Page images
PDF
EPUB

Le Partifan; ou L'Art de faire la Pettite-Guerre avec fuccés, felon le Genie de nos fours. Detaillé fur des Plans propres á faciliter l' Intelligence des Difpofitions & de tous les Mouvemens neceffaires aux Troupes Legéres. Pour réuffir dans leurs Marches, leurs Embufcades leurs Attaques, & leurs Retraites, &c. Par Mr. De Jeney. A la Haye 1759. 12mo.

The Partifan; or, the Art of fkirmishing with Succefs, according to the Genius of the prefent Times, &c.

In this martial age, it is more than probable that we have many readers, who will be glad of any information that may guide them in their purfuit of military erudition. Our own writers on the art of war are few and infignificant, unless in those branches that are particularly founded on the mathematics: we must therefore ftoop to be inftructed by our neighbours, even by our enemies; fas eft, fays Horace, ab bofte doceri. Mankind have in general, fo affiduoufly cultivated the noble art of murdering each other, that it is become a neceffary ftudy to each particular nation, for their own fecurity. The writer of this fhort treatife is indeed no Frenchman, although an officer in the French fervice. He modeftly declares, that he has no pretenfions to the name of an author, that he derives his maxims and reflections entirely from his own experience, acquired in the course of twentyfour campaigns in Turkey, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Flanders, &c. His intention was not to publifh a compleat treatise on the business of a Partifan, but only an introduction. He divides his book into fourteen chapters, under the following heads. 1. Of the corps of a Partifan. 2. Of the number of troops requifite. 3. The choice of recruits, their drefs and arms. 4. The choice of horses, and equipage. 5. Exercife. 6. Subordination. 7. Precaution neceflary in fecret marches. 8. The choice of pofts, and the method of defence. 9. Precautions to be taken in reconnoitering. 10. Of furprizes. II. Ambufcades. 12. Retreats. 13. Means of immediate relief, in fuch complaints as are common to light troops during the campaign. 14. Certain methods of curing horfes in thofe diforders which most frequently retard the fervice. These several subjects (except the two laft chapters) are treated skilfully, concisely and with perfpicuity. Here are a few plans for illuftration, which though poorly executed, are abundantly fufficient for the purpose.

We cannot, at this time, deny ourfelves the pleasure of tranflating a short paffage from the volume in question, as it is a teftimony of our beloved Prince Ferdinand's military capacity, from the mouth of his enemy. In the year 1757,

the Duke de Rich lieu advanced with his army towards Zell, defigning to attack the allies. I had orders, the day before, to get into the rear of their camp with a hundred light horfe. I marched twenty-two leagues, and arrived there without the leaft accident; but the prudence of the • Prince of Brunswick fruftrated our whole defign, and left us nothing to do but to admire his retreat.'

It is well known, that the books on military fubjects, in the French language, are almoft without number, yet we are of opinion, that there is more knowledge in this branch of the art, to be gathered from the few pages of this author, than from any of their celebrated voluminous writers, most of which are either fo immethodical, or fo prolix, that it is hardly poble, to collect from them matter fufficient to form a tolerable fyftem. We fhould imagine, that a tranflation of this book would be very acceptable to the military gentlemen of this kingdom, efpecially, those who are engaged in the light troops.

De recondita Febrium intermittentium tum remittentium Natura, et de earum Curatione variis Experimentis et Obfervationilus illuftrata. Or,

A Differtation on the Nature of intermitting and remitting Fevers, with their Method of Cure. 8vo. Paris. For Cavelier, 1759.

Although the author of this work hath thought proper to conceal his name, the character we have received of it fufficiently diftinguishes him, as a man of knowlege, candour and ingenuity. We may, on a future occafion, perhaps, be better enabled to enter particularly into the merits of his ⚫ performance. In the mean time, we dare affure the medical reader of its being well worthy his perufal.

Oratio de origine Lucis fiftens novam theoriam Colorum, in publico conventu Academic Scientiarum imperialis Petropolitana habita. Or,

An Effay on Light and Colours: Read before the Royal Academy of Sciences at Petersburg. By M. Lomonofow, 8vo. Petersburg, 1759.

This is an attempt to establish a new theory of light and colours. Mr. Lomonofow fuppofes light to confit of a fubtle matter, agitated by perpetual vibrations and gyrations, on which latter fpecies of motion, depend our fenfations of colours. He conjectures the particles of light to be spherical, and to be of three different fizes, fo adapted to each other,

that

[ocr errors]

that the fmalleft may be included in the interfices of the largeft: the gyrations of the largeft fpheres, producing the fenfation of red, thofe of the middle fize yellow, and of the fmalleft blue. On the whole, the piece is ingenious enough;' but, being purely hypothetical, we fhall not trouble our readers with the conclufions our academic draws, from premifes fo chimerical.

(The Account of Foreign Literature, will be continued in our next.) K-n-k

Travels through Part of Europe, Afia Minor, the Ilands of the Archipelago, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Mount Sinai, &c. Giving a particular Account of the most remarkable Places, Structures, Ruins, Inferiptions, &c. in thefe Countries. Together with the Cuftoms, Manners, Religion, Trade, Commerce, Temper, and manner of Living of the Inhabitants. By the Honourable J. Ægidius Van Egmont, Envoy Extraordinary from the United Provinces to the Court of Naples; and John Hayman, Profeffor of the Oriental Languages in the Univerfity of Leyden. Tranflated from the Low Dutch. 8vo. 2 vols. 10 s. Davis and Reymers.

I

N perufing the feveral Accounts of Travellers, visiting the fame places and people, it must be expected to meet, with repeated information concerning matters already known." If we reflect, however, on the many impofitions which Voyagers are apt to put on the public, especially thofe who give the firft account of ftrange cuftoms, and remote countries, we fhall think ourselves not a little obliged to fuccceding ones, by whofe authentic relations thofe of the former are corrected or confirmed.

It is fome years fince the Travels before us were undertaken, and this account of them written: we meet, never-` theless, with many obfervations that we do not remember to` have feen in other Writers. But were thefe even few, as our Author affures us, he mentions nothing but what he

has himself feen and obferved,' his work cannot fail of affording a fatisfactory entertainment to those who feek rather to acquire real than imaginary knowlege.

An objection, indeed, may be made to the propriety and ufe of the prefent publication, on account of that frequent change in the cuftoms, manners, and even the face, of fome countries, by time; infomuch, that in half a Century many of them would not be known by their former defcriptions. This remark, however, fhould be confined, in a great de

gree

gree, to countries that have a free intercourse with other nations, by commerce; or to thofe where the Civil Arts are cultivated and improved. Fifty years may make, and in fact have made, a great change in the manners and customs of the trading towns, and polite cities of Europe; as well as in the face of the country of our Colonies, in other parts of the world: nay, we fee even a fimilarity of manners gradually take place among thofe people who hold a conftant and general intercourfe with each other; fo that men of certain ranks, in Holland, France, and England, fo nearly resemble each other therein, that they feem to have loft thofe national characteristics which used formerly to distinguish them.,

Notwithstanding this, we find other people who have not fo general an intercourfe with each other, fo tenacious of their old manners and cuftoms, that whole centuries pafs away without their making any remarkable deviation from thofe of their predeceffors. Hence the Arab ftill lives the rambling life of his ancestors, and the young iflander of the Texel, courts his mistress in the fashion of ages past, and which, in all probability, may last for ages to come. We can affure the reader, at leaft, that it is the fashion, at prefent, and, as it is fomewhat fingular, we fhall give it in the Author's words.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The island of Texel is one of the islands of North-Holland, and lies in 53 Degrees North Latitude, is fix long Dutch miles in circuit, and tolerably well inhabited.

As

to the tempers of the natives, it comes nearest to that of the Frieflanders; and there is very little difference in their drefs. They are parfimonious; fimple in their diet; greedy of gain; for which the fea is chiefly their refource, by fifhing, piloting fhips in and out, and faving of the cargoes of fhips ftranded,. or otherwife damaged: and of the goods thus faved, a third belongs to them for falvage, and their dexterity and intrepidity on fuch occafions are worthy ♦ of the recompence. The women are good tempered and handy, and not entirely without beauty; very fond of courtships, which, among the youth of the peasantry is carried on in a manner like queefting *. This is an ancient cuftom of evening vifits and courtships among the young peo ple in thei fland of Vlie, and Wieringen, but especially in the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

What does the Tranflator mean by a manner like queefling? We have no fuch word in English; and in Dutch, te queeften means to court, or was, in that very particular manner; and is used in no other fenfe. Can any thing be properly faid to be like itfelf-He, fhould, perhaps have said in the manner called queeftende.

• Texel,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Texel. It is, indeed, of an antiquity, the date of which ⚫ cannot be traced. The Spark comes into the house at night, either by the door, which is left upon the latch, or half open, by one of the windows, or through the ftable, and makes his way to the bed-chamber of his Sweetheart, who is already in her bed. After a compliment or two, he begs leave that he may pull off his upper garment, and come upon the bed to her. This being of course granted, ← he lifts up the quilt or rug, lays himself under it, and then • queefts, that is, chats with her 'till he thinks it time to depart, which is invariably done by the fame entrance he came in at. This is a custom from which the natives will not foon depart: the parents thinking it equitable not to deny their children a freedom they themfelves were indulged in. • Their innate tenacious parfimony alfo finds its account in this cuftom, which difpenfes with the articles of fire and candle in the long winter evenings and nights.'

The conftitution of these young iflanders will be thought, perhaps, fomething cold, or the nymphs remarkably chaite, to admit of fo familiar a method of courtship. But the truth is, they are not over delicate in their notions of modefty, and if any accident fhould happen, whereby a criminal familiarity is betrayed, the law obliges the young fellow to marry his mistress and, as events of this nature are, as might be well expected, pretty frequent, they leave hardly any stain on the reputation: the marriage ceremony once paffed, all things are set to rights.

After the above obfervations on the Texel, our Author takes leave of his native country, and proceeds on his voyage to Turkey, touching at feveral places in his way, at fome of which the Reader, perhaps, will not be difpleafed to attend him.

In Italy he made fome ftay; and tells us, that at Leghorn, he faw a scene of courtship of a very different kind from the above; where, inftead of being in fo familiar a fituation as that of the North-Hollander. The Lover, with his Sunday cloaths on, and his rolled up ftockings, ftood in the ftreets, addreffing his liftening charmer, who was lolling all the while out of her window, And indeed,' continues our Author, a young female would ruin her character, were fhe to admit her lover within doors, or enter into an evening chat with him, tête a téte. This, however, was a • scene confined to the vulgar; among people of fashion marriages being determined by the parents; and 'till that

time.

« PreviousContinue »