182G.] 



Monthly Review of Literature. 



623 



sucli of tliem as belonged to the same 

 umtoii tlien I'ormed thuiiisel ves into caiitonul 

 societies for the advancement of the ob- 

 jects whicli the piirent institution has in view. 

 JL>o((ny.— The central society of agri- 

 culture, sciences, and arts of the de- 

 partment of the Nortli has pro|)osed the 

 following prizes. A gold medal of the value 

 of 2(M) francs to the author of the best 

 memoir on the improvements of which the 

 cultivation, management, and carnage of 

 tite wood and the forests in the department 

 of the north are .susceijtible. A medal of 

 the same value to the author of the best 

 discourse on the question, " What inrtucnce 

 the study of the economical sciences ex- 

 ercises upon patriotism ?" and another 

 medal of the same value for the best poetic 

 epistle or lyric pocra. 



PARIS. — INSTITUTR, ACADEMY OF SCFENCE, 



FEB. 6. — The minister of the interior 

 required the .'Vcademy to examine the 

 report of the board of health of Marseilles 

 on the method of disinfection of M. La- 

 barraque. M. Roziere, attaclied to the 

 eonnnisslon of Egypt, communicated a 

 paper in part unpublished on the ph3'sical 

 constitution of Egypt, and on its relation to 

 the ancient establishments of that country. 

 On the report of Messrs. Fouvoire and 

 Cuvier the academy determined that a 

 pacquetleft in 178:^ by Dom Gauthey, and 

 containing a memoir on the means of in- 

 stantaneous secret communication at all 

 distances shall be ojieiied and read, whicli 

 was done. M. Poisson, in the name of the 

 Commission charged to decide the mathe- 



matical prize on the porturhation'of comets, 

 declared, that there was no room for the 

 adjudication of any, iind recommended the 

 same subject to be proposed for IftiH. 

 February 1.3. M. Peyroimct, Minister of 

 justice, consulted the academy on the most 

 proper means of guarding society .igiiinst 

 the effect of forgery, by discharging, through 

 chemical agents, the writing in the body of 

 any deed, &c. and then inserting other 

 clauses, &c. The consideration of this 

 subject was referred to the committ<'e of 

 chemistry, together with Messrs. Gay Lus- 

 sac and Dulong. Februari/20. M. Adrien 

 de Jussieu was jjroposcd as candidiite for 

 the botanicid chair, vacant by the death of 

 his father. M. Segahis read a memoir on 

 the question, whether the blood can be the 

 seat of disease ? Fehrtiari/ 27. M. Bron- 

 sard read a memoir on the internal naviga- 

 tion of France, and a particular machine 

 for conducting vessels against the current 

 of a river. M. Meirieux presented an in- 

 strument for the destruction of calculi in 

 the bladder, and read a memoir on the 

 subject. Other proceedings took place 

 which were of minor imjiortance. 



Tlie Military and Civil Normal Gymna- 

 sium had a public meeting inParis on the 4-tli 

 of March for the performance of g}'mnastic 

 exercises. Some of tlie ministers, many 

 generals, several peers of France and de- 

 puties, together with a large assembly of 

 scientific persons were present, and were 

 highly satisfied with the )ierformance and 

 persuaded of the public utility of the insti- 

 tution, for which the country is indebted to 

 M. Amoros. 



MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN. 



The Contest of the Twelve Natio7is; or a 

 View of the different Bases of Human Cha- 

 racter and Talent. — The notion of equality 

 among men, with respect to original endow- 

 ment, is nearly exploded by observant peo- 

 ple now-a-days. ■\\'^e see our acquaintance, 

 from the beginning to the end of life, pur- 

 suing one fashion or mode of existence — 

 one manner of being — feeling— thinking — 

 acting— speaking. We detect a principle 

 of unity running through the conduct of 

 each individual, amidst the greatest discre- 

 pancy of circumstances, determining the 

 manner of his action — modifying and con- 

 trolling his most violent deviations from 

 customary conduct, and equally operating 

 where, to common observation, his beha- 

 viour seems most systematic, or most irre- 

 gular. 



Every man has his own way of observing 

 the world's occurrences, the charmcter of 

 other men, and the qualities of natural ob- 

 jects — a power of beholding all that exists 

 and happens, of which no other person 

 can possibly partake. Just as, strictly 

 speaking, no two persons can, at the same 



moment, behold any external appearance 

 precisely under the same aspect. In the 

 latter case, however, the cause of variation, 

 or ditference in the objects beheld, arises 

 from circumstances not innate in the be- 

 holder ; but merely from his bodily occupa- 

 tion of a spot, which the laws of matter 

 forbid another material substance to occupy 

 at the same moment. In the case of indi- 

 vidual character, on the contrary, there is 

 presumed to be an essential, original and 

 inborn dissimilitude between one being and 

 another, and, even on the supposition of 

 external circumstances being exempt from 

 the law of necessity, absolutely and arbitra- 

 rily governing the mode in which the mind 

 shall be influenced by those circumstances. 

 As the bee, whatever climes or fields it 

 wanders over ; whatever the tincture, form 

 or fragrance of the flowers it pauses upon, 

 pursues only the tioney of each, taking no 

 cognizance of their other properties. The 

 camelion reflects only the colour of the ob- 

 jects that lie around him. The bird of prey 

 throws an abstracted glance on every thing 

 but the quarry of his search. 



