43 
ErANi's-‘* Leétures.on the Italian Lan- 
guage,’ intended to teach the principles 
and rules of the tongue, without the for- 
mality of grammatic fyfiem; ‘“ The 
Study of Aftronomy, in Pwelve Dia- 
Jogues,”” by Mr. STEDMAN, a fmall 
work judicioufly drawn up, and expreffed 
in correct and eafy language; ‘“ Ele- 
ments of Geography and Natural and 
Civil Hiftory,” conta'ning much infor- 
mation in a narrow compais; and M. 
HamEc’s “ Univerfal Grammar of the 
French Tongue,’ which offers new im- 
provements. Mr. Foce’s “ Elementa 
Anghcana, or Principles of Englifh Gram- 
mar,” is a cumbrous and faulty. perfor- 
mance, but contains fome valuable mat- 
ter in the form of notes and differtations, 
for the purpofe of impreiling the minds 
of young people with good moral fenti- 
ments. Mrs. Smiru has publiined two 
pieafing works, entitled ‘* Rural Walks,” 
and ‘‘ Rembles Farther.” Belonging to 
the fame clafs, is, “« The Parent’s Aifift- 
ant,” two {mall volumes of moral tales, 
~ fo well written that they may-not impro- - 
perly be recommended as an excellent 
fequel to Berguin’s Child’s Friend. 
MISCRLLANIES. |. - 
UnpER the “* promifcuous Clafs of 
Mifcellaneous Publications’ we {hall 
briefly notice the Memoirs of Societies. 
The firft place muit, in courfe, be given 
tothe * Philofopbical Tranfactions of the 
Royal Society of London for 1796.” Among 
the more vaiuable Papers contained in 
this volume, are Mr. Home’s Leéture on 
Mufcular Motion; an Enquiry refpect- 
ing Vifion, to afcertain the manner in 
which the eye is adjufted to the different 
diitances of objeéis ; Mifs HERsCHEL’s 
Account of the difcovery of a new 
Comet, Dr. HERsCHEL’s Defcription 
_ of his Method of Obferving the Changes 
which happen in the Fixed Stars; anda 
mafterly refumption and continuation of 
Sir Tfaac Newton’s Experiments on 
Light and Colours, by Mr. BiInGHAM. 
The “ Mezorrs of ihe Literary and Phil- 
lopbical Seciety of Munchefier,” of which 
Mifcellanies.——New Patentsi...iSufpended Bridzes. 
[Jans 
four volumes are now publifhed, abound 
with curious and interefling matter, anti- 
quarian, phyfice], mathematical, medi- 
cal, &c.. Mr. Goocs’s Mathematical 
Papers; Dr. BarpsLEy’s Obfervations 
on.Canine and Spontaneous Hydropho- 
.bia; Dr. FerRtAr’s Conjectures on the 
Ufe of the Ancient Terafled Works in 
the North of England; and Dr. Gar- 
NETT’s Meteorological Obfervarions, 
may be mentioned with diftirGion. A 
new Society has arifen at Ewveter, which 
promifes the public much entertainment 
and information. A few only of the pa- 
pers are on fubjeéts of natural philofo- 
phy, but thefe contain new and valuable 
matter, particularly, an Effay on the 
Iris ; Retieftions on the Compofition and 
Decompofition of the Atmofphere ; and 
Obfervations on the combination and fe- 
paration of Light, as a chemical princi- 
ple. Several of the critical papers dif- 
cover ’a correct claffical tafte ; others, 
efpecially thofe on Shakfpeare’s Iago 
and Shylock, are rather ingenious than 
fatisfa€tory : the antiquarian will find 
much entertainment.in this Mifcellany : 
the pcetry is not of the firft order of 
merit. The laudable example of Man- 
chefter and Exeter, will, we hope, .be 
followed in other large provincial towns. 
Among the -lighter kind of Mifcellanies 
have appeared ‘‘ The Sylph,” a period- 
ical Paper, or Courfe of Effays on Man- 
ners, in which, without any high degree 
of refinement in ftyle, will be found juft 
obfervations exprefied with eafe, and 
natural characters exhibited with hu- 
mour. ‘To the fame clafs belongs “ The 
Peeper.” of Dr. WATKINS ; acolle@tion 
of effavs, moral, biographical, and lite- 
rary, which: is a grave performance, 
more adapted jor inftruction than amufe- 
ment. “ Tales, fentimental, clerical, 
and miftellaneous,” by IsAAc MtRROrR, 
are eccentric without wit, and quaint 
without humour. 
[We are obliged, by the unavoidable 
length of this Retrofpeé. to pottpone a 
few very recent publications. ] 

NEW PATENTS 
Enrolled in the Months of November and December. 
Mr. JorDAN’s SUSPENDED BRIDGES. 
(Wb a plate.) 
N cur Magazine for December, we 
noticed the {pecification of this bridge, 
as enrolled in the Petty bug office s—we 
have fince then’ been favoured by the 
Proprietor with a defign of one of ere 
bridges, exhibiting not only the principic 
of the invention, but the peculjar con- 
venience with which it adapts itfelf te 
the addition of a draw-bridge.. From 
obfervations on the modes of conftruét- 
ing thefe bridges, written by the Pa- 
tentee, we have feleéted the following 
refults, for the information of our 
readers: si 
The length of bridges buiit on this 
e, may with fafety be equal to 
princip 
: that 
