till it is come almost to now or never. The latter we do not wifh, and therefore have refolved upon the former. The leading idea of the author is that the prevalence of the French language in Europe is but too favourable to the political afcendancy fo long fought by Fra ce; and now unhappily fo widely prevailing. He propofes, therefore, to restore the Latin language to that privi lege which it once poffeffed of being the general and official language of Europe. "To the Ruffian, the Dutch, and the British nations in particular," he fays, "thefe obfervations are directed; but more especially to the German, if fuch a nation there be."- ૨. XX. To the motives which fuggefted this publication, drawn up at firft, merely as a philological fubject," and to the learning and ingenuity difplayed in it, we are happy to bear testimony; but in the hope of practically effecting fuch a change, we feel it im- poffible to participate. However ftrong the arguments for it may be, fuch things are never governed by reafon, but by the operation of various confpiring caufes, fome of them perhaps extremely minute, which are beyond the reach of individual influence; and the decline of claffical learning, in almost every part of Europe, adds a vaft degree of difficulty to any fuch attempt. The author's view of this part of the fubject ought however to be given. "In defcending to our own times it may be maintained, that the ftudy and the knowledge of this language (Latin) is far from decaying; that, through almost all Europ, it forms the diftinguishing character of a liberal education; that its principles and its accuracies are as perfectly understood now, as at any former period; that from Europe it has extended to the coafts of Ame rica, and the banks of the Ganges; that no gentleman would willingly be thought ignorant of it; and no man, however elevated his fituation may be, is infenfible to the reputation of understanding it well: yet the practice of peaking and writing it has much declined. In Holland, in Germany, and in Italy, the fpeak. ing of it is not wholly laid alide; in Poland and Hungary, we are told by travellers, that it ftill continues to be fpoken by all ranks. But in Britain it has been discontinued among the learn ed for very many years; even in the universities, where the academical difputations and exercifes are made in it, and where the ftatutes require it, very few perfons are able to exprefs them. felves in it readily, or to ufe it in converfation." P. 37. Many parts even of this statement are unfavourable to he au thor's with, and his work can only be recommended as a philological fpeculation of much ingenuity. Much more than one half of his book (from p. 67.) is occupied by a nomenclature of words and phrafes relative to time, intended as a fpecimen of a more general nomenclature, which should facilitate the adoption of the author's plan. Of this part of the work, if we were to fay any thing particular, it could not be a little; but this we may ftate in a general general way; that, for the amufement and difcuffion of philologers, it contains abundance of matter; and if it fhould be neglected by them, the fault will not be in the author or in the subject; but probably in the faftidioufnefs of learning, which will not pay attention to remarks not fanctioned by a celebrated name. Mr. Seyer, however, deferves to be celebrated for research and acutenefs; to thefe, fo many pages on the fingle fubject of time bear fufficient teftimony. ART. 23. PHILOSOPHY. An Effy on the Torpidity of Animals. By Henry Reeve, M. D. Member of the Royal College of Phyficians of London, and Fellow of the Linnean Society. 8vo. 152 PP. Longman and Co. 1809. 68. Dr. Reeve, in this truly philofophical treatife, with great care and precifion, has collected the experiments of others, and employed fome of his own, to afcertain the natural history of hybernating animals, fo far as it relates to their state of torpidity, and has afcertained feveral important facts, from which he draws the most correct and judicious conclufions. The facts determined by him are, that 1. The temperature of hybernating animals is diminished. 2. The circulation of the blood becomes flower. 3. The refpiration is lefs frequent, and fometimes entirely fufpended. 4. The action of the ftomach and digeftive organs is fufpended. 5. The irritability and fenfibility of the muscular and nervous powers are diminished and fuf. pended. He obferves from Mr. Carlile (Phil. Tranf. 1805) that in all the hybernating Mammalia, there is a peculiar ftruc ture of the heart and its principal veins," which that author defcribes. The philofophical obfervation of thefe circumftances leads to further remarks on the temperature of animals, and very nearly to a demonftration of the influence of refpiration in producing animal heat. He arrives finally at the following con. clufions. "1. That the temperature of animals is effentially connected with the function of refpiration," 2. That the temperature may be varied by correfponding variations in the refpiration, without injury to the life; but this range of variation is lefs in the more perfect animals than in the amphibia or cold-blooded.” 66 3. That it is most uniform in man, and in animals which con fume mot oxygen, though uniformity of temperature is not to be confidered as the moft effential characteristic of animal life." "Laftly, that terpidity is natural to fome animals, andis the means means furnished by nature for preserving life under circumstances of difficulty and danger." P. 131. In the course of these investigations the author is led to make fome valuable remarks on the subject of inftincts, which he very accurately defines; and to decide, we think conclufively, against the fuppofed torpidity of fwallows, and fome other birds in winter. In the clofe of his book, he comes more particularly to his own fcience, that of medicine, and throws important light on the medical effects of cold, concerning which he fays, that unlike most other ufeful propofitions in phyfic, this remedy has never been attacked, (that of cold effufion in fevers particularly) the experience in its favour is uniform and incontrovertible; yet it is not employed fo generally as it deferves, owing to unfounded apprehenfions, and to prejudices which time alone can remove. am difpofed to think," he adds, "that fome of these prejudices may be overcome by extending our views to the operation of fuch a powerful agent as cold upon other bodies befides our own; and with this view, perhaps, fome remarks contained in the forego ing pages may not be entirely ufelefs." P. 151. "I We are very apprehenfive of having done fome injuftice to this admirable tract, in this hafty view of its fubjects, but if we have faid enough to make it more generally enquired for, by perfons competent to judge rightly of it, we have performed what we wifhed. CECONOMY. ART. 24. The Art of preferving all Kinds of Animal and Veger able Subftances for jeveral Years. A Work published by Order of the French Minifter of the Interior, on the Report of the Board of Arts and Manufactures. By M. Appert. Tranflated from the French. Izmo. 184 pp. 5s. Black and Parry. 1811. An art of fo much utility, which has received complete approbation from the perfons employed to judge of it in France, ought to be made known, as early as poffible, in this country. For as the tranflator fays, " if, by a fimple and unexpenfive pro cefs, articles of animal and vegetable food can bekept fresh for only ne year, that is, from the feafon of produce through the feafons of fcarcity; if no other articles, for inftance, than eggs, cream, and vegetables, can be preferved in their flavour and excellence during a long winter, there is net a mistress of a family in the kingdom, rich enough to lay by a ftock of thofe articles, and not too rich to defpife [rather, so rich as to defpife] the economy of a family, who will not find herself benefitted by the perufal of the fmall work here put within her reach; and there is no reason to suspect the correctnefs of this part of the author's ftatenents. This, however, is but one of the more obvious benefits of his procefs; and if thus much be afcertained, then an in terminable profpect of refoces is opened, which the flate, still more than the individual, will be called upon to eu ploy." P. vii. We cannot therefore too strongly recommend attention to this fubject. It is mentioned, towards the end of the preface, that "" a patent has been taken out for preferving provifions according to the procefs defcribed in this book," Such a patent, if it can be valid, may perhaps impede the public adoption of the plan, but certainly will not afford any kind of obstacle to the experi ments of private families. We may obferve that this is a part of the French plan for diminishing the confumption of fugar. POLITICS. ART. 25. The American Review of Hiftory and Politics, or general Repofitory of Literature and State Papers, Nos. I. and II. Ja. nuary and April, 1811. To be continued Quarterly. 8vo. 366 pp. 35. 6d. each. Philadelphia printed. Longman and Co. London. 18.1. It is very important that this publication fhould be made known as much as poffible. It contains fo much information on the internal ftate of France, the nature of its prefent govern. ment, the fpirit and defigns of its military defpot, that no perfon can pretend to be well. informed on thefe things who has not read and confidered it. The author of this work is Mr. Walsh, an American, who was for fome time known and respected in this country, and who, previously to his arrival heie, had paffed fome years in France. His "Letter on the French Govern. ment," published fome time ago, and here republished (fee our 35th volume, p. 483, where there is an ample account of it.) proved fo fully the extent and accuracy of his views, the found. nefs of his reafening, and the vigour of his ftyle, that every one who perufed it must remain convinced of his great ability to form and corduct fuch a work as this. If it be poffible for any writer to open the eyes of the infatuated multitudes of America, to fhow them their true intereft, both with respect to France and to this country, Mr. Walsh is the man to do it; and it is next to impoffible to conceive that a writer fo qualified should argue and P rfuade in vain. This American Quarterly Review has ftill lefs of the real nature of a Review than the British works which appear every three months under that title. The firft number had actually no reference to literature, and contained only reflections on the state of America and France, with the beginning of a series of letters on France and England, the refult of the author's own obferva tions, and having very much the nature of a book of travels; only being, from the circumftances of the times, more interesting than travels travels in general. These letters are continued in the fecond number. In this we have alfo fome fpecimens of literary informa tion, in an article on the works of Alexander Hamilton, an American General, whofe worth and talents are highly extolled by the reviewer. There is alfo an account of M. Faber's work on the Interior of France, which we have noticed both in the original (vol. 37, p. 488) and in the tranflation (38, p. 59), This number contains alfo a letter of James Logan, a famous cha racter in Pennsylvania, written in 1731, and the fpeech of Mr. Emmott on the non-intercourse bill. Such are the contents of this publication, fo far as we have yet seen it; in giving an account of which, if we have deviated a little from our ufual plan, we have been induced to do it by the defire of diffufing valuable infor mation. DIVINITY. ART. 26. The Obligation and Utility of public Worship; a Dif courfe delivered at the Opening of the Old Jewry Chapel, in Ferin Street, Dec. 10. 1809, and published at the Request of the Society. By Abraham Rees, D.D. F.R.S. Editor of the New Cyclopædia. 8vo. 27 PP. 16. Longman and Co. 1809. Dr. Rees pleads for public worship, with ingenuity and effect; but it is with a kind of diffidence, as if he thought it not improbable, that the congregation which had then impofed upon itself the expence of a new chapel, might in time defift from their attendance in it." Should it be deferted," he fays, "after the great expence incurred in conftructing it,-a fuppofition which I must befitate to admit-we fhall derive fatisfaction from the piety and benevolence of our intentions, although we may lament the want of fuccefs." He adds, however, "But whilft any of the prefent generation remain, this is an evil which we have no reason to apprehend." P. 26. This at leaft is fome comfort, though the contemplation of its future probability feems to fhow a consciousness that focial piety is on its decline in that congregation. The fol lowing paffage is remarkable, both for the curfory way in which the author paffes over fcriptural examples, and for the nature of thofe which he fubftitutes. "If we look back to the hiftory of paft ages, under the dif. penfations of both the Old and New Teftament, we shall find, that men, eminent for their piety and virtue, and diftinguished by their wisdom and usefulness, manifefted their attachment to public wor. ship, their zeal for its fupport, and their folicitude for its prevalence. The Scriptures, which lie open to the perufal of all, abound with inftances to illuftrate, and with evidence to prove, the truth of this obfervation. The hiftory of the Chriftian church, from the age of the Apoftles through every fucceeding period, recites 04 facts |