1796.) Account of the New 
‘ever Shakfpeare might be as an actor, as 
Johnfon fays, his writings, “ unaffifted 
by intereft or paffion, have paffed through 
variations of tafte and changes of manners 5 
and, as they devolved from one, genera- 
tion to another, have received new ho- 
“nours at every tranfmiffion.’? No manu- 
feripts, therefore, attributed to this in- 
comparable writer, ought to be rejected, 
but after the fulleft and moft impartial in- 
veftigation. ; 
March 17, 17096. H.S. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT OF THE NEW ACADEMY 
or ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND OF 
SOME OTHER RECENT NaTIONAL 
INSTITUTIONS IN FRAN@E, FOR 
THE PROMOTION OF KNow- 
LEDGE. 
i De great exertions of France in mili- 
tary preparations, have excited ap- 
prehenfions, that, as, according to Mr. 
Burke, the country ‘Aad been blotted out 
of the map of Europe,’ it had alfo no 
longer any place in the republic of letters. 
But the cruelties of the reign of terror 
are over: all the men of {cience and 
genius are not deftroyed ; and thofe who 
-have furvived the wreck, feem to be in- 
Apired with tenfold ardor, to fupply the 
loffes their country has fuftained. The 
executive government co-operates with 
them, and from’ the united efforts of - 
‘genius and power, ,whatever may be the 
political refults of the prefent ftate of 
Europe, literature and f{cience feem likely 
to be more foftered in France, in this, 
than in any former period. 
On the 7th of laft December, THe 
New ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCI- 
. ENCES, founded on a decree of the new 
conftitution, was opened with proper ce- 
remonies. BENEZECH, the minifter 
for. the home department, attended the 
mecting. ‘The decrees were read, and 
preliminary {peeches made. 
The decree was to the following pur- 
port : 
“* The Academy of Arts and Sciences 
belongs to the whole republic, and Paris 
isits place of refidence. Its employment 
1s to aim at bringing all arts and {ciences 
to the utmoft perfection of which they 
are capable. It is to notice every new 
attempt, and all new difcoveries, and to 
Keep up a correfpondence with all foreign 
literary focieties. And by the particular 
orders of the executive direCtory, its firft 
ftudics are to be directed to thofg fubjects, 
French Academy, Se. 11¢ 
which more immediately tend to the re- 
putation and advantage of the French - 
republic.” 
The Academy is to: confit of 288 
members, half of whom are to refide in 
Paris, the other half in the departments ; 
and to them is to be added a certain num- 
ber of foreigners, as honorary mem- 
bers, confined at prefent to twenty-four. 
The Academy is divided into three 
claffes, each clafs into fe€tions, each fec- 
tion to contain twelve members. 
rft clafs. Mathematics and natural 
philofophy. This clafs is divided into 
ten fe€tions. 1. Mathematics. 2. Me- 
chanical arts. 3. Aftronomy. 4. Ex. 
perimental philofophy. 5. Chemiftry, 
6. Natural hiftory. 7. Botany.. 8. Ana- 
tomy and animal hiftory. 9. Medicine 
and furgery. . 10. Animal ceconomy, and 
the veterinary {clence. 
ad clafs. Morality and politics. 
clafs confifts of fix feétions. 
of fenfations and 
This 
1. Analyfis 
ideas. 2. Morals. 
3. Legiflature. 4. Political ceconomy. 
5. Hiftory. 6. Geography. 
3d clals.. Literature and the fine arts. 
This clafs confifts of eight feétions. 
1.  Univerfal granmimar... 2. Ancient 
languages. 3. Poetry. 4. Antiquities. 
5. Painting. 6. Sculpture. 7. Archi- 
tecture. 8. Mufic. 
The refidentiary members are already 
appointed, and of many, the reputation 
has been long eftablithed. 
Firft Clats. 
a. Mathematics. Lagrange. La Place. 
Borda: Boffut’ Le Gendre. Delam- 
bre. 
b. Mechanics. Monge. Prony. Le 
Roy. Perrier. Vandermonde. J. Ber- 
thout. 
c. Affronomy. Lalande. Mechain. Le- 
monier. Pingré. Metlier. Caffini. 
d. Experimenral Philofophy. Charles. 
Coufin. Briffon. Coulon.  Rochoin. 
Le Fevre. 
e. Chemifiry. Guyton Morveau. Ber- 
thollet. Fourcroy. Bayen. Pelletier. 
Vauquelin. 
f. Natural Hiffory. Darcet. Hauy. 
Defmarcts. Dolomieux. Duhamel. Le- 
liévre. eae 
g. Botany. Lamark. Desfontaines, 
Adanfon. Juffieu. L’Heritier. Vente- 
hat. 
h. Axatomy.. Daubenton. Lacepede. 
Tenon. Cuiver. Brouffonet. Richard, 
1. Medicine. WDefefflart. Sabathier, 
Portal. Hallé. Peletan. Laffus. 
k. Veterinary feience. Thouin, Gil- 
bert. ‘Tedlier. Cels. Parmentier. Huzard, 
' Second 
4 
