Retrofpeé of French Literature—Mfcellaneous. 
manner; butit fo happened, that the 
wine of the country was deteftable, 
that the Colonel had prohibited play, 
under the fevereft penalties, that the 
wives were faithful, and the daughters 
virtuous! 
In this terrible extremity, they were 
actually reduced to the neceflity of 
finding refources within themfelves, 
and they accordingly refolved to make 
a fair and candid confeflion of all their 
adventures and intrigues. Theauthor, 
M. Couvret, endeavours to gratify 
the reader with variety at leaft, and we 
accordingly find {ome of the ftories gay 
and immoral,while others are not detti- 
tute of feeling and fentiment. 
“ Voyage Pittorefque, & Hiftorique 
de I"Iitrie, & de la Daimatie, &c.”"—A 
Picturefque and Hiftorical Detcription 
of Iftria and Dalmatia, drawn up from 
the Itinerary of L. F.Cassas; 
JoserpH LavalLLeEE, of the Poly- 
technic Society, &c. adorned with Cop- 
per-plates, Charts, and Plans, defigned 
on the Spot, by Caffas, Painter and 
Archite@, Author and Editor of 
the Picturefque Journey through Sy- 
ria, Phenicia, Paleftine, and Lower 
Egypt. 
Of this expenfive work, which was 
noticed by us before, fourteen’ num- 
bers have now been delivered to the 
fubfcribers, at the enormous price of 
210 franks. As fome compenfation 
however, for this fum of money, we 
are told that “the arts are greatly 
obliged to M. Caffas, who merely out 
of love for them triumphed over the 
fatigues and dangers infeparable from a 
journey of five or fix hundred leagues. 
But tew men (adds the Editor) were 
enabled to draw with {uch tafte, thofe 
fumptuous remains of ancient monu- 
ments, with which the Romans have 
enriched the countries here defcribed, 
and none perhaps were capable of ex- 
prefling thefe fingular and enchanting 
ituations, which nature, always more 
rich and varied in -her conceptions 
than the imagination of man, has been 
fo prodigal of, ina country hitherto 
but little known or defcribed. 
**Elemens de Statifque, &c.”—Ele- 
ments of Statifticks, 1 vol. 8vo. 
This is a Tranflation, by D.F. Don- 
NANT, of the Englifh treatife written 
by Mr. PLayrair, in which the latter 
by means of a fingle glimpfe, enables 
the reader to difcover the ftrength, po- 
pulation, and refources, of the Euro- 
pean ftates and their colonies. This 
by . 
649 
verfion contains a number of errors, 
and is incorreét in many places; the 
Tranflator has not even been at the 
pains to reduce the Englith miles, 
acres, and pounds fterling, into the 
correfpondent French quantities, an 
omiffion which renders the work far 
lefs valuable to his countrymen, than it 
would otherwife have proved. 
Précis de la Philofophie de Bacon, 
&c.”——-A Summary of the Philofophy 
of Bacon, and the Progrefs of the Na- 
tural Sciences, in confequence of his 
Precepts and Example, with an Ap- 
pendix relative to fome Points particu- 
larly connected with this Subjét. By 
TuAg De Loe. Cit: of Geneva, FR oe 
of Lendon, a Member of the Bata- 
vian Society, and Proteflor of Geology 
in the Univerfity of Gottingen. 2 vol. 
3V0. 
Bacon has equally diftinguifhed him- 
felf in England and on the Continent, 
by the valtnefs of his genius, the 
depth of his thoughts, the profundity 
of his reafoning, and the juttnefs of 
his conjectures. . In his work ‘* De 
Dignitate & Augmento Scientiarum,”” 
he examines the materials prefested by 
nature and {cience in his time, exhi- 
bits the defects of knowledge, and fur- 
nifhes precepts for the purpofe of ate | 
taining information. 
In his ** Novum Organum”’ he de- 
velopes his principles, and examines - 
the propertics of bodies, as. well as 
their connection with each other; and 
vimoft of his fubfequent writings are 
exprefsly dedicated to fimiliar’ pur- 
{uits. ‘ 
M. De Luc, a philofopher of fome 
eminence, being confcious of the ex- 
traordinary terit of this author, but 
aware, at the fame time, that many of 
his moft valuable ideas are fcattered 
through his works, in an unconneéted 
manner, has here affembled and pro- 
duced them in one uniform aflemblage, 
for the information and gratification of 
the public. 
The Profeffor attributes the neglect 
of Bacon to the prevailing opinions of 
the times, which have been unfavour- 
able to a man, who has been ftudious to 
render philofophy fubordinate to reli- 
gion. He, at the fame time, criti- 
cifes the new tranflation of his works 
by Lafalle, attacks the geological de-. 
{cription of South America by M. 
Humboldt, and accufes the celebrated 
but eccentric Kant, of leading man- 
kind into a variety of new errors. 
‘cA la 
