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one, who fecks to proceed farther, proceeds on an impracticable and useless undertaking. We think infinuations of this nature highly unbecoming; and that it is great impertinence in any Writer, to affert things to be infcrutable, because he himself is not able to comprehend or discover them. It is little better alfo, for him to cenfure any branch of knowlege, however abftrufe, or apparently infignificant, as ufelels. Yet how frequently is this done! C'est une espece de vengeance, fays Fontinelle, on traite volontiers d'inutile ce qu'on ne fait point.

But we shall now difmifs this Author, recommending to him, the next time he takes upon himself, as a man of wit, to difplay his talent for ridicule, to make choice of lefs fcientific topics; unless he first takes good care, as a Philofopher, to demonftrate thofe opinions to be falfe and abfurd, which he affects to treat, as such, with contempt.

Oratio de Generatione Metallorum a Terræ motu, habita in folemni conventu quo Academia Scientiarum Imperialis diem luftricum Elifabete Augufta, Autocratoris omnium Ruffiarum celebravit. 1758. Autore Michael Lomonofow. Or, A Treatife on the Generation of Metals by Earthquakes; read before the Royal Academy of Sciences at Petersburg.

Mr. Lomonofow endeavours, in this discourse, to fhew, that the formation of Metals is a neceflary confequence of Earthquakes.

The interior parts of the globe, fays he, abound in fulphureous matter, which occafions that extraordinary heat, and thofe fires, of whofe exiftence the vulcanoes are evident proofs. Thefe internal fires, when pent up, and finding no vent, are frequently fo violent as, by increafing the elasticity of the confined air, to give rife to Earthquakes; by the agitation of which are occafioned a multitude of cavities near the earth's furface. In the formation of thefe cavities, it is pretended, there are abforbed large quantities of foffile subftances, mixed with vegetable falts, produced from the decompofition of the trees and plants, whofe diffolved salts find their way, by means of the rivers, to the sea.

Now the fire, acting in these cavities on the foffile subftances and vegetable falts contained therein, reduces the whole, fays Mr. Lomonofow, into a mineral ftate: after which the minerals fo conftituted, are, in a manner, diffolv

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ed by the fire, and diftribúted into beds and veins, in the manner they are found to exift in the mines.

We shall not enter into a minute enquiry into the grounds of this Writer's fyftem, tho', in fome parts of it, we confefs, it appears plaufible enough. It fhould feem, how-ever, according to his theory, that Minerals would naturallymoft abound in thofe countries which are, or have been, most fubject to Earthquakes; a fact which Hiftory does by no means ascertain.

De Polyphago et Allotriophago Wittebergenfi Differtatio. 4to.. Wittenberg, 1759. Or,

A Differtation on the prodigious Eater of Wittenberg.

This Differtation contains the Hiftory of the most enor mous Eater that we remember ever to have heard of; the Toad-eaters of the last, and the Fire-eaters of the present, age not excepted. He is reported to have devoured, at one time, a whole fheep; at another, a whole hog; and, by way of defert, at a third, four half-bufhel baskets of cherries, ftones and all.

Subftances, indeed, the most difficult to digeft, and fuch as would be fhocking to the generality of people, he fwallowed and digefted eafily; fuch as china, glafs, fhells, &c. all which he would break to pieces with his teeth, chew, and fwallow, without difficulty. Living animals and infects, as birds, mice, caterpillers, &c. were common to him: but, what almoft furpaffes belief, is, that he once fwallowed a block-tin ftandish, with the pens, pen-knife, ink, fand, and every thing it contained. This laft fact is fo very extraordinary, that had it not been attefted on oath, by feven eyewitneffes, before the Senate of Wittemberg, its credibility could hardly ever have been admitted.

This ftrange mortal was of an extremely ftrong and robuft conftitution; and continued his exploits to the age of fixty after which he lived a more regular life, and attained his eightieth year, in which he died.

His body was opened by the Author of this Differtation; and many particular circumstances attending the diffection, are remarked; in order to fhew the practicability of the facts above mentioned.

The above account was written (and, if we mistake not, read before the univerfity) at Wittenberg, about two years ago; by G. R. Boehmer, then prefident. It was first printed in 1757; and a new edition has been printed this year, as above. A Plan

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A Plan of Difcipline, compofed for the Ufe of the Militia of the County of Norfolk. 4to. 6s. Shuckburgh.

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Plan of difcipline for the militia, is a title which will not prejudice the military world much in favour of the book. We muft, however, intreat fuch of our readers as may think this article worth their perufal, a while to fufpend their judgment. Books on the rudiments of the art of war, are of late, become of more general utility in this kingdom than formerly; and as this volume appears to have great merit in its way, we fhall be particular in our account of it.

The author has thought fit to prefix to this work an introduction, containing a fhort, but pertinent, hiftory of the origin and progrefs of that part of the military art, particularly termed exercife. He fhews the utility of it, the principles on which it is founded, and points out wherein the defects, or excellencies of any exercife confifts. By what appears from the authors who have treated on the difcipline of the antients, he is of opinion, that they had no manual exercife. The Greeks, the ftrength of whofe phalanx confifted entirely in the cohefion of its parts, were chiefly intent on their marching and evolutions; and we learn from Vegetius, that the Romans practifed no exercife, collectively, but the evolutions of the legion, and marching a certain number of paces in a given time. Our author is not ignorant of the Roman exercifes practiced in the campus martius, fuch as, throwing the pilum, wielding the fword, handling the fhield, &c. but thefe bear no resemblance to what we underftand by manual exercife, the excellence of which confifts, entirely in each motion being performed by a number of soldiers uniformly, and at the fame inftant of time. He then obferves, that there is little to be expected in our researches for military difcipline among the barbarous nations that overturned the Roman empire; and after flightly mentioning the different methods of making war in fucceeding ages, brings us down to the invention of fire-arms, which entirely changed the military system and difcipline of all Europe.

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When the ufe of fire-arms, fays he, began to be gene< rally eftablifhed, the neceflity of a great regularity, and uniformity, in the manner of ufing thefe arms, became apparent it was foon difcovered, that thofe troops which could make the brifkeft fire, and fuflain it longeft, had a great fuperiority over others lefs expert: and likewife, that the efficacy and power of firing did not confift in random

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and scattering fhots, made without order; but in the fire of a body of men at once, and that properly timed and directed. It was therefore, neceflary to exercise the troops. in loading quick, and firing by the word of command: but as the aukwardnefs, careletsnefs, and rafhnefs of young foldiers (if left to themfelves) muft occafion frequent accidents; and because the lofs of many of their own party, by the unfkilful manner of ufing their fire-arms, especially, in the hurry of an engagement, it became a matter of in• difpenfable neceffity to teach foldiers an uniform method of performing each action that was to be with the mufket; that they might all do it in the most expeditious and safe • manner. In order to effect this, it was neceflary to analyfe and reduce the compound motion of each action into the feveral fimple motions that it was compofed of: this ⚫ made each action easier to be learned and remembered; and by teaching the foldiers to perform the fimple motions in the fame manner, and in the fame time, making a paufe between each, it rendered them exact in the performance of the whole action. This is the origin of what is called the manual exercife; which, when it was once invented, (befides the real utility of it) made troops to fhew to fuch advantage, and their motions appear fo regular and beauti-, ful, that it foon was copied by other nations, and came into general use. The Spaniards were moft probably the inventers of it, as they were the firft who made ufe of muf‹kets, and their infantry was at that time the best in < Europe.'

But, though the honour of the invention may be due to the Spaniards, it appears that the famous Prince Maurice of Naffau was the first who reduced the exercise of the musket to any degree of regularity; that the great Gustavus Adolphus. improved the work; and that his late Majesty of Pruffia, brought the use of the firelock to its prefent perfection.

In compofing this new exercife, the author tells us, that he has endeavoured to conform to the general rules laid down. by Monfieur Botèe, a French writer of diftinction. The work, from which they are taken, is entitled, Etudes Militaires. These rules we fhall tranfcribe, as our military readers may probably not be difpleafed to fee the foundation upon which this fabric is erected.

RULE I. An exercife ought to teach the foldiers how to ufe his arms, upon all occafions whatever, with grace, quickness and uniformity.

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II. It ought therefore to include, not only every action neceffary to be performed in a day of battle, but also alf fuch as may be useful on any other occafion or duty.

III. All ufelefs motions, and needlefs repetitions of fuch as are useful, ought to be retrenched, without any regard to show; as alfo, all motions which are either tedious, or • attended with inconvenience, or danger, in the perform

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IV. The origin of the feveral parts of the exercife is not to confidered, but only the being useful or not.

V. Each complete action ought to have its particular word of command.

VI. Each word of command ought to be executed in one, or more motions, which fhould be capable of being performed in equal time, and clearly diftinguifhed in the explanation and in the performance.

VII. Where an action is too much compounded, to be capable of being performed in four or five motions only, it ought to be divided into two or more words of command, not to over-burthen the memory and attention of the foldier.'

To thefe rules of Monfieur Botèe, the author has added the four following, which are indeed corrollaries from the preceding ones.

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I. To go the fnorteft way to work, with the feweft motions poffible, in the performance of every action.

II. When different actions can be performed by fimilar motions, to make ufe of fuch as much as poffible, confiftent with the obfervation of other rules, that the men may have the fewer different motions to learn, and because it adds greatly to the elegance and uniformity of the whole exercife.

III. As every compleat action ought to have its particular word of command, fo every word of command ought to imply a compleat action.

IV. If an action, though compounded, be fo very eafy as to be capable of being performed in the time of one motion; in that cafe, it is best to make only one of it, and not to analyfe and divide it into many, which only fatigue the memory, and are apt to caufe the men to perform them inaccurately, and in a flovenly manner; be

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