664. 
more favourable circumftances, for a long 
time enjoyed profperity ; but they alfo pe- 
rithed in confequence of theirown intrigues. 
«¢ The laws of nature invariably pro- 
duce the fame refults ; the follies of man- 
kind and of their governments regularly 
fucceed each other, during every age, 
with more or lefs carnage and devaftation, 
but always arife from the fame caufes; 
there is nothing but juftice and reafon 
which can produce a new and magnificent 
fpectacle on the earth, and thele we are 
never defirous to make a trial of.” 
«¢ Memoire fur les Monumens & les 
Preuves qui fervent de Bafe a PHiftoire 
Romaine, par C. LevesQue.’’—A Me- 
meir relative to the Monuments and the 
Proofs which ferve as a Bafis to the Ro- 
man Hiftory. 
This work, originally read before the 
Clafs of Ancient Literature and Hiftory 
ef the Natienal Inftitute, and afterwards 
before the whole four united clafles, has 
eccafioned confiderable fenfation at Paris, 
and produced more than one reply. C. 
Levefque, confidering hiftory as a kind of. 
experimental morality, thinks that thofe 
fa&s which conftitute its foundation sught 
to be fubmitted to the moft rigorous exa- 
mination, otherwife they will only pre- 
fent fo many falfe lights, which inftead of 
guiding can only ferve to miflead. Both 
the individual and the ftatefman, who en- 
deavour to fearch the annals of nations 
for rules to regulate their conduct by, un- 
der this predicament, will find themfelves 
exactiy in the fame fituation as thofe tra- 
vellers who with to penetrate through dif 
tant feas and countries by means of fpu- 
rious geographical and naval charts. 
C. Levefque infinuates that 2 grofs mif- 
take has taken place relative to the foun- 
dation of Rome, which ke thinks ought 
to be antedated no lefs than four centu- 
ries anterior to the epoch ufually affigned: 
He deems it unreafonable to fuppote that 
this city, originally founded by a few 
robbers, fheuld, ina fhort time, have at- 
tained fuch an extraordinary degree of 
fplendour and power under the Tarquins, 
fo as to have been able to ere€t thofe no- 
ble buildings, the remains of which afto- 
nith even at the prevent day. 
He alfo fcatters fome doubts relative to 
the tomb of Numa Pompilius, which was 
difcovered by accideni, about four hun- 
‘dred: years after the death of that Prince, 
aod in which were found bocks in Greek 
and Latin. ‘* Now,” exclaims he, ‘* was 
it pofiible for Numa Pompilius to com- 
“poic books in the Greek language, at a 
Réetrofpect of French Literature.—Hiftory. . 
period when writing was as yet unktiown 
in Greece, and Latium was ftill more ig- 
norant ?” 
The feven Kings of Rome, according 
to the vulgar tyftem of chronology, reign- 
ed nolefs than 244 years. In oppefition 
to this, our author remarks, that the cir- 
cumitance of feven princes reigning fo 
Jong is unexampled in any other portion of 
hiftory. 
At the end of this Memoir, and by 
way of appendix, C. Levefque prefents 
his readers with a diflertation on the ori- 
ginal pronunciation of the Greek lan- 
guage, as indicated by ancient monu- 
ments. He maintains it to be indifputa- 
bly proved by infcriptions, &c. that the 
Greeks in their {peech confounded certain 
letters and dipthongs with each cther, and 
he quotes, in proof of this, the decree 
for adopting one of the vowels, after the 
expulfion of the thirty tyrants. He. ob- 
ferves, at the fame time, a peculiarity of 
the Romans, who were very tardy in 
adopting the vowel w, ii the room of 
which they made ufe of 0, writing popz- 
los, for populus, piacolum for piaculum, 
&c. After queting a curious paffage 
from Thucydides, to fhow the equivocal 
nature of the Greek language in the reply 
made by the oracle to the Athenians, who 
enquired whether it was plague or famine 
with which they were threatened by the 
gods, as the prediction was conveyed in 
a word which fignified either, he main- 
tains that the true pronunciation of the 
Greek language will be found, making 
allowance for {cme few exceptions, in the 
mouth of the modern Grecks. 
We fhali now return to the chief fub- 
jeét of the above publication, in order to 
notice the criticifms- of C. Larcher, 
who is alfo a member of the National In- 
ftitute. This learned antiquary contends, 
1. Thathis colleague has been led into 
an error relative to the chronology of 
Reme, by adopting the common fuppofi- 
tion, that this ancient city was indebted 
for its origin to a band of robbers, herdf- 
men, and loofe people. He, on the other 
hand, contends, that when Romblus and 
Remus fet outon purpofe to lay the foun- 
dation of a new city in Latium, they con-.... 
duéted thither a colony of worthy men 
and brave warriors, who had been confid- 
ed to their care by Numitor, their grand- 
father; and that thefe either were joined 
by, or, on their part, united with the 
Etruicans, a people well acquainted with 
the arts: he infers from this, that all afto- 
nifhment mufi ceafe relative to the con- 
E ftruGtion 
