Duke de Villars was an intelligent and intrepid commander, a prudent and able negociator, and a frank and plain-fpeaking man. His life, therefore, written by himself, is undoubtedly a valuable present to the Public. It naturally embraces not only accounts of fieges, battles, and encampments, but interesting details of a political nature, and a variety of entertaining anecdotes. We have seen a work printed in London in 1739, in 3 vols. 12mo. entitled, Memoires du Duc de Villars, and we have it this moment before us; but any fmall degree of merit it may feem to poffefs difappears, when compared with the prefent publication. L'Honneur François, ou Hiftoire des Vertus et des Exploits de notre Nation, &c. i. e. FRENCH HONOUR ; or, the Hiftory of the Virtues and Exploits of OUR Nation, from the Establishment of the Monarchy to the prefent time. By M. de SACY, Member of feveral Academies. Vols. ix. and x. 12mo. Paris. 1784. These two volumes, the publication of which has been retarded for fome years by particular circumftances, contain the hiftory of the French colonies, and of French honour therein difplayed. This display will, no doubt, be very brilliant in the 12th or laft volume, in which the author, without any regard to the blushes of national modefty, propofes to unfold the conduct of the French nation during the contests between Britain and America, and to give a full view of the events of the late war, and of the revolu tion in the new world that followed it. Memoires pour fervir à l'Hiftoire de la Religion Secrete des Anciens Peuples, &c. i. e. Memoirs relative to the History of the Secret Religion of Ancient Nations, or Critical Researches concerning, the Myfteries of Paganism. By the Baron DE ST. CROIX, Member of the Royal Academy of Infcriptions and Belles Lettres. 8vo. Paris. 1784. Learned, judicious, and worthy of farther notice in our Review. Lettera fopra l'Occifione del 306 Fabii, &c. i. e. A letter concerning the defeat and carnage of the 306 Fabii. 8vo. Rome. 1784. The Author fhews that these heroic victims were not all of the Fabian family, but were Roman volunteers, who by fighting under its banner, or being otherwife connected with it, obtained the denomination of Fabii. It may have been fo. Alta Sanctorum Belgii Selecta, &c. The Acts of the Belgic Saints, from the Commencement of the Chriftian Church to the Year 532. By JOSEPH GESQUIERUS. 410. 1783. Quis leget hæc ? NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, and MATHEMATICS. Ephemerides Aftronomice Anni Intercalaris 1784, &c. An Aftronomical Ephemeris for the Biffextile Year 1784, calculated for the Meridian of Milan, enriched with a Supplement, con 3 taining taining feveral Obfervations and Memoirs relative to Aftrononomical Science. By Meffieurs ANGELO DE CESARIS, Reggio, Oriano, and Allodio. 8vo. 246 Pages. Milan. 1784. The volume of this Ephemeris for 1785 has alfo appeared. This contains, among other things, a memoir of M. Reggio concerning the obliquity of the ecliptic, which he found to be two feconds lefs than it is reprefented by M. de la Lande; obferva tions of the mean height of the barometer at the obfervatory of Milan, and above the level of the Adriatic fea, and M. Oriani's account of his obfervations on Herfchel's planet, with a new determination of the elements of its orbit. Supplement à l'Optique de Smith, &c. A Supplement to Smith's Optics, containing a General Theory of Dioptrical Inftruments. 4to. Breft and Paris. M. DUVAL, the author of this fupplement, publifhed, in 1767, a tranflation of the celebrated treatife on Optics, by Dr. SMITH, with confiderable additions. Since that time, the dioptrics of Euler, and the invention of achromatic telescopes, have contributed much to the improvement of optical fcience; and our Author has availed himself of thefe productions in the fupplement before us, which is a valuable addition to Dr. Smith's work. Obfervations fur la Phyfique, fur l'Hiftoire Naturelle, &c. Obfervations on Natural Philofophy, Natural Hiftory, and the Arts. By the Abbe RozIER and M. MONGEZ, Canon of St. Genevieve. Paris. 1784. This is the 24th volume of one of the most interesting collections of materials for the improvement of natural science, that has appeared in modern times. It contains, among other things, Obfervations on the uncommon Mift of the Year 1783; a Memoir concerning Montgolfier's Balloons; Remarks on a new Eudiometer, by M. Achard; Observations on the Light of the Baltic Sea, on Saffafras, the Myrica, a new Mine of Mercury, Antimony, and the Water that is obtained from the Combuftion of Inflammable Air, and Dephlogisticated Air. Theorie du Mouvement Elliptique, &c. i. e. A Theory of Elliptical Motion, and of the Figure of the Planets. By M. DE LA PLACE, Member of the Royal Academies of Sciences of Paris and Turin. 4to. 153 Pages. Paris. 1784. A masterly production of a very celebrated mathematician. ELIANI de Natura Animalium Libri xvii. Græcè et Latinè. Cum priorum Interpretum et fuis animadverfionibus. Edidit Jo. G SCHNIEDER. 8vo. Leipfic. 1784. This is a very.. correct edition of Ælian. The remarks and annotations with which it is enriched are judicious and inftructive. Beobachtungen, Verfuche und Erfahrungen, &c. i. e. Obfervation, Effays, and Experiments on the most economical Methods of preparing Saltpetre, with the Materials that are most Hh 4 common common in every place. To which is prefixed a Catalogue of all the Writings that have been hitherto published on this Subject. 8vo. 482 Pages. Tubingen. 1784. Natuurkundige Verhandeling, &c. i. e. A Philofophical Differtion concerning a remarkable Mift that was obferved in the Province of Groningen, June 24, 1783. By M. Sebaftian Juftus Brugman. This mitt was almoft univerfal; but on the day mentioned in the title of this publication, it was attended, in the province of Groningen, with a fulphurous odour which proved noxious to plants, the foliage of trees and animals. Von dem Neuenbedekten Planeten, &c. i. e. Concerning the Planet lately discovered by M. Herfchel. By M. JOHN ELERT BODE, Aftronomer to the Royal Academy of Berlin. 8vo, 1784. This treatise contains a very accurate and interefting account of Mr. Herschel and his discovery; it is the firft German publication on this curious fubject. Syfteme Phyfique et Moral de la Femme, &c. i. e. WOMAN, confidered phyfically and morally; or, a philofophical View of the Conftitution, the organic State, the Morals and Functions peculiar to the Sex. By M. RouSSEL, M. D. of the University of Montpelier. 12mo. 372 Pages. Paris. 1784. Price 3 Livres. An ingenious and elegant performance. A Nouveaux Memoires de l'Academie de Dijon-New Memoirs of the Academy of Dijon for the Year 1783. 1ft Part. 8vo. farther account will be given of this publication in our Appen dix *. Differtazione, &c. i. e. A Differtation concerning Mr. Crawford's Theory, relative to Animal Heat and Combuftion. By M. JOACHIM CARRADORI, M. D. 8vo. Florence. 1784. The Theory in queftion is here afcertained by new experiments, and judiciously applied to several medical cafes. *To be published with the Review for next Month. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For DECEMBER, 1784. POLITICAL: Art. 15. Scheme for Reducing, and finally Redeeming the National Debt, and for gaining Half a Million of Revenue, by Extinguishing a Tax. 8vo. Is. Dodfley, &c. 1784. HE tax alluded to in this paradoxical title page, is the land tax, the equalizing of which, the Author argues against as an unjust measure; that would impose a heavy burden on the landholders in the North, while thofe in the South, by paying less than before, would put the decrease into their own pockets, without anfwering 4 : fwering any beneficial purpose to the nation. This tax, in its prefent form, he affirms to be no burden on the poffeffors of land, but a perpetual rent charge that is confidered and allowed for in all purchafes and that all the lands in the kingdom changing their owners, upon an average, every thirty years, whether by defcent, devife, fettlement, or alienation, not affecting the argument, there are few, if any landholders, whofe eftates were not fubject to this tax, before they came into the poffeffion of them. From these premifes having established it as a clear propofition, which we will not controvert, that the land tax is the undoubted property of the Public, the fcheme of converting it to the public ufe will appear in the following paffage: The tax produces, or ought to produce, more than two mil lions annually-any excefs would render my plan more productive, but I will state it only at two millions. Now admitting this fum of two millions to be a perpetual annual rent-charge, iffuing out of all the landed or real property of the United Kingdoms, and payable to the Public in preference to every other charge, it will follow that the Public has an undoubted right to make fale of this perpetuity, clear of every incumbrance. In fuch a fale, every individual landholder fhould have an opportunity of purchafing the tax upon his own eftate, in preference to any other perfon, provided it was done in a time to be limited; and after the expiration of that time, the Public at large fhould be at liberty to purchase, either abfolutely or by way of mortgage: And fince eftates are in general fold from 25 to 30 years purchase, it may be fairly concluded, that the fale of the tax would produce, upon an average, at least twenty-five years purchase, more efpecially as the execution of this plan would, to a certainty, raise the value of lands not less than four or five years purchase. 3 The public purfe would be thus at once enriched with a fum of fifty millions fterling, equal to the redemption of 83 millions of the three per cents. taking the price of the ftock at fixty per cent, which exceeds the prefent price. The annual intereft of 833 millions, the debt thus From which, deducting the annual amount of the 2,500,000 2,000,000 £500,000 The annual revenue gained will amount to While a plan of redemption remains unprovided for, the author obferves, that the ftocks will continue to fall even lower than they are now, that the adoption of any scheme of reducing the national debt, would as certainly raise them; and without proper measures to prevent fuch a rife, defeat the advantages expected from this fcheme. To this end, he propofes, that the act of parliament for effecting a fale of the land tax, fhould declare the price of the laft previous transfer of every perfon's fhare of stock, and should be recorded and fixed as the par of redemption; leaving all future tranfers at freedom. The The half million of annual revenue gained, is to form a finking fund for the reduction of the remainder of the debt; and if another half million could be added to it, and faithfully applied, aided by the excess of fubfifting taxes beyond the annual intereft of the debt; fuch a fund would redeem the whole debt in forty-one years: an annual million and a half would redeem it in thirtyfour years; and two millions would redeem it in less than thirty years. Taking into confideration the very great chance of an intervening war, the author thinks no redemption ought to be undertaken, with a lefs annual fum than two millions. If in order to establish fuch a furplus, more money fhould be wanted, he obferves, and we beg the reader would obferve it alfo, that the execution of his plan would clear the ground for an equal land tax; which, at fixpence in the pound, would raise at least half a million! The fixpenny land tax, it is true, is by fuppofition only to be temporary; but when the author has, according to his fcheme, fairly fold the land tax to the landholder, for twenty-five or thirty years purchase, and when he has informed us, that at four fhillings in the pound, it only amounts to four pence, in the northern parts of the kingdom; can it bear an honeft afpect, to propofe inftantly to load thefe northern purchasers with a fixpenny tax for the very term that they have juft paid for exoneration from one of fourpence? The author, however, does not fee this palpable injuftice, (what name would be given to it in private life?) but furrendering the prefent generation to pillage, adds with great apathy, that this tax might ceafe at the end of thirty years; and if even the neceffities of the ftate fhould require its longer continuance, yet in that space all the lands in the kingdom will, at a medium, have changed their owners, and received new poffeffors, and, confequently, for the reafons before given, fuch new poffeffors would not be affected by it.' up We did not expect to arrive at fuch a conclufion, when we took a propofal for gaining half a million of revenue by EXTINGUISHING a tax. Art. 16. A Sequel to Sir William Jones's Pamphlet on the Principles of Government, in a Dialogue between a Freeholder in the County of Denbigh, and the Dean of Gloucester. 8vo. 6d. Cadell. 1784. This pretended fequel to Sir William Jones's celebrated dialogue on the principles of government, is, in reality, a vehement attack upon the doctrines contained in that little pamphlet, which we prefume, is familiar to most of our readers, in confequence of the late proceedings against the Dean of St. Afaph. The author objects, totis viribus, to Sir William Jones's Comparison of a state or nation to a great club: and his main argument is, that every man is born under fome government or other, whereas no man is born a member of a club. This is a wonderful discovery indeed!—but if the principles upon which the greater as well as the fmaller focieties of men are held together, and by which they ought to be regulated, (namely, the good of the whole) be the fame in both, we still are of opinion, that the comparifon is juft. The |