154 
faving a friend from being killed by an 
hydraulic machine, whereby he himfelf re- 
ceived a dangerous wound in the head, and 
had the bone tna. conneéts the right fhoul. 
der with the neck, fractured in two places. 
The harcfhips he underwent during. the 
meafuring of the degree 1a thefe moun- 
tainous regions; his great care and anxiety 
caufed to him by ihe unhappy and helplels 
condition of his family,* which he had 
Jeft behind him in Paris at the mercy of 
the murderers and monfters who then in- 
undated his native country with blood ; 
and from which he was feparated during fe- 
ven years; the total lofs of the property 
of his wife, and of the favings of many 
years, which he had placed in the public 
funds; ail thefe fufferings irrecoverably 
deftroyed his health and ruined his confti- 
‘tution. He was attacked by cangerous 
difeafes, from which he has not yet re- 
covered. To Méchain the fuperintend- 
ance of the National Obfervatory is at pre- 
fent committed; there he refices, and is 
now employed in putting it in better or- 
der, and in fupplying it with and erect- 
ing, new inftruments. 
= 
For the Monthly Magazize. 
ACCOUNT of MODERN FRENCH AU- 
THORS, with @ RAPID VIEW of their 
PRINCIPAL WORKS. 
GAUSSIN (J. J. A. 
ROFESSOR at the College de France. 
He has tranflated, for the firft time, 
the Expedition of the Argonauts, or the 
Conqueft of the golden Fleece, a Greek 
poem, in four cantos, by Apollonius of 
Rhodes: and it is reputed one of the bef 
produétions that has appeared for a long 
time. 
CASTEL (R- R.) 
To this pleafing writer France owes a 
charming poem entitled Les Plantes, 
which before had never been the iubject 
of a poem in that country. The tender 
Mufe has wherewith to be gratified in the 
beauty, variety, and extent of this de- 
Jightful work. The author has not en- 
deavoured, to make a treatife of botany in 
verfe of his performance, but he writes 
like a fcientific perfon on a great number 
of plants, from the bumble violet to the 
majeltic feiba, which is faid to be one of 
the largeft and moft lofty trees growing 
on the face of the globe. 
DAUPHIN (DE VERDUN) 
This writer is only known by his ro- 
mance entitled, La derniere Heéloife, or 

* A fon of Méchain, 20 years of age, was 
fent as akttonomer with Bonaparte te Egyot, 
Account of Medern French Authors. 
[Sept. 1}, 
Lettres de Funie a Salifbury, which ran 
throvgh feveral ecitions. The Mufe calls, 
to this her pupil with an encouraging 
voice, to continue a career, im woich his 
firft ftep was marked by a triumph. 
GABIOT (DE SALiNS) 
Whole name ftands at the foot of the 
title page of the poem, Le Duel, is ac- 
cufed of having made too free with the 
works of Goldoni. In the lit of his 
pieces, which, for length is compared to 
the litany, feveral are mentioned as evi- 
Gences of plagiarifm. Gabiot was one 
of the directors at Audinot’s, and in that 
capacity confuited on the articles of poe- 
try; in which fituation his accufers charge 
him with the literary breach of confidence 
towards feveral young writers, who of- 
fered their works to that theatre. Prevot, 
St. Remi, and Lambert, are named a- 
mong thofe who have claims on the bor. 
rowed plumage of Gabiot, whom the 
angry critics feem willing to expofe like 
the naked jay. 
DEGUERLE 
Of toe Societé Libre des Sciences et Arts, - 
and of that of Belles Lettres. 
His firft tep in the literary career was 
marked with fuccefs, in an ijl-printed 
volume entitled Les Amours, but which 
the true conncifleurs in poetry appreciated 
at its jut value. Tt was difficult to ap- 
pear after Dorat, Bertin, Parny and Bor- 
nes: C. Deguerle, however, in tranf- 
lating various pieces of Catullus, Tibul- 
lus, and other voluptuous Latin poets, is 
not left behind. He has juft given proofs 
that to the talent of poetry he joins that of 
eruditicn and juft criticifm, in his tranf- 
lation of the Civil War of Petronius, of 
which the notes are interefting ; and in the 
Eloge des Perruques, under the name of 
@ Akerlio. This laft work, undertaken 
to engage ina particular manner the at- 
tention of the fair fex, deferves to be 
equally well received by the friends of the 
higher order of literature, and to be 
placed by the fide of the learned apo. 
logitts for little things, fuch as Daniel 
Heinfius, Erafmus, Grofley, Cardan; and 
Sallengre. 
The French at this time manifeft a rage 
for tranflation, as if it were neceflary to 
draw the arts and fciences again from 
ruins. While one pcet was at work upon 
Claudian’s Rape of Proferpine, 
BAOUR-LORMIAN 
The author of ‘* Premier and Second 
Mot,”’’ was putting into French verle, 
Tasso’s Yerufalem Delivered, to which. 
undertaking he was encouraged by the 
inynoderate flattery of his firtt eflays in the 
art. 
