the conftitution of the Perfian empire he makes the following obfervations.

We find that the whole empire was divided into large provinces called fatrapies, each under the fuperintendency of a great officer intitled fatrap, to whom all governors of towns and imaller districts were reíponible; but without being dependant on him for their appointment or removal, which were immediate from the monarch. Thus the fuperior and inferior governors were each a check upon the other. That the affairs of the empire might be administered with regularity and certain difpatch, and that information might constantly and fpeedily pafs between the ca pital and the remoteft provinces, an establishment was made, imperfectly refembling the modern poft: the business of government alone was its object, without any regard to commercial intercourse, or the convenience of individuals. This appears, however, to have been the first model of that infitution which now, through the liberal fyftem of European politics, and the afcendant which Europe has acquired in the affairs of the world, extends communication fo wonderfully over the globe. The Perfian laws were probably few and fimple; more in the nature of fundamental maxims than of a finished fyftem of jurifprudence. That inflexible rule that the laws were never in any point to be altered, might thus be a falutary restraint upon defpotifm, without preventing intirely the adapting of practice to changes of times and circumftances. Darius regulated the revenue of his empire, compofed of the richest kingdoms in the world. In apportioning the impofts and directing their collection, he his faid to have fhown great abilities and great moderation; yet fo difficult is it for rulers to avoid cenfure whenever private convenience muft yield in the leaft to public neceffity, the Perfians, forming a comparison of their three first emperors, called Cyrus the father, Cambyfes the mafter, Darius the broker of the empire. Mafter, it must be observed, among the ancients impiled the relation, not as with us, to hired fervants, but to flaves.

The Perfians were by nothing more remarkable or more honorably diftinguished from furrounding nations and particularly from the Greeks, than by their religion. It was beyond the purpose of a Grecian hiftory to inlarge upon the theology of Zoroafter, which, as a moft ingenious and indefatigable inquirer has obferved, was darkly comprehended by foreigners, and even by the far greater number of his difciples.' It were equally beyond our object here to difcufs the much difputed queftions, When Zoroafter lived, and whether he was really the founder of the religion, the author of its fublime precepts and inlarged view of the divine nature, or only the regulator. of the Magian worship, and inftitutor of the innumerable ceremonies with which it was incumbered and difgraced. It may however be proper to advert briefly to the strong contrast between the Perfian religion and the Greek, which, as the fame able writer remarks, was fuch that it could not escape the most careless obferver. It appears to have ftruck forcibly the inquifitive mind of Herodotus, who, with all the prejudices of polytheifm about him, has in a few words marked it fo accurately that, after every fubfequent account of ancient authors, and every difcuffion of modern, very nice distinction is

necellany

neceffary to convict him of any error. Thefe,' fays Herodotus, 'I have found to be the tenets of the Perfians. They hold it unlawful to erect images, temples, and altars, and impute to folly fuch practices in others: becaufe as it appears to me, they do not, like the Greeks, think the gods of the fame nature or from the fame origin with men. The fummits of mountains they esteem the places moft proper for facrifice to the fupreme Deity; and the whole circle of the heavens they call God. They facrifice befides to the fun, the moon, the earth, fire, water, and the winds. In addreffing the deity it is forbidden to petition for bleffings to themfelves individually; the prayer muft extend to the whole Perfian nation.” Such are the religious tenets which have always been attributed to the Perfians. But the Perfians themfelves of every age, as the historian of the Roman empire proceeds to obferve, have denied that they extend divine honors beyond the One Supreme Being, and have explained the equivocal conduct which has given occafion to ftrangers continually to charge them with polytheism: The elements, and more particularly Fire, Light, and the Sun, were the objects of their religious reverence, because they confidered them as the pureft fymbols, the nobleit productions, and the moft powerful agents of the Divine Power and Nature.'

Mr. Mitford in his eighth chapter exhibits the hiftory of Greece during the reign of Darius King of Perfia. In his ninth chapter he continues his hiftory from the acceffion of Xerxes to the throne of Perfia till the conclufion of the firft campaign of that monarch's expedition against Greece. And in his tenth and concluding chapter, he proceeds from the battle of Salamis to the conclufion of the Perfian invafion.

Before we fubmit to our readers a characteristical opinion of the merit of Mr. Mitford, we fhall here lay before them another extract from his performance. He thus defcribes the battle of Marathon.

The Perfian generals, guided by Hippias, had chofen their place of debarkation on the eastern coaft of Attica, near Marathon. Here on landing they were at once in a plain in which cavalry might act; and the way to Athens, between the mountains Pentelicus and Brileffus, was lefs difficult than any other across the heights which at fome distance furrounded that city. The intire command which they poffeffed of the fea, made it neceffary for Miltiades to wait for inteligence where they would make their de cent. They had thus debarked their whole force without obftruction, and were already in poffeffion of the plain, when the Athenian army appeared upon the hills above. But this plain was narrow: preffed between the fea éaftward, and the hills weftward, and clofed at each extremity, on the north by a marfh, on the fouth by the hills verging round and meeting the fea. Miltiades, on view of the ground and of the enemy, determined to attack. The first object in ingaging Afiatic armies was to refift or to render ufelefs their numerous and excellent cavalry: the next to prevent them from profiting by their fuperior skill in the ufe of miffile weapons. The former might have been obtained by waiting among the hills: but there the heavy-armed Greeks would

have

have been helplefs against the Perfian archers; whofe fleet, whofe numbers, and whofe weapons would enable them to attack on any fide, or on all fides, or, avoiding them intirely, to proceed to Athens. It was in a plain only that they could be forced to that mode of ingagement in which the Greeks had greater practice, and for which their arms were fuperiorly adapted; and the narrow plain of Marathon was peculiarly favourable. Confined however as the ground was, the Athenian numbers were still infufficient to form a line equal to that of the enemy, and at the fame time in all points competently ftrong. Deciding therefore instantly his choice of difficulties, Miltiades extended his front by weakning his center. Daring valor indeed, guided by a difcernment capable of profiting from every momentary opportunity, could alone balance the many difad vantages of his circumftances. Finding then his troops animated as he wifhed, he iffued a fudden order to lay afide miffile weapons, to advance running down the hill, and ingage at once in close fight. The order was obeyed with the utmost alacrity. The Perfians, more accustomed to give than to receive the attack, beheld at firft, with a difpofition to ridicule, this, as it appeared, mad onfet. The effect of the fhock however proved the wifdom with which it had been concerted. The Afiatic horfe, formidable in champain countries by their rapid evolutions, but in this confined plain incumbered with their own numerous infantry, were at a lofs how to act. Of the infantry that of proper Perfia almoft alone had reputation for clofe fight. The reft, accustomed chiefly to the ufe of mile weapons, was, by the ra pidity of the Athenian charge, not lefs difconcerted than the horse. The conteft was however long. The Pertian infantry, fucceffors of thofe troops who, under the great Cyrus, had conquered Afia, being posted in the center of their army, ftood the vehemence of the onfet, broke the weak part of the Athenian line, and purfued far into the country. The Athenians, after great efforts, put both the Perfian wings to flight; and had the prudence not to follow. Joining then their divided forces, they met the conquering center of the Perfian army returning weary from purfuit; defeated it, followed to the fhore, and amid the confufion of imbarkation made a terrible flaughter. They took feven galleys. The Perfians loft in all fix thousand four hundred men. Of the Athenians only one hundred and ninetytwo fell; but among them were the polemarch Callimachus, Stefileos one of the ten generals, Cynægeirus, brother of the poet Æschylus, and other men of rank who had been earneft to fet an example of valour on this trying occafion. The highest praife of valour however was very equally earned by the whole army, whofe juft eulogy will perhaps beff be estimated from an obfervation of the original hiftorian: The Athenians who fought at Marathon,' fays Herodotus, were the firit among the Greeks known to have used running for the purpofe of coming at once to clofe fight; and they were the firft who withflood (in the field) even the fight of the Median drefs, ⚫ and of the men who wear it; for hitherto the very name of Medes and Perfians had been a terror to the Greeks.'

6

It appears to us, that Mr. Mitford is fufficiently acquainted with all the duties of an hiftorian; and that he has been painfully studious to exercise them. His knowledge of the

authors

authors of antiquity is profound; and he has confulted the Greek writers with an induftry and skill that are very uncommon. His information has every where the claim of exactnefs; and he has diftinguifhed himself by the seriousness and gravity which become fo well the hiftorian. His impartiality and candour are examplary; and his judgment is correct. His book, however, is not to be claffed in the nobleft order of hiftorical compofitions. His ability is more to be admired than his genius, his learning more than his penetration. His manner is equal and uniform. His diction, though full and fometimes harmonious, is deficient in dignity; and we no where perceive in it that fplendour which befits occafionally the hiftoric mufe. He excels in defcription, and fights his battles with a propriety that difcovers a knowledge in military affairs. Good fenfe and erudition are his leading and peculiar characteristics; and, while he wants the bold and shining prerogatives of high genius, he is free from their exceffes. He has no affectation of paradox, no contempt of religion, no unnatural and faftidious refinement. Anxious for the truth, he has attained it. Laborious, perfevering, and intelligent, he is a fagacious and inftructive guide. And, it may be affirmed without the fufpicion of flattery, that no author in the English language has yet exhibited a more perfect performance on any topic of the Grecian ftory. It is to be hoped, accordingly, that he will continue his researches, and complete the undertaking he has begun with fo much fuccefs.

ART. III. A Treatise on the Rectilinear Motion and Rotation of Bodies, &c. By G. Atwood, M. A. F. R, S. Late Fellow of Trinity-College, Cambridge. 8vo. 10s. 6d. Boards. Cadell.

THE Author of this volume is well known and highly

respected in the philofophical world. Mathematicians were flattered a few years ago, with the hopes of receiving from. him a complete fyftem of the four branches of Natural Philofophy. Propofals were actually printed, and fubfcriptions taken in for that purpofe. But whether the patronage, neceffary for a work of fuch expence, was not fufficiently ample, or whether the Author was difcouraged by the labour and magnitude of fo extenfive a performance, we are unable to determine. It feems too true, however, that the intentions which he had then formed concerning this exertion of his faculties, are at prefent laid aside.

This treatife contains the principles of rectilinear and rotatory motion. Thofe parts of it, in which experiments are concerned, were delivered by Mr. Atwood in a much

admired.

admired courfe of lectures, in Trinity-College, Cambridge. The principles of motion have been treated of by many writers, with extent and capacity. Their labours have not, however, rendered the further exertions of men of genius unneceffary. In this volume, whatever has been borrowed front others, claims attention from the clear and precife manner in which it is demonftrated; and what is new, demands refpect from its ufefulnefs and ingenuity.

In the first and fecond fections of this volume, are con➜ tained the elementary propofitions on which the theory of mechanics is founded. In the third fection, the rectilinear motion of bodies impelled or refifted by forces which act uniformly, is confidered Our Author has endeavoured in this and the preceding fection, to remedy that ambiguity which too often attends the doctrine of ratios. He reprefénts each ratio by a fraction, the numerator of which is the antecedent, and the denominator the confequent of the ratio.

The fourth fection contains propofitions which determine the motion of bodies, produced by forces varying in fome ratio of the diftances from a fixed point. The theory of refifting forces which vary in a direct duplicate ratio of the velocities, is confidered in the fifth fection. In the fixth, the principles of rotation are demonftrated. This theory is applied to explain the motion of pendulums which vibrate in circular arcs; to estimate the effects produced by the mechanic powers, or combinations of them, and to the folution of various problems.

In books of mechanics, Mr. Atwood obferves, many experiments have been described by which the equilibrium of the mechanic powers, the compofition and refolution of forces, and other statical principles are explained and verified; but no account is to be found of methods by which the principles of motion may be fubjected to decifive and fatisfactory trials. To fupply this deficiency, our Author has attempted in the seventh and eight fections of this trea tife. The feventh contains the defcription of experiments on the rectilinear motion of bodies, both accelerated and retarded; and the experiments on the principles of rotation, including those which relate to the vibrations of pendulums are inferted in the eighth fection. These experiments feem to have been made with a degree of minuteness and accuracy, which reflects great credit on the Author's genius and

attention.

The purpofe of the ninth fection, is to detect the fallacy of thofe hypothefes which afcribe permanent quantities of motion to bodies moving with given velocities. Thefe, as ENG. REV. FEB. 1785. G

Mr.