within the tomb itfelf. The remains were found in a ftone coffin, laid upon, not buried in or under, the pavement of the choir. Mr. Green has given a minute detail of the circumftances in which the body was found, with a drawing of the body, as it appeared on opening the tomb.

ART. 55. A Tour through the Island of Man, in 1797 and 1798; comprifing Sketches of its Ancient and Modern Hiftory, Conftitution, Laws, Commerce, Agriculture, Fibery, &c. including whatever is remarkable in each Parish; its Population, Infcriptions, Regifters, &c. By John Feltham. Embellished by a Map of the Island, and other Plates. 8vo. 75. Dilly. 1798.

This title-page is of great promife, but it will be found, on examination of the book, not to promife more than is performed. This is the most circumftantial and fatisfactory account of the Isle of Man that we at least have seen, and will be equally acceptable to the antiquary, and convenient to the traveller. The plates are few, and of no great importance, the contents also of the book would have justified a better map.

ART. 56. An Authentic Narrative of the Mutiny on Board the Ship Lady Shore; with Particulars of a Journey through Part of Brazil, in a Letter, dated Rio Janeiro, January 18, 1798, to the Rev. John Black, Woodbridge, from Mr. John Black, one of the furviving Officers of the Ship. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Robinfons. 1798.

We have had, unfortunately of late years, too many of these narratives of incidents fo highly difgraceful, while they prevailed, to the British navy. This from Mr. Black is plain, fimple, and complete, and highly honourable to the Portuguese nation, who received and entertained our countrymen with the kindest hofpitality.

ART. 57. The Sparrow. 12mo. 25. Newbery. 1798.

This agreeable book for children, was written by the fame author who was commended in a late British Critic, for his publication called "Keeper's Travels." The object of this is to difcourage, in children, all propenfity to cruel treatment of animals,

FOREIGN

FOREIGN CATALOGUE.

FRANCE.

ART. 58. Oeuvres chirurgicales de- P. J. Default, chirurgien en chef du grand hofpice d'Humanité, ci-devant Hôtel Dieu de Paris, ou Tableau de fa doctrine et de fa pratique dans le traitement des maladies externes, ouvrage publié par Xavier Bichat, fon élève. z Voll. in 8vo. with a portrait of the author, and plates, reprefenting different bandages or inftruments of his invention. Paris, price 12 liv.

This work is divided into two parts; the firft, dedicated to the ma Jadies of the bones, treats of fractures and luxations, on which nothing of importance had appeared in this language fince Petit; the fecond has for its object the maladies of the foft parts. Both of them prefent an accurate account of the improvements for which the art is indebted to Default, which is but imperfectly given in his Journal of Surgery. Efpr. des Journ.

ART. 59. Soirées littéraires. Tome 8, complétant la 2o. année. Ce volume contient les Olympiques de Pindare; des extraits biogra phiques fur Jean de Hautefelve, P. Bizare, Ant. Thylefius, Guil. Sal du Bartas, Et. Tabourot, Henri du Puis, Robert Keuchénius, J. F. Sarazin, Roch Honner, Rapin, Em. du Trefor, &c. &c. &c. avec plu 'fieurs morceaux fur différens genres de literature, par le C. Coupe, rédacteur. Paris.

The Soirées litteraires are continued on the fame plan, and with the fame felection of biographical refearches. The 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th volumes will form the third year.

Ibid.

ART. 60. Sur la fituation politique et financière de l'Angleterre; frag ment d'un mémoire fur l'Angleterre en général; par H. S. P. Paris. From the following paffage our readers will be enabled to form fome idea of the author's ityle, as well as of his opinion on this fubject. "Si quelqu'un," fays he, "me demandoit quelle ett la difpofition du peuple Anglais pour la guerre, et la paix? Je n'aurois qu'une reponfe à lui faire; c'eft que le peuple Anglais défire la paix fans rédouter la guerre.

"Le défir de la paix eft fi naturel, furtout dans une nation induftrieufe et commerçante, qu'il n'eft pas néceffaire d'en indiquer les raifons relativement à la nation Anglaife. Mais quand je dis qu'elle ne redoute pas la guerre, il faut que je m'explique.

"La nation Anglaife regarde la guerre actuelle avec la France, comme une difpute de colonies et une guerre de finances. Elle ne voit pas le point de rencontre entre les deux ennemis. Les Anglais ne tenter nt certainement pas une defcente en France; et ils regardent, quoique

B b b 2

fauffe

fauffement, la defcente dont les Français menacent leur pais comme une entreprife vague, incertaine et prefque chimérique. Il ne refteroit donc, fuivant leur opinion, que les combats de mer; et la fupériorité de la marine Anglaife fur toutes les marines de l'Europe ensemble, ne peut que raffrer la nation à cet égard. Or, fe difent-ils, puifque nous difpurons feulement pour des colonies que nous avons conquiles, par lesquelles notre commerce a gagné, qui nous offrent beaucoup de reffources pécuniaires, et dont la reftitution entière, après que la France s'eft agrandie d'une manière auffi alarmante pour nous, feroit aussi impolitique que funefte et honteufe, continuons la guerre plutot que de céder à des conditions hu niliantes que le vainqueur de nos alliés, mais non pas le notre, voudroir nous dicter. Et pourquoi craindrions-nous cette guerre? Nous fommes hors d'atteinte, pour craindre les armes victorieufes de ces fiers républicains; et fi, pour nous tenir en mesure, nous fommes feulement forcés d'entretenir notre marine et de faire des depenfes, eh bien! nous fommes encore affez riches pour fournir aux frais de la guerre, de quelque manière que cela puiffe être, et rivaliser avec les reffources financières de notre ennemi."

ITALY.

Ibid.

ART. 61. Memorie della Società Italiana di Milano, &c. 1797. This collection contains many curious articles, among which we may particularly point out the Obfervations of Spallanzani on the island of Cythera, forming at prefent a department of the French republic..

The ifle of Cythera has about twenty leagues of circumference. More than two thirds of its furface prefent only barren and craggy rocks. The only part of the ifle which is cultivated produces a little of an excellent quality. The climate is extremely corn, and grapes mild and agreeable. The month of Auguft and September are remarkable for the paffage of quails, which, on their return to the coaft of Africa, ftop for fome day's at Cythera to refresh themselves after their long fatigue.

No remains can be discovered at Cythera, of the famous temple of Venus Urania, which, according to the account of Paufanias, was the most ancient and celebrated of any which the had in Greece. The only trace of antiquity which the islanders fhow to travellers, is what they call the Bagni di Venere, confifting of a small grotto formed in a rock, without the leaft ornament of art.

What deferves the attention of naturalifts in Cythera is, 1. that the ifle is formed by volcanos; 2. that a part of the fubftances which compofe it, contains a great number of teftaceous petrifactions, which have undergone no alteration from the fire; 3. that the whole of one of its mountains is filled with the petrified bones of men and animals; 4. that there is in the island a fubterraneous grotto, with numerous calcareous ftalactites.

Was this ifland, which is at this time almost deserted, fo from its first origin, or has it degenerated to its prefent ftate of fterility? Such a degeneration may, indeed, have been produced by one of thofe viciffitudes, to which the parts of our globe are subject; but Cythera having

been

been formed originally by volcanos, muft formerly have been as much a defert, as it now is; we may even be allowed to fuppofe that it was ftill more barren, if we confider that lava and other volcanic productions decompound themselves into earth after a certain fpace of time.

It is then more than probable, that Cythera in the flourishing times of Greece, was in the fame ftate in which it at present appears. But mythological ideas, the temple confecrated to Venus, the facrifices which were offered, and the multitude of ftrangers who landed there, have undoubtedly contributed to give this island fo great a degree of celebrity among the Greeks.

SPAIN.

ART. 62. Obfervaciones fobre la hiftoria natural, geografia, agricultura, poblacion y frutos del Reyno de Valencia. Por Don Antonio Jofef Cavanilles. Tomo I. 236 pp. II. 338 pp. in fol.-Obfervations on the Natural Hiftory, Geography, Agriculture, Population, and Produc tions of the Kingdom of Valencia, by Don A. J. Cavanilles. Tom. I. II. with Maps and many Plates. Madrid. 1797.

This is unquestionably one of the most important works that have appeared in Spain in modern times. The author, who has diftinguished himself by his botanical publications, and who has, ever fince the year 1791, travelled in his own country at the expence of the king, first of all vifited the province of Valencia, where he paffed upwards of three years.

Valencia contains 838 fquare miles, of which about 240 confist of champaign land and vallies, and the reft of mountains. There are four principal rivers, and four likewife of a fecondary rank, with an infinite number of fmaller ftreams and fprings. The mountains confift chiefly of lime itone, though there are fine, particularly towards the north, which contain chalk with fand. In the mountains of several districts, are likewife found cinnabar, copper, iron, cobalt, and lead; as there are alfo in other places a number of crystals, known under the name of Jacintos de Compoftella. The plains, the number of which is fmall, lie generally between the fea and the foot of the mountains; the foil being fandy, mixed with marle. In the interior diftricts of the country, its component parts are generally clay with marle. The prevailing colours of the foil are white and red; the former, however, is more common than the latter. The quality of the foil is fuch, that with proper cultivation, it will yield not only almoft all the useful vegetable productions of Europe, but likewife of America. The author speaks very highly of the induftry of the inhabitants, who take advantage of every fpot of land; if the foil is fruitful, they have three and even four harvests annually; if it is poor, they neglect no means of improving it. In the extenfive marfhy tract of Albufera, notwithstanding the very unhealthy nature of the climate, many thousand perfons are employed in the cultivation of rice. This and filk form the principal articles of commerce in Valencia, and bring in yearly upwards of 9,000,000 of pelos. Of the population, Mr. C. gives the following

statements.

Atatements. In the year 1600, there were not quite 100,000 houfes in the country;. in 1609, not fewer than 200,000 Moors were driven out of it, fo that the number of inhabitants was diminished by about one half, and even the remainder gradually reduced by the war in that century, and ftill more in the beginning of this, by the contests about the fucceffion. After a peace was concluded, their numbers certainly encreased, though in 1718, they did not amount to more than 255,080. When agriculture began to be encouraged, and the foil was found to be fo productive, the population encreased so rapidly, that, in 1761, the number was 604,612; seven years afterwards, 716,886; and, in 1787, had rifen to 733,084.

ART. 63. Encyclopedia metodica, dispuesta por orden de materias, traducida del Frances al Caftellano.-Encyclopédie méthodique, arranged according to Order of Matter, tranflated from the French into the Spanish Language. Madrid. Small Folio.

This work poffeffes great advantages over the French Encyclopédie méthodique, of which it is a tranflation. It will be completed in about 60 volumes; of which, feven volumes will contain the plates. The paper and type are infinitely fuperior to thofe of the French Encyclopedie. The following is a concife account of the different divifions as far as the work has hitherto proceeded.

1. Natural Hiftory of Animals, T. I, II, 1411 pp. translated by Don H. M. Sanz y Chanas and Don Jofeph Mallent, with confiderable additions, both in regard to domeftic and American animals; as also many new articles of American animals, which had been omitted by Daubenton and Buffon.

II. Dictionary of Grammar and Literature, tranflated by Father Luis Minguez de S. Fernando. T. I, 630 pp. though it contain the letter A only. Befides feveral new articles, the additions confit chiefly of examples from Spanish poets and orators; together with an improved fyftem of Spanish Synonymes, in which the tranflator has chiefly availed himself of Roubaud, not confidering Davila's Enfayo de los Synonymos, 1757, to deserve his attention. He did not, however, know that a very valuable work on this fubject had been published, in 1789, at Vienna, by J. L. de la Huerta, the then Secretary of Legation there.

III. The Art of War, tranflated by Don Luis Caftanon, T. 1, A to Cazador; 563 pp. The tranflator remarks, that this part of the French Encyclopédie, is almost a literal verfion of the Spanish book; Las reflexiones militares del Marques de Santa Cruz de Mercenado. There are more than an hundred new articles and additions to be found in the letter A.

IV. Academic Arts. One volume complete; 550 pp. The art of Riding, tranflated by Don Baltafar Irurzun; thofe of Dancing, Fencing, and Swimming, by Don Gregorio Sanz, with very confiderable additions and improvements.

V. Modern Geography, tranflated by Don Juan Arribas y Soria, and Don Julian de Velafco. T. I, H, 1260 pp. containing many additions and important corrections, in regard to the geography of America and Spain.