650, 
friend, a fond mother, and innocent chil- 
dren;all the sentiments,the tenderest ties of 
humanity, were here rent asunder; amidst 
the darkness of night, and the screams of 
anguish, one old man, at least, the head 
of a family, uttered his last farewell in 
the hearing of a son who perhaps was in 
search of him, of a daughter who still 
supported him, and of all his generation, 
- doomed to be extinguished along with 
himself! 
“And yet, while I resigned myself to 
these reflexions which wrung my heart, 
while I contemplated in silence this thea- 
tre of destruction, the birds were singing 
above my head, Nature was clothed in 
her gayest garment, the sky was clear, 
the air serene, and even from the distant 
Vesuvius scarcely was perceived the issue 
of that smoke, which gently glided along 
its dark flanks, after resting awhile on its 
tumultuous top.” 
__ “ Maximes & Reflexions sur differens 
Sujets, de Morale & Politique,” &c.— 
Maxims and Reflexions on different Sub- 
jects, both Moral and Political, by M. 
de L***, 4 vol. 12mo, | 
This is a singular kind of author; for, 
although a Frenchman, he proposes to 
exclude women from society, and to in- 
troduce new manners and new customs 
into the world. He attempts to found 
his system on the practice of the ancient 
Grecks, as well as of the eastern nations, 
aod the great Scha-Abbas appears too a 
favourite with him, for no other reason 
than because he had married one widow, 
and at the same time purchased a hun- 
dred virgin slaves. 
_ Without combating, or further noticing 
his propositions, we shall here transcribe 
some of his maxiins, which appear to be 
founded on an enlightened experience. 
1. Treat fortune as you would do a 
bad soil: do not disdain the harvest, 
however small it may prove. 
2, The events foreseen by intelligent 
minds generally occur: but, fortune al- 
ways reserves two secrets, the epoch and 
the means. 
S, Attracted by novelty, but still the 
slave of habit, man spends his life in 
desiring change, and at the same time he 
is continually sighing after repose. 
4, Ennui is a malady for which labour 
is the remedy; pleasure is merely a pal- 
lative. 
5. Baseness always endeayours to de- 
grade that which on the part of men is 
the most noble to confer, and the most 
pleasant to receive—well-merited praise, 
6. Your greatest enemy is not always. 
1 
Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellunies. 
he to whom, you may have done an ill 
oflice, fer he may be generous: but if 
you have been offended by a coward, be 
assured that be will ever attempt your 
destruction, for he is afraid of your re- 
sentment, and fear never pardons, 
7. Virtue is the triumph of generosity 
over interest. 
8. Honour is the offspring of courage 
and of vanity. 
9. Listen to counsel, and brave cri- 
ticism. 
10. The great difficulty in education 
consists in. keeping children under due 
submission, without at the same time de- 
grading their characters. 
11. The spirit of domination is, first 
disclosed in early infancy, it diminishes 
during youth, and never returns during 
old age, but along with its other weak- 
nesses. 
12. The self-love of fools is an.excuse, 
but not a justification, for that of men 
of sense, 
138. When by any accident flattery 
does not succeed, it is not its fault, but 
that of the flatterer. 
14. The pride of men of birth would 
be the ‘most foolish and insupportable 
species. of vanity, were it not for the 
pride of upstarts. 
15. My good friends, are you sure that 
ten years hence you will be able to re- 
collect the. names of all your ‘present 
friends? 
16, Fear and hope divide life; plea- 
sure and serrow occupy but a few mo- 
ments of it. 
17. What inconsistency! men are con- 
ducted even to death through fear. 
“ Traité de Mechanique Céleste.”—~ 
A Treatise on Astronomy, by. P. S. La 
Pracr, Member of the National Insti- 
tute of France, and also one of the Com. 
missioners of the Board of Longitude. 
After the great discoveries made by 
the moderns in the sublime science of 
astronomy, some one was wanting to ex- 
hibit, read, and comment. on their la- 
bours. La Place, a man fitted in every 
point of view for such an undertaking, 
has in these four volumes undertaken, 
and in part ably executed, the task. 
His work is divided into two. parts, 
each part into five books. In part the 
first, be lays down general principles, 
and from these deduces the motions of 
the primary planets, as produced by gra- 
vitatlon towards the Sun. Part the se- 
second treats of the laws by which the, 
primary and secondary planets are regu- 
lated. ; 
Ty 
; 
