Retrofpe of French Literature.—Poetry. 619 
var not only fcized on all the veffels which 
he found on his paffage, but ravaged the 
country. 
‘* This event occafioned great confter- 
nation among the Englifh, who beheld the 
Spanifh fleet at the gates of their capital, 
their country deftroyed, and their villages 
fet on fire, without being able to help 
themfelves. The Spanith fleet buint and 
pillaged Winchelfea in its retreat.”’ 
The author will fiad it a very difficult 
tafk, as he proceeds, to be able to detail 
any of the memorable exploits of his 
countrymen at fea during the laft fifty 
years. , 
“¢ Traité Elementaire d’Hiftoire Natu- 
relle.’—An Elementary Treatife on Na- 
tural Hiftory ; by A. M.. ConsTanr- 
DumMeERiL, Doétor of Medicine, and 
Profeflor of Anatomy and Phyfiology in 
the School of Medicine at Paris. 
This work has been publifhed by order, 
and, we believe, at the expence of the 
French Government. M. Dameril, pro- 
fiting by the information derived from 
Linneus, Tournefort, Juffieu, and other 
naturaliits, as well as from his own ex- 
perience, has endeavoured to form an al- 
liance between facts and a methodical ar- 
rangement, to facilitate the remembrance 
of things by means of proper divifions, 
and to render the {cience interefting by 
embellifhing it with the charms of elo- 
quence. 
We here find an expofition of all the 
fyflems of botany. That of Tournefort 
is {tated to be founded on the number and 
difpofition of petals, and flowers ; that of 
Linnzus eftablifhed on the dilpofition of 
the organs of generation, whence it has 
ebtained the name of general ; and that 
of Jufiieu, called the natural method, in 
which the plants are divided into groups, 
or natural families, according to the dif- 
pofition of the moft important parts of ve- 
getables. 
While treating of the mufhroom, he 
diftinguifhes them into three foecies:— 
1. That which ferves by way of aliment. 
—z2z. That which is poifonous ; and 3. 
‘That which is employed in medicine for 
the cure of maladics. 
In treating of the alga, he points cut the 
particular plant which  produccs the 
greateft quantity of foda. 
The fern is reprefented as an excellent 
cure for worms, The gramina furnifh an 
occafion to treat of the various aliments 
which they furnifh both to man and ani- 
mals.; while the liliaceous plants produce 
thofe flowers which ornament our gardens 
and parterres. 
The banana prefents the inhabitant of 
the Eaft with nourifhment in their fruit ; 
an excellent thread is produced from their 
fibres ; a paper, and a {pecies of umbrella, 
from their leaves, and an agreeable drink 
from the fermented fap. 
The many advantages to be derived 
from the family of laurels, are next point- 
ed out, as well as from rhubarb, the cul- 
ture of which is beginning to be attended 
to in France, forrel, buck-wheat, &c. 
After this he gives a defcription of the 
various claffes of animals, their figures, 
manners, cuftoms, &c. 
«¢ Recherches fur Origine & les divers 
Etabliflemens des Scythes, ou Goths,” 
&c.——An Inquiry into the Origin and dif- 
ferent Eftablifiments of the Scythians, or 
Goths, by way of Introduction to the 
Hiftory of ancient and modern Europe. 
This is a French tranflation of Mr. 
Pinkerton’s work on the Goths. 
POETRY. 
‘¢ Defcription de Bouclier d°Hercule,” 
&ce.—A Delcription of the Buckler of 
Hercu'es ; a free Tranflation, from He- 
fiod, by A. BRUGULERE, 
Of this tranflation, which is the per- 
formance of an excellent Greek fcholar, 
we fhall here fubjoin a fpecimen :— - 
‘6 Le fier Alcide alors brandiffant dans fa 
main 
Son pefant javelot a la pointe d’airain, 
Couvert dun cafque d’or dont la luifante 
créte 
Fait réjaillir les coups qui tombent fur fa 
téte, 
Saifit fon bouclier, ouvrage précieux, 
Dont les couleurs fans nombre éblouiffent les 
yeux 5 
I] répand alentour‘une vive lumiére; 
Et lart y paffe encor l’éclat de la matiére. 
Au centre eft un dragon agité de fureur, 
Dont le hideux afpeét infpire la terreur : 
Le feu fort de fes yeux, de fa gueule cruelle 
Le fang 4 gros bonillon inceflamment ruif- 
felle, 
Sa machoire en rougit, cette ardente couleur 
De fes afireufes dents rehaufle la blancheur. 
Au-deffus de fon front la Difcorde fauvage, 
Rempliflant tous les curs de la foif du car- 
nage, 
Egare les mortels affez audacieux 
Pour aftronter le fils du fouverain des Dieux 5 
Précipités bientot jufqu’aux rivages fombres, 
Ils s’en vont augmenter le peuple errant des 
ombres, 
Leurs os reftent epars, et leurs livides chairs 
En lambeaux fur l’aréne affouviflent les vers. 
Autour delle on ne voit que meurtres, qué 
batailles ; ? 
Ici ce font des corps privés de funérailles, 
La des guerriers bleflés qui par un lent effort | 
Tentent en fe trainant d’échapper a la mort, 
ésiors 
y 
