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FOREIGN LITERATURE

Of the Year 1797.

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At fame M. H. Storch

Iogur bort and reign Literature has published the accond volume of

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of the Year 1797, we have very few articles to infert belonging to the Ruffian Empire. At Riga, Mr. Herder has published two treatifes in Theology, in which his wellknown abilities and liberality appear to eminent advantage. The firft is entitled" of the Redeemer of Men, according to our three firft Gofpels," and the fecond, which completes his defign, "of the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, according to the Gospel of John, &c." The object of the author is, to aflift the unprejudiced in diftinguishing fact from fiction, and to folve the queftions, What are the Gospels? What is Chriftianity? What was it in the beginning? What is it to us? In profecuting it, . Mr. Herder rejects all dogmatism and mysticism, and has afforded fuch a practical view of our religion, as may be read with pleasure and profit by every rational believer. We cannot, however, furmife what were the grounds on which the author built his hypothefis, that Mark was neither an epitomiser of Matthew, nor a compiler from him and Luke, but that he wrote his gofpel before either of them, and adhered more closely to the most ancient Hebrew goipel, to which the others made additions.

his valuable collections on the fubject of the hiftory of Ruflia, and given to his work the title of "an Hiftorico-statistical Picture of the Ruffian Empire, at the Clofe of the Eighteenth Century." From his long refidence in Ruffia, and travels into its remoteft parts, and from the documents to which he has had accefs, we may entertain the expectation that our author will be enabled to give us a full and interefting account of that country. "Catharine the Second at the Bar of Humanity," ftated to be publifhed at Petersburgh, is a fhort, but fpirited fketch of the principal features of that extraordinary woman, and the principal tranfactions of her reign, which the author has brought forwards in order to determine, in what point of view the philanthropift fhould confider Catharine, and whether he can juftly give her the name of Great? A fufficient knowledge of Ruffian politics, manly fentiment, and ftri&t impartiality, mark our author's pages, and induce him, with great juftice, in our opinion, to decide the question in the negative. At Peteriburgh, a fplendid edition of "the Poems of Anacreon" has been published, in the original Greek, accompanied with a Ruflian tranflation.

tranflation.-At Riga, Mr. Fr. Schulz has published the first volume of "a Selection of Mifcellaneous Maxims, for the Use of those who know the World, or who wish to know it, with a German Tranflation." The pieces which form this collection, are chiefly extracted from D'Agueffeau, D'Alembert, Bellegarde, Crebillon the younger, Duclos, Fontenelle, Pafcal, Rouffeau, and Voltaire.

paint, turn, make watches, &c. and who has acted as counfellor in feveral caufes.-The fourth and fifth volumes of the "Transactions of the Royal Academy of Belle Lettres, Hiftory, and Antiquities," published at the fame place, among other lefs important articles, fpeeches on the creation of members, and biographical notices, contains a curious effay on the origin and names of the celestial conftellations, by Dr. Melanderhielm, intended to prove that the Hindoos were the iu

The first work which we have to announce in Swedish literature, is the fixteenth volume of the "Tranf-ventors of aftronomy; an answer actions of the Royal Swedish Academy," Parts 1.-IV. published at Stockholm This volume contains several valuable papers in mathematics, natural hiftory, and me chanics, by Meirs. Schroeter, Ol Swartz, Modeer, Achard, Swederus, Lidbeck, and Vice-admiral Chapman. The communications of the latter are ftated in the foreign Reviews to be of very great importance to the science of ship-building. At the fame place have appeared New Tranfactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences, for the Year 1796, Parts I-IV. To this volume, likewife, vice-admiral Chapman has contributed a valuable enlay on the best form for anchors, the proper proportion of their parts, and the weight they fhould have in a fhip of a given fize. Of the other fcientific papers which it contains, the most important belong to the heads of aftronomy, natural hiftory, and anatomy; and were communicated by M. O. von Acrel, M. Profperin, M. Schroeter, M. L. Nordmark, Dr. Melanderhielm. Mr. S. Œdman, M. P. N. von Gedda, and M. J. L. Odhelius. Among the curious articles which it prefents to ns, is a defcription of a man, born without hands, arms, feet, or legs, who can write, carve wood, draw,

in the affirmative to the queftion, whether we can form any certain judgment of the manners of a peo. ple from the decline or flourishing of the fine arts among them? by A. G. Silfverftolpe; Remarks on the Situation and State of the Finnish Nation, at the Time when it was firft reduced under permanent Subjection to Sweden, by Prof. H. G. Porthan; Hiftory of Belle Lettres among the Romans, by F. H. Eberhardt; and an Enquiry into the Antiquity of Gunpowder in gene. ral, and in Sweden in particular, by M. J. Murberg.-At Stockholm, likewife, Dr. C. W. Lüdeke bas published the feventh volume of his curious and interesting "general Archive of Swedish Literature, under the Reign of Guftavus III." noticed in this department of our Regifter for the year 1795.—At the fame place, M. Olave Agrell, who was formerly fecretary to the Swedifh confulate at Morocco, has publithed" Letters on Morocco, &c." which appear to furnish authentie information refpecting the prefent ftate, policy, nanners, &c. of that empire, written in a lively and interefting manner. On his way out the author fpent fome time at Gibraltar, and other parts of Spain, of which he gives a brief account

At

-At Wexio, Dr. Olave Wallavift, bishop of that fee, has publifhed "a Sketch of a Manual of Promotion to ecclefiaftical Offices, with hiftorical Remarks on the Laws and Customs refpecting it fince the Reformation," which will give full information to those who wish to be acquainted with the modes of obtaining church dignities in Sweden. With respect to the ftate of literature in Denmark, our information ftill continues exceedingly fcanty. We hope that the paucity of Danifh productions (for few indeed have we met with, or heard of) is not to be attributed to restrictions which rumour reports to have taken place in that country on the liberty of the prefs. The circumftances which we mentioned when noticing Mr. Cramer's publication, in our last volume, would feem, however, to countenance fuch a report. If it be well founded, the measure has originated in a fhort-fighted polic, incompatible with the liberal views which for fome years paft have appeared to actuate the Danith government, and will ultimately defeat its own ends.-At Copenhagen, M. C. J. R. Chriftiani, German preacher to the court, has published a work entitled "Effays for the Improvement of Mankind, &c." confifting of valuable treatifes, partly written by the editor, and partly by Venturini, Marezoll, and others, the object of which is to diffeminate knowledge by promoting and recommending regular fyftems of education for youth. It fhould fcem that M. Chriftiani is at the head of an inftitution at Copenhagen, in which the principles developed in thefe effays are carried into practice, with no final degree of reputation to the worthy tutor.-At the fame place, M. Chev. de Hauch has pubfifhed Elements of experimental

Phyfics;" which are spoken of as forming a judicious and useful work, comprehending the most modern difcoveries in phyfics and chemistry. In this department of our Register for the year 1792, we had the opportunity of announcing the firft part of an important work entitled " Symbole Botanicæ, &c. or more accurate Defcriptions chiefly of Plants, collected by P. Fortkaol, in his Travels in the Eaft, &c." publifhed by profeffor Vahl. During the prefent year the third part has made its appearance, and is fpoken of in high terms of appro bation by the foreign journalists. Of the date of the fecond part of the fame work, we have not been able to obtain any information. — At Copenhagen hath appeared" an Alphabetical Index to the corrected and enlarged Edition of Fabricius's Syftem of Entomology, containing the Orders, Genera, and Species," which is faid to be on a good plan, and well executed. - At Kiel, profeffor Olivarius has commenced a re fpectable periodical work, of which a number is to appear once in three months; intended to prefent the public with a regular account of the ftate of literature, &c. in the north of Europe. Its title is "Le Nord Littéraire, Phyfique, Politique, et Morale."

On turning our view towards the Batavian republic, we fill find our materials for a 1ketch of Dutch lite rary productions very limited and imperfect. At Amfterdam, the fociety for promoting the general weat has pubilthed two " Prize Ellays concerning the Duties of a worthy Mafter and Mistress of a Family in common Life, with Remarks on the Caufes of the little Happinefs ap parent in many Households," abounding in fenfible and judicious advice, that may prove ufeful in correcting

correcting errors and bad management in the domeftic relations-At the fame place, the above fociety. have publifhed" Prize Effays on the Defects of the lower Schools," and on the beft Theory of Rewards and Punishments in Schools;". which are particularly adapted to the circumftances and regulations of the new republic, but afford hints that may contribute to the improvement of schools, and fcholaftic difcipline, in other countries. At Leyden, M. Voorda has published twenty-eight Decades of controverfial Thefes," on various fubjects in jurifprudence. In this department of our annual labours for the year 1788, we introduced to our readers the first volume of M. Sepp's "Wonders of God contemplated in the moft minute Creatures, or the Infects of the Netherlands defcribed, &c." publifhed at Amfterdam. We have now to announce the completion of the third volume of that arduous and beautifel work, published at the fame place, which comprifes the firft and fecond claffes of Papilios, and the first and fecond claffes of Phalenæ. -At the fame place hath appeared "an Account of the laft Revolution of the United Provinces," which is reprefented to be a faithful and well written narrative of that event. At the fame place, M. J. H. van Swinden has published "An Eulogy on P. Nieuwland, read in the Society Felix meritis." The fubject of this warm and elegant eulogy, who died at the age of thirty, was a perfon of extraordinary genius and talents, which pointed him out as a proper perfon to fill the chair of profeffor of natural knowledge, the higher mathematics, civil and military architecture, hydraulics and aftronomy, at Leyden. It appears that the duties of his office were difcharged

by him with eminent reputation, while he occafionally diftinguished himself by works of fancy and tafte. At Dordrecht, M. Haufft has published a paraphraftic Latin verfion " Anacreonti quæ Tribuuntur Carminum;" which is not deftitute of merit, although the elegiac meafure chofen by the author is not the beft adapted to convey the fpirit of the light effufions of his original.-At Rotterdam, M Henry Collot d'Efcury has publithe a volume of "Juvenile Poems," in Latin, which are faid to reflect credit on his genius and claffical attainments. At Amfterdam hath appeared a volume of" Oriental Apologues and Tales, by the abbé Blanchet," well known by his fingularities, humour, and extreme fentibility; which are told in a manner that will entertain and please the reader. Many of them have appeared, in different forms, in other publications; and fome are tranflated from the English.

Among the productions of Germany, for the year 1797, in Biblical Literature and Criticifm, we meet with "the Academical Lectures of Sam. Fred. Nathan Morus, on the Interpretation of the New Teftament, prepared for the Prefs, with a Preface, and Additions, by H. C. Abr. Eichstadt, P. D." vol. I. pub lifhed at Leipfic. Profeffor Morus's Lectures were a kind of free comment on Ernefti, and defervedly obtained for the author a high degree of reputation, on account of the extenfive erudition and critical acumen difplayed in them. From the specimen before us, the editor appears well qualified to deliver them to the world in a manner not unworthy of their respectable author. At the fame place, M. C. Aug. Hempel has publifhed "explanatory Lectures on the three Epiftles of John, with a new Latin Paraphrafe on them," by the fame

author.

author. These Lectures are printed from a copy which the editor took while an auditor of the profeffor; and although lefs valuable, and lefs correct than the preceding, will prove an acceptable present to biblical fcholars. At Helmftadt, Dr. H. Ph. Con. Henke has published a German tranflation of archdeacon Paley's "Hora Paulina," which the foreign journals pronounce to be much improved in its new drefs, by the remarks of the tranflator which accompany it. At Lemgo, M. Eman. Berger has published "a Sketch of a moral Introduction to the New Teftament, for Teachers of Religion, and thinking Chriftians," volume I. The object of the author in this work is, to give an expofition of all the moral precepts, whether of general acceptation, or adapted to particular times and circumstances, that are contained in the New Teftament writings. The volume before us comprehends the Golpels of Matthew and Mark, with a general introduction; and is executed with confiderable learning and ability. When exprefling his opinion of the hiftory of our Saviour's temptation, he rejects the literal scheme of interpretation, and the equally abfurd hypothefis of diabolical illufion: but inftead of adopting our excellent Farmer's fimple and rational scheme of its being a relation of a divine vifion, containing fymbolical predictions and reprefentations of the principal trials and difficulties attending Chrift's public miniftry, he fuppofes it to be a moral fiction, related by Jefus for the inftruction of his difciples, and by them misunderstood. fic, Dr. G. J. Planck has published At Leipthe fecond volume of his excellent "Introduction to the Science of Theology," which as a critical, exegetical, and hiftorical work, is of

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very high importance in biblical literature. nounced by us in our Regifter for The firft volume was anthe year 1794.- At the fame place, M. C. Lew. Dreyfen has published a treatise "on the best Mode of inftructing Youth in the Chriftian Religion." This is a judicious, rational performance, and will be highly prized by thofe Chriftians whofe creed contains nothing in it that is fuperftitious or myftical.-At the fame place, profeffor S. Theoph. Lange, of Jena, has published a "History of the Dogmas, or Articles of Faith, of the Chriftian Church, extracted from the Fathers," vol. I. In this work the author's erudition and critical skill appear to confiderable advantage; but united to a freedom of opinion which will not meet with the approbation of Trinitarian and high orthodox divines. Prefixed to the volume is a well-drawn fketch of Chriftianity, as delivered by Christ and the apoftles, and a comparison of it with Judaism. -At Erlangen, Dr. G. F. Seiler, a friend to the Lutheran fyftem, has published a a work, in two volumes" on Divine Revelations, and particularly those which were made to Jefus and his Apoftles," which is valuable and interefting, as exhibiting a ftriking. inftance of the good effects produced on mens' minds of late years, by the progrefs of philofophy, and the hiftorical mode of explaining the fcriptures. To thofe advocates for revelation who do not take too high ground, it will prove an acceptable prefent. — At Leipfic, an anonymous popular tract of contled "Religion an important Confiderable merit has appeared, enticern of Man ;" the object of which is to fhew, that religion is equally and congenial to his nature,-Withconducive to man's real happiness,

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