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ART. XIX. Les Voyageurs en Perse, &c.; i. e. The Travellers in Persia. By Mad. GACON-DUFOUR. 12mo. 3 Vols Paris, 1809. NOTWITHSTANDING some palpable absurdities which occur in the narrative, this production possesses considerable merit; and though we apprehend that it is altogether a work of fiction, the author has given such an air of probability to the recitals of her travellers, and has collected so many amusing and interesting documents relative to the country which they explore, that she not only preserves the illusion of their journey, but conveys a portion of general information with regard to the customs and antiquities of Persia.

Whether the maxims which are cited in Vol. III. p. 158. be taken from Persian originals, or have owed their birth to the ingenuity of the present author, we think that their merit will apologize for our inserting a few of them:

The discourse of the wise may be distinguished from that of the foolish, because the former tends to peace, and the latter to altercation.

A man deserves to be considered as wise as long as he seeks after wisdom, but when he thinks that he has attained it he is a fool.

A Sage being asked who had taught him wisdom, he answered, "I learnt it from the Blind, who never set down their feet till they have tried the ground.'

" An Arab, who was asked how he knew that there was a God, replied, "In the same manner that I know from the traces in the sand, whether a man or a beast has passed over it."

The story which is interwoven with these Travels has little to recommend it. The episodes are numerous, because every Frenchman in the book chuses on his first introduction to relate the history of his life; and these specimens make us rejoice that this communicative disposition does not extend to the Persians, though in other respects they resemble each other very closely. No difference of national character is perceptible; the dramatis persone are all French; a Persian fair one acts and writes like a French coquette; the modern French terms are deemed so preferable to any other, that the servant of the antient Persian Sage Lokman is called his "valet de chambre;" and whithersoever the Travellers in Persia' direct their steps, they profess to find an affection and respect for the French nation. The ostensible narrator, Mons. de Longueil, also displays an excess of complaisance in the disposal of his heart, which is difficult for an English reader to imagine.

Madame GACON-DUFOUR was not long since introduced to our readers, (Vol. 53, p. 542.) as the author of several works on rural and domestic economy, and on preserving the health of country-people; and from the evidence also of the present volumes, we may conclude that she is not merely a good housewife, a Lady Bountiful, but that she possesses a cultivated mind.

6

INDEX

To the REMARKABLE PASSAGES in this Volume.

N. B. To find any particular Book, or Pamphlet, see the
Table of Contents, prefixed to the Volume.

Α

ABOUKIR, battle_of, misre.
presented by a French wri-
ter, 541.
Acids, experiments on the decom-
position of, 358.
Africa, coast of, lamentable ac-
count of shipwrecks on, and of
the fate of the crews, 198.
Agriculture, state of, in early times

in this country, 60.
Alari, Abbé, a friend and corre-
spondent of Ld. Bolingbroke,
ill requited by that nobleman,
456. His interview with New-
ton, 458.
Alcuin, an accomplished British
monk of the eighth century,

his classic taste asserted, 184.
His favour with Charlemagne,
185.
Alkalies. See Davy.
Amiable, the English epithet, and

aimable, the French, material
difference in the application of
those terms, 488.
Animalcules, in fluids, remarks on,

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vations on his fate supposed to
be influenced by ideas of the
possibility of his being placed
in similar circumstances, 232.
Arrests for debt, regulations re-
lative to, 28.
Arteries. See Young.
Atlas mountains, in Barbary, ac-
count of, 189.

B

Banks, Sir Joseph, on the intro-
duction of the potatoe, and on
Indian hill-wheat, 268. On
inuring tender plants to our
climate, 269. Un managing
strawberries, 271. On the
cranberry, 272. Onthe Spanish
chesnut, 274 On the forcing-
houses of the Romans, ib
Barthélémy. St. or Konigssée,
description of that lake, 480.
Baths, warm, antient and mo-
dern, observations on, 281-
283 431.

Bell, Dr., comparison of his
scheme of education with that
of Mr Lancaster, 333.
Biggs, Mr., on some new apples,

271.

Black, Dr, his labours not suffi-
ciently appreciated by French
physiologists, 525.

Blair, Dr., his illiberal reflections
on Reviews, 393 note.
Blood, circulation of, in insects,

observations on. 117.
Boa Constrictor, account of that
formidable snake, 192.
Lolingbroke, Lord, specimens of
original letters of, and obs. on
Nn

hig

his writings and character, 450
—465.
Brain, dropsy of, account of that
disease, 132.

Brocoli, early purple, on the cul-
ture of, 273.

Brodie, Mr., on a human fœtus
without a heart, 360.
Bruce, Mr., the Abyssinian travel-
ler, biographical account of,
386. Prof. Hartmann's cha-
racter of, 391.
Buenos Ayres, statistical and de-
scriptive particulars of, 87-

93.

Bulls. See Pardors.
Buonaparte, his plan for cutting
off the army of Sir John
Moore, 80, 81.
Burns, the poet, farther particu-
lars of, and of his writings,
400-409.

C

Capillary-action, additional obser
vations on, by M. La Place,

527.

Caravans, African, description of,
and of the entire destruction of
one by thirst in 1805, 200.
Carshalton-church, account of,

110.

Castlereagh, Lord, letters to, from
Sir John Moore, 72, 75, 78.
83, 84.
Cavalry, British, important re-
marks on their dress, 317.
Celts, and Goths, considerations
respecting, 172, 173.
Chance, and Chances, remarks on

the doctrine of, 420, 421.
Charlemagne, his patronage of Al-
cuin, and his great zeal for the
promotion of learning, 185.
Humorous anecdote of, 186.
His expedition into Spain made
the subject of a poem on Spa-
nish Heroism, 236.
Chesnut, Spanish, on the manage-
ment of, 274.
Children, Mr. on a Voltaic appa.
ratus, 356.

Christ, comparison of, with Mo-
ses, 378.

Christianity, arguments in proof
of the truth of, 376.
Churches, and religious structures,
among the Saxons, observations
on, 258, & seq.
Churchill, bon-mot of, respecting
Warburton, II.
Clergyman, important qualifica-
tions for the office of, 283, 284.
Climate. See Plants
Constantinople. See Rome.
Conversion, doctrine of, Dr. Pa-
ley's remarks on, 57.
Copenhagen, attack of, by Lord
Nelson, poetically described,

213.
Corn-laws, historical particulars
of, 60-64.
Cotton-plant, account of experi
ments to introduce the culture
of, in France, 495.
Cranberry, American, successfully
cultivated by Sir Jos. Banks,

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Forcing-Houses, observations on,
272. Account of those of the

Romans, 274- Observations

on the form of, 276.
Forms, religious, remarks on, by
Dr. Paley, 56.

Fox, Charles James, biographi-
cal particulars of, 42-52.
Testimonies to his character
from different sources, 226-
233. Observations on his His-
tory, by Dr. Parr, 231, 232.
Frere, Mr. his communications
with Sir John Moore, 74-
78.
Friendship, Roman, recipe for
making, 295.
Fruits, new and early, observa-
tions on producing, 270. Cul-
tivated by the Romans, 275.
Fruit-trees, on training, 272.

G

Galvanic apparatus, on the con-
struction of, 356.

Gauls, extravagant encomiums
on, by a modern Frenchman,
540.

George III. King of England,
curious account of the Duke
de Nivernois' audience of, in
1762, 513.
Gesture, in oratory. See Oratory.
Goths, see Celts.

Grafting walnuts and other trees,
advantages of, 271.
Granger, Mr., his letters to Horace
Walpole, 292, 293. Miscel-
laneous observations by, 294.
His Biographical History con-
tinued, 297.

Grapes, forcing-house for, 272.
Op the early maturation of,
273.
Greasing sheep, recommended as
a preservative of wool, 383.
Greek, modern, peculiarities of,
compared with the antient lan-
guage, 99.

Gustavus III. King of Sweden,
supposed particulars of his
Nn 2
aliena.

alienation from and reconcilia-
tion with his Queen, 218.
Gustavus IV. anecdote of, 219.

H

Hamilton, Lady, the frequent
model of Komney the painter,
342.

Mr. Gerard, some parti-
culars of his life, 346. et seq.
Haworth, Mr. on the cultivation

of crocuses, 274.

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Insanity, remarks on the defini-
tion of, 276. Causes of, 279.
Management of, 280.

Insects, circulation of the blood
in, remarks on, 117.

Heart, on the functions of the, Instruments, astronomical, &c. on

352.

, account of a human
factus without that organ, 360.
Hénault, President, letter to, from
Montesquieu, 49.
Henry, Philip, anecdotes of, 3co.
Hervilly, Comte de, his appoint-
ment as second in command in
the Quiberon expedition said to
have been fatal to it, 161.
Hicks, Dr. account of, 299.
Hill-wheat, from India, account
of, 269
History, letters on, by Lord
Bolingbroke,geim of that work
in one of Lord B.'s letters, 455.
Holland, first Lord, character of,
44.

Holt, Sir John, biographical par-
ticulars of, 301.

Home, Mr. on the intervertebral
substance in fish, 362.
Horne, Bishop, anecdotes and say-
ings collected by him, 442.
Horticulture, the improvement of,
made the object of a society of
Gentlemen, who are incorpo-
rated by royal charter, 265.
Account of their Transactions,
ib.-276,
Hot-bed frames, on the construc
tion of, 274.
Hot-houses. See Forcing Houses.
Hume, Mr. corrected in his ideas
respecting chance, 420. Sup-
posed by a French writer to
have discontinued his history
through compulsion, and Smol-
let's continuation to have been
mutilated, 455-

dividing them, 363.
Interest. See Money.
Intervertebral substance, in fish, &c.
on the nature of, 362.
Iron and Steel, account of the pro-

cesses employed in the manu-
facture of, 149-155-
Juries, Special, remarks on, 22.

K

Kesteloot, Dr. publishes and adds
notes to the Orations of the
French savans on the progress
of science, 522.
Knight, Mr. A. his general obs.
on Horticulture, 267. On pro-
ducing new and early fruits,
270. On varieties of the Po-
tatoe, 271. On grafting Wal-
nut and other trees, ib. On
training fruit-trees, 272. On
forcing-houses, ib. On hot-bed
frames, 274
On the Down-
ton pippin, ib. On the onion,
275. On the Alpine strawber-
ry, 276. On the peach, ib.
On the origin of roots, 361.

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