Retrospect of French Literature — History. 
The English having claimed the pro- 
perly of several of the provinces of 
France, by the treaty of Bretagne, 
Benard remarks, that by this very do- 
cumert they actually renounced all 
their pretended rights to the crown of 
that kingdom ; they were also obliged 
by its tenor, to evacuate the French 
territory ; but neither of these condi- 
tions were -kept. In addition to that, 
they forced king John to sign it while 
their prisoner, and granted him his li- 
berty on this very condition. Thenext 
argument shews, that at the period 
' when Benard wrote, a forcible idea still 
existed of the former liberties enjoyed 
by the people. ‘‘ This treaty too,” 
says he, ‘¢ was never confirmed by the 
states of France, without the, consent’ 
of which, neither king Jehn nor 
Charles, his eldest son, then regent, 
could alienate the natural domain.” 
This zealous, Frenchman combats 
with equal vigour, the pretence of pre- 
scriplion set up by queen Elizabeth ; 
for, remarks he, ‘* an allegation of 
this kind cannot be made with any pro. 
priety, unless it be accompanied with 
good faith, originates in a fair title, 
and is supported by continual and un- 
interrupted possession: now this can- 
not be the case between two nations 
who were in the habit of continual 
hostilities. Jt is weli known,’’ adds he, 
‘« that the English, since the death of 
Henry V. and VI. have never ceased 
vexing France, nor allowed so much as 
ten or twelve years to slip away, with- 
out declaring war against her. In 
1474, Edward 1V. formed an alliance 
with the duke of Burgundy against 
Louis Xi. In 1483, Richard III, the 
murderer of his two nephews, sum- 
moned the said king to make good the 
contributions which his ancestors had 
paid to England. Henry VII. on being 
driven from England, landed in Bri- 
tanny, and took refuge with Charles 
Vill. who out of commiseration fur- 
nished him with troops, vessels, and 
money, by means of which, that En- 
glishman was enabled to get the better 
of his rivalat Besworth field. By way 
of recompence for a service so import- 
ant, the English monarch declared war 
against the king of France his deli- 
verer, in 1488. Hisson, Henry VIII. 
also made war in 1512, on Louis XII. 
on the side of Gascogny; ia 1522, he 
laid siege to Therouenne and Tour- 
_ May; in 1522 he caused the city of 
_ Morlaix in Britanny to be burat, and _ 
_Montuty Mae, No. 208. 
685 
at the same time pillaged several towns 
in Picardy. At length a peace took 
place in 1526, between him and Fran- 
cis I. who nommated Henry a knight 
of the Order of St. Michael; but in 
1542 the English monarch contravened 
the treaty, by leaguing with the em- 
peror Charles’ V. then at war with 
France. In 1544, he laid siege to 
Montreuil, &c. &e..&c.* * 
After much investigation concerning 
the author of this work, who was un- 
known to his contemporaries, La Croix 
du Maine, and du Verdier, the two 
great French librarians, he was at 
length discovered to be Jean Benard, 
Secretary of the king’s chamber, and 
author of a Discourse printed at Paris 
in 1579, ‘* des plusmemorables faits 
des trois & grands seigneurs d’ Angle. 
terre,” which is merely an extract from 
a great work in manuscript, entitled 
*“Sommairedes grandes Annales & 
Chrenigues d’Angleterre, & d’ Ecosse, 
depuis Brutusjusquia l’an 1565, written 
15673? and the author, Jean Benard, 
terms himself “ interprete du roi en 
langues Anglois & Ecossoise.” ; 
‘¢ L’ Antiquite de ’empirede la Chine, 
prouvée par les Observations astrono- 
miques, &c.”’- The antiquity of the - 
Chinese empire, demonstrated by 
means of astronomical observations, 
By M. Biot, a member of the Insti- 
tuie. 
The subject of Chinese astronomy 
has given rise to great controversy, and 
involves in it net only matters of sci- 
eiice, but also of history, both of 
which are of the highest importance. 
The modern astronomical tables were 
originally founded on the principle of 
universal gravity, applied to the pre- 
sent state of the celestial motions, such 
as they are found to be from od- 
servations. These are not performed 
with that scrupulous degree of exac- _ 
titude which could be wished, and 
perhaps never can attain il, because 
every thing that depends on the me- 
chanical action of our senses, has cer. 
‘tain bounds; yet although not perfect, 
they approximate perfection ; and we 
are here told, that the greater part of 
our astronomical tables may still serve’ 
during two or three thousand years to 
come. : 
Unfortunately the ancient observa- 
tions were far more defective than our 
own, Those by whom they were made 
had neither the benefit of glasses, nor 
of pendulum clocks, and consequently 
i B'S could 
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