Things, which he has left to their Freedom But I confefs, Sir, that this Matter is too much above my Reach to determine any thing_about it. I am with all imaginable Zeal and Respect,

Duffeldorp, March 13. 1711.

SIR,

Tour most Humble, and

Moft obedient Servant,

NICOLAS HARTsoeker.

I fhall publifh the following Letters, affoon as they come to my Hands.

品麥

AN

ARTICLE LXXVI.

PARI S.

N Excellent Book, consisting of Obfervations upon Agriculture and Gardening, has been lately

published.

Obfervation's fur l' Agriculture & le Jardinage, pour Servir d'inftruction à ceux qui defireront de s'y rendre habiles. Par M. Angran de Rueneuve, Confeiller du Roy en l'Election d'Orleans. Paris 1712. Two Volumes in 12mo Pagg. 384, and 406.

This Work is written with great Perfpicuity, and contains, befides the Text, many Remarks, wherein the Author explains the Terms of Art, describes the principal Plants and their Virtues, and makes several ufeful Reflexions.

FATHER Dorigny has published the Life of Fa ther Poffevin.

La Vie du Pere Antoine Poffevin, de la Compagnie de Jefus: Où l'on voit l'Hiftoire des importantes Negotiations aufquelles il a été employé en qualité de Nonce

de

de Sa Saintetè, en Suede, en Pologne, & en Mofcovie, &c. Paris, 1712. in 12mo, Pagg. 541.

Antony Poffovin was born at Mantua, in the Year 1534, of a good Family, but of an indifferent For tune. He went through his School Learning at Rome, whither he was fent in 1550, and in a fhort time made a great Progress in Eloquence, Philofophy, and the Learned Languages. Cardinal Hercules de Gonzaga, Brother to the Duke of Mantua, made him his Secretary, and entrusted him with the Education of Francis and Scipio de Gonzaga, his Ne phews. He ftudied the Sacred Writings at Padua. He was admitted into the Society of the Jefuits at Rome in the Year 1559. Father Laynez, his General, fent him into Savoy, where he endeavoured to re concile the Proteftants to the Church of Rome, espe cially in the Vallies of Lucerne and Angrogne. The Proteftants of Quiers (fays the Author) used their endeavours to perfuade him to embrace their Religion,' and told him, he might depend upon a Young, Noble, Rich, and Beautiful Wife, and the first Place in the Miniftry of the Gospel. But Father Poffevin anfwered them, "Gentlemen, if you knew the Beauty of Continence, far from making fuch an Offer 66 to me, you would doubtless endeavour to know "the Happiness of a chafte Life by your own Experience. For my Part, I look upon Chastity as a Bride, which Heaven has beftowed upon me; "and I hope, with God's Bleffing, I fhall never part with her." In 1561, he went to Lyons,

and

*I have read fomewhere, That Father Pofjevin was so great an Enemy of all impure Thoughts, that whenever he read Catullus, (which he did now and then by Reason of the Purity of his Latin Style,) he fell upon his Knees, and begged of God to prevent his Imagination from being fullied by the Reading of fuch a dangerous Author,

and had a publick Conference with Peter Viret, a Famous Proteftant Divine. Afterwards Father Poffevin, who had made himself Mafter of the French Language, preached at Rouen, Marfeilles, Tours, and in many other Cities of France, with great Succefs. He returned to Rome in 1572, where he applied himself to the Converfion of the Jews.

The Pope fent him into Sweden, as his Nuncio, in Hopes that he might bring over John III. into the Bofom of the Church of Rome; and then he fent him into Muscovy, (in 1581.) to conclude a Treaty between the Czar and the King of Poland.

The Two chief Works of Father Poffevin are his Bibliotheca Selecta, de ratione ftudiorum, publifhed at Rome in 1593, and Reprinted at Cologne in 1607. And his Apparatus Sacer, de Scriptoribus Ecclefiafticis, Printed at Venice in 1603, and 1606, and then at Cologne in 1508. The Defign of Father Poffevin in his Bib. liotheca, was to fhorten the Labour of those who are willing to apply themselves to Study. He treats in the First Tome, of Pofitive, Scholaftick, Moral, and Catechetical Theology: He gives a Method of inftructing Children, &c. And fhews how Hereticks, Schifmaticks, Jews, Mahometans, and Idolaters_may be converted. The Second Tome runs upon Philofophy, Civil-Law, Phyfick, Mathematicks, Hiftory, Poetry, Painting, and Rhetorick. Father Dorigny does very much commend that Work. The Apparatus Saa eer is the largeft Collection of Ecclefiaftical Writers, that was published till then. It confifts of above Six Thousand Authors.

F. Dorigny made Ufe of the following Books and Authors to compofe this Life, viz. The Hiftory of the Society of Jefus; Spendanus; Florimond de Re mond; the Annalift Sachin; Poffevin's Mufcovy; his Letters; a Volume in Folio, Printed at Augsburg,

which

which contains feveral Pieces wtitten by that Je fuit, &c.

An Anonymous Author has published the Book of Wisdom with Moral Reflexions upon each Verse.

Le Livre de la Sagesse en François, avec des Reflexions morales fur chaque Verfet, pour en rendre l'intelligence & la meditation plus aisée. Paris. 1712,

in 12mo.

The End of the Fourth Volumes