An Hiftorical Dictionary, or Memoirs critical and literary, relating to the lives and works of feveral diftinguished perfons, particularly in the Republic of Letters. By Profper Marchand.

This branch of literature, feems to prevail more ftrongly in ours than in any former age; and, as confidered in one light, it may flatter the vanity, fo, when viewed in another, it ought certainly to put men of letters much upon their guard, that fince the world is fo ftrongly inclined to enquire into the circumstances of their private lives, they may be found worthy of their profeffion and the effects of their learning and study be discoverable in the prudence of their actions, and the uprightness of their conduct. They are the more obliged to this, from the freedom they think themselves authorized to take, for the fake of truth and the inftruction of mankind, with the characters of perfons of a rank far fuperior to themselves. This gives others a right to criticize their behaviour: and as this right commonly falls into the hands of their brethren, so it is frequently profecuted with unufual industry, and too often executed with unrelenting feverity. Circumftances that can never be too generally, or too ferioufly confidered, by fuch as endeavour to tranfmit their reputation to pofterity, from the merit of their writings.

Mr. Profper. Marchand, to whom we owe the work before us, was bred up as a bookfeller in Paris, and fpent full forty years of his life in a clofe application to this fort of learning. He was the conftant correfpendent of Mr. Bernard, during the time he published the Nouvelles de la Republiques des Lettres, and to him we are to attribute all the literary anecdotes from Paris, for which that journal is diftinguifhed. He went afterwards to refide in Holland, that he might profefs the protestant religion in peace. He had not been there long before he quitted trade, and thence forward made that his fole bufinefs which had been hitherto his favourite amufement, an application to literary hiftory; and ftudioufly collecting whatever regarded curious and fcarce books, their authors, and the different editions they paffed through; by which he rendered himself equally confpicuous and respected.

He gave fufficient teftimonies of the great extent of his acquifitions in this fort of knowlege, in his Hiftoire de l'Imprimerie ; or, Hiftory of Printing in the publ fhing a new edition of the hiftorical and critical Dictionary of Mr. Bayle: and in the Letters of the fame great man, which he likewife published. He bad alfo a large fhare in the Journal Littéraire; and gave occafional affiftances to other periodical works, maintaining at the fame time a regular correfpondence with the most learned men,

in different parts of Europe: to whom he communicated, and from whom he received communications, in refpect to literary history, which equally raised and enlarged his reputation. But after all, the work now before us, was the chief occupation of his life, to which he devoted all his numerous collections, all the lights he was able to procure, and every moment of his time that he could fpare. His intention certainly was to publifh it; but his care and accuracy was fo great, that he was continually revifing, adding, and correcting; fo that before he thought it in a condition to be committed to the prefs, nature conducted him to the grave, June 14, 1756.

As he always lived in a private and frugal manner, he left fome fmall fortune behind him, which he directed should be employed in educating and fubfifting a certain number of poor children. His library, which was confiderable, not only from the fize of the collection, but for the curious and well chofen books of which it was compofed, he bequeathed to the Univerfity of Leyden. These memoirs he committed to the care of a friend, who undertook what he has now performed, the publication of them; but without being at all apprized of the immenfe fatigue it would coft him. Mr. Marchand affured him, he would find his manufcript compleat. It was fo, indeed, but in a very fingular way, all written upon little pieces of paper of different fizes, fome not bigger than one's thumb nail, and written in a character fo exceedingly fmall, that it was not legible without the help of glaffes; and in the editor's opinion, it is the first book that ever was printed by the help of a microfcope. He farther informs us, that by his inceffant labour, and constant affiduity, as well in correcting the proofs, as in adjufting the copy, the work is in all refpects perfect; and that the public will be very speedily gratified with the fecond volume, and afterwards with a fecond edition of the Hiftory of Printing; for which our Author left many corrections, alterations, and additions, in his own hand

This Dictionary is exactly in the manner of the famous Mr. Bayle; written with equal erudition and accuracy, and may therefore ferve as a fupplement to that celebrated work: to which, however, in point of spirit and elegance, many Readers will probably find is much inferior; though after all, it is every where curious, and, in fome places, entertaining: and though feveral of the articles may be thought obfcure, and lefs worthy of public notice, yet the penetration, fagacity, diligence, fkill, and indefatigable labour of the Author, muft recommend him to every Reader's favour.

ther.

They will not be of a very extraordinary fize when bound toge

Code

Code de la Police, ou Analyfe des Reglemens de Police divisé en douze titres. Par M. D.- Confeiller du Roy, Lieutenant-Generat de Police, de la Ville de-en Champagne. A Paris, chez Prault pere, 1757, vol. in 12mo. de 469 pages, non compris la table des matieres. That is,

The Syftem of Policy, or an Analyfis of the Regulations neceffary to a juft policy, reduced under twelve general titles.

The Author of this work, whofe modesty induced him to put only the initial letter of his name in the title-page of his performance, and to conceal the place of his abode, is Mr. Duchene, Lieutenant-General of the Police, in the town of Vitri le Francois, in Champaigne. The worthy design and extenfive utility of this work, excited a general applaufe, and the judicious execution of it so plainly pointed out the Author, that the book was no fooner published than it was unanimoufly afcribed to him; with all the teftimonies of refpect and approbation, which fo able, fo judicious, and so useful a system deserved.

The world is very well acquainted with the Traité de la Police, begun by the Commissary Lamarre, with the commendations of the best judges, and continued with great spirit and accuracy, by M. le Clerc du Brillet. This excellent work, in which the fyftem of government neceffary for preferving one of the greatest cities in Europe in perfect order, and in which every thing is deduced from the first principles, and difplayed in the most perfect method, has already fwelled to feveral large volumes in folio; in which, however, to the great regret of the Public, we find only the execution of one half of the plan. The rest is impatiently expected; nor is it at all doubted that it will come up, in every refpect, to what the world has already feen and admired. But an undertaking of fo great expence, and executed with such labour and precifion, will not admit on any confideration, of being accelerated to the prejudice of thofe enquiries, and of that accuracy which have fo defervedly gained the public esteem.

Mr. Duchene very candidly acknowleges this; and avows the obligations he is under to thofe Authors, to whom he profeffes himself a pupil. He grounds the merit of his performance upon his following exactly and minutely the principles that they have laid down, and he declares the motives of his undertaking to be thefe he observed, that the extent of the Traité de la Police, though the plan be exactly regular, and perfectly pursued, is too great for fome understandings, to whom, nevertheless, if it was within the reach of their comprehenfion, it would be extremely ufeful. He perceived alfo, that the great expence of this performance, would hinder it from falling into the hands of many

Readers.

Readers. He was farther fenfible, that fo long as it remained unfinished, it would likewise remain unread, by several who had it already in their hands. He therefore judged, that if without any prejudice to the fundamental principles of the fyftem, he reduced it into a moderate compafs, preferving not only the capital points, but the exact harmony alfo of its effential parts, fo as that the whole might be feen diftinctly, though in a narrower compass, he should render an acceptable fervice to the Republic of Letters. He flattered himself likewife, that in confequence of this, the work being no lefs reduced in price than in bulk, it might be brought into the closets of many, to whom it would otherwise be only known by its title. He was also farther perfuaded, that by rendering his abridgement compleat, he should, inftead of prejudicing, render a real fervice to the original; and inftead of extinguishing, augment that ardour with which the conclufion of that valuable work is defired.

It will be readily conceived from this account, that the method pursued in the Code de la Police, is precifely the fame with that obferved in the Traité; and so it is, the work being divided into titles, paragraphs, and numbers; by which natural, regular, and easy method, the whole is equally accommodated to the memory and judgment. The laft fix of the twelve general titles. are thefe, Of the public Tranquility and Security. Of the Sciences and Liberal Arts. Of Commerce. Of Manufactures and Mechanic Arts. Of Servants, Domeftics, and Journeymen. And, of the Regulation of the Poor. Each of thefe titles is fubdivided, and the heads of these fubdivifions properly and diftinctly treated; fo that every thing that a magistrate can defire, in a compendium of this nature, is put into the best form, and digested in the concifeft manner that he can expect; and of course helps him to arrange his own thoughts, and the notices with which experience may have furnished him, in their proper places.

What renders our Author's work ftill more compleat, with refpect to his own country, is the adjufting the ordinances, edicts, and other public acts, to the feveral titles and heads of his work, by which the regulations already made, and those that are still wanting, at once appear. The general scheme of good government, however, is under all governments, in all nations, and through all great cities the fame; and it is in this, that the great merit of both thefe works really confifts. But it is in vain, in France, or in any other country, for the worthieft and wifeft men to spend their times, exert their faculties, and difplay their knowlege, in pieces like thefe; or for the Legislature to fupport their dictates, by paffing laws, to give vigour to political regulations, if the fame fpirit be not kept up in carrying them into execution. Where

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Where one state has been deftroyed, or one city ruined, either. from the want of laws, or from mistakes in their laws, numbers have been undone through want of vigilance and integrity in their magiftrates; and from the want of a proper attention in those by whom the indolence or misbehaviour of fuch should have been corrected. The corruption of the many, is a late and dif- tant effect of the vices of the few, who are always able to do more good or ill by their example, than by their authority; and, which is a misfortune to those who are governed by them, though they may reftrain themfelves in refpect to the latter, yet in regard to the former, they are unable to circumfcribe their own power.

Memoirs de la Ligue, contenant les événemens les plus remarqu ables depuis 1576, jufqu'à la Paix accordée, entre le Roi de France, (Henri IV.) & le Roi d' Espagne, en 1598. Nou-, velle Edition, revue, corrigée, & augmentée de Notes critiques & hiftoriques. A Amfterdam, chez Arkstie & Merkus, 1758. 6 vols. 4to. That is,

Memoirs of the League, containing the moft remarkable events from 1576, to the Peace concluded between the Kings of France and Spain, in 1598.

This is a work revived, which was originally printed one hundred and fifty years ago. It is compofed of a variety of pieces," penned with much vivacity, in a bufy time, when the humours of mankind were afloat, and when painting to the life, or beyond it, was esteemed the great talent in writing. They stood the teft then, and which is a convincing proof that they had real merit, they have been much read, and generally admired ever fince. This made them very scarce, and very dear, but what might very probably give them an additional value, were the frequent allufions in the best Hiftorians, to fome or other of the pieces in this collection; fo that without being well ac quainted with thefe, the fenfe and fpirit of other works treating of thofe times, could not be perfectly relished, or indeed, thoroughly understood.

The first edition was as this is, in fix volumes, but in a smaller fize, printed in a very bad character, upon a worle paper, and in many respects very incorrect. All these defects are re

moved. It appears now in an elegant form, with the addition of feveral pieces relating to this period, fome of which had never been printed, and which are not lefs interesting, or entertaining, than any of the reft. They are likewife adorned with Notes, theological, hiftorical, and critical, all equally neceflary and pleasing. The firft, fhew us the errors in Divinity, which were fo zealously preached by thofe fanguinary Devotees who. fupported

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