Brune, from the canton of Zurich: to these he answered with the alternative, that they fhould either unconditionally accept the constitution, or he would advance with the French army. This canton therefore refolved, on the 29th of March, that the Helvetic Re-public was indivifible, in confequence of which the primitive elective affemblies were then convened. At Berne the arfenals were emptied, contributions levied on the inhabitants, and the French commiffary, Lecarlier, iffued orders refpecting the new conftitution. Several cantons, however, remained undetermined, others pofitively refused to accept the conftitution, and the peaceable cantons made a fruitless attempt to unite with the former. The Abbot of St. Gallen organized a body of crufaders, and inftigated a civil war. But the French General threatened the refractory dictricts, and ordered contributions to be levied on the members of the late regency and their families. In Arau the national representatives affembled foon after Eafter, and formed two legislative bodies. At this epoch of the Swifs revolution M. Meifter concludes his tract. Since that time there has appeared, in Zurich, a regular historical journal, conducted upon a different plan, and containing a continuation of the events which have occurred in that country. It is edited by the fame author, and published by Escher and Ufteri, the conductors of a notorious journal called the Swifs Republican. To the number for April, M. Meister has subjoined a Survey of Helvetia under its former conftitution, which was written a fhort time before its abolition: it concludes with a fhort expofition of the different characters who bore the most diftinguished part in the Helvetic revolution. ART. IX. Reife nach Oftindien, &c.-A Voyage to the Eaft Indies, by Fra. Paolino da St. Bartolomeo, tranflated from the French, with Notes. By John Reinhold Forster, Profeffor of Natural History and Mineralogy, at Halle; with a Frontifpiece. 8vo. PP. 483. Berlin. 1798. Price 1 Rixdollar, 16 Grofch. WE WE fhall not even do juftice to Paolino if we merely affert that he is the moft learned miffionary that has ever penetrated or vifited India. He may, with juftice, and. without exaggeration, be mentioned among the beft authors who have written upon that country. According to the preface, the original is written in Italian, and it is not ftated to be a translation from the French. Another work by the fame author, entitled Syftema Brahmanisum, of which an abridgment has been published at Gotha, muft Nn 3 not not be confounded with the prefent publication. The author refided in India, from the year 1766 to 1789, and acquired a confiderable knowledge, not only of the Tamul and Malabar, but also of the difficult Shanfcrit language. Hence he has procured a variety of accounts from authors of that country which very few Europeans would be able to understand in the original language, and has profited by the manufcript accounts of former miffionaries. He landed at Pondicherry, and first defcribed the coaft of Coromandel, or, according to his orthography, Ciomandala. If we compare the general manner of writing names of cities and countries in India, with those which he has adopted, and which he affures us he has taken from India books, we cannot but be furprized that they have hitherto been fo grofsly disfigured. That the capture of Pondicherry by the English, during the prefent war, may be rather favourable than difadvantageous to the French, feems rather paradoxical; but the author endea vours to render it probable, that the French have gained by this capture, as they provided the English with wines, cloth, cannon, fire-arms, &c. in return for goods, the greatest part of which remained in India. The whole ftate of the Chriftian and Pagan religions is treated by the author with the greatest accuracy and attention. His affertions relative to Tanjoor, Marava, Madura, and Carnada, and of the north of India in general, is derived from the accounts of former miffionares, as his refidence on that coaft did not exceed three months. What be quotes relative to the commerce of the coafts of Coromandel and Malabar, beyond the Holy Mountains, is equally new and interesting. A circumftantial account is given of the coins, weights, and measures. M. Paolino defcribes Malabar from his own obfervations which are the more important, because this place has not fuffered fo much from the incurfions of the neighbouring nations, but ftill preferves many of its ancient manners and customs. The number of Chriftians, Jews, Arabians, Europeans, and their immediate defcendants, he computes at 400,coo perfons; that of the original inhabitants at 1,600,000, and, as the country of Malabar, according to Forfter's account, contains 540 fquare German miles; there are, confequently, 3,703 perfons to each mile. The account of their industry has been moft happily elucidated by the great learning of Forfter. The prefent King of that country is obliged to pay an annual ribute to the English of half a lack of rupees, or 25,000 Roman *Fifteen German miles are equal to one degree or 69 half miles English measure. fcudi. He readily agreed to pay this tribute, as he was apprehenfive of his neighbours, the late Tippoo Sultaun, the Princes of Maiffur and Concam, and the Prince of Arrucat, in the South Eaft of India. The King of Malabar behaved very graciously to the author, and expreffed great astonishment at his correct knowledge of the Malabar tongue. We would advise fuch of our readers as may happen to poffefs this work, not to be alarmed at that chapter which is entitled "Affairs of the Miffion," as this interefting part deferves to be attentively perufed. The chapter on Zoology has also received many illuftrations from the pen of Forfter. In the fecond book the author treats on the birth and education of children, of matrimony, and the laws. In the original the laft fection contains a fevere invective against the late learned Sir William Jones, but which the German tranflator has prudently omitted. The author gives to the four principal cafts of the Indians the following denominations: Brahmana, Kfchetria or Ragiaputra, Vayshya and Shudra. From his philological erudition, we expected to find the chapter upon languages to be one of the most important, and our expectations were not difappointed. The religious fyftem of the Indians, he afferts, is founded on a belief of an individual Deity who has created the univerfe; they are, therefore, neither Atheifts nor Materialifts, becaufe they admit of a Being which is felf-fubfiftent, has created every thing, and is, in fhort, the author of the univerfe: these people are no Manichæans, as they adopt the idea of a supreme Being, which is eternal, omnipotent, &c. In the beginning, they fay, God created a woman, that is nature, fhe is worthipped as a Deity, and to her all other Deities are indebted for their existence. The doctrine of the immortality of the foul is an article of their faith univerfally received; yet these people are called Heathens, by the Europeans, and miffionaries are fent from the Catholic and Proteftant countries to convert them. The author, in the course of his work, accurately defcribes the prefent ftate of the sciences in thofe parts of India, particularly aftronomy, mufic, architecture, medicine, and botany. On his return he touched at Ceylon, afterwards at the lfland of Bourbon, the Inle of France, at the coast of Lagoa in the South of Africa, and the Ifland of Afcenfion, on which places he makes a variety of pertinent remarks. The notes of the late Profeffor Forfter are very interefting, and we cannot but regret that death has deprived Germany of a commentator and geographical tranflator, whofe lofs will not be easily supplied. ART. ART. X. Reife nach dem Vorgebirge der Guten Hoffnung, & Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, Java and Bengal, in the Years 1768 and 1771, by 7. S. Stavorinus, Captain in the Service of the Dutch East India Company. Tranflated into German, from the Dutch, with Notes. By Profeffor Lueder, of Brunfwic, Berlin, Haude, and Spena. 8vo. Price 18 grofch. 1796. THE HE original of this work appeared at Leyden, in the year 1793, in two volumes. The translation, made by Profeffor Lueder, may more properly be termed an abridgment, as every thing which is important only to the Dutch mariner, has been omitted. The whole is divided into four books, the first of which contains, properly speaking, the whole of the defcriptive part of his travels; the three others furnish an account of the countries mentioned in the title-page. The moft minute description is that of the ifland of Java, in the third book, which alone forms one half of the work. But as an English tranflation of this voyage was formerly noticed by us, long before we had feen the original, it must be superfluous to fay any thing more of that now before us. * Anti-Jacobin Review, Vol. iii. P. 268. Plu ART. ΧΙ. ΠΛΟΥΤΑΡΧΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΧΑΙΡΩΝΕΩΣ ΤΑ ΗΘΙΚΑ. tarchi Chaeronenfis moralia, id eft, opera, exceptis vitiis, reliquas Græca emendavit, notationem emendationum et Latinam Xylandri interpretationem caftigatam adjunxit, animadverfiones explicandis rebus ac verbis, item indices copiofos adjecit Daniel Wyttenbach, Hift. Elog. Lit. Gr. et Lat. in illuftri: Athen. Amftelod. Profeffor. Ad editionem Oxonienfem emendatius expreffa. TomiI. Pars II. 8vo. Pr. 457. 1799. THE HE volume before us comprises what is comprehended in Plutarch's works between υγιεινά παραγγέλματα, Mr. Schäfer, the publisher of this edition, is entitled to equal credit and praife, as it is remarkably correct. The numerous errata of the Oxford edition have been carefully avoided; nor have other errors escaped the vigilance of the anonymous editor, a circumstance which rarely occurs on fimilar occafions. ART. XII. Aftronomisches Jahrbrich für das Jahr, 1802, &c. i. e. Aftronomical Almanack, for the Year 1802, together with a Collection of new aftronomical Treatifes, Obfervations, and other Articles of Intelligence. Calculated and published, by Permiffion Permiffion of the Royal Academy, by J. E. Bode, Aftronomer and Member of the faid Academy. With two Plates. 8vo. PP. 260. Price 1 Rix-dollär: Berlin, printed for the Author, and fold by Lange. 1799. THI HIS Almanack is arranged on the eftablished plan of the preceding years. The effays are, in general, highly interefting, and almost every one deferves the attention of aftronomers. They are as follow: i. Kliigel's new method of calculating folar eclipfes, occultations and tranfits, and adapting them to the centre of the globe. He gives a plan of computing the true zenith of both conftellations for two points of time, together with the beginning and end of the eclipfe or tranfit; and alfo their fhörteft diftance, as well as the time of that distance, inftead of the ufual and tedious calculation of the parallax of longitude and latitude. The formule, he propofes, are not always thorter nor lefs complicated than thofe commonly used in caltulating parallaxes. Nevertheless, much praise is due to the author for having multiplied the means of attaining the purpofe in the moft difficult part of aftronomical pursuits. He enables the proficient in this science, not only to compare the fame object of obfervation, according to the refult afforded by different methods, but also to vary the formulæ according to the angles, which may happen to be too great or too fmall, in applying one particular method; and thus to arrive at greater certainty by reforting to another. 81 2. Obfervations relative to the fpots, atmosphere, and diameter of the planet Mars, by Dr. Schroter, of Lilienthal. This indefatigable aftronomer has, in the greatest poffible proximity of Mars to the earth, observed that its compreffion is 80 of the diameter, which appeared to be a little above 26, 17: According to Schröter's obfervation, the clouds near the equa tor of that planet, mové 20 feet in one fecond. He has difcovered fpots in Mars, which daily change: the fouthern poẻ lar zone of this planet lately exhibited a peculiar luftre. Round 3. On the occultation of Mars by the moon, July 31, 1798, and the tranfit of Mercury, May 7, 1799, by the fame aftrohomer. The occultation of Mars was only partial, so that one third of the difcus of the planet was vifible in the conjunction. This vifible part appeared to be of an orange colour. Mercury, when it was feen on the difcus of the fun, Mr. S. obferved a fog-like ring extended to a fourth-part of its diameter. Other aftronomers could not discover fuch a ring, and La Lande afcribes its appearance to the conftitution of the atmosphere, and the nature of the telescope, while Van Zach believes that it arifes from the vapour fettling on the reflectors. 4. Obfervation APPENDIX. VOL, VI, |
