Rifleffioni, &c. i. e. Reflexions concerning the Inequality obfervable among Men. By the Marquis F. A. GRIMALDI. 3 vols. 8vo. Naples.-These reflexions contain interefting materials for a history of man, whofe inequalities on diffimilar afpects this noble author confiders with refpect to his phyfical, moral, and civil ftate. He has been carefully on his guard against the illufion of fancy and fyftematic prejudices in this philofophical tablature of human nature, which difcovers no common degree of fagacity, judgment and learning. Le SAROS Meteorologique, ou Efai d'un nouveau Cycle pour le retour des Saifons. i. e. The Meteorological SAROS, or an Effay concerning a new Cycle of Seafons. By the Abbé TOALDO, Profeffor of Aftronomy at Padua. 15 pages 4to. This very learned aftronomer, in the fecond edition of his meteorological effay on the influence of the heavenly bodies, mentioned a curious discovery he had made of a period in the return of the feafons, or a feries, at the end of which the fame temperature of seasons returns in regular revolutions. The illuftration and proofs of this difcovery are contained in the fhort Memoir before us. Saros is the denomination of a period, among the ancients, of which the real duration is unknown, but which fome authors fuppofe to have been the period of eighteen years, mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy, which brings back the eclipfes and inequalities of the moon in the fame order, and was formerly employed to predict eclipfes. The Abbé TOALDO has found this period as important for the fcience of meteorology, as for that of aftronomy, as it has appeared to him to bring back, nearly in the fame order, dry and rainy, cold and warm years. This he proves by a table of obfervations, made from the year 1725 to 1781. The refemblance of the three periods, contained in this space of time is remarkable. In the period, for example, between 1743 and 1760, there are 68 lunations or months marked as very moift, and in the fucceeding period, from 1761 to 1778, there is exactly the fame number of months marked in the fame way. There are, indeed, fomewhat fewer lunations fo marked in the firft of the three periods contained in this table, and this might bring up to the remembrance of an objector the old proverb, that two fwallows de not make a fummer; our Abbé, however, tells us, that the first faros or period refembles the two others, notwithstanding this Imall difference. The months that are marked as moderately moift, correfpond nearly with each other in the three periods. Of 90 lunations taken from each period there are more than 30 that agree perfectly in all the three. Our Author has more than once obferved, that a ftorm, or a violent guft of wind has been re peated peated at the end of 18 years and 11 days, which is the exact duration of the aftronomical period: but, generally speaking, it is in the duration of a lunar month, fometimes of the preceding or fucceeding lunation, that the refemblance is the most palpable. The fares may be confulted, not only for rains, but also for falls of fnow, thunder-ftorms, fogs and inundations.This he fhews by feveral examples. It is true, the obfervations of this eminent inveftigator of nature have been confined to the climate of Padua; but furely, it is a confiderable ftep made, to have difcovered even here the meteorogical cycle or period, which is the object of this Memoir.The period may perhaps exhibit fewer examples of correspondence and regularity in northern countries, as incidental caufes that affect the temperature of the feafons, fuch as thunderftorms, are more diverfified and irregular in thefe countries than in fouthern climates. However, obfervers in all countries, will, no doubt, be engaged by the example of M. TOALDO, to examine how far this lunar period of the feasons is verified in their respective climates. Iftoria Politica e Litteraria della Grecia, &c. i. e. A Political and Literary Hiftory of Greece. By CHARLES DENINA. Profeffor of Eloquence in the Royal Univerfity of Turin, Director of the Claffes of Hiftory and Belles Lettres in the Royal Academy, &c. Vol. I. and II. 8vo. 1781.-The learning and taste of the Abbé DENINA are well known, and his Revolutions of Italy have given him a high and deserved reputation. Much inftruction and entertainment may therefore be expected from this important work, of which we have here only the two firft volumes. The whole is to be comprifed in eight volumes. The History of Greece, in a State of Liberty, treated in 15 books, will occupy the firft four, which take in the most remote period of Grecian story, and carry the work down to the death of Philip of Macedon, 344 years before the Christian æra. The four last volumes will contain the History of Greece under the Kings of Macedon, which takes in a period of 190 years, from the reign of Philip to the reduction of Macedonia into a Roman province, 140 years before Christ. The two first volumes go fo far down as the year 428 before Chrift, and contain eight books. In the two first, the Author treats of the fabulous and heroic period of the Grecian hiftory, down to the era of the Olympiads, where it approaches to the borders of truth, or at least of credibility. Here both his erudition and his critical touch are put to the trial, and appear to advantage; and the ufe he fometimes makes of allegory, and fometimes of hiftorical probability, to illuftrate an enormous accumulation of fables, is chaste and judicious. Nn3 More More especially, his account of the manners and customs of the Greeks, in thefe rude and early ages, difplays a very extenfive acquaintance with ancient learning and philofophy; and the detail into which he enters in deferibing the food, raiment, and domestic life of this famous people, their civil and political fyftem, their religion and morals, their progrefs in literature and military feience, is curious and entertaining. The legiflation of Lycurgus, the Spartan commonwealth, the general progrefs of policy and miJitary difcipline in the ftates of Greece, the establishment of Grecian colonies in Afia Minor, Thrace, Italy, and other places, the rife of their commerce with the Egyptians and Afiatics, the effects of popular infurrections and commotions towards the advancement of tyranny, are amply treated in the third book, which concludes with the hiftory of the firft age of the Grecian philofophy, and particularly of Thales and the feven fages. Athens and Solon difplay their luftre in the fourth book, which begins with an effay on the progrefs of Grecian literature at this period. Here the fatirical, dramatic, and lyric poets, as alfo the philofophers, pafs in review. In this book, the energy which the Grecian ftates had derived from the legislation of Lycurgus and Solon, and which enabled them to make a stand against the Perfian monarchy, rendered formidable by its conquefts in Afia and Egypt, is well reprefented in its caufes and effects, and all the illuftrious characters and events that adorn and enliven this great and fhining period of hiftory, are accurately exhibited to our view. The fecond volume and fifth book begin with a general view of the origin and grandeur of the Perfian monarchy. The whole of this book is taken up in relating the first and fecond Perfian wars, and concludes with the famous battle of Salamis. The other events of this war are related in the fixth book, which brings us to the end of the adminiftration of Pericles. Here we fee Greece at the fummit of tafte, magnificence and power, enriched with ftatefmen, generals, philofophers, orators, hiftorians, poets and artifts, that raifed her reputation to the highest pitch. This view of Grecian tafte and learning is exhibited in an ample and brilliant reprefentation in the seventh book, and forms an agreeable refting place for the reader between the Perfian war and the famous and fatal war of Peloponnefus, which was the ruin of Greece. It is in this book that the Abbé DENINA peculiarly displays his tafte for the fine arts that embellifhed this noble period of Grecian profperity, and fhews his extenfive acquaintance with the literature and philofophy of the ancients. The eighth book, which terminates this fecond volume, relates the principal events of the Pelo ponnefian war, and will naturally excite the impatience of the reader reader for the publication of the fucceeding books. We gave, BRITISH PUBLICATION S. ART. XII. Letters on Political Liberty Addreffed to a Member of the English House of Commons, on his being chofen into the Committee of an Affociating County. 8vo. Is. 6d. Evans. 1782. WE E have here fomething new, though the fubject is old, and we believe from a new Author in the political line; and one who we think promifes fair to go beyond most of his cotemporaries as a theorift. Nay, we do not recollect to have obferved, fince Montefquieu, a pen that bids fairer to advance the great and important fcience of politics, fome few steps at leaft. May it not be hoped, now, on fome appearance of a revival of public virtue, that many more will step forth and exert themfelves, who would never have been known but for the late changes of men and measures, and who would have died in obfcurity, defpairing of their country? And if this nation be not too far gone in the decline to recover, we hope fuch men may produce great and good effects, and may draw the attention and exertions of the public to the very interefting fubject of these letters. Our Author, inviting me.. of knowledge to treat Politics as a science, obferves, That government has been referred to the appointment of the deity; to the regulations of patriarchs; to the phyfical influence of climates; to the ebullition of accidental circumftances producing the fpirit of a nation; to a divine right in certain favoured families; to fuperiority of talents; to the prevalence of force; to inherent rights; to a compact, &c. If Government be referable to any of these causes, it may be to all. Politics, affuming the rank of fcience, would not be left, as it is, to men of bufinefs, whofe active faculties may be as aftonifhing as their powers of reflection are inconfiderable. At this time the greatest man in every state, except China, are only paffengers in veffels conducted by ignorant mariners, and applying themselves to every thing but the science on which their fafety depends: When the veffels are loft, philofophers are Nn 4 funk + said to be written by David Williams. funk in the abyfs in common with the vermin which infefted them. The first concern of every man should be the nature and construction of the machine in which he is embarked on the voyage of life.' He establishes and preferves the diftinction hitherto not fufficiently attended between civil and political liberty; the firft being the refult of laws and regulations which define the boundaries of men's actions as citizens of the fame community, and leave them free within thofe boundaries. Political liberty has a reference merely to the grand divifions of the ftate, the popular, the executive, and legiflative, and confifts in their freedom from the incroachments of each other. Thus, a community has no political liberty, whofe executive power influences or commands the legislative, and where the people have no regular and practicable method of checking or controuling all the powers of government, when they tranfgrefs their proper boundaries. At the Revolution, and fince the acceffion of the Hanover family, our civil liberties have been improved, while political liberty has been almost annihilated.-But when he fays, our conftitution presents to the view of the world one of the moft awkward and unmanageable fabrics which has ever been produced by human folly," we hope he rather exaggerates, and that as this country affords yet greater fecurity, and more numerous incentives to induftry and exertion than any other we know, we hope its conftitution may yet contain the feeds of political liberty; and whatever obftacles lie in the way, it is one of the moft improveable of the remaining Gothic conftitutions, if the people can be made willing to reftore and improve it. He obferves, that the offices of all the members of any body or fociety are diftinct, and cannot encroach on each other without inconvenience and mifchief: and power, without a refifting and balancing power, is always hurtful. A legiflation and magiftracy, without an actual power in the people to preserve their political liberty, are abfurdities, or they are mafques for the features of defpotism. A well-conftituted ftate with perfectly feparate bodies to make laws, to execute them, and to confine all within their proper limits, is perhaps a fcientific idea; but philofophers, like our Author, do well to hold it up. The pretended difference between theory and practice has ever been the expedient of knaves and blockheads. That particular men may be averfe to reformation, is accounted for in a masterly, though fatirical manner. He obferves, that in the time of the Saxons the ftate enjoyed a high degree of political liberty, of which he gives a fhort and elegant hiftory-and that a new conftitution was formed at the Revolution, |