1802.] 
racter of the former gentleman is well- 
known to the philofophic world; and as 
to the latter, he is, if I am fiot miftaken, 
a gentleman of great refpectability and an 
ingenious writer, ready to ufe his pen, 
either in behalf of his friend, orto en- 
large the narrow bounds of human know- 
ledge. 
Much more might be faid concerning 
the prefent imperfections of light-houfes, 
and the neceflity of encouraging improve- 
ments. yf 
For my own part Iam perfuaded, that 
the art of exhibiting lights to be feen at a 
great diftance is {till very far from being 
arrived at the higheft degree of perfection; 
it is therefore much to be wifhed, that the 
Corporation of Trinity Houfe would di- 
rect their attention, once more to this 
important fubject. 
Lynw Regis, Lam Sir, 
March zd, 1802. Your’s &c. 
E. WALKER. 
eae FE 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
PRESENT STATE of LITERATURE 7” 
RUSSI Ae . 
Ges truly-glorious and revivifying 
Government of Alexander I. pro- 
mifes new life and vigour to the arts and 
{ciences throughout his immenfe empire. 
Incredible, indeed, was the preffure of 
the rigorous genius-deftroying reftric- 
tions and prohibitory edicts under the 
reion of Paul, of the ftate of whofe mind, 
continually tormented with fufpicion, but 
in other refpe&ts endowed with many good 
qualities, fo ftriking a piéture has been 
drawn by Kotzebue, in The Moff Remark- 
able Year of his Life, of which a RuMian 
tranflation too has been publifhed. Dur- 
ing that inaufpicious feafon, only a few 
plants fprung up here and there in the 
garden of Ruffian literature, chiefly in 
Peterfburg, and for the glorification of 
imperial inftitutions. Among thefe, for 
inftance, may be reckoned the ‘* Kabinet 
Petra Velikago ;”——or, Cabinet of Peter 
the Great, written in the Ruffian language 
by Jofeph Bieliajev, under-librarian to 
the Academy of Sciences, and f{plendidly 
printed in 1800, at the expence of the 
Academy, in three large quarto volumes. 
It is intended to be a catalogue of the 
books, natural curiofities, works of art, 
medals, ‘pictures, and other treafures 
which the Academy founded by Peter the 
Great poficffés: but it is to be feared, 
that this lift itfelf wili fwell to a library, 
if the fucceeding parts fhould be written 
in the fame {pirit as the three firft, The- 
Prefent State of Literature in Ruffia, 
-blifhed. 
Q15 
firft volume contains only the relics of 
Peter the Great, with five plates, com- 
prehending even the produétions of his 
turning-lathe which are preferved, as is 
well known, in a feparate apartment. The 
fecond volume gives fome but extremely 
defective accounts of the Academic Li- 
brary, in which there are two thoufand 
nine hundred and fixty-four Ruffian works, 
(and among them no lefs than three hun- 
dred and five Ruffian romances!) and one 
thoufand three hundred and fifty manu- 
{cripts, (two hundred and thirty-fix of 
them Chinefe, and four hundred and ten 
relating to the hiftory of Ruffia). In the 
third volume, the cabinet of medals is il- 
luftrated. It is really aftonifhing, how 
many curiofities and exquifite works of 
art have from every part of Europe been 
collected in Peterfburg, efpecially under 
the reign of Catherine II, What trea- 
fures of art and literature are to be found 
only in the Imperial Hermitage! Here, 
for inftance, is the moft valuable and com-« 
plete collection of ancient engraved gems, 
of which the celebrated colleétion of the 
Duke of Orleans compofes only a {mall 
part. Here the libraries of Voltaire and 
Diderot are placed, containing their ma- 
nufcripts, and manufcript-notes on the 
margins of the books. M. Von Kohler, 
a German, is the keeper of thefe trea- 
fures ; and the antiquarian writings which 
he has publifhed in the French and Ger- 
man languages, fufficiently prove him to 
be a proper perfon for fuch an office. Ic _ 
is, however, an unfortunate circumf{tance 
for the reft of Europe, that it is difficult 
to learn, what has been fwallowed up by 
thefe repofitories on the banks of the Neva. 
It is therefore tu be lamented, that the 
{plendid Defcription of the Michaelowit- 
zian Palace has fince the death of Paul 
been difcontinued. From what Kotzebue 
has faid concerning it in the fecond vo- 
lume of the above-named elteemed publi- 
cation, one may guefs, what immenfe 
quantities of curiofities it contained. At 
prefent only the three large engravings of 
the external views of the now deferted 
Palace, are to be obtained at the price of 
forty rubles. Of Gatfchika too, the fa- 
vourite refidence of Paul, and which the 
new Emperorhas prefented to the Emprefs- 
mother, we have a view in fix large fheets, 
engraved before the death of the late Em- 
peror, and giving us at leaft a general 
idea of the plan of the extenfive pleafure- 
grounds, &c. 
There is no longer any doubt, that the 
new Univerfity at Dorpat will be efta-, 
This inititution has already coft © 
Ff2 : ; the 
