- 696. 
‘Theologians, and most, if not all en 
manuscripts, relate to ecclesiastical af- 
fairs. This circumstance is easily ac- 
counted for, as on the fall of Constan- 
tinople, and the dissolution of the Greek 
empire, great numbers of the clergy took - 
refuge in their country, whither they at 
the same time carried whatsoever was 
accounted valuable. Jobn Pertizi, about 
the year 1100, during the reign of the 
Czar David, by wham he was patronized, 
translated many philosophical and theo- 
Jogical works out of the Greek into his 
own vernacular language. Georgian 
versions of Aristotle, Platoy and Por- 
phyry, still exist; and Prince Orbelianow 
composed a dictionary, which is yet 
preserved in Tefflis, but has never been 
printed. Persian. manuscripts also 
abound there ; and they are in possession 
of a History of Joseph and /Salicha, the 
wife of Potiphar; which in their language 
is denominated Usup Sulichaniani. Of 
their own original productions, the most 
celebrated is the Tumariani, being an 
epic poem on the queen, or rather the 
Czarina Tamar,.to whom we have al- 
luded above. She is deseribed as Juno, 
rather dignified than beautiful, with a 
majestic aspect, and a “ flowing gait,” 
like to ariver, “ nobly rolling its waters 
along its bed.” In respect to recent 
improvements, we are informed by the 
very intelligenc Russian Archimandrite, 
who composed this work, that the native 
princes who lately ruled in Georgia, 
endeavoured to enlighten the people, by- 
the d:fusion of knowledge. To achieve 
this, they founded schools, and libraries; 
they also established printing-presses, 
and. appear to have been actuated. by a 
nolile spirit’ of emulation. The Vice- 
Patriarch Anthony, who died in 1798, 
compiled, or at Jeast published, a gram- 
mar, anid adictionary ; circulated Evel 
elementary books relative - to history 
and geography; and caused many scien- 
tific works to betranslated from theFrench 
and German into the Georgian language. 
He also composed the funeral sermons of 
‘number of saints and martyrs, who died 
fighting for their country. 
After having treated thus fully of the 
history and literature, we shall now ex- 
tract some information, relative to the 
geography of a country, bounded by the 
dominions of the Turks, the Persians, 
andthe Russians; and subject, in turn, 
to them all. Mount Caucasus, which 
appears to have been to the fuli as well 
known to the ancients as the moderns, 
extends its immense chain of hilly region 
_ Retrospect of French Literature—Biograph Ye 
between the Black and the Caspian 
seas. The middle is interspersed with 
glaciers, while all the summits are 
covered with snow, which the sun has 
not power to dissalve. It extends about 
four hundred and fifty miles in length, 
while its breadth, im the widest part, is 
two hundred miles. Elbutz is’ the 
highest promontory, and its.summit is 
estimated at four thousand five hundred 
feet above the level of the adjacent sea 5 
we apprehend, however, that the author > 
is here mistaken ; for if this computation 
be in the least accurate, it must neces- 
sarily follow, that. the Caucasus, in 
point of elevation, is a. mountain of: the 
second or third order, 
To the north, this immense range of 
hills bounds. those extensive plains, oc- 
cupied, in the time of the Romans, by 
the Sarmatians; it 1s now the résidence 
and hunting-¢ grounds’ of the Cossacks 
and Calmucks, who serve in the Russian 
armies, and are more celebrated as free- 
booters, than as warriors. To the south 
it joms Mount Taurus; to the east it 
gradually shelves, or declines towards the 
Caspian; while to the west, its abrupt 
and rugged cliffs, extend towards the 
Euxine sea. This immense mountainous 
tract is not so strong, in a military point 
of view, as might have been expected ; 
and indeed the armies of Persia, of Rus- 
sia, and of Turkey, have all penetrated, 
into, and overrun it, with a facility that 
appears almost incredible. .Notwith- 
standing this, there are but two passages; 
one that opens to Asia, and the other to 
Europe; that situate near to where the. 
river Tereck takes its rise, has been de- 
nominated the vate of Caucasus; the 
second is the defile of Derbend, or the 
Caspian gate. 
The isthmus of Caucasus ee been 
long celebrated ; and in its neighbourhood 
are to be found, not only all the climates, _ 
but all the productions of Europe, and 
Asia. The physiognomies and the dis 
alects of the inhabitants, are all alike 
various; and the autho#, not unminaful 
that he is a Russian by birth, after enu~ 
merating the various nations, who either 
roam at large, or are settled here, is: 
eager to convince his readers, that, how- 
ever barbarous, or however distant, they 
all own the emperor for their liege lord. 
BIOGRAPHY. 
“‘Eloge du Citoyen Riche, par le Citoyen 
Cavier :” an Eulogium on the Citizen 
Riche, by the Citizen Cuvier. 
“ Claude Anthony Gaspard Riche, 
M.D, of the — of Montpellier, a 
‘member 
