60 
the clafs which was afterwards diftin- 
guifhed by the title of moblefe. All the 
inhabitants that did not belong to this 
clafs, were fubjected to the fervitude of the 
glebe; unlefs we may except certain arti- 
fans refiding in the cities, and who were 
almott all aliens. “As by the feudal laws 
the vailal could not diminith his fief, it was 
necefiary that the inhabitants fhould be, in 
fome meature, as galley-flaves, chained to 
the oar. The cultivators, tied down to 
the lands which thev occupied, were di- 
vided into fevergl claffes, fubie& to diffe- 
rent degrees of fervitude. All were fold 
or delivered over with the lands, juft like 
the cattle of the farm. In vain did the 
immediate lord give liberty to his ferf; 
the wretched feet might | be reclaimed by 
the fuyerior lord ; and even might be fo, 
although he were a clerk, prieft, or eccle- 
fiaftical dignitary. The itmprovident bi- 
fhop who had admitted him into the ehurch 
was obliged to degrade him. 
Liberty was only pofiefled by the pofte- 
rity of the conquerors, and of fuch Gauls 
as had favoured the conqueror, and had 
paid him homage. A number of texts, it 
is true, reprefent the people as enjoying 
liberty, and even fometimes taking part 
in the legiflation;. but, in difcufling thefe 
ee Citizen Levefque proves, that the 
people of which they make mention, were 
only the people of the Franks, that is, the 
pofterity of the conquerors; the fat it- 
felf, indeed, is often expreffed in a formal 
manner. . 
Never, under the two firft dynafties, is 
there any mention made of the interefts of 
the cities, of their liberties, or rights; 
which is, becaufe they had none. Some 
ats which are fill extant, plainly fhow 
that burgefles were fold, given away, and 
‘exchanged. We even find, under the reign 
of Louis IX. long after the eftablifhment 
of the Commons, the Count of Champagne 
making a prefent of one of his burgefles 
to a gentleman his vaffal. 
Such are the principal topics of the two 
fir chapters of the work of Citizen Le- 
vefque. Wehave not room to introduce 
into this ex'raét the different arguments 
alleged in favour of the fyftem which the 
author is defirous to eftablifh. 
Tronly belongs to a fuperior underftand- 
ing, (fays Citizen Levefque,) to render to 
men their natural rights, by enlightening 
at once the oppreffors and the oppreffed. 
Let us not, (fays he,) degrade inftruétion, 
by lavithing falfe eulogiums on the ages 
of barbarifm Ignorance alone cannot dif- 
cover all the evils that have afflicted hu- 
manity, in the times of ignorance; infin- 
Procecaings of Learned Sacicties. 
[ Aug. 1, 
cerity may, however, diffemble them. Let 
us confefs, that we only find among fa- 
vases the firft rudiments of the intelleGual 
faculties, and among barbarians nothing but 
infitutions as barbarous as themfelves.”” 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL 
IRISH ACADEMY. . 
METEOROLOGY. 
R. KIRWAN begins a very elabo- 
rate and excellent Effay on the va~ 
riations of che atmofphere, by lamenting, 
that though the fcience of Meteorology 
has been cultivated with much ardour in 
many parts of Europe, ever fince the dif- 
covery of the gravity of the fluid that fur- 
rounds us, yet it mu be acknowledged 
thae very little progrefs has been made in 
it. In every other branch of phyfical {ci- 
ence, from a knowledge of the caufes we 
are enabled to forefee effects ; but from a 
knowledge of the a&tual ftate of the tem- 
perature, gravity, elafticity, and eleétri- 
city of th atmotphere, who can with cer- 
tainty forefee what it fhall be the next 
day ? 
The obftacles whigh originally obftruct- 
ed the advances in this {cience were, the 
want of inftruments, and general ftandards 
to which all objervations might be refer- 
red ; interruptions of the ebfervations of 
the ftates of the atmofphere, and the want 
of opportunities of comparing the obfer- 
vations of one place with thofe of others 
in different and diftant ftates in the fame 
hemifphere ; the negleé& of obferving the 
fuperior currents of the atmofphere, and 
tne neglect of maritime obfervations, 
which being freeft from all local infla- 
ences, are, by far, the moft inftruétive, 
and fhould, if poflible,-be made in all de- 
grees of longitude and latitude. 
Many of thefe obftacles have been long 
fince removed by the invention of hygro- 
meters, barometers, thermometers, elec- 
trometers, and anemometers. As a /land- 
ard, thirty inches may be affumed as the 
natural height of the barometer at the 
Jevel of the fea in moft temperatures be- 
tween 32° and 82°. And knowing the true 
height of any part of the earth, we may, 
by (ubtra&ting that height, expreffed in fa- 
thoms, from the log. of 30, viz. "477121, 
find the Jog. which indicates the number of 
inches at which, as its natural mean, the 
mercury fhould ftand at that height over 
the level of the fea. Thus, fuppofing 
the height to be 8q-feet, equal to 14°50 
fathom, then"477121—14°50== "475671, 
which is the log. of 29°93 and this is the 
natural mean height of the barometer at 
4 the 
