Imatges de pàgina
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divers revolutions alfo follow their circle, as fo many fars which are attended by their fatellites. In this image may be naturally traced all thofe claffes of nobles, the one created by the other, having each in its gradual fubordination its proper activity, and ftill depending on the monarch, as all the stars on the folar influence, yet receiving no impulfion but fuch as is general for all the monarchy. In this image may be found the idea of the superior and inferior fiefs, and of that too famous fyftem of politics, the confufion of the primitive order of the ftate, the deftruction of the royal power; in which kings, deprived of money and foldiers, reduced to fubfift on the productions of their domains, and to carry on their private wars with the men of their own lands, without favours to grant, and almoft without laws to promulgate, were neceflarily at every step to meet with difloyalty and disobedience. Such is feudality; not the work of a written law, but, as was then faid, the daughter of time, and the neceflary refult of the weaknefs of kings.'

The Bibliotheque de l'Homme Public, by M. Condorcet, proceeds regularly, but unless fome very interesting article appears, we fhall not give any particular account of a work which may be regarded as periodical.

A poem by M. de Cubieres, intituled Les Etats Generaux de l'Europe, prefents much wholefome inftruction to modern monarchs; but the cup prefented by a democrat must appear poifonous. The feveral kings are fuppofed to appear in a council, the prefident of which is the good abbe de Saint Pierre, and the fecretaries Rouffeau, Mably, and Raynal. None escape fome fatire, except the Polish monarch, who is thus charac terifed:

De la philofophie ardent et ferme apôtre,
Ce Poniatoufki n'est pas roi comme un autre:
La liberté l'enflamme; et du peuple François
En langage Sarmate il traduit les decrets.'

So generous, fo great is the character of this king, that while the Saxon elector infults Poland with delays, that kingdom must be ungrateful if the do not elevate to her hereditary throne her chief benefactor.

The Obfervations fur l'Amenagement des Forets, presented to the national affembly by the royal fociety of agriculture, form a most interesting pamphlet, efpecially while the ftate of our own forefts attracts the attention of the legiflature. But the minutenefs of the details, and the connected nature of the whole tract, admits not of any extracts.

M. Fabre d'Eglantine's Convalefcent de Qualité, ou l'Ariftocrate Moderne, a comedy in two acts, proceeds on an impras bable plot, but has many forcible points,

A fingular volume on divorce has been publifhed at Paris in Bvo. under the title of Petition a l'Affemblée Nationale par Montaigne, Charron, Montefquieu, et Voltaire, fuivie d'une confultation en Pologne et en Suiffe, The author argues ftrongly for greater liberty of divorce, on the authority of thefe eminent men, and upon the ufages of Poland and of Switzer

land.

The comedy of M. Fabre, called Ifabella de Salisbury, is founded on the inftitution of the order of the garter; and has been acted with a profufion of decorations, and with applaufe.

Paul et Virginie, a comedy in three acts, in profe, mixed with fongs, is founded on the amiable work of M. Saint Pierre, and has great merit,

Abdelazis et Zuleima, a tragedy in five acts, by M. de Mur ville, has been acted at Paris with applaufe. The fourth act in particular abounds with beautiful paffages.

M. Delandine's work, De quelques changemens Politiques, &c. or treatife on fome political changes, accomplished, or only projected, in France, during the years 1789, 1790, and 1791, being a difcourfe on feveral points of the conftitution, and of the new legiflation of the kingdom, is the production of a moderate writer. The author was one of the deputies to the constituent affembly; and here gives us his opinions freely' on the events which paffed under his eye. His bias, however, leans against the new conftitution.

The work is divided into twenty fections, of which the first. prefenting preliminary ideas, delineates the author's character in an interefting manner, and gives a favourable idea of the principles which have dictated this production. Happy without doubt, fays our author, is the fage who, having it in his power to be more known, yet confents to live in obfcurity. Happy above all he who, fhunning political storms, preferves religiously in the bottom of his heart, a refpect for order, the love of his country, and of his king. In the midst of a family by whom he is beloved, of books which inftruct him, of the pictures of nature fo various and affecting, he may escape envy, be the confolator of his fellow-creatures, forget their ingratitude, enjoy labour and repofe, cultivate his fields and his friendships, fow with flowers his garden and his life, tafte the delights of study and of the arts, abandon ambition for more tender fentiments, and never quit his wife and his children.

This happiness was my fhare, and it will be again. No, I fhall not again behold you without tranfport, you whom I did not leave without a painful effort. I have left you to confider a great fpectacle: I have yielded to the imperious defire of being ufeful. Near three years have elapfed in giving to France a new conftitution and legiflation. During that period

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I have

I have beheld the tempefts of party, and the profound undu, Jation of a government, changed in all its parts. I have often feen the reciprocal fhocks of pride determine the fate of the people; and fill more often the fincereft and most ardent wilhes to fecure their eafe and happinefs.'

Our limits will not permit us to enter upon the various fubjects difcuffed in this work, on fome of which the author adopts the principles of the conflituent affembly, and upon others freely expreffes his diffent. From the twentieth discourse, which relates to the utility of literary focieties, we fhall prefent an extract or two:

The man of letters, folitary amid his books, detached from fociety in his cabinet, foon burfts afunder the bonds which civil life would impofe upon him. He cannot fubmit to that domeftic fervitude, to thofe attentions of every moment, to that daily occupation called the practice of the world. He has not time to learn futile incidents, and news of a day, which heither impart ufeful intelligence to his mind, nor generous fentiments to his heart. He is bound to fociety by few ties, and yet he is placed in the midst of it; fo that all joftle and hurt him. If, wounded, he withes to complain, his voice is often unheard and loft. Is an injuftice done him? Our literary man, who is ignorant of the art of folicitation, and who has no pro tectors but his rights, remains aftonished that he is facrificed. He, obferves Voltaire, who exercifes a profeflion is fuftained by his brethren, but the man of letters has no affiftance. Like a flying fish, if he rifes a little the birds devour him, if he plunge he is the prey of larger fifh. But if a literary man be united to a learned fociety, he is no longer a ftranger in his country, his connections are increafed; he has the fame character, but is beheld with other eyes; lefs injured, more encouraged, he may in peace purfue his labours, and render them ufeful to his Country,'

M. Delandine proceeds to fhew the other advantages of lite rary focieties; and among many valuable remarks prefents the following:

How many men of talents have been loft in the common croud, because they have not found men of letters to fupport them with their ftrength, to affift them in their projects, or to confole them in their adverfity, Like Mabillon who, unenlightened and weak in his youth, acquired no vigour of intel let till a violent fall had dathed his head against a ftone, fame men have occafion to be electrified, fo to fpeak, by an extrancous body, before their ftrength can be difplayed. Thus Leibnitz became a poet: thus a violent commotion in the govern ment gave birth to the talents of Milton; and the emotion ex cited by a problem, propofed by a provincial academy, pro

duced

duced the mafculine eloquence of Rouffeau, and became the origin of his immortal works.'

A moft ufeful little tract of M. Beraud, profeffor of ma thematics at Marfeilles, has appeared at Aix in Provence, publifhed by order of the adminiftration of the Mouths of the Rhone. It is intituled 'Memoire fur la Maniere de refferrer le Lit des Torrens, et des Rivieres,' or a memoir on the Manner of contracting the Bed of Torrents and Rivers. The author demonftrates the pernicious effects of stone embankments, which, by constraining the waters too much, operate their own ruin; and then proceeds to lay down his new plan.

In order, fays he, to discover the moft fimple and advantageous manner of conftantly reftricting torrents and rivers to their bed, we must study nature on the banks of running waters; and we fhall foon obferve that the moft feeble obftacles almoft always produce the greatest changes in their direction. Small trees, brush-wood, tufted plants, which cover the banks of small rivers, are, as we fee, fufficient to confine them. A tree, which the waters have bent into their current, will restrict their course, if not difrooted. I am informed by one of my friends that the gardens of Orgon have owed their prefervation, for fome years, only to a large fig-tree, which the Durance overturned into its current, and of which the branches, by the oppofition which they afford to the fwiftnefs of the ftream, contribute to force off its violence. If ifles be rarely injured by the waters which cover them in floods, is not this owing to the fhrubs and underwood which protect them?-Hitherto great means have only produced small effects. Let us fhew that the contrary may be accomplished; that is to say, let us ufe only small means, and operate great changes in the courfes of rivers.'

M. Beraud then explains his method, which is to chuse à point, firm and out of the power of the water, as a rock, or a natural elevation of the earth. If none be found, a method after mentioned must be followed. Plant, parallel to the current of the water, many ranks of aquatic trees, about a fathom distant from each other. Begin this plantation at the extremity of the cultivated land, or on a fpot where the waters at their greatest height have not power to overturn it. Two or three years after give a blow with an axe to each tree, about two or three feet from the ground, fo as to cut it half through, and to make it lie perpendicular to the courfe of the stream. Continue to plant every year on the fame place, and to lay all the trees which are three years old. Whence every year there will be many ranks to lay; and, by planting on both fides, the waters will be conftrained to the middle of the bed, and will only occupy the space neceffary for their elapfe. The branches do not prevent the waters from extending, but impede the Stream,

ftream, and force it to depofe its gravel, fand, and mud: there by raising the foil, into which they root themfelves, and produce new plants, all of great vigour. The earth, foon traversed in all its parts by an infinity of roots, becomes, as it were, enchained; and will form, fo to fpeak, only one maís, not capa ble of any injury from the ftream. Every year the falling leaves, mingling with the mud left by the floods, contribute to prepare infenfibly a foil excellent for agriculture.

If the banks be infirm, as compofed of fand or gravel eafily difplaced, too much haste must not be used in forming planta tions: but after laying two or three ranks of trees, time must be given for their branches to rife, and cover all the spot before more are planted. One muft advance flowly, and prefent an equal refiftance, elfe the waters may corrode the foil and undermine the trees.

When the fhore prefents no fixed point, under the fhelter of which the plantations may be begun, one must be formed by art. The author recommends a ftrong bank of earth, to run from the cultivated land, or a spot above the floods, right into the ftream: it must be well beat down in ftrata of a foot in thickness. When this bank is extended to the length defigned, it must be terminated in the form of a 'T, the crofs-bar being parallel to the direction of the waters. Its height must neceffa rily furpass about two feet the afcent of the highest floods.

The novelty and importance of this plan have induced us thus to give the outlines; but for more particular details, and proofs from experience of its utility, we must refer to the tract itfelf..

ITALY.

A work intituled Della Coftruzione de' Theatri, &c. or, On the Conftruction of Theatres according to the Practice of Italy, that is, divided into small boxes, by count Francifco Riccati of Trivigi, has appeared at Baffano, in 4to, with three plates. The author is known by feveral learned productions on architecture; and the prefent valuable little work forms only a part of a more confiderable defign, which occupies his attention, and which extends to all the provinces of civil architecture. This tract is divided into three parts, befides a preface and an introduction. In his preface the author obferves, that the want of a complete Tufcan dictionary, containing all the words relative to his fubject, has constrained him to use fome Lombardic and Venetian terms, of which he gives explanations. The introduction fhews how much easier it was for the Roman architects to build theatres in which all the fpectators had an equal view of the ftage, as they did not disdain to fit on ranges of benches, which furrounded the pit;

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