ReiroJpeSi of French Literature— Mifcellanies* 653 



ticdl enquiry into the properties of the 

 cone, and the projettion of the circles 

 of the fpheres, during which tlie autlior 

 brings algchra in aid ot' geouieti v. 



Book iii. is dedicated to a confidera- 

 tion of the principal lubjuct, which arifes 

 out of the late improvements in mathe- 

 matical fcieiire in Fiance. It is not to 

 be denied, that the nieafuremeut of an 

 arc of the meridian, fo recently accom- 

 phllifd by the mathematicians an the 

 continent) lias tended greatly to the be- 

 nefit and advantage of hunitui know- 

 ledge. M. Pniiliiut, in order to render 

 the refiilt of thefe labours underllood, 

 has in this part of his work explained uU 

 the laethod:; of computation ufcJ on tiie 

 prcfent occafion. From this the it/ro 

 will be enabled to learn and uiidcrltund 

 the vari(jus methods by which the mea- 

 furement in queilion is eiietted. 



The work is ficcompaaied with tables 

 and plates ; and in the appendix we are 

 prefented with an account of a new in- 

 ftrument brought lately into ufc, and 

 called, from its inventor. It circle i-epe- 

 titetcr ric Burda, which appetirs to ha\e 

 fopcifeded the quadrant and lextant in 

 France, 



" Diftionnaire des Sciences et des 

 Arts, &c." — A Dictioxiary of Arts and 

 Sciences ; containing tiiu Definition of 

 the diifercnt acccpt'itions of the Tech- 

 nical I'cruis of Anatomy, Surgery, 

 Phyfiology, Medicine, Pharmacy, Che- 

 iniitry ; Zoology, Ornithology, Ichthy- 

 ology, Entomology; Botany, Minera- 

 logy; Mathematics, &c. &c. To which 

 is added, an Hiilorical Defcription of 

 the Progrefs of every branch of Human 

 Ruowledgc ; and an abndged Account 

 of the Machines, the Inliiuiuents, and 

 the ProcelTes employed both among the 

 Ancients and Moderns, in refpcCt to the 

 Arts. PyM. LuNiER. S vols. 8vo. 



The nicmbeis of the Iiiftitute were of 

 opinion, that the rapid progrcis of the 

 phyfical and mathematical fciences in 

 I'rance had introduced a prodiiiious nunj- 

 "ber of new terms, many of wliich out'ht 

 to be incorporated into the French lan- 

 gaage. In confcquence of this perUia- 

 lioii, it nominated feveral commiifioners 

 to fuperintend, and appointed two of 

 its own members to carry this fchetne 

 info immediate execution. While this 

 dictionary is preparing in the ilow and 

 dilatory maiiner'ufual v.ith academicians, 

 a iingje individual has pnblillied th« prc- 

 fent, which diHcrs from a mere vocabu- 

 lary by its extenfivc, as well as by its 

 liiAorical, notices ; containing an acxount 

 of the origin, the principles, and the 

 MoMHLV Mao. INo. 152. 



progrefs of tlie fciences, the epochs of 

 important difcoveries, the nainci of tlieir 

 refoeciive authors, the events which pro- 

 duced, and the circumfiaiiccs which ac- 

 companied, them. 



" Journal de Phyfiqne, de Cliiniie, 

 d'lliftoire Natnrclle,' et des Art.-."— 

 JoiuhhI of Natural Philofophy, Che- 

 millry, Natural Hilbiry, and ihc Arts; 

 with engraved Copper-plates. By J. C 

 DK i.A Mertheuie. 



The Abbe Rozier, who firft conceived 

 the idea of the " Journul de Phylique," 

 pubhlhed thefirft number of it in 1771; 

 but it was not until 1773 that it aifumed 

 its prefent tbrm, conlilling of 80 pages in 

 quarto, accompanied with plates. The 

 72d voluiii'j commences with the year 

 1806. A number is always publillied 

 every uioatli ; and even ilurnig the moll 

 ferocious periods of the late Ivevohitioit 

 this il^hcme experienced but little inter- 

 ruption. 



The work itfelf may l)e confidered as 

 confecrated to thofe fciences which have 

 the lludy of nature for their objeft, and 

 has been coiilidered as the ufuJ depo- 

 fitory of the principal dii'coveries w-liich, 

 have been made in tlie diti'ereiit branches 

 of natural hiftory; fuch as zoology, 

 botany, mineralogy, cliemillry, and the 

 arts, 



J. C. de la Meitherie, whf> has been 

 the editor ever hnce \7ii6, on the full of 

 every January prefents tlu; public with 

 a fiimmary of the difcoveries daring the 

 preceding year. 



" Cours complet d'Agriculture The- 

 orique. Pratique, Economique etde Me- 

 decine Rurale et Vctennairc, &c.'' — ■ 

 A complete Courfe of Agriculture, The- 

 oretical and Practical, including Rural 

 Economy, Medicine, and the v tterinary 

 Art ; or a univerfal Dictionary of Agri- 

 culture, &c. 2 vols. 4to. 



The French cconomiil?, perceiving 

 that cuimnerce could never be carried ti>. 

 any great extent in their native countiy, 

 were continually atVerting that agricul- 

 ture was the true and only lure balis of 

 national profperity. Voltaire, many years 

 lince, maintained " that there were no 

 real riches in a great empire, but the 

 people and the foil."* It was in confc- 

 quence of a principle fo geiK.'rally adopt- 

 ed, that the meliuralion of the earth 

 begun to be conildered as an object of 

 the tirft confcquence in France, and 

 many perfons attnally coTifecrated the 

 whole of their lives to the improvement 



* II n'y a des ikhciTcs. r31es dan» mn 

 gnni empire, que I'homme ct la tctre." 



4 ef 



