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and furniture, but those which live among the leaves of trees, and in the water; the first is perhaps the moft useful, because M. de Reaumur has given directions how the cloth-moth may be certainly deftroyed; but the fecond abounds with particulars that are not only curious, but wonderful in the highest degree.

This volume alfo contains the hiftory of the vine-fretter, an infect not lefs deftructive to our gardens than the moth to our furniture; with an account of the worm that devours them, and the gall's produced upon trees by the puncture of fome infect, which often ferve them for habitations.

From the gall, or gall-nut, properly fo called, M. de Reaumur proceeds in his fourth volume to the hiftory of those protuberances which, though galls in appearance, are really infects, but condemned by nature to remain for ever fixed and unmoveable upon the branches of trees, and he discloses the aftonishing mystery of their multiplication. He then proceeds to give an account of flies with two wings, and of the worms in which they pafs the first part of their lives; this article includes the very fingular hiftory of the gnat. The fifth volume treats of four-winged flies, and among others of the bee, concerning which he refutes many groundless opinions, and establishes others not lefs extraordinary.

The bee is not the only fly that makes honey, many fpecies of the fame genus live feparate, or in little focieties. The hiftory of thefe begins the fixth and laft volume, and contains a defeription of the receffes in which they depofit and fecure their eggs, with proper

nourishment for the worms they produce till their transformation. The author then proceeds to the hiftory of wafps, as well those who live feparate, as in companies, to that of the lion-pifmire, the horfe-ftinger, and lafly to the fly called an ephemeron, a very fingular infect, which, after having lived in the water three years as a fifh, lives as a fly only one day, during which it fuffers its metamorphofis, couples, lays its eggs, and leaves its dead carcafe upon the furface of the water which it had inhabited. To this volume there is a preface, containing the wonderful difcovery of the polypus, an animal that multiplies without coupling, that moves with equal facility upon its back or its belly, and each part of which, when it is divided, becomes a compleat animal, a property then thought fingular, but fince found to be poffeffed by feveral other animals,

It had long been a question amongst anatomifts, whether digeftion is performed by folution or trituration: M. de Reaumur, by diffecting a great number of birds of different kinds, and by many fingular experiments, difcovered that the digeftion of carnivorous birds is performed by folution, without any action of the ftomach itfelf upon the aliments received on it; and that, on the contrary, the digeftion of granivorous birds is effected wholly by grinding, or trituration, which is performed with a force fufficient to break the hardeft fubftances.

M. de Reaumur, during the courfe of his experiments upon birds, remarked the amazing art with which the feveral fpecies of thele animals build their nefts..

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His obfervations on this subject he communicated to the fociety in 1756, and this memoir was the laft that he exhibited. He died by a hurt in his head received from a fall at Bermondiere in the Main, upon an estate that had been left him by a friend, on the 17th of October, aged 75 years.

He was a man of great ingenuity and learning, of the ftricteft integrity and honour, the warmest benevolence, and the most extenfive liberality.

Letter written by Alfred the Great, prefixed, by way of preface, to bis tranflation of Gregory's paftoral Letter and directed to Wulf-fig, bishop of London.

ALfred king, wifheth greeting,

to Wulf-fig bifhop, his beloved and friend like, and thee to know I wish, that to me it cometh very often in my mind, what manner of wife men, long ago, were throughout the English nation, both of the fpiritual degree, and of the temporal; and how happy the times then were, among all the English; and how the kings, which then the people, God and his written will obeyed: how well they behaved themfelves both in war and peace; and, in their home government, how their nobleness was fpread abroad; and how they profpered in knowledge, and in wisdom. Alfo, the divine orders, how earnest they were as well about preaching as about learning, and about all the fervices they should do to God; and how men from abroad, wisdom and doctrine here in this land fought; and how we the fame now must get abroad, if we would have them.

So clean has learning fallen among the English nation, as that there have been very few on this fide Humber, that were able to underftand the English of their fervice, or turn an epiftle from Latin into English; and I wot there were not many beyond Humber that could do it. There were fo few, as that I cannot bethink one on the fouth fide of the Thames, when I first came to reign. God Almighty be thanked, that we have ever a teacher in pulpit now. Therefore, I pray thee, that thou ́do, (as alfo I believe thou wilt) beftow that wisdom that God has given thee, on all about, on them thou can't

beftow it; think what punishment fhall for this world befall us, when, as neither we ourselves have loved wisdom, nor left it to others; we

only loved the names that we were Chriftians, and very few of us the duties. When I minded all this, methought alfo that I faw, before all was fpoiled and burnt, how all the churches throughout the Englifh nation ftood filled with books and ornaments, and a great multitude of God's fervants; and at that time they wift very little fruit of their books, because they could understand nothing of them; for that they were not written in their own language. So they told us, that our ancestors, that before us held thofe places, loved wifdom, and through the fame got wealth, and left it us. A man here yet fee their fwath; but we cannot enquire after it, because we have let go both wealth and wifdom; for that we could not floop with our minds to the feeking of it. When I thought of all this, then wondered I greatly, that their goodly wife men, that were every where

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throughout the English nation, and had fully learnt all thofe books, would turn no part of them into their own language: but I then again quickly anfwered myself, and faid, they weened not that men ever should become fo rechless, nor that this learning would fo decay; therefore they willingly let it alone, and wot that here would be the more wisdom in the land, the more languages that we under

ftood.

Then I called to mind how that the law was first found written in the Hebrew fpeech; and after that the Greeks had learned it, then turned they it into their own speech wholly, and alfo all other books. And then the Latin people, a little after they had learned it, they tranflated all, through wife interpreters, into their own language; and all other chriftian people alfo have turned fome part thereof into their own tongues.

Therefore, methinketh it better, if you fo think, that we alfo, fome books that be deemed moft needful for all men to understand, into that language turn; that we all know, and that we bring to pafs, (as we eafily may with God's help, if we have quietnefs) that all the youth of freeborn Englishmen (fuch as have wealth, that they may maintain them) be committed to learning, that, while they of no other note can; they firft learn well to read English writing; afterwards, let men further teach, in the Latin tongue, thofe that they will further teach, and have to a higher degree.

When I minded how this learning of the Latin tongue, here tofore, was fallen through the Englifh nation, though many could VOL. VI.

ftill read English writing; then began I, among diverfe and manifold bufineffes of the kingdom, tă turn into English this book, (which in Latin is named Paftoralis, and in English The herdfman's book) fometimes word for word, fometimes understanding for understanding, even as I learned them of Plegmond my archbishop, of Affer my bishop, and Grimbald my mafsprieft, and John my mafs-prieft. After that I had learned of them how I might belt understand them, I turned them into English, and will fend one to each bithop's fee in my kingdom; and upon each there is a file, that is, of fifty marks. And I command, on God's name, that no man the tile from the books, nor the books from the minifter, take; feeing we know not how long there fhall be fo learned bishops as now, God be thanked, every where there are. Therefore, I would they fhould always remain in their places, except the bishop will have them with him, or that they be lent fome whether, until that fome other be written out.

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fon, who was destined to maintain all the glory that his father had acquired: the prejudice which thefe predictions produced, joined to fome false appearances, at firft deceived the women, and they deceived the king into an opinion, that the child was a boy; but his fifter Catherine discovered and told him the truth. "Let us ftill be thankful to God, faid Guftavus, I trust this girl will be as good as a boy; adding, with a fmile, fhe muft certainly be clever, for the has deceived us all already."

Guftavus took great pleasure in carrying her about with him, when he went a journey; and when the was about two years old, he took her to Calmar: the governor had the precaution to afk, whether he fhould give his majefty the ufual falute, by firing the cannon, fearing that the noife might poffibly fright the child: the king hefitated a little at first, but after a moment's paufe, "Fire, faid he, for the girl is a foldier's daughter, and she should be accustomed to it betimes." They fired, and the child, fo far from being frighted, laughed, clapped her hands, and in her broken language cried, more -more-→. This natural intrepidity greatly pleafed Guftavus, and he afterwards caufed her to be prereview perceiving the delight fhe took in this military fhow, he cried, “ Very well; I'll warrant I'll take you where you fhall have enough of this diverfion." But he died too foon to keep his word; and Christina laments, in her memoirs, that he was not permitted to learn the art of war under fo great a master; fhe regretted alfo, during her whole life, that the never marched at the

head of an army, nor fo much as faw a battle.

The tears which the shed when he fet out for his German expedition were regarded as a bad omen, and the betrayed the hero himfelf into tears, by an act of childish fimplicity, which was, however, characteristic of the childhood of Chriftina. She took leave of her father by a little compliment which had been made for her, and which fhe had learned by heart. When fhe repeated it, Guftavus, being ruminating and abstracted in thought, did not hear what the faid; the child, not content with having faid her leffon, and performed the task that had been af figned her, pulled him by his fleeve to excite attention, and began to repeat her little speech again; at this, the father burting into tears, caught her in his arms, and after preffing her to his breaft for fome minutes, gave her to an attendant, without fpeaking; an incident which put fome of the fpectators in mind of the parting of Hector with Aftyanax.

The states of Sweden being af fembled, after the death of Gufta vus, the marshal of the diet propofed the crowning of Chriftina, by virtue of a decree which had declared the daughters of the pofterity of Charles IX. the father of Guftavus, capable of fucceeding to the throne. A member of the order of peasants, whofe name was Larffen, when he heard this pro pofal, cried out, "Who is thi Chriftina, this daughter of Gufta vus? let us fee her; let her brought out to us.”

The marfhal immediately wen out, and returned with Chriftina whom he brought in his arms inte

the midst of the affembly. The peasant came up to her, and having confidered her very attentively, cried out, " Yes, this is fhe herfelf; fhe has the nofe, the eyes, and the forehead of Guftavus Adolphus, and we will have her for our fovereign." She was immediately feated upon the throne, and proclaimed queen; and from this time the fhewed great pleasure in appearing in her regal capacity. Ruffia, having fent ambaffadors foon after her acceffion, to ratify its alliance with Sweden, the people about Chriftina were apprehenfive that the rude appearance of thefe ftrangers, their great number, their long beards, their uncouth habits, their fingular addrefs, and the ferocity even of their politenefs, would fright her; but the, who had been delighted with the apparatus of war, was not likely to be terrified by the minifters of peace. She not only received them without the leaft appearance of difcompofure, but affamed an air of importance, and a look which feemed intended to ftrike them with awe, and which was not without its effect, for it impreffed them with a fenfe of her dignity, as the daughter of a hero and a prince.

Christina difcovered, even in her infancy, what fhe afterwards expreffed in her memoirs, an invincible antipathy for the employments and converfation of women; and she had the natural aukwardnefs of a man, with respect to all the little works which generally fall to their fhare. She was, on the contrary, fond of violent exercifes, and fuch amufements as confift in feats of ftrength and activity; fhe had also both ability and

tafte for abftracted fpeculations, and amufed herself with language and the fciences, particularly that of legislature and government: fhe derived her knowledge of ancient hiftory from its fource; and Polybius and Thucydides were her favourite authors.

While he was thus improving her infancy, by ftudying the arts of peace, the generals Weimar, Banier, Torftenfon, and Wrangel, fuftained the glory of the Swedish arms in the thirty years wars, which rendered Germany at once defolate and illuftrious.

Chriftina having attained her 18th year, on the 18th of December, 1644, took the reins of government into her own hands, and was in every respect able to manage them. As fhe was the fovereign of a powerful kingdom, it is not trange that almost all the princes in Europe afpired to her bed : Among others were the prince of Denmark, the Elector Palatine, the elector of Brandenbourg, the king of Portugal, the king of Spain, the king of the Romans, don John of Auftria, Sigifmund Rakocci, count and general of Caffovia; Ladislaus, king of Poland; John Cafimir, his brother, and Charles Guftavus, duke of Deux Ponts, of the Bavarian Palatinate family, fon of her father the great Guftavus's fifter, and confequently her firft coufin. To this nobleman, as well as to all his competitors, fhe conftantly refused her hand, but the caused him to be appointed her fucceffor by the ftates. Political interefts, difference of religion, and contrariety of manners, furnished Chriftina with pretences for rejecting all her fuitors; but her true motives were

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