ology, or.a comprehenfion of the different 
_ laws ; and chréfology, or a commentary 
on the various ufiges of foreign fates. 
La partie Meéthodique, on the other 
hand, niciudes a feries of deferiptions re- 
Jative to hiftorical, political, and moral con- 
hderations, acc: rding to which we ought 
to eftimate particular portions of the an- 
nals of a people, certain data relative to 
the art of conjeéturing in hiftory, general 
details concerning the niftories of the prin- 
cipal exifling nations, &c. 
An alphabetical metice at the end of 
this volume, which is only-the frft, con- 
“tainirg a lift of the authors quoted, 
attefls the laborious refearches of M. 
Chantreau. 
MISCELLANIES. 
*¢ Le Philofophe de Charenton, par 
P Auteur de la Gaftronomie.”—The Phi- 
Jofopher of Charentoa, by the Author of 
la Gaftronomie. 1 vol. 18mo. 
This: little publicaticn is chiefly di- - 
rected againft the philofophers, more 
efpecially fuch, as are affected with melan- 
choly, and whom the author, doubtleis, 
intends to retider cheerful by this fiory. 
Jerome Hyaciathe Fremer, in a lineal 
deicent originaily fprung from a Scotch 
family, aod all of whofe anceflors had 
hang themfelves regulatly, from father to 
fen, is reprefented as being in the little 
village of Charenton, near Paris, where 
mad people are ufually confined. He in 
his turn determin-s to commit fuicide, by 
throwing -himfcif ito the Marne, on 
which his coufin refolves to reajon him out 
of his notions. But Fremer, who is en- 
tirely obftinate, pretends to have a right 
to be diiguited with life, merely becaute 
he is a metaphyfician, geometrician, ana- 
tomift, naturalift, poyticlogif, chymift, 
botanift, mineralog fi,” &c. He adds, 
** that one of the many reafons which in- 
duce him to deliroy-him‘lf is, that he 
has lived forty years, which forty years 
make more than jourieen thoufand fix 
hundied days, which fourteen thouland fix 
hundred days, make three hundred and 
fifty one thoufand eight hundred and» 
forty hours, which is already, an infup- 
por abie longevity.” 
_Notwithftarding all this, Coufin -Chrif- 
topher addrefles Jerome Hyacinthe Fremer 
with fo much poiirencfs and addrefs, that 
he perfuades him to condefcend to remain 
three years longer upon earth. They then 
travel together, difpute and meditate, du- 
ring this period, and while the one ex- 
claims §* that to. live is a good thing ! 
the other pretends, .‘* that it is far bétter 
to die!” 
Retrofpet of French Literature.—Mifcellanits.. 
4 
At length, the two relations, after the | 
fatigue of a long journey, and an abferice 
of near three years, return together to Cha- 
renton ; ‘and the punétual Fremer im- 
mediately hangs himtelf incognito, on the 
very day and hour, when the appointed | 
term of three years had expired.” 
His teRament had heen previoufly 
made, in due form, and the following is - 
One of the articles appended, by way of © 
codicil: ‘* After I have remained’ for 
fome years as a fkeleton, I order that my 
bones may be employed in making foup 
to be diftributed among my unfortunate 
brother philofophers.”’ ' 
To complete the whole, the author has 
prefixed the following line from Diderot: 
‘< Le crime eft peutétre plus beau que la 
Vertue, 
** Tufitutions du Droit de la Nature & 
des Gens, par Gerard de Rayneval.”— 
Inftitutions. of the Law of Natureand Na- 
tions, by Gerard de Rayneval. 1 vol. 8vo. 
Paris, a new Edition. sack 
The author of this work, which we 
have before. mentioned occafionally, was 
a (Conféiller d’ Etat) Counfellor of State, 
under the anciest government ; he alfo 
acted feveral times in the capacity of Mini- 
fier Plenipocentiary ; in addition to which | 
cffices, he was not unfrequently engaged 
in the moft important negociations, under 
the infpection of the late M. de Vergennes, 
whole entire confidence he poflefled. After 
this prefatory notice, we thall recur to the 
work. itfelf. ‘ 
The firft book, which contains his ge- 
neral principles, is divided into twenty- 
eight chapters. He lays it down as funda- 
mental, that nations in their imtercourfe 
with each other, neither owning any fu- 
perior authority, nor any written code, 
maintain a relative independence, which 
admits of no other rule than of natural 
juftice, and the right of felt-prefervation. 
He endeavours to fhew, that in proportion 
to the juperiority of a ftate, it becomes its 
real intereft to conform to thefe regula- 
tions, becaufe its ftability being better 
fecured in confequence of its power, it is 
more eafy to difplay the motives of juitice 
and beneficence at the time it becomes 
more neceflary to calm the fears infpired 
by its greatnefs, to rally the hearts of all 
men around its ftandard, and to prevent 
the poflibility of any tchemes being medi- 
tated againft its welfare, - 
_M. de Rayneval does not attach the 
fame meaning to the term Soverezgu, as 
Scan Jacques Rouleau does to that of the ~ 
Prince ; whatever be the denomination of 
the ruling power, that appears to him to 
I exe:cife | 
OR 
