Retrofpee of French Literature.—Mifcellanies, 
The Chevalier de Blamon, after 
proving very fortunate in all his con- 
nexions with the fair fex, at length be- 
comes defperately in love with the 
Marchionefs de Ligny. When about 
to be married to this lady, fhe receives 
an anonymous letter, ftating him not 
oply to be a rake, but a vile feducer, 
capable of the greateft crimes. To do 
away the imprefilions occafioned by the 
receipt of this billet, the enraptured 
lover refolves to entertain his miftrefs 
with an account of his adventures, 
which are accordingly recited in the 
courfe of fifteen different evenings. It 
appears, however, that this, like too 
many other novels of the prefent day, 
is immoral, without being interefting. 
‘«*Memoire fur ’Amehoration. des 
Bétes a Laine, &c.”°—A Memoir on the 
Melioration of Sheep; by J: A. Ocigr, 
of the Atheneum of Poitiers, and of 
the Agricultural Society,of the depart- 
ment of Vienne. 
On account of the materials of 
which modern garments are now fabri- 
cated, the woollen-trade has become 
an object of great confequence to every 
ftate in Europe. France, we are here 
told, formerly furnifhed the furround- 
ing nations with wool and cloth, but 
for fome centuries paft, fhe herfelf, has 
become tributary in her turn, and is 
obliged to recur to other {tates for pro- 
duétions which fhe has negle¢ted to 
cultivate. 
During the 14th century Don Pedro, 
King of Caftille, being informed of 
the great advantages derived by the na- 
tives from the Barbary fheep, procured 
feveral individuals of that race, whence 
originated the Spanith breed, accounted 
fo valuable at this day throughout Eu- 
rope. Cardinal Ximenes to prevent 
that degeneracy, which was beginning 
to be vifible, afterwards imported a 
number of rams from Africa; and un- 
common attention has been fince paid 
tothe cultivation of this valuable clafs 
of animals. 
The furrounding ftates endeavoured 
to profit by this eventand in the courfe 
of the 15th century, Edward IV. of 
England, enriched his dominions by 
the, introduétion of a flock of 3000 
Spanith fheep, and Elizabeth was at 
great pains to renew the breed of rams. 
The Dutch have brought from 
their pofleffions in the Eaft, a race of 
wool-bearing animals, extremely valu- 
able on account of their fleeces. 
_ M. Ogier, the author of this little 
** 
- flocks. 
657 
work, and a diftinguifhed agriculturift 
of Diffay, near Poitiers, endeavours to. 
prevail upon his countrymen to pay a 
greater degree of attention to their 
He begins by blaming the com- 
mon practice of fhutting them up clofe-. 
ly during the night, and expofing them 
immediately afterwards to the cold air 3) 
he alfo condemns the cuftom of per-: 
mitting them to lie for months in their 
own dung, &c.; thefe pernicious prac- 
tices, according to him, deteriorate 
their wool, and fubjeét them to dif 
eafes. He accordingly recommends 
cjeanlinefs, and advifes the fhep- 
herd to difinfect the walls of the 
fheep-fold, by means of the muriatic 
acid, applied according to the procefs 
laid down by M. Guyton de Mor- 
veau, alfo to purify their habitations 
by frequent fumigations of juniper, 
and to remove their forage, fo as not 
to be infected with the unhealthy miaf- 
mata arifing from the bodies of thefe 
animals. 
‘‘ With thefe precautions, (fays he) 
the farmer will be enabled to double 
the products, as well as the price, of 
his flacks, and realize the affertion 
made by M. Delamerville, an au- 
thor of fingular merit, who fays, that 
he ought to find a crown under the feet 
of. every wether, and obtain from fix 
to twelve franks from every ewe,which . 
would. afford a profit of fifty per cent 
upon all his advances. 
‘¢ Précis de |’Hiltoire Ancienne, &c.” 
—A Summary of Ancient Hiftory, 
after the Manner of Rollin, contain- 
ing the Hiftory of the Egyptians, the 
Carthaginians, the Aflyrians, the 
Medes, the Perfians, and the Greeks, 
until, the. Battle of Aétium. By 
Jacques CorEenTIN Royou. 4 vols. 
8vo. 
The work on ancient hiftory which 
bears the name of Rollin, being con- 
fidered as too voluininous, the prefent 
has been drawn up forthe exprefs pur- 
pofe of fupplying its place.. The author 
has, on this eccafion, fupprefled the 
fine, harangues which fome have ad- 
mired fo much in the original,, but 
which others have not confidered as 
exactly conformable to the verity of 
hiftoric narrative. He has alfo left out 
thofe detailed recitals of battles, that 
occupy fo much fpace, and afford fo 
little fatisfa€tion, even to the military 
men of modern times. 
The firft volume treats of the Egyp- 
tians, the Carthaginians, the Alea. 
the 
