System of Chymistry," and Mr. John Davy, brother of Sir Humphrey Davy, rela tive to the correctness of Sir Humphrey's view of the constitution of oxymuriatic acid, or chlorine. The subject involves much intricate discussion, and has been conducted on both sides with ingenuity and talents. The dispute appears to hinge very much on the question whether water is essential to the gasseous condition of muriatic acid. Murray's last paper (Nic. Jour. April, 1813) appears to establish the fact of combined water in this gas. It is well known to chymists that if oxymuriatic acid should ultimately prove to be a simple substance, as Sir Humphrey Davy contends, the nomenclature of chymistry must undergo some changes; but at present we think any alteration on this account would be premature.

London and Paris vie with each other in the cultivation and patronage of the elegant arts. Would to God that there existed no other rivalry between them and that the people of London would begin to curb those senseless passions, which have already put Europe back in civilization above a century, and paralyzed or destroyed the useful exertions of this generation! Napoleon, when but general of the Italian armies, laid the foundation of that ascendency of the arts which distinguishes the present epoch. In all his treaties with the petty princes of Italy, who had leagued with greater despots against the rising liberties of France, he stipulated, not that so much of their territory should be ceded, or so much money paid as the price of peace, but that so many pictures by the first masters should be presented to the republic, from the galleries of the several princes. He thus assembied in Paris the first works of the greatest masters, which, united to the pictures in the vari ous royal French palaces, compose the finest gallery in the world, under the appropriate name of the Museum Napoleon. Such an assemblage of master-pieces of art in one building in Paris produced all the effect which had been wisely anticipated, and a rage for pictures and their representations animated all France, and kindled a similar passion throughout Europe. Among other advantageous results of this feeling was the publication of several works of engravings at Paris, which professed to represent the pictures in the Museum Napoleon; one of them in imperial folio, at three guineas for two plates, and others of smaller dimensions and various styles of engraving, at much inferior prices.* In time an honourable spirit of rivalry extended itself to London, and it was felt that England possessed, in like manner, copious materials for similar works, which, although without imperial attractions, possessed intrinsic claims to public notice. Some spirited London publishers, therefore, united their capitals for the purpose of exhibiting the treasures of art contained in the various collections of the British empire, and the design lays just claim to the patronage of the nation, under the title of the British Gallery of Pictures. No undertaking ever addressed itself more legitimately to the taste, pride, and patriotism of a people. The proprietors, unable to collect the originals in one gallery for the inspection of the public, have effected all that was in their power, by assembling highly finished copies in water-colours in a gallery open to public inspection in Bond-street. In that British Gallery are therefore to be seen exact copies of nearly four hundred of the finest original pictures in the British empire; and of course a greater treat cannot present itself to all connoisseurs and lovers of the arts. From this gallery, then, is derived the publication of two series of engravings, one of small copies, in which is to be given the whole of the subjects in the gallery, called the first series of the British Gallery; and the other of much larger copies, and more highly finished by the engraver and colourer, and which is to consist only of prime pictures of the first masters, and to be called the second series of the British Gallery. The latter will vie with the magnificent folio of the Museum Napoleon, and the former will be equal in merit and interest to the best of the smaller French works. Some numbers have already been published of both series, and they do honour to our English artists, to the taste of the conductors of the work, and to the liberal spirit of the proprietors. The pictures of the Marquis of Stafford have supplied subjects for the early numbers; but those in the splendid collections of Earl Grosvenor, the Earl of Carlisle, Lord Northwick, and other noblemen, and of Messrs. Carr, Angerstein, Hope, and other gentlemen, will succeed till the private galleries of the empire have been exhausted. In con

* In treating on this subject, we cannot forbear to mention a fuct, in regard to a rival government, such as we should take pride, on any similar occasion, in recording of our own: about two years ago, the great work of the Museum Napoleon languished for want of encouragement equal to its prodigious cost; when, on the circumstance being named to the emperor, he immediately ordered the sum of 250,000 francs, above 10,0001, sterling, to be placed at the disposal of the proprietors, from his private purse

clusion, we shall add to the confidence which is due to these British Series, when we state, that the descriptions and letter-press are prepared by Messrs. Tresham and Ottley, and that the drawings are made chiefly by Mr. Craig, under the superintendence of Mr. Tomkins.

Sir Humphrey Davy's Elements of Agricultural Chymistry, in a course of lectures delivered during several successive years before the Board of Agriculture, illus. trated with plates by Laury, will appear early in May.

A Series of Popular Essays, illustrative of Principles essentially connected with the Improvement of the Understanding, the Imagination, and the Heart, By Elizabeth Hamilton, author of Letters on the Elementary Principles of Education, &c. will be published early in May.

We understand that the Twopenny Post-Bag is by Mr. Moore, the translator of Anacreon. A more admirable collection of poignant satires has not appeared since the Lousiad of Dr. Wolcot.

Professor Stewart is printing a second volume, in quarto, of the Elements of the Philosophy of the Human Mind.

The following are the languages or dialects in which the British and Foreign Bible Society has already been instrumental in diffusing the Holy Scriptures; in all fiftynine-English; Ladinsche; Malay; Welsh; Churwelsche; Ethiopic; Gaelic; Italian; Orissa; Manks; Spanish; Persian; Irish; Portuguese; Persic; Mohawk; French; Burman; Esquimaux; Dutch; Siamese; German; Calmuck; Afghan ; Bohemian; Turkish; Turcoman; Swedish; Arabic; Sanscrit; Finnish; Ancient Greek; Seek; Laponese; Modern Greek; Telinga; Danish; Tamul; Carnatica; Icelandic; Bengalee; Macassar; Polish; Hindostanee; Rakheng; Hungarian; Malayalim; Mahratta; Sclavonic; Chinese; Sinhali Pali; Lithuanian; Cingalese; Baloch; Lettonian; Burgis; Pushtu; Esthonian; Maldivian.

It is asserted, that in three months nearly eight thousand copies of Mr. Scott's poem of Rokeby have been purchased by the public.

Rousseau, previously to his death, intrusted to the late Count D'Antraigues some sealed manuscripts, which were to be published at a specified period. Some few years ago, the German Journalist called upon him to announce whether the period had arrived when the seals might be broken; but the count replied that the period for publication had not come. The count shortly afterwards left the continent, and continued in England till an assassin put an end to his life, at Barnes. What has now become of these manuscripts, and what were the motives of Rousseau for enjoining so long a secrecy?

In the Moniteur of 27th Feb. 1813, is published the expose of 1812, giving the population of the French empire, which is as follows:

The population of England is 196-3 persons to the square mile; so that it is more populous than Old France; but much less so than the usurped countries, which consist of the Low Countries and portions of Italy, by far the best peopled portions in Europe.

A new application of mechanical power was lately made in St. James's Park. The pressing machine of that truly ingenious artist, Mr. Bramah, was brought to act on a lever in such manner that two of the largest trees in the Bird Cage Walk were torn out of the ground, with their roots to a considerable depth, in about ten minutes. The same trees could not have been felled, and their roots dug up to an equal depth, by two men in less than four days, and the waste of timber would have been equal to the value of the labour.

Dr. Morichim, of Gotha, has ascertained, by repeated experiments, that nonmagnetised needles, when they have been exposed to the violet-colour rays of the sun, have exactly the same force of polar attraction as magnetic needles.

Correspondance, Littéraire, Philosophique et Critique. Adressée à un Souverain d'Allemagne, depuis 1770, jusqu'à 1732. Par le Baron De Grimm, et par Diderot. 5 Tomes, 8vo. pp. 2250.

[From the Edinburgh Review, for July, 1813.]

THIS is certainly a very entertaining book-though a little too bulky and the greater part of it not very important. We are glad to see it, however; not only because we are glad to see any thing entertaining, but also because it makes us acquainted with a person, of whom every one has heard a great deal, and most people hitherto known very little. There is no name which comes oftener across us, in the recent history of French literature, than VOL. II. New Series.

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that of Grimm; and none, perhaps, whose right to so much notoriety seemed to most people to stand upon such scanty titles. Coming from a foreign country, without rank, fortune, or exploits of any kind to recommend him, he contrived, one does not very well see how, to make himself conspicuous for forty years in the best company of Paris; and at the same time to acquire great influence and authority among literary men of all descriptions, without publishing any thing himself, but a few slight observations upon French and Italian music.

The volumes before us help, in part, to explain this enigma; and not only give proof of talents and accomplishments quite sufficient to justify the reputation the author enjoyed among his cotemporaries, but also of such a degree of industry and exertion, as entitle him, we think, to a reasonable reversion of fame from posterity. Before laying before our readers any part of this miscellaneous chronicle, we shall endeavour to give them a general idea of its construction-and to tell them all that we have been able to discover about its author.

Melchior Grimm was born at Ratisbon, in 1723, of very humble parentage; but being tolerably well educated, took to literature at a very early period. His first essays were made in his own country-and, as we understand, in his native language-where he composed several tragedies, which were hissed upon the stage, and unmercifully abused in the closet, by Lessing, and the other oracles of Teutonic criticism. He then came to Paris, as a sort of tutor to the children of M. de Schomberg, and was employed in the humble capacity of reader to the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, when he was first brought into notice by Rousseau, who was smitten with his enthusiasm for music, and made him known to Diderot, the Baron d'Holbach, and various other persons of eminence in the literary world. His vivacity and various accomplishments soon made him generally acceptable; while his uniform prudence and excellent good sense prevented him from ever losing any of the friends he had gained. Rousseau, indeed, chose to quarrel with him for sitting down one evening in a seat which he had previously fixed upon for himself; but with Voltaire, and d'Alembert, and all the rest of that illustrious society, both male and female, he continued always on the most cordial footing; and, while he is reproached with a certain degree of obsequiousness towards the rich and powerful, must be allowed to have used less flattery toward his literary associates than was usual in the intercourse of those jealous and artificial beings.

When the Duke of Saxe-Gotha left Paris, Grimm undertook to send him regularly an account of every thing remarkable that occurred in the literary, political, and scandalous chronicle of

that great city and acquitted himself in this delicate office so much to the satisfaction of his noble correspondent, that he nominated him, in 1776, his resident at the court of France, and raised him at the same time to the rank and dignity of a baron. The volumes before us are a part of the despatches of this literary plenipotentiary; and are certainly the most amusing state papers that have ever fallen under our observation.

The Baron de Grimm continued to exercise the functions of this philosophical diplomacy, till the gathering storm of the revolution drove both ministers and philosophers from the territories of the new republic. He then took refuge, of course, in the court of his master, where he resided till 1795, when Catharine of Russia, to whose shrine he had formerly made a pilgrimage from Paris, gave him the appointment of her minister at the court of Saxony-which he continued to hold till the end of the reign of the unfortunate Paul, when the partial loss of sight obliged him to withdraw altogether from business, and to return to the court of Saxe-Gotha, where he continued his studies in literature and the arts with unabated ardour, till he sunk at last under a load of years and infirmities in the end of 1807. He was of an uncomely and grotesque appearance-with huge projecting eyes and discordant features, which he rendered still more hideous, by daubing them profusely with white and with red paint—according to the most approved costume of petits-maitres in the year 1743, when he made his début at Paris.

The book embraces a period of about twelve years only, from 1770 to 1782, with a gap for 1775 and part of 1776. It is said in the title page to be partly the work of Grimm, and partly that of Diderot-but the contributions of the latter are few, and comparatively of little importance. It is written half in the style of a journal intended for the public, and half in that of private and confidential correspondence; and, notwithstanding the retrenchments which the editor boasts of having made in the manuscript, contains a vast miscellany of all sorts of intelligence; critiques upon all new publications, new operas, and new performers at the theatres; accounts of all the meetings and elections at the academies, and of the deaths and characters of all the eminent persons who demised in the period to which it extends; copies of the epigrams, and editions of the scandalous stories that occupied the idle population of Paris during the same period-interspersed with various original compositions, and brief and pithy dissertations upon the general subjects that are suggested by such an enumeration. Of these, the accounts of the operas and the actors are the most tedious, the critical and biographical sketches the most lively, and the general observations the most