At length; Wormius ventured to encounter him on Danish ground and printed another edition of the controverted oration, with annotations, in which, ftep by step, he gravely refuted M. Wolf, probably much to the amufement of the latter, whose only view is thought to have been, to indulge his humour at the expenfe of perfons who prided themselves on the reputation of fuperiour criticism. The new edition of Tacitus, with Ruperti's Commentary, published (at the late Leipzig fair) by Dieterich, is merely a compilation, printed with bad types on coarfe paper. At the fame time, M. Fritsch, of Leipzig, published an edition of the younger Pliny's works, edited by Schäfer; and alfo, of Propertius, by Mr. Kninöl of Gieffen. The former is an improvement of Gefner's edition; and is printed with excellent types, on fiue paper: but the latter is, in these refpects, much inferiour to Heyne's Tibullus: Mr. Wooll has in the prefs, Biographical Memoirs of the late Dr. J. Warton, with a felection from his poetical works, and an extenfive literary correspondence between eminent perfons, left by him for publication. J. C. Davie, Esq. has in the press, Travels in South America, in a series of letters to the late Mr. Yorke, of TauntonDean. Mungo Park, with his companions, who failed from Portsmouth a few months ago, having touched at the if lands of St. Jago and Goree, arrived at Kayay, on the river Gambia, on the 14th of April, whence they were to proceed in a few days into the interiour of Africa. The heat was at that time fo exceffive, that the thermometer was, in the middle of the day, 100 degrees in the fhade, and frequently three hours after funfet it continued from 82 to 92 degrees. Mr. Humboldt is beginning to pubfish the refuits of his late travels, with an affectation that deferves to be reprobated. He begins with fome expenfive numbers of botany, and thence proceeds to fome other numbers of zoology and geology, promifing that he will condefcend alfo to give to the publick an abridged account of his travels, adapted to general reading. His condefcenfion does not, however, terminate here: for he tells the world that he may probably, in a few years, publish a full account of his travels, but that the abridged account may fatisfy curiofity till he has leisure to gratify it fully! Mr. Irving, author of a work on English Compofition, and of the Lives of the Scottish Poets, is engaged on a Life of the celebrated George Buchanan. The emperour of Ruffia propofes forming an inftitution at Petersburg for the purpose of improving the navy, which is to be called the Marine Mufeum. In this inftitution, leffens in all the sciences neceffary to be known by a feaofficer will be given. It will publish a fort of journal upon every subject that concerns the marine. There will be attached to the mufeum a library and a collection of natural history, which will be conftantly open to the students. The establishment is to be under the direction of the minifter of the marine, and the members are to wear a uniform like that of the marines. General Alexander Palitzyn has tranflated into the Ruffian language the Voyage of Lord Macartney to China, which will be accompanied with very fine plates. M. Dupuis, of the Inftitute, has read a curious memoir on the phoenix. He demonftrates that this celebrated bird never exifted. It was ftated to return at periods of 1481 years; but writes very confiderably relative to this duration. Herodotus relates many wonderful things concerning the phonix; Pliny speaks of its reproduction; Tacitus informs us, that it repairs to Heliopolis to die. It was confecrated to the fun. One of the times of its appearance occurred during the reign of Sefoftris, 1328 years before our era. Horus Apollo and Nonnus affert that it was an emblem of the fun, and one of the names of that luminary. A fociety has been established at Berlin, whofe object is to fend miffionaries every year to Africa, and especially to that part of it inhabited by the negroes, that with the light of chriftianity they may diffufe fome tincture of our arts, and fow feeds of a more refined civilization. Two millionaries have already fet out for Guinea. A variety of valuable antiquities have been difcovered in Theffaly. Among them are the bufts of Ariftotle and Anacreon, a large ftatue of Ceres, with a coin of Lyfimachus, and fome remarkable pillars. A Greek MS., containing a commentary of Nicephorus on the an cients, and the ancient Greek church, was difcovered at the fame time. The refearches at Pompeii are continted with great fuccefs. The queen of Naples has been with the royal family to infpect them, and in her prefence was difcovered an ancient edifice, in which were found vafes of the greatest beauty, medals, mufical inftruments, and what is of more value than all the rest, a beautiful bronze statue representing Hercules killing the celebrated hind of mount Manalus. The compofition and defign of this group are perfect. In the fame building have likewise been found fome extremely beautiful paintings, among which one reprefening Diana furprised by Acteon is particularly distinguished. The colouring of Diana is equal to any thing that Titian ever produced. The queen, it is faid, intends to have this ftructure repaired. She has likewife ordered the chevalier Venuti to fuperintend at Rome the execution of a work in marble, alabaster, and metal, reprefenting Pompeii in miniature. The chevalier has already executed a fimilar performance, reprefenting the temples of Patum, which is in the poffeflion of the queen. At the town of Fiefole, near Florence, a beautiful amphitheatre has been difcovered, and the greatest part of it cleared from the rubbish. It is fuppofed that it would contain at least 30,000 perfons. Nedral Rights-The editor, having received letters from feveral perfons of diftinction in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Befton, most of whom are perfonally unknown to him, advising him to repubEh his numbers on neutral rights in a more permanent form, and their advice having been backed by that of fome of the most respectable of his friends in this place, makes the following reply to all thefe applications at once. His circumftances are not such as to enable him unaffifted to carry on a work through the prefs of the magnitude this would be, nor would prudence juftify the attempt, without the fupport of a subscription to leaft an indemnifying amount. The fabject is becoming in fome degree trite, and, to borrow from a letter before me, publick curiofity, always capricious and easily wearied, is fomewhat abated for reading performances of this nature. As, however, the numbers which have appeared in this paper, and which are in a fate of preparation to appear, will, when the feries is completed, afford at least a more extensive view of the subject, in all its aspects, than any publication that has yet iflued from the prefs; the editor is ready and even defirous to comply with the requests with which he has been houroured, if a subscription for that purpose can be filled. And that the experiment may be fairly made, he offers the following propofals:-- The numbers, with those to come, fhall be remoulded, revised, and corrected, and form a first part; a partieular answer to fome of the fophifms of War in Difguife, will form a fecond part; and a collection of all the official documents and memorials which have appeared, having relation to the subject, fhall be added by way of Appendix; fo as to put the purchaser in poffetlion of a book to which he may at any time refer for all the information he may des fire on a queftion of fo great national moment. As it is not practicable to af certain what the size of the book will be, it is not eafy to fix upon the price. It is poffible it may extend to a volume of 400 or perhaps 500 pages, and it will be afforded at the ufual price of a work of fuch a fize. To be put to prefs as foor as the appearance of the fubfeription lift will justify it. W. COLEMAN [N. York Evening Peft.] We have received from Philadelphia a profpectus of a new periodical paper, to be called The Hour, by Thomas Timekeeper; to be published every Monday, and will, for the most part, be devoted to topicks immediately connected with the Hour; embracing politicks, arts, fciences, and polite literature; and including, in a more especial manner, a review of the new books, magazines, repofitories, and various journals of the United States. It will confift of eight large octavo pages, elegantly printed. The price 4 dollars per annum. Rev. Samuel Auftin and Mr. Ifaiah Thomas, jun. have iffued proposals for publishing, by subscription, The com plete Works of the late Rev. Prefident Edwards of New Jersey, in eight octavo volumes of about five hundred pages each, price fourteen dollars, bound.-The publick are now in poffeffion of these works, but in separate volumes and imperfect editions. It was thought a tribute of refpect due to this great and amiable theologian, that it would be promotive of the literary reputation of our country, and effentially fubferve the 113 cause of truth and piety in general, to collect these works and publish them under one entire impreflion. Since this plan was projected, a fimilar one has been formed, and the execution of it is now in confidetable forwardness on the other fide of the Atlantic. But from the late increase of taxes imposed by the British government, and other incidental caufes, books imported from England cannot be afforded by booksellers as cheap as those which are printed here. Besides, it is to our reproach to fuffer the works of a man of so much celebrity and fuch uncommon attainments, a man who ftands on the height of elevation, as a metaphyfician, a theologian, a difcriminating casuist, and an experimental chrif tian, to want that patronage in his own country which they have abroad. The Plays of William Shakespeare, with Johnfon and Steevens' notes, augmented by Ifaac Reed, are now publishing by Meffrs. Riley & Co. of New York, and Maxwell, &c. of Philadelphia. This first complete American edition will be contained in feventeen volumes crown octavo, printed in a style eminently beautiful on a nfie cream-coloured woven paper, under the immediate direction and fuperintendance of an editor, affisted by feveral men of letters. Sydenham's Works.-Mr. Francis Nichols, of Philadelphia, proposes to reprint the works of Dr. Sydenham, in two volumes octavo, price about three dollars fifty cents. Many phyficians have been confulted on the subject, who concur in recommending their publication. They will be published with notes, intended to render them more useful to the American ftudent of medicine, by Benjamin Rufh, M. D. Profeffor of Medicine in the university of Pennsylvania. As the expenfe of publishing thefe works will be confiderable, and the fale not extensive, they cannot be undertaken without a profpect of fuccefs; all phyficians therefore who are inclined to encourage the publication of them, are defired to ufe their interest among their medical friends, and to tranfmit the names of fubfcribers to F. Nichols, T. Dobson, J. Conrad & Co. and S. F. Bradford, book fellers, Philadelphia; or to White, Burditt, & Co. Boston. Mr. Samuel Pleasants, jun. of Richmond, Virginia, is preparing for the prefs, Part I. of the fecond volume of the Revised Code, containing a collection of such acts of the general affembly of FOR FEBRUARY. AT the commencement of Febru ary the weather was cold for the moft part, and fometimes attended with fnow. Afterwards, a cloudy atmosphere, fudden changes to warm weather, which quickly diffolved the fnows, and then as fuddenly became cold. From about the middle of the month it has been uniformly mild; the fnow has difappeared, and vegetation commenced. have been fewer, than might have The acute difeafes of the month been expected from the great variations of temperature, which have exby the way, is deficient and incorrect, ifted. In the return of deaths (which, but better than none) we find scarcely any acute difeafes named. The truth is, that most of those disorders, which recurred, were cured by medicine. Among thefe may be enumerated a few cafes of pneumonic inflammation, of rheumatism, of catarrh, and fome of typhus mitior followed by long protracted convalefcence. at prefent much the largest proporChronic complaints form tion of disease. Posilipo....Palace of Queen Joan....Tomb of Virgil....Grotto of Posilipo. BELOW the suburb of Kiaja is situated the village of Posilipo. The country houses here are a cool retreat during the heat of summer. They are built against the hill of Posilipo, composed of tupu and volcanick substances, and their walls are washed by the waters of the bay, which here, flowing against the base of the hill, leaves no room for a carriage way beyond Posilipo; afterwards there is only a narrow footpath, in traversing which the passenger is often wet by the spray. Sir William Hamilton had a house here, where he used to retire and enjoy the coolness of the evening. They are mere occasional dwellings; the space is so circumscribed,that there is no room for gardens; some of them have a terrace with a few orange and lemon trees. Yet the luxurious Neapolitans esteem this, with reason, a delicious place of resort. After existing through the debilitating heat of the day, they devote the night to pleasure, Posilipo is then a favourite resort; here they come and regale themselves on oyster suppers, of which they åre extravagantly fond. Refreshed by the cool breezes of the evening, and soothed by the murmurs of the waves breaking against the walls of their houses,the luxurious pleasures Vol. III. No. 3. P of the night console them for the lassitude they are tormented with during the fervid heat of the day. One of these casinos was pointed out to me, as having been, a short time before, the residence of an English nobleman, whose eccentricities amused the Neapolitans. He always dressed in the most effeminate mans ner,the neck and bosom of his shirt edged with fine lace and open like a child's. He dined at eight o'clock, the Italians dine at two; and making his servants take the lights, he would go and work in his garden by candle light. Close by Posilipo the ruined palace of Queen Joan projects into the bay. This was the spot, in which that barbarous queen com mitted those licentious and cruel acts which history attributes to her. The building is very large, and not so far ruined, as to prevent being repaired. It affords shelter to fishermen and their boats. While strolling amid its ruins, reflecting on the scenes of blood and licentiousness which had formerly been acted within its walls, the sight of a fisherman, coming from some of its obscure apartments, started me from my reverie, as though I had seen one of the ghosts of its ancient inhabitants. Below Posilipo are the extensive ruins of the villa of Lucultus. It ble slab is inserted in the rock with two Latin lines, inscribed to the memory of Sannazarius. But, as Dupaty observes, "a rage for antithesis" has led the author to praise him so extravagantly, that we deny him even the share of merit which he really possessed. is now called Scuola di Virgilio. From these ruins is one of the most extensive views about Naples. You see Vesuvius, the bay, the islands of Caprex, Ischia, Prochyta, cape Misenus, Baix, &c. There is a winding path, be tween the Kiaja and Posilipo,which ascends the hill to some houses and a church, situated near its summit. When arrived here, a peasant conducts you through fields of vines and groves of fig trees to a rude, romantick spot, of rather difficult access, and points you to a little ruin, shadowed by trees and overgrown with wild flowers and ivy, the name of which cannot be mentioned without emotion....how much then must be felt in seeing the tomb of Virgil! The lower part is of a square form, the upper part conical. In the inside are some remains of stucco. There are four openings, one of which is quite overgrown with bushes. It is built on the edge of a precipice, near the entrance of the grotto, and the thick growth of the bushes prevented my seeing the carriages rolling over the pavements thirty or forty yards below my feet; the noise, reverberating in the grotto, led me to discover its vicinity, though I could not see it. Nothing is certain; and the descendants of that being, to whom Apollo gave the chaff, have excited doubts in the mind of the classick pilgrim, whether this is the real tomb of the poet. They have tried to prove, that his ashes repose on the other side of the bay. The reasons for believing this to be his tomb are founded on constant tradition, and that its form and construction agree with the description given by Donato, in his life of the poet. Opposite the tomb a small mar Nothing can exceed the beauty of the view from this place through the branches of the trees. The bay, a part of the city, the mountain, and the coast on the other side, are partially discovered. ....I must endeavour to give you some idea of the grotto of Posilipo, one of the most extraordinary objects around Naples. I shall quote you its history from a short manuscript work, upon the antiquities of Pozzuoli, given me by an Italian gentleman." It is not certainly known at what time this grotto was formed. It existed in the time of Augustus, since Strabo, his cotemporary, speaks of it distinctly. Some think it to have been the work of Lucullus, because Plutarch,his biographer,says one of his most pleasing employments at Na ples was to pierce thro' mountains. This grotto was very narrow in the time of Alphonzo I. of Arragon, who made it much larger at each end; and after this, Don Pedro di Toledo paved it, and left it in its present state." Turning to the left, after passing the suburb of Kiaja, the road enters the grotto, cut through the hill of Posilipo to maintain the connection, without passing over it, between Baix, Pozzuoli, and the city. The entrance is extremely picturesque. The hill being cut away presents to you a perpendicular wall a hundred feet high, above which the summit is crowned with pines and various shrubs, and luxuriant festoons of ivy are hanging down the sides of the rock. The passage in |