662 
tunity of conflruéting. One of the apart- 
ments of the dépsi contains models of 
fhips of war and other veficls, the ferirs of 
which fhews the progrefs of naval archi- 
teGiure for two centuries paft; and the 
models of the different machines employ- 
ed in the ports for the varicus-operations 
relative to building, «quipping, repairing, 
and keeping in order thips and vefleiscf war. 
Tie Dépét de la Marine publifhes new 
fea charis, where new obiervations or dif: 
coveries have rendered the ojd ones infuf- 
ficient; and che engineers belanging to 
the eftablifhment are cccationally detached 
to verify parts of the coaits of the French 
territory in Europe, o° any other part of 
the world. In the French navy, ccm- 
manders of fhips and veflels are tupplied 
with ufeful charts and atlafles of every 
defcription, at the expence of the nation. 
Thefe are delivered isto their care pre- 
vioufly to the fhip feaving pert. When 
acaptain is fuperieded in his command, 
he transfers them to his fueceficr; and 
when the fhip is put out of commiffion, 
they are returned to the proper office. 
The Dépét de la Guerre is an ehabliih. 
ment of no inferior importance: it was 
founded by Louvois, in 1688. Aé the 
beginning of its inftiiution, the depéi 
was no more than archives, where were 
colle@ed and preferved with oder, the 
memorandums of the generais, their cer- 
refpoendence, the accounis yet imrerfect, 
and the traces of anterior military ope- 
tations. The affiflance and advaniages, 
however, derived from this co!leStien alune, 
fuggelted the idea of affembling it under 
a torm and claffiicaticn mere methodical. 
Greater attention and exaétre’s were ex- 
erted in enriching the @éfot with every 
thing that might comple.e the theoretical 
works and pra¢tica! ciacidation of all the 
branches of the military art. Marfhal de 
Maillebcis, who wes appointed diredicr of 
this eflablifhment in 1730, was one of 
the firt authors of the pefent exifting 
orcer. But the moft impcrtant imp: ove- 
ment was made by M. de Choileui, who 
ettavlifed a corps of gecgraphicel engi- 
neers, and charced this dépét with the 
dire&tion of tuerr lebours. De Vaule fim- 
plified thefe decuments by retrenching 
what appeared fuperfiucus, and clafing 
the remaincer chrenologically under the 
head of a different army cr operation. 
During the late war, this eftablifhment was 
enriched by the n-unficence cf individuals, 
who gave to government the fcarcelt maps 
of their cabinets. The fuppiefhon of mo- 
nafteries and abbeys calicd to light thofe 
geographical treaiures which had long 
Retrofpec? of Domeftic Literature —Law. 
lain buried in obfeurity. Intelligent effi 
cers were placed in the dépét, and ro lefs 
than thirty-eight perfons were employed 
in drawing plans of campaigns, fieges, 
&c. Ma:hematicians and aftronomers 
were attached to the inftitution, and dif- 
patched to different places, and the dépét 
now contains one of the firit colle€tions in 
Europe of geographical works. It forms 
various fections of geographers, who are 
at prefent employed in confrudéting ac- 
curate maps of the four united depart- 
ments, Piedmont, Savoy, Helvetia, and 
the part of Italy comprifed between the 
Adige and the Adda. One feétion, in 
conjunction with the Bavarian engineers, 
is confruéting a topographical map of 
Bavaria; another is carrying into execu- 
tion the miliary furveys, &c. ordered by 
General Moreau, for the conftyuétion of a 
map of Suabia. It has juft publifhed an 
excellent map of the Tyrol, and refumed 
the continuation of the fuperb map of 
Verfailles. Since the year 1795, it has 
formed a library compofed of upwards of 
8000 volumes, or manu{cripts, the moft 
rare, as well as the moit efteemed, refpeét- 
ing every branch of the military art. 
The accomplifhed General Andreofly, 
at this time, is at the head of the eftablifh- 
ment, and is on the point of publifhing a 
periodical work, to ve entitled Mémorial 
du Dépot de la Guerre, the object of which 
is to unite the expolition of the knowledge 
neccflary for the dire&tion of the dépot, for 
geographical engineers, ftaff-officers, mi- 
litary men in general, and for hiftorians. 
We imitate the Fiench in their fooleries 
and frivolities, it would better become us 
furely to rival them in eftablifhments cf 
fuch high national importance as thefe 
are. 
Mr. RepHEaD Yorke’s “ Letters 
from France? ave fuficiently amufing ; 
the fame may be faid of Mr. Eyre’s 
‘* Obfervations made at Paris during the 
eace,”” ; 
<< Travels through France and Italy, and 
Part cf Auftrian France, and the Dutch 
Netherlands, during the Years 1741 and | 
17463; by thelate Rev.ALBERT BUTLER, 
Author of the Lives of the Saints.” 
The tlate of thefe countries fifty years 
ago difiers fo materially from that which 
they exhibit now, that it is interefling 
enough, after the pervfal of our modern 
tours, to compare them with the narrative 
which is unafte¢iediy given in this poit~ 
humous work. 
LAW. 
Under this head we have but little to 
notice, except the continuation of the va- 
rious 
