intended to varnifh over crimes, and to mislead the judgment of pofterity, in refpect to the fuccefies of ambitious men.

Remarques fur plufieurs branches de commerce et de navigation. (i. e.)

Remarks upon various branches of commerce and navigation. Two Volumes, 12mo. 1757.

As the hardships fuffered by the people arifing from palpable errors in government, have of late prompted men of genius and good fenfe to confider the natural advantages of France, fo they have profecuted this important fubject with that vivacity, which is the characteristic of the nation. In the last twenty five years, they have published more books upon this topic than were written in two centuries before, and there is nothing of greater confequence to us, than to be well apprized of this, and to have, at least, a general notion of the contents of fuch performances.

Our Author begins with giving a fuccinct hiftory of the navigation and commerce of the feveral powers in Europe, fince the difcovery of America. He then makes fome very fenfible obfervations upon two points, which he acknowledges to have been largely treated by others, of whofe labours he speaks with becoming refpect. The firft of thefe, is the culture of lands, upon which he remarks, that the tax called the Taille, augments, in proportion as the more corn is produced, upon any quantity of land; that is, the tax increases, as the value of the commodity decreases. This, he truly fays, is a direct oppreffion of induftry, and the relief he propofes, is to reverfe the method of taxing; the good effects that would arife from which he explains at large. The fecond point, relates to the exportation of grain. He takes notice that Sir Thomas Culpepper, in 1621, complained bitterly, that corn was brought in fo cheap from France, as prevented the raifing it in England to profit. He fhews very clearly by what means the cafe has been altered, and afferts, that the rents and fertility of land, the price of labour, and other circumftances confidered, corn might be afforded one fourth cheaper in France than in England, and confequently might be exported without a bounty; which would effectually compenfate that diminution of taille which he propofes.

He proceeds next to the fisheries, more efpecially of herring and mackrel. He explains the great advantages arising from them, both private and public, as enabling an honeft laborious race of men to marry early, to raise numerous families, and to maintain them comfortably, at the fame time that it provides for the fupply of able feamen in time of war, and the only encouragement

couragement he pleads for in favour of these people is, that they fhould be exempted from ferving on board the king's fhips, except in time of war. From this topic he takes occafion to inveigh warmly against the folly of fuffering the Dutch to vend all the merchandizes of the North in France; which they purchase with their fifh, when, with a little encouragement and protection, the French might be enabled to procure thofe commodities for their own fifh, and thereby not only save a great expence, but at the fame time augment confiderably their navigation.

The second part of the book contains a very inftructive and judicious hiftory of the Levant trade; the rife, progrefs, and advantages it brings to France, but, above all, the difficulties under which it ftill labours. In treating of this matter, the Author fhews inconteftably, that all the orders, regulations, and reftrictions, which have been fuggefted by different bodies of traders, to the minifters of France, in reference to this trade, have been fo far from promoting it, that, in reality, they have ferved only to produce a great variety, and a never ending train of inconveniences. He therefore proposes, as the fureft and most effectual method for extending it to the utmoft, to repeal all these ordinances; to leave the manufacturers at liberty to make their cloths as they think fit; to allow them to make them in what quantities they judge proper, and to fell them for what prices they can get. He declares, in like manner, against all restraints in exporting them, and lays it down as a thing certain, that to render this commerce lucrative, it fhould be made as free as poffible.

As the very notion of commerce implies an intercourfe between people of different countries, as the general maxims of commerce are to be acquired in all countries, and what is applicable to the interefts of one country, may be often, though not always, fo to those of another; there cannot be any thing more useful than the perufal of treatifes, that regard the improvements and trade of other nations, in order thoroughly to comprehend, and to promote, thofe of our own.

i. e.

Real Academia de Buenas Lettras de Barcelona, origen, progref fos, y fa primera junta general, baxo la proteccion de fu Mageftad, con los papeles que en elle fe accordaron. The academy royal of Belles-Lettres, eftablished in the city of Barcelona; its origin, progrefs, and firft general affembly, under the protection of his Majefty: with fuch pieces of literature, as were read and approved by the academy. Barce

lona,

Jona, Tom. I. pp. 665, 4to. For Francis Suria, printer to the Royal Academy.

There had been, time out of mind, felect companies of literary men, who met occafionally in Barcelona, in order to improve themselves by the communication of their different difcoveries, in feveral fciences, and thofe lights that naturally arise, and indeed, can only arife, from converfation. These meetings were much interrupted by the war, in the beginning of the prefent century, on account of the fucceffion to the crown of Spain, and most of them entirely broken and diffolved, during the long fiege which the inhabitants of Barcelona fuftained againft the forces of his late Catholic Majefty Philip the fifth. But when the public tranquillity was happily reftored, and the government once more fettled, the arts of peace revived, and the lovers of literature affociated themselves as before. This coming to the notice of the viceroy, he thought it would add luftre even to his fupreme dignity, if, while he was honoured by his king with the government of this city and principality, he fhould likewife prefide, by their own free choice, over the promoters of learning in both.

This wife and worthy man was the marquis de Richebourg, of the illuftrious houfe of Melun, then captain-general and governor of Barcelona and Catalonia, under whose aufpices the academy was founded in 1729, and instead of thofe fwelling and pompous titles, fo much affected by the wits of Italy, modeftly took that of Academia de los des-confiados; that is, The academy of the unaffuming. The regulations they framed for themfelves were equally ufeful and prudent, and the figure they made was fuch, that in 1751 his Catholic Majefty, king Ferdinand the fixth, was pleased to declare himself their protector, and, by letters patent, to refound the academy, to confine the number of members to forty, and to authenticate a new and well digefted body of statutes, under which they have flourished ever fince.

The objects of their enquiries are the fciences in general, but the point they have particularly in view, is the cultivating the hiftory of Spain, and of the principality of Catalonia especially, as the most honourable to their country, and in that respect the moft worthy of good citizens. In reference to this, there is no want of materials; the only difficulty is to digeft thefe materials into a proper method, fo that they may be read with pleasure, and understood with eafe, due regard being had to the order of time, the certainty of facts eftablished, and caufes and events fhewn in that relation to each other, in which they naturally ftand.

The

The firft part of the book having explained the hiftory, diftinguished the different forms, and difplayed the prefent state of the academy; the fecond contains addreffes of thanks to the king and queen of Spain, and to Mr. de Carvajal; (who was prime minifter when the academy was refounded) and which is indeed of much more confequence than all the reft, amoft admirable fyftem of rules for writing Hiftory,-that the members of this aflembly might know by what laws their writings were to be tried, and have, at the fame time, a juft idea of the perfection they were to reach, the neceffary helps towards attaining it, with a view allo of, at leaft, the capital errors, they were to avoid.

This, we must allow, is fetting out properly; and from the elegance and correctnefs of this firft Tome, the learned world has juft reafon to expect extraordinary things from the academy of Barcelona.

Raccolta di Lettere, fulla Pittura, Scultura, ed Architettura, feritte da piu celebri perfonaggi, che in dette arti fiorirono, dal fecolo xv. al xvii. That is,

A collection of Letters, relating to painting, fculpture, and architecture, written by perfens the moft celebrated for their knowlege in thofe arts, who have flourished from the fifteenth to the feventeenth century. At Rome printed for Nicholas and Mark Pagliarini, 1757, 2 vols. 8vo.

The defign of this work, is to collect and preferve the detached pieces that have been occafionally written, by the molt diftinguifhed artifts, in regard to fubjects that relate to their own profeffions. The many different occafions which produced thefe letters, were fuch as excited the authors to display their utmoft abilities, on topics they beft understood, and with the greatest freedom. It is not therefore easy to conceive, how a mifcellany of this kind could be rendered more pleating, inftructive, or ufeful.

The far greateft part of thefe letters have hitherto remained buried in the duft of libraries, or kept as rarities, in the clofets of the curious. They have been drawn out of both, for the fake of promoting thefe arts, that they might do juftice to their illuftrious authors; and that being thus configned to the public, they might be, at leaft, fecure from thofe accidents to which difcourfes of this fort, while in manufcript, are always liable. There are indeed fome that have been printed before, but they were fuch as had acquired great reputation, and were either become extremely (carce, or were involved in books upon other fubjects. There are likewife others, tranflated from the French, becaufe of their merit, and the defire Rey. Jan. 1759.

E

the

the editor had to render his collection as compleat as it was in his power; in order to this, he has promifed a third volume, which will finifh the work, and which, he affures the public, will follow as foon as poffible.

This collection has been received with great applaufe. The first volume, publifhed about two years fince, gave a favourable idea of the performance; but the fecond contains more pieces, of equal, if not fuperior value, written by perfons of the moft extensive capacities. It is not barely the fuccefs that this book has met with amongst painters, fculptors, and architects, though they are certainly the beft judges of its worth, that has contributed to establish its credit. It has proved no lefs acceptable to general scholars, on account of the perfpicuity and precifion with which the principles of thefe arts are laid down, the fagacity and juftice of the critical reflections, penned with equal fpirit and accuracy, and the many particulars in relation to the lives and performances of fome of the most celebrated men, in their refpective profeffions, with which the world had been hitherto unacquainted. These reasons alfo determined us, to infert this short account of a piece that must be very agreeable to all lovers of the fine arts in Britain, who will from hence derive an opportunity of procuring what muft give them infinite entertainment and fatisfaction.

An Illustration of the Holy Scriptures, by notes and explications on the Old and New Teftament. In which, the ufeful obfervations of former commentators will be made ufe of. The different tranflations of the bible into various languages taken notice of, to explain difficult texts. The obfervations of the most learned men applied, and fuch new notes added, as will greatly explain the nature and fpirit of the Holy Scriptures, fhew the gracious defign of God in every part of them, unfold the fublime truths they teach, more particularly that great and wonderful mystery of the redemption of mankind by Jefus Chrift: clear the feeming diffi cult accounts of things found therein, and fet to view the great ufe, improvement, and delight, we may gather from them. Fol. Vol. I. 1. 7 s. 6d. in fheets. Baldwin.

TH

HIS work appears to us to be a mere compilation from former writers; whofe fenfe is here retailed out by piecemeal; but generally without making the ufual compliment of a reference to the original authors. The work, however, may looked upon as an ufeful family-book: though we can scarce

imagine,