order, and with a warm feeling of humanity for his bretheren of a low er rank in the church of England. Whoever propoles any degree of reform, and efpecially in ecclefiaftical matters, is fure of raifing a number of antagonists. The bishop of Landaff was attacked from various quarters, with different degrees of ability; and he found one or two ardent defenders. defenders. Amongst Dr. Watfon's opponents, the letter to him, by a country curate, was not the production of an inconfiderable pen. The writer was probably of a fuperior rank to that of a curate; or, at leaft, might have good reafon to hope for a higher ftation. Mr. Cumberland thought proper to interfere in this controverfy, in oppofition to the worthy prelate. Being the fon of a bishop, he might be willing to fhew his zeal for the honour of the church, as it is at prefent conftituted. However, if he had confined himself within his own walk of literature, which is that of writ ing fentimental plays, he would have better confulted his reputation. The Thirty Letters on various Subjects," afcribed to Mr. Jackfon of Exeter, come from a man who thinks for himself. The effays are written in a very lively manner, and the fentiments are frequently original; but whether they are always as just as they are new, fevere critics may be permitted to doubt. In his condemnation of catches and glees we entirely concur with him: and we are not a little pleafed with his endeavours to refcue honeft Quarles from contempt and oblivion. Mr. Tytler, in his "Plan and Outlines of a Courfe of Lectures on Univerfal Hiftory, Ancient and Modern, delivered in the Univerfi. ty of Edinburgh," mentions two methods adopted by profeffors, in confidering the fubject. One is that of arranging events in the strict chronological order; and the other, giving a feries of political difquifitions, illuftrated by historical examples. Our author propofes to hold a middle courfe between the two fchemes; and to "endeavour, by "remedying the imperfection of "each, to unite, if poffible, the "advantages of both." If Mr. Tytler's plan fhould be fo far defective, that it may omit fome events which ought not to be forgotten in a courfe of lectures on history, it affords fcope, at the fame time, for a great variety of inftructive and important obfervations and difcuffions. Dr. Hey's "Differtation on the Pernicious Effects of Gaming," was the refult of a prize propofed, at the univerfity of Cambridge, for the beft difcourfe upon the fubject. The premium was adjudged to the Doctor, and we doubt not but that he fully deferved the diftinction. The evil confequences of the vice which is the object of his confide ration, are strongly difplayed in every point of view: but when will the gameiter attend to the voice of reafon, juftice, and humanity? "The Herald of Literature, or, Review of the most confiderable Publications that will be made in the courfe of the enfuing Winter, with Extracts," was a plefant pamphlet, of the nature of Mr. Tickell's Anticipation, though applied to a different object. In the preface, the inconfiftencies of the Rivews, in one or two ftriking inftances, are difplayed with humour. The pretended works of which an anticipated account are here given, are, Robertfon's Continuation of the Hiftory of America; Gibbon's of the Decline of the Roman Empire; a novel, by the author of the S4 Modern mentioned when we were fpeaking of Mr. Barry and Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is not, however, too late to do juftice to the work. The writer evidently appears to have paid great attention to the fubject, and perhaps he is himself an ingenious artist. His propofition for forming an English school of landscape painting, manifefts his zeal for the art, and is highly deserving of public encouragement. Modern Anecdote; a novel, by the author of Cecilia and Evelina; the Peafant of Bilidulgerid, a Tale; an Effay on Novel, in three epistles, from Mr. Hayley to Lady Craven ; Inkle and Yarico, a poem, by Dr. Beattie; the Alchymift, altered by Mr. Sheridan; Reflections on the prefent State of the United States of America, by Mr. Payne; and a Speech of Mr. Burke's. The manner of the reviewers, and the ftyle of the writers, from whom fictitious, "The miscellaneous Works, in extracts are given, are, in general, verfe and profe, of Gorges Edmond well fuftained. This is particularly Howard, Efq. are the productions of the cafe with respect to Robertson, a fingular man, of the Kingdom of Gibbon, Sheridan, and Beattie. In Ireland, whofe inclination carried one or two inftances, and efpecially him vehemently to writing, when with regard to Hayley, the Herald he fhould have applied himself to his of Literature is not, in our opinion, bufinefs as an attorney. So strong equally happy neither do we al has been the cacoethes fcribendi ways concur with him where he in- upon him, that nothing could retends to be fatirical. strain it; and he has been the author of four volumes in quarto, and eleven in octavo. With regard to the books now publifhed, the contents are very various, and feldom rife above mediocrity. Mr. Howard's dramatic compofitions are more entitled to praise than any other of his poetical performances. Dr. Andrews's "Remarks on the French and English Ladies, in a Series of Letters", come from a gentleman who being intimately acquainted with both countries, is well qualified to judge upon the subject. Accordingly, the different characters, difpofitions, and modes of the women of France and England are, in this work, accurately difcriminated, and fully defcribed. Various anec dotes are interfperfed, which ferve to enliven the book, and render it more interefting. If we have any fault to find with Dr. Andrews, it is that he has purfued the matter too far. Before we got to the end of the book we began to be weary; and could have wished that the ingenious author had brought his obfervations into a narrower compafs. The "Effay on Landscape Painting, with Remarks, General and Critical, on the different Schools and Masters, ancient and modern," fhould rather have been Mr. Linguet's "Memoirs of the Baftile" throw fresh light on the nature and management of that horrid prifon. The author relates his fufferings with that ardent fenfibility which tends to awaken the strongest feeling of compaffion and indignation. Publications of this kind have great utility in expofing the enormities of arbitrary power. As Roffeau's Confeffions were mentioned by us in our department of foreign literature for the last year, it is needless to say any thing of the tranflation of them, which has appeared in our own language. An English verfion hath also been publifhed of his "Emilius and Sophia." 5 Madame Madame de Genlis's "Adelaide and Theodore, or Letters on Education" afford an additional proof, to those she had before exhibited, of her extreme attention to this most important fubject. Allowing for fome difference between the manners and cuftoms of France and our own country, the prefent work will be found to be highly instructive; and the narrative, in which the plan of education is comprized, gives to the work the form of an agreeable, romance, whilst it is conveying the principles and precepts of the foundeft wifdom. The "Man of the Moon, or Travels into the Lunar Regions, by the Man of the People," is an eccentric compofition. Mr. Charles Fox is the hero of the piece. The fatire is not, however, confined to that gentleman alone, but takes in a variety of perfons and objects. If the author, who is a man of a vigorous fancy and a strong mind, had written with lefs rapidity, he would probably have fubjected his imagination to a greater degree of controul. With regard to the Romances of the year, the most confiderable, or, at leaft, the most confiderable that we have feen, are Algarotti's "Modern Art of Love," Mifs Lee's "Recefs;" The "Woman of Letters;" and the "Memoirs of the Manftein Family." There is one performance, which, though of a fictitious nature, must not be ranked with common novels, and which is entitled to peculiar diftinction. We mean the "History of Sandford and Merton," a book intended for the ufe of children, but which will be read with pleasure by perfons of mature life, and of the most enlarged understandings. The prefent volume is only the beginning of a work, in which, under the narrative of the method pursued in forming the minds and manners of two boys, a courfe of education is defigned to be exhibited. So far as the history is already carried on it is admirably executed, and it promifes hereafter a rich fund of inftruction and entertainment. When finifhed, it will difplay what Mr. Brooke had in view in his Fool of Quality, but with infinitely fuperior judgment: for the writer of Sandford and Merton joins to his other good qualities the most rational and liberal fentiments with respect to religion and morality. FOREIGN LITERATURE, Of the Year 1783. IN N writing the Hiftory of the Domestic Literature of the Year, it has been our aim to afford fuch an extenfive view of it, as not defignedly to leave any very important publication unnoticed. This is agreeable to he nature of the prefent work, which has our own country for its immediate object; and which, therefore, ought to be as full as poffible in whatever relates to Great Britain. But with regard to foreign matters, and efpecially with refpect to foreign literature, our plan obliges us to be more coneife, fince otherwife we fhould be carried beyond all reasonable bounds. Befides, there are many books, the knowledge of which muft neceffarily be confined to the refpective nations wherein they are produced; fuch, for instance, as are written in the Ruffian, Swedifli, Danish, German, and Dutch tongues. Even with relation to works that are compofed in languages better known, it is not always eafy to obtain a speedy acquaintance with then; it being frequently a confiderable time before either the works themfelves, or the literary journals in which they are announced or criticifed, make their way into England. However, with fuch affiftances as we have had an opportunity of receiving, we fhall give a fhort reprefentation of the state of literature abroad for the past year, and mention fome of the capital productions with which the public has been favoured. Imperfect as our account may be, it will probably be acceptable to those readers who have not had the advantage of fuperior information; and if any little traces of improvement fhould be difcernible in the prefent article, we have the pleasure of adding, that there is a prospect before us of ftill farther improvement, in the future profecution of our undertaking. To give this part of our work fome degree of variety, and a certain kind of order, we hall proceed in the courfe of the different countries of Europe; in doing which we fhall begin with Ruffia. The state of learning in this empire, though improving, muft neceffarily, from a variety of caufes, be comparatively flow in its progrefs. Neverthelefs, under the patronage of the reigning emprefs, and by the united efforts of the univerfity of Moscow, and the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Petersburg, advances are making in knowledge, and will, we doubt not, continue to be made. It is remarkable that a lady, the princefs Dafchow, fhould be placed by the empress at the head of the academy. One good effect of this extraordinary appointment has been, that fome quarrels which fubfifted among among the members, and retarded their philofophical ftudies and purfuits, have been fettled, and a hapThe py accomodation produced. reconciliation hath added fresh vigour to the labours of the academicians, and hath been followed by the publication of a volume of their Tranfactions for 1779, printed in 1782, but not brought into England till the year after. From the memoirs it is evident, that fcience strictly fo called, is the object of the academy, without any mixture of belles lettres and philology, which, in feveral inftitutions, are admitted into a connection with mathematics and natural philofophy. The contributors to the prefent volume, are Juan Gregoriwitzs de Czernifchef, M. Georgi, M. Euler, M. Lexell, the marquis De Condorcet, fecretary to the Academy of Sciences at Paris, M. Inohodfof, M. Kraitzenftein, M. Lorgna, M. Wolff, M. M. Zouiew, M. Ofenetfkowsky, Pallas, M. Guldenfhaet, and M. Fufs. When we look back on the many important fcientific papers in this collection which came from the hand of Mr. Euler, we cannot but be fenfible how much the Imperial Academy at Petersburg in particular, as well as the learned world in ge neral, must have had reafon to lament his lofs. Count The "Rates of Duties of all the Harbours and Custom houfes in the Ruffian empire, excepting thofe of Aftracan, Orenburg, and Siberia," compiled by the imperial board of trade, and confirmed by her imperial majefty, if not a very interefting publication in a literary view, muft be of great importance to the merchant, and not a little useful to the politician. The new rules and regulations introduced with regard to trade and commerce, will demand the attention of ftatefmen in every country which in this respect is con- "The prefent State of Ruffia" |