ASTRONOMY and MATHEMATICS. Observations of several Eclipses of the Satellites of Jupiter, made at Mafra in 1785. By Mr. D'ASSUMPção VELHO. A single page of observations. Memoir on the true Latitude and Longitude of Lisbon. By Mr. GOMES DE VILLAS-BOAS. The result of this valuable and elaborate disquisition gives, for the true latitude of the spot on which the equestrian statue of the late King Joseph is situated, 38° 42′ 20′′; the longitude of the same place, 9° 0′ 45′′ East of the meridian of the isle of Ferro, 11° 29′ 15′′ West from the Parisian Observatory. Astronomical Observations made at Rio Janeiro in the Years 1781, 1782, 1783. By Mr. SANCHES DORTA. This valuable paper, being a collection of detached observations, cannot be properly abridged. Mr. DORTA determines the longitude of Rio Janeiro to be 45° 37′ 50′′ West of the Parisian Observatory. Astronomical Observations made at Lisbon, in the Royal Printing-Office. By M. CIERA. A series of observations which seem to have been made with accuracy, from the year 1778 down to 1787. Observation of the End of the Solar Eclipse on the 17th October, 1781, at Carthagena in Spain. By Mr. CERUTI. Astronomical Observations made at Rio Janeiro. By Mr, OLIVEIRA BARBOZA. These observations commence in 1782, and come down to 1737.-A few other papers occur, of which we propose to take farther notice hereafter. [To be continued.] ART. XIX. Paris pendant l'Année 1798; i. e. Paris during the Year 1798. By M. PELTIER. 8vo. No. CLXIII. to CLXXI. 31st Dec. 1798. De Boffe, &c. Price 3s. each Number. F ORMER numbers of this work have been announced in our preceding Appendixes; since which some changes have become expedient in the plan of it. Mere articles of news, which can seldom arrive in time to interest, will for the most part fall away. The work, from the beginning of the xixth volume (already begun) will be separated into Political and Literary Miscellanies; and an account of the principal English publications will in future form a regular part of its intelligence, No. CLXIV. contains the following anecdote: At the beginning of the revolution, a dog went daily to the parade before the palace palace of the Thuilleries, thrust himself between the legs of the musicians, marched with them, halted with them, and, after the parade, disappeared until the next morning; when he resumed this occupation. The constant recurrence of this dog, and the pleasure which he seemed to take in the music, made him a favourite with the band, who nick-named him Parade. One gave him food to-day, another to-morrow; and he understood, by a slight signal, and a word or two, whom he was to follow for his dinner: after which, faithful to his independence, the dog always withdrew, in spite of any caresses or threats. Sometimes he went to the Opera, sometimes to the Comedie Italienne, and sometimes to the Théatre Feydeau; in each of which houses, he found his way to the orchestra, and would lie down silently in one corner of it until the performI know not (says the author) whether this dog be now alive: but I know many musicians to whom his name, his figure, and the singularity of his habits, are perfectly familiar.' ance was over. No. CLXV. contains a long extract from a second-rate poem on Tea. The practice of tea-drinking, so favourable to the domestic sympathies, to sobriety, to cheap hospitality, and to innocent amusement*, is gaining ground in Paris, and indeed on the continent in general; not that London is now become the glass of fashion in Europe, but that the custom is itself rational and gratifying. No. CLXVI. The number of upstart fortunes in Paris is, it seems, considerable: they result chiefly from the purchase of church-property, and are suspected not always to have been very delicately acquired. Hence the new rich are continually assailed by satirists and epigrammatists: the following lines addressed to a bookseller contain a trait of this kind: "Vos livres doivent vous rester, Ne saurait pas les lire." + No. CLXVII. contains a very unceremonious letter from the Prince Charles of Hesse Darmstadt, who is a General in the French service, to certain representatives of the people; in *We do not enter into the dispute respecting its wholesomeness, and its influence on the nerves. Your books must long remain on hand, As you too truly plead; For those who easily can buy With difficulty read. which which he advises the government at once to seize the territo ries of the King of Sardinia and of the Duke of Tuscany, and to dismiss (licencier) or cashier the two sovereigns. Their countries, he says, will afford to the republic ten millions of subsidy and thirty thousand recruits, and will facilitate the expulsion of every vessel of the English from the sea of Tuscany. The CLXVIIIth number contains (inter alia) an account of the recent anabaptism of the churches in Paris. For the names of the popish Saints, under whose protection the antient religion had placed them, have been substituted the names of various moral virtues. This is rational enough; for very few Saints have a valid claim to the gratitude and veneration of men. Saint Telemachos, for abolishing gladiatorial sports; Saint Carlo Borromeo, for his attention to the sick during a horrible contagion; and some others; have deserved to be held up as models to succeeding generations: but in general the posthumous honours shewn to them have been ill-proportioned to their utility. In the change which the Parisian churches have undergone, the church of Saint Philip has been consecrated to Concord, in allusion to the walks and gardens with which this section abounds, as the Thuilleries and Champs Elysées, which are scenes of social meetings and festive assemblage :-the church of Saint Roch has been consecrated to Genius, in allusion to Corneille, who is buried there:-Saint Eustace, which is near the corn-hall, has been consecrated to Agriculture :-Saint Germain to Gratitude, the national palace of the Arts and Sciences being in this section:-Saint Lawrence, to Old Age; the old man's hospital being near-Saint Nicolas to Hymen; it is, like Stepney-church, a very wife-market:-Saint Mery to Commerce; it is near the tribunal of commerce :-Saint Margaret to Liberty and Equality; it stands in the fauxbourg Šairt-Antoine, the grand nest of revolutionists:-Saint Gervais to Youth: no good reason is assigned; it is perhaps frequented by women of a certain description:-Notre Dame is dedicated to the Supreme Being:-Saint Thomas to Peace; because it is near to Saint Sulpice, which belongs to Victory: -Saint James becomes a temple of Beneficence, because it is near to many charitable institutions :-Saint Medard to Labour, because the industrious classes live thereabout;--and Saint Stephen to Filial Piety,-we suppose, because it is less frequented than of yore. No. CLXIX. contains a French translation of Pope's Windsor Forest, by Viel de Boujol, which is executed with polished .neatness neatness and close felicity. The celebrated description of the Pheasant is thus given: • Le riche oiseau du Phase, à travers la fougeri, Et de sa gorge d'or la mobile splendeur." The apposite epithet-scarlet-circled eye—is missed. In No. CLXX, we find an edict published at Berlin on the 20th November 1798, to oblige all clubs, on the requisition of the magistrate, to deliver the names of the members and the object of their meetings; and totally to forbid all secret socie-ties, employing mysterious, occult, or hieroglyphic forms.. In June 1791, some Irishmen advertised for members for a secret society; a circumstance which has been described as: a bull. Is it less so to make laws against secret meetings? It is curious that, while the magistrate at Berlin is prohibiting private assemblages, (which are there, it is to be feared, no, longer necessary to encourage the reciprocal avowal of bold; and free opinions;) the magistrate at Vienna is prohibiting the denunciation of them, and has actually inserted Professor: Robison's "Proofs of a Conspiracy" among the forbidden books. No. CLXXI, which completes the year, contains chiefly English matter. We repeat our wish for a table of contents to each number. ART. XX. Mémoires d'HYPPOLITE CLAIRON: i. e. Memoirs of Mademoiselle HIPPOLYTA CLAIRON, with Reflexions on the Dramatic Art; published by herself. 8vo. Paris. 1798. "W Ho has e'er been at Paris must needs know"-the name of the writer and heroine of these memoirs: an actress as highly renowned in France for her great dramatic powers as Garrick was in England †, and so connected with the literature: and public amusements of her country for the last 40 years, that scarcely a poet or an historian can be consulted without meet * Idem Sentire, Dicere, Agere. + Garrick pleasantly styled her, in the hearing of the writer of this note, "The Garrick of France;" adding that, while he was on his visit to Paris, his chief delight was to converse with his sister CLAIRON." We are all nothing," said he, "compared to her!" ing with her name. The works of Corneille, Racine, Crebillon, Voltaire, and other tragic writers, have all received such grace and energy from her talents, that, though she has quitted the stage nearly 20 years, her laurels are still so fresh and blooming, that she is never mentioned by her countrymen without honour and regret. With our utmost diligence of inquiry, we have not yet been able to procure a copy of these Mémoires*; yet, with the assistance of two agreeable papers on the subject in M. Peltier's Paris pendant l'année 1798, (see the preceding article in this Appendix,) we shall announce this publication, and take the liberty of presenting our readers with a short account of it, for their present gratification; till we are able, by a view of the book itself, to extend our extracts and remarks. To trace the progress of genius and talents, during the early years of those who possess them, is always a curious and interesting inquiry. It appears that this great actress was the daughter of a tradesman at Paris, and was intended by her mother to procure her livelihood by the labour of her hands: but one day, while yet a child, seeing from the window of the room in which she was confined to work, Mad. Dangeville, a favourite actress at that time, take a lesson in dancing, she tried to imitate her looks, attitudes, and steps; which she did so exactly, that from this time she might have said to herself: ed anche io son ATTRICE. Some time afterward, a female friend of her mother took her to the play, when the Earl of Essex and les Folies amoureuses (by Regnard) were performed. She went home with her head so occupied by what she had seen and heard, that, during supper, she did not utter a single word. Her mother, probably expecting some amusement from her minute account of what she had seen, peevishly sent her out of the room :-get along to bed, you stupid thing you! said she. How surprised was the family, the next morning, at breakfast, to find that this stupid thing remembered the whole part of Queen Elizabeth, and two thirds of the entertainment, changing her tone of voice in several parts, according to the humour and situation of the characters; and imitating the actors so exactly, that her audience seemed to see and hear them at the playhouse. From this time, she met with no opposition from her family respecting her inclination for the stage. Her first appearance, when only 12 years old, was at the Italian theatre, where the opera comique had its rise. After this she performed on *We have seen a German edition, but were unwilling to inspect a work of this nature through that medium. |