will always be difficult of imitation; and indisputably places its learned author among the great men who hold the first rank in historical science. M. Wyttenbach, a scholar worthy to decide on the merits of St. Croix, speaks of it as follows: "Though we should not always be of the opinion of the author, yet we may affiria that he has perfectly fulfilled all the conditions necessary for writing his tory well. Such is the richness of the materials employed, that they appear incapable of augmentation, and this sin gle work may be considered as a repository of the history of Alexander: nothing that is known concerning that hero, is here omitted; places, dates, persons, facts, monuments of art, events, circumstances, writers, all are collected together. Nor is this the whole; for in this gallery of authors of all ages, who (as it were) pass under review, care has been taken to point out the particular merits and faults which characterise each age or epoch. This mass is animated by an intelligence that enlivens it, and that inspires every part with the principles of order, criticism, unity, a feeling of what is truly great and fine, a religious veneration for the duties of an historian, a nobleness of style, and an eloquence worthy of the thoughts and the sentiments." He adds: "May the amiable and learned writer, who is now preparing a new edition of his Inquiries concerning the Mysteries of Paganism, continue to enjoy, for the benefit of that undertaking, the love of study, the vigour of mind and body, the ease and tranquillity, and all the external advantages, which he has employed with so much benefit on the History of Alexander!"

he abandoned, still however intending to answer some extravagant criticisms that had appeared on the subject of his publication; but even this purpose he did not execute.

"On the Condition and Fate of the Colonies of the Ancient Nations:" printed at Philadelphia, 1779, in one volume octavo. The author, who was always severe in judging of his own works, speaks unfavourably of this, but adds: "There are however some remarks worth attention. Such, in particular, is that on the supposed article of the treaty concluded between Gelo and the Carthaginians, concerning human sacrifices, which Montesquieu affirms to do honour to the Syracusan tyrant; and of the same description are several reflections which have since been too fully justified by the French revolution." The learned Wyt- ́ tenbach regards this tract, not as a desultory compilation, or a superficial survey, but as exhibiting an intimate and well-practised knowledge of ancient history, and a happy talent at properly ap plying it; and M. Boissy d'Anglas, who has so well appreciated the merits of St. Croix, says: In this work his genius depicts the condition of the ancient colonies; he explains systematically the true principles which ought to regulate social institutions of this nature; and in shewing with clearness how their founders applied these, he affords both memorable examples, and judicious lessons for futurity."

"Observations on the Treaty of Peace concluded in 1763, between France and England:" Yverdon, 1782, one volume duodecimo. At the time of the publication of this tract, the two nations were on the point of terminating the war which established the independence of the United States of America. St. Croix wished to enlighten his countrymen on their true interests; and for this purpose he shewed them how humiliating and oppressive were the conditions to which France had agreed in that treaty, and what great and dangerous faults had been committed in drawing up the ar ticles of it. It is certain however that the people of England did not feel less discontent than M. St. Croix himself, at the treaty in question; and the indignant Junius charges the duke of Bedford with little less than treason in the negotiation' of it on our part.

"Contributions to the History of the Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire,"

Secret Religion of the Ancient Nations, or Historical Researches on the Mysteries of Paganism:" Paris, 1784, one volume octavo. This tract, like the Critical Examination of the Historians of Alexander, we owe to a competition proposed by the academy of belles-lettres. St. Croix, who had been long employed in researches concerning the mysteries of paganism, could not have found a more favourable opportunity for making use of the materials which he had collected on this equally obscure and curious question, than the subject proposed for the prize of St. Martin in 1777, which was, to make known the names and attributes of Ceres and Proserpine, the origin and reason of those attributes, and in short the whole worship of those divinities. St. Croix, being already prepared, by the previous direction of his studies, for an investigation of this nature, entered the lists with great advantages; and the academy, in awarding the prize to the profound and judicious treatise of their learned associate, must have felt some complacence at their selection of the topic of discussion. The prize-treatise, augmented with new illustrations, formed the printed volume of which we are speaking. Let us throw avcil over the trouble and inconvenience hich the author suffered from his too great confidence in a scholar of more learning than judgment, who undertook the superintendance of its publication, and let us forget the injuries which St. Croix himself forgot. The treatise was translated into German in 1790, and the translator suppressed all the additions which the author had disavowed. "Thus," said St. Croix, "my work is to be found in German rather than in French. After its publication in 1784," added he, "I pursued further inquiries, and collected many particulars for an enlarged and corrected edition; but all these materials were burnt or thrown away by Jourdan's soldiers, who seized my paternal dwell ing and turned me out of it in 1791. I am now employed, as diligently as my situation and iny health allow, in repai ing that loss, in order to put a new edition to press as soon as possible. M. de V has altered and disfigured the former one in such a manner, as to make it t very difficult to to collect from that, those just results and consequences which should flow naturally from my inquiries. Entertaining no doubt about them himself, he seems to have considered all my labour as merely a vain

parade of erudition." It will gratify all who feel an interest in the advancement of learning, and in the fame of St. Croix, to know that a copy of the first edition of this work, marked with many corrections, erasures, and additions, was found among his papers after his decease; and that the literary friend to whom he left the charge of all his manuscripts, will fulfil a part of that honourable trust, by giving this second edition to the world with all possible dispatch.

66

History of the Progress of the Naval Power of England:" originally published at Yverdon in 1782; the second edition at Paris, in 1786, two volumes duodecimo. The author at first designed only to examine the navigation-act, and its effects on the augmentation of the naval power of England; but this examination having obliged him to consider the state of the English marine before and after that act, (a law against which the publicists inveighed, without having duly and impartially weighed its motives and consequences,) he conceived and rapidly executed the plan of this work.

The first edition, though composed with precipitation, had great success; and there were even several piracies of it published. The author had, through a blameable complaisance for the editor, put his work to press before he had procured all the materials that were necessary for completing it; and besides this, as he himself said, on its publication he hardly knew it again, from its abounding with typographical errors: hence he readily complied with the general wish, by giving a new edition of it, rendered more complete and correct. The fol lowing quotation will shew in what respects he found it principally necessary to amend the first edition, and what he himself thought of the second. "Having come to Paris, I requested of the marshal de Castries, who was then minister of the marine, access to the papers of his office; and my request was very readily and obligingly granted. Though I did not make so much use of this permission as I ought to have done, yet I drew from that source several important documents; and with others, some letters of marshal Tourville, which I printed among the justificatory pieces of my new edition, and which are not its least ornaments. The work was corrected, very much augmented, and almost entirely re-written: I paid great attention to the style, and endeavoured to give it a ra pidity and conciseness that should even

strike the critics. I spared no pains to introduce into the language, without betraying an affectation of coining new words, many terms that were necessary for the description of naval evolutions, but which hitherto had appeared only in the journals of seamen. I made every effort to render myself not only clear, but even easily intelligible, to those who knew little or nothing of naval affairs. But what cost me the most trouble was, to reconcile the different (and always contradictory) accounts of the belligerent powers. M. Mallet du Pan, in his newspaper, reproached me with having uniformly represented the engagements in a light too favourable to the French, and with being deficient in justice to the English. This censure is not absolutely without foundation; but though I thought it right to use some delicacy toward my countrymen, in order to prevent them from drawing none but discouraging conclusions from the facts that I related, I at least expressed my self in such a manner that persons of penetration might collect the truth from my statements. Exclusively of this however, the criticism of M. Mallet du Pan is erroneous in more than one respect; but after drawing up an answer to it, I suppressed this, from a fear of giving pain to that worthy man.-There has not been sufficient attention paid to the boldness with which I spoke of several events that were still recent, and had been hitherto described only in the style of a gazette. The first volume concludes with some remarks on the navigationact; and the second, with others on the peace of 1763: the latter taken from a preceding publication of mine on that subject, but with alterations and additions. venture to think that neither are contemptible. This second edition however met but little success. That it had errors, I am aware: the celebrated Andrea Doria, for example, is mentioned as having been present at the battle of Lepanto, whereas in fact it was his nephew, the former having died before that memorable action; I have also made some mistakes concerning king John of England, and messieurs Kersaint; having supposed these latter to have been drowned with their father, though they were still living:--but these were not the causes of the indifference I speak of; for the public overlook much greater faults, without condemning a whole work for them. Its true source

was as follows: on the first appearance of the original edition, some unprincipled booksellers, struck with its title, published several piracies and imitations of it, of which they printed a great number, so that the shops were full of them; and hence the unfavourable opinion which the public formed of these wretched impositions, operated to the disadvantage of my second edition. Besides this, peace had been made with England three years before, and the nation thought no more of naval affairs." This whole passage is stamped with the cha racteristic simplicity, frankness, and candour, of St. Croix. The reader seems to hear this learned man opening his heart to a friend, and speaking of himself with the same freedom and unreservedness as if he spoke of a stranger.

"On the Ancient Federative Governments, and on the Legislation of Crete:" Paris, 1798, one volume octavo. This work consists of two memoirs which the author had read before the academy of belles-lettres, a short time previous to the suppression of that society. The purpose of the first, and most important of them, is, to prove that Greece never had any federative constitution till the period of the Achæan league; the other treated of the origin of the Cretans, their legislation, and the relation which the institutions of Sparta bore to those of Crete: both these discussions were accompanied with illustrations, in which the author handles several points of criticism and history with his usual skill and erudition. When this fine work appeared, France was hardly beginning to feel a little intermission from the rage of contending factions, and the arts and sciences could not even yet venture to anticipate more favourable days. "In such circumstances," says St. Croix,

why do I hazard a new publication? It is because, amidst the most unprosperous omens, we still continue attached to the habitual objects of our affections, and hope does not forsake even the man who tries to shut his heart against it. Nor can I, without ingratitude, quit the service of literature, to which I am indebted for a salutary consolation in these days of bitterness and grief."

Some thought they perceived, in this last work of St. Croix, marks of a disposition unfavourable to the existing government, or at least to what was then honoured with that appellation. "It is not so," said the author, in reply to insinuations

sinuations of this nature: "I have let facts speak for themselves; it is not my fault, if they should not agree with the ideas of certain persons. The reflections with which the mention of these facts is accompanied, spring naturally from the subject, are confined to no system, and were not written in favour of any party. There are those who have even censured me for shewing a predilection for republics. This is what always happens on publishing any work in a time of pub. le troubles and faction, when impartiality is so rare that its existence is not believed."

All enlightened readers will, without kesitation, rank this last-mentioned work among those which unite erudition and

criticism with enlarged and judicious views of things, and which entitle the author to a place among the most esteemed publicists. In considering the particular time at which it appeared, it is impossible not to applaud the courage with which he brought the truth before the eyes of his countrymen, and recalled men of letters to the dignity and sacredness of their duties.

Many other important works of St. Croix must be here passed in total silence, a satisfactory account of them would swell this memoir too much. Few men of letters have equalled him in purity of views, indefatigable activity, extent of acquirements, and the talent of applying his knowledge usefully.

"A Description of the Persian Monarchy, now beinge, the Orientull Indyes, Iles, and other parts of the Greater Asia and Affrick." By Thomas Herbert, esq. London [1034], fol.

HESE Travels form a very curious THESE Travels fure avten by the

Mr. Herbert who paid so much attention to king Charles I. in his latter moments; and who, in 1660, was advanced to the dignity of baronet.

The engraved title of the work, given above, is followed by a printed one somewhat different. The dedication is to Philip earl of Pembroke: and begins, "Good wine needs no bush: but this traveller wants a guide, and, as under age, a guardian too."

Mr. Herbert's Travels were begun in 1616. His descriptions of places in the earlier parts of the volume are short; but of Persia, the East Indies, and America, bis accounts are full.

The following is the copy of "The Emperour of Persia's firiman," to the English ambassador, in 1628:

"Abbas,

"The high and mighty starre, whose head is covered with the sun, whose motion is comparable to the aerial firmament, whose majesty is come from Asharaff, and hath dispatched the lord

ambassadour of the English king: the command of the Great King is, that his followers shall bee conducted from our pallace of Cazbeen to Saway, and by the darraguod (or maior) of Saway, to the citie of Coom, and by the governour of Cuem, into the city Envern, & of

through all my territories. Faile not my command; I also command them a peaceable travaile.

"Sealed with a stampe of letters in inke." At page 215 we have, "A Description of Sancta Helena."

"Saint Helena was so denominated by Juan de Noua, the Portugall, in regard he first discovered it on that saint's day.

"It is doubtfull whether it adhere to America or Afrique, the vast ocean bellowing, on both sides, and almost equally; yet I imagine she inclines more to Afer than Vespusius.

"Tis in circuit thirty English miles, of that ascent and height that 'tis oft inveloped with clouds, from whom she receives moisture to fatten her: and as the land is very high, so the sea at the brinke of this ile is excessive deepc, and the ascent so immediate, that though the sea beat fiercely on her, yet can no ebbe nor flow be well perceived there.

"The water is sweet above, but run.