for 1786, the current year; together with fome necessary directions for the candidates.

The choice of the fubjects fhews the learning and the genius of the academy, and how perfectly they keep pace with the most advanced progrefs of the fciences.

The fubftance of the queftion for 1785 wae, "To invent or lay down an accurate and natural method, that is, afyftemor claffification of the ftones which form the cruft of the earth, according to their genera or kinds, their fpecies, and their varieties or differences, in fuch a manner as that not only the fingle ftones, whether in a state of conglomeration or mechanical mixture, that are found either in beds, on plains, or on the mountains, may be more eafily and certainly distinguished from one another, than heretofore by fure criteria, or marks both external and chemical, or internal; and by fixed and appropriated names (care being taken to avoid all unneceffary innovation in language, which tends to confufion); but also in such a manner, that their different origins and ages, according as they are produced fooner or later, by the different operations of nature and revolutions of the earth, may be referred to certain claffes; and that notice be alfo taken of the particular metals which are moft commonly found in the different rocks and ftones as in their matrix: mineralogical obfervations of undoubted accuracy and credibility, being alfo added for the purpose of justifying and confirming the divifions or claffes that are made, and other particulars advanced as matters of fact.

Of the different differtations which were transmitted to the academy on this fubject, one written in the German language, diftinguished by the motto, A vulfa faxis faxa diftincta, and the number IV, gave the highest fatisfaction to the judges, and came the nearest to the scope and drift of the question: Wherefore the academy, affembled on the anniversary of the 27th of December, adjudged the palm of victory to its author, with the appointed premium of one hundred Flemifh ducats. On opening the fealed paper, annexed to this differtation, there appeared the name of the author, CHARLES HAIDINGER, of the Imperial Mufeum of Natural Productions at Vienna.

The fecond honours, after thofe conferred on this victorious differtation, were decreed to a paper written in the French language, which contained a very complete arrangement or claffification § of ftones, both fimple and mixed. This differtation is diftinguished by the number III. and the following fentiments from

*The Latin word is very happy, corticem telluris. $ Clafificationes.

Seneca

Seneca "Sane multum illi egerunt qui ante nos fuerunt fed non peregerunt. Multum adhuc reftat operis, multumque reftabit ↑.

Another difcourfe, written alfo in the French language, diftinguished by the motto "Rerum cognofcere fines & caufas . Although this difcourfe refts upon hypothefes, which the academy cannot admit; yet, on account of feveral refined and ingenious ideas, it has been judged worthy of being printed. The authors therefore of both thefe differtations, but particularly of the first, are invited by this public paper, either to give permiffion to publifh their names to the world, or to withhold them.

The following problem, which had been given as a fubject for prize differtations for the laft year, is alfo propofed, a fecond time, for the year 1786. "Since the equal and uniform nourishment of every portion and point of animal bodies, to which the fingle veins and veffels do not extend, particularly the nourishment of the epidermis or scarf-skin, the nails, the hair, the horns, which are without veins, and other phenomena, fhew, that though the nutritive juices are indeed carried at first through the veffels of the heart, they are afterwards fpontaneously moved to parts beyond the reach of the veins, by fome peculiar power, different from the propelling power of the heart and, in like manner, as in plants, which have nothing analagous to the heart in their conftruction, a fimilar mode of nourishment takes place, and a fimilar diftribution of of jucies, a queftion arifes-By what power is this dift:ibution of the fluids in plants, and in the parts of animal bodies juft mentioned, affected? and what is the nature of that power?

Although the discoveries and reafonings of philofophers on this subject should not go to the full length of a folution of the queftion concerning this unknown action and process of nature; yet it is expected that all that is advanced on it fhall be supported by clear evidence: nor does it make any difference, whether the folutions propofed depend upon new experiments, made by the authors of thefe folutions themselves, or on truths already proved and acknowledged."

A premium of one hundred ducats will be given to the perfon who fhall give in the best and moft fatisfactory folution of this question, before the firft day of July, 1786.

Although no comet has hitherto approached fo nearly to the earth as to influence, as far as can be difcovered by the most minute observation, the ftate and fituation of the earth ; yet fome comets have been feen, which have revolved around

† Much has been done by our predeceffors, but not finished. A great deal remains to be done, and a great deal will remain.

To know the ends and the causes of things.

our planetary system, not at a greater distance than thire teen times the distance of the moon from the earth: nay the comet of 1770, in its course, paffed by the earth at a nearer distance. But fince, from the inftance of the comet feen in 1759, it appears probable that the elements of the orbits, in which the comets revolve, thofe efpecially which perform their revolutions in planes nearly the fame with the plane of the ecliptic, are not a little influenced or affected by the action of the heavenly bodies. It feems probable that some comet may, in process of time, after a series of revolutions, approach fo near to the earth, that both of these maffes may mutually exert influence on one another; the great Euler, whofe memory will ever be held in veneration by all mathematicians, in the 19th volume of his New Commentaries, with his ufual fagacity, has stated a case in which the comet, moving in the very plane of the ecliptic, is fupposed to be carried directly into the sun; and, by calculating the perturbation that must arise from the comet moving in such a course, has prepared the way for the solution of a more general problem, which is propofed to the learned for the year 1787.

If any comet fhould approach so near to the earth, as that their mutual action on each other should become fenfible-to determine,

Firft; What inequalities would refult from thence in the motion of the terraqueous globe?

Secondly; What appearances might from thence be ex pected in the ocean? and

Thirdly; How, or in what manner, would both the comet and the earth, after their mutual influence on each other had ceased, pursue or hold on in their respective courses ?

Learned men of all nations are invited to fend their thoughts and folutions of thefe queftions before the firft day of July, 1787 and that solution which shall appear the best and most fatisfactory to fuch members of the Imperial Academy as are inhabitants of Petersburgh, (who are never candidates themfelves for the prizes) will be honoured with the reward of one hundred golden crowns or ducats.

The differtations are to be written in a fair hand, in the Ruffian, Latin, German, or French languages; and to be marked, not with the name of the author, but by a motto; and a fealed paper, appended to them, muft contain within, the name of the author, and on the outfide the fame motto or fymbol that is infcribed in the differtation. The differtations are also to be tranfmitted to John Albert Euler, fecretary to the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Peterfburgh, before the date abovementioned. This being done,

the

the author will receive, from Mr. Euler, an acknowledgment in writing of its receipt, and intimation of the number under which his differtation is depofited; provided that he will fignify the place to which a letter from Mr. Euler may be directed. Difcourfes, coming to hand after the time prefcribed, cannot obtain the prize.

The decifion of the academy will be declared at their first public meeting, after the day already fpecified, in the year 1787.

It is remarkable, that among the languages which are prefcribed to the candidates for the prizes, the English is not included. That the Ruffian language fhould be pointed out as one of the vehicles of communication by the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Petersburgh, is natural; and that the Latin fhould be another, is proper. The German is the native tongue of the Emprefs, and the French has become, as it were, the common language of Europe. The obligations which literature and the fciences owe to the English tongue and nation, certainly intitled it to a place among thofe languages, which were deemed fit channels for literary intelligence and discovery. But perhaps with this language the members of the Imperial Academy refiding at Petersburgh, who are conftituted judges of the differtations that afpire to the prizes, are not generally acquainted. Perhaps the English language is confidered by a literary fociety as a branch of the German : and perhaps it is on a fimilar principle, that they have paffed the best modern languages in Europe, the Spanish and the Italian, which are branches of the Latin.

The French have been at great pains to cultivate and fix their language, and to circulate and give it stability in all parts of the world. The court of Verfailles, it is faid, have fent French teachers, in great numbers, to Peterfburgh, and to prepare the way for their reception and encouragement. The English language is yet in a state of Aluctuation and novel idioms, and affectations difgrace the ftile of fome of our most applauded writers. England poffeffes the mighty advantage of having given a language to America and Ireland. It is not a fameness of government and laws alone that unite and beftow fameness to different tribes and nations men are more cordially attracted to one another by uniformity of language and manners. The Greeks in Afia Minor, in Italy, and the iflands of the Mediterranean, were long attached to the parent ftate of Greece; and even fought her battles, after they had been difunited by other laws, interefts, and forms of government. It is certainly a political object to the English nation, to inftitute, in imitation of the French, an academy for improving and fixing their language. MONTHLY

K 3

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

[For FEBRUARY, 1786. ]

MISCELLANEOUS.

ART. 22. 'ANAAEKTA EAAHNIKA Sive Collectanea Graca; ad ufum Academica Juventutis accommodata. Tom. I. Complectens exertita ex variis oratione foluta Scriptoribus: cum Notis Philologicis ; atque Tabula Geographica. London, Payne. Edinburgh, Dickson. 1785.

HE queftion, whether or no it be defirable that the Latin and Greek clafics thould be read at fchools in fhort compilations, affording a specimen of the different ftiles of each; or, whether they fhould be ftudied upon a larger fcale, is, we apprehend, already fufficiently decided upon by thofe perfons to whom the question is interesting. Taking for granted, for a moment, that the former is to be preferred, we hesitate not to pronounce, that the volume before us is conducted upon the plan, which, of all others, will beft approve itself in practice.

One of the circumftances by which it is diftinguifhed, is its exclufion of the antidote to all tafte, exertion, and proficiency, a literal Latin tranflation. For ourfelves, we are fatisfied, that no circumftance has contributed fo much to the decline of that nobleft of all branches of literature, the Grecian language. We have seen, in ftriking examples, the most miserable ofcitancy and ignorance confequent upon the plan in vogue, which has, in a manner, been inftantly fucceeded by clearness of apprehenfion, and facility of progrefs, where the plan recommended by our editor has been intro. duced. And yet, to the difgrace of our country be it fpoken, it is with the utmost difficulty, and at the molt exorbitant prices, that editions of the Greek claffics, unaccompanied with a Latin verfion, can be procured.

It muft, however, we believe, be acknowledged, that the Greek language is, of all others, the most difficult in its acquifition, the molt changeable and various in its conftruction, and the moft replete with difficulties, formidable and difcouraging to the tiro. Thefe may, with fome inconvenience, be furmounted by the preceptor; but feldom will the fpirit and refolution appear that fhall carry forward the folitary ftudent, though fure of the most ample reward. With a view to this objection, our editor has annexed to his work a copious collection of philological notes; an addition, which, as it feems to us, is calculated to take away, from the abettor of versions, the last fhadow of an excufe for his abfurd and ruinous practice. ART. 23. The Errors of Innocence. A Novel. 12mo. 5 vols. 12s. 6d. fewed. Robinfons, London. 1786.

We are informed, in the preface to this novel, that the author of It is a lady; and, from the promptitude of her pen, and the fertility

of