382 
Citizen LanGLes, after having laid 
before the public a Yatar-Mantchou 
grammar and difiionary, propoles to give 
the explication in a feries et notices, of 
the Tatar-Mantchou works now in the 
Watronal Library. Of thefe there are 
more than three hundred volumes. 
This language is nor only rich in the 
productions of thofe’ who fpeak it, but 
aifo abounds with tranflations from Mog- 
“hol, Thibet, and Chinefe works: it may 
fupply in a great meafure our defe& of the 
knowledge of the Chincfe language, fo 
gamous fer its dificulties. In ta@, fince 
the year 1644, that a dynafty of Tatar- 
Wlantehou princes have reigned in China, 
their language has been introduced into 
the country, and the beft or mcft famous 
books of the Chinefe have been tranflated. 
itis in the Tatar-Mantchou language, 
that the emperor of China, Kien Long (the 
fame to whom Voltaire addreffed an epiftle 
am verie, probably better written than 
thofe of his majefty ), has compofed!pcems 
ym which he makes himfelf a defcendant 
from a virgin who became pregnant by 
the favour of heaven, after having ate a 
red fruit. In the National Library are 
2lfo the poem of Mouvk-Den and that of 
Zé, works of the fame illuftrious poet 
who is perhaps yet alive. At leaft he 
was fo in the fecond and third years of 
the republic, at the time of the embafly of 
Lord Macartney: he was then 85 years 
of age. 
Citizen RiBpowD, an aflociate member 
of the Inftitute, has tranfmitted to the 
clafs two infcriptions- found at Bourg in 
the department of Ain. He there found 
the rums of atomb,ereéted by a difconfo- 
fate widow, to her fpoufe, whom fhe had 
eaufed to be embalmed, in order to pre- 
ferve his precious remains. Our fellow- 
member MonGEZz has proved that thefe 
infcriptions were tickets, notes, or titles 
aiixed by an empiric to a balm which he 
vended, as a-reftorative for the eye-fight, 
The-analogy of thefe infcriptions, with 
many others already known and. explained, 
jeaves little room to queftion the verity of 
this laft conjecture. Citizen Mongez has 
taken cccafion to prefent us with fome ex- 
planaiory remarks on the fearcenefs and 
price of the real balm of Mecca, or balm 
f Judea, which was the opobalfamum of 
-theantients. 
Citizen PEyRE has read a memoir on 
the danger of conflagration, to which the 
national library is expofed by the vicinity 
of the treafury, and of the other buildings 
which furround it; but elpecially by that 
of the theatre of arts, Our fellow-member 
Proceedings of the National Infiitute. 
Fyaad 
gives us, however, fome encouragement, ~ 
by jhewing that all proper mealures have 
been take to prevent any misfortnne ; 
all, except one, which would be very 4m- 
ple, but very infaliible, that of tranfport- 
ing the national. library to fome other 
edifice. 
Citizen BERENGER, an afleciate mem- 
ber, has tranfmitted to the clafs, a can- 
tata, to fet to mufic for the feftival of the 
foundation of the republic. 
Citizen LEBLANC has read a difcourfe 
in verfe on the necefjity of the dramatic, or 
of the pathetic, i2 all kinds of poefp. 
Citizen Duets has read an epiftle, ad- 
_ drefied to Citizen LEGOUVE, on this fub- — 
ject: He ought not to mingle the horrible 
and the agreeable in the arts. 
Citizen COLLIN HARLEVILLE has 
read an allegorical poem, in two cantos, 
intitled, ** Afelpomene and Thaha.” 
Citizen GiBELIN, an aflociate mem- 
ber, has read a memoir on the antique 
ftatue, known by the name of “ Gladiator 
of Borghefe ;” a bronze of which is to be 
feen in the garden of the Tuileries. It is 
pretty generally underftood, at prefent, 
that the name by which this antique figure 
is defignated, is not the propereft one. 
When it was difcovered m the ruins of 
Antium,. the right arm was wanting, 
Thofe who had it in charge to replace it, 
deceived by appearances, put the hilt of a 
{word into the hand of the arm which they 
were reftoring. This firft miftake pro- 
duced many others. Our fellow-member, 
MonGEY, proved, in a differtation pub- 
lifhed but lately, that this pretended gla- 
diator is really an athlete. Citizen Gibe- 
lin admits this explication, and pufhing it 
further, propofes this queftion: What is 
this athlete doing? His conjecture is, 
that heis playing at ball. This he founds 
on the circumftances of the ftatue’s afpeét 
being direéted into the ait, on the moyve- 
nent of the left arm, on the attitude of 
the body, but particularly on a fa&t which 
firft fuggefted this idea to him, and which 
firuck him,’ as he exprefles it, like a ray 
of light.—Thus he relates the matter 
himfelf, 
“‘ Tt is neceflary (Citizen Gibelin -is 
{peaking) that I recall to my memory the 
time of my ftudying at Rome; that time, 
the remembrance of which is always dear, 
when the imagination, aroufed by youth- 
ful ardour, eagerly receives the iraprei- 
fions which are to influence it during the 
reft of life.” 
<¢ Ajlow me to tranfport you for an 
inftant into thofe places, incefiantly pre- 
fent to my memory, which nature feems 
* 
rae 
