of life, is another; and words that contribute to either of thefe ends are not idle. When we are in company, whether by accident or choice, it were not a bad way, I think, to confider ourfelves as met for one or both of thefe purposes. If it naturally falls in our way to give or receive inftruction, it is very well; but though the preference is due to that, if by faying an agreeable thing we can help to keep up good-humour, it is very well too; and if neither fhould happen, it will be but fuch a difappointment as may be eafily fuffered. By this means, without taking upon us to give rule to others, every converfation, as to us, may be turned into a work of charity; and, though our words may not be always profitable, the goodness of our intention will make them not idle.'

We fhall only obferve farther, that it appears, at the end of the volume, that the laft copy of it was written by the Author in 1735, and it was that identical copy, we are affured, which was delivered to the printer.

ART. III. The Archite&ure of M. Vitruvius Pollio, tranflated from the original Latin, by W. Newton, Architect. Fol. Royal Pa1. 11 s. 6 d. in Sheets. Dodiley. 1771. per.

R. Newton quotes a juft remark made by M. Perault,

MR in the preface to his grand French tranflation of this

celebrated Roman architect, viz. That the neceffary qualifications for a tranflation of Vitruvius, very rarely meet in one perfon; and that from hence arifes the difficulty of executing fuch a performance. An architect, fays M. Perault, bred to the knowledge of his profeffion, is feldom fufficiently fkilled in language, and feveral other requifite fciences; on the other hand, < very few men of literature have a knowledge of architecture, and a genius for the fine arts, fufficient to enable them to undertake the tafk: the turn of mind adapted to the one, feeming unfuited to the other kind of ftudies.' We may aJJ, likewife, Mr. Newton obferves, that in thofe who may be fuffciently qualified, the inclination and opportunity to exert their abilities in fuch a work, do not always concur.' To wait, therefore, he modeftly adds, till all thefe requifites unite, might be endle's; and it may be preferable to avail ourselves of an inferior performance, in fome degree useful, than to be wholly without the know edge of this author. I hefe reafons,

**

and

Let this laft expreffion fhould appear too firong, (as the majo rity of thofe who have written on architecture have drawn their principles from Vitruvius, and their writings are in a great meafure tranfcripts of his work) we mult cbferve, that Mr. Newton had premised our real want of a couplete tranflation of this excellent author. To have recourfe, fays he, to the original, on all occaREV. Mar. 1772. tions,

and feeing it neglected by others, have induced me to attempt this arduous undertaking; not wholly prefuming on abilities equal to the task, but hoping that in the knowledge of the principal fubject, and, in fome degree, at leaft, of the feveral neceffary qualifications, I may not be found deficient.'

The lovers and profeffors of architecture, of this country, are certainly obliged to our tranflator, for attempting an edition of Vitruvius in our own tongue; in which, befide a good verfion of this great author, we have a valuable series of notes, partly collected from the remarks of the various commentators, and the reft fupplied from the tranflator's own fund of architectural erudition.

It were needless to enlarge on the fame of Vitruvius, and the high efteem in which his writings are fo juftly held; as this would feem impertinent, to every one who is even but moderately acquaintea with the hiftory of the fine arts.

Mr. Newton has given an account, in his preface, of the various editions, comments, and tranflations of this celebrated author, which have appeared in various parts of Europe; and the lift is very numerous. The editions of which he has chiefly availed himself, in executing the prefent tranflation, are the following:

I. The Italian Edition, firft printed in 1556, by the learned D. Barbaro; affifted, it is faid, by the famous Palladio.

II. That of De Laet, published at Amfterdam, in 1649; to which was annexed, the Elements of Architecture, by our ingenious countryman Sir Henry Wotton, Maibonius's Comments on Vitruvius, Baldus's Lexicon, and other improve

ments.

III. The Edition given by the Marquis Galiani, printed at Naples, in 1758; in which the original Latin is accompanied by an Italian tranflation; together with new and ufeful illuftrations and Mr. Newton fo highly effeems the comments of the learned Marquis, [efpecially as they chiefly relate immediately to the principal subject (Architecture) which former commentators had too much neglected,] that he pronounces Galiani to have eclipfed all the preceding Editors."

fions, is not fufficiently expeditious in bufinefs for those who are not well versed in the Latin, nor, indeed, for thofe who have not particularly studied the style and terms of this writer.' He had alfo remarked, that while all the polished nations in Europe poffefs a tranflation of Vitruvius, the architects of this country have hitherto remained without an opportunity of perufing, in their own language, The Father of their Art.' So that, with respect to them, it may, indeed, be justly faid, that they have had no knowledge of the moft eminent writer on that fubject.

7

Befide

Befide the printed editions of this author, Mr. Newton affures us, that when occafion required, he has also confulted fundry MSS. of which a confiderable number are in being. In fine, he seems to have fpared no pains to render his translation a truly acceptable prefent to his country.

As the draughts, which Vitruvius annexed to his book, are all loft, his commentators have been obliged to restore them, as well as they could, from his defcriptions. In regard to this ufeful, and, in fome measure, ornamental part of his performance, our translator appears to have been no less attentive, both to his author's credit and his own, than in the language of his verfion, and the criticifms and explanations contained in the The engravings, indeed, are not fo numerous as those in Perault's pompous edition; but they appear to be fufficient for the illuftration of the author, and to be well executed: which, not excluding elegance, is all that utility requires.

notes.

There is a fhort account of Vitruvius prefixed; in which Mr. Newton agrees with those who contend that this celebrated man (of whofe life it is aftonishing that fo little is known) did not live, as others have fuppofed, fo early as the Auguftan age; and he concludes, from an impartial ftate of the evidence on both fides, that Titus was the Emperor to whom Vitruvius addreffes his excellent work.

It is proper to obferve, that this volume contains only the first five books of Vitruvius*; a circumstance which Mr. Newton forgot to note, in his title-page; but it has been mentioned in fome late advertisements.

ART. IV. A Dictionary of Chemistry. Containing the Theory and Practice of that Science; its Application to Natural Philofophy, Natural History, Medicine, and Animal Oeconomy: with full Explanations of the Qualities, and Modes of acting, of chemical Remedies; and the fundamentai Principles of the Arts, Trades, and Manufactures dependent on Chemifiry. Tranflated from the French. With Plates, Notes, and Additions, by the Translator. 4to. 2 Vols. 11. 8s. in Boards. Cadell. 1771.

A1

LTHOUGH the alphabetical, or dictionary-form, is not fo happily adapted as that of a regular, fyftematic treatife, for teaching the knowledge of any fcience, yet nothing is more obvious than the great convenience and utility of that method, not only to learners, but to adepts; efpecially in regard to practical fciences and arts, fince no connective plan is equally capable of comprehending every thing relative to the particu lar ftudy, to which fuch a compilation may be confidered as a well contrived and truly important Index-Raijonnée.--Hence the

The original is in ten books.
02

favourable

favourable reception that has been given, not only to separate dictionaries of almost every branch of knowledge, but to thofe voluminous collections which have been offered to the public, and gratefully accepted, as comprehenfive bodies of arts and fciences in general.

With respect to Chemistry, indeed, it is obferved, by the ingenious and accurate Tranflator of this work, that this fcience is at prefent fo imperfectly known, as fcarcely to be entitled to the name, if we define it, The knowledge of the relations of certain things to each other. Our proficiency in this branch of knowled, e he confiders as amounting to little more than a collection of facts, the causes of which, with their relations to each other, are fo imperfectly underflood, that it is not yet capable either of the fynthetic or analytic modes of explanation.'

Among the advantages attending the alphabetical diftribution of materials, the Author mentions this great one, viz. That many articles have been inferted in this dictionary, which could not have been introduced in any other method; from whence the tranflator infers, that the connexion of these with the other parts of chemiftry was not perceptible, and, confequently, that chemistry is incapable of a more fyftematical arrange

ment.'

In fuch a flate, therefore, of this branch of knowledge, he concludes, that no kind of book could be more defirable than a dictionary with references to connected articles, in which the feveral parts of chemistry are treated feparately, and fo dif pofed, that any article, concerning which information may be wanted, may be eafily found, and in which every thing relating to chemistry may be inferted.'

Notwithstanding that there is no author's name prefixed to the original of this dictionary, in the French, nor inlerted in the titlepage of the prefent tranflation, yet, in his preface, the tranflator fcruples not to afcribe it to the celebrated Mr. Macquer *; of whole Elements of Chemistry we gave an account in the 19th volume of our Review. But from fome hints that we have received, we think it is very probable, that this work is the joint production of that learned gentleman, and of M. Beaumé, another eminent French chemift, whofe name often occurs, as well as that of M. Macquer, among other authorities referred to in thefe volumes.

We agree, however, with our tranflator, that the work, as far as we have had leifure and opportunity of examining it,

In confirmation of this, our Tranflator appeals to the internal evidence afforded by the work itself. Whoever, fays he, compares the tyle and doctrines of this writer, in the works to which his name is prefixed, with those of the prefent dictionary, will not hesitate to give his affent to the general opinion concerning the author.'

does

does does not feem unworthy of Mr. Macquer. It appears to contain, as he oblerves, a very extenfive knowledge of chemical history, facts, and opinions, and exact defcriptions of the operations and inftruments of chemistry. The facts and operations are well and fully explained, fo far as the prefent ftate of chemical knowlege permits. The author has farther rendered his work of very extenfive utility, as well as curiofity, by the applications which he has made of chemistry, to natural hiftory, medicine, pharmacy, metallurgy, and all the numerous arts and trades, the operations of which depend on chemical principles. In this comprehenfive plan is included whatever relates to chemistry; and I believe we may justly affirm, that this dictionary contains more chemical knowledge than any one book extant.'

Thus far may fuffice, with refpect to the general merits of this original work; but, as the tranflator himself very juftly remarks, in a fubject perhaps too extenfive for the labours of one man, (we may add, of more than one,) many articles muft have been omitted, which ought to be found in fuch a work as the prefent; and fome errors committed. Of the latter, a few are noticed, and apologized for, as proceeding from the author's not having been acquainted with fome very late difcoveries, especially thofe important ones concerning fixable air, made by Dr. Black, Dr. Macbride, and the Hon. Mr. Cavendifh: See Review, vol. 37. p. 440.

In fupplying the defects, and correcting the errors of the original, the tranflator feems, indeed, to have taken uncommon pains, and therefore he merits uncommon praife. His additions are not confined even to facts and difcoveries; for he has added the neceffary plates to this edition, of fuch chemical inftruments, &c. as are requifite to the obtaining an exact knowledge of their forms but which, however, were omitted in the original, And his many and very pertinent notes, fhew that he has executed his undertaking, not merely as a laborious talk, (the too common cafe with translations) but in the true fpirit of a LOVER and FRIEND of the ART.

To copy any particular article, in order to give a fatisfactory idea of the merit of fo multifarious a work as a dictionary, would prove as little to the purpofe, as to produce a fingle word by way of fpecimen of a language. A general character of fuch a performance, therefore, is all that will be expected, and all that we fhould attempt-unless there were fomething new or fingular in its plan, or method: which is not the cafe in regard to the prefent compilement.

We fhall close this article with an obfervation or two, which cafually occurred to us, on turning over the fecond of these two volumes, and perufing one of the tranflator's notes, in which

03

mention