more blameable than an ignorance of words, fince it shows an author totally unacquainted with the manners and customs of the people, a defcription of whom he profeffes to translate. The words rendered "palace" and officers of the palace," are As and Ara, by which terms every one, in the least converfant with Greek hiftory, understands the districts into which the Athenian tribes were fubdivided, and the inhabitants of those diftricts. The 31ft chapter of this very book gives a full account of thefe A. Now the Latin words answering to thefe are curia and curiales; the former of which may be misunderstood to mean palace. Hence, and not from the Greek, the abfurd tranflation of Mr. T. undoubtedly originated.

The ftory of Minos, p. 46, furnishes another curious inftance of Mr. T.'s alacrity in miftake; but we begin to think we have fufficiently convinced our readers of the merits of this tranflation. We can affure them, the more we have scrutinized the work, the more inftances we have found of incorrectness and negligence, to use no harfher terms. Defirous of rendering full juftice to the tranflator, we have examined every volume, and forry we are to pronounce, that as the refult of that examination, the work before us, is by no means a faithful copy of the original.

As the main part of this book is fo defective, much need not be faid concerning the notes. We fhall, therefore, only remark, that the chief end of them feems to be to explain and recommend the author's favourite fyftem of theology, namely the Pagan. Wild as the age is for new doctrines, and wide as the paffion for change is fpread, we do not apprehend any danger from the ftrange chimeras of Mr. Taylor: at least, if his opinions were to be dreaded, his manner of explaining them would difarm them of their terror. Egunvéwv xalikes.

-

We have discharged a painful task in our examination of this book. We have trodden a rugged path, without a single pleafing profpect to cheer us on our way. We have explored dark receffes and unravelled intricate labyrinths, with no enlisening object to relieve our fatigue: and after all, we may expect to encounter the threatened frowns* of Mr. Taylor; but it is our duty to difregard alike the fmiles and the frowns of individuals, while we keep fteadily in our eye the great ends we have ever propofed to our labours-truth and public utility.

* Vid. his Preface ad fin.

ART.

ART. II. Ruffel's Aleppo.

[Concluded from p. 467.]

WE willingly refume our account of a work, which

muft ever rank very high in the catalogue of English literature. It often happens, that the writers on fubjects of Natural Hiftory, poffefs the talents fuitable to their more immediate and profeffed object, but nothing beyond it. From fuch pens, when we receive the Natural Hiftory of a place, the title limits both the author's talents and the reader's curiofity. Men and manners, the caufe of morals, of fcience, and of philofophy, are placed on that fide of the sphere, which their fun does not irradiate, and which is confequently an opaque and gloomy body. With Dr. Ruffel, the cafe is very differHe communicates all which the title of his volumes teaches the public to expect, but he does a great deal more. The Hiftory of Aleppo, exhibits a model, which future wri ters on fimilar fubjects will do well to imitate. It fyftematically purfues its end, and yet is agreeably diverfified, not by trifling or unimportant difcuffions. Nor has he refuge for enlarging his book to dull and uninterefting anecdotes, but the whole may fairly be confidered as forming a material portion of the hiftory of man, as it is connected with the productions of nature, the viciffitudes of climate and of manners, the fyftem of morals, and the ways of Providence.

ent.

Our obfervations in a preceding review, may be confidered as comprehending the firft of Dr. Ruffel's volumes. We now therefore enter upon his fecond: This is divided into three parts: the first is on the Europeans refiding at Aleppo ; the native Chriftian and Jewish inhabitants, and the prefent ftate of literature. The fecond is on the quadrupeds, birds, fishes and infects, with the plants growing in the environs of the city, and the third on the weather and epidemic difeafes.

Having explained this to be the arrangement of the work, and having affirmed that the whole is executed with skill, tafte, and ability, our task fhould feem to be fulfilled. Dr. Ruffel's character is too well established, to require farther encomium from us. But as it becomes us to confult the amusement of our readers, and as to promote this, we have fo ample a field from which we may felect, we do not hesitate to defcend more into particulars.

From the first chapter we learn that the language, generally fpoken at Aleppo, is the Italian, and, which muft neceffarily

be

be a great fource of confolation to the Europeans, that they may live undisturbed in the city, may trade with fecurity, and are feldom attacked by the ufual epidemic diftempers. The fourth chapter which treats of the prefent ftate of literature at Aleppo, cannot fail of being peculiarly interefting. We learn from this part of the work the agreeable intelligence, that literature, which the Turks generally affect to neglect, is in the prefent century, feemingly revived. They have schools, colleges, and libraries. There are even fome individuals who make it their business to collect manufcripts. One mark of ignorance, credulity, and the most contemptible fuperftition, is ftill impreffed upon this fingular people; a belief in judicial aftrology, Some of the grandees go fo far as to retain an aftrologer among their dependants; they believe in forcery. and have their charms against fcorpions, ferpents, bugs, and other vermin. That which is employed to protect the houfes from mufquetoes deferves to be mentioned.

"This charm confifts in certain unintelligible characters contained in a little flip of paper, which is pafted upon the lintel of the door, or over the windows. The charm, or rather divine gift, has defcended hereditarily in one family, which diftributes the papers gratis, on a certain day of the year, and fome of the graveft Effendees are employed in writing them previously to the anniversary. On the appointed day, the people repair to the gate of the houfe early in the morning, and to each in turn is delivered the papers required, together with a quantity of pafte fufficient to fix them up. Certain conditions are indifpenfably neceffary to give efficacy to the charm. The perfon muft be fafting, and muft preferve inviolable filence, till after the paper has been fixed in its proper place. It may be eafily conceived that a mul titude parched with thirft, and crowding clofe together in a May morning, fome pufhing forward, others endeavouring to return with the prize, amid a hundred obftacles; the mifchievous petulance of fuch as mingle in the crowd merely to provoke others to a breach of the conditions, and the hard task exacted of the females to remain mute amid numberless temptations to fcold; fhould in the event prove favourable to the Mufquetoes. The Effendees who diftribute the papers, go through their part of the farce with admirable folemnity of counte nance, and in moft of the Turkish houfes of lower rank, thofe and other papers of the like kind may be obferved formally pafted up."

P. 103.

The fourth book is entirely employed on fubjects of Natural Hiftory. The account of the varieties of theep found at Aleppo, of which alfo an excellent plate is exhibited, may teach thofe who pride themselves on their incredulity, to be diffident in making their own experience, and opportunities of obfervation, the standard of truth. The carcafe of one of the fpecies of these sheep, without the entrails, head, feet, or

fkin, will weigh from fifty to fixty pounds, of which the tail makes up fifteen pounds. Some of the largeft, when fattened with care, will weigh one hundred and fifty pounds. The tail alone compofing one third of the whole weight. Dr. Ruffel, defcribes the tail as broad and flattifh, as compofed of a fubftance between marrow and fat, and which ferves very often instead of butter, and which is fometimes cut into fmall pieces as an ingredient for various dishes. This particular species of fheep is mentioned by Herodotus, [Sce Beloe's tranflation and note, vol. 2. p. 133.] and Mr. Pennant, obferves that the fhepherds are obliged to put boards with fmall wheels under the tails to keep them from galling. Mr. P. fays, that fome of thefe tails, weigh fifty pounds each. We have to notice a mistake, of which Dr. Ruffel is guilty in his account of the Jerbua, at p. 162. He affirms that the fpecimen of the Jerbua in Lever's Museum has no fpurs; on the contrary it certainly has fpurs; the truth is, that this fpecimen is the Siberian Jerbua of Pennant, and is a very different fpecies from the Jerbua of Aleppo.

In his notes on the fubject of the camel, Dr. Ruffel fuccefsfully vindicates the affertion of Mr. Bruce, against the late Mr. Hunter, and many other modern naturalifts, and on this part of the work involves alfo much curious matter on the pace of the camel, and is entirely original; we fhall infert the whole of it.

"The peculiar mode of the Camel's walk, though defcribed by Ariftotle, has been remarked by few of the early, or of the modern travellers of thofe I have perufed, I only recollect Cantacuzene who has taken notice of it.

Finding Ariftotle's defcription variously understood by feveral gentlemen whom I confulted on the occafion, I have tranfcribed the original paffage; with a tranflation, for which I have been obliged to a friend.

Αι δε κινήσεις, των ζώων, των μὲν τετραπόδων και πολυπόδων, κατὰ δια μέτρὸν ἐτσι, κὶ ἐσᾶσιν έτως. Κατὰ σκέλος δὲ Βαδίζεσὶν ὅ τε λέων, καὶ αἱ καμηλοι αμφότεραι αί τε Βακτριαναὶ καὶ αἱ ἀράβιαι. το δὲ κατὰ σκέλος εσίν, ότε ο προβαίνει το αρισερῶ τὸ δεξιὸν, αλλ' επακολυθεῖ. (Hift. de Animalib. lib. ii. p. 156. Jul. Caf. Scaliger. Interpret. Tolos. 1619.) (Ifaac Cafaubon. Edit. p. 480. Lugdun 1590.)

The motions, (or steps) of animals in general, both Quadrupeds and Polypeds, are made in the line of their diagonal; (that is, in the direction of their two oppofite quarters) and in this position they stand. The Lion, and the two Camels, the Bactrian and the Arabian, in contradistinction to other Quadrupeds, do not perform their steps in the line of the diagonal, but in the line of the legs, or fides, (that is, in the direction of the two contiguous quarters of the right and left.) I call moving in the line of the fides, when the legs on the right fide do not advance together with thofe of the left, but follow them."

The

The tranflator's remarks or Scholium:

"Ariftotle does not say the motion of animals, but their motions; because their movement is not continuous but by fteps. We are therefore to confider what he fays refpecting their fucceffive fteps."

"(The motions of animals in general.) By the words "in general" I have expreffed the force of the particle, which indicates that what is here faid of Quadrupeds and Polypeds, ftands in oppofition to something which follows. We foon find that fomething, xalx xios de, where the fteps of the Lion and Camels are contrafted with thofe of other Quadrupeds."

"In the line of the diagonal, or diameter) The Greek mathematicians and mechanicians apply the word diameter to rectilinear as well as curvilinear figures. See Ariftotle (Problem. xv. and Mechanical Questions paffim.")

In the line of the diameter, and in the line of the fides). This is the proper fenfe of the prepofition nara, coming after a verb of motion, and governing the accufative. In this fenfe it is continually ufed by the Greek Geometers, and by Ariftotle in his phyfical works: where the primary and fpecific meanings of all the Greek particles will

be found."

- In fact, the Camel in his ordinary walk, moves his legs exactly as defcribed by Ariftotle; and when he accelerates his pace, it is in the fame manner as a horse ambles: though, to the rider, ten times more jolting than the hardest trot of a horfe. I do not recollect having ever feen the Camels gallop: but, by Olearius they are represented (at least one fpecies) both as galloping and trotting. [Ambaffador's Travels into Mufcovy, Tartary, and Perfia, p. 307. London, 1662.]

Another circumftance refpecting the Camel, mentioned in the text, (p. 167.) is his remaining fo long without drinking; and which has ufually been afcribed to fome peculiarity in the structure of the ftomach different from other ruminating animals.

"Il y a dans le Chameau, indépendamment des quatre Eftomacs qui fe trouvent d'ordinaire dans les Animaux ruminans, un cinquième poche qui lui fert de réfervoir pour conferver de l'eau.... elle y féjourne fans fe corrompre, & fans que les autres alimens puiffent s'y meler." Buffon (Hift. Nat. xi. p. 227.),

"I fhall refer to M. Daubenton for the anatomical defcription of the parts on which M. Buffon's opinion is founded, without entering into a difcuffion of the propriety of reckoning what he terms the refervoir a diflinct stomach from the Bonnet, (honey-comb) in other Ruminants, and thus increafing the number of Romachs to five, contrary to the univerfal opinion of former naturalifts. It will be fufficient to remark here, that he defcribes a peculiarity in the internal ftructure of the cells, and actually found a confiderable quantity of water contained in them; though the animal had been dead ten days, and was brought from a diftance of fifty leagues. The water, which was clear, almoft infipid, and drinkable, iffued from the cells upon compreffion, but re-entering on change of pofition of the Vifcus, it disappeared again. From all which Daubenton infers that, what had been afferted by travellers of killing Camels for the water preferved in their ftomachs, is very probable. (ut fupra. p. 252.)

3

M. Perault,