Haller, on the formation of chickens in the egg: deducing fuch confequences from them as ferve to confirm his own theory, and comparing them with the experiments of Harvey; as made ufe of by Mr. Maupertuis, in his Venus Phyfique.

Chapter the tenth contains remarks on the metamorphofes of infects, and the mechanifm of their growth.

In the eleventh, he fhews that the obfervation made on the formation of chickens effectually deftroys the above-mentioned fyftem of organical elements.

In the twelfth chapter, we have feveral reflections on the difcovery of the Polypus, with obfervations on the scale of Beings: together with an account of fome uncommon facts relating to vegetables, and the analogy between trees and the bones of animals.

In this part of the work, our Author makes two quotations, from Mr. Formey and Profeffor Koenig; the one tending to fhew, that the propagation of infects by dividing them, was known to St. Auguftin, and even fo long ago as the times of Ariftotle; the other intimating that the difcovery of the Polypus was foretold by Leibnitz, as a neceffary link in the chain uniting the animal and vegetable creation.

In the fecond volume, the Author goes on to particularife feve ral extraordinary facts, regarding the propagation of infects, by flips and grafts; making his obfervations on the reproduction of earth-worms, water-infects, and on the regeneration of the claws of Lobfters. In the third chapter of this volume, he goes out of his way, as a naturalist, to enter into a metaphyfical difcuffion about the feat of the foul, in the Polypus, and of the divifion of it, by longitudinally dividing the head. The perfonality, or the Moi, as the French call it, is attached, according to Mr. Bonnet, to the head of this ftrange Being: but we should have imagined that the Author of the Effai Analytique fur le Facultés de l'Ame, might have reafoned more accurately on fuch a fubject. "The difcovery, fays he, of the origin of the Nerves, hath given us fufficient reafon for placing the feat of the foul in the brain. It is not neceflary to fay it refides there in the manner of a body; as it is not a body; but it is prefent there in the manner of a fimple substance. If I am asked to define that prefence; I profefs myself to be totally ignorant of the internal nature of the foul, that I know little of it, and that only from some of its faculties." Now, might we not ask Mr. Bonnet here, whether he is certain that the Polypus hath a nervous. fyftem and a brain? and, fuppofing he is, what can he mean by a thing refiding in the brain, yet not as a body, but a fimple fubftance? It is prefent, and yet he does not know what that prefence

prefence is. How then does he know it is prefent? By its facul ties, fays he. But why may not thefe faculties belong to the very brain he is fpeaking of? Why muft he feek an imaginary fubftratum, when there is a real one? Oh! but, fays he, these faculties cannot be the mechanical effect of the modification of the animal. Why not? Mr. Bonnet. That is what remains to be proved. As a naturalift, you had nothing more to do than to attend to the motions and other phenomena of this infect; and if you could not account for them, to leave that talk for others; but, to furnish it with a foul, exifting and refiding you know not how, is all metaphyfical trumpery. But to follow our Author a little farther. "I fuppofe, therefore, that a foul exifts in the head of a Polypus; and that this foul hath fenfations which it derives from the organs, with which the infect is furnished. I conceive farther that it hath a fentiment of the prefence of these fenfations; for a foul cannot have any fenfation, without perceiving at the fame time that it hath fuch fenfation. Not that I pretend to fay what this fentiment is ; because my foul is not fo made as to feel in the fame manner as that of the Polypus: but I can easily fee, that it is not precifely the fame thing as we call confcioufnefs: Confciousness fuppofing always fome degree of reflection; and we do not attribute reflection to an infect." And yet, we think, he might full as well impute reflection to this infect as furnish it with a foul; unless he will agree to give a foul to every tree and plant like wife. For according to his own fcale, it is next to impoffible to diftinguish between the vegetable that has no foul, and the Polype that hath one; or between the infect that cannot reflect and the animal that can. In fhort, the personality even of an human Being is a point too disputable for us, to think of fettling that of a Polypus.

In the fourth and fifth chapters, Mr. Bonnet confiders the vaft diverfity obfervable in the fructification and generation of plants and animals; and in the fixth, makes feveral objections to the conclufions drawn from the microfcopical difcoveries of Mr. Needham. The feventh and eighth, which conclude the work, contain farther confiderations on the fecundity and generation of animals, with fome farther ftrictures on the formation and propagation of monsters.

On the whole, the curious Naturalift will find ample matter for inftruction and entertainment, in this performance; almost every thing that hath been advanced by the beft Writers being collected and digested in fuch a manner as to clucidate the fubject in question. He will do well, however, to be cautious of being mifled, by the inferences fometimes drawn from confirmed facts; and above all not to look upon difficulties as removes,

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moved, where only one unintelligible term is fubftituted for another. Thus, our Author tell us, after his favourite phyfiologift, the celebrated Haller, that "the phyfical caufe of the motion of the heart is its irritability;" and that the feminal fluid is a fort of ftimulant, which irritates the heart of the embrio, and impreffes on it a degree of force, which it could no otherwise receive." But what do we learn by all this? while the mode of irritability, and the action of the ftimulus, are unknown; we are as much in the dark as ever. For, after all, there can be no fatisfactory explication of any phenomenon in nature, that is not mechanically deduced from known and intelligible physical principles.

However plaufible and ingenious, therefore, may be the hypotheses of Physiologists in regard to the mystery of generation, they are at belt but mere hypotheses: a number of interefting discoveries remaining firft to be made, ere that important fecret is drawn from the bofom of Nature.

Hiftoire du Siecle d' Alexandre, avec quelques Reflexions fur ceux qui l'ont precedé.. 12mo, Amfterdam, 1762. Or, The History of the Age of Alexander, with fome Reflections on the preceding Ages.

IT

T is difficult to fay whether Truth fuffers most from our paffion for novelty, or from our prejudices in favour of antiquity; certain it is, that an Hiftorian runs fome danger from both. A fondness for fingularity may lead him into real, as well as apparent, paradoxes; and an implicit regard to authority, may betray him into the propagation of palpable falfehoods. There is fomething, however, to becoming a man of genius, in his daring to think for himself, that we cannot help applauding the Writer, who lays claim to this privilege, however mistaken he may fometimes happen to be, in deviating from the beaten track of his predeceffors. It is in this point of view, we look upon the ingenious and fprightly Author of the prefent Hiftory; whofe youth might, nevertheless, be held a fufficient plea against much greater objections, than any of those which we could be induced to make against the first effay of fo agree.. able and entertaining a Writer.

In his Introduction, he fets out with obferving the too high esteem in which the memory of Conquerors is held, in general; an observation which, if not altogether new, is an instance, among many others, of this Writer's juft eftimation of human actions and opinions. If mankind, fays he, were without prejudices,

"If

prejudices, they would be able to form a much better notion of the eulogiums which the world beftows on its Conquerors. They would difcover in them nothing, but the feductive language of weakness, fecking to difarm Cruelty. They would annex no idea of glory to that title, which fome Kings unhappily conceive to be effential to their greatness. Hiftory would avenge mankind a little on their Heroes: it would make no great difference between them and thofe monifers denominated Tyrants, who are juftly become the objects of horror and contempt to pofterity. This way of thinking would be agreeable alfo both to nature and reafon: for, I believe, there never was a Tyrant on earth, whose vicious caprices were more fatal to humanity than the military valour of an Alexander or a Cæfar. The determinate and tranquil cruelty of a Tiberius, a Nero, and a Domitian, deprived Rome only of a few citizens, in a great number of years; whereas a fingle battle, like that of Arbella and Pharfalia, coft the world many thoufands of men, and depopulated whole countries.

"Some Hiftorians have lavifhed encomiums on Cæfar, for having deftroyed a million of human Beings, in his battles. But if it be really true, that he did fo, never had mankind fo merciless an enemy. Caligula, Commodus, and Heliogabulus, were, in the comparison, fo many prodigies of clemency and goodness. Again, if reafon judges fo feverely of Cæfar, the leaft cruel of all Conquerors, what will it fay of thofe He-` roes who are celebrated only by the evils they have occafioned, and whofe glory is founded folely on the deftruction of mankind? And yet, ftrange as it is, we take a delight, in general, to read their hiftory; and we hear the relation of their exploits without horror. We are accustomed, from our education, not to look upon Generals, as refponfible for the deftruction of thoic who are killed in battle. As we do not fee them distinctly af faffinate the unhappy victims who fall a facrifice to their orders; and as they themselves run fome rifque, and are expofed to the fame dangers as their enemics, we are eafily induced to forgive them the murders which they feem to commit in their own defence whereas we are moved with indignation at the cowardice of thofe princely ruffians who repofe fecurely in their pa laces, and without hazard to themfelves, iffue their cruel commands. It is very probable, therefore, that Conquerors will always be invefted with popular reputation; for, while they are, diftinguished by great and heroic qualities, the fplendour of them will prevent either their contemporaries or pofterity, from opening their eyes to the defolation they occafion."

Destructive alfo as Wars and Warriors have actually provel to mankind, our fenfible Hiftorian is not inattentive to the com❤ ΑΡΡΕΝ, penfation

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penfation that frequently attends their greatest exceffes;" political, like phyfical evils, either working their own cure, or being productive of fome equivalent good. Thus, "It must be confeffed, continues he, that the great exploits of victorious Generals, dreadful and fanguinary as they are in themselves, are often productive of advantageous revolutions in fociety. The tumult of war awakens the fluggard fpirits that have been plunged in indolence, by too long a peace; the communication and mixture of different nations, render both more refined and induftrious; the opulence of the Conquerors elevates their ideas, and excites them to gratify new wants, and ftrike out new refources: one or the other of thefe is generally the confequence; at least this is certain, that there never appears fo many great men of every kind, as immediately after thofe violent crifes, which disturb or prove the deftruction of empires. It feems as if the arts and feiences were a compenfation for the evils of war, a falutary remedy which nature provides against depopulation. Thefe are the flowers of the fpring that fucceed to the icicles of winter. Thefe were the confolation of Rome, under Auguftus, for all the horrors of civil war and profcription. These obliterated in France the fury of the League, and repaired the diforders it occafioned. It was the cultivation of the arts and sciences which calmed the fermentation that brought a King of England to the fcaffold; and this it is which preferves that turbulent ifland in repofe to this day. It is thefe that dry up the tears of humanity, and heal the wounds which are caufed by fanaticifm and ambition."

"It is in this point of view, proceeds our Author, that I regard the age of Alexander. His very name ftill excites our admiration, and is hardly to be pronounced without refpect. Princes efteem it an honour to be compared to him; and this honour is often the greatest recompence to thofe ambitious minds, whofe higheft glory is to deftroy their fellow-creatures. These do not reflect, however, that had Alexander contented himself with the mere deftruation of the human fpecies; if he had not compenfated, by actions truly laudable, for the mifchiefs of that fanguinary heroifm which laid fo many provinces waste; his name had never merited a greater eulogium than those of a Tamerlane and an Attila. He would have merited only, that his reign fhould have been remembered, as a calamity which changed the face of things for a time, over a confiderable part of the earth. Happily, however, fuch is not the idea we should entertain of that memorable æra; which we regard as a fixed point in the study of antiquity, whereat we fhould begin to trace the progrefs of the human mind."

Our young Hiftorian explains himself particularly on this

head;