has not made fuch a liberal and judicious choice of facts as might have been expected from a writer of the eighteenth century: for his narration is difguifed with a multitude of legendary ftories of miracles and faints, which no refpect due to the public records fhould engage an historian to admit without diftinction. The Author faithfully follows the Annals of the Abbé Pray *, and begins his hiftory with the Sinais Huns of M. de GUIGNES. He divides his materials into four Sections. The firft comprehends the hiftory of Hungary under its Dukes; the fecond, that of the native Kings; the third, that of the foreign Kings; and the fourth, the hiftory of the Kings of the House of Auftria, fo far down as the year 1775.-A great variety of writers have lately employed their pens on the hiftory of this country, whofe natural riches and fertility, whofe vigorous and fpirited inhabitants, whofe government, princes, and revolutions, give it a title to the attention of the Historic Muse. Among these writers, we must not pafs over in filence the work of M. KASANA, Profeffor of History in the University of Buda, and Prefbyter of the Diocese of Strigonia, which relates to the ancient hiftory of Hungary under its first Dukes. The title of this Work is as follows: Hiftoria Critica primorum Hungaria Ducum, ex Fide domefticorum et exterorum Scriptorum concinnata. A STEPHANO KASANA, &c. The Annals of Pray are here abridged, but in a very judicious manner. Our Author begins his hiftory with the year 884, and places the arrival of the Mad (chares in 889. ART. XXIV. Effai fur l'Ile de Otahiti, &c.-Effay concerning the Iland of Otahiti, and the Character and Manners of its Inhabitants. 8vo. Paris. 1779. WE E have here a collection of all the accounts that have been given of the island of Otabiti (as it is here written), and its inhabitants, by Meff. Banks and Solander, Cook, and Bougainville. It is however to be observed, that the Author has not availed himself of the last (printed) voyage of the unfortunate Captain Cook, to improve his compilation, though he would have found in it new facts, and fome corrections of former mistakes. For an account of M. Pray's Effay concerning Ecclefiaftical Power in Hungary, fee App. to Rev. vol. Ix. p. 562. ART. ART. XXV. Memoires de l'Academie Royale de Pruffe, concernant l'Anatomie, la Phyfiologie, la Phyfique, &c.-Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Pruffia, relative to Anatomy, Phyfiology, Natural Hiftory, Botany, Mineralogy, &c. together with a felect Number of Chemical and Metaphyfical Memoirs, Preliminary Difcourfes, and Appendixes, in which new Discoveries are announced. By M. PAUL, Correfpondent of the Royal Society of Sciences of Montpellier, &c. Paris and Avignon. 8vo. 1779. T HIS title is fufficient to fhew the nature and usefulness of the collection of M. PAUL. It is well known, that the plan of the Academy of Berlin is most extenfive, and comprehends almost all the various branches of human knowledge, The Memoirs, therefore, here felected muft prove acceptable to a multitude of Readers, to whom the original work is inacceffible, on account of its high price, and the number of volumes of which it is already compofed. The Memoirs contained in this collection are curious and mafterly, aud fome of them open views of utility that deferve attention. Of the former kind is the Memoir of M. Heinius concerning animated beings; and of the latter, the Memoir of M. Margraff, containing chymical experiments, made with a defign to draw real fugar from several plants which grow in Europe. All the others have likewise their merit; and therefore the continuation of this collection will no doubt be deemed a ufeful prefent to the public. Ak T. XXVI. Annales Poetiques depuis l'Origine de la Poefie Francoife.-Poetical Annals carried down from the Commencement of French Poetry. 8vo. Paris. 1779. TH HIS is the twelfth Volume of a Work which is highly entertaining, and is an elegant, animated, and judicious hiftory of French poetry, illuftrated by extracts from the bards of that nation. This Volume ends with Malherbe, who forms an epocha in poetic hiftory. It was this amiable, and often fublime poet, in whofe compofitions the French Lyric Muse first appeared with dignity and grace. Sublimity of ideas, perfpicuity and richness of expreffion, a happy mixture of images and fentiments, and a perpetual harmony of verfification, diftinguished this excellent bard. ART. ART. XXVII. Principes de Morale, de Politique, et de Droit Public, &c. ou, Dif cours fur l'Hiftoire de France, &c.-Moral and Political Difcourfes on the Hiftory of France. By M. MOREAU, Hiftoriographer of Vol. VIII. and IX. * 8vo. Paris. 1779. France. THE HIS eloquent, judicious, and indefatigable Author, after having difcuffed, towards the conclufion of his feventh Volume, the legislation of Charlemagne, in its relation to and influence on religion and manners, confiders it, in the commencement of the eighth, in its conformity with the rights of man. This leads him to exhibit, in different points of view, the Capitularies, or Royal edicts of the three firft Kings of France of the fecond race, and to compare the legislation of the Franks, whofe government he proposes to illuftrate, with the law of Nature, and the primitive principles of focial order. These inftructive difcuffions terminate the ninth Difcourfe. The tenth exhibits the means that were employed, at the commencement of the fecond race, to fecure the unity and perpetuity of the monarchy, and the influence which the reftoration of the imperial dignity had upon the French government. Our Author, in treating this part of his fubject, explains the nature and characters of thofe Royal magiftracies, conferred by Charlemagne as a kind of fettlement on his children, in whofe favour he never refigned his fupremacy, and who were no more in their respective governments, than the reprefentatives and depofitaries of his authority. After having examined the extent of the power and jurifdiction which, during their own lives, Charlemagne and Louis le Debonnaire conferred upon their children, M. MOREAU explains, in a very curious difcuffion, founded upon authentic records, the nature of the authority , and prerogatives which the Popes exercifed at that time at Rome, and in a part of Italy. He fhews, that the Roman Pontiff was only one of the first magistrates of the empire, who, like the others, ufurped, by degrees, both the civil power and the territory, that were intrufted to his adminiftration. He endeavours alfo here to refute the arguments by which some writers have pretended to prove, that the throne was elective under the first French Kings of the fecond race. In the eleventh Difcourfe, going backwards to the period when the Carlovingians affumed the fcepter of royalty, he points out, in their origin, the fecret defects that could not but weaken and enervate their dominion in procefs of time. The fabric of their government carried within itself the principles of its deftruc See our account of the three preceding volumes in our Review for September 1779, p. 214. tion, which our Author reduces to the three following: ft, The right of making war, which the great magiftrates had under the first race, and which Charlemagne could not fupprefs. 2dly, The exceffive power that was intrufted with that armed magiftracy, who found it fo eafy afterwards to divide among themselves the fpoils of the monarchy. 3dly, The innumerable multitude of beneficiaries, and the imprudence of Louis le Debonnaire, in intrufting them with, or allowing them to ufurp, the power of jurifdiction. Moreover, to prove, with the greater evidence, that all these causes must have really contributed to degrade the monarchy, and to turn power from its primitive channel, he fhews, that in proportion as these causes difappeared, all the branches of fovereignty were gradually, though flowly, restored to their proper places by the fole influence of thoje rights, which feudal anarchy had not been able to destroy. We find alfo in this volume, among many other interesting articles, which we cannot even enumerate, an excellent analysis of the celebrated charter de Villis, which exhibits a complete view of the domeftic ceconomy of Charlemagne, and a curious difcuffion relative to the origin of duels, and the principles on which legislation and cuftom ought to direct their influence with refpect to that object. This eighth Volume is terminated by a perspective view of the revolutions that deftroyed the ancient French monarchy, and those that restored it upon a plan more favourable to the authority of the monarch, and (as our Author pretends) to the liberty of the people. The ninth Volume is published; but as we have not yet received it, we muft referve the more particular mention of it for another occafion. M. all. ERRATA in this VOLUME, P. 4. par. 3. 1. 11. for even, read at least. 9. 1. 8. dele for. 14. for Droefpont, read Dropout. 37. 1. 6. for derive, read draw. 355 1. 5. dele that have been. 5.55, L.g, for Richlien, N Magarin. -gb. l. 101 INDEX To the REMARKABLE PASSAGES in this Volume. 2. A N. B. To find any particular Book, or Pamphlet, fee the BAILEY, Capt. his unfortunate cafe in the affair of Greenwich BANK of Amfterdam, account of, BARRINGTON, Hon. Daines, his his explan. of a paffage in his enquiry into the anti- 401. BATH, Roman. See LYON. BILGUER, Dr. his notions concern- BORAX, |