In 1776 he undertook his Third voyage, his icy voyage to the North-Pole. No preceding Navigator, if we are not mistaken, got fo near it as he, for he pufhed forward to the S2d degree of latitude. He had here three leading objects in view. The firft was to compare the northern and fouthern climates, and to afcertain exactly the difference between them and the climates of the torrid zone; the second, to observe with careful attention the obftacles which the Navigators have met with (from the ice), to the difcoveries they have hitherto attempted to make in the polar regions; and the third was to determine the question, whether there are lands north of Greenland or not? and alfo to fatisfy his curiosity with refpect to the natural productions that are to be found there, particularly the marine animals and monfters that frequent thofe feas. His defeription of the dangers and difficulties they met with in paffing through the ice is adapted to inspire terror; but it is impoffible to read, without admiration, the bold and ingenious manœuvres, that were employed to furmount both. His account of the tremendous rocks, icy mountains, rapid fummer, and long winter of the islands of Spitsbergen, is most curious and interefting, as is alfo his defcription of the whale-fifhery, and his natural hiftory of that animal. The Ruffians of Archangel having formed, within thefe thirty years paft, fettlements for hunting in feveral places of the islands of Spitsbergen, they pafs the winter on thefe icy coafts, and take a great number of fea lions, which ferve them for food. The Aurora Borealis, and the northern lights, reflected from the fnow, enable them to pursue the chace during the long winter's night that reigns in thefe gloomy regions. The farther our Navigator advanced towards the Pole in his icy courfe, the winds left their feverity, and the vault of heaven appeared more ferene and beautiful; fo that they enjoyed a clear day, while they faw behind them at the horizon, the place they had left, dark and gloomy. The thermometer arofe to 23 degrees, after having been before at two degrees below the freezing point. This is furely (urprifing. The obfer, vations our Author made, during this expedition on the conftant, elevation of the mercury in the barometer, on the variation of the magnetic needle, on the diminution of the faline quality of the fea-water through intenfe cold, and on the different weight of that water from the 50th degree of fouthern, to the 82d of northern latitude, announce an uncommon fpirit of inveftigation. Navigators, more efpecially, will find benefit from the pains he has taken to afcertain the true pofition of fome iflands, the knowledge of which is neceffary to redrefs and rectify their courfe when they get rid of the fhoals of ice which impede it. There are alfo here curious details, relative to the motion, deAlection and formation of these fhoals, and physical obfervations on the winds of the frigid or glacial, compared with those of the torrid zone. The work is enriched with nine plates, which 3 which contain charts and views; among others is a chart of Spitf bergen, from which it appears that the north of Greepland is not fituated in the place that has been affigned to it by Geogra-, phers. All this is but an imperfect indication of the valuable materials contained in thefe volumes. It is certain that M. PAGES is not one of thofe travellers, who go round the world without going into it, and he need not fear, that any will apply to him. thofe lines of Pope, which might not improperly be prefixed as a motto to many voyages: Never, by tumbler through the hoops, was, hown.: t あま He is on the contrary, a Traveller of the right kind, ingenious, patient, attentive, induftrious, lively and fentimental, and we are mistaken if the candid Reader will not find much inftruction and entertainment in his work,,, ART. XII. Phyfique Generale & Particuliere, i, e. A General and Particular Syftem of Natural Philofophy, By Count LACEPEDE, Colonel in the Circle of Weftphalia, and Member of the Royal Academies and Societies of D jon, Touloufe, Stockholm, &c. Vol. I. Paris. 1782. ANOTHER fyftem of Phyfics! aye, why not? the fubject is inexhaustible, and while attempts, more or lefs fuccefsful, are made to difcover and not merely to repeat, they have always a claim to the attention of the curious. It feems to be with great parts as well as with high spirits, that the noble Author, now under confideration, has undertaken to throw fome new particles of light upon Natural Philofophy: but we' think his manner of writing rather too poetical, flighty and fiery for philofophical difcuffion. Truth muft be purfued with a cool head and a temperate, fancy. We cannot fay that there are the predominant characters of Count Lacepede: but we can fay, with confidence, that his genius is elevated, his knowledge extenfive, and the plan of his work vaft and interefting. It is to bé comprized in 12 vols. duodecimo, of which we have yet feen only the firft, and is to comprehend all the truths, laws, and phænomena of phyfical, fcience," In a most eloquent, we had nearly faid, a too eloquent Preliminary Difcourfe, the Author gives an interefting view of the different parts of his work, and the connexion in which they ftand to each other. He points out the objects which are to Occupy the philofopher, the points of view under which he ought to confider them, the inftruments that he is to employ in his refearches, and the qualities that his profeffion eflentially requires. If he poffeffes thefe qualities half as pericêtly as he defcribes defcribes them, we do not doubt that his work will be carried on with fuccefs, and received with applaufe We faid that his plan is vaft, for he comprehends in it a variety of objects; that have hitherto been confidered as belonging to the fphere of Metaphyfics. Space and time enter into this plan, the former, as conftituting the refidence of matter, and the latter, as determining its fucceffive duration. Space, therefore, and time; and the properties of matter are firft confidered. Then follow the phænomena of attraction; cohesion, adhefion, which will naturally be fucceeded by every thing that relates to the diffolutions, combinations and cryftalizations of bodies, to motion and its laws, to the action, refiftance, and elafticity of fluids, fubjects of which our Author fpeaks with rapture, as worthy of the higheft efforts of human genius. The four fubftances generally known under the denomination of Elements, their properties, modifications; affinities and mixtures in the compofition of bodies, come next into confideration, as fluid and liquid fubftances, all fubject to the action of fire; though forming folid bodies by temporary exertions of their effential properties. From hence the Author proceeds to confider the air, found with its divifions and harmony, light, electricity and magnetism, the various kinds of vapours, known under the denomination of gas, the different kinds of air, fixed, nitrous and inflammable. Next in order come Mechanics, with all their objects, inftruments, machines and departments, and all the principles and powers by which they operate. Hitherto however we have only the different parts that form, what our Author calls, the Skeleton of Nature. He therefore proceeds to clothe the skeleton, and exhibit the magnificent body of nature in all its beauty and grandeur. This he does by unfolding the phænomena of aftronomy, the laws which the celeffial bodies follow in their courfes, the powers with which they act on each other, nay, he even proposes to paint out their origin; and we fhall be glad to fee, in the progress of his work, what he means by this expreffion. From the ftarry regions he intends to defcend gradually until he comes to the furface of our globe, taking cognizance in his way, of the zodiacal light, the Aurora Borealis. When he has alighted like Mercury on our planet, and shaken his wings, he proposes to vifit the furface and interior of the earth, and to defcribe its pofition, the inclination of its axis, the fhocks it receives from the action of the fire that burns in its entrails, and alfo to treat of tides, exhalations, meteors, vapours, clouds, and the origin of springs and rivers. From hence he proceeds to Man, confidered in the ma We gave a fhort account of this ingenious Nobleman's Efjay en Natural and Artificial Ele&ricity in the Review for October 1782. terial and organized part of his nature, and from man to the animal and vegetable world, to ftones, foffils, femi-metals, and other inanimate bodies. Confining ourselves to this general view of our Author's plan, we shall not follow him in his illuftrations on space, time, the general properties of bodies, attraction, elafticity, cohesion and adhesion, which are treated in the first fix chapters of his work, and which form the contents of this firtt volume. ART. XIII. ESSA1 fur la Phyfiognomie, &c. i. e. An Effay on Physiognomy (or the Art of reading Faces) defigned to promote the Knowledge and Love of Mankind. By JOHN GASPARD LAVATER, Citizen and Paftor of Zurich. Large 4to. Vol. II. Hague. 1783. WE return with in which all men, women and E return with pleasure to this ingenious, fingular, and entertaining work, children, nay all animal beings are concerned. The latter clafs act a part in this volume, and fome of them come wonderfully near us in the line of phyfiognomical expreffion: nor could it be well otherwife, confidering that man is fuppofed to be a compofition of brute and angel, in which we know, to our coft, how the former predominates. The fecond volume, now before us and but just published, contains feventeeen fragments, seventyeight plates, and a confiderable number of additions, illuftrated by heads, in outline, fhadow, or fully finifhed. We are indebted for the French tranflation of this volume, which is elegant, clear, and carries the easy aspect of an original compofition, to the ingenious M. RENFNER, Secretary to the Pruffian Minister at the Hague. In the first Fragment, our Author answers the objection that has been drawn from the mistakes (real or fuppofed) of Phyfiognomists against the reality of their art or fcience. This objection, which we fhould have looked upon as trivial, he judges ferious. The mistakes of the mechanician do not prove that the science of mechanics has no principles; and it would be abfurd to affirm that reafon is not a real faculty, which leads to the difcovery of truth, because fome men reafon wrong. But our Author farther obferves, that the Phyfiognomift may fometimes appear to be mistaken, when he really is not; and, not only fo, but the more he is an adept in his art, the more will he appear to be mistaken in fome of his decifions, though they be juft and' well founded." The wifeft and the most virtuous man carries in his nature the feeds of almoft every vice, and his nobleft affections may exceed proper bounde, or take a wrong direction. A mild and benevolent man, who, on many occafions, has kept his temper amidst the fharpeft provocations, prefents his counte nance to the Phyfiognomist, who reads in it benignity and ele vation of mind; and will perhaps warmly pronounce his meeknes unalterable. But the objector happens once to meet with. this man in a fit of paffion, and here he takes his land to attack Phyfiognomy, and to declare it a falfe, fcience. But it is the objector that is here miltaken, and not the Phyfiognomift; the latter does not decide concerning a character, from one or even from feveral actions. The Phyfioghomift does not judge actions he obferves the difpofitions of the moral agent, his cha racter, faculties, effential qualities and predominant powers, which, in certain circumstances, may appear in oppofition to his conduct and actions. The remaining part of this Fragment fhews more the feelings of a humane and charitable heart, than the precifion of a logical head; and we do not think that the Phyfiognomift will be attacked, by any fenfible man, with the arguments against which our Author defends him. In the 2d Fragment, M. LAVATER treats of difimulation, falsehood, and candour. From the two first of thefe, very fpecious arguments have been deduced against the certitude of the fcience under confideration; and here, indeed, good defenfive weapons, or a conjuring cap are required to repulle of enchant the adver fary. Our Author feems often to have both at his command. It is then a fact, that the diffembler frequently deceives perfons of the greateft fagacity, and fometimes even adepts in face reading. But here again, this is not the fault of the fcience, but of the Phyfiognomift: for, in the first place, the ftructure of the bones, the arched of flat, the unequal or regular form of the fore-head, the colour, fhape or pofition of the eye-brows, the fize and form of the lips, chin and nofe, the colour and fituation of the eyes, and other appendages of the human head here mentioned, are (as our Author promiles to prove afterwards) fure indications of the internal temper, conftitution and character, and cannot be changed or modified by the influence of artifice or diffimulation. Befides, fecondly, Diffimulation and falfehood announce themfelves by fenfible marks, though it be difficult to expres thefe marks by words or figns. The internal conflict that fubfifts between the natural propenfity of the heart to utter truth, and the laborious effort of artifice to conceal it, muft throw into confufion, more or lefs, the fprings of expreffion and action; and the marks of this confufion will rarely efcape a fagacious, attentive, and experienced obferver: even where habit nas made artifice fit more cafy, and enabled both fimulation and difguife to operate with lefs embarraffment and uncouthness, there is ftill an internal conflict, in which fome feeble rays of the truth will escape from their confinement, and inform the Phyfiognomift of what is going on within. Our Author illuftrates this fecond manner of difcovering diffimulation and falfehood, by a cafe which happened lately, and in |