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Afiatic words, in Roman letters, no part of it unexplored: "and he difplays a very extenfive and accurate knowledge of astronomical, fcience.

a fubject that ought to be ftrictly attended to by ftudents in Criental literature, as the caprice hewn by different writers in fpelling Afiatic words, has occafioned great confufion, and many mistakes.

His next diflertation is on the gods of Greece, Italy, and India;, where in he enters into a moft learned and ingenious inveftigation to prove the affinity between the fyftems of Polytheifm that prevailed among the Greeks and Romans, and the popular worship of the Hindus; and moreover to fhew that, in fact, they refemble the ftrange religions of Egypt, China, Perfia, Phrygia, Phenicia, Syria, and, perhaps, fune of the islands and northern kingdoms of America: that as to the Gothic fyftem which prevailed in the northern regions of Europe, it was not merely fimilar to thofe of Greece and Italy, but almoft the fame in another drefs, with an embroidery of images apparently Afiatic. He then draws a curious parallel between the gods of the Indian and European heathens, and infers from it, that a connection actually fubfifted between the old idolatrous nations of Egypt, India, Greece and Italy, long before they emigrated to their feveral fettlements, and confequently before the birth of Mofes; but that the truth of this propofition in no degree affects the truth and fanctity of the Mofaic hiftory, which, if confirmation were necefiary, it would rather tend to confirm."

An inquiry into the chronology of the Hindus comes next; and our author fathoms the fubject with great depth of learning as well as with fingular ability. He leaves

A oft learned and feientific diflertation on the antiquity of the Indian zodiac follows the above inquiry; and he has demonftrated, in the molt fatisfactory manner, in confutation of the opinion maintained by the ingenious M. Montúcia, "that the Indian divifion of the zodiac was not borrowed from the Greeks or Arabs, but has been known by the Hindus from time immemorial, and was probably invented by the firà progenitors of that race, before difpertion."

His next tract is on the literature of the Hindus, in which he gives a fuccinct account of the principal books extant among them, taken from a Sanfcreet book, intituled, a view of learning, communicated to him by a learned Pandit. To this account he has fubjoined an interefting commentary, thewing the progrefs which the Brahmans have made both in practical and fpeculative knowledge. Among a variety of very curious facts, he informs us, Mohfani Fani, the author of the Dabiftàn, defcribes in his first chapter a race of old Perfian fages, who appear, from the whole of his account, to have been Hindus; and we cannot doubt that the book of Mahabad or Menu, which was written," he fays, "in a celeftial dialect, means the Veda; fo that as Zoroalter was only a reformer, we find in India the true fource of the anci ent Perfian religion. From the Védas," continues fir William, "are immediately deduced the practical arts of chirurgery and niedicine,

made,

mufic, dancing, and archery, which comprize the whole art of war and architecture, under which the fyftem of mechanical arts is included." -"Infinite advantage may be derived by Europeans, from the various medical books in Sanfcreet, which contain the names and defcriptions of Indian plants and minerals, with their ufes, difcovered by experience, in curing diforders." Of the Sanfcreet language he obferves, "that its profody contains almost all the measures of the Greek; and that it is remarkable, that the language of the Brahmans rans very naturally into Sapphicks, Alcaicks, and Iambicks." Aftronomical works in this language are exceedingly numerous : feventy nine of them are specified in one lift; and if they contain the names of the principal ftars visible in India, with obfervations on their pofitions in different ages, what difcoveries may be made in science, and what certainty attained in ancient chronology!"

the most elegant; but all of them contain much curious information, and manifeft the univerfal learning and ftrenuous diligence of their author.

The fecond volume of these works contains feveral valuable botanical essays, compriûng obfervations on Indian plants, together with a catalogue of them, giving their Sanferêet, and as many of their Linnæan names, as could with any degree of precifion be afcertained. After these effays, follows his celebrated grammar of the Perfian language, the univerfally ac knowledged merits of which render it altogether ufelefs to praife. The preface to the grammar is one of the moft masterly, fpirited, and elegant of all fir William Jones's philological compofitions.

To the Grammar, the editor of thefe works has added, a history of the Perfian language, which it was fir William's original intention to have annexed to it in the year 1771, when the grammar was first The other tracts in the firft vo- printed. In this treatife, he takes lume confift of fome remarks on the a comprehenfive view of his fubSecond Claffical Book of the Chi- ject, traces the progrefs of the Pernefe; of a Scientific Diflertation on fian language through a period of the Lunar Year of the Hindus; of a two thoufand years, and relieves the Treatife on the Mufical Modes of dryness of the narrative by interfperthe Hindus; of a Philological Ac- fing it with pleafing citations from count of the myftical Poetry of the the poets and moral writers of Pería. Perfians and Hindus; of the fand of Hinzuan; of a Converfation with an Abyffinian concerning the City of Gwender and the Source of the Nile; and fome Remarks on the Courfe of the Nile, of a Treatife on the Indian Game of Chefs; and of five or fix fhort Mifcellaneous Effays on Oriental Subjects. Ofthese tracts, that on the musical modes of the Hindûs, is the moth interesting, and by far

The last tract in this volume is a Commentary on Afiatic Poetry, written in the Latin language, and it is no lefs diftinguished for various and extenfive learning, than for pure tafte, and correct and elegant compofition. Our only material objection to this treatife, is, the language in which it is written. Surely the English tongue is fafficiently copious to exprefs our

ideas on any fubject whatever. Why then render a work of this nature repulfive to men of the world, by writing in a language in which, it is well known, they are not converfant? It has indeed been faid, in defence of the practice of writing on learned fubjects in the Latin, that, as it is a general language, it introduces a performance at once into the great commonwealth of letters. But as the French language is univerfally known throughout Europe, and as moft English works of any importance, have, for these twenty years paft, been tranf lated into that tongue, we confefs we can discover no poffible utility in compofing interefting works in Latin, efpecially on Oriental fubjects, which it should be our first endeavour to clothe in an agreeable and familiar attire.

In the third volume of thefe works, we come to the most important and valuable of all fir W. Jones's tranflation; namely, his Verfion of the Inftitutes of Hindû Law, or, the Ordinances of Menu, according to the Glofs of Calluca, literally tranflated from the Sanfcrêet original. This work is a compendium of that fyftem of duties, religious and civil, and of law in all its branches, which the Hindes believe to have been promulgated in the beginning of time by Menu, the grandfon of Brahma, and the oldeft and holieft of legiflators. According to the calculation of the learned tranflator, it received its prefent form about 880 years before the birth of our Saviour, and about 300 years fubfequent to the promulgation of the Védas, or Hindû fcriptures. No production of the prefent age contains fo much new and curious matter. It throws more

light upon the Hindu fyftem than all the publications that have heretofore appeared on the fubject; and it proves beyond all difpute that the people of India had made great advances in civilization, at a period when the nations of Europe were in the rudeft ftage of focial life. But it is peculiarly worthy of observation, that in many parts of it we find much of the wildom, fublimity, and eloquence of the facred fcriptures; and though the text be deformed with innumerable abfurdities, it always breathes the fpirit. of legiflation and the fervour of a pious morality.

The laft tracts in the third volume are, The Mahommedan Law of Succeffion to the Property of Intestates, in Arabic, from an original manufcript, with a verbal tranflation, preface, and notes; and, The Mahommedan Law of Inheritance from the Arabic text of Sirajiyyah, with a preface and commentary. Both thele tracts are of the utmost importance towards the due adminiftration of civil juftice in India, inafmuch as it regards upwards of three millions of British Mahommedan fubjects; and they ought therefore to be ftudied with the greatest attention, by all gentlemen intending to enter the civil fervice of the hon. company.

The three remaining volumes, confift of many elegant compofitions in Hindû literature, and fome interefling translations from the Sanfcreet.

Afiatic Refearches; or, Transactions of the Society inflituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the Hiflory and Antiquities, the Arts, Sciences,

and

and Literature, of Afiq. Val. V. Printed verbatim from the Calcutta Edition. Svo.

WHILE we look with fatisfaç

tion to the progress of this ufeful fociety, we cannot avoid repeating our concern for the lofs of the amiable and excellent infiitutor of fo liberal a plan, which has been productive of fo much information. The inveftigations of this fociety are bound only by the geographical limits of Afia. The field of their researches is not only immenfe, but fertile in every topic that can excite curiofity or furnish entertainment. The members are not confined to Hindoftan, but extend to China, to Japan, to Tartary, to Tibett, to the fterile deferts of Arabia, and to the beautiful provinces of Perfia.

A fpace fo unbounded has engaged the attention and care of the Afiatic fociety fince its firft inftitution, and the topics of their inquiry have been vaft and without mealure. They have examined whatever is performed by men, or produced by nature, within the limits they have preferibed to themfelves. They have exhibited accounts of natural productions; have examined the records of empires and ftates; they have difentangled the perplexities of pure and mixed mathematics;

have fpeculated on ethics and law; and, to unbend, in the fofter amufements of literature, have difplayed the beauties of imagery and the charms of invention.

Objects fo interesting cannot but excite a defire for a farther acquaintance with them; four volumes have been already publifhed, and the fifth now makes its appearance; but the lucubrations of the Afiatic fociety have not been to widely diffufed as their merit defeyved Nearly the whole of the impreffion is diftributed in the Ealt Indies, therefore very few copies reach Europe; and this; amongît other reafons, has given rife to the prefent re-publication, which contains the whole of the tranfactions of the fociety, without abridgement or mutilation.

We cannot difmifs this article without oblerving that in the five volumes of this work may be found nearly all the truly valuable articles which compofe the pompous and expenfive work we have juft reviewed, that is to fay, all thote publications of fir William Jones, on fubjects connected with Oriental Literature, Natural Hiftory, or Antiquities, which received his latt corrections, and were prefented by him in a finifhed fiate to the fociety, of which he was fo diftinguifhed a member.

* For an account of the third and fourth volumes of this work fee our Regifter for 1797.

CONTENTS.

CONTENT S.

HISTORY OF EUROPE.

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CHAP. I.

A general View of the Year 1799.-Hazardous Situation of Buonaparte,
in confequence of the Destruction of the French Fleet.-Prefent State
of Egypt.-Mammalukes.-Boys.-Arabs.-Jews-Greeks.-Cophts.---
Force, Land and Marine, under the Command of Buonaparte.-Various
Cares of Buonaparte.-Means of maintaining the Army. And of recruit-
ing and preferving it.-Buonaparte refpects himself, and gives Orders to
his Officers to respect, the Prejudices of all the Egyptians.-His Proclama-
tion to the People of Egypt.-At great Pains to propagate, in all Maho-
metan Countries, a Belief of his Veneration for Islaumijm and the Prophet.

-Treachery and Punijhment of the principal Sheick, or Shereef, of Alex-

andria.-Endeavours of Buonaparte to blend and harmonize the French and

the Egyptians.-Meafures taken for the Accomplishment of that Defign.--

Grand Feaf at Cairo, on the Anniversary of the French Republic. -Great

Ceremony at the annual opening of the Grand Canal of Cairo.-Liberality

of Buonaparte to the Egyptians,-Ufeful Infiitutions.-Government of

Egypt attempted to be affimilated to the new Government in France.

Notables-Departments. And a general Alfombly, or Divan, in Egypt.

-Difficulty of operating and producing any permanent Change in the

Minds of Barbarians.--Jealoupes of the French.- Difcontents.-Mur-

murs.And Infurre&ions.—Particularly at Cairo.-This, with the

others, fubduedd general Amnejiy-Murad Bey deje ed, with great

Lofs. And forced to retreat to the Mountains.-The French, under the

Command of Deffaix, in Poffeffion of the best Part of Upper Egypt [1

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