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[Supe 
oh RETROSPECT OF THE PRESENT STATE OF 
FRENCH LITERATURE. 
(To be continued in our future Supplements.) 
yn compiling this retrofpeét, we hall 
chiefly have recourfe to the two lite- 
vary Journals now publifhing at Paris. 
The Decade Pbhilofophique appears every 
ten days, about thirty-fix numbers form- 
ing a years; it confitts of four fheets, 
large o€tavo, and the price is thirty francs 
by the year, or zi. 5s. about ninepence 
each number. The Magazin Encyclope- 
dique is publifhed every fortnight, and 
confifts of nine fhevis, o¢tavo ; fix volumes, - 
of four numbers each, complete the year*. 
Thefe twenty-four numbers coft thirty-fix 
francs, or 1]. 10s. each number about 1s. 
3d. We confefs. we much prefer the 
form, and time of publication, obferved in 
the Englifh journals. 
HISTORY. 
Hiftoire des Vaudors, &c. The hiftory 
of the Vaudois, inhabitants of the weftern 
vales of Piedmont, 2 vols. 8vo. Thefe 
people are already noted in ecclefiaftic 
ftory; their name 1s derived from the 
valleys which they inhabit on the weft of 
Piedmont, between the Briangonnois and 
the province of Pignerol, between the 
marquifate of Suza and chat of Salluces. 
Thete valleys form a fquare of about 
twelve Italian miles; their chief deno- 
minations are Luzerne, Perouze, and St. 
Martin: the population exceeds 
17,000 fouls. In this {mall recefs, reli- 
gious liberty and perfecution have long 
ftruggled. The author, himfelf a Vau- 
dois, delineates thefe ftrogeles in an inte~ 
refting manner. c 
Hifforre des Revolutions, &c. The hif- 
tory of thofe celebrated revolutions which 
have changed the face of empires, 3 vols. 
8vo. This work comprifes confpiracies, 
as well as revolutions. The firft volume 
begins with the confpiracy of Arbaces 
againft Sandanapalus, and ends with that 
of the Swils againft the Houfe of Auttria; 
the fecond prefenis thofe of the north of 
Europe; and the third, thofe of Spain, 
Portugal, Italy, and France. ‘This col- 
leétion of thofe fcenes, which are moft 
ftrikinz in the drama of hiftory, cannot 
fail to be interefting. ; 
Hifteive de la Revolution de Pologne, en 
3794, par un témoin oculaire, a Paris, chez 

* This journal is inferior to the other, being 
filled with infipid antiquities by the antiquary 
Millin, the publither, 
not, 
MAGINET, Quai des Auguflines, An. VI, 
8vo. 
The diffolution of Poland, and her Jaft 
convuifive ftruggies, belong, no doubt, to 
the prominent features of our evencful 
era; and yet, the latter military operations 
in that country were hitherto invoived in 
a myfterious darknefs, which the hifiorian, 
whote only fources of information were the 
partial reports of Ruffian generals, was hi- 
therto not able to difpel. This work is, 
-therefore, the more important, as it con- 
tains the accounts of the oppofite party, 
and is written by a man, who, having 
been an eye-witnefs of the tranfaétions he 
relates, defcribes them, though. with fome 
apparent generous bias towards thé caufe 
of opprefied liberty and juftice, yet with 
fidelity and truth. His work 1s divided 
into two parts ; the firft of which contains 
a brief account of the Polith revolution ; 
and the fecond; twenty-four ftate- papers 
relative to that event. After having 
briefly delineated the internal ftate of 
Poland, previous to the year 1794, and 
the reign of the late king Sraniflaus, 
againft whom the author adduces the 
charge of timorous irrefolution, and want 
of fincerity towards the infurgents, he 
unfolds the fecret fprings of the revolution 
which broke out in 1794, and relates the 
events of the war againft the Ruffians; 
the iffue of which, from the obvious in- 
fufficiency of means, could not but prove 
unfortunate. The hiftorical account con- 
cludes with the capture of Prague, and 
the difbanding of the army of the infur- 
gents, which was immediately followed 
by the political d:ffolution of Poland. 
Eifloire abréyée des Republiques, anceennes 
‘ modernes, par le Citoyen BALARD, 
avec figures, a Paris, ches CAILLOT, Im- 
primeur Librairé, V An. yi. 4 vol. 12m0. 
This work affords an additional proof 
of the truth of an obfervation, which has 
been as frequently contefted as made, that 
the French revolution ciffers from fimilar 
events recorded in thé annals of hiftory, 
mercly from a peculiar complexion. of cir- 
cumftances, and the temper of the times. 
The author gives a brief hiftorreal account 
of ancient and modern republics, and de- 
lineates, in a pleafing manner, their ori- 
gin, organization, and the caufes of their 
decline and downfall. The work com- 
prifes the Grecian republics of Athens, 
fae Lacedemon, 
