and West Indies," hath long been known amongst us, and has gone through feveral editions. But the work having been greatly augmented and improved, a new impreffion was wanted, containing the original author's numerous and ftriking enlargements. Such an impreffion has now appeared, in which the hiftory is extended to eight octavo volumes. There are undoubtedly confiderable faults in the Abbé Raynal, and fome of his pofitions are very objectionable. But whilft we totally difapprove of the latitude of his principles in certain refpects, we think that, on the whole, he is a most instructive and delightful hi torian. We are charmed with the zeal in the caufe of liberty and humanity, and for the happinefs of mankind, which he every where difplays with fo much energy and feeling. This mode of writing from the heart, even if it had not been accompanied with fo many striking excellencies of another kind would atone for a number of defects.

After Leland's valuable and well written Hiftory of Ireland, we are not clearly convinced of the neceffity and utility of fome which have fince been published. However, there will always, from various motives, be new adventurers even in the departments of literature which may feem already to be fufficiently occupied. But Mr. Crawford has extended his Hiftory of Ireland (which is carried on in a series of letters) down to the present time; whereas Dr. Leland clofed his narrative with the fettle ment of the country after the battle of the Boyne. The principal view of the prefent author appears to be to animate his countrymen in the profecution of their rights, and to promote the purposes of the armed affociations of volunteers. It is,

therefore, only a fecondary object with him to give the detail of events from the earliest period. A great zeal in the caufe of liberty, and for the reformation of the conftitu tion, is manifefted through the whole of the work. As to Mr. Crawford's ftyle, it has too much of that disjointed concifenefs which has been affected by fome late writers; who, whilst they have aimed, perhaps, at the fententious brevity of a Salluft or a Tacitus, have been greatly deftitute of the energy which diftinguifhed thefe illuftrious historians.

Detached portions of hiftory, when happily chofen, and well written, may be eminently pleafing and inftructive. Mr. Garden hath fixed upon the reign of Henry the Third. king of France, on which to difplay his talents; but the fub. ject has not all the advantage that might be wished for by an historical writer. It prefents neither the beginning nor the ending of the grand civil and religious contefts in which the French were involved during a large part of the fixteenth cen tury. Another difadvantage of Mr. Garden's work is, that it treats on a period which is already fo well known, that it is difficult to render it interefting by the fupply of any new materials. To thofe who are ftrangers to Davila, and other hif torians, the prefent volume, which is not ill compofed, may communi cate useful information.

The "History of the Revolt of Ali Bey against the Ottoman Porte," is interefting, on account of the au thentic information which it affords, concerning an extraordinary cha racter, and with regard to a tempo. rary revolution in Egypt, which was more fpoken of than known in the western part of the world. The perfon from whom the prefent nar

rative proceeds, had the best opportunities of intelligence, from his connections in the country, from his being an eye witnefs of fome of the tranfactions related, and from his having been in the ac tual fervice of Ali Bey. The work is farther recommended by the curious account which it gives of the Egyptian form of government, and by its defcription of Grand Cairo, and of feveral celebrated places in Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.

The next production we have to mention is geographical; but as geography is moft intimately connected with hiftory, it feems proper to introduce it in this place. We refer to major Rennel's" Memoir of a Map of Indoftan, or the Mogul's Empire with an Examination of fome Pofitions in the former Syftems of Indian Geography; and fome Illuftrations of the prefent one; and an Index of Names to the Map." The utility of this publication is obvious. The geography of the East Indies must be highly interefting to Great Britain at the prefent period; and major Rennel's map of Hindoftan, according to the best judgment we have been able to form concerning it, is far fuperior to any which has hitherto been given of that country.

In biography, the year 1783 has fcarcely produced any of thofe collections which include a number of lives. The only exception we recollect, is the fecond volume of Mr. Middleton's Biographia Evangelica, which is written with a view to a particular object, and is not otherwife entitled to any great diftinction. The biographical memoirs of the year, which call for peculiar notice, relate only to fingle lives.

"The Hiftory of the Life of

William Pitt, Earl of Chatham," is not compofed from original papers, or derived from the fources of extraordinary information, but is entirely collected from the common records of the times. Neverthelefs, it has a juft claim to attention, on account of the energy and fpirit with which it is written. It is evidently the production of a young man, who, being filled with the greatnefs of his fubject, and defirous of rifing to a proportionate grandeur of fentiment and diction, is fometimes guilty of the turgid, when he means to be fublime. This fault is, however, atoned for by many excellencies. The life of Lord Chatham fhews itself to be the work of a writer from whom greater things may be expected, when he has learned that fimplicity is not inconfiftent with dignity. The hif tory is impartial; the earl of Chatham being fairly condemned, where his conduct appeared deferving of blame. The character that is drawn of his lordfhip is highly laboured, and, if it had been entirely free from the fault we have already mentioned, would have claimed no common degree of applaufe.

Dr. Kippis's Life of fir John Pringle is in a different ftyle of compofition. It appears to be the aim of the author to communicate his narrative in an even perfpicuity of language, and to preferve the due medium between the oratorical form of the French eloges, and a careless and incorrect mode of writ ing. In point of information, Dr. Kippis hath poffeffed every advantage; his materials, where he wanted them, being derived from the family and particular friends of fir John Pringle, and having been in the habits of a ftrict perfonal intimacy with him, during the last ten years of his life, Hence he has been

been enabled to enter at large into fir John's character; in doing which, as that gentleman profeffed himfelf to be a believer in revelation upon Unitarian and liberal principles, our biographer hath taken an opportunity, in a note, to chaftife Mr. Soame Jenyns, for the contempt which, in his late Difquifitions, he has thrown upon rational Chriftians. The author hath been pretty full in ftating fir John Pringle's philofophical merit, and endeavoured to do juftice to his eminence as a writer. But if Dr. Kippis had himfelf been a phyfician, it would have been more in his power to have enlarged upon the diftinct and peculiar excellencies and effects of the admirable Trea tife on the Difcafes of the Army. It is proper to obferve, that the life of fir John Pringle is prefixed to the Six Difcourfes which were delivered by him, when prefident of the Royal Society, on occafion of fix annual alignments of fir Godfrey Copley's medal. As thefe Difcourfes contain most accurate and inftructive hiftories of the feveral parts of philofophy to which they relate, the collecting of them together, and republishing them in a Commodious volume, may probably be acceptable to the world. In doing this, the editor informs us, that he complied with fir John Pringle's particular intention.

Dr. Foart Simmons's Account of the Life and Writings of the late Dr. William Hunter, is entitled to great applaufe. It is written with perfpicuity, precifion, and elegance, and on the moft authentic information, which the author has fpared no pains to obtain. The common events of Dr. Hunter's life are well related, and Dr. Simmons poffeffes the advantage of being himfelt an

7

acute and learned phyfician. Hence it has been in his power to record Dr. Hunter's anatomical and medical difcoveries at confiderable length, and with the greateft exactnefs. In drawing the character of Dr. Hunter, he hath stated his good qualities with due commendation, and without running into the extravagance of panegyric. It was performing an ufual fervice to biography, to give, whiltt materials might eafly be met with, an early and faithful account of a man who will ever delerve to be celebrated as an enlarger of the boundaries of fcience, and a munificent benefactor to the caufe of literature.

Mr. Henry's Memoirs of Albert de Haller, contain an ample teftimony of applaufe to a very eminent character. They are chiefly taken from the eulogium fpoken before the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, and the tributes paid to his memory by other foreign focieties, and are elegantly written. High as the praifes are which are here bestowed upon de Haller, we fee no reafon to believe that they are not jut: and, therefore, we have read Mr. Henry's Narrative, which is both agreeable and inftructive, with no fmall degree of pleasure.

As two or three lives of the late Dr. Fothergill have already been printed, it may be thought by fome perfons that a farther account of him was needlefs. But the world will be glad to know as much as poffible concerning fo favourite a character; and, therefore, Dr. Lettfom might reasonably apprehend that he should comply with the wishes of the public, in raiting a larger monument to the memory of his friend than had hitherto been erected. Indeed, it would have been improper that the complete

edition

edition of Dr. Fothergill's works which is preparing by Dr. Lettfom, and in part accomplished, fhould be unaccompanied with the life of the author. In point of information, we fuppofe that Dr. Lettfom has had all the advantages that can be obtained: fo that there can be no doubt with refpect to the authenticity and accuracy of the facts he has related. That he fhould have pleasure in enlarging upon the vir tues of fuch an excellent man as Dr. Fothergill, might reafonably be expected; and an indulgence fhould be granted to the oveflowings of admiration and affection. But, when every allowance of this kind is made, we must still be of opinion that the account might have been comprized in a narrower compafs. Dr. Lettfom has given free fcope to quotations, digreffions, and reflections, fome of which were the lefs neceffary, as they are not recommended by any uncommon degree of curiofity and acutenefs. If the book had been written with a greater measure of fimplicity, it would have been more fuited to the character of Dr. Fothergill.

"The life of Henry Chichelè, archbishop of Canterbury," by Mr. Spencer, a Fellow of All-Soul's College in the university of Oxford, may chiefly be regarded as a tribute of gratitude and refpet to the memory of the founder of that college. The fubject will fcarcely be interefting to the generality of readers, who may, perhaps, think it fufficiert to know as much of Chichelè as is given in the Biographia Britan

Mr. Spencer's work, however, is entitled to great approbation, from the accuracy and elegance with which it is compofed, from fome new facts contained in it, and from feveral curious memorials annexed to the volume. The nar1783.

ration, agreeably to what might be expected, is as highly in the archbifhop's favour as a regard to truth. could admit; and it cannot be denied that he was a prelate of diftinguished abilities, and poffeffed of many virtues. Though he was a zealous adherent to the doctrines of the church, as they were maintained in the age in which he lived, he does not appear to have been of a perfecuting temper, or to have exereifed any peculiar feverity against the followers of Wicliff. Mr. Spencer hath fummed up the character of the archbishop with an elegant brevity.

As it is more difficult to speak of the living than of the dead, we fcarcely know what to say concerning "The History of the Political Life and Public Services, as a Senator and a Statefman, of the Right Honourable Charles James Fox." It may naturally be fuppofed that this work is published with a particular purpofe; and, indeed, it is a laboured panegyric, in which the author expatiates at large on the genius, talents, eloquence, and virtues of his hero. The writer is undoubtedly a man of abilities, who knows how to make the most of his fubject; and the account he hath given of events in which the nation is fo deeply intereited, may be acceptable to thofe who may not concur with him in his unbounded admiration of Mr. Fox. Our biographer's defence of the coalition is very ingenious, and equal, we believe, to any thing which has been advanced on that fide of the question. Whether this famous political connection be here effectually vindicated, is no part of our present bufinefs to determine.

Under the head of biography, we must not forget to mention the R "Epiftolary

"Epiftolary Correfpondence, Vifi tation Charges, Speeches, and Mifcellanies, of the Right Reverend Francis Atterbury, D. D. Lord Bishop of Rochefter; with Hiftorical Notes" publifhed by Mr. Nichols. This collection is comprized in three volumes, the first and fecond of which belong to the year 1783, and the third to 1784. The greater part of the volumes is entirely new, and what is not new is either reprinted with fuperior ac curacy, or with the advantage of farther illuftration. The letters have different degrees of value, and confequently were not equally deferving of the public eye. Thofe which relate to the illness and death of Mrs. Morice, and the diary of her journey and voyage from Weft. minfter to Bourdeaux and Touloufe, are peculiarly interefting and affect ing. Upon the whole, the bishop's character, as private man, appears to have derived confiderable benefit from the prefent collection. As to his public character, it ftands as it did before, and can never admit of a juft vindication.

Under the heads of antiquities and topography, the largest work which has been publifhed this year has not fallen under our infpection, and therefore we can only fpeak of it from the information of others. We mean Mr. Hafted's "Hiftory and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent." As works of this kind, befides the general utility and entertainment arifing from them, contribute to the honour of the nation, we rejoice that the fpirit of executing them has fo far increafed for fome time paft, as to infpire us with hopes that it will not be long before they will extend to the whole kingdom. They are then the most complete, when to the antiquities

and topography, they add the na tural, civil, and ecclefiaftical biftory of the country defcribed, together with the biography of the eminent men to which it may have given birth. Mr. Hafted's undertaking is to be comprized in three volumes, folio; and it is the fecond which is now prefented to the public. The work contains the ancient and prefent ftate of Kent, civil and ecclefiaftical; and is collected from public records, and other the best authorities; befides which it is illuftrated with maps and views of antiquities, and the feats of the nobili ty and gentry of the country.

Though we fhall have occafion to mention Mr. Pennant's Tour in Wales under another article, it is proper here to take notice, that it affords fome curious and pleafing in formation concerning the ancient ftate and remains of that part of the country through which his jour ney was extended.

The chief productions of the year relative to the purfuits of the antiquary, are the various publications by Mr. Nichols, under the title of Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica. No less than ten numbers of this undertaking have appeared in 1783. Thefe are, "Collections towards the Hiftory of Bedfordshire, containing the towns of Puddington, Luton, and Dunftaple," with five plates; the "Hif tory of Holy-head,' with two plates; the "Hiftory of Stoke Newington, in Middlefex," with two plates; the "Hiftory of Croyland in Lincolnshire," by Mr. Gough, with fix plates, befides what are printed on the letter prefs fheets; the "Hiftory of Croydon in Surrey," by Dr. Ducarel, with ten plates, befides thofe on the letter prefs fheets; the "Hiftory of Great Coxwell in Berkshire," with