182 ].] Literary and Philosophical Intelligence, 251 
and Persia. Parts of the history of the 
Greeks and other nations, arid that of 
the successors of Alexander, &c. are 
among these. They were discovered in 
a MS. containing the harangues of the 
rhetorician Aristides, from a large col¬ 
lection of ancient writings, made by 
order of Constantines Porphyrogenetes, 
of which only a small part are known 
to be extant. The writing appears to 
be of the 11th century. M. Maio has 
also met with an unedited Latin gram¬ 
marian, who cites a number of lost 
writers, and a Latin rhetorician now 
unknown ; also a Greek collection con¬ 
taining fragments of the lost works of 
Philo. He has also found writings of 
the Greek and Latin fathers prior to 
St Jerome, with other valuable works, 
all of which he intends shortly to pub¬ 
lish. 
NETHERLANDS. 
Brussels can boast of some of the 
best conducted literary establishments 
in Europe. Among others that of M. 
de Mat of the Grand Place claims our 
respectful notice. This establishment 
contains under one spacious roof an ex¬ 
tensive collection of modern literature 
in all languages—a magazine of clas¬ 
sical and scarce old books, almost un¬ 
rivalled in value and extent—a print¬ 
ing office of great perfection and capa¬ 
bility—a copper-plate establishment— 
and a book-binding shop. In its way it 
resembles a bee-liive in activity and 
industry, and cannot fail to excite the 
surprize and pleasure of all who are per¬ 
mitted to view it. M. de Mat is chiefly 
engaged in reprinting standard French 
works, which the low price of labour 
and materials in the Netherlands ena¬ 
bles him to offer to foreign countries 
full 30 per cent cheaper than the Paris 
editions.. He is besides engaged in 
many original works of the Belgic 
literati; and above all, in a Catalogue 
Raisonneeoi his own stock of old books, 
which will extend to three or four vo¬ 
lumes in octavo. 
ASIA MINOR. 
A letter from Mr. M 4 Connor, Orien¬ 
tal Syrian Missionary, dated Acre, Feb. 
28, 1820, states as follows: 44 My last 
informed you of my transactions in 
Cyprus, and that [ was ready to set 
out for Syria. I arrived at Beyrout, 
on the 13th inst. and there met with 
the Archbishop of Jerusalem, who had 
arrived the evening before from Europe 
after passing through Egypt. The in¬ 
habitants of Beyrout are in number 
about 10,000, of whom 3000 are Turks, 
and the others Christians of different 
denominations.. On the 16th early, I 
set out for Said, where I arrived at 
night, after travelling by the foot of 
Mount-Libanus. Said contains about 
15,000 individuals, of whom 2000 are 
Christians, chiefly Maronites, and 400 
Jews. I gave a psalter in Arabic, to a 
Maronite for a small service which he 
had rendered me. He sat down and 
began to read it: he was soon surround¬ 
ed by a number of persons, among whom 
was M. Bertrand, the first physician in 
the city. This gentleman is a native 
of Said, but of French origin; with 
great alacrity he offered me his services 
to promote the distribution of the Bible 
in Arabic, and expected great effects 
from it in Syria. On the 18th at night, 
I arrived at Sour, the ancient Tyre, 
and lodged there with the Catholic 
Greek Archbishop, From him I learn 
that there are at Sour, 1200 Greek 
Catholics, 100 Maronites aud 100 Greek 
schismatics, 2000 Motualis or sectators 
of Ali and about 100 Turks. Every 
where are seen remains of ancient 
splendour, magnificent aqueducts, and 
a number of superb columns over¬ 
thrown or half buried upright in the 
sand, which has been accumulating for 
ages. On the 21st I repaired to Acre. 
Here are about 10,000 inhabitants, of 
whom 3000 are Turks ; the lest consist 
of Arabs, Jews and Catholics, which last, 
however, form the majority. After 
passing through the villages of Sephoury 
and Cana in Galilee, I entered Nazareth, 
which contains about 3000 inhabitants, 
500 of whom are Turks, and the rest 
schismatic Greeks under the Patriarch 
of Jerusalem. 
EAST INDIES. 
A letter from a missionary at Ara- 
boyna has the following: At my enter¬ 
ing a large negari (village) called Lile- 
boo, N.E. of Amboyna, 800 persons 
and more came to meet me, and to 
convince me of their believing in one 
only God, they had brought all their 
idols, confessing their superstitions. I 
desired fnem to pack the whole together 
in a large chest, heaped up with stones, 
and throw it into the sea, in my presence. 
The following appeared in a late 
number of the Bombay Courier, in a 
letter dated, country of Guzurat, Oct. 
1819. The Jaina Baniashave a prac¬ 
tice of fasting eight days in every year. 
One of them took the resolution of fast¬ 
ing for thirty days together. He be¬ 
gan July 26, and finished Aug. 25. He 
then took some nourishment during 
four 
