47% Sixty Articles of Literary and Philofopbical Intelligentes Juné ¥3 
That formidable hydra, the board of 
eenfure, which prevented fo much good in 
Bavaria, and occafioned fti!! more evil, by 
fupporting ignorance and fuperftition, is 
indeed anninilated: but ftill there exift 
there a numerous band of enemies of know= 
ledge. The eleétor, animated with an 
enlightened zeal forthe interefts of his fub- 
jects and of humanity, is taking meafures 
to iittroduice a genegal toleration into his 
dominions: but his good intentions aie 
counteraéted, and the hatred manifefted, 
which the greateft part of the Bavarians 
beae to thofe of a different perfuafion. 
Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate are not 
yet ripe for the introduction of toleration, 
nor indeed for moft of the reforms made 
by the philanthropic Maximilian Jofeph: 
The Ex-jefuits, who ftill breathe forth 
poifon, and the numerous hoft of lazy 
monks, the moft of whom flumber away 
their life in eafe and torpid indolence, in- 
ftead of cultivating the {ciences, ftill pof- 
fefs too great an influence over the minds 
of the people. And they have moreover 
ealled tn to their aid their neighbours, the 
Augfburghers, who tire not in labouring 
to effect the perdition of the human race. 
Tt is even afferted, that the Ex-jefuits of 
Augiburg again wear, as they formerly 
did in the plentitude of their glory and 
power over heaven and earth, ftiff collars 
to their cloaks, and have acquired a great 
afeendency over the catholic part of the 
mapiiracy. 
On the 5th of Jaft Nivofe (27th Decem- 
ber) at four o’clock in the morning, C. 
iecHaINn difcovered a comet near the 
fiat figma of the dragon. It was_ diftin- 
guifhable by the naked eye, and had a de- 
gree of tail. It was moving towards the 
fouth. This will be the 91ft, according 
to the catalogue of C. LALANDE. 
The family of Robert Paul LAMANON 
has depofited. with the keepers of the ma- 
nufcripts in the national library of Franee 
an interefting manufcript of this learned 
and unfortunate naturalift, fo cruelly mur- 
dered by the favages in the voyage of dif- 
covery under La Peyroufe. It is in foko, 
containing about soo pages, entitled, 
&* Mareriaux d’un ouvrage fur lorigine et 
Ja formation des montagnes, des vallies, et 
des plaines”’ : 
The French, ever defirous to turn adif- 
puted point to certain advantage, have 
made the controverfy which began in the 
gommencement of this year, as to ** evbat 
century are we in,” the fubjcét of a co= 
medy at the theatre du Vaudeville. Un- 
der the character of a M. Precis, a fathe? 
is fefolved nor to marry his daugzhtér before 
the firft day of the new centufy: Surville 
gad Eliza, the daughter, with whom he is 
in love, are impatient for that alliance, in2 
fitting that the propitious day has arrived ; 
but an uncle; who has a fum of money to 
pzy whenever the matriage fhould take 
place, and a Mademoifelle Antivieux, not 
willing to be older by a year, infift that the 
nineteenth century doe’ hot commence till 
i801. The difpute is referred to Mr. 
Star the aftrohomét;- to influence whofe de- 
cifion, Mademoilelle Antivieux promises 
her hand and heart as a reeompence for the 
defiredj arbitration: on the other Surville 
threatens him with a duel, the terrors of 
which force a verdict according to the 
wifhes cf the two lovers. The father 
figns the contract: but Belval arrives after 
with proof that the century does not com- 
mence till 1861, but there was no retra- 
cing thei fteps; and the loyers are happily 
united. ee 
It is a fingular circumftance, while the 
works of the German dramatifts are lead- 
ing the public tafte in Paris and London, 
that two of the moft eminent writers of that 
nation, ScH1LLER and Goruae, fhould bs 
engaged in adapting fome of the beft French 
and Englifh plays to the German iftage ; 
the former of thefe is employed about a 
liberal tranflation of the Macbeth of 
Shakelpear, and the Jatter has juit finifhed 
a {pirited imitation of Voltaire’s Zaire. 
A remarkable fact concerning the Ea- 
nius excubitor (great thrike of Pennant) 
has lately been obferved in America, 
This bird is called by the German colo- 
nifts of the United States Neun-todter 
(nine-killer) from a praétice popularly at- 
tributed to it, of killing zize grafhoppers 
every day, and flicking them onthe thorns» 
about which it haunts. The fact of its 
thus killing grafhoppers by empaling 
them, appears {ufficiently afcertained,and 
it is equally proved that thefe grafhop- — 
pers form no part of the food of this birds 
The common people attribute this fingular 
aétion to mere wantonne{s. Mr. Heckwel- 
der however, who fends this account to the 
American Philofophical oa fuppoles 
that this extraordinary inftiné& is merely 
intended to ferve the purpofe of a lure to 
entice the {mall birds to the fpot, where 
the fhrike fits in wait to devour themy 
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