Reirofpedt of French Literature—-Mifcellanics. 
with figured Prints; by E. P. Ven- ’ 
TENAT, of the National Inftitute, and 
oné of the Truftees of the Library of the 
Pantheon; 1 vol, folio,”’ 
The avowed object of this work is the 
publication of the coloured plates, and a 
defcription of the fine colleétion of plants, 
belonging to M. Cels, of the National 
Tnftitute. This naturalift has been occu- 
pied during the {pace of the laft thirty 
years, in procuring rare foreign trees, as 
wel] as fuch fhrubs as are hardy enough to 
live in the open air in France. In addi- 
tion to thefe, he alfo poffeffes feveral others 
confined to his hot-houfe and orangeries 
His colleétion is conftantly augmenting, 
either by means of exchanges with others, 
or the correfpondence of travelling natu- 
Falifts, who frequently fend him feeds. 
As Mr. Cels is principally occupied 
with the cultivation of plants, he has not 
been hitherto able to find time for a de- 
{cription of his vegetable treafures; he 
has thefefore entrufted this tafk to the 
careof M. Ventenat, his colleague in the 
National Inftitute; a botanift whe has 
already rendered himfelf celebrated by the 
publication of feveral much efteemed 
treatifes. 
The work confifts of ten fafcicule, each 
eompofed of ten plants, all of which 
have been defigned by M. Redonte, a 
man of avowed talents, and engraved 
by M. Sellier, one of the beft artifts in 
France. Of this collection, twenty plants 
are already known, but defcribed in an 
incomplete manner. Eighteen more, in- 
accurately defignated heretofore, are here 
elucidated in a more complete manner, 
and denominated anew. Sixty-two (pecies 
are abfolutely zezw, and confequently con- 
fer extraordinary value on this work.— 
They, of courfe, prefent a varied organi- 
zation, as the author, in his feries, is 
obliged to recur to about forty-five fami- 
fies of plants. 
In the courfe of this purfuit, he hag ac- 
quired fix new genera, which are added 
to the long feries already known. 
1. The caladium, which appertains to 
the family of the aroides, and differs in 
general refpects from the aruin, 
2« The lubinia, which approaches to 
the genus ly/imachia, and is diftinguifhed 
by an irregular corolla, as well as by = 
fruit which never opens. 
3. The chaptalia, which bears fome re- 
femblance to the perdicium. oo al 
4. The oliveria, which differs” from. 
the affrantia, by means of flowers, all of © 
which are fertile. 
5» The redutea, which poffeffes con- 
fiderable affinity to the fugiofa; and, 
Monrutry Mae. No, 1176 
i. 
697 
6. The dofiea, the d:ft nguifhing cha- 
racteriftic of which is its comprefled 
od, 
* Fables, par J. J. F. Botsarp; faifant 
Suite aux deux Volumes publiés en 1773 
and 1777.""—=Fables, by J. J. F. Boilfard ; 
being a Continuation of two Volumes, 
publifhed by him in 1773 and 1777 3% 
1 vol, 120. 
Artifts have painted after Raphael, and 
executed works of fculpture after Phidias ; 
it is not blameable, therefore, to compofe 
fables in imitation of La Fontaine. Here 
follows two or three fpecimens of the 
manner and talents of the author: 
LA BOULE ET LES QUILLES. 
Elle a le diable au corps cette boule 
maudite, 
Difoit tes quilles! rien ne réfifte 4 fes coups ! 
Sans qu’on puiffe jamais favoir ce gui |’irrite, 
Elle eft toujours en l’air pour fe jetter fur 
nous ! 
Du fracas que je fais, moi-méme je m’Gtonney 
Dit la boule 5 fans pied ni main. 
Sans aucun mouvement que celui qu'on mé 
donne, 
A qui fe troave en mon chemin 
Sans colére contre perfonne, 
Indifférente 4 tout, tout autant qu’il fe peut, 
Je fais, fans le voujoir, tout le mal que l’on 
veut. 
L‘ANE ET LES PASSANS, 
Je ne fais par quelle aventure, 
En beau chemin d’ailleurs, une ane dans uff 
trou 
S’étant mis, y reftoit enfoncé jufqu’au cou. 
Chaque paffant, fans foin ni cure, 
Et par fottife toute pure, 
S’en approchoit, le regarduit, 
Et tous ne manquoit pasde dire, | 
Mais pour s’étre mis la, comment donc a-t-i% 
fait ? 
Mefiieurs, répondit le baudety 
Apprenex-moi comme on s’en tires 
Je vous dirai comme on s’y met. 
LA VACHE ET SON VEAU, 
‘¢ La vache, en regardant fon veau, 
Difoit a Ja jument de chaffe : 
Mais voyez donc fauter mon veau ! 
Ne trouvez-vous pas que mon veal 
Galoppe avec tout plein de grace? 
Moi, je vous dirai qu’a mon veau, 
Je trouve toujours, quoi qu'il faffe, © 
Un je ne fais quoi qui me paffe, 
Et que n’a point tout autre veau, 
A quoi la jument un peu laffe 
De ce rabachage de veau, 
Répondit enfin: je vous pafle 
Votre engouement pour votre veaw i 
Je veux bien croire votre veau 
Un veau de la premiére clafle 5 
Mais aprés tout, ma chére, un veau. 
Ne peut jamais @tre qu'un veau.” 
4 _ Faflvencs 
& 
