wherefore more proofs against a theory, which refutes itself by its incapability of being proved?' We do not believe that any intelligent reader will require to have the fallacy of these arguments pointed out to him; yet, at the same time, it might not be easy to argue to better purpose in defence of such a thesis. Of two or three other difficult problems, the anonymous reasoner offers this solution: Will, to which they have done the honour of constituting it a peculiar faculty, is nothing but the power of sensation directed by the power of thinking towards a determinate object. For this no peculiar faculty is needed; and to this may all voluntary motions be reduced.-Instinct, that mysterious term and mysterious idea, is nothing but sensibility directed by simple organic irritation, without co-operation of the thinking power. All motions, that cannot be explained by simple organic connection, belong to sensibility; without which, as a co-operative cause, no corporeal act can be conceived: -but this co-operation can primarily relate only to the degree of corporeal action.-Consciousness is the thought of the state for the time being; it is therefore no primary effect of a power; and therefore the soul is not identity of consciousness.' The author concludes with promising to publish experiments in future, rather than theory; having found, he says, during the composition of his essay, that we are in need solely of facts. We cannot but allow that he has much the appearance of being capable of kindling new light in physiology. ART. XIII. Le Nord Littéraire, &c. i. e. The Literary, Physical, HE annunciation of a French periodical work, the object of which is to instruct the Parisians concerning the produce of literature in the North, will no doubt be agreeable to the learned in Scandinavia and Germany, whose celebrity will thus be more speedily diffused; and to many individuals in this and other countries, whose studies have extended to the French and not to the German tongue. It appears once in three months; and it is highly honourable to the Editor, who composes in a foreign language with much facility and purity. One year's numbers are before us, commencing in July 1797: they include many entertaining, if not many valuable articles; and they certainly deserve to be periodically consulted by our publishers, if not by our public also. A discourse, by the editor, concerning the universality of the French language, very properly introduces his undertaking. Bed...s. He maintains that a language which, for more than a century, has been so much cultivated by the higher classes in Europe, will continually become more and more familiar to them; that the revolution of France has now introduced it among the inferior classes of neighbouring countries, who will attach themselves to it more and more; and that a language already so general must, for that very reason, tend to universalization. To these positions, many objections might be offered. The French language is declining in favour among the higher classes; and its fortunes seem in some degree associated with those of the opinions which the French writers have sought to promulgate. In this country, at present, noblemen are heard to boast that no French is taught in their houses; and women of fashion pique themselves on not understanding it at all. The example of Frederic and of Catharine has ceased to operate in its behalf among the courts of the North. Alexander did many things in order to be the subject of conversation at Athens; and these sovereigns do many things in order to be the subject of conyersation at Paris:-but praise is valuable only while it is expressed with taste and bestowed with discernment. Who would choose to incur the eulogies of the sycophants of Robespierre and the deifiers of Marat? Paris is no longer the chosen seat of refinement: her literature has degenerated in quality, and is consulted with diminishing interest. The French language is not unlikely to decline in favour also among the secondary classes, who have generally some profitable end in view when they choose their studies, and who were commonly directed to the selection of French by its extensive use in commercial relations. Now the commerce of France and that of Holland, which employed the French tongue, have declined prodigiously. The English language is already a better medium of intercourse in the Baltic, in North America, and in the East and West Indies, than the French. Our merchants could easily advance the interests of our literature, by favouring still farther the use of English correspondence ;-and as metropolisses, where French has chiefly been studied, are few,but sea-ports, where English is much studied, are many,—it is not improbable that the next century will reverse the preponderance of language, in favour of that which can already reckon its authors and printing-presses on the banks of the Delaware and of the Ganges. To this speculation, succeeds an account of Russian music, of a Danish tragedy, of Hufeland's art of prolonging life *, of * Of which we lately gave some account: See Rev. April, P. 475. a pane a panegyric on Gustavus III. and on Catharine II., of an essay on the city of Hamburgh, of a description of Norway, and of a beautiful hymn by Professor Baggesen of Copenhagen, which has much suffered in the translation. Several articles of intelligence accompany these notices. No. 2. details the mode of travelling in the North: the regulations of the poor-man's hospital at Berlin: the mode of rearing colts in Holstein: the organization of the Norwegian regiment of skaiters; and the medical polity of Sweden. It reviews Strisa's annihilation of Poland, the new edition of Mensel's Gelehrtes Deutschland, or biographies of German writers, and a description of Weissenstein. An account is also inserted of a new fish, or rather an improved description of an illclassed fish, henceforth to be called Pleuronectes Lichtensteinii, No. 3. opens with a very interesting account of the adminis tration of the Margrave of Baden. This excellent prince, Charles Frederic, is a pupil of the physiocratic writers of the French, and has spent a mild and pacific life of fifty years in realizing, on his little territory, the most practicable and useful plans of political philosophy. Superior to the ambition of military prowess, he never wept at the tomb of a conqueror to become like him : Thranen geliebt zu seyn Vom glückseligen Volk, weckten den Jüngling oft This number also contains an epitome of Valentiner's dissertation on the best means of preventing fires in large towns: some notice of the system of Kant, of the state of the arts in Denmark, of the liberty of the press there, and of the services of Count Bernstorff: an account of the construction of a newlyinvented sort of ship, which draws less water than usual; and many minute varieties of intelligence. No. 4. exhibits a political sketch of Europe, which is written with brilliancy; a valuable statement of the condition of the Danish marine; a delineation of the Norwegian peasantry; a string of observations on sea-sickness; a curious account of southern Russia; a prospectus of a military journal; and various literary notices, of which we select the concluding one. The ccclesiastical annals prove but too decidedly how obnoxious tythes have at all times been in all countries. Never has any tax excited so many disturbances, and with so much reason. The Danish government, persuaded of this truth, has endeavoured to substitute a less inconvenient levy for the tythe; and has invited the land-owners to come to agreements with the clergy, respecting the value of the indemnity to be assigned to the latter, which is to consist in fixed landed property. In several places, this commutation has been ac complished complished successfully. Orders have also been given to the hails that, whenever a vacancy happens in a benefice, they are to endea vour, in concert with the farmers, to accomplish such agreement, and, if they do not succeed, to report the case to the government for farther attention. Thus it is evident that many years will not elapse before an impost so hostile to the interests of agriculture, and so unfavourable to the popularity of the clergy, will entirely have ceased, without injury to any individual.' It also appears, from some facts here enumerated, that the Danish government is gradually improving the condition of the Jews. The next number is to consist chiefly of intelligence respecting Sweden: a country, as Professor OLIVARIUS observes, little known even in the North.' Tay. ART. XIV. Der Geschichten Schweizerischer Eidgenoffenschaft: i. e. The History of the Swiss Confederacy. By JOHANNES MULLER, 8vo. 3 Vols. 700 Pages in cach. Leipzig. 1786 to 1795. MOUNTAINOUS Countries, which have mostly been inhabited by a robust and courageous race of men, of tall stature and healthy complexion, do not appear to be so favourable to the intellectual as to the corporeal excellence of the human species. From Bocotia to Biscay, the feats of mental exertion have at all times been scarce along the Alpine and Pyrenean ridge of hills. The noted seats of culture and refinement must every where be sought at the river's mouth, not at its source; on the flat shore, not on the cloud-capt rock. Those who illustrated Olympus and Parnassus mostly dwelt at Athens or Alexandria. Florence and Rome were thronged with genius; while San Marino and Perugia, those cities in the clouds, offered to fame but a solitary tribute. Even the long tranquil lity and careful education of the Swiss have produced a liberal refinement only on the brink of their lakes. Yet perhaps it is less to any influence of climate, than to moral causes connected with the structure of elevated regions, that we ought to ascribe the apparent inferiority of talents among mountaineers. Inaccessible districts are naturally favourable to solitude and independence, rather than to liberty and co-operation. The inhabitants tend more to anarchy, which is the cradle of energy, than to civilization, which is the alembic of excellence. They habitually approach nearly to a state of nature, which requires little exertion of those faculties that are most admired in a state of society. Intercourse is the great polisher of man, the stimulus to talents, and the provocative of competition; and intercourse is necessarily proportioned to the condensation of populousness. Hence, eminence of any kind is to be sought with the greatest certainty in those places, at which, from from whatever causes this may arise, the largest number of in dividuals engaged in a given pursuit are assembled. In empo riums, are formed distinguished merchants; in universities, superior scholars; in a luxurious metropolis, the fine artist; and in the capital of a free country, the great orator or statesman. Population and intercourse can never attain to their maximum in rugged and wintery cantons.-Where only the narrow bottom of a valley is covered with arable earth, agriculture can maintain but a scanty number of families. The abrupt torrent supplies no food for man, and is wholly inapplicable to the purposes of commercial navigation. No useful traffic can proceed where the steep roads ultimately lose themselves among pyramids of snow, solid lakes, and wildernesses of granite. In such rocky grounds, industry can continue to employ but a portion of the children of the soil, and has nothing to squander on the leisure of those who aspire to more than ordinary utility, From the high lands, often descend the brawny sons of labour, and the bold and strong recruits of the European armies: but seldom the elect disciples of excellence, and the ornaments of the temple of Fame. The history of Switzerland forms no decisive exception to this general law. Her warriors and patriots are rarely of a class which excites much interest: they are Abderites, not Athenians. The higher order of faculties never appears at work. The deeds which they undertake or perform are directed to some inferior end, or wear a homely garb and clownish rudeness of exterior, which check the sympathy that might be felt for their village feuds and parish-quarrels. The most popular anecdote of the Swiss is probably a fabulous legend concerning Wilhelm Tell. The conspiracy of the neighbour ing nobility against Rudolf Brun, the demagogue of Zurich, brought on the feudal aristocracy an odium which secured the lasting liberty of extensive districts: yet we read the history of this powerful burgomaster with a curiosity very disproportioned to the extent of his influence. The fifty years' peace, concluded on the 28th May 1412, is scarcely known to the gratitude of wondering humanity. The very magnificence of their theatre of action contributes to sink the actors into insignificance for who can condescend to regard with vindictive joy a charnel-house of the bones of Frenchmen, amid landscapes, the giant-majesty of which the God of nature seems to have fashioned by the hands of his archangels? The praiseworthy author of the history before us is, we believe, a native of Lucerne, and in the employment of the Imperial court. His familiarity with the antique chronicles of his country, his probity of opinion and truly national reverence for |