the Conduits fhould be ready made, that it may be received and diftributed to all the Parts; it follows that the Formation of the Embryo does not depend upon its Nourishment. Mr. Mery adds, That a Child in the Mother's Womb, does not receive its Nou-rifhment through the Mouth, because Sucking de-. pends upon Refpiration; but fince the Fatus does. not breathe in the Womb, 'tis plain it cannot fuck. To be convinced that a Child cannot fuck without Breathing, one needs only ftop his Nofe whilft he draws the Milk of his Nurfe, and it will appear that he can fuck no longer, unless he opens his Mouth to breath. Many Fatus's have been Teen, fome whereof had their Mouth and Nofe ftopt, and others had no Head; and yet they ap peared as well fed as thofe that had not the fame Imperfections: But because those monftrous Fatus's could receive no Nourishment but through the Navel-ftring; 'tis plain, that a Fatus does not fuck in the Womb at any time. 'Tis therefore a chime rical Thing to affirmn, that a Milky Juice is conveyed from the Womb into the Amnios through invisible conduits to be taken into the Mouth of the Fetus, as foon as it can fuck.

Befides, the Author maintains against Dr. Falconet, That a Child from the time of its Conception is fasten'd to the Womb by the Membranes of the Placenta form'd at the fame time. If it be true, as Dr. Falconet pretends,' That when a Woman begins to be. with Child, the Fatus does not ftick to the Womb by the Placenta, nor by the Membranes, and therefore that the Mother's Blood cannot ferve for its Nourishment, because that Blood would fall into the Womb, and could not be conveyed into the Mouths of the Receptacles of the Placenta; it must be confefs'd that in the fame Cafe the milky Juice could not get into them neither, because the fame Reason ought to make us believe that the Lacteal Conduits are not lefs ftopt at that time, than the other Veffels. And therefore, accord ing to Mr. Mery, Dr. Falconer's Argument comes to

nothing

ment about this Subject: We only invite the Publick to examine thoroughly a Question, that is worthy of their Curiosity.

ARTICLE LXIX.

PARIS.

BOOK concerning the Knights of Malta, compofed from the Memoirs of a Knight of that Order, has been lately published.

Inftructions fur les principaux devoirs des Chevaliers de Malte, dreffées par l'Auteur du Catechisme de Montpellier, fur les Memoirs d'un Chevalier de Malte: à Tufage des Chevaliers, de leurs Confeffeurs, & de tous ceux qui veulent entrer ou faire entrer leurs enfans dans cet Or, are; où l'on trouvera des veritez importantes pour toutes fortes d'états. Paris 1712. in 12mo. pagg. 377.

This Book is divided into XIII Chapters. The. Ift contains a general Notion of the Knights of Mal ta. The IId treats of the Origin of that Order, and of the Ufefulness of Military Orders in general. The IIId fhews what Sort of Men may be admitted Knights of Malta, and the different Áges of their Admiffion. In the IVth, the Author explains the Nature of Commanderies, and fhews how they are to be received and adminiftred. The Vth concerns this Queftion, Whether it be lawful to fell or to buy a Commandery. A general Notion of the Duties of all thofe, who belong to the Order of Malta,

is to be found in the VIth Chapter. The regular Profeffion of the Knights, makes the Subject of the VIIth. In the VIIIth, IXth, and Xth, the Author enlarges upon the Vows of the Knights of Malta, and fhews how they may be performed. The Xlth treats of the regular Habit, which the profefs'd Knights ought to wear at all Times. The Two laft Chapters concern the Profeflion of Arms of the Knights of Malta, and fhew upon what Occafion they may be allowed to ferve in the Armies of Chriftian Princes, and what is to be obferved in order to be admitted a Knight.

2

The Author inveighs against the diffolution of fome Knights, and mentions a Statute of Raimond du Puy, which, in all Probability, was never put in Execu tion. "If any of them (fays that great Mafter) happens to be guilty of Fornication, and if it be a private Sin, he fhall make a private Penance for it, which thall be laid upon him in Proportion to his "Fault. But if it be a publick Sin, he fhall be pu "nished publickly. To that End, upon a Sunday, "when the People are gone out of the Church, in "that Place where the Sin has been committed, the "Criminal fhall be ftrip'd before every Body, and feverly whip'd and lafh'd with Straps and Rods, by the Superior Mafter, or by fome Brother appointed "by the Great Mafter; and then he fhall be expelled "from the Order. "

66

A

A Friend of the late Mr. Thiers has undertaken to vindicate his Differtation concerning the Place where lies the Body of St. Firmin Confeffor. He brings in upon the Stage the Ghoft of Mr. Thiers, making heavy Complaints against Mr. Leftocq.

L'Ombre de M. Thiers, où Reponse à la Differtation de M. Leftocq fur la Tranflation de S. Firmin le Confeffeur, troifieme Eveque d'Amiens, avec une Eri ique de la vie de St Salve, auffi Eveque de la meme ville. Liege (or rather Park) 1712. in 12mo. Pagg. 227. Vol. IV.

E e

Mr.

46

Mr, Thiers's Ghoft fays, "That as foon as Father "Mabillon faw the Catacombe * he was fully per "fuaded that it contained the Graves of the firft Biflops of Amiens; and when he went down into "it, he faid, he muft pull off his Shoes, because he "was treading upon holy Ground. He lay with great Devotion upon the Tomb of St. Firmin Con“fessor, and said, the Name engraved upon it was "plainly that of the holy Bishop, and that no Doubt "could be made of it.

* Viz. In the _Abby of St. Achëul at Amiens.

ARTICLE LXX.

DE LITERIS INVENTIS Libri Sex. Ad Illuftriffimum Principem THOMAM HERBERTUM Pembrokia Comitem, &c. Autore GULIELMO NICOLS, A. M. Londini. Apud Henricum Clementem Bibliopolam, ad Infigne Lunæ Falcatæ, in Cometerio D. Pauli. MDCC XI.

That is,

A POEM concerning the INVENTION OF LETTERS in Six Books. Infcribed

fcribed to the Right Honourable the Earl of PEMBROKE. By WILLIAM NICOLS, A. M. London 1711. in 8vo. pagg. 385.

of

HE Defign of this Work is to fet forth the Wonders of the Art of painting the Voice, and Speaking to the Eyes. Mr. Nicols has pitched upon a Noble Subject, to exercise his Skill in Poetry; and tho' he is the Firft, who compofed a Poem of this Nature, he has been very fuccessful - in his Attempt. He difcovers a Copious Imaginati on; and his Work wants none of the Ornaments that the Matter is capable of. In order to give a juft Notion of his Performance, I fhould enlarge upon all the Parts of it; but to avoid too great a Prolixity, I fhall confine myself to the moft confi derable.

I. Mr. Nicols begins his Poem with feveral Ob fervations upon the Ufefulnefs of Letters; and hav ing mentioned the Opinions of the Ancients concern ing the First Author of that Noble Invention, he be lieves it ought to be afcribed to our First Parent. He wonders that while other Inventions have been celebrated by fome Poets, this fhould have been neglected, and wholly laid afide; and at the fame time expreffes himself with great Modesty.

Pieriis intacta modis cano munera, donec
Majori ingenio qui canet, alter erit.
Forte aliis anfam labor inclyta figna canendi
Carmine victuro præbeat ille meus.

Afterwards the Author fhews how Letters were tran Imitted from one Nation to another; and then proceeds to treat of the Ancient Way of Writing, and of the feveral Matters and Inftruments uled for that Purpose.