that what the former of thefe hiftorians has related was true of the grandfather of Xenophon's hero, who was alfo called Cyrus, and who fought under Cyaxares, in the war which this prince carried on against the Scythians. Under the clafs of antiquities, the principal articles are, a defcription of the Pantheon, by Father Av, and an anonymous. differtation concerning Janus, whom the writer maintains to have been no other than Javan the fon of Japheth, mentioned in Gen. x. 2. This king, he fays, invented locks and keys, was the first that coined money, and either difcovered or improved navigation and aftronomy: he does not offer any arguments to fhew the probability of this conjecture, but contents himself with obferving, that it will be very difficult to refute it. We could not help fmiling at his fuppofition, that Chrift, when he promifed the keys to St. Peter, alluded to what the Romans helieved of their tutelar deity, and predicted that the Apofle fhould afterward affume the office, which had been afcribed to Janus, as guardian of Rome. This prophecy, we are told, was remarkably fulfilled by the martyrdom of St. Peter on the Janiculum, where there is a church which bears his name. The fifth clafs of memoirs is introduced by fome very judicious letters on the manner of explaining ancient medals. These are followed by various fpecimens of this art by different hands, in the perufal of which we are more bewildered with vague conjectures, than inftructed by useful information. From the memoirs on literature and poetry we had hoped to derive both entertainment and inftruction, as the Jefuits were honourably diftinguished by their tafte in thefe elegant studies: but the papers here publifhed are not very interesting. The principal of them are, a differtation on the time taken up in the action of the Iliad and Odyffey; and fome obfervations on the moral effects of tragedy; with which, as they contain nothing new, we shall not detain the reader. The remaining articles are attempts to elucidate particular paffages in the Latin claffics, fome of which we fhall briefly mention. Father AUDIN maintains, in oppofition to Dacier, that Horace, in the fixth fatire of the first book, did not intend to write on true nobility as contrafted with the pride of defcent, but only to apologize for himself, and to ridicule the invidious reflections on his own low hirth, which the partial condefcenfion of Maecenas had occafioned. The learned Father alío juftly reprehends Scaliger, who fubftituted voce for ore, in the following lines of Ovid: 4 Tum facer ancipite mirandus imagine Janus Ille tenens dextrâ baculum, clavemque finiftrâ, Faltor. lib. i. v. 95. Не He likewife difcuffes the following paffage of Aufonius, which, as it ftands in many editions, is certainly unintelligible: "Fulmineos Semele decepta puerpera partus Deflet, et ambuftas latera per inania cunas Ventilat ignarum fimulati fulminis ignem." Idyll. vi. v. 15. He thinks it fhould be read thus: "Fulmineos Semele decepta puerpera partus Deflet, et ambuftes lacerans per inania crines Among other criticifms of the fame kind, we meet with one on the eighty-feventh verfe of the fecond epifle of the fecond book of Horace, in which Fautor erat Romæ confulti Rhetor, is propofed inflead of the u/val reading. The clafs of metaphyfics and moral philofophy contains nothing worthy our particular notice. Thefe fubjects are too nearly connected-with the doctrines of their church, to be treated by Romish priests in a rational and liberal manner. The subjection of reafon to faith is a precept which frequently occurs to difguft us; and we find bigotry and fuperftition obtruded on us, where we could fcarcely conceive that they had any connection with the matter difcuffed. The proteftant reader will be provoked to indulge a fmile of contempt, on finding Grotius confidered as an enemy to chriftianity, and on being told that we may inquire cur credendum, but not quid credendum eft; and the philofopher will not wonder at the inconfiftency of the writer, who, while he inculcates all this nonfenfe, and profefles to believe the most abfurd myfteries, maintains that God himfelf cannot endue matter with thought, because even omnipotence cannot effect impoffibilities. The remaining claffes furnith nothing that deferve particular attention; and we must acknowlege that the collection in general does not give us a very high opinion of the Abbe GROSIER'S judgment. Many of the papers might indeed be interefting when they were fit publifhed, but they are, at this time, of little moment, because, what was a new difcovery in the beginning of the prefent century, is now univerfally known, and may be found in every elementary book; or elfe, becaufe later difcoveries have enabled us to give a better account of phenomena, than could be furnished by the hypothefes then in vogue. By the papers on medicinal and chirurgical fubjects, we find that molt of the writers were very orthodox believers in witchcraft and forcery. Sow..n ART. ART. IV. MATTHIE VAN GEUNS, Orationes III. &c. i.e. Three Orations concerning Medical Policy, delivered in the Univerfities of Harderwyk and Utrecht, by MATTHEW VAN GEUNS, M. D. Profeffor of Medicine, &c. 4to. 240 pages. U.recht. 1792. THESE HESE three orations may very properly be confidered under one article, as they relate to the fame fubject, though they were delivered on different occafions, and were originally pubJifhed at different times. The fit two treat of the attention due from the government of a republic, in order to preferve the health of its citizens. After demonftrating the importance of this object, and fhewing from history that the legiflators of antiquity deemed it worthy of their notice, the orator proceeds to point out the particulars in which governors ought to exercife this provident care. Among thefe, we meet with many judicious obfervations, but alfo with fome things which, however plaufible in theory, cannot easily be carried into execution, and with others of which we doubt the practical utility. We believe few of our readers will approve of this writer's wifh, that government fhould punith thofe who venture on the ice before it is fufficiently frong, and fhould prohibit thofe from marrying, who are fufpecied of a venereal taint, or even of a confumptive habit of body, unless they produce a certificate of their health, figned by a phyfician. We acknowlege that they deferve a very fevere punishment, who, after having ruined their conft tution by vicious courfes, knowingly facrifice the health of others to the gratification of their own paffions, or to the promotion of their own intereft: but who does not perceive how invidious muit be the confequences, and how uncertain the refult, of the regulations here propofed? Laws, by which governors prefume to interfere with the circumftances of private life, in order to prevent catual evils which do not immediately affect the public welfare, are in their very nature unjuft; and the partial good which they in fome infiances produce, is greatly overbalanced by the oppreflion which they occafion. To difcourage matrimony, by multiplying the obftacles that must be furmounted in order to effect it, is highly impolitic as well, as inequitable; thefe are already but too numerous in Holland as well as in England: belide, the idea of obliging people who happen to be of a flender make, or to be troubled with an accidental cough, or any of whole relations have been confumptive, to afk leave of a phyfician, before they can be married, and to submit to his decifion, as if he were infallible, indicates fo great a partiality for medical authority, that we wonder it was not followed by a propofal for a law to punish thofe refractory patients who will not implicitly obey their doctor's prefcrip tions, or who neglect to take every dofe of phyfic which he may order. We agree with the learned profeffor, that an attention to diminifh the ravages of contagious diforders is one part of the duty of governors: but we cannot beftow great praife on the measures adopted by the magiftrates of many of the cities of the United Provinces, with refpect to the fmall-pox. In Amfterdam, for inftance, we have been credibly informed that none may be inoculated except when the Burgermafters determine that the disease is epidemical, which is not fuppofed to be the cafe unlefs it is fatal to thirty patients in a week; nor can the operation be performed without prefenting a requeft, figned by a phyfician, and fpecifying the name of each patient, in confequence of which a particular licence is granted. This is attended with inconvenient expence even to those who are not abfoJutely paupers, and with trouble to all. In a village or small town, it may be proper to prevent the introduction of the dif eafe even by inoculation: but in a large city, which is never entirely free from it, it is wrong thus to difcourage the only means of rendering the diforder mild and innoxious, efpecially where no regulations are made to prevent thofe, who have the natural fmall-pox, from infecting their neighbours and fellowcitizens. Among many ingenious obfervations, which deferve our warmest approbation, we must not overlook the profeffor's judicious reflections on, the fuperftitious and hurtful cuftom of burying in churches, which ought to be abolished in every civilized and enlightened country: we are happy to add that, in fome towns of the province of Utrecht, the good sense of the people has enabled them to conquer their ancient prejudices, and to acquiefce in the abolition of this difagreeable and dangerous practice. In the two former orations, the profeffor had confidered the particulars which relate to the prevention of difeafes; in the third, he directs the attention of the magiftrate to a proper provision for their cure, and for relief amid the numerous bodily evils to which mankind are liable. Under this head, he recommends the prohibition of empirics, a ftrict examination of all those who are allowed to practice any branch of phyfic or furgery, and a liberal encouragement to phyficians and furgeons to fettle in country places, by allowing them a fixed falary in addition to the fees of practice, together with the inftitution of medical focieties in every large town; for the purpose of communicating and improving profeffional fcience. The proper regulation of hofpitals and difpenfaries for the relief of the poor, is very judicioufly maintained. He alfo exhorts the magiftrates to encourage and reward every attempt to recover those who are fuffocated, or die fuddenly; to prevent perfons from being buried before the corpfe exhibits indubitable figns of death; and to order the extraction of the foetus, when a woman dies in an advanced state of pregnancy. Lastly, the profeffor advises governors to provide proper opportunities of inftruction, both in theory and practice, for all who are defigned for a profeffion of fuch vaft importance to fociety. This obfervation leads him to expatiate on the advantages enjoyed by the ftudents of medicine in the university of Utrecht, and to congratulate them on the late inftitution of Clinical lectures. We prefume, from the following paffage, that the worthy profeffor is not one of thofe phyficians, whom Addifon compares with the charioteers of the British army in Cæfar's time. "Etiam plus quam opus fit, numerofos, valetudinum fabros hos diverfos, in urbibus majoribus offendere licet;-five hi, forte modica contenti, pedites, diligenter curandos pauciores, falutiferi vifitent; five pluribus fuffecturi, et rei adeo fue largius profpecturi, rhedis Je vehi patiantur, ac, fplendidiore quoque carpenti apparatu spectabiles, nobilium præfertim ditiorumque auram captare ftudeant " When the Doctor (ports his chariot, he will perhaps exprefs himself in a different manner. Sow..n. ART. V. Memoires Du Comte DE MAUREPAS, &c. ie. Memoirs of the Count DE MAUREPAS, Minifter of the Marine of France. 8vo. 4 Vols. about 300 Pages in each. Paris. 1792. AMONG the many disagreeable tasks, which fo frequently fall to the fhare of reviewers, none of the leaft difgufting is that of perufing works in which, in order to pick up one interesting and entertaining anecdote, they are obliged to toil through the tedious annals of vice and worthleffnefs. Such were our feelings when we reviewed the Memoirs of the Duke de Richelieu*, which, we are here told, were drawn up by M. Soulavic; nor are thefe before us lefs exceptionable, on account of the scenes of licentiousness and folly with which they abound. The Editors inform us that this work is extracted from fiftytwo volumes of memoirs written and compiled by the Count DE MAUREPAS and his fecretary M. SALE, after their exile from court: but if what is here published be the most interesting part of this immenfe collection, we fincerely hope that the remainder may be configned to oblivion. *See Review, New Series, vol. iii. p. 558. The |