† Gabriel Cramer, born at Geneva, in 1634, rendered himfelf famous throughout Europe, by his progress in the mathematics. That learned man, who poffefied a fund of knowledge in phyfics and the belles lettres, was the author of a profound work, intitled, Introduction à la Théorie des Lignes Courbes. Cramer died in 1752. I Bezout, who prefented to the public two courses of the mathematics, which are juftly efteemed, and whom the accurate Iciences loft in 1783, wrote a learned treas tife, intitled Theorie Générale des Equations Algebriques. Alexis Claude Clairaut, who may be confidered at a prodigy, was born at Paris, in 1715, and learned to read in the Elements of Euclid. At four years of age he could both read and write, and at eleven he underfood L'Hospital's Analyse des Infiniment Petits. At the age of fixteen, he published his Recherches fur les Courbes (Researches on Curve Lines), a work worthy of the greatest geo. metricians; and every performance which he afterwards published bore the impression of his fublime talents. After an indifpofition of fome days, Clairaut died, in 1765. The Academy of Sciences had enrolled him among their members at the age of eighteen. As English Translation of Clairaut's excellent Geometry is in the prefs, the plates by Lovory.Tranflator. John le Rond D'Alembert was born in Paris, in 1717, and finished his brilliant caleer in the fame city, in 1783. His genius While very young, D'Alembert gained the Wes unfolded before he attained maturity. prize offered by the Academy of Berlin for the beft account of the general caufe of the winds, and he dedicated his work to the cations of analysis to the most difficult problems in the physico-mathematical sciences. In this last period, all the branches of the accurate sciences have made the most rapid advances towards perfection. But here I must not allow myself to enumerate the labours of my cotemporary geometricians, nor to examine the influence which schools, where the art of teaching has been reduced to system by the greatest masters in Europe, may have on the pro gress of the mathematics. 4. For the Monthly Magazine. ESTABLISHMENT of the KNIGHTS of MALTA in BAVARIA. URING the last three years the mi Dlitary order of Malta has acted fo fingular a part on the grand theatre of the world, and even fince the peace of Aniens, has given rife to so much contention among the principal powers of Europe, that accurate information relative to their present state cannot fail of being acceptable to our readers, many of whom probably do not know, that the Bavarian branch (or language, as it is called) of the order, owed the prolongation of its exittence, merely to the threats of the late emperor Paul of Ruffia. The order of St. John of Jerufalem was first introduced înto Bavaria by the late elector Charles Theodore, of whose piety and eafy temper advantage was frequently taken byde King of Pruffia, in these three Latin hexa- Of winds I treat, while, swifter than their Heroic Frederic drives pale Austria's bands, And, laurel-crown'd, presents the olive branch. The King of Prussia, who had just terminated his campaigns against the Austrians by a glorious peace, was pleased with this dedi cation, and offered the French philofopher the Prefidency of the Academy of Berlin; but D'Alembert declined the offer from attachment to his native country, where he enjoyed the highest reputation. His prelimina ry difcourse to the Encyclopædia elevated him to the rank of the writers in the nation, while, from his mathematical works, he participated with Euler in the honour of being one of the most celebrated geometricians of the age. D'Alembert acted an important part, as a Member of the Academy of Sciences, and as Secretary to the French Academy. figning figning men. By a charter, dated the 6th hemia towards the theatre of war; and it of August, 1781, he established in Bavaria, Neuburg, Sulzbach, and the Upper Palatinate, a branch of that order, to the honour of God, for the purpose of promoting the intereits of the holy Catho lic religion, for the benefit of the Bavarian nobility, and the good of the commonwealth; and he conferred upon them the eftates and poffeflions that formerly be longed to the Jefuits. This donation was very confiderable; the value of their capital exceeding 600 millions of florins.The language confifted of the grand-priories or Münich and Ebersberg, the grand bailywick of Neuburg, 23 lecular and 4 clerical commanderies. The privilege of having a chancery of their own was like wife granted them, with all the rights and exemptions enjoyed by the nobilny, and the grand-prior held the fame rank among the ftates of the electorate as the order of prelates. The other knights who hold commander es likewife obtained a feat among the Rates in Bavaria and Neuburg: but in the Upper Palatinate and Sulzbach, where there is no affembly of the itates, all the rights and privileges of the noble proprietors of fiefs. The prince of Bretzenstein, a natural fon of the elector, had been appointed grand-prior. When Maximilian Joseph fucceeded to the electorate, he confidered bimfelf juftified in revoking these grants of his predeceflor, which had not been confirmed by the approbation of the agnates. The eftates of the Jefuits had been originally appropriated to the fupport of the schools; and as the new elector had refolved to pay particular attention to the amelioration of public inftru&ion, one of his first acts after his acceffion was, a decree for fuppreffing the order of Malta in his dominions. Their eftates he put under se. questration, the revenues of them being deftined to form a fund to defrav the expences of the public schools. This new regulation would probably have been productive of the molt beneficial effects, and every friend of humanity and the sciences hailed the approach of better days: but, unfortunately, the emperor Paul of Ruffia had taken the order of Malta under his protection, and even accepted the office of grand-mafter. With the vehemence peculiar to him, he protested against the proceedings of the elector of Bavaria, accompanying his protest with threatening hints of the means by which the powerful can enforce compliance with their demands: At that time the third body of auxiliary Russian troops was marching through Bo is afserted, that Korsakoff, their commander, had orders to treat Bavaria in a hoftile manner, if, before his entrance into the electorate, the decree against the knights of Malta should not have been annulled. The elector being unable to reffit so powerful an interceffion, the knights of Malta have been reinstated in all their poffeffions, rights, and privileges, in confequence of a treaty figned on the 29th of July, 1799, by baron Flaxman, grand-crofs of the order of St. John of Jerufalem, and by baron Montgelas, minif ter of state to the elector. The office of gran :-prior is always to be held by a younger prince of the electoral family.That the institution of this new branch might cause no alteration in the established constitution of the order, it has been agreed upon that it shall form a part of the English and new Ruflian languages, and be called the English-Bavarian Ruffian Language. The knights and their eftates are to be fubject to the flatutes of the order, and to the decrees of the grand chapter at Malta; with various exceptions and alterations, however, rendered neceffary by the established laws and customs of Bavaria. For the Monthly Magazine. PRESENT STATE of KENTUCKY, by MR. TOULMIN. - No. XII. B Lexington, Kentucky, E pleased to inform George, with my kind regards to him; that I lately received a letter from him and Mr. Bdated, I think, about 18 months ago. Tell him that we shall not forget him, and shall be forty if our children should be strangers to him. But alas! it is difficult to tranfcribe upon the minds of children one's own impreffions, when the caufes of them are so diftant. I am glad to be able to inform you, that my health thus far keeps pretty well this fummer, for which, I think, I am a good deal indebted to the judicious medical affistance of Dr. Harrifon, who was one of the witnesses respecting the flavetrade before the House of Commons. I find you have received a letter of mine written the last fall, when labouring under the * Mr. George Wiche, who died at Philadelphia 23d of August, 1799, on his way to Kentucky, and of whom an interefting and well-written Memoir was given in the Monthly Magazine for Dec. 17993 P. 926. greate greatest depreffion of spirits, in consequence of the very debilitating complaint with which I was long afflicted. You likewife fpeak of a letter which I wrote, containing some remarks on Mr. Cooper's objections to Kentucky, on which you feem to think that experience has altered my opinion. But I believe this is not the cafe. I have not, indeed, a copy of the letter by me, but I know not that I have seen any reafon to alter my general opinion respecting this country. No. XIII. Lexington, Kentucky, Sept. 11, 17966 I have borne this fummer much better than I expected, having been but little incommoded by the heat, except when it first began, in the month of April or May; and it is now, indeed, fomewhat exceffive for the feafon of the year, the thermometer standing at feven in the morning at 74, in the middle of the day at 84 or 5, which it has for fome days; though it was so cold the week before last, that we had fires in our fittingrooms. There was the fame irregularity in the spring, and in confequence of it the peach-blossoms on this fide of Kentucky-river were univerfally cut off; and yet the peaches have been so plentiful on the other fide, that they have been brought from hence (20 miles off) by waggonloads, and fold in town at half a dollar per buthel. I mention these things, because one's attention in a country territory new to one is naturally drawn to such matters. There is one respect, indeed, in which I had formed wrong conceptions, and in which too, I believe, the country itself to have undergone fome change. I refer to climate-I believe it to be neither so healthy nor so agreeable as I expected.* Slavery was always an objection. Society is another objection: but it held equally good as to Northumberland, or almost any other place; and if it does not hold equally good now, it is because a circle of former friends have fettled together there: and neither my influence, nor my industry in giving inviting representations, was fufficient to accomplish the fame here. There is one great point in which Mr. Cooper appears, from experience, to have wonderfully mif-calculated. He argued, that the little profpect of a rife in the price of land in Kentucky, forbad any it may offer fome information to those expectations of rendering investments in who want it, it will appear under very land profitable here. The fact is, that great difadvantages. In what I fent in various parts of the state land has risen there were fome chasins, which I meant 100 per cent. fince I have been here; and to have filled up afterwards; and I far in fome cafes it has risen 3, 4, and even ther find, that many of my communica500 per cent.: I have loft fine opportu- tions never reached my friends, fo that nities of increasing the little I had; but any publication of my papers must apit is not yet too late to improve what little pear in a very disjointed form. And yet can fave... But let Englishmen beware of I know not how to mend it, unless I had Land-jobbers, who go to Europe to accom- the whole before me; which to be fure modate the people with lands in America. the printing of what you have would I fcarcely know what to advise respect afford me an opportunity of; though it ing RS. I have no doubt of might be at the risk of gaining no great its being as advantageous a place as he credit as a traveller, or a writer. How. could fix in for laying a foundation for ever, I leave it to the judgment of my provifion in future life. He would (being friends in England, and would, in addiwell recommended) at once maintain him. tion to what I have already faid, only belt well by his fervices in a store, which, wish to take the opportunity of cautionwith industry and prudence, would lead ing my countrymen to put no confidence to his establishment in a trade for himself. In your last you were mentioning a proposal of publishing my Journal, and I forgot, when writing in reply, to fay any thing upon the subject. And, in. deed, now I hardly know what to say. But I am very fully sensible, that, though But the morals of youth, in fuch a fitu- * This was, from time to time, communiation, are in great danger. So much cated to his friends in Lancashire, at whose Cipation, fo much gaming, fo much defire he went to America. A gentleman of licentiousness, that a youth, not under Manchester meant to have published it, but the immediate controul of a judicious friend, is in great danger. His expectations were, it is probable, ried too high by Imlay's fafcinating account W the western territory. † A youth, related to him. in the mean time the papers were lent about. and difperfed into fo many hands, that they could not be collected together again. To make up, in some degree, this lofs, the above and preceding extracts have been communicated to the public through the channel of this Mifcellany, in in the land-fpeculators, who in England, orchards. My reasons for buying this offer American lands for sale, and like wife to make allowances for the reprefentations of travellers, whether they appear to be much pleased or much disgusted. No doubt I have myself often spoken under the influence of both sentiments. The letter which you fent for Mr.(i. e. a gentleman of Pittsburgh) I shall have an opportunity of fending up the river this week, by a p.ivate hand. The differences and disturbances in the Pittf burgh country are now entirely allayed: but political opinions and feelings are running very high every where at present, on account of the proposed Treaty with England: and I cannot but think it much to the credit of the British Ministry (acting for the good of their own country) that they should have had address enough to propose, and fucceed in propofing, a treaty, which is confidered as so disadvantageous to America, as to have excited among the bulk of the people a general fentiment of disgust throughout the continent. (i. e. About three months fince arrived here, with his wife and five children, a brother of Mr., of Mr. His wife died at our house within ten days after their arrival, and his youngest child has died fince. On the eighth of this month he and I jointly concluded a purchase of 105 acres of land, two miles and a half from town, and discharged the first payment. We give 41. 31. fterling) per acre, which is at least 30s. more than it might have been purchased for a year ago. A gentleman told N- this afternoon, that two years ago it was offered to him at 20s. per acre, and yet he thinks it now cheap at 41. land rises so much. We have paid 1741. are to pay in February 1797 another 1741. and in August 1800 the remaining 721. that being the value of 18 acres of the tract, which we are not to have poffeffion of till the death of the late proprietor's mother, who is 65 years of age. Mr.- is gone to live on the land, though he has but one single little cabin, but will have a good large one up next week. We are to occupy the buildings at present on the land, and to make compenfation for it to Mr. The late proprietor will not leave till Christ. mas, when we think of removing to the place. There are in all about 60 acres of cleared land; but out of these the 18 acres above ment oned are to be deducted. There are likewife young apple and peach land were the fame as those which led us to remove from town to the countrythe saving of expence. In town, houserent was 201. a year, fire-wood another 20l. In the country we have both for 451. (I speak of this currency) a fufficiency of vegetables, and grain and hay, in addition to what the stock confumes, enough to pay our rent, and fomething, perhaps, towards labourers' wages. But by buying a place to live on we escape the rent also, and have only to confider the interest of the money; and I expect ther regular increase in the value of the land will more than reimburse me the common interest. I forego, however, the advantage of buying frontier land, which will increase in value more rapidly; but can afford to give you 61. per cent. (and mortgage my land for the payment) if you would lend me tool. for the purpose: for it would not be poffible to borrow money here at perhaps 101. per cent. as every man has the fame chance of making more of it. Had you any money, the interest of which you could do without, I know not of any way in which you could vest it so advantageously, and with so little risk, having a perfon here to lay it out with judgment: and I rather expect the treaty with the Indians will occafion a fudden rife in the value of lands. I am happy to inform you, that the number of my attendants on a Sunday, this fummer, has rather exceeded what it was last summer. The I learn, have been very industrious in making the most unfavourable impreffions respecting me every where, as a Deist, Atheift, &c. &c. and the feminary, I believe, principally for want of a good boarding-house, has declined. My friends, particularly the good Col. have lately been endeavouring to make up a subscription to me, as a minifter, for the second year, but I scarcely know with what fuccess. The laft I heard of its amounting to was 401.-i. e. 30l. If you could have your pieces relating at all to the question of Baptifm bound up in a neat volume, I should like to have an opportunity of prefenting the (Baptift) Association with a copy. Indeed there are three denominations of them-Calvinists, Arminians, and Univerfalifts. Our library, at laft, will, I believe, be purchased, 500 or 600 dollars are now fent for the purpose to Philadelphia. T a give you come meet with in my travels, that was in terefting or new, I shall begin by mentioning to you the first circumstance that attracted my attention, on the arrival of our veffel off the mouth of the River Garonne. No fooner had we a diftinct view of the land, than we perceived a number of wherries coming out to meet us. There was no fmall competition amongst them to be the first to come along-fide of us. Some of those wherries belonged to pilots, but a greater number to brokers of the City of Bourdeaux, who all folicited, in their very best English, to be honoured with the brokerage of our vefiel. This was the object of their visit. In these times, when the commerce of this once flourishing city is nearly extinct, and the American vessels are the richest of those which vint this port, to obtain the brokerage of an American vessel is confidered a capital prize, and fufficient to indemnify the broker for the expence of keeping his wherry, and his loss of time in waiting perhaps a fortnight or a month for the arrival of fuch veffel. After our captain had felected one from the number of those who applied, taken a pilot, and obtained permiffion to pafs, from the frigate which Thes at the mouth of the river as a guard. ship, we proceeded up the river. The Garonne is one of the great rivers of France; and being connected (by the celebrated canal of Languedoc, or Royal Canal) with the entire South of France and the Mediterranean, and having on its banks the finest wine-countries in Europe, is perhaps, in a commercial point of view, the firft river in the Republic. It is broader than the Thames, extremely rapid, and its water fo muddy, that it is impossible to drink it, until it has under gone the process of filtration. Every house, therefore, on the banks of the Garonne is provided with a filtering-maChine. The paffage up the river is, at this feafon of the year, delightful in the excreme. On one fide are the plains of Chateau-Morgeau, whose wine is the pride of the French vintage; sther, the diftrict of Cogniac, no lefs ce MONTHLY MAG. No. 91. on the lebrated for its brandy. The views on both fides of the river cannot fail to make a strong impreffion on the mind of any one poffeffed of taste to enjoy the beauties of nature; or feelings to appreciate the value of human industry, in improving even on the prodigalities of nature, and giving life and animation to her best scenery. It must be supposed that those rich and productive districts Iwarm with that population neceffary to call forth the treasures of their fertile foil. The banks of the river, and the country, as far as one can fee from it, are studded with houses which bespeak comfort, but not opulence; but when we were arrived within twenty miles of Bourdeaux, we began to meet with the elegant and tafty country-feats and villas of the rich Bourdeaux merchants. I am told, no city in France (Paris not excepted) is furrounded by fo many beautiful villas as Bourdeaux. It has long been, what Paris never was, a great commercial city; and the merchants have long fince acquired a taste for having their country-feats on the banks of the Garonne. The river is so full of shoals, that it was neceffary to anchor every night, and wait for the tide in the morning; and the wind being quite contrary, we were near four days ascending the river to Bourdeaux: I had therefore many opportunities of going on-shore. The great. scenes that have taken place in France, the astonishing exertions she has made in defeating the coalition of Europe, together with the high rank the now bears among the nations, give such a degree of interest to this country, that it was with the strongeft feelings of impatient curiofity I first set my foot on the foil of the Republic, and began to observe the country and its inhabitants. It was then the month of Floreal, which nearly corresponds with our month of May. In this country the word Floreal, or the Flowermonth, expreffes the season better than perhaps any other word could do. I never faw such a profusion of flowers, particu larly of rofes. Sailors and countrymen had them in their hats, and many of the girls had literally garlands of roses in their hair. However this description may appear trefpafling on Arcadian ground and poetic regions, one has only to vifit the South of France to be convinced of its reality. It is in warm countries that spring displays all her charms; and it is from the warm countries of France and Italy that English poets have borrowed their defcriptions of it. Every houte that is at all fuperior to the peafant's cottage, R has |