§ 52 Retrofpelt of French Literature... Belles Lettres..Grammar, €5'c. 
joined. Thefe letters are of no great im- 
- portance, but will ferve to add to the 
knowledge of the life and fentiments of 
their eminent and extraordinary author. 
The editor is Charles Povgens. 
Melanges Extraits des Manujcrits de Mad, 
Necker. Mifcellanies extra€ted from the 
Manufcripts of Madame Necker; 3 vols. 
vo. The celebrated hufband of this lady, 
who is the editor of thefe volumes, informs 
us, that Mad. Necker had early adopted 
the cuftom of committing to paper the 
thoughts fuggefted to her by meditating 
upon the charaéters and events of the 
world. The guicknefs of her underfiand~ 
ing, and her turn for reflexion, made her 
journal very voluminous ; and it has af- 
forded the editor a feleét mifcellany of 
obfervations, maxims, critiques, é&c. wfhich 
he has given in the unconnected form in 
which they were written. They difplay 
an excellent heart, much fagacity and in- 
genuity, and a profound knowledge of 
mankind. Perhaps the paiion for faying 
hew and ftriking things has, in fome in- 
ftances, led her to over-refinement; but 
on the whole, her fentiments are as juft as 
her fiyle is elegant. 
Correfpondance de Voltaire, &c. Corre- 
fpondence between Voltaire and the Car- 
dinal de Bernis, from 1761 to 1777, 
publithed- from their original Letters ; 
with notes; by Cit. BoURGOING; 8vo. 
Thére are no doubts of the authenticity 
of thefe letters, which were communica- 
zed by the chevalier Azara, the intimate 
friend of the cardinal, and at prefent am- 
baflador from Spain to the French repub- 
jic. The letters are 99 in number. Moft 
of them relate to fubjeéts of literature ; 
fome to the public topics and events of the 
time. Voltaire in his, attacks religion 
without referve; yet he fends to the pope 
a formal atteftation, figned by the neigh- 
bouring clergy, of his regularity in per- 
forming the duties of a catholic at the 
church of Ferney. Bernis carefully avoids 
giving his fentiments on thefe fubjeéts, 
and preferves throughout the decorum be- 
Jonging to his character, His letters fhow 
an amiable [pirit, and a cultivated mind, 
and he frequently gives good. advice to 
Voltaire, which the latter was not very 
ready to take. ‘This correfpondence is a 
valuable addition to the works of either of 
thefe diftingutthed perfons. 
Correfpendance entre Frederic II. Se. 
Correfpondence between Frederic IJ, King 
of Prutha and the Marquis d’Argens, with 
the Epiltles of the King to the Marquis. 
z vols, 8vo. ‘The peculiar intimacy be- 
tween the king of Prolha and the marquis 
d’Argens, renders their correfpondence 
very interefting. Of thefe letters, the 
greater number are printed in the pofthue 
mous works of Frederic; but 59 are add- 
ed in this colleétion, of unfufpeéted au- 
thenticicy. 
NOVELS. 
Le Nouveau Diable Boiteaux, Gc. The 
new Devil upon Two Sticks (or Lame De- 
vil), a philofophical and moral Piéture of 
Paris; 2 vols. 8vo. Borrowing the plan, 
rather than the manners and fpirit of Le 
Sage, this writer makes his fiction fub- 
fervient to a great mafs of refie€*cns, po- 
litical, literary, moral, &c. rather of the 
grave, farcaftic, and philofophical caft, 
than of the light and humourous. Publie 
inftitutions of all forts pafs in review be- 
fore him, from thofe of the important de- 
partments in adminiftration, down to coe 
mic operas and ballets. He difplays con. 
fiderable reading and knowledge of the 
world; but his principles are. in many re- 
fpeéts, obje€tionable, and he betrays much 
f the arrogance and felf-conceit which 
charaéterife the modern fchool of reform- 
ers. 
GRAMMAR. 
Nouveau DiGtionnaire poriatif, Gc. A 
new portable Diétionary of the French 
Tongue, compofed from the laft Edition 
of Wailly’s Abridgment of Richelet, the 
Diétionary of Grammar and Literature in 
the Methodical Encyclopedia, &c 3 to 
which are joined, 1. An Exrraét of Freach 
Synonymes, from Girard, &c; 2. A Me- 
thod of Pronunciation; 3. The new Words 
and other Alterations introduced by the 
French Revolution; 4. A Geographical 
Vocabulary, with the Latin Names of 
Places; by C. M. GATTEL; z vols. 8vo, 
This is charaéterifed as the moft copious, 
complete, and ufeful diétionary of th 
kind. = | 
THEOLOGY. 
Letire du Citoyen Gregoire, Sc. A Let- 
ter from Cit. GREGOIRE, Bifhop of Blois, 
Reprefentative of the French People, to 
RamMon-JosePH DE ARCE, Archbifhop 
of Burgos, Inquifitor-general of Spain, 
This reply of Gregoire to the Spanifh 
archbifhop's letter to him in favour of the 
inquifition, is fuil of fenfe, and folidity of 
argument. 
PHILOSOPHY. 
Reveries, Sc. Reveries on the primitive 
Nature of Man, on his Senfations, on the 
Means of Happinefs indicated by them, on 
the State of Society which would preferve 
moft of his primordial Forms, by P. S8- 
NANCOUR. Firft Part. 8vo. The leading 
ideas or this author may be in part ga- 
thered 
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