Retrofpec? of French Literature —Mifcellanies, 
frit alfo gieat impartiality and acutenefs. 
‘Typography, ashe juitiy obferves, confifts 
im the art of forming the moveable types, 
er ground-work of-the copies which are 
to be taken of any difcourfe, &c. The 
art of forming this typs, as formerly, by 
means of folid plates, 1s no more than the 
art of engraving, applied to the reprefen- 
tation of a written diflertation. Accord- 
ing to him, nevher the fubftance of the 
characters, nor the manner of cutting 
them, ought to enter into the enquiry, 
as typography commences the moment 
that moveable plates are applied, and a 
pew art has arifen on the part of him 
who originally compofed them either of 
wood or metal, whether melted or {culp- 
tured. 
After this, the author pafles in review 
the various pamphlets, books, &c. ufual- 
ly. confidered as. the art productions of 
the art.of printing. He then, enquires, 
whether thefe were the produ‘iions of ta- 
bular printing (by means of folid plates) 
or of typography, properly fo called? 
find whatis the real epoch of thefe pro. 
duétions which bear not any date? The 
fii ft work which poffefies a date in the body 
of. the impreffion, is the Pfalter of 1457. 
Before the Pfalter, the only production of 
great extent, which there are juft nctices 
te believe, claims a more ancient origin, 
is the Bible in folio, known by the de- 
fignation of the Bivle of 637 pages, of 
two columns each, each column of 4o 
lines at leaft and 42 at the mof. The 
quantity of this impreffion, induces the 
author to fuppole, that it could have been 
executed by moveable charaéters alone. 
The next c nfideration is, the pe:fon or 
perfons to whom the invention ought to 
be aitribuced ; and this leads M. Daunou 
to refer to Guttemberg who, after refid- 
ing at Strafburgh, returned to Mayence, 
his native country, where he aflociated 
himfelf, and worked along with Ful. A 
variety of different confiderations unite to 
preve, or at leatt to fuppofe, that the Bible 
of 637 leaves, is the joint product of the 
labours of Guttemberg and Fuift, at 
Mayence. The retult is, that the inven- 
tion of printing ought to be attributed 
to Guttemberg, and that the firft produc- 
tions of th’s charming art were publithed 
at Mayence. 
M. Daunou further fuppofes, tnat the 
Bible of 637 pages was printed in charac- 
ters caf? for the purpole, aad that Schef- 
fer, the fon-in-law of Fuft, merely affitted 
in the progrefs of the dilcovery, by find- 
ing out a more ealy mode of forming 
the chara&ter, perhaps by means of the 
matrices now in common ule, &c, 
NontTuriy Mac, No. 117, 
T05 
<¢ Differtation fur Je Prejugé qui attri. 
bue aux Egyptiens Honneur de la Dé- 
couverte des Sciences et des Arts, lue a la 
Séance”’ &cc.—-A Differtation on the Pre- 
judice which attributes to the Egyptians 
the Honour of the Difcovery of the Arts 
and Sciences, read at the public Sitting of 
the Academy of Caen, on the 15th Ger- 
minal of the roth Year; by C. CaItty, 
a Member of the Academy, and Vice | 
Prefident of the Tribunal of Appeal; 
3vOo, . 
We have already noticed this work ; 
but as every thing relative to the arts and 
{ciences. is intere(ting, and as Egypt in 
particular, is a fubjcét well calculated to 
engage the attention of a nation, whofe ar- 
mies performed fuch brilliant actions there, 
we fhall now complete the analytis. 
While treating of fcu/pture, the author 
remarks, that al! the monumen’s of that 
defcription atteft the infancy of this art 
among the ancient Egyptians. ‘“‘heir 
ftacues neither announced genius, nor 
talents, nor precifion, nor correstnels. 
Winckelmanny-in his Monumenti Inediti, 
attributes this to three caufes, which have 
retarded the progrefs of the Egvptians in 
refpect to. every thing connected with 
defen. 
1. A ftri&t refemblance, in point of 
figure, among ali the individuals of this 
nation. 
2. The ftri& genius of its government 
and religion; and, 
3. The quality of the artifts. 
Navigation and Cammerce.—The reli. 
gious prejudices of the people were in ex- 
prefs oppolition to both of thefe. The fea 
was held in execration among the Egyp- 
tians; it was their Typhon, the enemy of 
Ofiris. The pricls took care to inculcate 
and maintain an averfion for every {pecies 
of commerce, and all communication with 
foreigners was interdiéted. It was not 
until the lak of ‘their kings began to 
reign, that entrance into Egypt was per- 
mitted to rangers. 7 
Medicine and Chemifiry.—The author 
mentions the former of thefe, merely asa 
colleétion of ridiculous and fuperfiitious 
practices, deftitute of any anatomical ac- 
quirements, the pilacipal part confifting 
of a dietetic regimen. In refpeét to clie- 
miftry, the ufe of the mofl commen pro- 
cefles was entirely unknown. 
Inflitutions, Civil and Political.—Both 
ancients aud moderns have overwhelmed 
the Egyptians with eulogiums on the 
wifdom of their government; but, acs 
cording to Paw, whole opinion has been 
adopted by M. Caiily, the ancients, who 
paid fuch high refueék to the laws and 
Ailey policy 
