r86r.] 
A Gentleman, who has frequently inte- 
re(ted the public by original works of wit 
and humour, having, during a long, life, 
made an extenfive colle€tion of bon mots 
and witticifms from every poffible fource, 
foreign and domeltic, propofes ipeedily to 
publifh the fame, under the title of The Ez- 
cyclopedia of Wit. eae 
A periodical work is announced in oc- 
tavo, under the title of Beauties of Eng- 
Jand and Wales; or, Delineations topo- 
giaphical, hiftorical and deicriptive, illuf- 
trated with beautiful engravings. Much 
original information will be included in 
this undertaking ; a tour through various 
parts of the country to an extent of up- 
wards of 2000 miles having been expreflly 
made for the purpofe of taking views, 
making obfervations,, and eftablifhing a 
correfpondence with literary characters. 
A new and enlarged edition of an excel- 
lent pamphlet written fome years fince by 
Mr. Jonn Lewis, of Eaft Bergholt, on 
uniting and monopolizing farms, and the 
caufes of the high price of provifions, with 
notes adapting it to the prefent time, wall 
be publithed in a few days. f } 
The Rev.JounJongs, of Halifax, has 
juft publithed two volumes of a work pro- 
feffing to be ‘a Devolopment of remark. 
able Events calculated to illuftrate the 
Chriftian Scriptures, and the Chriftian Hif- 
tory.” 
M. Mirtrn, keeper of medals and 
other antiques in the National Library, 
has given a learned and ingenious expla- 
nation of a celebrated piece of antiquity 
which the colleétion poffefles, known by 
the name of Scipio’s Shield. Spon was 
the firft, who gave any defcription of this 
valuable relique; and he confidered the 
group of figures imprefled on it as repre- 
fenting the well-known ftory of the conti- 
nence of Scipio. Winkelmann, however, 
takes it to be the reftoration of Brifeis to 
Achilles, and fupports his opinion by very 
weighty arguments. M. Millin adopts 
the idea, and follows it up with a very 
erudite and accurate criticifm. The thield 
itfelf is of pure filver, weighing forty-two 
marcs, and twenty-fix inches imdiameter. 
It was found in the Rhone, in 1656, by 
fome fifhermen, who broke the edges to 
fee if it were filver. Not aware of its 
value, they fold it for a trifling fum toa 
filverfmith at Avignon, named Gregoire, 
who doubtlefs contulted fome antiquarian 
upon it, fince he did not confign it to his 
crucible. After taking a draught of it, 
he fent it to a jeweller at Lyons, who fold 
it toa M. Mey, an eminent amateur of 
Literary and Philofophical Intelligence. 
163 
antiques, by whom the broken pieces ywere 
fo well foldered, that no mark. of ‘their 
juncture could be perceived in front. On 
M. Mey’s death, it came to his fucceffor, 
a rich merchant; but he experienced many 
lofles in trade, and, through the medium of 
the P. de la Chaife, the fhield was pur- 
chafed for the king’s cabinet, where it has’ 
long been one of its moft valuable trea- 
fures, 
- C, Moreue, an inhabitant of the beau- 
tiful town of Montpellier, fo celebrated 
for the purity of its atmofphere, has late- 
ly publifhed a ftatiftical Effay, containing 
a feries of obfervations made for twenty 
fucceflive years in and about this town, 
replete with: valuable faé&ts on meteorology, 
nofology, and agriculture. It is rather 
fingular that this fhould be the firft at- 
tempt at ftatiftical enquiry publithed in 
France, if we except the accurate lifts of 
births, marriages and deaths annually pubs 
lifhed at Paris. C. Morgue has obferved 
the number ef births to be regularly about 
a feventh more in colder months than in 
the hot. The number is the higheft in 
January and the loweft in June. The 
marriages at Montpellier during twenty- 
one years have been 5926, or 282 yearly, 
on an average. The author obferves, 
however, that fince the revolution they 
have confiderably increafed, which he at- 
tributes to an increafe in population from 
the number of ftrangers who have taken, 
refuge inthis town. Perhaps too, it has 
been full as much affifted by the liberty 
which the laws now give to children to 
withdraw from parental authority. Rath 
engagements, feduétion, and an abufe of 
independence, which have thence enfued, 
have but too plainly fhewn the immorality 
of thefe laws. Comparing the marriages 
with the population, the author finds an- 
nually one marriage in 117 individuals. 
The births being annually 1193, and the 
marriages 282, it appears that fomewhat 
more than a fourth of thofé who are born 
are married. The falubrity of the air of 
Montpellier, and the reputation which at- 
taches to its medical fchool, draw thither 
a number of ftrangers, the greater number 
of whom are invalids, and thus the three 
hofpitals are chiefly filled with aliens, the 
poor of the town having a great averfion 
to thefe inftitutions, though managed with 
ereat care and integrity. The great dif- 
ference in the number of deaths indifferent 
years is chiefly owing to the ravages of the 
fmall-pox, the prejudice againft inocula~ 
tion being very ftrong, and almoft infur- 
mountable. Winter and {pring are lefa 
i ihe fatal 
