. 
198 
very distinguished manner. The Cheva- 
liér Reguis, president of the academy, 
opened the proceedings by a discourse on 
“the necessity of studying the ancients, 
in order to justly appreciate the moderns.” 
In treating this subject, the speaker op- 
posed, with great skill, the innovations with 
which literature was menaced by the “ ro- 
mantie school.”’ The Abbé Boyer, in his 
inaugural discourse, defended the clergy 
from the charge of being adverse to the 
progress of knowledge, and pointed out the 
benefits which the Galliean church had con- 
ferred upon literature and the arts. Some 
other communications, both in prose and 
verse, were made to the society by Messrs. 
Jauffert, Négrel-Feraud, and Sabre, and 
the meeting broke up. 
Paris Institute.—Academy of Sciences, 
April 3. Mr. Warden was elected corres- 
ponding member in the section of geogra- 
phy. M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire commu- 
nicated some observations made upon eggs 
impeded in their development by external 
means, particularly upon a pullet, which 
had only one lobe to the superior surface of 
the brain. This monster was produced by 
covering, with wax, one of the sides of the 
egg. M. Moreau de Jonnés entered into 
some statistical details on the present state 
of commerce. A memoir of M. Richard 
was read, upon the pellicular tension on the 
surface of liquids—(Referred to Messrs. 
Ampere and Dulong.) M. Richard of- 
fered some reflections upon the molecular 
action of liquids upon themselves, 
April 10. Some difiiculty having arisen 
at Bourdeaux in the erection of lightning 
conductors for the custom-house, the 
Minister of the Interior referred the subject 
to the Academy, and also requested some 
commissioners to be appointed from their 
Monthly Review of Literature, 
gilt hye 
body, to examine the works produced at 
the school Des Ponts et Chaussés, Messrs. 
Girard, Fourier, and Fernel were ap- 
pointed. M. Marenger, a physician of 
Strasburg, recommended by letter the use 
of acetate of ammonia, relative to which 
he had formerly made some discoveries ; 
this, together with some other pieces, was 
referred for examination to their respective 
committees. M. Geoffry St. Hilaire stated 
some more observations which had been 
made at the establishment for artificial ineu- 
bation, at Auteuil. Messrs. Latreille and 
Bose made a favourable report on the ar- 
rangement, by M. Dejean, of the genera 
which compose the tribe of simplicipedes, 
of the family of carabi. Communications 
were received from Messrs. Gambart and 
Schumacher, about the comet which ap- 
peared in February and March. 
April 17.—M. Solier presented a me- 
moir on a boat adapted to ascend the cur- 
rent of rivers—( Referred to Messrs. Dupin 
and Navier.) M. Arcy read a letter from 
M. Vale, of Nismes, dated April 4, an- 
nouncing his discovery, at 4 A.M., of the 3d, 
of the comet of which the reappearance was 
expected at 4h. 6m. mean time of the 4th, 
its R.A. was 262° 51’ 25”, its declination 
41° 22’ 38” S. Some other proceedings took 
place, but which were of minor importance. 
Atheneum.—May 1. The only commu- 
nication made to this literary body was by 
M. Auguste Faber, author of the poem 
entitled “* Caledonia.” This eminent wri- 
ter repeated, from memory, his tragedy, in 
three acts, of “ Irene, or the Heroine of 
Souli.”’ The beauty of the composition, 
added to the charm of the author’s delivery, 
obtained for it the most enthusiastic recep- 
tion. The work will be submitted soon to 
the public. 
“ 
MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN. 
Memoirs and Recollections of Count Se- 
gur, Ambassador from France to the Courts of 
Russia and Prussia, &c. &c. Written by 
Himself. Vol. IT. 1826.—Another driblet 
of Segur’s memoirs and recollections. Our 
readers, we presume, are acquainted with 
the former volume, and want no farther in- 
timation of the writer’s character. He is 
the same talkative, busy, and omniscient, 
but really intelligent person. 
The present volume describes his return 
from America, with the flattering welcome 
he met with from all classes, as one of the 
chivalrous champions of American liberty ; 
his two or three years residence at Paris, 
employed in his father’s office, while taking 
part in all the ephemeral interests of the 
time—balloons, mesmerism, and M. de 
Calonne—the great phenomenon of the day, 
the gayest charlatan perhaps that ever 
seized the seals of oflice—the cynosure of 
all men’s eyes, and women’s too; his ap- 
pointment to the embassy of Russia; his 
interview with Frederic of Prussia, on his 
way to Russia; his first audience with the 
Empress ; the coolness of his general re- 
ception by the court and courtiers; the 
address with which he conciliated the 
all-potent Potemkin, and through him 
secured the favour (political only) _ of 
Catherine; the agreeable and luxurious 
tour which he made with the Empress 
into the interior of the empire, in the 
course of which he seized a critical moment 
for initiating a treaty of commerce favour- 
able to France; the difficulties he after- 
wards encountered in prosecuting the said 
treaty, and the final success with which he 
surmounted them ; and concluding abruptly 
with his starting in company with the Em-. 
press in her well-known expedition tothe. 
Crimea, for the particulars of which, tan- 
