Retrofped? of French Literature. —Maifcellanies. vO? 
grammar. Mufic, in refpeét to the theory 
of compofition and accompaniment, is 
lighted, we are told, by the taper of cai- 
culation, while the laws of mechanics 
affit in the conftruction of infruments, 
But painting, if we except the rules of 
perfpective, is not in the leaft indebted _to 
the {ciences ; ** Nature is before her, and 
to multiply her creatures, there is oeca- 
fion for nothing more than to fee and to 
feel." He, however, reproaches the artifts 
of this defcription with the moft outrage. 
ous violation of her precepts 5 fuch, tor 
inftance, as the aflemblage of objects, the 
union of which is impoffible. «* Organif. 
ed nature,’” we are told, preferibes the ufe 
of the moit extenfive acquifitions. It has 
been fuppofed, that the origin of the dif- 
ferent orders of architecture was difcover- 
ed by viewing the conftruction of a cabin, 
fupported by trees; but the author, on 
the contrary, difcoyers the diftinQlion of 
the orders to have arifen our of the dif- 
ferent {pecies of trees. In all he beholds 
columns: the roots, although fiequently 
concealed by earth, conftitute the bafe ; 
the trunk js the fhaft ; the branches and 
the foliage conftitute the capital, and alfo 
a part of the entablature. The laws of 
proportion, which diverfify the ordeys of 
architecture, are alfo to be found in the 
different fpecies of trees, affimilated to 
each of thefe, and ought to guide the pen- 
cil of the artift in the conception of the 
primitive type, Which he may afterwards 
vary by means of all the accidents which 
nature prefents. 
After this, our author recurs to the 
human figure, and infifts that the painter 
ought, above all things, to excel in depit- 
ing man and the paffions ; bur this, ac- 
cording to him, can enly be obtained by 
obferving ‘* mathematical and phy figg- 
nomonical principles.” In confequence of 
a critical examination of the offeous part 
of the head, M. R. S. C. lays it down as 
a pofition, that the caloric, modified into 
light, heat, and the ele&trical or Galvanic: 
fluid, is the univerfal agint of feniaiions, 
whether it does not affe& the brain until 
it has been refleS&ted from the incerior 
vault of the cranium, or, a€ting in the firt 
inftance on the cranium, it doubles its 
powerful agtion by means of that reflcc- 
tion, the exiltence of which it is difficult 
to contett. ) 
While treating on the qualities affisn- 
able'to the different fexes, he characteviles 
the male by fhrength, intelligence, and 
kindnefs, while the female is delignated 
by intelligence, affection, a d volup:uoul- 
nefs. The calculations defined to regur 
late the happy art of diftributing and re- 
flefting the light on objects, in imitation 
of nature herfelf, are not fufceptible of 
analyfis. They tend, however, to prove, 
that thofe magic effects of light, which of 
themfelves have conftituted the reputation 
of feveral pigtures, and which the in- 
{piration of genius feems alone to have 
produced, may be difcovered and verified 
by means of a mathematical theory. 
In refpet to the form of folids, the 
more they are fimple and regular, the 
more is the eye calculated to feize on 
them with pleafure and facility. Accord 
ingly, the forms of a pyramid and a cone 
are admirably fuited to fimple fubjects, in 
which one. fimple. and majettic object ate 
tracts the whole effect: this is exempli- 
fied in the Parnaffus of Raphae!, and the 
Affumption of Rubens. Pouffin, above 
all others, is cited as an artift capable of 
forming the tafte ; and the Aduiltrefs by 
him, as well as St. Jerome by Domini- 
chino, are quoted, as admirably calculated 
to exhibit the happy effet of throwing 
all the intereft into the figure of the prins 
cipal perfonage. f 
«© Nouveaux Principes de Géologie, 
Mineralogie, Géographie Phyfique,” &c. 
—WNew Principles of Geology, Mineralo- 
gy, Phyfical Geography, &c. compared 
and opposed to thole of the Philofophers, 
Ancient and Modern, until the Time of 
. C., DELAMETHERIE, who has anae 
lyfed them all in his Theory of the 
Earth. To which is added, a New Ge- 
ology, by P. Berrranp, Infpettor 
General of. Bridges and Caufeways, re- 
viled and augmented. 
This is a new edition of a work which 
appears to have had many readers in 
France. The author attempts to prove, 
that all other theories of the earth have 
hitherto been erroneous, and his fcheme 
appears to depend entirely on the exten- 
fion of the principle of cryfaililation. 
It is to this;‘and this alone, that the 
giobe, according to him, is indebted for 
is conftirution, 2s well internal as ex- 
teinal. It is alfo maintained as an Incon- 
trovertible fact, that on the retreat of. the 
ocean, the firft continents which made 
their appearance, were entirely compofed 
of primitive earths. In chapter vi. he 
treats of volcanic ftones, and reckons five 
diftinG claffes of them, from {uch as, ex- 
periencing the ftrongeft degree of igni- 
tion, are reduced to glafs, to thole which 
have been enveloped, without being fen- 
fiikly warmed. 
Ze Atlas 
