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1796.1

Defence of Female Talents.

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of memory, and combined by the faculty of affeciation, fo the experience increased, and with the experience, the knowledge, the wisdom, every thing that diftin guishes man from what we understand by "clod of the valley*." This, adds our author, is a fimple and incontrover tible hiftory of intellectual being. Allowing this ftatement to be juft, from whence is derived the fanciful diftinction between creatures fimilarly organized, endowed with a like number of fenfes or inlets to perception ?

Affuredly, your correfpondent is won

REMARKS ON A. B.'s STRICTURES derfully generous in granting, that wo

ON THE TALENTS OF WOMEN. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THE petty and unphilofophical conteft reipecting fexual fuperiority, has, in this advanced age of reafon and fcience, become frivolous and uninterefting. Of all exclufive pretenfions, there is none more abfurd and mischievous, in its operation and confequences, than that of mind. That one half of the human fpecies, on a felf-erected throne, fhould prefcribe bounds to, and impofe intellectual fetters on, the other half; and dictate to them to what purpofes they are to apply, and how far they are to be allowed to exercife, their common faculties, is not more intolerable than vain. How long, with fectarian inconfiftency, will man refuse the liberty he claims; how long will he cherish, with narrow policy and fuperftitious veneration, the maxims of tyranny, and the institutions of barbarifm? Thefe idle difputes were entirely fuperfeded, the moment that an enlightened philofophy demonftrated, "That man (including the fpecies, without diftinction of fex) was imply a perceptive being, incapable of receiving know. ledge through any other medium than that of the fenfes that the actions and difpofitions of men are not the offspring of any original bias that they bring into the world, in favour of one fentiment or character rather than another, but flow entirely from the operation of circum@lances, and events acting upon a faculty of receiving fenfible impreffions: that all our knowledge, all our ideas, every thing we poffels as intelligent beings, comes from impreflion. All the minds that exift fet out from abfolute ignorance. They received first one impreffion and then a fecond. As the impreffions became more `numerous, and more ftored by the help

men have a right to the enjoyment of intellectual pleasures"-though this, he feems to imply, is to be fubject to fome limitations. The existence of the right is proved by capacity, and not to be The argument yielded as a favour. upon which the fuperiority of man is grounded, is both novel and curious.

There have certainly been female writers, of very confiderable merit; but no evidence has yet appeared that they poffefs powers equal to thofe of men. We have never yet feen a female Homer, or Virgil, or Bacon, or Newton. Great numbers of women have received a much better education than Shakspeare ever enjoyed; and yet, I believe, we may venture to afk, whether the works of all the female authors who ever exifted, the works of Shakspeare, an uneducated taken collectively, are equal in value to man" Admitting, for the fake of the hypothefis, thefe obfervations to be juft, is the fuperiority of a whole fpecies to be deduced from the example of a few individuals formed by extraordinary circumftances? But we are willing to grant fill more to A. B. and yet deny the con clufion which he has fo fagaciously and triumphantly inferred.

And

We will allow that, upon the aggreof intellectual attainment would, probably, gate, from a fair calculation, the balance be found on the fide of the men. why? Not from any occult and original difference in their conformation, but becaufe the education of women has been uniformly more pervertel, as well as Their neglected, than that of men. general inferiority, then, follows as a confequence from the principles already ftated: nor is it neceffary to refer to retraced, with much greater facility, to mote and myfterious caufes what may be fources obviously exifting and daily ob.

*Godwin's Political Justice.

ferved.

ferved. Many women, it is faid, have been better educated than Shakspeare. This would be difficult to prove, when education is comprehenfively con fidered, as confifting of precept, accident, focial intercourfe, and political inftitution. In all these branches, by which the human character is wholly modified, women fuffer great and peculiar disadvantages. Till it can be demonftrated, that man has a fixth fenfe, or fome method of acquiring, combining, and affociating his ideas, from which nature has precluded woman, thefe arrogant claims must be referred to the fame fource with every other proud and exclufive pretenfion.

In the early ages, and in the infancy of reafon, every appeal was decided, and every difpute fettled, by brute force. Man having, for phyfical purposes, a fmall degree of fuperior bodily ftrength (for the difference, at prefent obfervable, is the fyftematic refult of education and habit) fubjugated woman. As civilization advanced, the flavery of the female was meliorated, and in an exact ratio with rational and philofophical improvement, became lefs and lefs apparent. But, fo intoxicating is the nature of power, endeavours were ftill made to fophifticate and entangle the truths which could no longer be fuppreffed : and woman, beginning fo to feel her own dignity, and to affert the glorious privilege of thinking and reafoning, was to be flattered into the feeble imbecile creature which (excepting a few individuals, whofe number, we perceive with pride and pleafure, is daily and rapidly in creafing) has, in every age, corrupted, degraded, and, in her turn, tyrannized over her oppreffor. Rouffeau, whofe genius and vanity led him to adopt and defend eccentric and erroneous opinions, which he fo well knew how to render alluring by the charms of a captivating cloquence, fet the example, and reared, on fanciful principles, a dazzling and beautiful hypothefis, involving in itfelf contradictions, and demonftrably falfe. Woman herfelf, cajoled by thefe artifices, has, not unfrequently, been induced pertinaciously to contend for "the fentiment that brutalizes her," and to relinguifh the only valuable and noble purpofe of existence, mental and moral`improvement, which are infeparably connected, becaufe fhe is told, in the fauning accents of a defigning courtier "That it would be an unjust monopoly to pretend to be at once the most lovely

and the wifeft part of the human fpecies." Amidft the difadvantages under which women have hitherto laboured, the heroines of antiquity, Semiramis, Zenobia, and Boadicea-the Catherines of the North, and Elizabeth of England; the Lesbian Sappho, the Grecian Hypatia, Madame de Chatelet, the commentator upon Newton; Dacier, the tranflator of Homer; and Macauley, the English hiftorian, with many others, who have rendered their names illuftrious, have afforded proofs of powers and capacities, perhaps, little lefs extraordinary than either thofe of Homer, Newton, or Shakspeare. How have arts, fciences, literature, morals, and happiness been impeded in their progrefs by jealous and paltry contentions for pre-eminence, whether monarchical, ariftocratical, feudal, profeffional, or fexual? When will the mists of prejudice be difpelled by the light of reafon? When will a generous policy take place of partial inftitution? When thall we cease to be difgufted with unmeaning and oftentatious pretenfions to liberality of feutiment; liberality which has hitherto been little more than a name? A WOMAN,

July 2, 1796.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

THE Latinity of a deputy profeffor of

the University of Cambridge, has afforded much amufement to the men of Oxford; and his prolegomena are in great request at their evening potations. The Germans amufe themfelves with laughing at both parties; and the Preface to Brunk's Apollonius afforded a fpecimen of the eftimation in which the claffical literature of Oxford is held upon the continent. They are now attacking the letter of Dr. Hoimes to the Bishop of Durham, on the preparations for the Septuagint verfions; and on correcting a little piece, I must confefs, indeed, of rather bald Latinity, they exclaim, that he writes fo very unlateinisch, so very unclaffically, as may be feen even from the title page, that in many places it is difficult to divine his meaning. The following paffage they cannot venture, they fay, to tranflate "Poftulat res nc. "effleuret in immenfum infinitumque "ut terminis anguftioribus fepta conti

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neatur (variarum lectionum multi"tudo) & ademptum eft, ut poffim "Coacervare quantum aliqui hortaban"tur, quodque exoptabam ipfe com

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1796.]

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Prefent State of French Literature.

"plecti. Mihi itaque depulfo inde quo 66 aggredi volueram dabitur hæc venia ut ad id, quod poterit forfan aufpicatius attentari, delabar:" and they add, that this is the conftant ftyle of the author. Now I can venture to say, that it would not be difficult to produce a variety of fimilar fpecimens of as had Latinity from the German, as the Englifh profeffors; but as thefe mutual reproaches cannot tend to any good purpofe, I rather with to call the attention of your readers to thefe queftions: To what caufe is it owing that the Latinity of the two Universities, as far as we may judge from the language of their fchools, and the publications of their profeffors, has fo much declined from that of Erafmus, Sadolot, and their contemporaries, and is now become harfh, rugged, and barbarous ? Since the art of writing Latin feems to be nearly loft in England, would it not be advife able to give it up in both Universities, that the dignity of the profeffors may not be expofed to the wantonnefs and ridicule, we will not fay of the learned on the continent, but of every fchoul-boy at home? An anfwer to thefe queftion, enforced with proper arguments, will much oblige, your conftant reader,

PROLEGOMENOS.

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abroad.

The labours of men of genius on the continent, have been, in part, fufpended, in confequence of a war, more general and difaftrous than any that has hitherto afflicted Europe, at leaft in modern times. In addition to this, our literary communications with France have been almoft wholly interrupted, during the two laft years, a circumftance which has tended, not a little, to restrict our knowledge of what has been lately achieved by the learned in that country....

To fatisfy prefent curiofity, I have collected a few materials, which I now tranfmit to you, and hall foon fend you a more ample detail, in the form of a cata thogue raisonnée: $

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What follows, I believe, will be novel to the English reader, nothing of this kind having appeared, at prefent, in any of our journals, at least to my knowledge.

Z.

Théorie de la Terre; par Jeane-Claude Lameriberie, 3 vol. 8vo. pr. 36 livres. M. Lamertherie's reputation is fully eftablished in France. He has acted as the editor of the Journal de Phyfique ever fince Mongez accompanied the celebrated, but unfortunate navigator, Lapey rouze, on his voyage of difcovery. He is also author of the work entitled, Manuel du Minéralogifte; of the Traité sur l'Air ; and the Philofophie Naturelle, &c.

In the prefent publication, which chiefly refpects the cofmogony of the earth, he takes a review of all that has ever been faid on this curious, but obfcure fubject. In refpect to the formation of the globe, the Egyptians adopted the fyftem of waters, in which they were followed by the Greeks in general, after the time of Thales. The Bramins, Magi, and the Stoics, on the other hand, attributed the creation to fire, in which they have been fince followed by Defcartes, Leibnitz, and Buffon, among the moderns. These are the bafes on which

all the fyftems of geology have been erected, and it is favour of the first that Lametherie has declared himfelf; it being his decided opinion, that our planet has been produced by cryftallization, through the agency of water (cristallization par l'eau.)

Flora Fribergenfis Specimen, plantas cryptogamicas, &c. Effai fur la Flore de Freyberg concernant pricipalement les plantes Publié par cryptogamiques fouterraines. F. A. de Humbolt; 1 vol. 4to. 149 p. The Germans, fo juftly celebrated for their patience and induftry, have, within the last twenty years, publifhed a variety of curious tracts on moffes, feaweeds, and fubterraneous plants, more 'efpecially thofe of Weifs, Necker, Schreber, Schmiedel, Weber, Hedwig, and Hoffman. Their cryptogamifts are the moft famous of any in Europe.

Humbolt, after vifiting Upper Saxony, and the Black Foreft, here prefents the public with 258 fpecies of lichens and fungi.^«

**Oeuvres de Xenophon, traduites en Francoife, fur les textes imprimées, & fur quatre manuferits de la Bibliothèque, par le Citoyen Gail, profeffeur de literature Grecque au Collège de Francé ;‹11 vol. 8vọ.

The

The first volume only of this work has as yet been published, but from the reception it has experienced, there can be no doubt but the whole will be fpeedily fent to the prefs.

Principes de Mineralogie, par J. P. Vanberchem-Berthout, Chef de la Divifion des Mines, & Henri Stuve, Profeffeur d'Hiftoire Naturelle à Lausanne; 8vo. 200 p. with plates, price, at Paris, 7 livres.

The neceffity of a new idiom, for expreffing the new ideas that arife in the arts and fciences, is felf-evident. Linnæus obtained this for natural hiftory; Lavoifier and Fourcroy attempted the fame, with fuccefs, in botany, and Vicq d'Azyr is following their foot-steps, fo far as refpects anatomy. Werner has given a nomenclature to mineralogy, which has been adopted throughout Germany, and Berthought and Stuve, the difciples of this great mafter, here present the French nation with a fyftematic vocabulary of that language.

Voyage dans la ci-devant Haute & Baffe Auvergne, aujourd' bui Département du Puyde-Done, du Cantal, & Partie de celui de Haute Loire. Par le Citoyen Legrand.

Linnæus was the first to ridicule the folly of diftant voyages into other countries, before the traveller had become acquainted with his own; and he joined example to precept, by vifiting Lapland, Gothland, Oeland, and Scania. (See Iter Oetandicum, Gothlandicum, in Scania, Flora Laponica) The northern governments adopted the hint, and to their exertions

on this occafion we are indebted for the labours of the two Gmelins, Steller, Pallas, Lepechin, Gueldenftaedt, Georgi, Falck, Rytfchkoff, the two Fabricius, &c. Legrand has difcovered a red argillaceous earth, in Auvergne, admirably adapted for the pottery, and of fo fine a grain, as to rival the Etrufcan vases of antiquity.

At a little place, called la Voulte, a rich mine of iron ore has been lately explored; and a curious defcription is here given of the mineral pitch with which the country near Clermont abounds, and whence it receives its name of Puy de la Pege (Puy de la Poiz). The author laments that foreigners fhould profit by the indolence of the French, and ftares that the Auftrians carry away mufket-flints from Berry, and that the Dutch import pipe-clay, wood, and dye-ftuffs, from the department of the Lower Seine, which they afterwards fell, in a manufactured Aate, to the natives We learn also, that 4

the Spaniards, before the prefent war, were accustomed to repair yearly to Auvergne, in order to search for amethyfts.

Legrand is the author of "Des Fa bliaux," and "De la Vie privée des François."

Voyage Pittorefque, & Navigation exécutée fur une Partie du Rhône. Par T. C. G. Boiffel; 4to. 15 plates.

This work contains a project for rendering the Rhône navigable, from the Lake of Geneva to the fea. The prefent journey was undertaken at the expence of an individual, whofe difinterefted labours have acquired him the notice of the French legislature.

L'Art Défenfif fupérieur à l'Offenfif par Marc-Rene Montalembert, ancien Officier-général; 10 vol. 4to.

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This work, which is intended as Military Encyclopedia, contains a prodigious number of plans and papers adapted to the ufe of the military engineer. General Montalambert oppofes the fyftem of bastions, which, according to him, is the caufe why fortified places make fo little refiftance. Could he but realize the project of rendering the art of defence fuperior to that of attack, there would be an end of all offenfive operations; invafions would ceafe, and we should behold the fcheme of the benevolent Abbé de St. Pierre, in a great measure realized!

Volney, the celebrated author of Les Ruines, has published:

1. Questions d'Economie Politique, par le Citoyen Volney, Profeffeur à l'Ecole Normale, &c.

2. Analyze du Cours d'Hiftoire; and,

3. A Work for facilitating the Knowledge of Eaftern Literature.

The members of the commiffion of arts and fciences, with the army of the Sambre and Meufe, have favoured the public with a detailed account of the books, cabinets of curiofities, antiquities, and alle the names of the curious plants, they have put in requifition in the conquered countries.

Lacepede, the pupil of Buffon, has printed the introduction to the course of Ichthyology, delivered by him in the gallery of the Mufeum of Natural History.

The Commiffary Hetitier has fent the following fimple receipt for preferving potatoes throughout the whole year, to the Lyceum :

A proper veffel being placed on the fire,

1796.]

Prefent State of French Literature.

fire, when the water boils, dip in an ofier basket, or cabbage-net, full of potatoes. After being completely immerfed during four feconds, withdraw the basket, or net, and renew the operation with the remainder of the potatoes, taking care to keep the water boiling as before. The potatoes are then to be placed on boards, and exposed to the fun, and a current of air, in order to dry them as quickly as poffible. After this, "they are to be re. moved to a garret, or any other apart Iment, where they are to be kept dry, and turned frequently.

The French literati lament exceedingly, that many of, the MSS. of Greffer, author of Ververt, Le Parrain Magnifique, and Le Gazetin, fhould have been loft, or miflaid. One of his admirers recollects, and has published four lines of 'Ouvroir, in which the author thus defcribes the occupations of the religieufes: "L'une découpe un agnus en lofange "Ou met du rouge à quelque bienheureux; "L'autre bichonne une vierge aux yeux bleus, "Ou paffe au fer le toupet d'un Archange."

The MS. of this fatire was fent to the great king of Pruffia, and as his, prefent majefty is fuppofed to prefer gold to literature, there are hopes of its

recovery.

In the mean time, a new edition of his works has been published.

Hiftoire de la Conjuration de Louis-Philippe- Jofeph D'Orléans, 3 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1796; imported by De Boffe. This contains a developement of the Orleans confpiracy, as it is termed, and exhibits the deep-laid plots of that nobleman, to to attain the crown.

The French, amidst the horrors of war, do not forget the cultivation of their language. The Port-Royal Grammar, and thofe publifhed by Duclos, Girard, and Dumarfais, poffeffed confiderable reputation; but the Nouvelle Grammaire Raifonnée, bids fair to eclipfe them all.

The chapter on Synonimes, and thofe on French verfe and profody, are written by Guinguené, and executed with his accuftomed precifion. Laharpe and Suard, both of them men of talents, have

alfo contributed their labours. Panckoucke, fo celebrated as the publisher of the Encyclopédie, is the editor.

Citizen Cottereau has lately read a paper before the Lyceum of Arts, in Paris, in which he points out the means of rivalling the English in the manufacture of crayons, a branch of induftry in which the fine arts are immediately

interested.

MONTHLY MAG, No. VI.

473

C. Cardinet, at the fame time, prefented a threshing machine, by means of which, one man can do as much work as fix with the common fail.

Holland, which is not fuppofed to facrifice frequently to the graces, has lately produced a tranilation of one of the most elegant poets of the Auguftan age, into the vernacular tongue. Ovid's Art of Love, in Low-Dutch, muft, of course, be a treat to the critics! The title, which does not promife much melody, is as follows: Ovid's Kunft zu Lieben, in der rich Karl van Strombek. verfart der Originals ueberfezt van Fride

Jerome Lalande, the celebrated aftronomer, has published,

1. An Eloge on the late M. Bailly, one of the moft learned aftronomers of our times.

2. The Hiftory of Aftronomy for 1794 and 1795.

3. An Account of the Voyage of Difcovery, undertaken by the unfortunate Entrecafteau.

And, 4. A Memoir refpecting the Cold of the Winter, 1794-5.

Darcet, Lelievre, and Pelletier, three chymifts, have published an Effay on the Fabrication of Soap, in which they point out a mode of fimplifying the procefs, &c.

G. Cuvier, the entomologift, has enriched Natural Hiftory with the defcription of two curious infects, hitherto unnoticed. 1. Afilus Mantiformis (L'afile Mante) and, 2. Phalangium 4-dentatum (Le Faucheur à 4 Dentelures.)

Of Condorcet's pofthumous work, entitled, Efque d'un Tableau Hißorique des Progrès de l'Elprit Humain. Three throughout France at the public exthoufand copies have been diftributed

pence..

A new tranflation of Efchylus, by Laporte du Thiel, is in the prefs; indeed, the two firft volumes have been published.

Citizen Brulé has printed fome Hints, relative to the Cochineal Fly, which he wishes to render indigenous to St. Domingo.

M. M. Leblond and Wailly have completed the object of their million into Belgium. They have brought home 5000 volumes from the library of the university of Louvain, the buft of Juftus Lipfius, from the church belonging to the Francifcans, and a curious petrefaction, from the gate of St. Peter, at Maeftricht.

M. Macé has published a letter to
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