monly the Cause of many inward Disorders. Fourthly, Attempting the Cure of Ulcers or old Sores by it, before the fuperfluous, fharp, bilious Humours are carried off. Laftly, Says our Author; it is a great Miftake for old, decrepid People, who have no Strength or Moisture left, to have Recourfe to the external Ufe of the Waters, which only haften their end.

DR. Turner has added a fhort Treatife on the Mineral Waters of Spa; which contains a Defcription of that Town, an Account of the Accommodations for Strangers there; the Situation of its Wells; an Analyfis of them, by Dr. Crouet; and a brief Account of the Qualities and Vertues of those Waters. But, as these Qualities are very well known, and the whole Piece, as is own'd in the Preface, is taken from that and feveral other Writers, we think we need not give any farther Account of it.

ARTICLE IV.

COURS des Sciences fur des Principes nouveaux & fimples, pour former le Langage, l'Esprit, & le Caur dans l'usage ordinaire de la vie. Par le Pere Buffier, de la Compagnie de Jefus. A Paris, chez Guillaume Cavelier, rue S. Jacques. 1732.

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A Courfe of the Sciences, on new and eafy Principles, for forming the Speech, the Mind, and the Heart. By Fa. Buffier, of the Society of Jefus. Printed at Paris for William Cavelier, in St. James's-freet. 1732. Folio with Prefaces and Tables.

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P. 650.

HIS Volume is a Collection of Differtations and Obfervations on the feveral Sciences. The Author's Defign is to fhew their Connexion, and how one may be made ferviceable toward acquiring an other, when taken in their regular and natural Order. Grammar, which is ufually defined, The Art of Speaking and Writing correctly, is therefore placed the first in Order; not only because it is neceffary for teaching the other Sciences, but also as it diftinguishes the Nature and Value of Words and Terms in each of them. As Grammar enables us to make ourselves understood, fo Eloquence and Poetry teach us how to make a strong Impreffion on the Minds of thofe, to whom we freak. For which reafon these are next propofed.

THUS far only the Juftnefs and Beauty of Language are confider'd; which will be of very little ufe, will only flatter our Vanity, and give an empty and ufelefs Amufement to others. Our Readers will be fenfible of this Truth, when they reflect on what has pafs'd in their own Minds after hearing what appear'd in the Delivery a fine

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a fine Difcourfe; which, for want of Method, Juftness of Thought, and Solidity of Reafoning, left no Impreffion, and the whole was immediately forgot. In order to render the Accomplishments already mention'd, useful, it will be neceffary to have Recourse to fuch Sciences, as direct us to certain Principles of Knowledge, and teach us to draw juft Confequences from them. This is the Bufinefs of Metaphyfics and Logic. The former is called by our Author, First Truths; the latter Confequential Truths or Principles of Reafon, which was the Title under which it firft appear'd.

THE fundamental Principle of Logic here laid down, is, that in order to draw a juft Confequence infallibly, we need only have in our Mind diftinctly the Principle from which this Knowledge is derived. For Example, A Man, who has a clear Idea and Knowledge of a Clock, cannot conclude it is a Windmill. According to Father Buffier, the Cafe is the fame in regard to all other Ideas; on which Suppofition he advances these three Propofitions or Affertions. First, That we always reafon juftly, according to the Idea actually prefent to the Mind. Secondly, That there is no fuch thing as a mental Sophifm. Thirdly, That what is ufually called a Sophifm, confifts only in an Ambiguity of Terms and Propofitions; fo that, inflead of making ufe of the common and difficult Rules of Logic for

ravelling a Sophifm, we have no more to do buc to clear up the Ambiguity. It is fuppofed that our Author here means, that a Man may reafon juftly, difcover an Ambiguity in Terms, and diftinguifh their different Senfes, which perplex an Argument, without being acquainted with the Rules of Logic, that is, that he may

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be naturally a Logician; which is what nobody difputes.

As Logic and Metaphyfics, are defign'd to form and regulate the Understanding, Father Buffier undertakes to facilitate the Knowledge of them by two Pieces, fuited to every Capacity. One is intituled, Elements of Metaphyfics; the other An Enquiry into vulgar Prejudices. In the former we are fhewn how even the illiterate Part of Mankind is capable of metaphyfical Reasoning in things which are familiar to them; because, according to our Author, it confifts only in knowing an Object or a Subject on all Sides, and in all the Appearance in which it may be confider'd. This, he fays, the most ignorant never fail to do when their Intereft is concern'd.

BUT how important foever the Sciences already mention'd, may be, they are ftill lefs fo than Morality and Religion. For which reafon our Author allows each of them a feparate Treatife. One is intituled, Of Civil Society, and the Means of procuring our own Happiness, and that of thofe, with whom we live. The other, An Explanation of the most affecting Proofs of the true Religion. The latter has been printed apart, as have several other Articles of this Collection. It may be proper, however, to acquaint our Readers, that Father Buffier has made feveral Critical Remarks on the Works of the most celebrated Authors, who have written on the fame Subjects. He begins with pointing out what he judges the beft Parts of fuch Performances, and then proceeds to the Confideration of what he thinks lefs perfect. As to the Grammar founded on Reafon, (La Grammaire raisonnée) which has been fo well received by rhe Publick, though he is pretty large in its Commehdation in general,

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he takes the Liberty, allow'd to every Writer, to differ from him in feveral Particulars. It has been an ufual Obfervation, confirm'd by Experience, that the Fathers of the Society express a particular Fondness for the Compofitions of their Brethren. But our Author is an Exception from this general Practice. His critical Difpofition will not allow him to give better Quarter to the famous Father Chifflet's Grammar. It has been in great Vogue above fifty Years, and feveral Editions of it have been printed both in France and other Conntries. Father Buffier owns, that Father Chifflet was Master of the Talent of forming exact Rules, and delivering them clearly, but then he tells us, that his Language is good for nothing at prefent; nor was very pure even when he wrote, at leaft in Franche Comté, our Author's Country. Of this he gives fome Inftances.

MR. de la Touche, printed a French Grammar at Amfterdam, which our Aurhor feems to allow the beft that has yet appear'd; but finds several falfe or defective Rules in that Work. Mr. L'Abbé Regnier's Grammar is mention'd next. But that Gentleman's great Reputation for Learning deters Father Buffier from venturing any decifive Obfervations on that Piece; and he very refpectfully refers the Judgment of it to the Members of the French Academy, whose chief Employment is to refine and regulate their Native Language.

IN his Treatife of Eloquence, our Author makes fome Remarks on Ariftotle's Rhetoric, as it appears in the French Tranflation: on Cicero's Treatifes on Eloquence; and on Quintilian's Inftructions for an Orator. The Author, firft mention'd, is reprefented as difcouraging formal.

Exordiums