ART. 8. Second voyage de F. le Vaillant dans l'interieur de l'Afrique, par le Cap de Bonne Efpérance, pendant les années 1783, 1784, 1785. Nouvelle édition, augmentée de la carte d'Afrique, et d'une table géné rale des matières fervant aux et deux voyages; ornée de vingt-deux planches en taille-douce; 3 voll. in 8vo. Paris, 1803. This fecond voyage, which is already in its second edition, is a continuation of the firft: the author proceeds further into the interior of Africa, into different countries from which he had traversed in his first expedition. This part of the world is indeed very little known, and the Travels of Brun, Norden, Sparrmann, and Le Vaillant leave a great deal ftill to be discovered. During thefe travels, the author met with little more than hordes of favages, bearing a near resemblance to the Hottentots and the Cafres, whom he calls the Namaquois, the Khaminouquois, the Kabobiquois, and the Gheffiquois, of whom he gives a favourable account, Indeed he feldom lofes an opportunity of praifing his good Africans at the expence of the inhabitants of Europe. M. Le V. does not confine himself to the description of the manners of thefe favages, but likewife enters very largely into the natural hiftory of thofe countries, particularly that of the birds. From this ac count, we shall extract the following fingular fact. "Au lever du foleil, tandis que tout le monde fe retirait pour dormir, moi je pris mon fufil, et j'allai chercher fortune fous les arbres du voifinage. Je n'y trouvai rien qui pût fervir à augmenter ma collection; mais le hazard m'y fit faire un coup très-extraordinaire, et dont il n'y a peut-être aucun chaffeur qui puiffe fe glorifier. "Je m'étais affis au pied d'an arbre, mon fufil entre mes jambes, droit devant moi, la croffe appuyée contre terre, et une main fur la détente. De l'autre main je tenais une feuille, fur le tranchant de Jaquelle je foufflais à la maniére des oifeleurs, pour attirer les petits oifeaux. Une espèce de rouge gorge vint effrontément fe pofer fur mon chapeau; et delà fautant fur la bouche de mon fufil, un pied fur chaque canon, elle refta immobile et très-attentive au bruit de la feuille que j'agitais, ramage nouveau pour elle. Dans des contrées défertes, un animal qui n'a point encore vu d'hommes, peut, par inexpérience, ne pas s'effaroucher quand il en verra un, sur-tóut fi cet homme est en repos et fans mouvement. Quel que fût le motif de la familiarité de celui cí, fa hardieffe m'étonna tellement, que, machinalement et fans réflexion, ayant l'oiappuyé la main fur la détente, je fis partir le coup. Je crus que feau ferait haché en mille pièces. Quelle fur ma furprise de le voir enlevé à trente pieds au-deffus de ma tête, dans une direction presque droite, et retomber à quelques pas de moi? "Je courus le ramaffer. Les bouts des pennes étaient feulement un peu brûlées; il me parut haletant et très-effrayé; mais peu-à-peu il revint à lui, et après m'être convaincu qu'il n'avait reçu aucune bleffure, je lui rendis la liberté, dont il profita fans qu'il parût fouffrir en rien. Il eft probable que la colonne d'air qui rempliffait le canon étant chaffée par l'explofion, aura d'abord frappé l'oifeau; par un mouvement d'aile, il fe fera en même temps écarté de la direction du plomb plomb meurtrier, qui aura paffé en maffe, fans l'atteindre, pendant que le fou feulement, occupant un bien plus grand espace, lui aura grille le bout des pennes des ailes et de la queue.' " Great attention has been paid to the execution of the plates, and of the geograph cal chart: to the whole is likewise subjoined, an Index to the two vajages of M. Le Vaillant. ART. 59. Ibid. Satire des Romans du jour, fuivie de la fable de Pyrame et Thybe, traduite d'Ovide; par Maffon Regnez, profeffeur au Lycée de Bruxelles, et membre de la Société de litterature de cette ville. 1803. M. M. R. in this Sa ire, inveighs with great energy against the alarming mul itude of Romances by which we are affaulted, and the mediocrity of which does little honour either to the tafte or the moral characters of thote by whom they are compofed. We regret that the limits of our work will not allow us to cite a number of happy verfes, both from this poem, and from the Nouvelle Babiloni nne, which follows it. We fhall confine ourselves, therefore, to the beginning of the Satire. Qul torrent orageux, brifant toute barrière, Et roule, affreux Léthé, dans les flots corrupteurs, En vain l'on voudrait fuir: il n'eft point de réfuge, De courroux, Apollon fur le Pinde en frémit; Quel mortel, à ces raits, ne reconnait fans peine De ces productions, ô maligne influence! Ces auteurs immortels, noble orgueil de la France, De notre fiècle ingrat femblent moins révérés. Leurs mains tiennent le fceptre au temple de Mémoire ; Et d'indignes rivaux fe difputent leur gloire! Le bourbier du Parnaffe infulte au double mont!" GERMANY. ART. 60. La Clef des Langues, ou Observations fur l'origine et la formation des principales langues qu'on parle et qu'on écrit en Europe; par Abbé Charles Denina, ancien profeffeur d'éloquence Italienne et de langue Grecque dans l'Univerfité de Turin, membre ordinaire de l'Académie des Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Berlin, de Turin, et de diverses autres. Sociétés favantes. Tome premier. 8vo. Berlin. 1804. After having given a fuccinct and critical account of the learned men of different nations who have employed themfelves on the subject of the origin of languages, M. Denina acquaints us with the plan according to which he has formed his own work, and drawn up the refulr of his refearches. He maintains, that the difference of languages arifes principally from an imperceptible difference in the organization of the human race, born and educated in different countries; and that it is, therefore, of the greatest importance to know the difpofition which one nation has to pronounce certain letters rather than others, and to fludy the expreffion and power given by different people to the elements of words. Here commence the author's obfervations: he fets out with the idioms which are allowed to be the fathers of moft of thofe that are fpoken or fludied. He points out how they were produced, or formed themfelves, how they have departed the one from the other, and in what they refemble or approach to each other reciprocally. Thefe principles being laid down, M. D. proceeds to show, that the ground of all the languages of Europe is found in the Greek and the Celto-teutonic; that the Latin language was neceflarily formed from these two idioms; and the modern languages were produced, fome from the Latin, and others from the Celto-teutonic. In the first volume, which is now published, the author treats of the Greek language, of the Celtic, and German, and of those which have iffued from them. In this inveftigation, his obfervations are intended to explain, how words paffing from one idiom into another have, at fome times changed their form, and at others their fenfe: he conceives that his obfervations will greatly affiit the Italians, for example, in learning the French, the Spanish, and even the German languages; that they will be found equally useful to the French, to the Spaniards, and to the Germans, in the acquifition of the Italian; and facilitate to all of them the study of the Latin and of the Greek. We fhall only add further, that this work appears to be the refult of the most laborious refearches, and of the most extenfive erudition. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Nauticus will find, on examination, that the work he men. tions has by no means been forgotten; but was carefully reviewed in the British Critic five months ago, and with inuch commendation. We greatly approve of the principles and exertions of the Endeavour Society, and fhall be happy to co-operate with them in the promotion of their object. The excellent paper they have communicated to us, on Health and Sicknefs, we would willingly infert, but that it would occupy much more fpace than we can allow. Mr. Mr. Mudford is informed, that we never faw his tranflation of Golberry's Travels, but we will not fail to enquire for it immediately. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. We learn, with much fatisfaction, that the papers of the late learned and refpectable Mr. Boucher, of Epfom, containing what he had prepared of his very arduous work, a Provincial Gloffary (long ago advertifed, and recommended to the attention of the learned), are in the hands of a most intelligent and ftudious friend, by whom they will be completed, and fent to the prefs with all practicable difpatch. Mrs. Barbauld is preparing Selections from the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. Her felections will doubtless be judicious; but thofe are three works which ought not, in our opinion, to be mutilated. Mr. Beloe's new edition of his Herodotus, with many addi tions and corrections, is very nearly finished. Mr. King is proceeding with his truly valuable work on the Munimenta Antiqua. Mr. Nichols has made confiderable progrefs in his continuation of the Hiftory of Leicester feire. Major Rennel's great geographical work is making progresfive advances. Mr. Ritfon's papers are under examination; and among them fome, very probably, will merit the attention of the public. Some manufcripts of the late Edward Wortley Montague are alfo, as we are informed, preparing for the prefs. Colonel Symes, who has revifited Ava, is expected to indulge the public with fome new obfervations and facts on that interefting region. Mr. Maurice is proceeding with the laft volume of his na tional work, the Modern Hiftory of Hindoftan. ERRATUM. We find that we were mifinformed as to the prices of Mayer's Views, ftated in our laft, p. 168. They fhould have been doubled, namely, Views in Egypt, 121, 128, In Palestine, 61, 6s, In Caramania, 61, 63, THE BRITISH CRITIC, For OCTOBER, 1804. While I remain above the ground, you shall SHAKESP. ART. I. An Hiftory of Marine Architecture. Including an enlarged and progreffive View of the Nautical Regulations and Naval Hiftory, both Civil and Military, of all Nations, efpecially of Great Britain; derived chiefly from original Manufcripts, as well in private Collections as in the great public Repofitories, and deduced from the earliest Period to the prefent Time. In Three Volumes. By John Charnock, Efq. F.S. A. 4to. 91. 9s. Faulder, &c. 1800, 1801, and 1802. THIS HIS is a truly elaborate work, the refult of unwearied diligence, extenfive reading, and profound investigation; yet perhaps if the author had fomewhat contracted his circle, had not gone, back to periods so very remote, or to countries fo widely diftant, his readers would have been more numerous, and his advantages greater. These volumes must have been produced at an enormous expence; and our regard for the author, as well as our efteem for his labours, induce us to regret whatever may eventually retard or diminish the remuneration he so well deferves. The Hiftory of Marine Architecture, to Englishmen, cannot fail of being moft highly interefting; but he will feel little curiofity about the veffels of Sefoftris, A a BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXIV. OCT. 1804. |