326 
that could not be enriched, no refearch, 
however intricate or remote, that could 
not be elucidated, by the inexhauftible 
powers of his mind. There are other 
authors whom I intended to have men- 
tioned; but as I have fome remarks to 
make upon the poem itfelf, I am fearful 
left I fhould trefpafs too long on the pa- 
trence of your readers. 
The profe part of the * Purfuits of 
Literature’ is mow generally allowed to 
poflefs very confiderable merit. The 
poetry, however, is not, I think, fufii- 
ciently admired. It is true, there are 
many profaic lines, which is perhaps oc- 
cafioned by their containing zames, and 
alluding to circumftances, which he di- 
lates and explains in his notes, rather 
than any want of poetical powers in the 
author himfelf. ‘To thofe who will not 
allow the writer ef the * Purfuits of Li- 
Yerature’’ to be a poet, I would point 
out, in the 1ft part, the elegant portrait 
ef the melancholy Gray, the fevere yet 
happy ridicule of Darwin, and the 
s¢ Chafe of the Commentators of Shak- 
fpeare.”’ In the 3d part, the defcription 
af the downfall of France, and the re- 
eeption of the emigrants by England; 
and in the laft part, (which is full of 
poetical beauties) the picture of a true 
"poet—a picture whiclt genius only could 
conceive, or genius execute. To ex- 
prefs the excellence of a painting we 
muft borrow the pencil and the colours 
ei the artilt; fo to give an adequate idea 
ef the manner in which the author of the 
&« Purfuits of Literature” has executed his 
picture, F muft borrow his own words, 
and fay, that he, 
With loftier foul, and undecaying might, 
Paints what he feels in characters of light. 
We fee the aerial vifions that furround 
‘the poet—we follow him to the ‘ wilder- 
wefs or wafte,’? where Defolation fpreade 
Ber gloom round the ruins of Tadmor, 
er Devotion fits mufing in the cloifters 
ef the Chartreufe. We gaze with him 
through the blaze of nee aibie light on 
the ‘* inexprefiive form,”’ or through im- 
enetrable darknefs on the tomh and its 
ge We hear with him the founds 
ef Harmony, and feel our paflions keep- 
ing ‘¢ dread accordance,’ rifing as the 
notes fwell, or fubfiding as they fall. 
And waking at laft frota the vifion of © 
Uclight in which we were entranced, we 
drop with him the tear of humanity over 
fife and its forrows. 'F. $. S&. 
Lliftory of Aftronomy for 1797 
_the year 8 is pretty far advanced. 
[ Noy. 
Faftory of Aftronomy for the fifth year of the 
French Republic, read at the opening of 
the fitting of the College of France, Nov. 
15th, 1797, by JEROME DE LALANDE, 
Director of the Otfervatory, and Infpec- 
tor of the College of France. 
( Concluded from page 268 of our laft number.) 
FY HE memoirs of the ci-devant Aca- 
demy of Sciences for 1790, printed 
three years ago, have been at length pub- . 
lifhed: this will be the laft volume of a 
great and important colleétion, confifting 
of 139 volumes. In this laf we find a 
large and learned treatife on the flux and 
reflux of the fea, by Citizen LapLace, 
in which the obfervations appear perfe@tly 
in agreement with the attraction of the 
fun and moon, by means of the theory of 
the motion of fluids, which is more ac- 
curately known at this day than when 
Newten, Euler, Bernoulli, and Maclaurin, 
publifhed their refearches; the firft re- 
fults of which £ gave in, my treatife on 
the fiux and reflux of the fea, with more 
than 2000 obiervations on the tides made 
at Breft at the beginning of this century. 
Citizen MONNERON has alto fent me 
fome ob{ervations on the tides, which he 
has colleéted in his extenfive and ufeful 
voyages, which will ferve me to complete 
the treatife on the flux and reflux of the 
fea, printed in 1781, and which | hope te 
publith anew with confiderable additions. 
Citizen Larcace has greatly advanced 
the theory ; and I truft I thall contribute 
largely to the mafs of taéts which are te 
form the ground work. 
We find, moreover, in this volume, the 
three comets of 1790, obferved by Citizen 
MessIER; many thoufand ftars obferved 
in the military fchool by D’AGELET and 
LEFRANCAIS; together with the obfer- 
vations and calculations which Citizen 
MsssieR and I have made on the dif- 
partion of Saturn’s ring in 1789 and 
1790. ; 
The Connotffance des tems, which is the 
manual of aftronomers and navigators, 
has appeared for the year 7, and that of 
In it 
we find the pofitions of more than go0e 
ftars which had not hitherto been ob- 
ferved, although vitible to the naked eye, 
which the female Citizen LsrraNncais 
has reduced according to the obferyatiens 
of her hufband. 4 
A catalogue of 146 ftars which have 
difappeared, or which at leaft are not in 
the places afigned them, whether they 
. are 
