The peasants of Little Russia, of the frontiers of Poland, and of the environs of St. Petersburg, are cunning, thievish, and commonly malicious. The Muscovites, on the contrary, are kind, ever ready to oblige, and extremely disinterested. The virtue of hospitality is that which they practice and cherish the most. Superstition and ignorance render them sometimes cruel: but, by instruction and wise laws, they might be rendered the best people in the world. What energy, what struggles for liberty, have they not sometimes shewn! When Tzar Alexius Mikhailovitch, the father of Peter I. discovered his intention of destroying slavery, they immediately assembled and marched against Mosco, which had set itself to oppose the beneficent designs of the monarch. As soon as Catherine II. talked of giving a code of laws to Russia, and detaching the serfs from the glebe, upwards of a hundred thousand of these serfs were in readiness to deliver themselves from the despotism of their tyrants*: but the sovereign stopped short, and the slaves remained in their fetters.' This work has been much improved throughout, and is a very respectable history of the reign of which it treats: the accounts of the country are likewise drawn up from good information. A translation is just advertized. Tooke. ART. XII. Mémoires de L'icadémie Royale des Sciences et Belles W *It is certain that the peasants at that time murdered a great number of their inhuman masters, and these enormities contributed to prevent them from becoming free. It is related that, during the rebellion of Pugatshef, who promised liberty to the serfs, Prince Schercbatof, on returning from Petersburg to Mosco, was much surprised to see his palace illuminated, and, on his nearer approach, to hear the vociferations of tumultuous mirth. His servants were all at table, carousing with his choicest wines and liquors. Irritated at this scene of disorder, he threatened the guests: but one of them rose up and said: "Hear me, Prince Alexander, do not put yourself in a passion; you may repent of what you da, for our avenger is at the door." The prince took the advice, and retired.' volume before us exhibits similar instances of adulation.-In the History of the Academy, we find little that is particularly worthy of notice. It contains a paper entitled Considerations on Fanaticism, by M. FORMEY, which is an irregular declamation, promising something, but performing nothing: the reader may not be inclined to dispute the truth of the observations, singly considered, but he will be unable to conceive for what purpose they have been brought together.-The Eulogium of M. DE CASTILLON senior, written by his son, is composed with sensibility and correctness, but affords nothing very interesting.— There are some other preliminary pieces, which require no particular notice.-Among the MEMOIRS, in the class of SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY, We find a Memoir on the Phænomenism of David Hume, by M. MERIAN. This term is distinguished by the author from Idealism, and Egoism, yet the theories of Berkeley and Hume in reality differ chiefly in degree; the existences of external objects once denied, it is a trifling shade of distinction, whether the sceptic modestly questions the being of other individuals, or only doubts whether he exists himself. Berkeley's religious prepossessions furnished him with the hypothesis of spiritual beings, which was rejected by the cold scepticism of Hume; the Scotch philosopher was consequently led to the monstrous supposition of simultaneous or successive events, existing without mutual relations, without causes, and we may add, without proof of their existence, on this scheme. M. MERIAN has undertaken to combat these opinions, by turning the arms of the sceptics against themselves. He asks, What is a phænomenon? can it exist without being perceived? or, as its name seems to imply, is it essential to its nature that it shall be perceived? Mr. Hume and his disciples cannot affirm the former position without contradicting themselves: for the phænomenon, existing independent of its appearance, would be a real durable being; in one word, a subject, a substance. If the phænomenon does not or cannot exist without being perceived, I would ask, by whom or by what is it perceived? There are only three possible answers: The phænomenon is perceived by itself, or by another phænomenon, or by something which is not a phænomenon. A phænomenon perceiving itself, or appearing to itself, would be something very strange. On this supposition, nothing would exist but individual, insulated, phænomena. Sounds would hear each other, odours would smell each other, &c. Do not you observe, that this self perception supposes an action or re-action on itself? that consequently it supposes causes and effects, which your philosophical conscience will not admit. Phænomena Phænomena which perceive other phænomena are equally inconceivable. Smells which perceive sounds, sounds which perceive colours, which distinguish odours, &c. are so many absurdities. The third supposition of a substratum, or subject, is the only one remaining: but this is banished by Mr. Hume to the country of chimeras.' The author cannot accede to the deportation of this theory; and he proceeds to shew its necessity in a very ingenious manner. Granting, he says, that phænomena can perceive themselves, or each other, each theory supposes something perceiving, and something perceived. Now what perceives is a phænomenon, and consequently is under the same necessity of being perceived, without which it would be no phænomenon :-but by what must it be perceived? by a third phænomenon, which would be circumstanced alike, and so of the rest. A. is perceived by B., B. by C., &c. The process would be infinite, unless we should stop at a given point, which could no longer be a phænomenon.' Another objection started by this writer, against the scepticism of Mr. Hume, is rather ludicrous; if there be no connection between cause and effect, M. MERIAN argues that there can be no connection between Mr. Hume's premises and his conclu sions. This is laying the axe to the root with a vengeance. Several acute observations follow, which it would exceed our limits to introduce. M. MERIAN thinks that the incomprehensible philosopher, Kant, has made use of Hume's principles. It must be acknowleged that the sceptical ideas of Hume are carried to a degree of extravagance which exposes them to merited ridicule. A philosopher who is uncertain of his own existence, who asks, Who am I? Do I think? Do I respire? Have I a body? in a word, Does any thing exist? is an object of compassion rather than of controversy. M. MERIAN has seized some of the leading features of this capricious sophistry, and has treated them with proper severity; yet his dissertation, perhaps, will not convince those GAY. "Sceptics, whose strength of argument makes out That wisdom's deep inquiries end in doubt :" but he has certainly produced arguments which deserve the most serious attention from the disciples of Mr. Hume., This paper is followed by a Memoir on Certainty, and particu larly on human Certainty, by M. ANCILLON. There is nothing satisfactory, nor even ingenious, in this long declamation. That man cannot attain absolute certainty of knowlege, and that he must acquire his ideas in a manner different from the operations 9 operations of the Deity, are notions which might have been conveyed in few words. The whole essay is written in a loose and desultory manner, and will certainly add little either to the instruction of the reader, or to the fame of the Society. BELLES LETTRES. In this class we find a Memoir on Christian of Brunswick, Administrator of Halberstadt. By M. DE MOULINES. This sketch of the marauding life of one of the military adventurers, who infested Germany during the thirty-years war, is not destitute of interest. We own, however, that it presents no very new ideas respecting the character of Christian. It was the fashion of that time to reconcile devotion with arms and gallantry. To such excesses did the prevailing bigotry excite both parties, indeed, that we may apply to them the couplet of Young; that "When their sins they set sincerely down, They'd find that their religion had been one." Continuation of an Essay on the History of the Alps, particularly on the Passage of the Cimbri. By the Abbé DENINA. This is a learned and elaborate paper, which does not admit an abridgment but the perusal of the original will be highly satisfactory to the classical antiquary. M. DENINA inclines to the supposition, that the Cimbri passed the Alps by the way of St. Gothard; and that they were defeated by Marius and Catulus in a large plain, between Domo D'Ossola and Verceil, not far from Gattinara. We meet with many other curious conjectures, and historical elucidations, on which we could dwell with pleasure but the class of readers, whom this essay will more particularly interest, would not be contented with any thing short of the whole paper. The next memoir, written also by the Abbé DENINA, treats of the character of the people who dwell at the foot of the Alps, and in their vallies; and of the progress which arts and letters have made in the north of Italy. A very curious subject of inquiry is here investigated; viz. the influence of soil and situation on the manners of nations. The Abbé observes that we always find on a rough, stony, and barren soil, men more active and laborious, than on rich and fertile ground: that merchants abound in countries bordering on the sea, and hawkers and pedlars on remote mountains; that, on small hills, and on the gentle slope of mountains, we find artists, and men of learning and wit; on rugged and lofty grounds, artisans and laborious students; &c. 5 M. DENINA M, DENINA illustrates his general propositions, by a survey of the nations inhabiting the country immediately beneath the Alps; and here he displays, as usual, great historical knowlege, and much ingenious conjecture, As it would lead us too far, if we should follow him through the whole extent of his investigation, we must be contented with noticing some of the most remarkable passages. The early disposition of the inhabitants of Marseilles to cultivate the sciences is particularly noticed. There were physicians at Marseilles, both authors and practitioners, when scarcely any were known in Italy. Crinas, Carmis, and Demosthenes, were nearly contemporaries with Celsus. The Marseillois were by no means inclined, the Abbé observes, to military efforts; and he accounts for the ferocity of those hordes, who have been too well known of late years under that denomination, from their being composed of foreign labourers, formerly employed in the service of the port, the customs, and the arsenal. Much curious investigation is employed to shew that the Genoese are the descendants of the antient Ligurians; and the progress of literature from Provence, the cradle of modern wit and poetry, to this.part of Italy, is skilfully traced. We cannot help remarking, however, that very humble claims to literary distinction have been admitted by the author. In his subsequent observations, while he attributes genius and intelligence to the natives of the mountains superior to those of the plains, he allows that Mantua furnishes illustrious exceptions to his theory. Many others might be offered, if it were necessary, to prove that soil and situation are less powerful than the impulse given by manners and civilization, in calling forth the exertions of genius. Though we have not always been convinced by M. DENINA, we have at least been much gratified by this essay since it contains many curious particulars concerning celebrated personages of antiquity, and elucidates several passages in the classic writers. The ensuing paper, also by the same writer, treats of the influence which the Academy of Berlin has had on other great establishments of the same kind. It contains a detail of the formation of several Italian academies, subsequently to the formation of that at Berlin, but the subject will excite little attention, except in Prussia. The productions of learned bodies are of more importance than their pretensions to seniority. A Memoir on Herodotus, and the scope of his History. By M. MEIEROTTO; translated from the German. The authority of the poets, especially of Homer, was so generally admitted on historical subjects in antient Greece, that Herodotus, according to |