of meditation in preference to others: it is ftrongly marked with the characteristic of its country, and may be confidered as an elegant trife; as fuch it is, perhaps, beft adapted to the light fallies of fancy and politeffe, of which the convertation in what they call the Beau Monde generally confifts; but it is by no means adapted to thought, nor indeed to converfation, when it penetrates the furface of life, and explores the depths of philofophy.

Of language in general, at leaft of compofition, this Writer feems to know but little: he fays, that brilliant and lofty ideas are like flowers, and that the leaft reflexion docs to one what the burning heat of the fun does to the other. Would this Author then reduce all language to that of a Gazette? Would he infinuate that rhetoric and poetry contain nothing lofty, nothing brilliant, which will not fade upon reflection, like a flower in the fun?

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As to this performance, he fays, "Je n'ai pas la fotte vanité de penser que ce que je donne ou public à toutes les graces de la nouveauté." C I have not the filly vanity to pretend that what I offer to the publick has all the graces of novelty' and in the very next fentence he fays it has no novelty at all. "Je ne dis rien de neuf," I fay nothing new.' He adds, that his fole view was to write a ftyle that was rofy and pure :' ́if this ' is the cafe, his book may be useful to thofe who wish to learn the French language, but is a mere fuperfluity with respect to every thing elfe.

It may, perhaps, be afked, by what right this Editor talks of -writing? And it is fit the reader fhould be told, that though the fubftance of thefe letters belongs to a lady, yet the form is his own. He has new-written them, because he fays the ftile of a woman is tender and feeble. It is indeed fomewhat .difficult to determine how much of what he fays about the letters is true; for in the advertisement or preface, which is manifeftly written in the perfon of a man, he accuses himself of having betrayed an honourary truft, which the French politely call being indifcreet, in publishing letters which one of his female friends wrote to him while fhe was at Paris; and the first letter begins with, I promised you, my dear Harriette.' This certainly is repugnant even to his own ideas of rectitude; for though he fays, that the true religion of people of rank is goodbreeding; yet he adds, that good-breeding thould be founded upon good morals.

He thinks it very ftrange that Englishmen should ever be tired of Paris, and fuppofes it can arife only from their affociating with each other. To bring them better acquainted with the characters of the French, he has delineated feveral, but they do not appear to be fuch as are likely to put an Englishman in good-humour with French company.

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The lady who is fuppofed to furnish materials for these letters, becomes acquainted with a widow of good birth but fmall fortune, who is foliciting a military appointment for her fon. The widow was one day at dinner with our correfpondent, and in the afternoon begged to introduce her fon. With the fon came in one of his comrades, a moufquetaire; the maufquetaires are all young fellows of fashion, and reprefented as being all nearly of the fame character: this gentleman having introduced and prefented himself to the lady of the houfe, an utter ftranger, declined the feat that was brought for him, and planting himself before the chimney, immediately engroffed the converfation; and with now a cringe, now a ftrut, and now a fhrug of the fhoulders, faid a world of civil things to all the company; he then turned about to the glafs, admired his fweet countenance, reftored a ftray hair to its curl with a gentle touch, adjusted the bofom of his fhirt, and then turned again to the company. Our traveller was fhocked at thefe foppifh impertinences; but her husband whispered her that they were the fashion, and that every body accommodated themfelves to them. The hero then afked her a thoufand pardons for having introduced himself without being announced; faid that he knew very well the refpect that was due to ladies, and that if this piece of rudenefs and prefumption fhould be talked of in the world it would ruin him; he added, however, by way of excufe, that he thought only of waiting upon his friend to his mother, and had not the leaft reafon to expect that he should have the honour of making himfelf known to the most amiable and beautiful ftranger in the world. He would have run on in the fame ftrain, if the lady had not cut him fhort. Sir, faid fhe, it is impoffible that I fhould not think every body welcome who comes as an acquaintance of a lady whom I efteem fo much as the mother of your friend. You are too good, Madam, faid he, with an air of felf-fatisfaction which it is impoffible to defcribe, I always thought till this moment that I was born under an unhappy planet; but, faid he, pinching up first one ruffle and then the other, to difplay a diamond ring which he wore upon each of his little fingers, fince you have the goodness, Madam, not to chaftife me for my temerity, I fhall think myself born to better fortune. He then took out a very fine gold fnuff-box, and, as if without intending it, fuffered the company to fee a portrait which was on the infide of the lid; he gazed upon it for a moment, and then again addreffing the lovely ftranger, Ah! Madam, faid he, if all the fex had the fame goodness of heart, the fame polite indulgence that you have, they would be too amiable, too charming, what raptuAt these words he affumed a penrous devotion fhould I pay them! F 2

a penfive air and was filent. Has the fex then given you any caufe for complaint, faid the lady. Excufe me, Madam, faid he, with an air of referve, I muft fay no more. Then fuddenly turning to his young companion, Well, faid he, what is to become of you to-day? I have a scheme in my head for you. Do you know, that when once you have put on your regimentals, you must bid adieu to the cloifter. There's a new piece performed to-night at the French House, and a place in my carriage is at your fervice. Come, I'll introduce you at the Green Room, and prefent you to the girls; fome of them are very pretty, I'll affure you: I am at home among them; come, you fhall fup with the Dubois this very night. Madam, fays he, turning to the mother, I'll introduce your fon to the world; there's stuff enough, and I'll warrant you I'll make fomething of him. The good lady anfwered, that she was very fenfible of the obligations fhe lay under to him for the care which he offered to take of her fon, but that he would have many more opportunities of going to the play, than of enjoying the good company to which he had now introduced him. To this Monf. the moufquetaire made not one word of reply, but taking out his watch, and looking, or not looking, at the hour, he took leave of his comrade. I would not for the world, faid he, reproach myself with having made you desert good company. He then made his bow to the ladies, and with a kind of half run left the room.

Our Author, whether he or fhe we cannot tell, intimates, that all the French youth in the rank of Gentlemen, are fuch creatures as thefe; and accounts for it by faying, that the light wholesome air which they breathe, their food, their wine, and their fruits, contribute to make them fuch; yet he fuppofes, that when Englishmen are tired of Paris, it is becaufe they keep company with one another. For our own parts, we would not bear the impertinence of fo defpicable and diffolute a coxcomb to live any where but in Heaven; where indeed it is not very likely fuch fhould intrude. Some other characters are drawn in this work with a free outline and good colouring; and it will amuse even those readers to whom it will offer nothing new. Some reflexions upon women, by a French lady, are reprinted at the end of thefe letters; but as they are not now first published, they do not now come under our notice. Ha:

ART. XVI. Natural Short Hand. Wherein the Nature of Speech, and the Manner of Pronunciation, are briefly explained, and a natural Reafon affigned from thence for the particular Form of every Stroke, every fingle Articulation, whether Vowel or Confonant, is marked by a diftinct fingle Line. All the fimple Characters are as analogous to each other as the Sounds they reprefent ;

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alfo their Conveniency for joining is commenfurate to the Frequency of their Ufe; the Number of afcending and defcending Lines are duly proportioned to each other, and the Rules for writing and contracting are few, plain and familiar. To which is annexed, a Short-hand Character for expreffing musical or inarticulate Sounds without the Ufe of ruled Lines. By Holdfworth and Aldridge, of the Bank of England. 8vo. 15s. Boards. Printed for the Authors, and fold by Chater in KingStreet, &c.

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S the art of fhort-hand writing is undoubtedly an important and useful one, to facilitate the attainment of it is a very laudable undertaking. There are many stations in which the want of this art is a great difadvantage. This fpecies of writing, were it well understood and rendered familiar by practice, would fave much time and labour, and ferve as an excellent aid both to the invention and memory. Eafe and expedition are the chief objects to be regarded in every attempt of this kind; the characters made ufe of fhould be therefore as natural and fimple as poffible. For want of an attention to this, in feveral of the fyftems now extant, many have been deterred from the study of this art; and others, who have feldom had occafion to use it, have been unable to retain what they have formerly learnt of it.

The defign of this publication is to obviate thofe difficulties with which this useful art is encumbered to bring it nearer to perfection, to render its utility more extenfive, to make the learning of it more cafy, and the practice more pleasant and familiar.' And though the Authors may not have fucceeded to the degree they might wish, the ingenuity and pains discovered in their performance, entitle them to just commendation.

Natural fhort-hand, they obferve, is a title as fingular and uncommon, as it is well fuited to exprefs the difference between this fhort-hand and all others. Every character in this method has its foundation in nature, and derives its particular. form from the peculiar pofition of the organs of speech, or the paffage of the breath in the art of pronunciation.'

The plan purfued in this work is delivered in the following paragraph. Short-hand, or that which alone deferves the name, is the art of writing by certain marks or characters as the fymbols of fpeech, wherein every fimple found fhould be expreffed by a fimple character.-The particular form of every fimple character, fhould correfpond with the natural pofition of the organs of fpeech, or the paffage of the breath in the act of pronunciation. The diftinction between every fimple found Thould be marked by preferving a like difference among the characters.-The conveniency of every fimple character should

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be commenfurate to the frequency of its ufe; and every character fhould be fuch as will join with the greatest eafe and readiness to any one preceding or fucceeding, as may be required.'

In the profecution of this plan, they enquire how many fimple founds there really are in the English language; how many forts of fagle lines or fimple characters can be obtained; and then how thefe two, the fingle lines and fimple founds, may be moft naturally and conveniently adapted to each other.

The philosophy of their fyftem, which is very ingenious, though many of their readers may think it too much laboured, confitts chicfly in the examination of thefe particulars :

With reference to the firft particular, they obferve, that the organs of fpeech by which all founds are produced, are, ift, The lips. 2d, The teeth. 3d, The tongue. 4th, The palate or throat. Now as it is poffible to afcertain the number of organs, and what these are, it only remains to point out with equal certainty how many and what changes they are capable of undergoing in the act of pronunciation, fo as that each change may produce a found really diftinct from the reft.' And they have furnished a table, reprefenting at one view the number both of articulate and vocal founds; of the former of which there are 24, and of the latter 6.

Their next enquiry leads them to determine the number of fimple charecters, which may be made ufe of under different forms to reprefent thefe founds. Thefe are contained in a fcond plate, and are four in number, viz. a point-a ftrait line-a circle with its feveral fegments-and an ellipfis in its feveral pofitions and fections. Of thefe, they obferve, the molt fimple and convenient are chofen for the alphabet, or rather to exprefs thofe fimple founds, which are the elementary principles of all languages. They then apply thefe characters in the manner which appears to them the most convenient and natural to the founds they are intended to reprefent. And for this pur ofe they exhibit, in a third plate, the pofitions of the organs of fpeech and the paffage of the breath in the feveral acts of pronunciation.

It would be too tedious to purfue their method of determining thefe particulars at large. We fhall content ourselves with obferving, that they ufe fuch marks for certain founds, as moft naturally reprefent the pofition of the feveral organs employed in uttering them. e. g. The dentals are fuch mute

articulations as are made at and against the teeth. These have been generally, though not fo properly, called linguals, because their formation, as does that of most others, depends partly upon the pofition and motion of the tongue. The mute dentals are thefe four, T, TH, D, DH.

T: hard