The two first columns of the fecond page of the month, contain the day of the month and week, as before; next follow the fun's longitude, right afcenfion in time, declination, and the equation of time, with the difference from day to day.

The third page contains at the top, the femidiameter of the fun; time of his paffing the meridian; his hourly motion; the logarithm of the fun's diftance; and the place of the moon's node and at the bottom, the eclipfes of the fatellites of Jupiter.

On page IV. are the planets heliocentric and geocentric, longitudes and latitudes, their declinations, and the time of their paffing over the meridian.

Page V. contains the configuration of the fatellites of Jupiter. The feventh and five following pages of each month, contain the moon's place, and all the circumstances relating to her motions, and her diftances from the fun and proper stars, from which her diftance fhould be obferved for finding the longitude at fea. And for the greater accuracy, the moon's longitude, latitude, right afcenfion, declination, femidiameter, horrizontal parallax, with its logistic or proportional logarithm, are computed twice a day; viz. to noon and midnight, and may be readily inferred to any intermediate time, with great exactness.

In the Ephemeris are, a table of the refraction of the heavenly bodies in altitude; of the moon's parallax in altitude; for turning degrees and minutes into time, and the contrary; of the longitude and latitude of the principal zodiacal ftars: for finding the aberration of a zodiacal star in longitude; for chufing proper ftars from which to obferve the moon's diftance; for finding the correction of the moon's longitude or latitude, obtained by proportion from the places calculated for noon or midnight; of the right afcenfion and declination of the principal fixed stars of the firft and fecond magnitude, adapted to the year 1767, with their variations in ten years; of the multipliers of the difference between the moon's longitude computed, and that inferred from obfervation; of the dip or depreffion of the horizon of the fea; of the right afcenfion and declination of some of the principal fixed ftars, deduced from Dr. Bradley's obfervations; tables and rules for correcting the apparent distance of the moon from the fun or a fixed ftar, on account of refraction and parallax, by Mr. Lyons; fupplemental tables to be ufed for correcting the fecond and third tables for refraction, and for finding the effect of the fun's parallax, where it is required to have the refult true to a fecond, by the fame gentleman; a new method for computing the error of refraction and parallax upon the moon's diftance from the fun or a fixed far; by Mr. Dunthorne; a table of proportional logarithms; together with the explication and ufe of the tables requifite to be

ufed with the aftronomical and nautical ephemeris; of the table of proportional logarithms; and inftructions for finding the longitude at fea by the help of the ephemeris: by the aftronomer royal.

Such are the contents of this elaborate performance, by which every difficulty attending the method of finding the longitude at fea by thefe obfervations is removed, and the whole calculus, which was before extremely perplexing and difficult to feamen, rendered very plain and eafy. It is therefore to be hoped that our navigators will no longer neglect to put in practice a method which cannot fail of enabling them to correct their journals, and of determining, to a very confiderable degree of accuracy, the true place of the fhip, and confequently of avoiding the dangers and fatal misfortunes too often attending miftakes and errors in their reckonings. Let them no longer call for a discovery of the longitude, as if no fuch thing was in being; but fet themfelves earnestly to practise what is now offered them; and there is not the leaft reafon to doubt, but the method will foon become eafy and familiar, and the art of navigation be carried to a fufficient degree of perfection.

We cannot conclude this article without congratulating our countrymen on the appearance of this ufeful and elaborate performance; the accuracy and perfpicuity of which cannot fail of reflecting honour on this nation in general, and on the Authors in particular.

Beccaria's Effay on Crimes and Punishments. Concluded.

N our laft number, we gave a fhort account of this remarkable book, having then, for want of time, perufed it only in a curfory manner. We now proceed to speak particularly of the commentary, afcribed to M. Voltaire, and which, we have already faid, feems ftrongly marked with that author's fingularity of ftyle and manner. His first chapter bears this title, The Occafion of this Commentary; and begins thus,

"Having read, with infinite fatisfaction, the little book on crimes and punishments, which in morality, as in medicine, may be compared to one of thofe few remedies, capable of alleviating cur fofferings; I flattered myfelf that it would be a means of foftening the remains of barbarifm in the laws of many. nations; I hoped for fome reformation of mankind, when I was informed, that within a few miles of my abode, they had. just hanged a girl of eighteen, beautiful, well-made, accomplifhed, and of a very reputable family. She was culpable of having fuffered herself to be got with child, and alfo of having abandoned her infant. This unfortunate girl, flying from her father's

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father's houfe, is taken in labour, and without affiftance, is delivered of her burden, by the fide of a wood. Shame, which in the fex is a powerful paffion, gave her ftrength to return, home, and to conceal her fituation. She left her child expofed; it is found the next morning; the mother is difcovered, condemned and executed.'

Our Author is of opinion that this unfortunate girl ought not by any means to have fuffered death; and after urging feveral arguments in fupport of his opinion, he concludes with this fentence: Infure, as far as poffible, a refource to those who shall be tempted to do evil, and you will have less to punish.

In the fecond chapter, continuing the fubject, This misfortune, fays our Author, and this very hard law, with which I was fo fenfibly affected, prompted me to caft my eyes on the code of criminal laws of nations. The humane Author of the effay on crimes and punishments had but too much caufe to complain, that the latter frequently exceed the former, and are fometimes detrimental to, the ftate they were intended to ferve. Those ingenious punishments, the ne plus ultra of the human mind, endeavouring to render death horrible, feem rather the invention of tyranny than of juftice. The punishment of the wheel was first introduced in Germany in the times of anarchy, when those who ufurped the regal power refolved to terrify, with unheard-of torments, thofe who fhould difpute their authority. In England they ripped open the belly of a man guilty of high treafon; tore out his heart, dafhed it his face, and then threw it in the fire. And wherein did this high treafon frequently con fift? In having been, during a civil war, faithful to an unfortunate king; or in having fpoken freely on the doubtful right of a conqueror. At length their manners were foftened: they continue to tear out the heart, but not till after the death of the offender. The apparatus is dreadful; but the death is mild, if death can ever be mild.'

In his chapter, on the extirpation of herefy, he reminds thofe good chriftians who perfecute each other, that Jefus Chrift, who could have united all the faithful in the fame fentiments, did it not, and therefore we may conclude that it was not his defign; that every fect may juftly fay to thofe who tolerate the Jews, Treat us as you treat the fons of Jacob; let us, like them, pray to God according to our confcience. You tolerate the enemies of Jefus Chrift; tolerate us who adore him, and who differ from you only in theological fubtilties.'-What overzealous bigot can read this paffage, without blufhing at the frivolous, the impious pretence of perfecuting his fellow Chrif tians for the glory of God?

In his chapter of profanation, alluding to the cafe of the unfortunate youth, who in France not long fince was legally mur

dered

dered for infulting an image of Mary the virgin, "Would you treat a wild young man, fays our writer, who, in his frenzy, had profaned a facred image, but without ftealing it, with the fame rigour that you punished a Brinvilliers, who had poisoned his father and his whole family? There is no law against the unhappy youth, and you are determined to make one that fhall condemn him to the fevereft punishment! He deferved chastisement; but did he deferve fuch excruciating torture, and the most horrible death? But he had offended God! True, most grievously. Imitate God in your proceedings against him. If he be penitent, God forgives him. Impole a penance, and let him be pardoned. Your illuftrious Montefquieu hath faid: "It is our duty to honour the Deity, and not to revenge him." Let us weigh these words. They do not mean, that we should neglect the maintenance of public decorum; but, as the judicious author of the preceeding effay obferves, that it is abfurd for an infect to pretend to revenge the Supreme Being. A village magiftrate, or the magiftrate of a city, is neither a Mofes nor a Joshua.'

Having, in the fucceeding chapter, obferved the amazing contraft between the wife, the humane laws of the Romans, and the barbarous inflitutions by which they were fucceeded, 'It was a maxim, fays he, with that people, Deorum offenfa Diis cura, offences against the Gods, concern the Gods only. The fenate, being at the head of religion, were under no apprehenfions, that a convocation of priests fhould force them to revenge the priesthood under a pretext of revenging heaven. They never faid, let us fhew the priesthood by our cruelty that we are no lefs religious than they. "But our religion is more holy than that of the Romans, and confequently impiety is a greater crime." Granted: God will punish it.'

Chapter the feventh, under this extraordinary title, On the crime of preaching, and of Anthony, we fhall tranfcribe entirely. A Calvinift teacher, fays our Commentator, who, in certain provinces, preaches to his flock, if he be detected, is punished with death; and thofe who have given him a fupper, or a bed, are fent to the gallies for life. In other countries, if a Jefuit be caught preaching, he is hanged. Is it to avenge God that this Calvinist and this Jefuit are put to death? Have both parties built upon the following evangelical law? If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publiBut the evangelist does not order that this heathen and this publican fhould be hanged. Or have they built on this paffage in Deuteronomy, chap. xiii. If among you a prophet arise; and that which he hath faid come to pafs; and he fayeth unto you, let us follow firange gods; and if thy brother, or thy fon, or thy wife, or the friend of thy heart, fay unto thee, come let us fellow firange gods; let them be straightways killed, ftrike thou firft, and all the

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people after thee. But neither this Jefuit nor this Calvinift said unto you, come let us follow ftrange gods. The counsellor Dubourg, the monk Jehan Chauvin, named Calvin, the Spanith phyfician Servetus, the Calabrian Gentilis, all worshipped the fame Gof: and yet, the prefident Minard caused counsellor Dubourg to be burnt; and Dubourg's friends caufed Minard to be affaffinated; Jehan Calvin caufed the phyfician to be roafted, and had "likewife the confolation to be a principal means of bringing the Calabrian Gentilis to the block; and the fucceffors of Jehan Calvin burnt Anthony. Was it reafon, or piety, or justice, that committed thefe murders?

The hiftory of Anthony is one of the moft fingular which the annals of phrenfy hath preferved. I read the following account in a very curious manufcript it is in part related by Jacob Spon. Anthony was born at Brieu in Lorrain, of catholic parents, and was educated by the Jefuits at Pont a-Mouffon. The preacher Fèri engaged him in the proteftant religion at Metz Having returned to Nancy he was profecuted as a heretie, and, had he not been faved by a friend, would certainly have been hanged. He fled for refuge to Sedan, where, being taken for a papift, he narrowly escaped affaffination. Seeing by what ftrange fatality his life was not in fafety either among papifts or proteftants, he went to Venice and turned Jew. He was pofitively perfuaded, even to the last moments of his life, that the religion of the Jews was the only true religion; for that if it was once true, it must always be fo. The Jews did not circumcife him, for fear of offending the ftate; but he was no less internally a Jew. He now went to Geneva, where, concealing his faith, he became a preacher, was prefident of the college, and finally what is called a minifter.

The perpetual combat in his breaft between the religion of Calvin, which he was obliged to preach, and that of Mofes, which was the only religion he believed, produced a long illnefs. He became melancholy, and at laft quite mad, crying aloud, that he was a Jew. The minifters of the gospel came to vifit him, and endeavoured to bring him to himself; but he anfwered, "that he adored none but the God of Ifrael; that it was impoffible for God to change; that God could never have given a law, and infcribed it with his own hand, with an intention that it Thould be abolished." He fpoke against Chriftianity, and afterwards retracted all he had faid, and even wrote his confeffon of faith, to escape punishment; but the unhappy perfuafion of his heart would not permit him to fign it. The council of the city affembled the clergy to confult what was to be done with the unfortunate Anthony. The minority of these clergy were of opinion, that they fhould have compaffion "on him, and rather endeavour to cure his difeafe than punish him. REV. May, 1767.

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