Retrofpect of French Literature.—Hiftory. 
be owned, that, in another point of view, 
this fafhionable folly is entitled to’ in- 
dulgence. Thefe pocket-books often 
communicate the refults of long and la- 
borious refearches relative to f{cientific 
objeéts, and bring them from the inac- 
ceffible fchools of the learned into the cir- 
cles of common life. In proof of this af- 
fertion, we refer our readers to VON 
Zacu’s excellent View of Aftronomy, 
publifhed in the Gotha Pocket-book, to 
the Almanack for Chemifts and Apothe- 
caries, to Biiscu’s Almanack for Inven- 
tions, to Dr. Ki1r1ANn’s Pocket-book for 
Phvficians and Non-phyficians, &c. &c. 
In the belles-lettres, they have this ad- 
vantage, that their very form and fize is 
an antidote againft the hereditary failing 
of the German writers, their all-exhauft- 
ing prolixity and circumftantialiry. This 
year too, the Tubingen Pocket Calendar 
for Ladies, Stampels Aglaia, the Got- 
tingen Calendar of Romances, and a col- 
leétion publifhed at Prague, contain the 
{fweetef flofeules of the field of polite 
literature. Thefe pocket-books might 
likewife be made to diffufe a better tafte 
for the fine arts, if artifts of eminence 
would take the pains to give us in fo {mali 
a compafs copies of the mafter-pieces of 
modern att, &c. fuch as in the pocket- 
book publithed by Vieweg, in Brunfwick, 
we find fome of the celebrated paintings 
by Raphael, Guido, Duminichino, An- 
drea Sacchi, and Avnibal Caracci, which 
have been brought to Paris; and in the 
Pocket-book for the Arts and Humour, 
publifhed by Cramer, in. Cologne, of 
other celebrated pieces. This year, too, 
many a fpeculating bookfeller has put his 
wits to the rack to cook up fome high- 
Jmoakers and fnuff-takers. 
629 
feafoned difh for the already overgorged 
almanack buyers, or at leaft to attract 
their attention by a tempting bill of fare. 
No lefs than ten fuch dithes have been 
prepared exprefsly for the ladies. Oeh- 
migke, junior, of Berlin, befides the 
Almanack for Gamefters, furnifhed the 
Feaft of Lovers, a pocket-book for young 
people, probably cooked up in the fame 
-clean kitcnen whence he fent forth, at 
Michaelmas-fair, the fourth fupplement 
to his Greek Gynezology. Sommer and 
Co. of Leipfic, of whofe manufacture 
aione half a dozen of calendars appear, 
has likewife provided one for bilhurd- 
players ; and Maurer, a pocket-book for 
Nor is dear 
Love forgotten; to Love, too, an alma- 
nack has been dedicated. The whole 
motley train is clofed by an Apothécofis 
Almanack ! 
Many, however, and fome of them very 
valuable publications, which appeared 
laft autumn, have, from various caufes, 
have been omitted in the Catalogue. 
We fhall mention here only the /ecoud 
volume of the ‘* Commentary on the 
New Teftament,” by Dr. Pautus, of Je- 
na; [iscHBEIN’s ‘ Homeric Pidiures,”” 
with explanations, by HEYNE; and a 
work unique in its kind, NEMMICH’s 
<¢ Dictionary of Manufaétures and Mer- 
chandize;’’ the fecond and concluding vo- 
lume of which has been publithed, to the 
great fatistaétion.of all thofe who know 
how to value fo meritorious and indif{- 
penfable a work. The learned bookfel- 
jer NrcoLat’s profoundly erudite * Hif- 
tory of Wigs,’’ with 60 plates, has like- 
wife been omitied in the Caralogue, 
eT ; 
RETROSPECT OF ,.THE PROGRESS OF FRENCH LITERATURE 
DURING THE L 
HISTORY. 
s De Devoir de !’Hiftorien de bien 
“6 confidérer le Caraétére, &c.”’ OF the 
Duty of the Hiftorian to contemplate the 
Character and the Genius of every Age, 
while deciding on the great Men who 
have then flourifhed; adifcourfe which was 
srowned by the Royal Academy of In- 
fcriptions, Belles Lettres, Hiftory, and 
Antiquities, at Stockholm, in March, 
#800. By Portalis, junr.. 1 vol. 8vo. 
Paris: 
Fhe author of this treatife is the fon 
of a man who has long diftinguifhed 
himfelf in the republic of letters, and he 
appears defirous of emulating his re-~ 
MontTuriy Maa. 
AST SIX MONTHS. 
fpectable father. He begins by pointing 
out the importance of hiftory. 
«“ Without the memory of the paft,”’ 
fays he, ‘‘ man, a ftranger to himfelf, 
remains ignorant of his own exiftence 5 
day fucceeds day, without being con- 
nected together, and his recollection 
alone contains the record of his whole 
life.. Hiftery, on the contrary, is the 
record of the human race ; it unites ages 
with ages, and preferves the filiation of 
. Nations; it is the common link of the 
great family of mankind ; it inftruéts the 
nations relative to their origin, their 
progrefs, and their grandeur; in one 
word, it reyeals to them all that they 
4M have 
