ART. 58. Paraifo perdido, poëma heroico de J. Milton, traduzido em vulgar pelo P. Jofe Amaro da Silva, Presbitere Vimarenfe. Com. Paraiso reftaurado do mesmo author. Em Lifboa. 8vo. Tom. I. 373 Tom. II. 344 PP•

PP.

This is, as far as we know, the first tranflation, made immediately from the English, that has yet been attempted in Portugal, which is the only circumftance that entitles it to a place in our Review. It may, in conjunction with the Noites d' Young, which have fince appeared in the fame language, ferve to give to the Portuguese poetry, which is, in general, as replete with imagery, as it is deftitute of fentiment, a degree of elevation to which it has not been accustomed; if, indeed, that philofophical turn, which characterizes the original, fhould be found to fuit the tafte of the Portuguefe. This, however, does not feem to have been the motive by which the author was induced to undertake the prefent verfion, his object having been merely that of edification, the only one, perhaps, to which he was competent. Such of our readers as are acquainted with the idiom of that country, may be glad to have an opportunity of comparing this beausiful paffage, (book iv, v. 449.)

"That day I oft remember when from fleep," &c.

with the following tranflation: "Ella (a tua amavel fociedade) me "lembra o dia, em que doce luz veio pela primeira vez abrir "os meus olhos affombrados. Acheime fuavemente deitada fobre ́ ́ huma alcatifa de verdura, efmaltada de flores, à fombra de hum "arvoredo. Nao fabia onde estava, quem era, donde vinha. Ouvi "o murmurio de hum arroio, que fahia d' entre huma gruta visin"ha; a fua agua espalhada formava huma liquida planicie, e a fua fuperficie focegada dava ares da pureza dos ceos. Encaminhei para effa parte os meus primeiros paffos, a experiencia nao me "tinha enfinado nada: inclinei-me fobre a verdejante margem, e "olhei para efte tanque claro e lifo, que me parecia outro ceo. A "o inclinarme avistei huma figura, que fe inclinava tambem para "mim: olhei para ella, e ella olhou para mim. Recuei fobrefalta"da, e ella recuou tambem fobrefaltada. Certo encanto fecreto 66 me fez tornar à chegar, e o mefino encanto a attrahie à ella: reciprocos movimentos de fympathia e de amor nos preveniao huma "à refpeito da outra," &c.-It is not likely that the Portuguese, who have been accustomed to the poetry of a Camoens, and an Ericeira, will be more fatisfied with the prefent, or, indeed, with any profaic tranflation of a poet, than the English reader.

To the Translation are annexed short Notes in the following

manner:

"Adam the goodliest of men fince born
"His fons.'

B. iv. 323.

"The Talmudifts inform us, that Adam was of so immenfe a fize, "that he reached from one end of the earth to the other. After the "fall that fize muft, of course, have been greatly reduced."

The

The whole concludes with Addifon's Remarks on the Paradife Loft, from the Spectator.In the preface, the bookfeller, Rolland, affures us, that "thofe nations, where the common people are encouraged to read, are the most difpofed to virtue, to the love of their country to the practice of religion, and obedience to the established form of government; whereas on the contrary, ignorance and want "of reading are the fources from which are derived pride, defpotifm, oppofition to government, fuperftition, and irreligion," fome parts of which may be true; but the things are oddly mixed.

ART. 59. Tratado da Educação Fyfica dos Meninos, para uso da Nação Portugueza, por ordem da Academia Real das Sciencias, por Francifco José de Almeida, &c.-Treatise on the Phyfical Education of Children. 142 pp. 4to. Lisbon.

This effay, published for the inftruction of families, will be found, at leaft, to be very well adapted to the country for which it was intended, where many practices, injurious to health, and, therefore, no longer fashionable in the more enlightened nations of Europe, are still retained. The author inveighs particularly against early marriages, which in that country the males contract at about fourteen years old, and the females as foon as they attain the age of puberty, that is, fo early as their twelfth, or even their eleventh year. To the whole is fubjoined an appendix on inoculation.

HOLLAND.

ART. 60. Valentini Slothower Diatribe Philofophico-grammatica de origine & caufis cafuum, præfertim in Græcâ & Latinâ linguâ. 8vo. 192 pp.

Leeuwarden.

The author maintains in this work, written with no common animation of ftyle, that those casual terminations, which point out the relations of things to each other, are an invention of later times; that, accurately speaking, no verb requires any case after it, unless it be, perhaps, the accufative; that in the other three a prepofition is always expreffed or understood: and that even thofe prepofitions do not govern certain cafes, as fuch, but that they were themselves originally nouns, or verbs. In all this doctrine, the reader will discover nothing, which has not already been advanced by other writers on the subject of Philofophical grammar, particularly in our own country. When he afferts likewife, that the Greek language confifted at firft of monofyllabic founds, partly imitative or onomato-poetic, and partly arbitrary, and that from this rude beginning many centuries elapfed before it was reduced to grammatical analogy, we are ready to admit what is, in effect, confirmed by the progrefs of other languages, though we cannot allow him to fix thofe original sounds, being perfuaded that there is no foundation for them in the hiftory of the language. Nor indeed, if they could be afcertained, fhould we be convinced of the utility of fuch an investigation.

Hedendaagsche Vaderlandsche Letter Oefeningens

ART

NETHERLANDS.

ART. 61. Le Guide du Naturalifte dans les trois regnes de la Nature, ou methode analytique par lequel on peut découvrir le Nom générique de l'animal, du végétal, ou du mineral, que l'on fe propofe de connoitre, Par M. V. D. S. de P. un vol. 8vo. 515 pp. à Bruxelles.

We

may venture to recommend this Guide as a proper introduction to the study of natural history. It is a Nomenclature, with the affiftance of which we may, in a fhort time, difcover the genus of any natural body unknown to us, and fo be enabled to feek for the specific name, as well as the particular properties of the object, in any writer on natural history; which before mult certainly often have been attended with great difficulty. Efpr. des Journaux.

ART. 62. Traité des plantes les moins frequentes, qui croiffent naturellement dans les environs des villes de Gand, d'Aloft, de Termonde, & Bruxelles, rapportées fous les dénominations des modernes & des anciens, & arrangées fuivant le fyftême de Linnéus; avec une explication des termes de la Nomenclature botanique, les noms François & Flamands de chaque plante, les lieux pofitifs où elles croiffent, des obfervations fur leur ufage dans la médecine, dans les arts & métiers, par M. Roucel. 8vo. 150 pp. à Bruxelles.

A phyfical question propofed in 1788, by the Academy of Sciences and Belles Lettres at Bruffels, engaged the author to publifh this treatife, which contains the refult of his Botanical Researches in the Belgic provinces, for the fpace of twenty years. It were greatly to be wifhed, for the fake of that science, that there fhould be found in every country a naturalift animated with fimilar zeal, and poffeffed of equal information with the author of this tract, which we shall not hesitate to recommend as a model in its way. Ibid.

GERMANY.

ART. 63. Vorlefungen ueber die Pflichten und Rechte des Menschen. Von Adolph Zacharias Becker.-Lectures on the Duties and Rights of Man, &c. vol. 2. 1792. 726 pp. 8vo. Gotha.

The plan of this fecond volume agrees with that adopted by the author in the firft. In this, however, no longer attending to the general principles of moral philofophy, he difcuffes the particular duties and rights of men in a popular, though by no means a fuperficial manner, according to juft and determinate grounds of action, the fyftematical connexion of which is fufficiently obvious. Even thofe readers who have been accustomed to confider these subjects in a scientific way, will here find many obfervations highly worthy of their attention: as, for inftance, where he examines into the reafons, why fuicide should be more common in civilized than in barbarous nations, p. 71. In the examples adduced by way of illuftration, we fhall not hesitate to say, that readers of all claffes will find useful entertainment and matter for ferious reflection. Goetting. Anzeig.

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. I. JUNE 1793.

R

ART.

ART. 64. Jof. Spergefii Palentini Centuria literarum ad Italos. Cum Appendice III. decadum ad varios: Carmina juvenilia. Inscriptiones. Vindobonae. 8vo. 328 pp.

The author, who had been fecretary to the late emperor for the department of Italy, and who died in the year 1791, correfponded with many learned men of that country. The letters now printed were written by him between the years 1770 and 1780; and the three decads go even beyond that period. From the nature of the office, which the author held, it will be expected that this correfpondence fhould regard matters and events chiefly interefting to the nations immediately concerned, though they will likewife be found to contain many circumftances, that may ferve to throw a light on thofe times; particularly on the character of Jofeph II. and to have the additional recommendation of being written in an uncommonly pure Latin ftyle, with great concifenefs and fimplicity of language, as well as folidity of judgment. The fame may likewife be afferted of the Latin poems and infcriptions, which are remarkable for their elegant fimplicity. To the whole is prefixed, A short Life of the Baron von Sperges, by A. Cramesius.

Ibid.

ART. 65. Collectio nova numorum Cuficorum feu Arabicorum CXVI. continens numos, plerofque ineditos, è Mufcis Borgiano et Adleriano, digefta et explorata à J. G. C. Adler, Theol. D. et Profess. 4to. 182 PP. Hafniæ.

Since the publication of the Museum Cuficum, Cardinal Borgia had made another confiderable collection of Arabic coins, of which he fent impreffions to Mr. Adler at Copenhagen: thefe, together with fuch as the Author himself poffeffed, form the contents of the prefent volume, which, as well in point of number and importance of articles, as in accuracy of defcription, far exceeds that which preceded it. The Author has not only introduced historical obfervations, and inedited extracts from Arabic writers, relative to fuch coins as he thought the moft remarkable in an hiftorical view, but he has likewife presented us with a revifion of the Museum Cuficum Borgianum, and fuch other works in the fame department of literature, as have appeared fince that publication; in all of which he has made many judicious corrections. To the whole is prefixed an introductory effay on the origin of Arabic coins, which likewife contains unpublifhed paffages from Soyuti, Abulabbas Ahmed and others. They confirm the account given by Elmacin, who places the origin of Arabic coins under Abdalmalek, in the 75th or 76th year of the Hegira.

As the prefent work is intended to be a continuation of the Mufeum Cuficum Borgianum, a fecond title is likewise added, viz: MuJeum Cuficum Borgianum; Velitris, pars II. Illuftravit I. G. Chr. Adler, inferti funt numi Cufici editoris.

Ibid.

ART. 66. Gefchichte der wichtigsten geographischen Entdeckungen, &c. von M. G. Sprengel. A History of the most important geographical difcoveries, &c. 8vo. Halle.

The firft people, who vifited diftant and unknown countries, were the Phoenicians; but their discoveries being either uncertain, or having been again made in later times, the Author does not think it neceffary to dwell on them. It is perhaps for the fame reafon, that he passes by thofe of the Perfians, though their firft four kings not only made military expeditions into very remote countries, but likewife contributed greatly to the extenfion of geographical knowledge by voyages undertaken by their order. He therefore lays the greater ftrefs on the discoveries made by the Greeks, of whofe geo. graphical knowledge he gives us an accurate account from the time of Herodotus. In the interval between the age of that Author and Alexander the Great, many learned Greeks undertook voyages of difcovery, as, for inftance, Scylax, who examined the coaft of the Mediterranean, and Pytheas that of the Northern Sea, as far as Thule. But with the expedition of Alexander against the Perfians commenced a new epoch for Geography. To the North he proceeded beyond Sihon (Iaxarte) as far as Kirgifia, and fouthward he advanced as far as the middle of the country fituate between the Indus and the Ganges. Afia became known to the Europeans, only from the time when it fubmitted to their yoke. No further difcoveries were indeed attempted towards the north; but the Syrians and Bactrians pushed their conquefts fouthward; and Seleucus Nicanor penetrated as far as the Ganges. The Ptolemies opened for themfelves a paffage to India by fea, though it is not quite certain that the peninfula was known to them. Eratosthenes was the first Greek Author who treated of Geometry fyftematically; but was afterwards imitated by others, both among his countrymen and the Romans, who became at once conquerors and geographers; it was by them that all the western part of Europe, except Ireland, was drawn from obfcurity. In Afia their knowledge kept pace with their victories. Their fucceffes against Mithridates and the Parthians difcovered to them the countries lying between the Black and the Cafpian Seas. They entered likewife as conquerors into Africa and Arabia, though in the latter they were lefs fortunate. Their wars

and alliances in this quarter of the globe, and, last of all, the conqueft of Egypt, facilitated their entrance into Ethiopia, and as far as the 'Niger. Indeed Africa was better known to them than to us, and charts of Ptolemy are more full than the modern ones of Rennel.

It is unfortunate that the works of the Arabs on the fubject of geography are either loft or unknown to us, except Abulfeda, the Geographus Nubienfis, and fome extracts from the MSS. of the Royal Library at Paris. They paffed the Niger, and proceeded as far as Sofala. To the Eaft their excurfions were reftrained only by the Ocean. By Sea they went to China, with the interior part of which country, it feems, they were well acquainted.. The East-Indies, properly fo called, they divide into Sind and Ind, the former comprifing the countries fituate about the Indus, and the latter fuch as lie near the Ganges.