406 
policy of Egypt, were in a continual illu- 
fion on this fubje&t, the origin of which 
it is not dificult to difcover, as it now 
clearly appears, that the Greek authors 
have confounded thofe laws which they 
obferved there, with thofe which they did 
not obferve, and which exifted in books 
alone. This, however, is the cafe, more 
or jefs, in all countries, as cuftom, vior 
lence, and injuftice, frequently fuperfede 
the written code; and although the an- 
cient inftitutions might haye been violated 
by ‘the tyranny of the voluptuous and ty- 
rannical Pharoahs, vet it remains an eter- 
nal monument of the wifdom of the na- 
tion, that they prefcribed the conduct and 
duties of fociety, by means of a body of 
reguiations drawn up with talents and 
ability. On this fubject, however, many 
of the modern writers are divided, al- 
though Goguet (vol. 1. page 107) has 
borne ample teltimony to the jultice of 
the foregoing remark. 
It mut be owned, on the other hand, 
that the divifion of the people into claffes, 
arid the {corn with which thofe who la- 
boured. tor the reft were treated, cannot be 
too feverely cenfured. This alone was 
fuficient to produce the downfall of the 
nation; for the mof numerous portion of 
the people exhibited none of that love 
for their country, or were ever {wayed 
on great and critical occahons with that 
noble daring, which may be faid to cdn- 
ftirute the foul and fupport of a ifate. 
On the whole, this Liffertation is written 
with talents and dilerimination : the fiyle 
is clear and fimple, and no fmall portion 
af erudhion is difplayed in the courfe of 
the work. . 
« Effai for le Perfe&tionnement des 
Beaux Arts, par ics Sciences Exactes,” 
&e —An Effay on the Means. of Per- 
feSting the Fine Arts, by Means of the 
Exact Sciences; or, Calculations and Hy- 
nefes relative to Poetry, Painting, and 
nc; by M R.S.C.-Member of fe- 
yeral learned and liverary Socicites, 2 vols. 
Fv. 
it 3s the opinion of this author, that 
taws and regulations may be eltablifhed’ 
fer the Hne aris, and that what are termed 
the exed? jciences in France, are alone ca- 
panle of comersing them 3 he accordingly 
extends his reicarches to poetry, painting, 
and mvie. 
1. Be thinks that nature, and nature 
dlone, ought to be recurred to for images 
equally trveand brilliant ; as will as al- 
legories, which are at once agreeable and 
anitructive. He defires the poet to recol- 
k&, that Homer was the mo icarned 
Reirofpedt of French Literature: —Mifeellanies, 
man, as well as the greateft bard of hie 
age; and like him, to appropriate his fics 
tions to the progrefs of the feiences. The ’ 
mechanifm of verfe being in a great mea- 
fure arbisvary, and often in oppofition te 
the natural expreffion of thought, M. R. 
S. C. is defrous to eftablifh a particular 
language, which is to ferve as a type to 
all others, and be fo calculated by its pro- 
fody and harmony, as to attain a more 
perfect fyftem of poetry and verfification. 
An enterprife fuch as this, is however 
equally brilliant and chimerical; for dia- 
leéts may be confidered as the daughters 
of time and of neceflity, and own no other 
origin. It is allowed, however, that even 
the French tongue affords-confiderable fa- 
cility in the modes of exprefiion; and the 
four laft lines of Racine’s Phedre have 
been quoted as an example: si. of! 
4¢ Déja je ne vois plus qu’a traverS an nuage 
Et le ciel et ’époux que ma préfence outrage 5 
Et la mort a mes yeux dérobant la clarté, 
Rend au jour aw ils fouilloient toute fa pu+ 
FELE,?” 
* 
In addition to the plan already noticed, 
the author wifhes to affimulate every pro- 
pofition to an algebraic equation, and by 
this mode, not only to verify the juftnefs 
of an idea, but alfo to become acquaint 
ed with all the modifications of which a 
phrafe is fufceptible, as well as whatever 
can be required-in refpeét to concifenefs 
of ftyle, or clearnefs of expreffion. 
2. After a definition of mufic, he’ pro- 
pofes, by means of vifible figns, to deter- 
mine the exact value of a note in any com-= 
poftion deftined to the defexiption of ar 
image: an idea which feems to have been’ 
thought of before by Rouffeau. His re- 
fearches on this fubject incline him te 
think, that the caloric is the agent im the 
fenfe of hearing, as light is in that’ of 
fight ; and the analogy to be difcovered 
between thefe, points out to him the nu- 
merous affinities between the feven colcurs. . 
of the prifm and the feven tones of mufic. 
Similar conformities were formerly coms 
municated by Father Caftel, but M. R. 
S. C. fupports them by means of, a dect- 
five experiment, for on itriking a piece of 
fteel rendered red hot by means ot the 
fire, he obtained the feven tones of the 
gamut, which followed each other in pro- 
ceffion, as the metal pafled from an in~ 
tenfe red through the other fix fhades of 
the prifm., Hence he concluded, that. 
founds muft be more acute, or more 
grave, in proportion to the more or lefs 
of internal caloric. 
3. Portry has always recognized the 
laws of a kvere logic and a primitive 
‘i grammar 
‘ 
¢ 
