Retrospect of French Literature— Miscellancous, 
she is about to lose, The moment she 
had concluded, the lamp is extinguished, 
and Pericles expires!” 
Such is the abridgment of a work which 
deserves to be read in the original. The 
euthor does honour to letters, by his at- 
achinent to, and his progress in them ; 
and we could wish to see persons of the 
saine rank in our own country devoting 
themselves to pursuits equally honour- 
able, 
“ Traité Elementaire de Calcul differ- 
~ entiel et de Calcul integral, par S. F. 
Lacroix.” —An Elementary Treatise, con- 
cerning the Differential and Integral Cal- 
culus, by S. F, Lacroix, the second edi- 
tion, revised and corrected. 
M. de Lacroix, who has been for many 
years employed in the. education of 
youth, here presents the public with an 
abridgewent of a Jarger work, ou the 
saine subject, well known to the mathe- 
matical world. Of the present, a large 
édition bas been purchased, within a short 
space of time. 
** Description des travaux hydrauliques 
do Louis ALEXANDRE DE CrssarT, Doyen 
des Inspecteurs généraux des Ponts et 
Chaussées, &c.—A Description of the 
hydraulic Labours of Louis Alexander 
sle Cessart, head of the Inspecturs-Ge- 
neral of Bridees and Roads, one of the 
Commanders of the Legion of Honour, 
and a Member of several Academies and 
Learned Societies: a work printed from 
the Author's Manuscripts, and aderned 
with his Portrait, 2 vols. -quarto, with 
sixty-seven Plates. 
The first volume only of this publica- 
tion has as yet made its appearance. 
It is extracted from the Papers and Ob- 
servations of Mi. de Cessart, one.of the 
most distinguished Members of the corps 
to which he belongs, and is said to be 
the result of fifty years’ labour. In the 
course of it, he 1atends to convey a de- 
tailed account of all the different aunder- 
takings in which he has heen engaged. 
He is at the same time to present an ac- 
count of all new inventions, as well as to 
support the validity cf bis own experi- 
ments, &c. by meaus of proofs. 
This, which is a -very large volume, 
eontains the particulars of the construc- 
tion of the Bridge of Saumur, of a Wall 
for the Quay at Rouen;, the ditferent 
Works erected at the Port of Llavre, as 
well as those at Treport. The whole 
concludes with two plans, the one ofa 
Turning or Moveable Bridge, applicable 
to the enurance of Basins; the other of a 
Bridge furmerly intended to have beca 
685 
executed in front of the Louvre, and 
which has since been erected, although 
with certain modifications, under the 
naine of the Pont des Arts. 
MM. de Cessart and Vogl, are the 
Engineers to whom France is indebted, 
we are toid, for the new method of lay- 
lng foundations by means of cudssons. 
“This method, orizinally invented for 
the re-constraction ©! Westminster bridge, 
in 1738, by Labelye, a Swiss Engineer, 
was not attended with all the success 
which the inventor expected; for one of 
the piles having broke, he was obliged 
to demolish the contiguous arches, and 
re-build them anew. M. de Cessart, 
enlightened by this example, and also by 
his own experience, knew how to deduce 
every advantage that could pogsibly be 
derived froma an waproved process; and 
he accordingly made an useful application 
of bis knowledge te the bridge of Saumur, 
which was commenced in 1757. In the 
course of this undertaking, he invented 
a saw, by means of which four men can 
cut any numberof piles under the surface 
of the water with the greatest ease. 
As the demolition of the ancient piles 
became absolutely necessary after the 
erection of a new bridge at Saumur, M. 
de Cessart turned bis attention that way, 
and soon succeeded in cleaving those 
that could be easily reached. But as ie’ 
was requisite to extirpate the whole of 
them, so as to facilitate the navigation 
when the waters became low, some new 
plan of operations was required. He 
accordingly iuvented a process fur their 
demolition, by meaus of imines under the 
water, which wouid apply equally well te 
sunken rocks,” &c. 
The wall, along the quay of Rouen, 
extends one hundred and ten fathoms, 
and in the course of this work, he made 
anew and successful attempt to lay the 
foundation by means of piles, which were 
driven in a particular manner. 
“In 1776, the repairs of the Basin of 
Havre were confided to the care of M, 
de Cessart. That able Engineer under- 
took the whole, aud executed it in four 
months, at the expence of forty-five thou- 
sand franks, although the time calculated 
had been three years, and the cost esti- 
mated at one hundred and sixty thou- 
sand franks. After this, he executed a 
moveable bridge, which may be consi- 
dered as a model of its kind. Its soli- 
dity indeed was fuily demonstrated in- 
mediately alter the construction, ‘bv the 
passing of all the artillery appertaining to 
the citadel over it, as the cannon was 
destined 
