the private concerns of the fubject are to be regulated: fucceffion is more equitably fettled, than it is by the feudal fyftems which have obtained in other parts of Europe. It is true that commerce and the arts have in the latter, given commercial and monied property, fuch a counterbalance to that of land, that landed property has gradually loft much of its tyrannic influence; and the forms of government first founded on thefe military tenures, have mellowed down to more equitable fyftems, in proportion to their attention to thefe objects. But, if the Ottomans at any time, feized by the contagion of literature, should come to understand the native rights of mankind better, and by commerce to poffefs an influence which may enable them' to avail themselves of their knowledge against their haughty Sultans; this fundamental advantage, of a partition of inheritance, would, fo far as it obtained in ufe, give them great advantages over ftates where landed property continues fubject to its antient limitations, while their fovereigns have loft that afcendancy and military ftrength it formerly procured them. If we confider the extenfive fize of this vaft empire, and conceive it freed from the oppreffive government under which its inhabitants groan, and become full of people, fpringing from the allowance of polygamy; they would under fuch circumftances promife fairer for univerfal empire, than any cramped ftate where land is tied up, where numbers of people are continually drained off from fociety, and buried in religious celibacy; and where prepofterous reftrictions obftruct the entrance into matrimony, to the eventual check of propagation or if an extenfion of knowledge and popular vigour, fhould break the Orientals into feparate independencies, they would in all probability flourish in arts, commerce, and maritime strength, while Europe, in either cafe, declining, may fee all thefe bleflings by a reflux retire back to thofe climes from whence they first dawned on mankind.' We fhall conclude this article, with the Author's Remark on Divorces; omitting the extract from the Koran on this fubject, on account of its too great length. It is fufficient to obferve, that Mohammed allowed his followers to put away their wives, (for what reafonable caufe or caufes is not faid) under certain legal regulations and reftrictions; and this they are permitted to do a fecond, and even a third time, in cafe of their fo often renewing the matrimonial connexion. On this head, we have the following obfervations: It would be impertinent to enlarge on the natural intentions of matrimony; of which, every man's reafon, and much more his feelings, give him fufficient information: as it is capable of communicating the higheft earthly felicity, fo can it be perverted to the greatest extremity of mifery. When the ends of entering into an indiffoluble engagement, on which the domestic comfort of all the future parts of our lives, fo intimately depends, are fruftrated! no fituation can be conceived more intolerable; and it is painful even to think that fufferers in these circumftances fhould have all their fond expectations, all their focial enjoyments, all their peace of mind, ruined beyond redemption and that the laws which ought to protect the injured, fhould in these circumftances betray them; and often. ftrengthen the hands of oppreffion! Divorces, by the Chriftian law are difcouraged, except in cafes of adultery; but numberlefs caufes of unhappinefs occur, which render the matrimonial state unsupportable, that do not offer fuch a plea to justify feparation: and when this union, from whatever causes, becomes grievous,-for life is a dreadful term! the apostles replied very naturally-if the cafe of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.-By the Mohammedan law divorces are allowed to take place between the fame perfons repeatedly: here therefore the facility of feparating and coming together again, not only grants the remedy wished for, but grants it to an extream; and appears to afford too great a latitude to caprice. Perhaps the golden mean may lie between them. For, let whatsoever render it disagreeable for man and wife to live with each other, the fufferer ought to be allowed recourfe to an eafy remedy :-but if, after feparation, they were prohibited the privilege of coming together again on any confideration; this would caufe the motives of parting, to be as carefully weighed, as those of the first connexion. For if a couple found on enquiry, that notwithstanding their difcontents, they had a foundation of fecret tenderness for each other, which the thoughts of parting discovered, and which started at the undoing of what could not be renewed; the union which ought to fubfift, would on fuch a result of felf examination, receive a fresh cement: while those who ought to part, would be gratified with the opportunity. Many gentle honeft hearts would thus be preferved from breaking, many ufeful lives be prolonged, many a pains-taking perfon refcued from beggary, and many fortunes fnatched from ruin. Those who failed in one adventure, might have the opportunity of trying another with more fuccefs; while thofe, of which there are many, with whom nobody ought to live, would be denied the diabolical pleasure of tormenting others to death, or of involving them in the confequences of ruinous conduct. This would indeed be a law of reafonable liberty." This fubject of divorces, is a very delicate one; and we believe there are few of our Readers who will not enlarge on it, in their own minds. For us, we have neither room nor leisure, at prefent, to expatiate on this head. One remark, however, is obvious, as to the policy and expediency of this law of liberty to the Muffelmans,-that as they were allowed to have no lefs than four wives at once (befide as many concubines as they could maintain) it was the more requifite to permit the husband to get rid of as many of them as he found himself unable to manage for, otherwife, we do not fee how it could be in the power of mortal man to keep his house quiet, with fo many rival females under his roof: and mercy on him, if all or any of them proved to be Xantippes! 6 Voyages Voyages and Travels in the Levant, &c. By the late Frederick Haffelquift, M. D. continued from Page 145, in our Review for February. HAV TAVING given a pretty full account of that part of this curious performance in which the Author describes the feveral countries through which he paffed, the manners and cuftoms of the people, together with the incidents of his travels, we shall in the prefent article confider more particularly his obfervations and difcoveries in natural hiftory, medicine and commerce. But before we enter upon this fecond part of the work, we fhall tranfcribe, from the firft, an anecdote, relative to natural hiftory, with which the world in general is unaċquainted. At Smyrna, I waited, fays our Author, on Mr. Peyfonel, the French conful, and member of the academy of infcriptions and belles lettres. To his great knowledge I am indebted for the following obfervation relating to natural hiftory. Corals have in our age been efteemed a proper fubject for the pens of the greatest naturalifts. Nature hath fo contrived this part of her works, that corals have had a contrary lot from other naturalia, and have been claffed under the different kingdoms of nature and it is yet uncertain to which they properly belong. In Mr. Peyfonel's company the learned Count Marfigli had the good fortune to overcome all the doubts he had entertained about these naturalia, when in his invaluable Hiftoria Maris, he laid before the world what he took to be the flowers of the corals. At that time they were thought to be vegetables. We know of none who immediately diffented from this opinion. Mr. Peyfonel, by fome obfervations he made on the French coaft, before Marfigli printed his book, had reafon to think otherwife, experience convincing him that corals were inhabited by worms. Mr. Peyfonel did not make natural history his study; he did not fet much value on these observations, yet communicated them to his brother, a learned phyfician, who intended to publish them. At length Count Marfigli anticipated Mr. Peyfonel, who fuppreffed his and his brother's obfervations; but afterwards informed Mr. Reaumur of them, who knew how to make use of fuch a confiderable fpeculation. Mr. Reaumur gave it to the royal Parifian academy of fciences, augmented with his own obfervations; nor omitted to attribute the honour to the real difcoverer. This was the rife of an opinion about corals, that fince hath been thought worth the enquiry of the learned, and has received an almoft univerfal applaufe.' Dr. Haffelquift, being a pupil of the truly wonderful Linnæus, arranges the various parts of the creation according to the REV. April, 1766. T fyftem fhould in thefe circumftances betray them; and often ftrengthen the hands of oppreffion! Divorces, by the Chriftian law are difcouraged, except in cafes of adultery; but numberlefs caufes of unhappiness occur, which render the matrimonial ftate unfupportable, that do not offer fuch a plea to juftify feparation: and when this union, from whatever caufes, becomes grievous,-for life is a dreadful term! the apoftles replied very naturally-if the cafe of the man be fo with his wife, it is not good to marry.-By the Mohammedan law divorces are allowed to take place between the fame perfons repeatedly: here therefore the facility of feparating and coming together again, not only grants the remedy wished for, but grants it to an extream; and appears to afford too great a latitude to caprice. Perhaps the golden mean may lie between them. For, let whatsoever render it difagreeable for man and wife to live with each other, the fufferer ought to be allowed recourfe to an eafy remedy :-but if, after feparation, they were prohibited the privilege of coming together again on any confideration; this would caufe the motives of parting, to be as carefully weighed, as thofe of the first connexion. For if a couple found on enquiry, that notwithstanding their difcontents, they had a foundation of fecret tenderness for each other, which the thoughts of parting difcovered, and which started at the undoing of what could not be renewed; the union which ought to fubfift, would on fuch a refult of felf examination, receive a fresh cement: while thofe who ought to part, would be gratified with the opportunity. Many gentle honeft hearts would thus be preferved from breaking, many ufeful lives be prolonged, many a pains-taking perfon refcued from beggary, and many fortunes fnatched from ruin. Those who failed in one adventure, might have the opportunity of trying another with more fuccefs; while thofe, of which there are many, with whom nobody ought to live, would the diabolical pleasure of tormenting others to death, or them in the confequences of ruinous conduct. This would indeed be a law of reale liberty. 30 This fubject of divorces, is Voyages and Travels in the Levant, &c. By the late Frederick Haffelquift, M. D. continued from Page 145, in our Review for February. H AVING given a pretty full account of that part of this curious performance in which the Author defcribes the feveral countries through which he paffed, the manners and cuftoms of the people, together with the incidents of his travels, we fhall in the prefent article confider more particularly his obfervations and difcoveries in natural hiftory, medicine and commerce. But before we enter upon this fecond part of the work, we fhall tranfcribe, from the firft, an anecdote, relative to natural hiftory, with which the world in general is unacquainted. At Smyrna, I waited, fays our Author, on Mr. Peyfonel, the French conful, and member of the academy of infcriptions and belles lettres. To his great knowledge I am indebted for the following obfervation relating to natural hiftory. Corals have in our age been efteemed a proper fubject for the pens of the greatest naturalifts. Nature hath fo contrived this part of her works, that corals have had a contrary lot from other naturalia, and have been claffed under the different kingdoms of nature and it is yet uncertain to which they properly belong. In Mr. Peyfonel's company the learned Count Marfigli had the good fortune to overcome all the doubts he had entertained about thefe naturalia, when in his invaluable Hiftoria Maris, he laid before the world what he took to be the flowers of the corals. At that time they were thought to be vegetables. We know of none vho immediately diffented from this opinion. Mr. Peyfonel, by me obfervations he made on the French coaft, before Marfigli nted his book, had reafon to think otherwife, experience incing him that corals were inhabited by worms. Mr. Peydid not make natural hiftory his ftudy; he did not fet much thefe obfervations, yet communicated them to his broarned phyfician, who intended to publifh them. At int Marfigli anticipated Mr. Peyfonel, who fuppreffed rother's obfervations; but afterwards informed Mr. hem, who knew how to make ufe of fuch a confition. Mr. Reaumur gave it to the royal Parifciences, augmented with his own obfervations; ttribute the honour to the real difcoverer. This an opinion about corals, that fince hath been the enquiry of the learned, and has received an applaufe.' ft, being a pupil of the truly wonderful Linhe various parts of the creation according to he 1766. fyftem |