Vol. V.J Retrofpelt of F rench Literature—Belles Lettres. 
preffed bodies, and of particular emigrants, 
and ruined perfons, diminithes by two- 
thirds the fale, which was affured to works 
of labour and’ folidity, on their firft ap- 
pearance. The new rich peope have 
either not yet learned to read, or trouble 
themfelves very little about inftruétion. 
The ravages of war have withdrawn from 
Foreigners the means, .and almoft the de- 
fire, of purchafing the modern produétions 
of our prefs. As long as the reign of 
affignats lafted, they purchafed from us 
many books, which, as they were pro- 
cured for almoft nothing, tended to the 
real detriment of our trade; now they 
hardly buy a few pamphlets, and their 
“whole correfpondence is not capable of 
Occupying or maintaining two or three: 
fhops in this capital (Paris). The book- 
fellers, who, notwithitanding this ftate of 
things, fill wifh to hazard fome enter- 
prifes, cannot raife money, except at an’ 
exorbitant*intereft of fo much by the 
month, and can procure no credit with 
the paper-maker, or printer, fo that it is 
impofhibie for them to accomiplith any great 
object. 
«¢ Men of letters are not in a fituation 
lefs deplorable. © After having loft, for 
the moit part, their annuities or penfins, 
their places, their {cholars, &c. and fome » 
even their books, they have only a preca- 
rious exiftence, which has compelled many 
to embrace profeffions little analogous to 
their tafte; others, and thofe are the 
greaternumber, abandon their toils en- 
tirely, defpairing of deriving any advan- 
tage from them, or of ever feeing the 
fruits of their labours. If this ftate of 
things fhould continue, they will even 
furvive, as’ one may fay, their own 
thoughts; and the iffue of their long 
ftudies will be loft for this age and for 
ofterity. Young men of letters, a'a/‘med 
at the profpeét, muft, of neceility, re- 
Mounce a career, to which, in’ former 
rimes, glory, fame, which foumetimes fup- 
plies its place, confideration, fometimes 
even intereit invited them. What fhould 
they do now in that career? In a fhort 
time they will find neither judges, nor 
{peétators, nor. crowns ; foon becoming as 
deferted ‘as the ancient /ladium of Olym- 
pia, this career will only refound with the 
difcordant voices of fome barbarians.” 
It muft not, however, be concealed, 
that the journal whence this extraét is 
taken (Magazin Encyclopedique) is not 
favourable to the preient order of things 
in France.* That the property in works 
of vain erudition, and no utility to man- 
kind, fhould haye evaporated, cannot be an 
nations. 
539 
objet of much regret; and the new lite- 
. - . \ . ” 
rary inftitutions muft certainly furnith 
occupation and bread to greater numbers 
_of men of letters, than the ancient reg7men. 
Lettres de Platon, &c. Letters of Plato, 
‘tranflated from the- Greek by A. J. Du- 
gour, formerly Profeffor in the College of 
La Fleche, 12mo. ‘Thefe letters are well 
-known to the learned. The general 
reader will be chiefly attraéted by fome 
paffages on the Sicilian government, ap~ 
plicable to the prefent ftate of affairs in 
France. : f 
Effai fur les Quvrages, &c. An Effay 
on the Phyfico-mathematical Works of 
Leonarde de Vinci, Avith Fragments from 
his Manutcripts, brought from Italy ; by 
J. B. Venturi, 4to. pamphlet. Among 
the prizes derived from the French war 
in Italy, are thirteen volumes by the’cele- 
brated Leonardo da Vinci, who, endowed 
with extraordinary talents, was not only a 
capital painter, but alfoa fculpter, mufi- 
cian, mathematician, philofopner, excel- 
lent engineer. Venturi, refiding in 
France, obtained leave to infpeét tnefe 
volumes ; and having extraéted all that 
appeared worthy of publication, propofes 
to publifh, in feparate and complete trea~ 
tifes, ali that concerns mechanics, hydrau- 
lics, and optics. It appears from the 
prefent pamphlet, that Vinci, by his 
fublime genius, had, before the year 
1500, foreftalled many difcoveries, efteem- 
ed honourable to the two fucceeding cen- 
turies. At the end, Venturi gives a catae 
logue of Vinci’s piétures and drawings, 
and the prints taken from them, and forms 
a juft and high eftimate of the perfeétions 
of this furprifing painter. Rubens feems 
“juftly to have faid, that it was impoffible 
to exaggerate his praife, or to imitate’ his 
fkill. 
Eft fur les Antiquités, &c. An Effay 
on the Antiquities of the North, and on 
the ancient Northern Tongues, by Charles 
Pongeus, vo, This little work prefents 
a fhort analyfis of works on Northern 
Antiquities. But the French antiqua- 
riais are not much: verfed in this branch 
of learning; and we muft warn them 
againft two radical errors, 1. The runic 
piece on the ftory of Hialmar, republifh- 
ed by Hickes, and often referred to asa 
genuine monument, is a mere forgery: 
many late. Danifh, antiquarians have put 
this beyond all doubt: 2. A far more im- 
portant errors, that the French antiqua- 
ries, mifled by Pellontier, confound the 
two grand divifions of Scythic and Celtic 
The former fpake the Gothic 
tongue, from’ which fpring the Geman, 
cay ees Englifh 
