many important and weighty writings appeared from time to time in the world. The French had formerly the reputation of excelling all other nations in what is called the Beaux Arts; but at prefent they can claim no fuperiority in this respect over the German Proteftants. In fettling the lower and higher fchools, and in all their regulations for the advancement of Learning, much indeed wanted reformation; but yet no people come up to us Germans, even in this refpect. In Germany are thirty-fix unive. fities, feventeen Proteftant ones, and feventeen Roman-Catholic ones, with two other mixed ones, viz. thofe of Erfurth and Heidelberg. The number of riding academies, colleges, Gymnafia and Latin fchools, is here alfo very great. We have likewife academies and focieties for the fciences, as namely, the Imperial Leopoldine academy of the Natura Curiofi, the academy of fciences at Berlin, the fociety of fciences at Gottingen, the academy of the useful fciences at Erfurth, the fociety of liberal arts at Leipfic, and the learned fociety at Duifburg; to which we may also add, the Latin fociety of Jena.

"There is no one fpecies or branch of learning which has not already been cultivated among the Germans, or which has not even been carried by them to a greater perfection. I fhall briefly touch on the principal merits and inventions of the Germans in certain particular branches of learning. The theological fciences are not more indebted to any people than to the German Proteftants, as it is alfo to be hoped they will be still carried on by them to a greater height. The Germans have likewife merited not a little from the Roman jurisprudence. Ritterhufius, Funceius, and Burgermeister, have explained the laws of the twelve tables. Heineccius has applied himself to the Edictum perpetuum; Ritter, to the Codex Theod fianus. In the fcience of phyfic their deferts are likewife confiderable; and, in latter times, Stahl and Hoffmann in particular have contributed largely to improvements in it, and acquired the reputation of univerfal teachers. With refpect alfo to the vegetable kingdom, the Germans have exceeded all others: Rivinus was the firft who paved the way, and from him it is that all the reft have borrowed their inftructions. The fame which he acquired with regard to the greater and more perfect plants, Dellenius afterwards obtained with refpect to the mofles and fungi. In the arts too of diffection and healing, or furgery, Heifter has made confiderable difcoveries and improvements, and in a manner given the latter a quite new form, as he has taught how to go about many dangerous operations

operations in a fafe manner; so that he also may be styled an univerfal teacher. In chymiftry, no nation has performed greater things than the Germans. The beautiful porcelaine of Mifnia, the phosphorus, the ruby-glafs, the Pruffian-blue, and the many excellent medicines, which are of univerfal benefit, are testimonies of their difcoveries therein. No one will difpute the extraordinary reputation of the very able perfons, Neumann, Zimmermann, Pott, and Marggraff, in chymistry. In philofophy the renown of the Germans is mighty, but that in particular of the great Leibnitz and Wolfius immortal, notwithstanding fome parts of their philofophy have met with no unjuft oppofition. Wolfius not only first introduced the mathematical method into philofophy, but alfo greatly improved the whole body of philofophy, particularly ontology, and enlarged the fpeculative part of it with cofmology, and the practical with the philofophia practica univerfalis. The law of nature too has been greatly illuftrated by Puffendorff, Thomafius, and Wolfius. The invention and profecution of the Efthetics, which contain the first principles of all the Beaux Arts, do honour to the merits of Alex. Gottl. Baumgarten, and Geo. Fr. Meier. Natural philofophy has been enriched by the Germans with important difcoveries and inventions. To mention only a few, Otto von Gueriche found out the air-pump; and Kepler, that explication of the ebb and flood, which at prefent is deemed the most probable. The Germans were alfo the first who began to make experiments with electrical globes. Many other important truths I am obliged to pafs over in filence. The mathematics in particular have been enriched with the aerometry by Wolfius, and by other Germans, with other important propofitions and discoveries. Leibnitz, for instance, has rendered himself famous by the important difcovery of the differential and integral calculation: and, with respect to aftronomy, Simon Marius firft difcovered the fatellites of Jupiter; Kepler found that the curve line, in which the planets move, is an ellipfis, &c. &c.

"In the vast extent of history the Germans have laboured greatly. The doctrine of Politics was firft principally taught in the universities in Germany, and no where have fuch lectures been more frequented, or the fubject better and with greater freedom handled, than there. It was a German, namely, Martin Behaim, of Nurenberg, that first discovered the fourth part of the world, afterwards called America; and it is the Germans that have published the best books on Ff4 Geography.

Geography. In philology they have alfo laboured with the greateft reputation, but their fondness for it is in our days fomewhat abated.

art

"In the Beaux Arts the Germans have also distinguished themfelves in a very extraordinary manner. In the of mufic in particular they may boaft of the works of a Telemann, a Handel, a Graun, a Bach, and a Haffe. Some of their Poets have fung fo excellently, as to vie with the greateft of foreign bards. The merits of the Germans, with refpect to the art of painting, are fo confiderable, as to claim the first place after the Italians. Albert Durer, John Colker, Peter Paul Rubens, Lucas Cranach, Joachim von Sandrat, &c. have obtained immortal renown. The first copper-plates appeared in Germany; and about Nurenberg the fureft traces of the invention of engraving are to be met with. Albert Durer alfo etched in copper before the Italians. Mezzotinto was discovered by the Heffian Lieutenant-Colonel von Sichem, in 1648; and wooden cuts are also the invention of a German. - Civil architeure has been likewife confiderably improved by Goldmann and the younger Sturmius; and military architecture, by feveral Germans. Berthold Schwarz, who was probably cotemporary with Albertus Magnus, in the thirteenth century, found out at Cologne how gun-powder might be made ferviceable in the art of war. The first difcovery of the art of printing cannot with juftice be refused the Germans; for it is highly probable that John Guttenburg in Mentz was the firft inventor, and fupported by John Fauftus, with whom afterwards coming to a rupture, he betook himself to Harlem. The mariner's compass was probably alfo difcovered, or at least greatly improved, by a ĠerFor the advancement of fome of the above-mentioned arts, academies have alfo been established in Germany. At Vienna, in particular, is an academy for painting, fculpture, and architecture; as alfo at Berlin: and at Drefden and Nurenburg are academies for painting; and at Augsburg is the Imperial Franciscan academy of the Beaux Arts.

man.

In regard to commerce, Germany enjoys all kinds of advantages. It borders on the German ocean, the Baltic, and the Gulf of Venice; is watered alfo by many navigable rivers, and is fituated in the heart of Europe: fo that it can commodiously export as well the fuperfluity of its home commodities and manufactures, as likewife attract to itself thofe of foreign countries.

The

The goods which are exported out of Germany, into the neighbouring and remote countries, are corn, tobacco, horses, lean cattle, butter, cheèfe, honey, fyrup, wine, linen, woollen ftuffs, yarn, ribbands, filk, and cotton ftuffs, Nurenburg wares, goat-fkins, wool, all forts of wood, particularly that kind which is fit for fhip-building, iron-plates and ftoves, cannon, ball, bombs, tin-plates, feel-work, copper, brasswire, porcelaine, mirrors, glaffes, beer, Brunfwic mum, tartar, fmalt, zaffer, Pruffian blue, and many other things.

"Germany (adds our Author) is not without mechanics of all forts, and manufactures alfo in great abundance. A variety of thefe laft in particular has been introduced and improved among them, fince the time that many thousands of the reformed, who quitted France on the score of religion, came and fettled in Germany. All forts too of manufactures are from time to time becoming more extenfive and perfect among them, which the French, Dutch, and Englifh, are very fenfible of, as the vent of their manufactures daily decreases in Germany. As the filk manufactory is daily attempted to be carried ftill to a higher pitch of perfection, to which, in the King of Pruffia's dominions in particular, a very extraordinary attention and highly worthy of imitation is paid, it is not to be doubted but that will be more and more improved. At prefent they make velvets, beautiful filks, rich stuffs, and halffilks, with a variety of woollen ftuffs, and all manner of cloths, ribbands, lace, very large quantities of fine and coarse linen, bombazin, canvas, fuftian, ticking, very fine and coarse woollen hofe, caps, gold and filver galloon, embroidered work, fine hats, tapestry, Spanish rough and smooth leather. They work all forts of metals for ornaments, veffels, tools, wire, &c. in the best manner; and they make fine clock-work. There are, befides thefe, manufactories of paper, tobacco, and fnuff; and Nurenburg is famous for its unfpeakable quantities and varieties of ingenious works in wood, ivory, metal, ftone, glafs, &c. which are exported to all parts of the world, though their vent now-a-days is not, by a great deal, fo confiderable as formerly."

Our Author now proceeds to give a fhort hiftorical account of Germany, of the prerogatives and power of the Emperor, the privileges of the Electors, and the election of the Emperor; but for thefe particulars we refer to the work itself, as the extract we have given will enable our Readers to form fome judgment of the Author's man

ner,

ner*, and likewife of the value of his work, the remainder of which, we are told, will be comprehended in two large volumes in Quarto.

R.

The Theory of Religion, in its abfolute internal State. By the Rev. John Orr, M. A. Archdeacon of Ferns. Svo. 5s. bound. Millar.

HE reputation which the Author of this Treatife has acquired by the two Volumes of excellent Sermons. which he has published, renders it unneceflary for us to say any thing of his character as a Writer. In the performance now before us he explains and inculcates, in a plain, eafy, and familiar manner, the most important truths and principles that can employ the thoughts of reafonable and accountable creatures. His ftyle and manner, though not elegant, are nevertheless fufficiently adapted to that clafs of Readers for which he profeffes to write, viz. fuch perfons of plain underflandings, as are defirous of placing their fcheme of religion and morals on a rational foundation, but who have neither leifure nor opportunity to fearch for that foundation, in more elaborate performances. As his book is principally intended for Readers of ordinary capacities, he induftriously avoids all abftrufe and intricate fpeculations and reasonings, for explaining and illuftrating his main argument, and has recourfe to obvious facts and plain obfervations; and, indeed, in a great mcafure, to our inward confcioufnefs, feeling, and experience. He delivers his fentiments with opennefs and freedom, with candour and ferioufnefs; and appears fincerely defirous of promoting the best interefts of mankind. if he has any where ufed any keennefs of expreítion, it is only in regard to Lord Bolinbroke, whofe profligate principles, and outrageous abuse of the most respectable characters that have ever appeared in the world, deferve, he tells us, to be animadverted upon with much greater feverity than they have yet been.

His Treatife is divided into three Parts. In the firft he confiders the Nature and End of Religion,its rife and progress

*We have fomewhat abridged our extract, as the Author's style is extremely verbofe. This indefatigable Compiler is never tired of enumerating particulars, whether important or otherwife. After the whole of Mr. B's performance is finished, Mr. Millar fhould give us an abridgement of it. The work deferves it.