4

fide of it is the mint, the chancellery, and the treafury. The arfenal is well furnished: in two long rooms are about 400 brafs cannon, from four to fixteen pounders, newly cast; and fmall arms for 60,000 men; abundance of ancient armour, and weapons used before the invention of fire-arms. The public granary is always amply provided: under it is the corn-market; and by the fide of it a platform planted with lime-trees, making a handfome walk. Near this is the new manege. The city and environs are ornamented daily with new buildings and walks.

The trade of Berne is very trifling: what little business and manufacture there is here, is carried on by fuch only as have no hopes of attaining to public offices: thefe and the army are the refources of all the young gentlemen of family. There is an œconomical Society at Berne, which purfues its objects with zeal, but without any fupport from government.

M. Sprungli has a cabinet, a little way out of town, confifting of a good collection of foffils, and the far greater part of the birds of Swifferland; among which is the lammergeyer, or great vulture of the Alps, fuppofed to be the fame with the condor of America. The fpecies of Swifs birds are about 250, and M. Sprungli poffeffes 230 of them. M. Wyttenbach, paltor of the great hofpital, has also a growing cabinet, and the poffeffor is full of information.

• The canton of Berne holds the fecond rank. In power and extent it is the firft, for it comprehends about a third of Swifferland; and its population is a fourth of the whole. It is fixty leagues in length; and the inhabitants are 350,000, befides 11,000 in the capital.'

The author confines himself to neceffary information; and refers the more inquifitive reader to Mr. Cox, M. Saufsure, M. de Luc, and the Dictionaire de la Suiffe. The account of the Glaciers is very short; but it is clear and picturesque.

The Gentleman's Guide in his Tour through Italy. With a Correct Map, and Directions for Travelling in that Country. 12mo. 45. 6d. half-bound. Kearsley.

This is the work of the fame author to whom we are indebted for the Tour through Swifferland, and it is executed in the fame manner. As the journey is more extenfive; as it comprehends a greater variety of objects, and the affiftances required are more numerous, the Gentleman's Guide' is a more bulky volume than the Tour:' but it is not filled with useless materials. The money current in each state, its value, the means of procuring bills of exchange, the distance of towns, and the face or appearance of the country through which the traveller muft pafs, befides the ufual obfervations, are detailed with fufficient minutenefs, and great accuracy. The author has collected his materials from perfonal obfervation, and the best inftructors. As, in the former article, we have given a fpecimen

of

of his manner, in this, we fhall felect a paffage from one of his affitants. He fpeaks in terms of great approbation of the notes with the fignature of K. The annotator really joins extenfive information with the pureft claffical tafte, and, in every respect, deserves our commendation. One of his notes we shall tranfcribe. In the Sala di Balia,' it is faid, the life of pope Alexander III. is painted in fresco by old masters :' in the margin we find the following obfervations.

The life of Alexander III. is extremely curious. It confifts of fixteen pieces, four large and twelve fmaller, arched at top they are valuable, not only as fpecimens of the ftyle of painting in Italy at a very early period, but becaufe they give us the arms, weapons, fhips, manner of fighting, and in fhort the whole coftume of the age in which they were painted, more completely than they would be obtained from any thing else now exifting in the world. It is not well made out who was the author of thefe pictures from their ftyle he was evidently of the school of Giotto. They are painted in chiaro-ofcuro (if I miftake not), in imitation of relievos, and perhaps may be the "ftoria di verde terra,' which Vafari says Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted in this palace, though he fpeaks of eight only, and here are fixteen. Pecci fays, I know not upon what authority, that they were begun by Martino di Bartolomeo da Siena, and finifhed afterwards by Spinello di Luca and his fons, painters of Arezzo, in 1407.-I never heard of this Martino.'

It is needless to add, that this Gentleman's Guide is an useful and entertaining little work.

The Gentleman's Guide in his Tour through Frances With a correct Map of all the Poft-Reads, the Expence of travelling in a PeftChaife, Stage Coach, or inland Water Carriage. Also, the Difances of the Towns, and the brft Houfts of Accommodation. The Ninth Edition, with confiderable Additions. 12mo. 35. 6d. Kearsley.

As this is not a new work, it is fufficient to announce this new and improved edition. It is now a convenient appendage to the Gentleman's Guide through Italy, and the Tour through Switzerland; but its peculiar advantages must be detailed in the editor's own words.

The publisher is indebted to the author of the Gentleman's Guide through Italy, for the confiderable additions and improvements made to this edition. He has alfo done him the favour to draw up the Sketch of a Tour through Swifferland, now firft inferted at the end of this volume. The articles relating to Italy, which were in the former edition, are now omitted here, because the traveller may receive full information on thofe fubjects, in the Gentleman's Guide through Italy, lately published.'

A Sup

A Supplement to the Tour through Great Britain, containing a Catalogue of Antiquities, Houfes, Parks, Plantations, Scenes, and Situations in England and Wales. By the late Mr. Gray. Small 8vo. 25. Kearsley.

This is an useful little work, as it points out, in a concife manner, fome of the most remarkable objects in the different counties of Great Britain.

The Complete Inftructor of Short-Hand. By W. I. Blanchard. 4to. Il. 15. Sold by the Author.

Mr. Blanchard's character, as a fhort-hand writer, gives au thority to his rules. On examining his alphabet, however, we thought it deficient, because to make many of the letters requires taking the pen from the paper, which takes up much time; but this error is corrected by his judicious abreviations, and his very neat method of uniting the letters. With a very rapid pen, and the advantage of much experience, we could never fucceed, in a different alphabet fo completely as he feems to have done; and we muft, therefore, recommend his method to every ftudent of this ufeful art. The words are eafily formed: the appearance of the writing is neat, and the language may be read with fufficient eafe. After a fecond reading, we could follow him with fome readiness.

Select Paffages from various Authors. 12mo. 35. Richardfon. This mifcellany is formed with judgment and tafte: de corum, a fcrupulous decorum, drew the line through many pleafing authors: biography led to a field too extenfive; and travel-writers were too diffufe. Some authors are omitted, because they are easily found in every library; and, from others, there are few extracts, as they would lead probably to scientific or abftrufe refearches. Many remain, ftrictly moral, and highly pleafing; from thefe, both in French and English, the lady has

collected the most beautiful.

If we allow the full force of the motives which induced the compiler to avoid every thing that, under the mafk of pleafing, might be injurious; yet, in forming the library for instruction, Her lift of authors is very inher fcruples are carried too far. complete; and this is more to be regretted, fince the mischief is, from the numerous fources conftantly open, unavoidable. It would have been more politic to have ftrengthened the mind, and corrected the judgment; to have enabled it to apply the proper antidote, than to attempt to oppofe the baleful influence which must continually hover round the youthful mind. Memoirs of Mrs. Sophia Baddeley, late of Drury-lane Theatre. By Mrs. Elizabeth Steele. 6 Vols. 12mo. 185. Jewed. The Memoirs of Mrs. Bellamy probably furnished Mrs. Steele with the defign and the plan: they ought to have fug

gefted

gefted fomething more; a little connection, fome decorum, and confiftency. Thefe are the Memoirs of a frail fair one, communicated by her friend and companion. Characters are unfeelingly wounded, and the peace of families wantonly sported with: we can add no better reafon for the contempt with which we must treat this publication.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The American Letter is received; and, though we cannot help remarking a little difference between the fentiments which it contains, and thofe in the Dedication to Mr. Washington, yet we are pleased in reflecting that, as the author tells us, the time may yet come when our interefts and affections will be as clofely united as ever.' We need not add that, in our account of his work, we must not be influenced either by the Letter or the Dedication.

WE are much obliged by the observations of Rufticus, and fhall always confider fuch candid communications with peculiar refpect. We are not unacquainted with the late Mr. Pierce of Exeter's character, and willingly fubfcribe to our correfpondent's opinion of his abilities. The paffages which Rufticus has quoted are candid and difpaffionate; yet there were moments when he did not difplay fo much moderation. Bishop Sherlock feemed to have been irritated" in the contest; and, if Rufticus will again examine the whole controverty, he will not probably be at a loss for the caufe. By the term fanatical,' we did not mean to convey any cenfure on Mr. Pierce's character, which, in general, was a respectable one.

THE experiment mentioned by M. Des Carrieres we have repeatedly tried; and, in pronouncing the liquid ille, after the example of the best masters, and with a native of Paris, we do not perceive that the tongue is preffed against the under teeth, or that the cheeks are fawollen. We are forry that we cannot avail ourselves of his obliging offer, The errata were omitted by an accident; but we think they will be fufficiently obvious. On the neceffity of a teacher, we are of the fame opinion; and we may now observe, that we think his diftinction between the English and French nafal founds very judicious. When we recommended his work in general, we did not fay that we had pointed out every thing useful in it.

The length of this gentleman's letter alone prevents us from inferting it.

WHEN we refumed the controversy, occafioned by Dr. Priestley's Corruptions, our opinions were, in fome degree, altered; and we thought it better to give an entire and confiftent view of the whole, though one of the works had been already noticed. The books, mentioned by Scrutator, shall be enquired after.

WE muft repeat our thanks to the gentleman who ftylés himself No Critic.'

ABEILLARD and Heloifa, hiftory Annual novellist, the,