divifions marked with the Letters of the Alphabet) agreeable to the commencing letter of the word, this produced all Words alphabetically, confifting of two, three, four, five, &c. Letters in feparate parcels. The next feparation of thofe parcels was to place the fame Words together and then post them into an Alphabet with the number of times marked to each, that had occurred in the whole; the Intention of all which was to draw a proportion how many times particular words are to be repeated for the printing of one sheet, and alfo to know what Words are in general ufe: not to mention technical Terms, there is scarcely any Author who has not three, four, ot five favourite or neceffary words for his Subject that are repeated perhaps in the whole two hundred to a thoufand times, thus the word Spectator in the Spectators, Idea in Lock's Works, &c. but it must not be inferred that to print thofe Volumes, fuch words are to be prepared in number one thousand or even five hundred times, on the contrary, if the proportion is drawn, they will be found fcarcely to amount to ten or fifteen of each for one sheet, and the decompofition makes that Number serve for every other. The whole of the above could now be effected without the tedious methods then neceffary, by pofting at once every Word into a Triformed Alphabet; because the fubdivifions of the Second and Third commencing Letter of each Word for references are now obtained, by which every Word is in a moment placed in its proper divifion, and can be marked as often as it occurs without repetition of the fame word: and this being upon the fame principles as the practical Fount for Compofitors, fhews plainly the cafe and Expedition of it, from the Facility and expedition of pofting every word from a leaf in any Book. But before fuch fubdivifions were known, (which could belt be difcovered by proceeding as above in posting words from News papers) they could only have been placed under the first commencing Letter of the word, and this would cause such a multiplicity of repetitions, indigefted under each Letter of the Alphabet, that it would take up more Time, be far more liable to Error, and require more fubordinate postings to bring them into arrangement, fo as to find them more eafily than by the above proceedings; juft fo would it be with Merchants, who posted all their articles under the fame commencing Letters of the different names, inftead of alfo keeping each name distinct, to contain those Articles particularly belonging to it. This proceeding gave alfo a collection of fingle and double words, which are conftantly required from twenty to four or five hundred times in the printing one fleet of any Work whatever, which collection alone would abridge the Compofitor's work near one third, And here we cannot have a more lively Idea of Trade prejudices, than by conceiving Compofitors at work, and conftantly compofing certain Words, confifting of four, five, or more Letters, from a hundred to a thousand time each in one day, and not having a quantity of fuch Words ready at hand like fingle Letters, inftead of being obliged to take up from four to fometimes ten fingle Letters for every one, efpecially it being fo extremely fimple and felf evidently ufcful, and might be comprized in a fpace of lefs than two feet fquare, • This t This fecond Process further enabled the Author to reject out of the first Collection, Words obfolete, Technicals, vulgar, &c. which reduces the original collection to one fifth part. He then proceeds to confider the radices and terminations with the most common fyllables and combinations of letters, and from the whole conceives "that not above 3500 "words would be wanted for a complete fount out of 100,000 and upwards, which at first view the language "feems to confift of." 66 After giving fome further account of his progrefs, and anfwering fome frivolous objections, which could hardly have been made by any perfon converfant with the fubject, he draws from the whole the following conclufion. The Acquifition of fuch an Improvement to Literature in general, must be defirable, as it will remain a standard of good orthography, and the Author prefumes must go a great length in affifting as a standard for the Language, fhould it ever be again attempted. It is not fubject to Defects and Errors, from the ignorance of compofitors, and inattention of Editors; alfo the expence of printing a Work, confequently of extending and communicating knowledge, will be fo eafy, that the most defirable inftruction moral and scientific, contained in many valuable Authors which are totally out of the reach of any but the affluent, by being reprinted, could be fold at one quarter the prefent coft: and the Encouragement given by the Legiflature in the expiration of copy right at a limited time, is a tacit approbation of any improvement to leffen the expence of publication, and gives a latitude to this method for republifhing numerous Volumes. There are alfo many large Works only to be found in the Libraries of the great, by being out of print, as it is technically expreffed, and thereby much knowledge narrowly circumfcribed; the reafon Bookfellers dont reprint them is, that they must be certain of the fale of feven or eight hundred copies at least to clear their charges, and fo great a fale is very precarious; whereas by printing Logographically, the fale of one hundred and fifty or two hundred copies, would defray all Expences, and no Work of any excellence but must command a greater. To the above ideas we can in no fhape fubfcribe; as inftead of reducing the price of books to a quarter of the prefent coft, we very much question whether in its highest degree of improvement, the fcheme could ever effectuate a reduction of even one per cent. And a flight attention to a short state of facts may convince the moft uninformed of our readers that the Author is here led away by over fanguine predilection for a favourite fyftem. By way of illuftration let us take a common quarto volume of history or any other fubject of plain printing, and confider the unavoidable expence attending it before it finds its way to the library of the purchafer. Let us fuppofe this volume to confift of seventy-five fheets or 600 pages. The D 4 expence fheet. . s. d. 67 10 a expence of printing 750 copies, may run, according to the fize of the type, from fixteen to twenty fhillings per Take it at the medium of eighteen fhillings, and seventy-five fheets will then amount to One hundred and thirteen reams of paper at 17s. per ream Binding 750 at 3s. per volume Add to this copy money to the Author, the profit of the publisher and retail bookfeller, advertifing in news papers, &c. intereft of money, rifk of bad debts and non-fale, tear and wear, &c. &c. fay only 96 o 112 10 o 531 800 Now what can be faved by the propofed improvement in any one of the above articles of expence? Not one farthing on the paper, the binding, the advertising, or the profits of the Author, bookfeller, mafter printer, or any one item, excepting perhaps fome wretched trifle from the poor hardworking journeyman compofitor. His wages for fuch work in the common way may amount perhaps to eight fillings per feet. From this pittance we very much doubt whether, every circumftance taken into confideration, the master printer could in fairness deduct from his wages one fhilling per fheet, but allowing it to be even two fhillings, this would amount to juft 71. 10s. in a fum total of 800l. or 18s. 9d. in the 100l. But small as this faving is, it must become still lefs and lefs perceptible, were the number printed 1000, 2000 or upwards; as the paper and other items would then be of course double, treble, quadruple the sum of the printing bill; till the faving would become at length a mere point, and bear no fenfible proportion to the charge of the whole. Whilft we think therefore, that in regard to lottery lifts, intereft tables, and works of a fimilar kind, the propofed -plan will be found to be a real improvement, we conceive, as far as it refpects plain printing, it will be found to be far more curious than ufeful; and never can be adopted into general ufe with any view to the reduction of the price of books. Elais FOREIGN LITERATURE. ART. XIII. Effais Philofophiques fur les Meurs de divers Animaux etrangers, avec des obfervations, relatives aux principes & ufages de plufieurs peuples. Philofophical Eflays on the Manners of various foreign Animals, with remarks on the customs of feveral nations. 8vo. Paris. 1783. HE Author of thefe effays profeffes to be a land officer in the French fervice. He has fpent much of his life in Afia, and publishes his obfervations at the request of Mr. Buffon, to whom they are dedicated. They have the appearance of authenticity, and the author cannot be accufed of taking advantage of the privilege which he may claim in the double capacity of a traveller and a Frenchman. The notices concerning animals do not contain any very important information, but they will be useful to naturalifts, by confirming former accounts, and perhaps by furnishing fome new particulars. As a fpecimen of his obfervations on human manners, we shall translate what he fays of a particular description of Indian females. "The Indian dancing girls are almost the only females of thofe countries that learn to read, write, fing, dance, and play upon mufical inftruments; fome of thefe understand three or four languages. They live in troops under the direction of difcreet matrons, and there are no ceremonies or feafts, whether civil or religious, at which their affistance is not confidered as one of the moft indifpenfible ornaments "As it is their office to celebrate the praises of the gods, and as the religion of the Afiatics does not interdict fenfual pleafures, they confider it as a religious duty to contribute to the pleafures of their adorers, provided they belong to a reputable caft. There are fome however, who, in the refinement of their piety, referve themselves for the embraces of the Bramins alone. "These women are very referved with Europeans, they would be expelled from fociety, if they were convicted of too great intimacy with men whom they ought to confider as unclean. "As the Indian girls have been the fubject of much difcuffion, and as objects prefent themselves in different forms to different perfons, I will add a few more observations concerning them. Their drefs, though light and voluptuous, is yet more decent than that of the other natives of the fame fex. It is moreover well adapted to their complexion. The practice of introducing calcined antimony under the fkin of their eye-lids occafions a degree of harth nefs nefs in their phyfiognomy. This practice they pretend ftrengthens the eyes, and renders them more expreffive. In their public dances, especially in the European fettlements, there is nothing unbecoming. Under thefe circumstances, their great fault is a tirefome monotony. But in Gentoo or Mahometan villages, and in the fecrecy of tents and houses, they are taught to exhibit the moft open immodefty. There they will act an amorous adventure with fupplenefs, dexterity and precifion. The confent of vocal and inftrumental music, the fragrancy of perfumes and flowers, the feduction of charms which they difplay before the fpectators, all concur to excite lacivioufnefs and intoxication. Sometimes the actreffes appear to be penetrated by foft emotions, feized with a flame never before experienced, and fometimes with the powers of life apparently fufpended, agitated and panting, they feem to fink under the influence of an overpowerful illufion. Thus by the moft expreffive geftures and pofitions, with ftifled fighs and languid looks, they exprefs every gradation of paffion from the embarraffment of fhame through defire, fear, and hope, to the trepidations of enjoyment. "Thefe dances form one of the fpectacles moft amufing to the Afiatic women, who in the receffes of their Zenanos thus form themselves to the refinements of voluptuousness. "Has not, it will be afked, the legislature, by permitting fuch ufages, given its fanction to the most enormous abuses? The rich, more efpecially in former times, did not content themselves with erecting places on the roads, where warm water, butter-milk, and even rice are diftributed gratis, their charity went even fo far as to provide for the maintenance of dancing girls, whofe bufinefs it is to folace the traveller without remuneration. There are, notwithstanding, few countries. where focial manners are purer and more refpected, than in thofe provinces, where the native difpofition of the Indian has not been corrupted by intercourfe with foreigners. The Indian is fcarce acquainted with the name of thofe horrid vices. which prevail among fome Mahometan tribes, in which the external carriage of individuals is referved and auftere. In villages, and even in towns, the house doors are fimply fhut, and the greater part of the inhabitants, men, women, and children, fleep in profound fecurity under pent-houses built in the front of the dwellings. But what I have observed on the great roads is ftill more characteristic of fimplicity. Travellers of both fexes lie promifcuoufly in the galleries at the public inns. A modeft girl, attended perhaps only by her mother, may without rifk, fleep within the diftance of two or three feet from ftrangers to whom the is totally unknown. We may therefore conclude that among the Gentoos, inha bitants |