and ether places, there are fill fuch remains as conteftibly demonftrate the truth of thefe affertions.

The count infers, that the belief in the exilience of one God, the creator and preferver of the univerfe, and the immortality of the foul, among the Mexicans and Peruvians fhew their antiquity, as well as their ceremonies of marriages and funerals. He next treats of the conftitution or government established in the two empires of Mexico and Peru, and particularly the latter. From thence he paffes on to the wife laws of the three republics, Tlafcala, Curetacal, and Guezecingo, upon the frontiers of that vaft empire of Mexico. Cortez has compared them to the form of government established at Genoa, Venice, and Pifa. In one of the Count's lettres, he makes a beautiful comparifon between the laws of Lycurgus, and the Incas. The reader is likewife prefented with the fate of manufactories among the Peruvians, in wool, gold, filver, marble, &c. he alfo treats of their fcafts, their fpectacles, and their poetry.

In the twenty-firft letter, Count Carli enumerates the many articles which the new world has furnished to the old, fuch as medicinal plants, drugs, gums, metals, minerals, Indian corn, chocolate, cochemille, tobacco, fugar, furs, &c.-Such are the fubjects of the first part.

Laft year was published at Cremona, the fecond part of thefe letters, in which he exhibits the furprizing conformity in certain primitive cuftoms, and prejudices of the inhabitants of both hemifpheres, and concludes that they had the fame origin, and ancient correfpondence. The ancient people of Germania made their arrows of bones or wood, hardened by fire; the fame practice is found among the favages of America, for want of iron. Among the Scythians, and other nations, they had poifoned darts, and the fame barbarous cuftoms were fill retained in America. Americus, Vefpucius, and other voyagers remark, that the inhabitants painted their bodies with figures that could not be effaced. Among the Egyptians and Syrians, they worshipped upon the fummits of their pyramids; the Mexicans do the fame, as alfo the Peruvians, upon their folar columns. The latter have also the institution of veslals, and the facred fire. The Mexicans worship ferpents, like the Egyptians. Their priefts made ufe of libations of bread and wine, or other liquors. Beer, according to Pliny, Tacitus, Xenophon, and other writers, was the oft- an

cient liquor among the Germans, and other countries, and differs fcarcely from the Chica that the Americans make from grain fermented. Our author, in analy, zing the cuftom of wearing rings, or other ornaments fufpended from the nose, the manner of cutting the hair round, like the Incas, and other strange customs, are in common with our continent, fuch as their games and exercises, and human facrifices. In the third letter, the Egyptians are compared to the Mexicans; not only in their worship upon pyramids, but in their adoration of the fun, moon, and plancis, and in reprefenting things by means hieroglyphics; the cuftom of fione knives for opening the entrails of their victims; that of their principal warriors, in ornamenting their cafques with the heads of dragons, lions, and other furious animals; their cuftom of expofing their dead monarchs and great men to public view, their habits of polygamy, purchafing flaves, and manufactories of cotton, &c.

The fourth letter prefents a more striking conformity between the Chinese, and the Peruvians. The fovereigns of these two people re-unite in their persons the priesthood and fupreme power; they look upon themselves as the inventors of agriculture, and annually perform the ceremony of holding the plough; they call themselves the children of the fun; both nations calculate their time by lunar years, and their principal folemnities are celebrated about the equinoxes.

That learned philofopher M. de la Condamine thought, that the only means of difcovering the origin of the Americans, was in comparing their languages with thofe of the old world. Chanti, is the word which the Chinese give to the fun, and has a great refemblance with Hin-ti or Yn-ti, which among the Peruvians fignify the fame luminary. In Egyp¿ the invention of letters was attributed to a certain deity called Theut, from whence perhaps the Greeks derived their word

og, and the Romans Deus. The Orenoquois, according to Gumilla, call the fun by the name of Teos. The words Abba, Babba, Papa, to fignify father, and Mamma to fignify mother, are common to both continents, and always taken in the fame fenfe. Thefe, with many other observations of the like nature, induce this nobleman to believe that they had one common origin.

In fupport of this fyftem, we have many writers who have given very pro bable conjectures that there was formerly an intercourfe between the Carthagenians,

aud

and the inhabitants of America. This matter, however, will be foon cleared up, if the report be true, that a profeffor of oriental languages at Cambridge, in America, has tranfinitted to Mr. Gebelin, auther of the primitive world, three RuNIC INSCRIPTIONS, which have been found engraved on the rocks, at the mouth of a river, that is not fifty miles S. of

Bofton. It is faid that the Carthagenians had there recorded their firft landing on that unknown fhare, and of their having entered into a treaty with the natives. In our next, we fhall give an outline of the principal arguments of Count Carli's fyftem, which has more partizans than adverfaries.

HE author of this useful introduc

dedicated it to the fovereign pontiff. Strangers in particular, who vifit this capital, will find her fill the miftrefs of the world, with refpect to the remains of antiquity, and the fine arts; and this Neapolitan doctor will prove an excellent guide to those who would study the origin, fituation, and extent of ancient Rome. He allo treats of the civil government of the Romans, under their first kings, the various claffes and distinctions of the people, their magiftrature, privileges, marriages, education, monies, games, divifion of time, diftribution of their houses, their names, drefs, table, and amusements, which make up

vernment of the Romans, their rites and ceremonies, their gods, temples, priefts, facrifices, public feafts, and funerals; their legislative government, from their first kings, down to the emperor Jufti nian. Our author has alfo given his reader five differtations on the origin of tongues, and the various epochs of the Latin language, in which he has difplayed much erudition and fidelity. Upon the whole, this work, which has a confidera ble fhare of merit, would have been more perfect, had he not treated too fuperficially the fubjects of medals and infcriptions.

TH THE life of Michael Angelo Buonaroti, by Abbé Hauchecorne, is but a liberal tranflation from the Italian of Condivi, a difciple of Michael Angelo, and the favourite and confidant of that great artist. The Abbé, however, has introduced feveral digrefhons upon thofe celebrated characters who have been the

friends and patrons of Buonaroti, as well as upon the divers events of which Italy became the theatre. He has likewife in troduced the ftate of the arts in Italy, at that period in which this fingular painter, fculptor and architect lived. Rome; hav ing experienced all the horrors of pillage, and inteftine commotions, had fallen a

prey

prey to its conquerors, and became enveoped in the groffelt ignorance. The polite arts were buried under her frightful ruins; for although he had fill her artifts, yet they were all infpired with a wretched tafle, that was more difficult to defroy than ignorance. Sculpture and architecture were the firft that began to revive. Leonard de Vinci, celebrated for the univerfality of his talents, gave new life to the pencil, but it remained for Michael Angelo to carry it to its laft perfection.

From his early age, Michael Angelo fhewed a wonderful propenfity for defign; and as he was defcended from the Counts of Canoffe, his family were alarmed at the difgrace attending the profeffion of a painter. Every reprefentation was made by his noble relations, accompanied with threats, and corporal chaftifements; nevertheless, he perfevered in following the bent of his genius and inclinations.

Among the first attempts that fignalized his pencil, was a head that he copied fo perfectly, that his mafter Ghirlandaio mitook it for the original. About the fame time, he did fomething ftill more furprizing, and that without the advice or direction of any one. He undertook to reprefent his master in the action of painting in frefco, together with his difciples, in the attitudes and habits he had been accuftomed to fee them. The execution was fo mafterly, that Ghirlandaio confeffed that he had furpaffed him in the art. -Michael Angelo was then but thir teen years of age. The ftatue of a fawn, which he made for the Medicis' Gardens, by which he obtained the patronage of that family, fo celebrated for their enconTagement of the fine arts and belles lettres. He had apartments allotted him in the palace; and after the death of this prince, he reprefented him under the gure of his famous Hercules. While he was employed in finishing this noble figure, avaft quantity of fnow fell; the fuccellor of bis patron took it into his head to raise a fatue with thefe materials, and to employ Michael Angelo in this extraordinary operation. Strange deftiny of genius! Michael Angelo's father treated his fon as a mafon, and the fon of his patron em ploved him to make ftatues of fnow! Another trait of Peter will fill give us a better idea of his capacity. He often boafted that he had two uncommon men in his court, Michael Angelo, and a running footman, who could run fwifter than a race-horse.

At the age of twenty-nine, our artift

was fent for by the pope, to etet his monument during his life-time. The honours he received at that court, created many enemies; and at laft the pope withdrew his favours and protection. Having defired to fpeak to the pope about the arrival of fome marbles, he was told that his holinefs was not at leifure to see him; he came a fecond time, and as he was entering the anti-chamber, he was stopped by one of the domeftics, faying, "You muft excufe me, I have orders to refuse you admittance." A bishop being prefent, faid, "Is it that you are a ranger to this man ?" "Pardon me, my lord," replied the domeftic, "I only execute my mafter's orders." "Well then," exclaimed Michael Angelo, "if that be the cafe, tell the pope that he must find me elfewhere, if he wants to fee me," and immediately took poft for Florence.

It was there that he finifhed the famous Carton in the council chamber, which has been the admiration and ftudy of every artift. Julius, not willing to give up the fervices of Michael Angelo, wrote twice for his return to Rome; and his third letter was to the court of Florence, threatening war if he was not fent back to Rome. Our artift, fearing the confe quences, repaired to his old ftation, and throwing himself at his holiness's feet, obtained his pardon. Upon this, Julius employed him to caft his ftatue larger than life, to be placed upon the frontifpiece of St. Petrone, at Bologna. Michael Angelo having made the model in earth, and not knowing what to place in the left hand, afked the pope if he would have a book placed there?" A book!" replied the holy father; "a fword; I know how to handle that much better." This ftatue was finished, but it was broken to pieces, when the Bentivoglios re-entered Bologna. Alphonfo of Eft, duke of Ferrara, bought the materials, and had it caft into a piece of artillery, and called it Juliana.

A detail of all his works, would be fo reign to our plan; and therefore it only remains for us to add, that he excelled in painting, fculpture, and architecture. As a painter, many will have him to poffefs more energy than Raphael, but with lefs tafte; more boldnefs, but lefs correct. L'Abbé du Bos calls him the Corneille, and the Englifh the Shakespeare of painting. He neglected the graces of colouring, but he aftonished the fpectator by the boldnefs and richness of his pencil, and, the fublimity of his ideas. As a fculptor, Michael Angelo was ftill a greater

artilt;