254 
ty in every one who has made‘a long refi- 
dence in a foreign country, where he has 
enjoyed the comforts of life; and operates 
ftill more forcibly in refpeét of a country 
where foreigners are kept under fo many 
political reftrictions, when, by a peculiar 
indulgence, fuch reftriétions are not only 
foftened, or entirely laid afide, but when 
every opportunity is afforded for employing 
time in agreeable and ufeful purfuits.— 
Such was my fortunate predicament ; but, 
though I fhall always preferve a grateful 
remembrance of this diftinguifhed favour, 
3t will never prompt me to make exagge- 
Explanation of Mr. Titfingh. 
[April 15 
rations, which might fubje&t me to rae 
tional critici{m. 
I fhall efteem it incumbent on meto 
correct, by a proper detail in one of your 
future Numbers, all the errors in the 
abovementioned extract, in order to pre- 
vent the wrong impreflions its contents 
may make on the minds of your readers. 
In the meanwhile, you will oblige me by 
inferting this letter immediately after the 
faid extract. I am, Sir, 
No. 63, Pall-Mall. Your’s &c. 
March 21, 1800. ‘J. Tirsincu, 


ProcEEepDInes at large of the NATIONAL INSTITUTE of France, on the 
4th of Fanuary, 1800, as publifbed by the Secretaries. 
= Se 
AN ACCOUNT of the PROCEEDINGS 
of the CLass of MORAL and POLITI- 
CAL SCIENCES, during the LasT QUAR- 
TER of the YEAR 7, READ on the 4th 
of JANUARY, 1800.—By C. CHAM- 
PION, the SENIOR Of the CLASS. 
OUCHAUD read a fourth Effay on 
B the Magiftrates of the Roman Colo- 
Ries and Municipal towns. Several dif- 
tinguifhed literati, Sigonius, Marc Welfer, 
Spanheim, and others, have written upon 
the Roman Colonies with much erudition. 
‘Tctheir refearches, C. Bouchaud has added 
feveral valuable obfervations. After treat- 
ing of the efiablifhment of the colonies 
and municipal towns, he proves that they 
had neither the fame political rights, the 
fame laws, nor the fame immunities; and 
he explains the particulars in which the 
difference conffted. He takes a view of 
the different magiftracies of the municipal 
towns and colonies, afcertains their powers ; 
and thus afcending to the firft elements of 
the fyfiem of adminiftration among the 
Romans, he difcovers their true manners, 
and the origin of their ufages. Ina word, 
he fhows, that their magiftracies were 
eftablifhed from the very commencement, 
on the model of thofe of Rome. Thus 
Rome,.in order to preferve unity of go- 
ernment, and flill more from motives of 
‘dextrous policy, left her allies in poffeffion 
of the forms, while fhe appropriated to 
herfelf the entire fubftance of fovereignty. 
‘The magiftrates bore the names of 
Pretors, Confuls, and Dictators, as well 
as thofe of Rome. Were thefe their pri- 
mitive or ufurped denominations? This 
queftion forms the principal fubjeét of the 
fourth effay, which difplays at once pro- 
found erudition and jound criticifm, 
the French Kings of the third race. 
ANQUETIL read a paper on the pro- 
grefs made in colleéting the Ordinances of 
The 
Inftitute is defirous of continuing that 
immenfe work, begun by the late Aca~ 
demies, and carried already to the extent 
of x4 volumes, including the reign of 
Louis XI. The merit of this colle@tion 
is, that it prefents, in the order of time, 
a faithful picture of the manners, the 
prejudices, the ufages, and the various 
degrees of the civilization of ouranceftors. 
But the deftruction of many archives dur- 
ing the Revolution, the miflaying and dif 
arrangement of many others, rendered the 
labour {o tedious and painful, that nothing 
but the moft inflexible perfeverance could 
have any chance of fuccefs. Anquetil, 
ftruck with this almoft irreparable mis- 
fortune, determined to refcue from obli- 
vion certain other curious manufcripts, 
never yet publifhed, of which he will foon 
give us an account. Thefe are the effays 
written in competition for the prizes given 
by the Academy of Infcriptions. He has 
already given us an abftraét of the paper 
which obtained the firft prize in 1735, 
and of which the fubject is—** What was 
the ftate of the fciences throughout the 
extent of the French monarchy under” 
Charlemagne?” Thefe labours will pre- 
ferve; for the benefit of literature and 
hiftory, a colleétion of refearches as cu- 
rious as ufeful. 
CaMus read a paper on the collection 
of great and fmall Voyages. Under this 
name is known an immenfe collection of 
Voyages made to the two Indies, the firft 
editor of which’ was Theodore Debry. 
This fearce colleSiion is particularly vae 
luable on account of the great number 
of authentic documents and plates which 
: it 
