of MODES to all Europe, which wifely managed may, in his opinion, turn highly to her advantage. This is far from being the best written part of his book; and his notions of reviving Trade, by erecting great Companies, and establishing Commiflary-Generals of Commerce, to infpect and regulate the conduct of Merchants and Traders, in every Province, will hardly appear, in the eyes of his more intelligent Readers, to be fuch efficacious methods as he imagined them to be. In a word, there runs through this performance, a great zeal for the public welfare, great warmth for the King's fervice, great averfion for the Financiers, and, in fine, a great deal of vanity and felf-conceit; tho', upon the whole, the work is in many respects useful, and some chapters are not only very fenfible, but very entertaining.

Storia e Fenomeni del Vefuvia efpofti dal P. Giov. Maria della Torre Cler. Regol. Somafco. That is,

The Hiftory and Phenomena of Vefuvius, defcribed by Father John Mary della Torre, Clerk Regular, &c. Naples, 1758. 4to. pp. 120.

This is a very concife, but a very laboured performance; and tho' of no great compafs, comprehends, in fome measure, all that has been faid, and all that one would defire to know on this curious and important subject. It is divided into fix chapters. In the firft, we have a defcription of Mount Vefuvius in its prefent flate, which is that of a truncated cone, the area or platform of which lies at the depth of one hundred and thirty feet, and forms a crater or cup, which is five thousand fix hundred and twenty-four Paris feet in circumference. There are two paffages by which, without much difficulty, one may defcend to the bottom of this vault; the pavement of which is compofed of a fpongy kind of earth, covered in most places with bitumen and calcined ftones. This loofe earth often heaves, fwells, and fometimes lifts itfelf almoft to the mouth of the crater. When the mountain is tolerably quiet, there are several fmall funnels, along which fulphureous exhalations continually arife. But befides thefe there are two of enormous fize, one however confiderably larger than the other. It is through the laft of these that a calm intrepid Spectator, looking with a firm and steady eye, may difcern the chinks and openings on the fide of the mountain; and if he has the courage to look directly down, he may very clearly perceive the torrents of burning and biling matter, which ruth different ways through the caverns, and are generally conceived to be compofed of liquid chryftal. This defcription is given from repeated views, taken by the Author himself, one of which had very near been his lafl," from the

fudden

fudden rife of a ftream of fuffocating air, as he was looking through this aperture, and which, by a lucky ftart, he avoided.

The fecond and third chapters are employed in tranfcribing the different representations of this tremendous mountain, in different ages, and as related by different Authors, that it may be the better compared with its prefent ftate; and for this purpose there are likewife added feven curious plates, expreffing to the eye these several appearances, and the cavities worn in the fides of the mountain by the burning matter, ejected at several times.

In the fourth chapter, we have a chronological account of the moft famous eruptions; and of the Writers, more especially the moderns, who have treated of these matters at large; which is an indubitable proof, as well of the Author's accuracy, as of his extenfive learning.

The fifth chapter is intended to defcribe the feveral fubftances that have been thrown out of Veluvius in the courfe of fo many ages; and herein we are told, that until the year one thoufand and thirty fix, the interior contents did not feem to be thoroughly melted and mingled together, fince before that period, rocks, ftones, fand, gravel, and afhes, only were expulfed; whereas fince, upon every eruption, there has been ejected from the top and fides of the mountain, torrents of a burning fluid, to which they have given the name of LAVA, which, when cold, becomes a heavy, compact, and very hard body, with which the ftreets of Naples are paved, and of which many curious moveables are made.

In the last chapter the Author gives at large, his fentiments as to the caufe of these cruptions, the fources from whence they are fupplied, and the means by which this amazing spectacle has fubfifted for fo many ages. In the first place, he lays down, from the principles of Chemistry, as fupported by experiments, that there are certain bodies, which being mixed together, and expofed to the air, ferment, emit fmoke, and at length kindle and take fire. He next obferves, that in the former chapter it was from undoubted authorities fhewn, there were in the bowels of this mountain, vaft quantities of fulphur, bitumen, vitriol, blended with particles of iron, copper, and other metals, which whenever they are mixed, and fhaken together, are known to produce ftrong effervefcences, attended with fire and flame, He supposes, that by various accidents, chinks might be made in the fides of the mountain, through which air and rain water coming in, and gradually detaching and mingling the minute particles of thefe different bodies, which before retted quietly in

O 3

their

their beds, a gradual fermentation arofe, which by degrees grew ftrong enough to eject the fuperincumbent mafs of earth, flones, &c. and by this means being more exposed to the heat, the air, and the rain, came at length to have a far greater and more violent heat, by which all the materials melting down, were fo intimately mixed with each other, as to form the before-mentionLava, ejected now and then upon every eruption.

At the close, he takes notice, that feveral Writers, in order to account for the immenfe quantities of different bodies thrown out by this Vulcano, fince it firft began to burn, and which have been computed to exceed many times the bulk of the mountain itlelf, were from thence induced to fuppofe, prodigious refervoirs of combuftible ingredients, vaft lakes of fire, and tor-. rents of flaming bitumen rolling through the caverns of the earth, and thereby affording fresh fupplies for repeated eruptions. All this our Author rejects, as inconfiftent with found Philofophy; and having examined, and carefully computed, as far as things of this nature can be reduced to calculation, the quantities that have been adually thrown out, he, in virtue of this reafoning, fhews it to, be highly probable, that notwithftending the exaggerated accounts that have been given, the entrails of the mountain that vifibly appear to be confumed, have

furnished the whole.

De Imitatione Chrifti, Libri quatuor, adolo Manufcriptorum, ac primarum Editionum fidem caftigati, & mendis plus fexcentis expurgati. Ex recenfione Jofeph Valart, Prefbiteri Hefdinenfis & Academici Ambianenfis. That is,

A Treatife of the Imitation of Chrift. In four Books, now corrected from eight Manufcripts, and from the first impreffion, by which upwards of fix hundred Errors have been expunged. Paris. Barbou, 1758. 12mo.

This is a work fo well known, in the Latin original, to the learned world, by tranflations into moft of the modern languages, particularly our own, and to all who are acquainted with this kind of Divinity, that there is no need of our faying any thing of the contents; we fhall therefore confine our felves to thote circumftances that peculiarly recommend this edition.

In the first place, the text is rendered perfectly correct, by comparing feveral authentic manufcripts, old editions, and the firft tranflations, by which a multitude of interpolations are removed, and the original paflages reftored. In the next, the point that has been so long and fo warmly litigated, in refpect to the

perfon

perfon from whofe pen this celebrated little piece really fell, is, in a manner, finally fettled. The judicious Editor fhews, that a Kempis, under whofe name it fo long paffed, could not have compofed it, because there are manufcripts ftill in being, earlier than the time in which he lived. He likewife proves, that it was without any juft grounds, that fome have attributed this performance to John Gerfon, Chancellor of the University of Paris. Upon the whole, after a strict and curious difcuffion of all that has been advanced on this controverted point, the book is reftored to John Gerfon, Abbot of Verceil, as to its true Author.

The beauty of this impreffion, in point of paper and types, will have its weight with the curious; and the Dictionary at the end, (in which fuch Latin words as are either not claffical, or are used in a manner different from that in which we find them employed in claffic Authors, are explained, and their meaning fo fixed as to render the fenfe extremely clear and certain) is another confiderable advantage, which, in conjunction with the reft, entitles this to be efteemed as by far the beft edition that has hitherto appeared of this valuable treatife.

Le Delaffement du Coeur et de l'Efprit. Par un Solitaire. That is,

Reflections on the Paffions, and the Understanding. By a Reclufe. Paris, Martin, 1758. 2 vols. 12mo.

This work is a Collection of mifcellaneous pieces, all of that fort of familiar and entertaining Philofophy which is so much in fashion in the prefent age. Our Author has thrown his thoughts. into the form of letters, written in an eafy and flowing, rather than a laconic and fententious ftile. He is more fenfible than lively; and tho' his letters clearly manifeft a disgust to the world, yet have they few strokes of fatire, and none of abuie. If the Author is really a Reclufe, he muft certainly have paffed the earlier part of his life in very active fcenes, fince he fhews himfelf theroughly acquainted with the Court, the City, and the Country; he fpeaks with fo much propriety of the Great, the Men of the' Sword, and of thofe who pafs their time in ftudy, that there is reason to believe his folitude only gave him leifure to recollect thofe reflections which had occurred during his purfuits of bufinefs and of pleasure.

The first volume confifts of ten letters. The four firft, upon Fortune; the fifth, on the Principles of Honour; the fixth cri

This is the fenfe rather than the literal tranflation of the French

title.

04

ticizes

ticizes a treatise on the Manners of the prefent age; Diffimula tion is the fubject of the feventh; the eighth and ninth, refpect the different Characters of Men; the laft is entitled the Chimera, an Allegory. The fecond volume contains only one Letter, and even that appears to be an Introduction to a longer work, which the Author intends upon the Sciences in general, the points of Knowlege requifite for a Man of Fashion, and upon Education.

Thefe Letters have their beauties and their faults. They are, for the most part, fenfible, always moral, and frequently enter, taining. It should feem that the Author had met with fome great difappointments, which conftrained him to become fober and ferious, but without chagrining him to fuch a degree, as to make him either impatient or morofe. He is fometimes a little too grave, repeats the fame thoughts, and now and then the fame expreffions more than once; his Narratives are too long and circumftantial, and his reflections too common. Yet, upon the whole, his Collection merits a favourable cenfure, and in regard to fuch especially as are juft entering the world, may be ftiled an useful and not unpleasant work.

Voyage au Nouveau Monde & Hiftoire interessante au naufrage du R. P. Crefpel (Recolet) avec des Notes Hiftoriques & Geographiques. That is,

A Voyage to the New World, and the interefting History of the Shipwreck of the Reverend Father Crefpel, with Notes Hiftorical and Geographical. Paris, Lambert, 1758. 12mo. pp. 240.

Father Crefpel was a Miffionary in Canada; and after having fpent about ten years in that country, he embarked at the clofe of the year 1736, to return into France, and in his paffage thither, was wrecked with fixty-four perfons upon the island of Anticofte. This ifland lies in the mouth of the river St. Lawrence, having Labrador, or New Britain, upon the north, and that part of Nova Scotia which the French call Gafpefia, to the fouth.

The Hiftory of this Adventure, and the confequences of it, take up two thirds of the book. It is not'eafy to conceive any fet of men more compleatly wretched, or to a greater degree unhappy, either by fea or land, people more miferably pinched by want, or expofed to a series of more afflicting difafters. Father Crefpel, with twenty-feven of his diftrefled affociates, croffed over to Labrador, in hopes of finding fubfiftence, instead of which they fuffered to the utmost whatever, hunger, cold, na

kedness,