J 8 u 1 I THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES :r <2^ 4 ^iitV ,^/e.^. .^^ ^ ^^^^ ^?^I^^O •^^ .^^^:k-*f.,^^:^^^-^^y^^^^ //^: THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN'S LIBRARY MANUAL; OR A GUIDE TO THE FORMATION OF A LIBRARY OP SELECT LITERATURE ; AccoMP.^iED wna ORIGINAL NOTICES, BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL, OP AUTHORS AND BOOKS. BY WILLIAM GOODHUGH, Author of the Gate to the French, Italian, and Spanish Languages unlocked ; and the Gate to the Hebrew, Arabic, and Sjriac, unlocked by new and easy methods. LONDON: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM GOODHUGH, 135, OXFORD STREET, AND GOODHUGH AND CO. i, BERKELEY SQUARE. 1827. W. DAVY, Printer, Gilbert Street, Groivenor Square. /OSS' PREFACE. Multa renascentur quae jam cccidere; cadentque quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula. HOR. The great and unceasing influx of new books on all subjects has long' required a sort of Catalogue rai- sonne, where they may be viewed placed in their several departments, with a short critical notice of their peculiar merits. How far this object may have been attained by the present work, I humbly leave to the candid opinion of the Literary Public. I am con- scious of having omitted many modern works which ought, perhaps, to have found a place in this volume. To plead my excuse, I cannot avoid quoting the words of an eminent French Bibliographer, in asking the question, What is Bibliography ? " C'est d'observer " un ordre methodique dans le classement de ce nom- " bre infini de compositions litteraires, scientifiques, " historiques, et meme religieuses et morales, dont IV PREFACE. *' rinipiimeric a enricliio les nations policees ; c'est " d'indiquer les bonnes editions des livres ainsi que " leur dcg:rc de merite et de rarete. Quelle tache " importante et difficile ! et poui' etre bien remplie, a " quels bons esprits, a quels honimes eclaires elle doit *' etre confiee." Should this attempt be favourably received, I shall avail myself of every opportunity to correct and enlarge it for a future impression; and if encouraged by its success, it is my intention to under- take a similar work for the Literature of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, accompanied with biographical and critical notices^ WILLIAM GOODHUGII. 155, OXFORD STREET, Mat, 182T. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Thfology, 1. On the Study of Theology, 2, The Holy Scriptures, 2. Revision of the Authorised Version, 3. ' Curious Petition to Elizabeth, for the printing of the Testament in English, 4. Works of Commentators and Writers on the Criticism of the Scriptures, 5. Duties of the Clergy, 10. Letter of Dr. Johnson to a young Clergyman, 10. Advice of Dean Stanhope to a young Clergyman, 10. Proofs of the Truth of Christianity, 14. Manuals of Devotion, 16. Book of Common Prayer, 18. Practical Duties, 19. / Sermons, 20. Dr. Johnson's opinion of Sermons, 20. Peculiarities of Pulpit Eloquence, 21. Anecdote of a Country Curate, 21., Village Sermons, 25. School Divinity in the Fifteenth Century, 25. Ecclesiastical History, 27. History, 30. On the Study and Use of History, 31. General History, 31. Vlll CONTENT.S. Universal History, 32. Ancient History, 32. Middle Ajjes, 33. Modern History, 33. Technical Chronology, 35. Historical Tables, 35. Greek Literature, 36. History of Greece, 36. . ■ — - Rome, 40. Antiquities of Rome, 42. History of Great Firitain, 43. Letter of Dr. Fanner on the Study of English History, 43. The Chronicles, 45. Anecdote of Smollett's England, 47. Naval History of Great Britain, 52. Commercial History, 52. Military History, 53. History of Wales, 54. Scotland, 55. . Ireland, 57. Aids to the History of Great Britain, 58. Parliamentary Debates, 58. British Antiquities and Topography, Gl. Biography, 6C. Anecdotes of Booksellers, 66. Anecdotes of the Tonsons, 69. Booksellers of Little Britain, 71. Anecdotes of Edmund Curll, 72. Edward Cave, 73, Loss of Books at the Fire of London, 74. William Caxton, 75. CONTENTS. IX German Book Trade, 76. Poor Authors of Grub Street, 83. Biography in Collections, 84. Detached or Single Lives, 87. Memoirs and Anecdotes, 94. Literary Industry, 105. Libraries of Useful Knowledqe, 107. Geography, 124. English Literature, 127. Libraries in America, 129. Choice of Books, 131. English Novelists and Translations, 144. Historical View of English Literature, 153. Elizabeth — Literature of that Period, 161. Comparisons of the Literature of the Present Age with that of the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and Anne, 162. Dispersion of Ancient Records, 190. Dramatic Literature, 192. First Play Bill of Drury Lane Theatre, 209. Shakspeariana, 211. Copyright of Plays, 218. The Curtain Theatre, 221. English Poetry, 236. List of Enghsh Poets, 241. Thomson, 256. Notices respecting the Family and Connections of Thomson, 256. Translations, 304. Lounging Books, 306. Philology, 308. Study of Languages, 311. Encyclopedias, 314. X CONTENTS. ^'OYAGES AND TrAVELS, 315. In general Collections, 331. Discoveries of Navigators, 33'2. Voyages round the World, 332. Mathematics, 333. Physics, 335. Astronomy, 337. Natural Philosophy, 338. Experimental Physics, 341. Chemistry, 342. Geology and Mineralogy, 342. Botany, 344. Zoology, 346. Ichthyology, 347. Entomology, 348. Conchology, 348. Application of Physical Sciences to the Arts, 352. Mental Science, 354. Moral Science, 358. Political Economy, 360. Works on Painting anu Painters, 362. I may be here allowed to state, that having for the last fifteen years devoted much of my attention to Books, I should feel honoured in receiving the commands of Noblemen and Gentlemen, in the arranging, , repairing, and valuation of their Libraries. In order to render myself competent to undertake any de- partment of Bibliography, 1 have acquired a knowledge of many of the oriental and most of the modern languages. I do not hesitate to avow, that it is as a Bookseller I am desirous of appearing before the Public, and to found a reputation upon a strict and punctual attention to every department of my business, as best calculated to secure that confidence and favor whicli I am so desirous to obtain. WILLIAM GOODIIUGH. 155, Oxford Street, May, 182T. LIBRARY MANUAL. Written hy Mrs. Barhauld, in Dr. Priestley's study. A list of folks that kicked a dust. On this poor globe, from Ptol the first. The fathers ranged in goodly row, A decent, venerable show. Writ a great while ago, they tell us. And many an inch o'ertop their fellows. Sermons, or politics, or plays, Papers and books, a strange mixed olio. From shilling touch to pompous folio; Answer, remark, reply, rejoinder. Fresh from the mint, all stamped and coined here. Forgotten rhymes and college themes, Worm-eaten plans and embryo schemes, A mass of heterogeneous matter, A chaos dark, nor land nor water. Books, says Bacon, can never teach the use of books. The student must learn, by commerce with mankind, to reduce his speculations to practice, and accommodate his knowledge to the purposes of life. THEOLOGY. He that can only converse upon questions about which only a small part of mankind has knowledge sufficient to be curious, must pass his days in unsocial silence, and live in the crowd of life without a compa- nion. He that can only be useful on great occasions, may die without exerting his abilities. No degree of knowledge, attainable by man, is Z THEOLOGY. able to set him above the want of hourly assistance. Hy de>("cniliii^, therefore, from the pinnacle, no honor will be lost. An elevated genius employed in little thines, appears, to use the beautiful simile of Lon- ginus, like the sun in his evening (leclinatioii ; he remits his splendor, but retains his majinitude, and pleases more, though lie dazzles less. ON THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY. In a lettt?t I had the honor to receive from the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Korne, he meinions .Tmonp the advices for students for the study of Theology, Warbnrfnn's- Directions, Works, 4to. volume 4, — 8vo. vo- lume 10, whiih are writen somewhat in the style of Dr Farmer, in his excellent iRiter on the study of Eii^lish Histoi y, which will be found in that department Witton's Method of studving Divinity, of which a new edition was printed a few years since ;it Oxford, with bibliographical notes by Dr. Cotton. The late Bishop Rarrinpion, at the end of his vo- lume of Sermons and Charges, gives some vnlnable advice. At the end of the Preacher, a collection of sermons on the p:isi(.)ral care, edited bv the late Dr. Williams, of which a new edition has lately appeared, there is a copious list of books foi an English Library. The Reverend Edward Bickersteih has announced a Christian Reader, to contain advices for studying advantageously, with a list of select worsts. There is now in the press a volume of letters on the stud}' of divinity, from a Bishop to bis son. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. The Family Bible, with Notes explanatory and practical, by Dr. D'Oyley and Bishop Mant, 3 vols. 4to. 3/. 12s. with plates. This work is published under the sanction of the venerable Society for pro- moting Christian Knowleilfre, and professes to communicate only the results of the critical inquiries themselves; these results, however, are selected with great judg- ment. The sale of thirty thousand copies proves the estimation in which this laborious work is held. Home, Scott. The Moly Bible, with original notes, practical observa- tions, and copious marginal references, by the Ilev, Thomas Scott, 6 vols. 4to. SI. 8s. The constant and increasing sale of this work proves the high estimation in which It is deservedly held. Besides several very larcre impressions of several thousands each, 25,250 have been told In the United States, from 180S to 1919. THEOLOGY, The Holy Scriptures. Hemry. An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, by Mat- thew Henry, 6 vols. 4to. 61. 6s. plates, SL8s. large paper, \2l. 12s. Patrick, Lowth, Whitby, and Arnold. Commentary on the Holy Bible, 8 vols. 4to. 81. 8s. The four volumes of Patrick, Lowth, and Arnold, are justly valued, as contain- ing one of the best commentaries ou the Old Testament and Apocrjpha, which we have in the English language. Blayney. The Holy Bible according to the authorised version, with marginal references, by Dr. Blayney, 8vo. 16s. The Bible, says Locke, has God for its author, Truth without any mixture of error for its matter, aud Salvation for its end. In 1769 Dr. Blayney was appointejl by the delegate-; of the Clarendon press, to collate carefully the firsi folio eilition of King .laines's transla- tion* of 1611, and that of 1701, published by Bishop Lloyd. The punc- tuation was carefully attended to, not only with a view to preserve the true sense, tut also to uniformity as far as "as possible. Frequent re- course was had to the Hebrew anil Greek originals, aiul as on oiher occa- sions, so with a special regard to words not expressed in the original lan- guage, but which our translators have thought fii to insert in Italics, in order to make out the sense after the English idiom, or to preserve the connection. Considerable alterations were made in tlie beads or contents prefixed 10 the chapters; many of the proper names being untrauslated, v/hose etymology was necessary to be known, in order to a more perfect com- prehension of the allusions in the text. The translation of them was supplied in the margin for the benefit of the unlearned. Some obvious and material errors in the chronology were considered and rectified. The marginal references in Bishop Lloyd's Bible had stiffeied in many places from the inaccuracy of the press, so that it v^as necessary to turn to and compare the passages. A late Archbishop of Canterbury suggested that an improvement might be made in the present editions of the Bible, by taking a number of additional references, particularly from a Scotch edition, of which the Vice-Chancellor lent him a copy. Such of them • The publication of Tindal and Coverdale's translations of the Bible greatly piomoted the work of the Reformati.)n. though it soon received a powerful check by the passing of the terrible and bloody act of the Six Articles. By this act all who spoke against transubstaniiation were to be burnt as heretics, and suffer the loss of , all their lands and goods ; and to defend the communion in both kinds, or the marriage of priests, or to speak against the necessity of private mass and auricular confession, was made felony, with forfeiture of lands and goods. > 4 THEOLOGY. were selected as Dr. Blayney judged most pertinent. In doing this he endeavoured to keep clear of mere fanciful allusions, of which too many presented themselves in the Scotch edition.* Dr. Jahn, Catholic Archbishop of Vienna, in a dissertation recommend- ing the study of the Scriptures in the original languages, says, — " Tlie " Holy Bible is the princip.il source of Theology j the fountain from " which, ill a special manner, all science of religion is drawn ; the foun- " dation on which its doctrines are built." The Bible by Reeves, in 10 volumes, crown 8vo. is accompanied by short, explanatory, and philological scholia, and is a beautiful specimen of typography For a complete and full aci-ount of the various editions of the scrip- tures, and writers of criticisms upon them, the reader must refer to the excellent work of Orme, entitled, Bibliotheca Biblica,+ a select list of books on sacred literature, 8vo. 12». Dr. Dibdin's Introduction to Classics, vol. 1. Hartwcll Home's Introduction to the study of the Holy Scriptures, Appendix, vol. 2. Rev. J.T. Hloouifield's Recensio Synoptica Annotationis Sacra', a critical digest and synoptical arrangement of the most important annotations of the iVew Testament, 3 vols 8vo. , The intention of rliis work is to briii^ together the most important materials for the right interpretation of the Scriptures, hitherto dispersed amidst numerous bulky and expensive volumes. The student is referreil to the commentaries of Poole, Clarke, Gill, for rabbinical learning} Adam Clarke, for philological criticism ; Brown, by THE TESTAMENT. • On the accession of Elizabeth, many worthy exiles with joy returned home. One of them made suit to the Queen in the following curious and quaint petition, in brhalf of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, who had long been imprisoned in a Latin translation, that they also might be re- stored to liberty, and walk abroad as formerly in the English tongue. To this petition her Majesty immediately replied, — " That he should first " know the minds of the prisoners, who perhaps desired no such liberty "as he requested." — Hei/lin's Hist. lief. + Mr. Orme says, the lists published by the Bishop of LlandafF, Dur- ham, and Lincolnj by Dr. Hdes, of Trinity College, Dublin; Dr. Wil- liams, of Rotherham; and Mr. Home, in his Introduction; and the characters of books, by Dr. Doddridge and Bishop Marsh, in their respective lectures, are well known, and all possessed of a portion of merit. THEOLOGY. Works of Commentators and Writers on the Criticism of the Scriptures. Dr. RafBfcs, for excellent marginal references; Bishop Wilson, and Burder, for Eastern customs ; Fawcett, Hewlett, & Eoolhroyd, for family use. Luther. A Commentary on the GalatiaHs, by Martin Luther, with Life by the Rev. E. iMiddleton, 8vo. 10s. 6rf. Hai.!.. Contemplations, by Bishop Hall, 2 vols. 8vo. 1808, edited by the Rev. J. Pratt. Jones. Biblical Cyclopcedia, by W. Jones, 2 vols. 8vo. 1826. The geographical part of this work is particularly well executed. JOSEPHUS. Translated by Whiston, 4 vols, 8vo. 1/. 10s. Beausobre and L'Enfant. Introduction to the reading of the New Testament, 8vo. 9s. This book was originally a preface to the Fiench Version of the New Testament, published 171S. Bishop Watson observes that this is a work of extraordinary merit. The authors have scarcely left any topic untouched, oh which the young student iu divinity may be supposed to want information. Coi.iiYER. The Sacred Interpreter, or a Practical Introduction towards a beneficial reading of the Holy Scriptures, 2 vols. ISs. by the Rev. David Collyer, first printed in 1746. Bishop Marsh says this work is calculated for readers in general, and is a good popular preparatiiin for the Holy Scriptures. Gray. The Key to the Old Testament, 8vo. 12s. This book was undertaken in imitation of the late Bishop Percy's well known and often printed Key to the New Testament ; but it is a much more elaborate per - formance. Bishop Mant and Dr. D'Oyley have liberally availed themselves of Dr. Gray's researches, in their recent valuable commentary on the Holy Scriptures. CAiiMET. Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vols. 4to. 10/, 10s. Calmet's Dictionary is the basis of all similar modern works. Brown. Dictionary of the Bible, by the Rev. J. Brown, 2 vols. 8vo. 18s. Robinson. A Theological, Biblical, and Ecclesiastical Dictio- nary, serving as a general note book, to illustrate the Old and New Testaments, by the Rev. J. Robinson, 8vo. II. 7s. It is no small commendation of this work, that, within a few months after its publication, it was recommended by several prelates to the attention of candidates for Holy Orders. To every theological student who has not access to an extensive library, this volume will prove a very excellent substitute. Stackhodse. The History of the Holy Bible, by the Rev. T. Stackhouse, a new edition, with important additions by Bishop Gleig, 3 vols. 4to. 1817. THEOLOGY. Works of Commentators and Writers on the Criticism of the Scriptures. This) worli bas always been higlily esteemed for its utility, and the variety of valuable illustrations which the author has brought together from every accessible source. BnvERiDCE. Thesaurus Thcologicus, by Bishop Beveridge, 2 vols. 8vo. 1/. 4s. Bdck. Theological Dictionary, by the Rev. C. Buck, 2 vols. 8vo. II. Is. Douglas. The Criterion, or Miracles examined with a view to explain the pretensions of Pagans and Papists, 8vo. Sa-. OiivER. A Scripture Lexicon, or a Dictionary of Persons and Places in the Old and New Testaments, 8vo. 8s. Crude N. A Concordance to the Holy Scriptures, by Alexander Cruden, 4to. II. Is. in 8vo. 18s. BuROER. Oriental Customs, or an Illustration of the Sacred Scriptures, by the Rev. S. Burder, 2 vols. 8vo. 1/ 10s, Oriental Literature applied to the illustration of the Sacred Scriptures, 2 vols. 8vo. II. 5.'. LowTH. A Translation of Isaiah, with notes, 2 vols. 8vo. I6s. by Bishop Lowth. Leigbton. Commentary on the first Epistle of St. Peter, by Archbishop Leighton, 2 vols. 8vo. portrait, 18s. Orton. An Exposition of the Old Testament, by Job OrfoD. with a Life by Dr. Kippis, 6 vols. 8vo. 31. 3s. Robinson. Scripture Characters, or an Improvement of the I)rincipal Histories of the Old and New Testaments, 3 vols. 8vo. 1/. 7s. 12mo. i;. Is. Doddridge. The Family Expositor, by the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, 6 vols. 8vo.2/. 2s in one vol. 8vo. complete, 18s. Newton. A Dissertation on the Prophecies, by Dr. Newton 2 vols. 8vo, 16s. l2mo. 8s. Gray es on the Pentateuch, 2 vols. 8vo. 21s, This valuable work is indispensably necessary to every biblical student. Gilpin. A Commentary on the New Testament, by the Rev. W, Gilpin, 2 vols. 8vo. 16s. Trap p. Notes on the Gospels, 8vo. 6s. 1805. Faber. Horae Mosaicae, or a View of the Mosaical Records, by the RcT. George Stanley Faber, 2 vols. 8vo. 1818. 18s. THEOLOGY. Works of Commentators and Writers on the Criticism of the Seriptnm. Those who have not the mains or leisire to consult the valuable works of Mr, Bryant, Mr. Maurice, anil Sir Willi im Jones, in this line, will find in these vo- lumes many of the most striking facts brought together. ToWNLEY. Illustrations of Biblical Literature, VTith plates, by the Rev. James To« niev, 3 vols. 8vo. 21. 2s. An able and dili.'ent scholar, unwearied in research, sound in principle, and impartial in the exposition of the truth. It is as suitable for general reading as it i» excellent for scholastic reference. BoTi.ER. Horae Riblicae, being a connected series of miscellaneous notes on the original text, 8vo. 14s. This is a judicious mauual of biblical criticism. Gerard, institutes of Biblical Criticism, or heads of a course of lectures on thai subject, read in the University of Aberdeen, by Dr. Alexander Gerard, 1808, 8vo. Of general and elementary treatises on sacred criticism, there is none more to be recommended, either for perspicuitj or correctness. Bishop Marsh. Hamilton. Introduction to the study of the Hebrew Scriptures, by the Rev. George Hamilton. 8vo. The general execution is highly creditable to the author's indnstryaadjudgraent Campbell. On the Gospels, 4 vols. 8vo. 2/ 2s. Lectures on Systematic Theology, 8vo. Ss. Dissertation on the Miracles, 8vo. 9s. Locke. Commentary on the Kpistles, by John Locke, 8vo. lOs. Marsh. A Course of Lectures containing a description and syste- matic arrangement of the several branches of Divinity, by Herbert Marsh, Bishop of Peterborough, 8vo. 14*. These lectures embrace almost every topic of biblical criticism, and are particu- larly valuable for their critical notices of the principal writers who have treated on these subjects. HuRD. An Introduction to the study of the Prophecies, 8vo. HoRSLEY. The Psalms of David, translated by Bishop Horsley, with Notes, 2 vols. 8vo. 18s. Biblical Criticism on the books of the Old Testament, 4 vols. 8vo. 21. 2s. M icHAELis. An Introduction to the New Testament, by John Da- vid Michaelis, translated from the German, by Herbert Marsh, Bishop of Peterborough, 6 vols. 8vo. 21. 12s. 6rf. The first edition of this inestimable work was printed in 1750. Its value is p-eatly enhanced by the notes of Bishop Marsh. 8 THEOLOGY. Works of Commentators and Writers im tlie Criticism of the Scriptures. HoANE. A commentary on tlu- Book of Psalms, by Bishop Home, 2 vols. 8vo. 16$. Lardner. The Credibility of the Gospel History, or the facts occa- sionally mentioned in the New Testament confirmed by pas- lages of ancient authors, who were contemporary with our Sa- viour and his Apostles, or who lived near their time, by Nathaniel Lardner, I).D. 5 vols. 4to. 10?. lO^. 11 vols. 8vo. The two first volumes of this great and valuable work illustrate a multitude of passages occurring in the New Testament. Harmer. Observations on divers passao;es of Scripture, 4 vols. 8vo. by Thomas Harmer ; collected and revised by Dr. Adam Clarke, 21. 2s. BuRDER. Oriental Customs, or an Illustration of the Sacred Scrip- tures, by the Rev, Samuel Burder, 2 vols. 8vo. II. 5s. Orietital Literature applied to the Illustration of the Sa- cred Scriptures, 2 vols. 8vo, 11. 10s. There is another book of this class by the Rev. W. Fowler, 8vo. 1814» 10s, 6d. HoRNE. An Introduction to the Critical Study and Know ledge of the Holy Scriptures, by the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Home, 4 vols. 6th edition, 3?. 3s. This invaluable work is illustrated with maps and facsimiles of Biblical Manu- scripts. It is now adopted as a text book in our Universities and Theological Seminaries, and is designed as a comprehensive manual of sacred literature, se- lected from the labours of the most eminent biblical critics, both British and Foreign. Paxton. Illustration of the Holy Scriptures, by the Rev. G. Paxton, 3 vols. 8vo. 2d edition, II. 16s. ToMLiNE, The Elements of Christian Theology, by Pretyman Tom- line, Bishop of Winchester, 2 vols. 8vo. 18s, Jebb. Sacred Literature, by the Rev. J. Jebb, 1820, 8vo. 12s, Archdeacon Jebb's Sacred Literature has the highest claims to the attention of every biblical student, for its numerous beautiful criticisms and elucidations of the New Testament, Home. SriLLrNGFLEET, Origincs SacrjE, 1817, 2 vols. 8vo, 14s. Jones. The Method of settling the Canon of the New Testament, 3 vols.Svo, 15s. Macknight. Thellarmony of the Four Gospels, with a paraphrase and notes, by James Macknight, 2 vols. 8vo, 1{. Is. THEOLOGY. Works of Commentators and Writers on tlie Criticism of the Scriptures. Macknight. a Literal Translation of the Apostolical Epistles, 4 vols. Svo. 21. 2s. ■ with the original Greek, and old translation, 6 vols. 8vo. 3/. 3s. Stanhope. A commentary on the Epistles, 4 vols. 8vo. 2l.2s. Nares. The Veracity of the Evangelists demonstrated by a com- parative view of their histories, 8vo. 8s. Jejwj iNGS. Jewish Antiquities ; to which is annexed a dissertation on the Hebrew language, by Dr. Jennings, I vol, 8vo, Brown. The Antiquities of the Jews, carefully compiled from au- thentic sources, 2 vols. 8vo. IL-As This is the most elaborate sjsteni of Jewish Antiquities extant in the English language. Prideaux. The Connection of the Old and New Testament, by Dean Prideaux, 4 vols. 8vo. It 12s. Dr. Prideaux's Connections were bandied about, from hand to hand, among at least five or six of the most eminent booksellers, during the space of at least two jears, to no purpose, none of them undertaking to print the work. It therefore lay in obscurit}', until Archdeacon Echaid, the author's friend, strongly recommended it to Tonson. It was purchased, and the publication was very successful. Lewis. A History of the principal translations of the Bible into English, reprinted in 8vo. 1818, 10s. 6d. by John Lewis. Cotton. A View of the English Translations of the Bible, by Dr. Cotton, 8vo. 10s. 6d. For erudite philological criticism, consult Kennicott on the State of the Hebrew Text, Owen's Critica Sacra, and Modes of Quotation used by the Evangelical Writers. Hunter. Sacred Biography, by Henry Hunter, 5 vols. 8vo. 2? 2s. An excellent book. Trimmer. Sacred History selected from the Scriptures, with annota- tions and reflections, by Mrs. Trimmer, 6 vols. 12mo. 1^. JOs. Conversations on the Bible, by a Lady, 12mo. Is. may be mentioned as a very suitable little work to put into the hands of youth. Hales. The Analysis of Chronology, by Hales, is the most elaborate system of Chronology extant in our language, 3 vols, 4to. 1809. 10 THEOLOGY. Works of Commentators and Writers on tlie Criticism of tie Scriptures. Wells. Geography of the Old and New Testament, 2 vols. 8vo. I4s. Harris. The Natural History of the Bible, with plates, by Dr. J. M. Harris, 12mo. 8s. A most instructive and pleasing little book. Scripture Atlas, 4to. II. 5s. Wyld. a Scripture Atlas, by James Wyld, 4to. colored, 1/. I6s. imperial 8vo. half bound, II. 5s. SirucKFoRD, The Connection of Sacred and Profane History, by Shuckford, enlarged by Creighton, 4 vols. 8vo. 11. I2s. This work is introductory to that of Prideaux. DUTIES OF THE CLERGY. Dr. Johnson, in an excellent letter to a young clergyman, makes the following observations. Take care Ho register somewhere the authors from whom your several discourses are borrowed j and do not imagine that you shall always re- member, even what, perhaps, you now think it impossible to forget. My advice, however, is that you attempt from time to time an original sermon ; and in the labour of composition, do not burden your mind "ith too much at once; do not exact from yourself, at one effort of excogita- tion, propriety of thought and elegance of expression. Invent tirst, and then embellish. The production of something where nothing was before, is an act of greater energy than the expansion or decoration of the thing produced. Set down diligently your thrtnghts, as they rise, in the first words that occur; and when you have matter, you will easily give it form. Nor, perhaps, will this metliodbe always necessary ; for by habit, your thoughts and diction will flow together. The composition of sermons is not very difficult ; the divisions not only help the memory of the hearer, but direct the judgment of the writer ; they supply sources of invention, and keep every part in its proper place. Tlie advice of Dean Stanhope to a young Clergyman. The first care of a GisBORNE. The Duties of the Female Sex, 8vo. 8s. 24ino. 4j. The Duties of Men, 2 vols. 8vo. 18s. Venn. The Complete Duty of Man, or a System of Doctrinal and Practical Christianity, by the Rev. H. Venn, 8vo. 8s. 12mo. bd. 4 s. 6d. Meluoth. Great Importance of a Religious Life, by the Rev. W. Melmoth, ISmo. bound, Is. 6d. In eighteen years, forty-two thousand copies were sold of this book. FoRDYCE. Addresses to Young Men, by Dr. G. Fordyce, 2 vols. I2mo. 8s. ' Young Women, 2 vols. 12mo. Ts. Buck. The Young Christian's Guide, by the Rev. C Bucli, 12mo. 3s. Serious Inquiries, 3s. Religious Experience, 5s. Beveridge. Private Thoughts on Religion, by Bishop Beveridge, Bvo . Is. 12mo. 5s. Steele. The Christian Hero, small 8vo. 1802, 2s. 6d. Belfrage. Practical Discourses for the Young, by Dr. Belfrage, 12mo. 4s. 6d. Private Thoughts on Religion and other Subjects connected with it. A Recommendation of Family Religion, 1811. An Address to the Heads of P^amilies, on the Neglect of Family Religion. Baxter. The Saint's Everlasting Rest, by Richard Baxter, with an Essay by Erskine, 12mo. 5s. 20 THEOLOGY. SERMONS. Sir John Pringle expressed a wish that Boswell would ask Dr. Johnson's opinion what were Ihe best English Sermons for style. Boswell says, 1 took an opportunity of mentioning several to him. — Atterbury ? Johnson. — Yes, sir, one of the best. Tillotson? Johnson. — Why not now j I should not advise a preacher at this day to imitate Tillotson : though I don't know— I should be cautious of objecting to what has been applauded by so many suffrages. South is one of the best, if you except his peculiarities and his violence, and sometimes coarse- ness of language. Seed has a very fine style; but he is not very theological. Jortin's Sermons are very elegant. Sherlock's style, too, is very elegant, though he has not made it his principal study. And you raay add Smallridge ; all the latter, perhaps, have a good style. I should recommend Dr. Clarke's Sermons, were he orthodox ; however, it is very well known, where he was not orthodox, which was upon the doctrine of the Trinity, as to which he is a condemned heretic, so one is aware of it. Boswell. — I like Ogden's Sermons on Prayer very much, both for neat- ness of style and subtility of reasoning Johnson. — I should like to read all that Ogden has written Bosivell- — What I wish to know is, what Sermons afford the best specimen of English pulpit eloquence ? Johnson. — We have no Sermons addressed to the passions that are good for any thing ; if you mean that kind of eloquence. A Clergyman. — Were not Dodd's Sermons addressed to the passions 3 Johnson. — They were nothing, sir, be they addressed to what they may. Life by Boswell, An interesting little volume might be compiled of the peculiarities of pulpit eloquence in various countries ; the following, from Capt. Smyth'f Memoir of Sicily, may serve as a specimen. — The language (says the author) of the most popular preachers, is chiefly Sicilian, interspersed with frequent Latin quotations from the Scriptures. I witnessed one of the favourite pastors, who, with a black cross suspended round his neck and Btuck in his girdle, was extremely vehement, both in gesture and tone» frequently breaking out into affectionate apostrophes to a large crucifix in the side of the pulpit, until by degrees his congregation began to sob THEOLOGY. 21 Select Sermons. violently He reprtsented our Saviour as an anxious shepherd, who, on missing one lamb out of a hundred, scrambled over rocks, ran down pre- cipices, leaped over ravines, and left nothing untried to recover it ; being at last successful, he desired the angels to rejoice, h perche ? Why ? enquired the Sacred Choir. Because, replied the Redeemer again, truvatu la mia cara pecuredda ! I have recovered my dear lamb ! The perusal of Serojons will be found to merit considerable attention, as by their assistance the student enlarges his stock of Theological Know- ledge. They supply excellent ioci communes, to assist the clergyman j here you may have displayed the rich eloquence of Barrow — the energy of Tillolson — the solid sense of Sharpe — the animated descriptions of Sher- lock— the perspicuity and close argument of Clarke and Powel— the brevity of Ogden— the precision of Seeker, and the beautiful imagery of Seed and Toitie. As the enumeration of each author separately, with the date of the edition and price, would occupy a considerable space, it is sufficient to observe, that the following compose a valuable body of Divinity, excellent in point of argument, illustration, method, and language. Such are the Sermons of South, Barrow,* Ta)lor,f Tillotson, • Barrow was the favourite author of the great Earl of Chatham j on his style he had formed his masculine and solid eloquence, and bad read his great master so constantly as to be able to repeat his elaborate Ser- mons frona memory. Sismondi, in his Liiterature du Midi de I'Europe, gives a curious speci- men of a sermon writer. Le hasard m'a fait rencontrer en voyage un barbier Ilalien qui faisait commerce de sermons avec des moines trop ignorans pour en composer eux m^mes, il avoit I'oreille sensible a une certaine harmonie musicale, et il reussissait a construire des periodes assez nombreuses, ausquels, il ne manquait plus que le sens ; il entendoit un pen de Franjais, et il avoit la curiosite de fouiller dans tons les vieux livres. Pour composer les sermons qu'il vendoit, il ajoutoit ensemble des lambeaux d'orateurs Chretiens qu'il avoit decouverts dans une vieilie bibliotheque, cepen- dant, pour qu'il ne fut pas facile de reconnailre le plagiat, c'etait tou- jours par le milieu d'une phrase qu'il entrait dans ces fragmens etrangers, et il les quittoit aussi au milieu d'une phrase. II me consulta sur un de ces sermons mais sans me dire d'abord son secret. Je ne fus pas peu etonne de ces periodes pompeuses dont la fin ne repondait jamais au commencement, et dont les membres divers n'avoient jamais ete fait pour allerensemble, + Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down and Connor, was the son of a barber 22 THEOLOGY. Select Sermons. S. Clarke, Jortin,* Seed, Ogden, Butler, Blackall, Atterbury, War- at Cambridge. It is said that the Liberty of Prophcsyiriff was the first book written in the English language in favour of liberty of conscience- The genius and the industry, the private virtues and the public spirit of Jeremy Taylor were equally admirable, and it is much to the honour of the Church of England, that a man of such sentiments and disposition rose by his merit to her |)rincipal dignities. He has been deservedly styled the Shakespeare of Divines. • The sermons of Jortin were sensible, argumentative, and to the pur- pose ; but delivered in so negligent a manner, and with so little em- phasis, as to make little impression on the audience. In some works he printed, he had half the profits. In his Life of Eras- mus, he sold the privilege of an impression, but kept the copyright himself. Dr. Jortin was some time assistant preacher at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, for Bishop Warburton. He had no recommendation to Archbishop Her- ring but his merit. His Grace told him, most unexpectedly, at a dinner of the sons of the clergy, that the living of St. Dunstan's was at his ser- vice, which so surprised him tliat he ran instantly out of the hall, and left his hat behind him. On the subject of sermons the following anecdote may not be unac- ceptable, especially as it may serve as a clue to some of our modern aspirants for fame by sermon-writing, whereby to estimate the result of publishing their productions. A poor vicar, in a remote dioeese, had, on some popular occasion, preached a sermon so acceptable to his parishioners, that they entreated him to print it, and he undertook a journey to London for tliat purpose. On his arrival in town he was recommended to the late Mr. Rivington, to whom he triumphantly related the object of his journey. The printer agreed to his proposals, and required to know how many copies he would choose to have struck off. Why, sir, 1 have calculated that there are in the kingdom ten thousand parishes, and that each parish will at least take one, and others more ; so that I think we may venture to print about 35 or 36,000 copies. The bookseller remonstrated, the author insisted, and the matter was settled. The reverend author departed in high spirits to his home. With much difficulty and great self-denial, a period of about two months was suffered to pass over, when his golden visions so tor- mented his imagination that he could endure it no longer, and accord- ingly wrote to Rivington, desiring him to send the debtor and creditor account, most liberally permitting the remittances to be forwarded at Mr. R.'s convenience. Judge of the astonishment, tribulation, and an- guish, excited by the receipt of the following account. THEOLOGY. ' 22 Select Sermons. burton, Horsley, Powell, B. Wilson, Burder, Balguj', Seeker, Home, Porteus, Paley, Mant, Huntingford, Gilpin, Maltby, Bow- dler, Hugh M'Neile, Hewlett, Rennell, Milner, Blake, Kirwan, Cunningham, Warner. The Brampton Lectures, 2 vols. 8vo. more particularly those by Bandinel, White, Barrow, Nares, Laurence, Van Mildert , Spry, Miller, and Conybeare, deserve notice. The Lectures of Dr. Collyer, on Scripture Facts, Doctrine, Prophecy, Parables, Miracles, display considerable reading and research. AtisoN. Sermons, by the Rev. Archibald Alison, 2 vols. 11 4s. Blair. Sermons by the Rev. Hugh Blair, 5vols. 8vo. II lOs. 3 vols. 18s. 1 vol. common, 10;. Dr. Blair transmitted the manuscript of his first volume of Sermons to Mr. Strahan, tlie king's printer, wlio, after keeping it for some time, wrote a letter to him, discouraging the publicatiou ; such at first was the unpropitious reception of one of the most successful theological books that has ever appeared. Mr. Strahan, however, had sent one of the sermons to Dr. Johnson for his opinion, and after his unfavourable letter to Dr.Blair had been sent off, he received from Dr. Johnson, on Christmas Eve, a note, in which was the following paragraph : — " I liave read over Dr.Blair's first sermon with more than approbation; to say if is good is to say too tittle." Mr. Strahan had very soon after this time a conversation with Dr. Johnson concerning them, and then he very candidly wrote again to Dr.Blair, enclos- ing Johnson's note, and agreeing to purchase the volume, for which he and Mr. Cadell gave one hundred pounds. The sale was so rapid and extensive, and the approbation of the public so high, that the proprietors made Dr. Blair a present The Reverend ■ Dr. to C. Rivington. To printing and paper, 35000 copies of seraions ^735 5 6 Cr. By the sale of seventeen copies said sermons ... 15 6 Balance due to C. Rivington 784 The bookseller, however, in a day or two, sent a letter to the following purport. Reverend Sir,— I beg pardon for innocently amusing myself at your expence, but you need not give yourself any uneasiness. I know better than you could do the extent of the sale of single sermons, and accord- ingly printed but one hundred copies, to the expence of which you are heartily welcome. Sermons make a considerable branch of English literature j a library must be very imperfect that has not a numerous collection of sermons. Dr. Johnson, 24 THEOLOGY. Select Sermons. first of onesum and after\var(ls of aiiotlier,tlius voluntarily doubling the stipulated sum; anil when lie prepared another volume, they gave liim at once three hundred pounds, and for the others he had six hundred pounds each. Butler. Sermons, with Charge, by Bishop Butler, 8vo. 9s. HoRSLEY. Sermons, by Samuel Horsley, LL. D. late Bishop of St. Asaph, 2 vols.Svo. 18s. Ordinary readers, moderately conversant with the Bible, and with the theory and practice of their religion, may derive more advantage from these discourses than from any volumes of sermons which have issued from the press for the last fifty years. Edinburgh Review. HoRNE. Discourses, by Bishop Home, 3 vols. 8vo. II 4s. Barrow. Select Sermens, by Dr. Isaac Barrow, 2 vols. 8vo. 1810, 16s. South. The Sermons of Dr. South, 7 vols.Svo. 3Z. Sherlock. The Sermons of Bishop Sherlock, complete in 4 vols. 1812, 8vo. II 8s. Doddridge- Sermons, by Dr. Doddridge, 4 vols. Svo- 2Z2s. These volumes have very recently issued from the press from some originalMSS. Chalmers. Sermons preached at the Tron Church, Svo. 10s. 6d. ■ Discourses on the Christian Revelation, as viewed in connexion with Modern Astronomy. Discourses on the Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life, Svo. 8s 6d. Lectures on the Parables, post Svo. 8s. Miracles, Svo. 8s. These are admirable productions. The style is beautiful. Family Lectures, or a Copious Collection of Sermons on Faith and Practice, royal Svo. U 4s. SiMEo.v. Skeletons of above five hundred Sermons, by the Rev. C. Simeon, 5 vols. 8vo. 21 12s 6(1. Pitman. A Course of Sermons for the Year, abridged from eminent Divines of the Established Church, for the Use of Families and Schools, by the Rev. J. R. Pitman, 2 vols. Svo. 18s. Water LAND. Sermons on the Divinity of Jesus Christ, by Bishop Waterland, Svo. 6s. Haccitt. Sermons to Country Congregations, by the late Rev. G. Ilaggitt,2 vols.Svo. 14s. The Villiii^e Preacher, by a Clergyman of the Church of England, 6 vols. 5s each. THEOLOGY. 25 CaIiVIn. Institutes of the Christian Religion, by John Calvin, translated by J. Allen, 3 vole. 8vo. H 16s. Hall. The Contemplations of Bishop Hall, 12mo. 5s. A valuable little book. Palet. The Works complete, with a Life by his Son, the Rev. E. Paley, 7 vols. 8fo. 21 16s This edition has two additional volumes of Sermons. VILLAGE SERMONS. BunoER. Village Sermons, by the Rev. George Burder, 6 vols. 12mo. 12*. , Berens. Village Sermons, 12mo. 5s. Gilpin. Sermons to Country Congregations, 4 vols. 8vo. \l 16s. Cooper. Doctrinal Sermons, by the Rev. W. Cooper, 2 vols. 12mo. 10s. Practical Sermons, 6 vols. 12mo. IZlOs. Bishop. Sermons to a Country Congregation, 12mo. 2s Qd. Mant. Sermons for Parochial and Domestic Use, by Bishop Mant, 3 vols. 8 vo. lZ8s6(/. SCHOOL DIVINITY IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. Such was the interest for this class of reading, that Panzer describes no less than 150 editions "of various parts of the works of St. Augustine before the year 15(0 j and before the same period more than 20 editions ot the works of St. Basil. Lanctantius, another of the fathers of the church, and generally distinguished by the appellation of the Christian Cicero, has six editions mentioned by Panzer. Thomas Acquinas, whose works filled no less than seventeen volumes folio, of whom Panzer de- scribes two hundred and forty editions of his performances in whole or in part : he was so great a favourite, as to be called in that day, the Evange- lical Doctor, the Angel of the School, the Eagle of Theologians . PoRTEus. The Works of Bishop Porteus, with his Life, by the Dean of Carlisle, 6 vols. 8vo. 21 2s. Pearson. On the Creed, 2 vols. Svo. 16s. There is an abridgment, by Dr. Burney, of Greenwich, ISmo. 7s. The exposition of the Creed has nothing superior to it in any language. Meta- physics, logic, classical and theological erudition, ate all brought to bear upon that DJOmentous subject. Dibdin, E 26 THEOLOGY. Warburton. The Works of Bishop Warburton, including his Divine Legation of Moses, by Bishop ITurd, 12 vols. 8vo. 61 6s. Taylor. The Works of Jetemy Taylor, with Life of Bishop Ik'bcr, 12 vols. 8vo. 11 4s. TiLLOTsoN. The Works of Archbishop Tillotson, 11 vols, 8vo. .5/ 5s. There is an abridgment of the Sermons, by Dakins, 2 vols- ll. Barrow. The Theological Works of the Rev. Isaac Barrow, 6 vols. 8vo. 21 lis. The Select Sermons, 2 vols. 8vo. 10s. Bkveridge. The Works of Bishop Beveridge, now first collected, with a Memoir, by Thomas Hartwell Home, M. A. 9 vol*. 8vo. &l8s. Sermons, 6 vols 8vo. 31 3s. Selected by Dakio9,2 vols. 8vo. 18s. Bull. The Works of Bishop Bull, new edition, by Nelson, 3 vols. 1 2 4s. Leightox- Tlie Works of Archbishop Leighton, with his Life, by the Rev. .T. N. Parson, M. A. 4 vols. 8vo. ll 16s. LiGHTFooT. The Works of Dr. J. Lightfoot, edited by the Rev. J. R. Pitman. Whitby. Discourses on the Five Points, fourth edition, 8vo. 12s. WoGAN An Essay on the Proper Lessons, appointed by the Liturgy of the Church of England, 4 vols. 2/ 8s. Lardner. The Works of Lardner, with Life by Kippis, 5 vols. 4to. lonos. Baxter The Works of Mr. Richard Baxter are now printing, in an octavo form Fla VEL The Works of John Flavel, 6 vols- Svo. 31 3s. Scholar Armed against Errors, a collection of Tracts, 2 vols. Svo. Ills. Watson. A Collection of Theological Tracts, by Bishop Watson, 6 vols. 8vo 2/ 2s. Secker The Works of Thomas Seeker, Archbishop of Canterbury, with a Review of his Life and Character, a new edition, by Beilby Porteus, 6 vols. 8vo. 21 14s. Scott. The Works of the Rev. John Scott, 10 vols Svo. 61. IIoRNE. The Works of Bibhop Home, 6 vols. Svo. 21 14s. THEOLOGY. 27 HuRD. The Works of Bishop Hurd, 8 vols. 8vo. 3/ 10s. Waterland. The Works of Bishop Watcrland, 11 vols Svo. il 10s. Owen. The Works of the Rev. John Owen, D. D. 12 vols. 8to, lUs Wall, The History of Infant Baptism, by the Rev. W. Wall, 3 vols, Svo. Ills. Campbell. Lectures on Systematic Theology, by Dr. George Camp- bell, Svo. 9s. Doddridge, Lectures on Theology, by Dr. Philip Doddridge, 2 vols. Svo. 18* DwiGHT. A System of Theology, by Dr, Timothy Dwight, 5 vols. Svo, 21 5s. There is also an edition in a miniature form. Baxter. The Young Christian's Cyclopaedia, or a Compendium of Christian Knowledge, by John Baxter, 12mo. bd. 5s- 6d- Robinson. The Christian System Unfolded, in a Course of Practical Essays, on the Principal Doctrines of Christianity, 3 vols. Svo. iHs. Beveridge. Thesaurus Theologicus, or a Complete System of Divinity, by Bishop Beveridge, 2 vols. Svo. U 4s. ToMLiNE. Elements of Christian Theology, 2 vols. Svo. II Is. Warden. A System of Revealed Religion, new edition, by the Rev. John Warden, 2 vols. Svo. ll^ls. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. MosHElM< Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern, by J. L. Mo- sheim, continued by C. Coote, 6 vols. Svo. 2/ 2s. This work is recommended because it is more complete than any other. It is in many points very exceptionable ; and he, as well as his translator, must be considered as adverse to the Church of England. See Bishop Warhurtons Character of the Work, quoted by the Translator. A well written Church History is still a desideratum in our literature. There is a Summary, published by Collins, continued to 1819, 2 vols. Svo. 1/ls. MiLNER. The History of the Church of Christ, by Dean Milner, 5 vols. Svo. 3/. 28 THEOLOGY. Ecclesiastical History. JoRTiN. Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, by Dr. Jortin, 3 vols. 8vo. II is. Dr. Jortin has, in a little compass, taken notice of so many facts, and animad- verted upon them with so much judgment, that his work will ever beheld in deserved repute. Strype. licclesiastical Memorials, by John Strype, 6vols. 8vo. 1822, 3/, large paper 7/. ■ Annals, 8 vols. 8vo. 41 Is. Burnet* The History of the Reformation, by Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Sarum, 6 vols. 8vo 31. 3s. — Abridged, 1 vol. 8vo. 9s. In the Lansdown Library there is a copy of Burnet's History of his own]Tiaies, filled with remarks in the margin, in the handwriting of Swift. They are, as may he supposed, distinguished by great acuteness and wit, and not without some portion of coarseness and malevolence. Burnet appears to have been no favorite with the Dean. Burnet I like much. His style and manner are very interesting. It seems as if he had just come from the King's closet, or from the apartments of the men whom be describes, and was telling his readers, in plain, honest terms, what he had seen and heard. Horace JValpole. SouTHET. The Book of the Church, by Robert Southey, 2 vols. \l 4i. • One of the first treatises in favour of the Reformation is said, at the end, lobe printed at Greenwich, by the permission of the Lord of Hosts. The new learning, as it was then called, was propagated in small pieces, cheaply printed, and what was of consequence, easily concealed. The number of printers was small. The presses were jealously overlooked by the clergy, who spared no labour or vigilance for the suppression of heresy. In the time of King Edward the Sixth the presses were employed in favour of the reformed religion, and small tracts were dispersed over the nation, to reconcile them to the new form of worship. In this reigij political pamphlets may be said to have been begun by the address of the rebels of Devonshire ; all which means of propagating the sentiments of the people so disturbed the Court, thai no sooner was Mary resolved to reduce her subjects to the Humish superstition, but she artfully, by a charter granted to certain freemen of London, in whose fidelity no doubt she confided entirely, prohibited all presses but what should be licenced by them ; which charter is that, by which the corporation of Stationers, in London, is at this time incorporated. It begins thus. — " Know ye, that we, con- sidering and manifestly perceiving that several seditious and heretical books or tracts against the faith and sound Catholic doctrine of Holy Mother, the Church," &c. &c. THEOLOGY. 29 Ecclesiastical Hi6tor3'. Wordsworth. Ecclesiastical Biography, by Dr. Wordsworth, 6 vols. 8vo. 31 13s 6rf. Cook. The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, by Dr. George Cook, H lOs. General and Historical View of Christianity, comprehending its origin and progress, and the effect it has produced on the moral and political state of Europe, 3 vols. 8vo. 1/ 16a'. ' Concise View of Christianity, 3 vols. 8vo- \l 16s. Fry. a short History of the Christian Church, to the present time, by the Rev. John Fry, 8vo. 12s. , Wood. The Parish Church, or Religion in Britain, by the Rev. T. Wood, 8vo. I0s6d. Campbeli,. Lectures on Ecclesiastical History, by Dr. G. Campbell, 2 vols. 8vo. \l Is. For the History of the Puritans consult Neal's History, 3 vols. — Brooke's Lives of the Puritans — Palmer's Nonconformist Memo- rial, 2 vol. 8vo. Adams. The Religious World displayed, by Robert Adams, 2 vols. 8vo. 1/. 4s. — in abridgment, 12mo. 6s. Bellamy. The History of all Religions, by John Bellamy, 12mo. 6s. Evans. A Sketch of the various Denominations of the Christian World, by Dr Evans, 12mo. 6s. This book has a most extensive sale- WiLLLAMs. A Dictionary of all Religions, by Williams, 12mo. 9s WiLKS. Christian Biographical Dictionary, containing the lives and writings of the most distinguished Christians of all denominations, 12mo. 9s Nightingale. The Religions, and Religious Ceremonies of all Na- tions, abridged from Picart, plates, 8vo. 10s 6d Dewab. Discourses bn Christianity, by D. Dewar, 8to. 12s Dictionary of Religious Opinions. 30 i^tsitor}). The study of History and Chronology seems to be one of the most natural delights of the human mind. It is not easy to live without enquiring by what means every thing was brought into the state in which we now behold it, or without finding in the mind some desire of being informed concerning the generations of mankind, that have been in possession of the world before us, whether they were better or worse than ourselves, or what good and evil has been derived to US from their schemes, practices, and institutions. These are inquiries which History alone can satisfy: and History can only be made intelligible by some knowledge of Chronology, the science by which events are ranged in their order, and the periods of computation are settled, and which, therefore, assist the memory by method, and enlighten the judgment by showing the dependence of one transaction on another. Accordingly it sliould be diligently inculcated on the scholar, that uuless he fixes in Jiis mind some idea of the time in which each man of eminence lived, and each action was performed, with some part of tiie contemporary lii?tory of the rest of the world, he will consume his life in useless reading, and darken his mind with a crowd of unconnected events ; his memory will be per- plexed with distant transactions resembling one another, and his re- flections be like a dream in a fever, busy and turbulent, but confused and indistinct. Dr. Johnson. Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. Histories make men wise, poets witty, the mathema- tics subtle, natural philosophy deep, moral, grave, logic and rhetoric able to contend. Lord Bacon. A writer in the 63rd number of the Quarterly Review, justly complains of our poverty in works of laborious learning, compared with France or Ciermany. We have no good history of any modern nation except our own: but our inferiority is still more striking and less excusable in eveiy branch of study connected with the history, antiquities, and literature^of Greece and Rome. If we turn to works written in illustration of ancient manners, arts, institutions, and laws, HISTORY. 31 what names can we find among our countrymen to oppose to those of Graevius and Gronovius, of Meursius, of Sigonius, of Petit, of Mont- faucon, of Winkelman, of Godefroi, of Heineccius, and many others, without naming the great modern writers of Germany, Creuaer, Hugo, Haubold, and Savigny. The common remark as to the utility of reading history having been made. — Johnson. We must consider how very little history there is ; I mean real authentic history. That certain kings reigned, and certain battles were fought, we can depend upon as true ; but all the colour- ing, all the philosophy of history, is conjecture. Boswell. Then, sir, you would reduce all history to no better than an almanack, a mere chronological series of remarkable events. Mr. Gibbon, who must at that time have been employed upon his history, of which he published the first volume in the following year, was present, but did not step forth in defence of that species of writ- ing. He probably did not like to trust himself with Johnson BoswelVs Life. There are three kinds of history, all good : the original writers ; full and ample memoirs compiled from them, and from manuscripts, with great exactness ; and histories elegantly written and arranged. The second step is indispensably necessary for the third, and I am more pleased with it than the third : it has more of truth, which is the essence of history. Horace Walpole. ON THE STUDY AND USE OF HISTORY. Rutherford. On the Philosophy of History. The same author wrote a riew of Ancient History, 2 vols. 8vo. Priestly. Lectures on History, by Joseph Priestly, LL.D. 2 vols. 8vo. 16^, first published in 4to. GENERAL HISTORY. Tytler. The Elements of General History, by Alexander Fraser Tytler, with a continuation by Dr. Nares, 3 vols. 8vo. with maps, 1/6^ This is a valuable book for a young raan. The arrangement is excellent. Tlie style clear and luminous. 32 GENERAL HISTORY. Whitakefi. An Abrido^inont of Universal History, commencing with the Creation, and carried down to the Peace of Paris, in 1763, by the Rev. E. W. Whitaker, 2 vols. 4to. 21 \0s This book was publislied at 8i. 8».but not bavins; met with a very favorable recep- tion from tbe public, it is now reduced to one fourth of that sura. Considerable industry li.is been bestowed upon it^ compilation. UNIVERSAL HISTORY. Those who are desirous to possess a Universal His- tory, may find a good one in that of Dr. Mavor, in 25 neat volumes, 12mo. at 5/ 10^, which will serve as a convenient substitute for the voluminous and expensive one in 60 volumes, 8vo. which usually costs about'gS/ MuLLER. Universal History, by John Miiller, in 24 books, translated from the German, 3 vols. 8vo. 1/16* There is an abridged translation of the Universal History b) Bossuet, 8vo. 9^ The Universal History of Mayo, in 4 vols. 4to. is sometimes consulted, 31 \3s Gd There is a summary of Universal History by Anquetil, 9 vols. 8vo. ANCIENT HISTORY. RoLLiN. The Ancient History, by M. Rollin, 8 vols. 8vo. 3/ 3s The Ancient History, 12 vols. l8mo. 21 8s This book is the most complete and interesting compendium of Ancient History, and is compiled with scrupulous lidelity from the best Greek and Latin historical writers. Dr. Carpenter. ANCIENT HfSTORY, 33 Russell. The History of Ancient Europe, from the earliest times to the subversion of the Western Empire, by Dr. William Russell, author of the Modern Europe, 3 vols, octavo, 21 2s MIDDLE AGES. Hallam. View of the State of Europe during- the middle ages, by Henry Hallam, Esq. Svols. octavo, 1/ I6s The object of this work is to trace the progress of Europe from the middle of the fifth to the end of the fifteenth century; from the establishraent of Clovis, in Gaul, to the invasion of Italy by Charles the Eighth. The plan of this work is more exten- sive than that of Robertson, its views more comprehensive, and its information more copious and critical. It is written throughout with a spirit of freedom and liberality that do credit to the author. Edinburgh Review, Berington. The Literary History of the Middle Ages, by the Reverend Joseph Berington, 4to. 21 2s, 1814 This book has been ably ciiticlsed in the Edinburgh Review, vol. 23, p. 229. Mills. The Travels of Theodore Ducas, or a Pic- ture of Italy at the revival of Arts and Letters, 2 vols, written on the plan of the Anacharsis, by Barthelemy MODERN HISTORY. An Essay on the Study of Modern History, by J. S. Boone, Student of Christ Church, octavo, 5^ Dr. Dibdin recommeuds this book as a spirited and luminous essa; oa the study of modern history. Russell. The History of Modern Europe, by Dr. Wm. Russell, with a continuation by Dr. Coote, to the establishment of the Austrian power in Italy, in 1821, 7 vols, octavo, 31 I3s 6d This book is distinguished for its philosophical spirit, it« attention to the progress of literature, arts, commerce, &c. and its perspicuous and neat style. F 34 MODERN HISTORY. Mills. The History of the Crusades for the Re- covery and Possession of the Holy Land, by Charles Mills, Esq. 2 vols, octavo, 1/4* The History of Chivalry, or Knighthood and its Times, by the same Author, 2 vols, octavo, 11 is The History of Mohammedanism, 1 vol. octavo, lOs Mr. Mills sajs the object of his book is by extraclin; the substance of the different volumes on Mohammedanism, (many of them elaborate and rare,) to collect to oire point the principal lights which writers have throwu upon it, and to form a connected and concise account of the religions, political and literary history of the disciples of the Arabian prophet. The works of this author ate distinguished for learning, fidelity, and elegance. Robertson. '1 he History of the Reign of the Em- peror Charles the Fifth, by Dr. William Robert- son, 3 vols, octavo, 195, 4 vols, duodecimo, 16* The historian of Charles the Fifth possesses so many excellencies, that it is almost sacrilegious to detract from his merit : he relates the councils, as well as the wars of nations, with all the vehemence of Demosthenes, and the rapid eloquence of a Ciceronian philippic. The style is glowing and animated in a high degree. Dr. Knox. Horace Walpole, in a letter to the Reverend Willi.im INIason, takes notice of a visit paid him bjDr. Robertson, for the purpose of inquir- ing where he could find materials for the reign of King William and Queen Anne, which he intended to write as a supplement to David Hume. Walpole says, " he cares not a straw what he wiitcs about the " church's wet nurse, goody Anne, but no Scot is worthy of being the " historian of William, but Dr. Watson. I once wished he should write " the history of King William, but his Charles the Fifth and his Ame- " rica have opened my eyes, and the times have shut his," Letters, v. 4, p. 561. D'Isiaeli has bestowed a well merited castigation upon Horace Walpole, forthisand other unmerited sarcasms against Robertson. Russell. Memoirs of the Affairs of Europe, from the Peace of Utrecht, by Lord J. Russell, 4to. 2/ 2s J 2 vols, post octavo, 18^ MODERN HISTORY. 35 IN TECHNICAL CHRONOLOGY Dr. Johnson recommends the student to refer to Le Clerc's Compen- dium of History ; and afterwards, for the historical part of chronology, procure Helvicus's and Isaacson's Tables : to attain the technical part, consult Holden's Account of Time, Hearne'sDuctor Historicus, Strau- chius, the first part of Petavius Rationarum Temporum, and at length' Scaliger de Emendatione Temporum. For instruction in the method of his historical sketches he may consult Wheare's Lectures, Robin- son's Directions for the Study of History ; and for ecclesiastical his- tory, Cave and Dupin, Baronius and Fleury. HISTORICAL TABLES, Chronological Tables, by John Blair, folio, 51 5s, with maps, 61 6s Bredow. Chronological Tables of History and Li- terature, by Professor Bredow, enlarged and cor- rected by Major Bell, royal folio, halfbd. 1/ 10^ The tables of Professor Bredow offer advantages of simplicity and efficiency above all otber works oTa similar description ; they present a concise and connected view of the most important facts of universal history, under the following arrange- ment. — 1. Each table embraces a grand epoch of general history. 2. The nations co-existent within such epoch are placed in collateral columns. 3. The collateral columns severally exhibit a chronological chain of the principal events in every separate state. 1. The whole are transversely combined by the contemporary events of the different columns being kept as nearly as possible in horizontal alignments; thus offering either a rapid glance from side to side at the history of all nations at one given period, or a distant and uninterrupted survey (downwards) of the history of any one particular state. Lavoisne. The Genealogical, Historical, Chrono- logical, and Geographical Atlas, by Lavoisne, coloured, folio, 61 6s TooNE. The Chronological Historian, 2 vols. Svo. II I2s 6d 36 GREEK LITERATURE, torical tact; the page of history ought never to be disgraced by unmeaning commentaries, or pointed personalities. In this class may be mentioned the old Naval History, in 8 volumes, Campbell's Lives of the Admirals, and Marshall's Naval Biojrraphy. The latter work embraces a memoir of every officer in his Majesty's Naval Service, from the senior " I'lag Officer" down to the junior " Commander." It contains much of chronological and anecdotical information. Many of the characters are authentic and ably drawn. The author, however, has fallen into the error common to contemporary biographers; he indulges throughout his work in a laudatory strain, and his praise is frequently fulsome to a fault. The book is said to be, from this very reason, rather unpopular in the profession. COMMERCIAL HISTORY. CoLQUHouN. A Treatise on the Wealth, Power, and Resources of Great Britain, by P. Colquhoun, Esq. quarto, 31 3s This work exJiibits an elaborate display of the wealth, power, and resources of the British empire. There is an older work of this description, now rarely consulted, entitled Campbell's Political Survey of Great Britain, 2 vols, quarto HISTORY. 53 MILITARY HISTORY. In this division I hardly know what to mention, ex- cept the valuable work of Archdeacon Cox, Me- moirs of the Duke of Marlborough, 6 vols, octavo, and a quarto atlas, 5/ 5^, and the Campaigns of the Duke of Wellington The History of the AVar in Spain and Portugal, by Robert Southey, 3 vols, quarto, 6/ 6s The following is an authentic copy of a letter written by General Wolfe; it contains much useful instruction for young men in the military profession. Devizes, Sunday, 18th July, 1756. Dear Sir, You cannot find me a more agreeable employment than to serve and oblige you; and! wish with all my heart that my inclinations and abilities were of equal force. I do not recollect what it was I re- commended to Mr. Cornwallis's nephew : it might be the Count de Turpin's book, which is certainly worth looking into, as it contains a good deal of plain practice. Your brother, no doubt, is master of the Latin and French langua- ges, and has some knowledge of the mathematics ; without this last, he can never become acquainted with the attack and defence of placej^ and 1 should advise him, by all means, to give up a year or two of his time, now while he is young, (if he has not already done it,) to the study of the mathematics, because it will greatly facilitate his progress in military matters. As to the books that are fittest for his purpose, he may begin with the King of Prussia's regulations for the horse and foot, where the economy and good order of an army, in the lower branches, is extremely well established. Then there are the " Me- moirs of the Marquis de Santa Cruz, Feuquiere, and MontecuCuli," " Tollard's Commentaries upon Polybius," the " Projet de Tactiquc," " L'Attaque et la Defense des Places, par le Mareschal de Vauban," " Les Memoires de Goulon," " L'Ingenieur de Campagne," " Le Sieur Rente," for all that concerns artillery. Of the ancients, Vegetius, Caesar, Thucydides, Xenophon's Life of Cyrus, and the retreat of the ten thousand Greeks. I do not mention Polybius, because the commrn- taries and history naturally go together. Of latter days, Davila, Gnicciardini, Strada, the Memoirs of the Duke of Sully. There :s abundance of military knowledjje to be picked out of the lives of 51 HISTORY. Gustavus Adolphus, and Charles the XII. King of Sweden, and Zisca, the Bohemian; and if a tolerable account could be got of the exploits of Scanderbeg, it would be inestimable, for he exceeds all officers, ancient and modern, in the conduct of a small defensive army'; I met with him in the Turkish history, but no where else. The life of Suetonius, too, contains many fine things in this way. There is a book lately published that 1 have heard commended, "Art " de la Guerre Practiquc," 1 suppose it is collected from all the be?t authors that treat of war : and there is a little volume, intitled *' Traite de la Petite Guerre," that your brother should take in his pocket when he goes upon out-duties and detachments. The Mareschal de Puysegur's book is in esteem. 1 believe Mr. Townsend will think this catalogue long enough ; and if he had patience to read, and desire to apply, as I am persuaded he has, the knowledge contained in them, there is wherewithal to make him a considerable person in his profes- sion, and, of course, very useful and serviceable to his country. In general, the lives of all the great commanders, of all good histories of warlike nations, will be very instructive, and lead him naturally to imitate what he must necessarily approve of. In these days of scarcity, and in these unlucky times, it is much to be wished that all our young soldiers of birth and education would follow your brother's steps ; and as they will have their turn to com- mand, that they would try to make themselves fit for that important trust: without it, we must sink under the supreme abilities and inde- fatigable industry of our restless neigiibours. You have drawn a larger letter upon yourself than, perhaps, you expected, but I could hardly make it shorter without doing wrong to good authors. In what a strange manner have we conducted our afiairs in the Me- diterranean ! Quelle belle occasion manquee ! I am, with perfect esteem, dear Sir, Your most humble Servant, JAMES WOLFE. JJijGftorp of i^Jlilalc^. The following- books, although they are merely tours, abound in historical matter, and are well calcu- lated to acquaint us with the present and former state of all parts of Wales. Pennant, Warrington, Bingley, Malkin, Powell. Biiigle> lias aa ingenious dissertation upon the language, manners, and cnstoms of the Welch. HISTORY. 55 Jji-s'torp of d^cotlanti. The Chronicles of Scotland, by Boyce and Bellenden, 2 vols, quarto, beautifully printed, 51 6s Robertson. The History ,of Scotland, during the reign of Queen Mary and King James the Sixth, by William Robertson, 3 vols. 18s The whole works of Robertson are published in 12 vols, octavo. 4/ 4^ : they contain the History of Charles the Fifth — Scotland — India — America There is a very neat edition printed by Pickering, in 8 vols, octavo, price 3/ 3^, with five portraits Guthrie. The general History of Scotland, in 10 vols, octavo, by W. Guthrie, is a book now rarely consulted Dalrymple. The Annals of Scotland, from the accession of Malcolm the Third to that of the House of Stuart, published in 3 vols, octavo, by Sir David Dalrymple, 1/ \0s The historical, philological, and antiquarian labors of Sir David Dalrymple, are such as entitle their author to the foremost rank among his contemporaries. PiKKERTON. An Inquiry into the History of Soot- land, 2 vols, quarto He has likewise published the History of Scotland, from the accession of the Stuarts to Mary, 1797, and Scottish Gallery of Portraits, 1799 66 HISTORY. Laing. The History of Scotland, with a preliminary dissertation respecting Mary's participation in the murder of Darnley, 4 vols, octavo, 1/ 12^ A work particularly rich in illustrative notes. Chalmers. The Caledonia of Mr. George Chal- mers, of which three volumes have already ap- peared, in quarto, (to be completed in live,) is a work of stupendous labour, 31 3s each volume Dr. Dibdin designates liiin the Atlas of Scottish Antiquaries, leaving no depart- ment untouched, whom neither ditticulties tire, uor dangers daunt. Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, by the same pen, 3 vols, octavo, 2/ Ss This is a recent production,of great excellence, and must hav« a place in every well furnished Library of Scottish Literature. Benger. Memoirs of the Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, by Miss Benger, 2 vols, octavo, 1/ 4a" Miss Benger has largely availed herself of the store of historical iuformation dis- played in Mr. Chalmers's book. Cook. The History of the Reformation in Scotland, by Dr. Cook, 3 vols, octavo, 21s This is a book executed with great judgmeut and impartiality, us connected with the history of Scotland. M'CiiiE. The Life of John Knox, by Dr. M'Crie, 2 vols. \l \s The Life of Andrew Melville, by the same author These works contain a valuable body of ecclesiastical and .literary history relating to Scotland. '^ i n Mackenzie. Memoirs of the Affairs of Scotland, by Sir George Mackenzie, Kt. Johnston. The History of the Rebellion in Scot- land, of 1745-6, containing the causes of the Pre- tender's defeat at CuUoden, by the Chevalier Johnston, Aide-du-camp to Prince Edward Charles, octavo, \5s These memoirs possess all the interest of romance, and exhibit traits of (he cha- racter and feeling of the times. HISTORY. 67 A view of the Hit-tory of Scotland, from the earliest records to the Rebellion in 1745, in a series of letters, 3 vols, octavo. t^i.^torp of Sit^duiiti. Leland. The History of Ireland, by Dr. Thomas Leland, 3 vols, quarto, is a book often referred to, as also the work of Ware', 3 vols, folio. Plowden. The History of Ireland, 3 vols, quarto, by John Plowden, or 3 vols, octavo, \l lis 6d Wakefield. An Account of Ireland, 2 vols, quarto, 61 6.?, by Edward Wakefield. This is a work of considerable value in a statistical point of view. Mr. M'akefieUl has bestowed great labour upon his book, and is justly appreciated for the fidelity and accuracj' of its details. Gordon. The History of Ireland, to the union of 1801, 2 vols, octavo, by the Rev. William Gordon, 1/ 4s The same author v* rote a History of the Irish Rebel- lion of 1798, published in 1801 O'CoNOR. Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores Veteres, with copious notes, prolegomena, and indexes, by Dr. Charles OX'onor, librarian to the Duke of Buckingham The first volume only lias been published, which will be found replete with much curious, recondite, and interesting loie, relative to Ireland. Croker. Researches in the South of Ireland, by T. Crofton Croker, with sixteen plates, quarto, 21 2s Though this volume contains considerable antiquarian research, there is still mu«h valuable information. 58 HISTORY. There is a volume of Travels in Ireland, by Reid, which is preceded by a long- historical account, in octavo, 125 Letters from the Irish Highlands, duodecimo^ 7s There is also a History of Ireland, by Barlow, in octa- vo, and by O'llalloran, in 3 vols, octavo. 5llitij^ to t^e ^x^tot^ of 8 BIOGUAPIIY. and amusements. "Written originally in French, and now done into l^Dglish. N. B. Wliere likewise all country chapmen may be furnibhed at the very lowest prizes, with Bibles of all sorts, Common Prayers, Testaments, Primmers, Psalters, Horn Books, Graramers. And also with all sorts of Garlands and old Ballads. Thrccsheet and sheet and half Histories, and Godly Books. Every bookseller had his sign swinging before his door, as was the case with other trades at that period. Among a large collection of publishers lists I select another as a specimen of the taste of the age, and the kind of literary specu- lations they embarked in. Books printed for William Crooke, Bookseller, at the sign of the Greene Dragon, without Temple Bar, nigh unto the passage into the Middle Tefhple, from the Strand, through Devereuux Court. — 1683. ■The King-killing Doctrine of the Jesuits, in a sincere discourse to the French King, written by a Roman Catholic, in quarto, price Is Du Moulin's Reflections Reverberated, being a full answer to the damning doctrine of Dr. Lewis Du Moulin, also a confutation of Edmund IlickcringcH's railing against the Ecclesiastical Court, by E. I/ane, in quarto, j)rice IsGd A Sermon preached at the funeral of a sober religious man found drowned in a \)\i, in octavo, price, bound. Is The Spirit of I'rophocy, proving that Christ and his Apostles were Prophets ; written by tlie direction of, and recommended to the press by, the Right Reverend Father in God, Peter, Lord Bishop of Ely, in octavo, price 3s Popish Cruellies, being an Account of the Treason of Dr. Parr against Queen Elizabeth, with his confession of it at his tryal, and his denial at his execution, in folio, price Is The Travels of Ulysses, how he went to hell and came back again, &c. price Is BIOGRAPHY. 69 The Memoires * and rare Adventures of Henriette Sjlvia Moliere, a great lady in France, now living; written by herself, in six parts, in French, and now translated into English, price 4s Melpomene, or the Muses' Delight, being a collection of New Songs and Poems, by several of the present wits, in octavo. A Sermon f preached at S. P. T. by the late Usurper, Oliver Crom- well, quarto, price 3d Nathaniel Crouch was the compiler of a number of little books which were hawked about in the time of Charles the Second, by petty chap- men, at Is each, bound, with a'n umber of wood cuts under the name of Richard Burton ; he lived at the Bel^, in the Poultry, near Cheapside, Ihey have since been reprinted by Stace, in quarto; of which were Surprising Miracles of Nature and Art, Is Extraordinary Adventures of Famous Men, Is Admirable Curiosities and Rarities of England and Wales, Is Wonderful Prodigies of Judgment and Mercy, Is Wars in England, Scotland, and Ireland, Is Historical Remarks on London and Westminster, &c. &c. THE TONSONS. The Tonsons were a race of booksellers who did honour to their profession for integrity, and by their encouragement of authors. Jacob Tonson was the son of Jacob, a barber-surgeon, in Holborn, who died in 1668. Jacob was apprenticed, June 5th, 1670, to Thomas Basset, bookseller, and having been admitted a freeman of the Com- pany of Stationers, December 20th, 167T, commenced business, as his brother Richard had done the year before. The first edition of the Spanish Friar, 1681, was printed for Richard and Jacob Tonson, at Gray's Inn Gate, in Gray's Inn Lane, and at the Judge's Head, in Chancery Lane. Moline published several letters from Dryden to Tonson, and Ton- son to Dryden. Tonson displays the tradesman, acknowledging the receipt of the Translations of Ovid, which he had received for the * They were not without their Harriette Wilsons. f Cromwell himself was a preacher, and has left us one of his sermons in print, exactly in the style and manner with those of our modern Pres- byterian Teachers ; so was Colonel Howard, Sir G, Downing, and several others. Swift. TO BIOGRAPHY. third Miscellany, with which he is pleased, but not with the pricff, having only one thousand four hundred and forty six lines for fifty guineas, when lie expected to have had one thousand five hundred and eighteen lines for forty guineas, adding that he had a better bargaia with Juvenal, which is reckoned not so easy to translate as Ovid. Most of the otlier letters relate to the translation of Virgil, and con- tain repeated acknowledgments of Tonson's kind attentions. " 1 " thank you heartily," he says, " for the sherry; it was the best of the " kind I ever drank." The current coin was at that period wretch- edly debased. In one letter Dryden says, " 1 expect forty pounds in " good silver, not such as I had formerly. I am not obliged to take •' gold, neither will I, nor stay for it above four and twenty liouri " after it is due." In 1G98, when Dryden published his Fables, ToDson agreed to give him two hundred and sixty-eight pounds for ten thousand verses, and to complete the full number of lines stipula- ted, he gave the bookseller the Epistle to his Cousin, and the celebrated Ode. The conduct of trades in general in the 17th century, as Mr. Malone observes, was less liberal, and their manners more rigid than at pre- sent; and hence we find Dryden sometimes speaking of Tonson with a degree of asperity, that confirms up anecdote communicated to Dr, Johnson by Dr. K. of Oxford, to whom Lord Bolingbroke related that one day when he visited Dryden, they heard as tliey were con- •yersing, another person enter the house. "This (said Dryden) is Tonson; you will take care not to depart before he goes away, for I have not completed the sheet which I jiromised him, and ifyou leave me unprotected, I shall suffer all the rudeness to wiiich his resentment can prompt his tongue." On another occasion, Tonson having re- fused to advance him a sum of money for a work on]which he was em- ployed, he sent a second messenger to the bookseller, with a satirical triplet, adiling, "Tell the dog that he who wrote these lines can write more." These descriptive verses, which had the desired effect, by some means got abroad in manuscript, and not long after Dryden's dcatii, were inserted in " Faction Displayed,''^ a satirical poem, sup- posed to have been written by William Shipper, which, fronfits viru- lent abuse of the opposite party, was extremely popular among the Tories. By his success in trade, Tonson had acquired a sufficient sura to purchase an estate near Ledbury, in Herefordshire. In 1703 he went to Holland for the purpose of procuring paper and gettin§ engravings made for the splendid edition of Caesar's Commentaries, which he published under the care of Dr. Clarke, in 1712. In 1719 he made an excursion to Paris, where he spfnt several months, and w here he was fortunate enough to gain a considerable mm by adven- BIOGRAPHY* 71 (I luring in the Mississipi scheme: from about 1720 beseems to have transferred his business to his nephew, and lived principally upon his estate in Hertfordshire, till 1736, when he died. Swift saj's, Some know books as they do lords; learn their titles exactly, and then brag of their acquaintance. l^oofe.sfdkr^ of %Mt 23ntain, AT THE LATTER END OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. The Honourable Roger North makes the following remarks on the booksellers of his time. Mr. Robert Scott was, in his time, the greatest librarian in Europe; for besides his slock in England, he had warehouses in Frankfort, Paris, and other places, and dealt by fac- tors. After he was grown old and much worn by multiplicity of business, he began to think of his ease and to leave off; hereupon he contracted with one Mr. Mills, of St. Paul's Church Yard, pear =£10,000. deep, and articled not to open his shop any more ; but Mills, with his Auctioneering, Atlases, and Projects, failed ; whereby poor Scott lost above half his means, but he held to his contract of not opening his shop ; and when he was in London, for he had a country house, passed most of his time at his house amongst the rest of his books; and his reading (for he was no mean scholar,) was the chief entertainment of his time. He was not only a great bookseller, but a conscientious good man ; and when he threw up his trade, Europe had no small loss of him. Little Britain was, in the middle of the last century, a plentiful emporium of learned authors; and men went thither as to a market. This drew to the place a mighty trade, the rather because the shops were spacious, and the learned gladly re- sorted to them, where they seldom failed to meet with agreeable con \ersation; and the booksellers themselves were knowing and con- versable men, with whom, for the sake of bookish knowledge, the greatest wits even pleased to converse, and we may judge the time as well spent there as (in latter days) either in taverns or coffee houses, though the latter hath carried off the spare time of most people. But now the emporium is vanished, and the trade contracted into the bauds of two or three persons, who, to make good their monopoly, ransack not only their neighbours of the trade that are scattered about town, but all over England ; aye, and beyond the sea too, and send abroad their circulators, and in that manner get into their hands all that is 72 BIOGRAPHY. valuable; the rest of the trade are content to take their refuse ; with T^liich, and the first scum of the press, they furnish one side of a shop, which serves for the sign of a bookseller rather than a real one, but instead of selling, deal as factors, and procure what the country di- vines and gentry send for; of whom each has his book factor ; and when wanting any thing, writes to his bookseller, and pays his bill; and it is wretciied to consider wliat pick-pocket work, witli the help of the press, these derai booksellers make : they crack their brains to make out selling subjects; and keep hirelings in garrets on hard meat, to write and correct by tiie groat; so puil'up an octavo to a sufficient thickness, and there is six shillings current for an hour and a half's reading, and, perhaps, never to be read or looked upon after. One that would go higher, must take his fortune at blank walls and cor- ners of streets, or repair to tiic sign of Bateuian,* Innys, and one or two more, where are choice, and better pennyworths. Gentleman' s Magazine. EDMUND CURLL. Edmund Curll lived at the Pope's Head, in Rose Street, Covent Garden, and afterwards, at the Bible and Dial, in Fleet Street : he died in 1748. He was rendered memorable by Pope, in consequence of having published a satirical piece, entitled Court Poem-, in t lie preface of which, they were attributed to a lady of quality, Mr. Pope, or Mr. Gay. Curll was, on many accounts, obnoxious to Pope. The mode of revenge, however, does as little credit to Pope's philosophy and good sense, as it does to his assumed dignity. The memory of Edmund Curll has been transmitted to posterity •with more severe obloquy than he deserved : his demerits were in a great degree atoned for by his indefatigable industry in preserving our national remains. Nor did he publish a single volume but what, amidst a profusion of base metal, contained some precious ore, some valuable reliques, which future collectors would no where else have found. Nichols. ♦ Mr. Bateman, who lived in Little Britain, dealt principally in old books. He would never suffer any peison whatever to look into one book in his shop ; and when asked a reason for it, would say " I suppose you may be a Physician, or an Author, and want some receipt or quotation ; a«d if you buy it, I will engage it to be perfect before yuu leave me, but not after, as I have sufl'ered by leaves being torn out, and the books re- turned, to my very great loss and prejudice." BIOGRAPHY. 73 The General Biographical Dictionary states he had his ears cut off in the pillory, for publishing some obscene books. Bowles says Curll raked up whatever he could that might throw the least reflection on Pope, who seemed to think, in his literary transac- tions, that "all was_/?s/« which came to thenet," whether it was gained respectably in his profession, or by " helping lame scnmlal about.'' Swift thus relates the slory, p. 391. The mode of revenge alluded to was this. — Wm. Lintot, a bookseller, desired a conference with Mr. Curll about settling a title page, inviting him at the &ame time to take a whet together, Mr. Pope, who is not the only instance how persons of bright parts may be carried away by the instigation of the devil, found nieans to convey himself into the same room, under pretence of bu»iness with Mr. Lintot, who, it seems, is the publisher of his Homer. This gentleman, with a seeming coolness, reprimanded Mr. Curll for wrongfully ascribing to him the aforesaid poems ; he excused himself by declaring that one of hisauthors (Mr. Oldmixonby name,)gave the copies to the press, and wrote the preface. Upon this, Mr, Pope, being [to all appearances satisfied, very civilly drank a glass of sack to Mr. Curll, which he as civilly pledged, and though the liquor, in colour and taste, differed not from common sack, yet was it plain, by the pangs this unhappy stationer felt soon after, that some poisonous drug had beec secretly infused therein. Curll, when at the Pope's Head, in Rose Street, published a cata- logue of books, of twenty-five pages, classed accordingjto the subjects. He also dealt in second-hand books. EDWARD CAVE, THE PROJECTOR OF THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE- Cave was born in 1691. At the time he planned the magazine he was a journeyman printer, and had obtained by his wife's interest a small place in the post office: by a constancy of diligence and diver- sification of employment, he, in time, collected a sum sufficient for the purchase of a small printing house, and began, in 1738, the Gen- tleman's Magazine, a periodical pamphlet, of which the scheme ia known wherever the English language is spoken. To this undertaking he owed the afiluence in which he passed the last twenty years of his life, and the fortune which he left behind him, which, though large, might have been much larger, had he not rashly and wantonly impaired it by innumerable projects, of which, 1 know not that one succeeded. L 74 BIOGRAPHY. Cave, when he formed the project, was far from expecting the suc- cess which he found; and others had so littlp prospect of its conse- quence, that though he had several years talked of his plan among printers and booksellers, none of them thought it worth the trial. That they were not restrained by their virtue from executing another man's design, was sufficiently apparent as soon as that design began to be gainful, for in a few years a multitude of Magazines arose and finished ; only the London Magazine, supported by a powerful asso- ciation of booksellers, and circulated with all the art, and all the cunning of trade, exemplified itself from the general fate of Cave's invaders, and obtained, though not an equal, a considerable sale; (it terminated its existence in 1785.) Cave now began to aspire to popularity ; and being a greater lover of poetry th^in any other art, he sometimes offered subjects for poems and proposed prizes for the best performances. The first prize was fifty pounds, for which, being but newly acquainted with wealth, and thinking tiie inQuence of fifty pounds irresistible, he expected the first autiiors in the kingdom to appear as competitors, and offered the allotment of, the prize to the university. But when the time came, no name was seen among his writers that had been ever seen before ; the universities and several private men rejected the province of assigning the prize. At all this ]\Ir. Cave wondered for awhile, but his natural judgment, and a w ider acquaintance with the world, soon cured him of his as- tonishment, as of many other prejudices and errors. He continued to improve his magazine, and had the satisfaction of seeing its success proportionate to his diligence: he died January, IT54. Dr. Johnson. LOSS OF BOOKS AT THE FIRE OF LONDON. The poor booksellers have been, indeed, ill-treated by Vulcan. So many noble impressions consumed by their trusting them to the churches, as the loss is estimated nearc two hundred thousand pounds. Evelyn. Oldys left a thick quarto manuscript, now lost, thus entitled ; — Remarks on Booksellers. Of Loudon Libraries, with Anecdotes of Collectors of Books. In proportion to the general profits on capital obtained in our country, booksellers are not opulent. Their trade is too speculative, too hazardous ; a few may be opu- lent, but not the greater number. Can that trade be geuerally lucra- BIOGRAPHY. 75 tive, in which, within a year and a half, payments have been stopped to the amount of near a million sterling, in five or six houses only? An eighteen-penny volume has been known to have cleared eighteen hundred pounds in four or five years. Another instance — An authoress, who held her owrr copyright, received a hundred pounds yearly for a four-shilling tract. But are these common occurrences ? By no means. On the other hand, I have known thousands of pounds expended on works, to sell less than one hundred copies. So in other trades; ten thousand pounds have been cleared by the pattern of a gown, but how many have never paid for the wood the block was cut on ? VYSE'S SPELLING. It is, perhaps, useful to record, that while the compositions of ge- nius are but slightly remunerated, though sometimes as productive as the household stuff of literature, the latter is rewarded with princely magnificence. At the sale of the Robinsons, the copyright of Vyse's Spelling Book so]d at the enormous price of two thousand two hundred pounds, with an annuity of fifty guineas to the author. WILLIAM CAXTON, THE FIRST ENGLISH BOOKSELLER. Was born, according to his own statement, in the weald or woody parts of Kent; with respect to the date of his birth we are left to surmise: Oldys states the year 1412. In his works he expresses hi gratitude to his parents for having caused him to be instructed in his youth, and thereby " to get hh living truly.''' He was put apprentice between his fifteenth and eighteenth years, to one Robert Large, a mercer of considerable eminence, who was afterwards Lord Mayor of London. Mercers in those days traded in all sorts of rich goods ; amongst other commodities books were included ; his master on his death bequeathed him a legacy of twenty marks, a great sum in those days. After this he travelled as an agent or factor for the mercers in the low countries. In 1464 he was joined in a commission with Richard Whitehill, to continue and conclude a treaty of trade and commerce between Edward the Fourth, and Philip, Duke of Bur- gundy ; in this document they are styled ambassadors and special deputies : during his continuance abroad he indulged his literary pas- sion in the perusal of histories and romances, and finished the trans- action of Raoul le Fevre Recueil des Histoires de Troye. 76 BIOGRAPHY. On the marriage of Ladj Margaret to Charles, Duke of Burgundy, his Majesty placed Caxton upon her house establishment ; he informs us, on finishing the History of Troy, his eyes were dimmed with over ■uch looking upon the white paper. It is conjectured he consulted Zell and O'pc, of the Cologne press, and Colard Mansion, of Bruges, as to the materials necessary for the art. The Game of Chess is considered to be the first book ever printed in England, 1471; it is dedicated to the Duke of Clarence, brother to Edward the Fourth. Upon his arrival in England, his press was set up in a part of Westminster Abbey, at which time Thomas Mulling, Bishop of Here- ford, held the Abbotship of St. Peter, in commendam ; exclusive of the labour of working at his press, he continued, although stricken in yeara, to translate and print not fewer than five thousand folio pages, and that his like for industry had never yet appeared : he died in 1491 or 1492. Mr. Ames records the following as written in a very old hand in an edition of Fructus Temporum^ — Of your charite pray for the soul of Myster Willyam Caxton, that in hys tyme was a man of mochc ornate and moche renowned wysdome and cunningc, and decesed full crysterly, the yere of our Lord, 1491. " Moder of Mcrci shjld hym from thorribul fynd, " And bring hym to lyff eternall that nevyr hath ynd." Newcourt, in his llepertorium, says- — St. Ann's, an old chapel, over against which the Lady Margaret, mother to King Henry the Seventh, erected an alms-house for poor women, which is now turned into lodgings for singing men of the college. The pLace wherein this chapel and alms-house stood was called the Eleemosinary or Almonry, BOW, corruptly, the Amboy ; for that the alms of the abbey were there distributed to the poor: in which the Abbot of Westminster erected the first press for printing that ever was in England, and where William Caxton practised it. Caxton had a shop at the Sun, in Fleet Street, in which he was suc- ceeded by Wynkyn de Wordc. GERMAN BOOK TRADE. As Frankfort monopolizes the trade in wine, so Leipzig monopolizes the trade in books. It is here that every German author (and in no country are authors so numerous) wishes to produce the children of his brain, and that too, only during the Easter fair. He will submit to any degree of exertion that his work may be ready for publication by that import- BIOGRAPHY. 77 ant season, when the whole brotherhood is in labour, from the Rhine to the Vistula. Whatever the period of gestation may be, the time when he shall come to the birth is fixed by the Almanack. If the auspicious moment pass away, he willingly bears his burden twelve months longer, till the next advent of the Bibliopolical Lucina. This periodical littering at Leipzig, does not at all arise, as is sometimes supposed, from all or most of the books being printed there ; Leipzig has only its own proportion of printers and publishers. It arises from the manner in which this branch of trade is carried on in Ger- many. Every bookseller of any eminence, throughout the Con- federation, has an agent or commissioner in Leipzig. If he wishes to procure works which have been publislied by another, he does not address himself directly to the publisher, but to his own commissioner in Leipzig. The latter again, whether he be ordered to transmit to another, books published by his principal, or to procure for his prin- cipal books published by another, instead of dealing directly with the person from whom be is to purchase, or to whom he is to sell, treats only with his Leipzig agent. The order is received by the publisher, and the books by the purchaser at third hand. The whole book trade of Germany thus centres in Leipzig. Wherever books may be printed, it is there they must be bought, it is there that the trade is supplied. Such an arrangement, though it employ four persons instead of two, is plainly an advantageous arrangement for Leipzig, but the very fact, that it has subsisted two hundred years, and still flourishes, seems to prove that it is likewise beneficial to the trade in general. Abuses in public institutions may endure for centuries, but inconvenient ar- rangements in trade, which afi'ect the credit side of a man's balance sheet at the end of the year, are seldom long lived, and German book- sellers are not less attentive to profit than any other honest man in an honest business. Till the middle of the sixteenth century, publishers, in the proper sense of the word, were unknown. John Otto, born at Nurnberg, in 1310, is said to be the earliest on record, who made bargains for copyrights without being himself a printer. Some years afterwards two regular dealers in the same de- partment, settled at Leipzig, where the university, already in high fame, had produced a demand for books, from the momei^tthe art of printing wandered up from the Rhine. Before the end of the century the book fair was established. It prospered so rapidly that in 1660 the Easter Catalogue, which has been annually continued ever since, was printed for the first time. It now presents every year, in a thick octavo volume, a collection 78 BIOGRAPHY. of new books, and new editions, to which there is no parallel in Kurope. The writing public is out of all proportion too large for the reading public of (lermany. At the fair, all the brethren of the trade flock together in Leipzig, not only from every part of Germany, but from every European country where German books arc sold, to settle accounts and examine thu harvest of the year. The number always amounts to several hundreds, and they have built an Exchange for themselves. Yet a German publisher has fewer prospects of turning his manu- scripts to good account, than the same class of persons in any other country, that knows the value of intellectual labour. There is a part called Nachdruckerei, or reprinting, which gnaws on the vitals of the poor author, and paralj zes the most entci prising pul)lisher. Eacii state of the confederation has its own law of copy- right, and an autiior is secured against piracy only in the state where he prints. But be writes for all, for they all speak the same lan- guage. If the book be worth any thing it is immediately reprinted in some neighbouring state, and as the pirate pays nothing for the copyright, he can obviously afford to undersell the original pub- lisher. ■yVirtemberg, though she can boast of possessing, in Cotta, one of the most honourable and enterprising publishers of Germany, is pe- culiarly notorious as a nest for these birds of prey. The worst of it is, that authors of reputation are precisely those to whom the system is most fatal The reprinter meddles with nothing except what he already knows will find buyers. The rights of unsalable books are scrupulously observed, the honest publisher is never disturbed in his losing speculations, but when he lias been fortunate eiiougii to become master of a work of genius or utility, tiie piratical publisher is in- stantly in his way. All the states do not deserve to be equally in- volved in this censure. Piussia, I believe, has shown herself liberal in protecting every German publisher. Some of the utterly insignifi- cant states are among the most troublesome ; for reprinting can be carried on in a small just as well as in a great one. The bookseller who published Jleiniiardt's Sermons was attacked by a reprint which was announced to appear in Reutlinger, in Wirtemberg. The pirate demanded fourteen tiiousand florins, or nearly twelve hundred pounds, to give up b\s design. The publisher thought that so exorbitant a demand justified him in applying to the government, but all he could gain was the limita- tion of the sum to a thousand pounds. Such a system almost annihi- lates the value of literary labour. No publisher can pay a high price for a manuscript, by which, if it BIOGRAPHY. 79 turns out ill, he is sure to be a loser, and by which, if it turns out well, it is far from certain that he will be a gainer. From the value which he might otherwise be inclined to set on the copyright, he must always deduct the sum which it probably will be necessary to ex- pend, in buying oflfreprinters, or he must calculate that value on the supposition of a very limited circulation. At what rate would Mr. Murray have paid Lord Byron, or Mr. Constable take the manuscript of the Scottish Novels, if the statute protected the one only in Middlesex, and the other only in the County of Edinburgh ? Hence it is that German authors, though the most industrious, are likewise the worst remunerated of the writing tribe. I have heard it said that Goethe has received, for some of his works, about a louis d'or a sheet, and it is certain that he has made much money by them : but I have often likewise heard the statement questioned as incredible. Beirger, in his humourous Epistle to Gokingk, estimates poetry ata pound a sheet, law and medicine at five shillings. The unpleasing exterior of ordinary German printing, the coarse watery paper and worn out types, may be referred, in some measure, to the same cause. The publisher, or the author who pub- lishes on his own account, naturally risks as little capital as possible on the hazardous speculation. Besides it is his interest to diminish the temptaiion to reprint, by making his own edition as cheap as possible. The systeri has shown its effect, by keeping up the frequency of publication by subscription, even among authors of the most settled and popular reputation. Klopstock, after the Messiah liad fixed his fame, published in this way. There has been no publisher more successful than Cotta, and no German writer has been so well repaid as Goethe; yet the last Tu- bingen edition of Goethe himself, is adorned with a long list of sub- scribers. What should we think of Scott or Campbell publishing a new poem by subscription? RusselVs Tour in Germany, vol. 1. Before the invention of printing, books were sold at an enormous price, as appears by what Gaguin wrote to one of his friends who had sent to him from Rome to procure a Concordance for him. " I have " not, to this day, found out a Concordance, except one that is greatly " esteemed, which Paschasius, the bookseller, has told me is to be sold, " but the owner of it is abroad, and it may be had for a hundred " crowns of gold ! " About the time of Henry the Second the manner of publishing the works of authors was to have them read over for three days succes- 80 BIOGRAPHY. sively, before one of the universities, or other judges appoiiiled by the public ; and if tliey met Mitli apjirobatiou, copies of them were permitted to be taken, w!iich were usually done by monks, scribes, illuminors and readers, who were bron<;ht or trained to that purpose for their sole maintenance and support. On the first spreading of the art of printing, the body of monks, scribes, illuminors, and readers, strenuously endeavoured with all their might to check its growth. The monks declaimed from their ])ulpits, " that there was a new " language discovered called Greek, of which people should beware, "since it was that which produced all the heresies: that in this " language was come fortii a book called the New Testament, which " was full of briars and thorns, and was now in every body's hands." There is something melancholy in the study of bictgraphy, because it is a history of the dead. Biography, with us, is a re-union with human existence in its most excellent state ; and we find nothing dead in the past, while we retain the sympathies which only require to be awakened. As allied to genius, it often presents a melancholy picture. The following cases of the poverty and imprisonment of authors will amply support the position. — It was in prison that Boethius composed his excellent book on the Consolations of Philosophy. GROTIUS in confinement wrote his Commentary on St. Matthew. BUCHANAN, in the dungeon of a monastery, in Portugal, composed his excellent Paraphrases on the Psalms of David. MICHAEL CERVANTES composed the best and most agreeable book in the Spanish language, during his captivity in Barbary, and is supposed to have died of hunger. SIR WALTER RALEIGH produced in his confinement, his History of the World, of whom it is observed, to employ the language of Hume, " they had leisure to reflect on the hardship, not to say injustice of his sentence; they pitied his active and enterprising spirit, which languished in the regions of confinement ; they were struck with the extensive genius of the man, who, being educated amidst naval and military enterprizes, had surpassed, in the pur- suits of literature, even those of the most recluse and sedentary lives; and they admired his unbroken magnanimity, which at his age, and under bis circumstances, could engage him to undertake and execute so great a work as his liiitory of the World." BIOGRAPHY. 81 MOMER, poor and blind, resorted to the public places to recite his verses for a morsel of bread. PLAUTUS, the facetious poet, gained a livelihood by assisting a miller. ALDUS MANUTIUS was so wretchedly poor, that the expence of re- moving his library from Venice to Rome made him insolvent. CAMOENS was deprived of the necessaries of life, and is believed to have perished in the streets. Siimondi thus speaks of him. -^ , Camoens fut expose aux plus cruels besoins il manquait souvent du pain; et un esclave qu'il avoit ramene des Indes, mendiait la nuit dans les rues pour fouruir une chetive nourriture au poete qui faisait deja la gloire detoutes les Espagnes. TASSO was often reduced to borro^ a trifling sum from a friend to subsist through the week. He alludes to his distress in a sonnet which he addresses to his cat, entreating her to assist him during the night with the lustre of her eyes. " Non avendo candela per iscrivere i suoi versi." The illustrious CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO, the ornament of Italy and of literature, languibhed in his old age in the most distressful poverty. LE SAGE resided in a little cottage on the borders of Paris, and never knew what it was to possess any moderate degree of comfort iu pecuniary matters. OTWAY, a dramatic poet of the first class, perished with hunger. PURCHAS, who, in the reign of James the First, spent his life in travels and study to form his relation of the world, was thrown into prison at the suit of his printer. MILTON sold his immortal work for ten pounds, being too poor to undertake the printing of it on his own account. SAVAGE died in Bristol goal for a debt of eight pounds. BOYCE, whose poem on creation ranks high in poetic excellence, was absolutely famished to death, and was found dead in a gar- ret, with a blanket thrown over his shoulders and fastened by a skewer, with a pen in his hand. CHATTERTON, while he supplied a variety of Monthly Magazines with materials, could not always get bread to his water. Dr. EDWARD CASTELL laboured seventeen years in compiling and publishing his Lexicon Heptaglotton, which usually accompanies Walton's Polyglot Bible. During the time he was so engaged, he maintained at his own cost, and in his own house, as writers, seven Englishmen and as many Foreigners, all of whom died be- M s^ BIOGRAPHY. fore the work was completed. Besidei expending twelve thou- sand pounds of his own property on this great work he was obMged to borrow near two thousand pounds more, and that not being sufficient, he was constrained to petition Charles the Second, that a prison might not at last be the reward of so much labour and expence. This produced a circular letter from ihe king to the bishops and temporal nobility, recommending the woik to theui for their encouragement, and earnestly soliciting pecuniary as- sistance Vp the embarrassed author. Notwithstanding this, the doctor ended his days in poverty, and a great part of the impression was tiirown into garrets, where many of the co])ies were destroyed by damp, or the rats. The book now fetches a high price; and had the author lived in our time, he would have acquired both profit and honour. TERENCE was a slave. SPENSER died forsaken and in distress. DRYUEN lived in poverty and in want. STEELE lived a life of perfect warfare vvitli bailifls. GOLDSMITH sold his Vicar of Wakefield for a trifle, to save hiin from the gripe of the law. BUTLER, the author of Hudibras, lived in penury and died poor. HENRY AINSWOllTH. This person was a celebrated scholar, an excellent divine, and a painful sufferer for nonconformity. In his exile, at Amsterdam, he was porter to a bookseller, and is said, by Mr. Roger Williams, to have lived upon nine i)ence a week and some boiled roots. Dr. Doddridge saj?, Ainswortli on the Pentafeiicli, Psalms, and Solomon's Song, is a good book, full of verj valuable Jewish learning ; and his tranelation is, ia manj places, to be preferred to our own, especlallj on tlie PsalmS. OCKLEY, the Orientalist, who wrote the History of the Saracens, ended his last eventful history in Cambridge Castle, for debt. RUSHWORTH, the celebrated historian, author of the Historical Collections, passed his last days in a prison : he died in the King's Bench of a broken heart. RYMER, the author of the Fedcra, was obliged to sell his books and collections in the hour of distress. With the fate of authors, the fate of books may not be inappro- priate. There are above one thous.ind books published annually in Great Britain, on six hundred of which there is a coniniorcial loss, on two hundred no gain, on one hundred a trifling gain, and only on one hundred any considerable profit; seven hundred and fifty are for- gotten witliin the year, anothcrhuudred in two years, anotlier hundred and fifty in three years, not more than fifty survive seven years, and BIOGRAPHY. 83 scarcelj' (en arc thought of after twenty years. Of the fifty thousand books published in the seventeenth century, not more than fifty are now in estimation, and of the eighty thousand books published in the eigh- teenth century, not more than three hundred are considered worth re- printingand not more than five hundred aresought after at the present time, since th* first writing ; that is in thirty-two centuries, only about five hundred works, of writers of all nations, have sustained themaelves against the devouring influence of time. From this street has proceeded an infinity of wit and humour, and which has absolutely denominated a sect of authors, and a species of literature that has not a little benefited mankind. It is impossibleto say when authors first settled upon this their once favourite spot; but, if we suffer conjecture to occupy the place of certainty, I shouldsuppose they were poorer iu former ages than the present, and chose this place «)f abode for the cheapness of living ; for it is upon record, that about the time that wit and learning fixed their abode in Grub Street, the steward, magistrate, and leet jury of the manor of Finsbury, with all their officers, tenants, &r. amounting to more than fifty persons, dined at the Turk's Head, in the Moor Fields, at the expense of twenty -three shillings, a sum now scarcely to be thought immoderate for the ample meal and etceteras of one person of the same descrip- tion. This quarter iiad also for many ages, been famous as a recep- tacle for authors of the lower, but still the most useful branches of literature. Here, before the discovery of printing, lived many of those ingenious persons who wrote the small histories then in use, also the A. B. Cor absies, together with the Ave, Creeds, Graces, &c. &c. "When the art of printing made the trade of an author of greater importance, when the black letter copies were with facility multiplied, ad infinitum, when volumes and piles of volumes were formed, and stationers, which name they derived from being stationed at the corners of streets, particularly about Long and Hosier Lanes, the Old Bailey, Grey Friar's Wall, Paul's Cloisters, Barbican, and many other places, became booksellers, and collecting themselves into a fraternity, chose for their residence, Little Britain and Alders- gate Street ; for in those early periods not one had crept so far as the Elack Horse, without Newgate. When their best patrons, the book- sellers, had so snugly seated themselves, they thought it was high time to look about, they therefore chose for their altitudes, the lioui«s of 84 BFOGRAPIIV, Grub Sdcct, from its vicinity to the difTercnt presses, and from bring the centre of a grc.it number of convenient alleys, courts, and baik- ways, by which a man who had any turn towards topography, might get to or escape from his publisher's shop, without exposing his per- son to more Iiazard than that of <>nce rrossing; the High Street. It will be evident to any one who ronsiders mathematically the ancient plan of this part of the town, by drawins: a trianj^le from the ex- treme parts of the buildiu":;, that it was similar to a large cobweb, of which Grub Street was the middle. In this street lived and died, Fox, the Martryologist, Speed, the Historian, Richard Smith, a learned Antiquarian, and the immortal Milton. Sin CoHcction.iS. Chalmers. A General Biographical Dictionary, by Alexander Chalmers, a new edition consider- ably enlarged, in 32 vols, octavo, 191 4s. AiKiN. General Biography, or Lives Critical and Historical, of the most Eminent Persons of all ages and countries, 1799, 1815, 10 vols, quarto, 71 7s. Watkins. a General Biographical Dictionary, by Dr. Watkins, 25*. There is a work called the Annual Biography and Obituary, which gives a sketch of the Lives of Eminent Persons, deceased in the current year : it commenced in 1815, at 15^ each volume. An interesting series might be formed of the Memoirs of Eminent Persons, in the various departments of Literature and Science, classed in the branches in M'hich they particularly excelled ; some at- tempts have been made in this manner, but no uni- form collection has yet appeared. There is . M'Diarmid's Lives of British Statesmen, Biogra- BIOGRAPHY. 85 pliical Dictionary of Musicians, Dictionary of Living Authors, and some excellent single vo- lumes, now extant, which would shine if placed with a regular series. The excellent, and now scarce book, " Vasari vite di Pittori," would form a good model for such a work. It is much to be wondered that no one has attempted to give a translation of this entertaining production, which, I doubt not, would be accepta- bly received by the public. Messrs. Hunt and Clarke are publishing, in a neat form, a collection of Autobiography^ which is ex- tremely interesting, containing the memoirs of many celebrated characters. Biographical Sketches of British Characters, deceased since the accession of George the Fourth: com- prising two hundred and thirty subjects, chronolo- gically arranged, with a list of their engraved por- traits; by William Miller, handsonlely printed in 2 vols, quarto, price 31 3s ; twenty-five copies only on large paper, price 10/. My motive is not to eulogize the dead, by giving a false variiislj to glaring de- fects ; it appears to me more useful to society to draw natui" as she is; to display the defects as well as the beauties; and to show, not by im.isinary surmises, but by palpable aud undisguised acts, wliat a mixture of inconsistencies mankind is; and if, in this chronological series of recently liviug characters, there should be found some few in elevated life, whose glaring vices I have ventured to paint ia the honest colouring of indignant truth, let no ungenerous motive be attributed. The instances are not numerous ; they, thank God ! seldom occur in this country ; but whenever decency, decorum, and public opinion, are thus, in broad day, set at defiance, the posthumous character of the horrid perpetrators cannot be too openly exposed to the scorw and contempt of the rising generation. Author^s Preface. Of the collections of lives by the ancient writers of Greece and Rome, there is Plutarch, DiogenesLaer- tus, Cornelius Nepos, and Suetonius; of which, the modern English translations extant are : 86 BIOGRAPHY. Langhorne's Translation of Plutarch's Lives, correct- ed by Archdeacon Wranjrham, in G octa^ o vols- considered the best, 2/ 14^, 8 vols, duodt^ciiuo, 1/ I6s 3CccompanictJ tuitl^ portrnit^. Lodge. Portraits of the Illustrious Persons of the Court of Henry the Eighth, designed by Holbein, and engraved by Bartolozzi, the biographical notices are from the pen of Mr. Edmund Lodge, Lancaster Herald, folio, containing 14 parts. Tliis cbarmii)?, costly, and captivating performance, as Dr. Dihilin describes it. contains eiplit) -two plafrs, two are of Holliein and liis wilo ; sixlj-eijlit of per- sous wliose names are known, and twelve of anDnjiiKius personages; there are about seven or eight not engraved by Bartolnzzi, price about 25/. This book was republished in a small folio form, in I8I2, by Mr. John Nicol, which obtains about 10/ 10.9. Portraits of the Illustrious Personages of Great Bri- tain, with biographical and historical memoirs of their lives and actions, in two royal folio volumes, the biographical notices are from the same elegant pen as the former work, a third volume is now in the course of publication : not less than one hun- dred and twenty portraits are contained in the two volumes, completed in 1821, by the most celebra- ted artists, from original painting-s in the posses- sion of th<' nobility and gentry of this country. The plates having been destroyed, the work cannot fail to maintain a high price, about 3(1/^ ordinary paper. This work has likewise been republished on a smaller scale, in a style of equal excellence, in parts, each containing five plates, imperial octavo, 12* 6d. A» n v/oTk of biograpli; it is comprehensive and authentic; as a work of art M cannot be too bigbl; ?alaed or eocouraged. BIOGRAlfHV. 8T British Gallery of Contemporary Portraits, 2 vols, atlas quarto, 31/. STcracljctJ 23iograp(jp, or jingle SitJCjS?. Roper. The Life of Sir Thomas More, by this author, has been elegantly reprinted by Mr. Trip- hook, to which the received portrait of More is prefixed. Cavendish. The private secretary of Wolsey has given us an invaluable piece of biography of his master, which has been recently reprinted by Mr. Singer, with historical and critical notices, 2 vols, octavo. Galt. Of the same prelate may be noticed, the Life by J. Gait, Esq. octavo, \0s Gd. Isaac Walton. The delightful biographies of Dr. Donne, Sir H. Wotton, Mr. R. Hooker, Mr. G. Herbert, and Bishop Sanderson, by Isaac Walton, with notes by Dr. Zouch, 2 vols, octavo, 1/ 4^. Isaac Walton's Tjives was one of Dr. Johnson's most favourite books'. Dr. Bonne's life, he said, was the most perfect of them. He observed, that it was wonderful that Walton, who was in a verj low situation in life, should have been familiar!} received by so raanj great men. Mr. Collingwood, at Oxford, has printed a neat edition in two duodecimo volumes, at 10s. Mr. Major, the bookseller, has recently published a new edition of Walton's Lives, to match the un- rivalled edition of the Complete Angler, it is com- prised in two volumes of the same form, with nu- merous wood-cut and copper-plate embellishments, 18s, fine paper^ 11 16?. Strype. The biographical labours of Strype have been reprinted at the Clarendon Press. 88 BIOGRAPHY. Memorials of Arcliblsliop Craniner, by Strype, 2 vols. octavo, 1/ 105. The Life of Sir Thomas Smith, 1820, octavo, 7s 6d. liishop Ayliner, 1820, octavo,?^. Sir John Cheke, 1821, octavo, 7^. Bishop Giiiuhil, 1 82 1, \3s 6d. Strype. The Life of Archbishop Parker, 3 vols. octavo, 1821, llSsGJ. The Life of Bishop Whitgift, 3 vols, octavo, 1822, \lSs6d. CoLET. The Life of Dean Colet, by Dr. Knight, has also been reprinted at Oxford, in octavo, for 145. WiCKLiFFE. The Life of Wickliife, by the Rev, John Lewis, has been reprinted in the same place, with additions, 1820, octavo, IO5. A mori- ample biograplij of this luraiaarj of the Reformation would well employ the tiiiie of some talented pen, and would coofer an acceptable service (o the cause of thf, Protestant Church of England. Burnet. The Lives of Sir Matthew Hale and Lord Rochester are valuable specimens in this depart- ment, l8mo. portraits, 4^, boards. Burnet's Life of Rochester, the Critic ought to read for its eloquence, the Philo- sopher for its arguments, and the Saint for its piety. Dr. JoJtnson. MiDDLETON. The Life of Cicero, by Dr. Middle- ton, in two octavo volnmes, \6s. Tills may be considered an elaborate, learned, and admirably ^rritten perform- ance; the late Charles James Fox ahvavs spokir warmly ofihe biography of ("ice.'O tiy Middleton. Dr. Conyer's Middlelon was, at fubt, inoie addicted to music than to learning; but Dr. Benlley calling him a fiddler, it e.xcited him to a close appli- cation to study. and he soon shewed Dr. Bentlev he coulil write as well as fiddle. North. The Lives of the Right Honourable Francis North, Baron Guildi'brd, Lord Keeper under the Great Seal of Charles the IL and James the II. the Honourable Sir Dudley North, and the Rev. Dr. John North, new edition, 3 vols, octavo, 1/ I6s. These volumes afford an entertaining delineation of manners in the period to nhlcb they relate. BIOGRAPHY. 89 LiOWTH. The Life of Wykeham, (by Bishop Lowth,) the greatest Prelate of his age and country, octavo, 7s 6(1. Warton. The Life of Sir Thomas Pope, Founder of Trinity College, Oxford, octavo, 10.9. BosvvELL. The Life of Dr. Samuel Johnson, by James Boswell, 4 vols, octavo, 1/ lOs, 5 vols. duodecimo, 1/ 5s. This is a faithful liistory of Johnson's Life, and exhibits a most interesting pic- ture of the character of that illustrious moralist, delineated wfth a masterly hand : such another piece of domestic paiirting:, in black and white, is no where to be seen. Dr. Dibdin strongly recommends an illustrated Johnson's Life, which would certainly afford a fine scope for the collector. RoscoE. The Life of Lorenzo de Medici, by Wil- liam Roscoe, 2 vols, quarto, 2/ 2s, 3 vols, octavo, 1/ 11^6^. The Life of Leo the Xth, 4 vols, quarto, 61 6s, 6 vols, octavo, 31 3s : a. new edition is preparing in four volumes, octavo. The style of these works is pure and elegant ; the facts areiuteresting and instruc- tive; they were new to the greater part of English readers ; fresh fountain heads of intelligence were explored, and a stream of knowledge flowed forth, Mr Hoscoe published, in 1832, Illustrations, Historical and Critical, of the Life of Lorenzo de Medici, a volume elegantly written and full of interest. Dr. Dibdin says ; the Auto-Biography of Gibbon, at- tached to his posthumous works, edited by Lord Sheffield, is, perhaps, one of the most popular productions of its kind, of modern times: in five octavo volumes, 31 3s. CoxE. The Biographical labours of Archdeacon Coxe are considerable in Q^tent, and are likely to be more appreciated by posterity than in the present times : they all possess sterling merit. Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole, 4 vols, oc- tavo, 21 25. N 90 BIOGRAPIIV. CoxE. Memoirs of Horatio, Lord Walpole, 2 vols, oclavo, 1/ 6s. Memoirs of the Duke of Marlborough, 6 \o\^. octavo, and a quarto atlas, 5/55. Memoirs of the Private and Oriffinal Corres- pondence of Charles Talbot, Duke of Shrewsbury, Avith King- William, &c. quarto, 3/ 3^. Hayley. Life and Posthumous Writings of Cow- per, by AVilliani Hayley, 4 vols, octavo, 1/ 10s. Cumberland. His Auto-Biography, (one of the Johnsonian School,) 2 vols, octavo. Cumberland was a brilliant scholar, -dramatist, and prose writer ; his portrait of Bub Doddington is e\ecuttd peifi rtlj con aniore. Sheiudan. The Life of ihe Right Honourable Rich- ard Brinsley Sheridan, by Thomas Moore, Esq. 2 vols, octavo, 1/8^. Russell. The Life of William, Lord Russell, with some account of the times in which he lived, by Lord John Russell, 2 vols, oetavo, 1/ 1^. ZoucH. The Life and Writings of Sir Philip Syd- ney, by the late Dr. Zouch, Prebendary of Dur- ham. Clarkson. The Life of William Pen, by W. Clark- son, octavo, 105 6d. South EY. The Life of Nelson, by Robert Southey, 2 vols. 10.9. , Dr. Dibdiu hopes Mr. Murray will give the public a neat pocket edition in one volume. ^ Heber. The Life of Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, by the late Bishop of Calcutta, Reginald Heber, 2 vols, post octavo, IC^. BIOGRAPHY. 91 Prior. The Life of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, third edition, octavo, 14^. Pitt. A History of the Right Honourable William Pitt, Earl of Chatham ; conlaiiiing- his Speeches in Parliament; a considerable portion of his Corres- pondence, when Secretary of State, upon French, Spanish, and American Affairs, never before pub- lished ; with an Account of the Principal Events and Persons connected witli his Life, Sentiments, and Administration, by the Rev. Francis Thack- eray, A.M. in 2 vols, quarto, with a portrait, en- graved by Finden, price 31 3s. Pitt. The Life of the Right Honourable William Pitt, by George Tomline, Bishop of Winchester, 3 vols, octavo, 1/ 16^, first in quarto, 2 vols. 31 3s A third quarto volume is promised by the venerable prelate, which will be re- plete with interest. Byron. Memoirs of the Life of the Right Honour- able Lord Byron, quarto. Butler. The Life of Grotius, by Charles Butler, Esq. octavo. Wolfe,. The Life and Correspondence of General Wolfe, 3 vols, post octavo. In the sixty-ninth number of the Quarterly Review, some excellent remarks occur on the subject of Auto-Biography. Few great men, none of the very highest order, have chosen to paint otherwise than indirectly,and throughjthe shadows of imaginary forms, the secret workings of their own minds; nor is it likely that genius will ever be found altogether divested of this proud modesty, unless in the melancholy case of its being tinged, as in Rousseau, with insanity. There was, therefore, little danger of our having too much auto-bio- graphy, as long as no book had much chance of popularity, which 92 BIOGRAPHY. was not written with some considerable portion of talent, or at least, by a person of some considerable celebrity in one way or other. But tiie circle of readers has widened strangely in these times; and while an overwhelming preponderance of vulgarity among them tempts one class of writers to the use of materials, which, in elder times, they would have iield themselves far above; a still more disgusting effect is, that it emboldens beings, who, at any period, would have been mean and base in all their objects and desires, to demand, with hardi- hood, the attention and the sympathy of mankind for thoughts and deeds, in any period but the present, must have been as obscure as they are dirty. The mania for this garbage of Confessions, and Re- collections, and Reminiscences, and Aniliana, is, indeed, a vile symptom. It scorns as iftheearof that grand impersonation, " The Reading Public," had become as filthily prurient as that of an caves dropper. If this voluntary degradation be persisted in, the effect of it will, ere long, be visible elsewhere than in literature. An universal spirit of suspicion will overspread the intercourse of society, and no class of persons will suffer more than those who found easy access, as in for- mer days, to circles much above their station, in virtue of the general belief, that their garrulity was not at least the veil of a calculating curiosity, and that however poor their wit might be, they were capa- ble of receiving kindness and condescension, without any notions of turning a penny by the systematic record of privacies too generously exposed. Fuller. The Worthies of EnglantJ, by Thomas Fuller, first printed 1G62, reprinted by Mr. Nicol in 1811, in 2 quarto vols. 5/ 5s. An Index for the folio edition, has been published by Mr. Pickering-, price l'2s. Anthonv a Wood. Athene Oxoniensis, an exact history of writers and bishops who have had their education in the university of Oxford, a new edition, by the Rev. Dr. Bliss, 4 vols, royal quar- to, 15/ 15^, on large paper, 48/. More care, attention, accuracy, and valuable enlargement, from an inexhausti- ble stock of materials, (some of them contemporaneous) has rarelj been witnessed, BIOGRAPHY. 93 than in the additional labours of Dr. Bliss, upon the text of his beloved Anthony a Wood ; it is a work which every young man, who prefers intellectual reputation to fleeting and frivolous pursuits, should be enjoined to purchase on quitting the Univeisity of Oxford. Dibdin, Granger. The Biographical History of England, by the Reverend James Granger, 4 vols, octavo, 1/8^. I have no hesitation in designating it as a delightful and instructive book, con- sidering that Granger may have walked the field alone, it is surprising what he has done, his catalogue of engraved heads is immense. His style is always clear, pointed, and lively. Dibdin. Dr. Johnson. This is the most entertaining book in the English language. Johnson. The Lives of the Poets, by Dr. Samuel Johnson, 4 vols, octavo, 24^, octodecimo, 2 vols. Dr. Johnson's Lives of the Poets are necessarily a prominent ornament of every library; many of the facts must be cautiously admitted. Not that Johnson design- edly falsified, but he always wanted time, diligence, and patience, intbe collection of his materials; and he rejoiced to find the fact as he wished to find it. His life of Savage is considered to be the chef d'ceuvre. The whole set of lives are, in- deed, fraught with wisdom and excellent taste. Dibdin. Macdiarmid. The Lives of British Statesmen, portraits, 2 vols, octavo, U 4.S, by John Macdiar- mid. Collins. The Peerage of Great Britain, by An- thony Collins, enlarged by Sir Egerton Brydges, plates of the arms, 9 vols, octavo, 91 9s. Marshall. Royal Naval Biography, by John Marshall, noticed in the department of History of Great Britain. Mr. Colburn announces the Diary of a Member in the Parliament of the Protectors, Oliver and Rich- ard Cromwell, from the original autograph manu- scripts, in the possession of William Upco(t, Esq. with notices, historical and biographical, by John To will Rutt, Esq. 4 vols, octavo, plates. 94 BIOGUAPHY. w The Correspondence of Henry, Earl of Clarendon, and Laurence, Earl of Rochester, with the Diary of Lord Clarendon, from 1687 to 1090 : comprising minute particulars of the events attending the Re- volution, the greater part now first publislied from the original manuscripts, with notes by S. W. Singer, F. S. A. Illustrated with portraits, copied from the originals, by permission of the Right Honourable the Earl of Clarendon, and other engravings, 4 vols, octavo. Memoirs, biographical and critical, of the Wits and Courtiers of the reign of Charles the Second, with notes and illustrations, in 2 vols, octavo, with por- traits. Dr. Dibdin observes, of all species of writing, it is one in which the French excel the most, and it is quite clear, that we have few productions of a similar character. La llarpe has given a good notion of the quality and effect of Memoir Writing. " Les nombreuses memoires qui nous restent du dernifere si^cle offrent un plus grand fonds d'instruction et surtout plus d'agrement que les his- toircs. lis representent plus en detail et plus naivement les fails, et les personnages; ils fouillent plus avant dans le secret des causes et des ressorts, et c'est avcc leurs secours que nous avons eu dans le siecle pre- sent, des meilleurs morccaux d'histoire. II est peu de lectures plus agieables, si I'on ne veut qu'etre amusfe mais generalement it en est peu dout il faut se defier davantage si I'on ne veut pas etre tromp6. Cours de lilterature, p. 172, Hutchinson. Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson, written by his widow, Lucy, with her own life, portraits and other plates, S vols octavo, 245. The memoirs are (liose of a brave and intrepid soldier, one of Cromwell's generals, and member for the county of Notlinsliam, in the long Parliament. -An excellent review of the booU appeared in the tliirtecnth volume of the Edinburgh Review . BIOGRAPHY. 95 Evelyn, Memoirs illustrative of the Life and Wri- tings of John Evelyn, Esq. author of the Sylva, comprising- his Diary from 1641 to 1705-C, and a selection of his familiar Letters, edited by William Bray, Esq. 2 vols, royal quarto, portraits and 5 vols, octavo, plates, 5/ 15^ 6d. The discoverv of the^e memoirs affords one of the most amusing anecdotes of literary history, on authority which cannot be questioned. * Evelyn's Miscellaneous Writings, now first collected and edited, with Notes, by William Upcott, of the London Institution, and forming a Supplement to the Evelyn Memoirs. Printed uniformly in 1 vol. royal quarto, witli plates, 31 10s, in boards. The miscellaneous writing's of the Philosopher and Naturalist, Evelyn, (most of which are extremely rare) are here presented to the public in a quarto volume, to range with his "Diary and Correspondence." These works, with his noble Dis- course on Forest Trees, under the title of " Sylva," comprise (he whole body of Evelyn's productions. The tracts forming the present volume are, more or less, on subjects of great interest, including lively pictures of the manners and amusements of his time; Memoirs, political, domestic, and religious; Treatises on Morals, Hor- ticulture, Art, Science, Commerce, &c. ; in any of which the sound intellect of this '•' amiable aud high minded English Gentleman" will be traced. * In the beginning of April, 1813, Mr. William Upcott, (author of the most valuable bibliographical work extant, on British topogra- phy,) went to Wotton, in Surrey, the residence of the Evelyn family, for the first time, accompanied by Mr. Bray, the highly respected author of the History of Surrey, and acknowledged editor of John E/elyn's Memoirs, for the p'lrpose of arranging and making a cata- logue of the library, which had been thrown into much confusion by its removal for safety, in consequence of accidental fire in an out- building. Early in the following year (1814) the task was completed. Sit- ting one evening after dinner, with Lady Evelyn, and her intimate friend, Mrs. Molineaux, Mr. Upcott's attention was attracted to a tippet, being made of feathers, on which Lady Evelyn was employ- ed ; — " We have all of us our hobbies, I perceive, my lady," said Mr. Upcott. — "Very true," rejo'ined her ladyship, "and pray what 96 BIOGRAPHY. The Anecdotes of William Bowyerare now enlarged, under the title of "Nichols's Literary Anecdoles of the Eighteenth Century, in 10 vols. 11/ 11^, with an excellent and complete index. In running one's eye down the names of persons in the alphabe- tical order in which they occur, we find such a body of personal anecdote, as almost irresistibly compels us to buy the work. may yours be ? " " Mine, madam, from a very early age, began by collecting provincial copper tokens, and, latterly, the hand-writing (or autographs) of men who have distinguished themselves in every walk of life." "Hand writings!" answered Lady Evelyn, with much surprise, "what do you mean by hand-writings? Surely you don't mean old letters? " at the same time opening the drawer of her work-table, and taking out a small parcel of papers, some of which had been just used by Mrs. Molyneaux, as patterns for articles of dress. The sight of this packet, though of no literary importance, yet containing letters written by eminent characters of the seven- teenth century, more particularly one from the celebrated Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, afforded the greatest pleasure to Mr. Up- cott, who took occasion to express his exceeding delight in looking them over. "Oh! "added Lady Evelyn, "if you care for papers like those, you shall have plenty; for Sylva Evelyn, (the familiar appellation applied to John Evelyn by his descendants), and those who succeeded him, preserved all their letters." Then, ringing for her confidential attendant, " Here," said her ladyship, "Mr. Upcott tells me that he is fond of collecting old letters; take the key of the ebony cabinet, in the billiard-room, procure a basket, and bring down some of the bundles." Mr. Upcott accompanied theattendant, and having brought a quantity of these letters into the dining-room, passed one of tlie most agreeable evenings imaginable, in examining the contents of each packet; with the assurance, from Lady Evelyn, that he was welcome to lay aside any that might add to his own col- lection. The following evening the delicious ebony cabinet was visited a second time, when Evelyn's " Kalendarium," as he entitled it, or Diary, a small quarto volume, without covers, very closely written with liis own hand, presented itself. BIOGRAPHY. 97 The recent death of this eminent antiquary, (Mr. John Nichols,) who was, for nearly fifty years, editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, must give this valuable book increasing interest with the public. We are indebted to him for many remains of obscurorum virorum, which would otherwise have been lost in oblivion. He has contributed va- luable materials to the literary history of our country. CoLLEY CiBBER. TheApoloi^y for the Life of Col- ley Gibber is now elegantly reprinted in octavo. It is a performance, sui generis, full of humour. Wren. A new edition of the Parentalia, or Me- moirs of Sir Christopher Wren and his Family, with additions, and a new portrait of Sir Christo- pher, has been published by Mr. Elmes the Arehi- tect, in quarto, price 31 3s. Benvenuto Cellini. The Memoirs of Benvenuto Cellini have been recently translated from the Italian by Thomas Roscoe, Esq. 2 vols, octavo, 1/45. An amusing book, containing the life of a most capricious man and wonderful artist. Wakefield. The Auto-Biography of Gilbert Wakefield, octavo, 12^. Spence. The Literary Anecdotes of Joseph Spence, the friend of Pope, enlarged under the editorial care of Mr. Singer, octavo, 15^. This is one of the most entertaining volumes of literary anecdote imaginable, and worthy of admittance into an elegantly furnished librarj-. Dibdin, JLopE de Vega. The Life of Lope de Vega and Gwillim de Castro, fine portrait and fac simile, 2 vols, octavo, 1/ Is, Watson, Anecdotes of the Life of Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaff, 2 vols. II As. Haydn and Mozart. The Lives of Haydn and Mozart, octavo, 12*. 08 BIOGHAPHY. < TiioMsoy. Memoirs of the Court of Henry the Eighth, by Mrs. Thomson, 2 vols, octavo. 1^ 45. Mrs. Tlionison appears to liave executed her task with considerable success. M'Crie. In two large volumes, octavo, price 1/ 45, the second edition, corrected, of the Life of An- drew Melville, containing Illustrations of the Ec- clesiastical and L/iterary History of Scotland, du- ring the latter part of the Sixteenth and beginning of the Seventeenth Century, with an Appendix, consisting''of Original Papers, by Thomas M'Crie, D.D. Minister of the Gospel, Edinburgh. By the same author, the Life of John Knox, contain- ing Illustrations of the History of the Reformation in Scotland, the fourth edition, 2 vols, octavo, 1/15. AiKiN. Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth, portrait, 2 vols, octavo, 1/4,?. ■ Memoirs of the Court of James the First, 2 vols, octavo, 1/4*. Naunton. Fragmenta Regalia; Memoirs of Eliza- beth, her Court, and Favourites, by Sir R. Naun- ton, Secretary to James the First, octavo, 8.«, 1824. This is an excellent new edition of a scarce and very interesting little boolc. Benger. Memoirs of Anne Boleyn, Queen of Henry the Eighth, 2 portraits, 2 vols. I6s. • Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots, 2 vols. lUs. . Memoirs of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, daughter of James the First, 2 vols. 1/45. Tlie recent death of this amiahle female writer will disappoint the public of the pleasure of her proposed History of Henrj the Fourtli of France. Chalmers. The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, drawn from the State Papers, 3 vols, octavo, 2/85. BIOGRAPHV. 99 Grammont. The Memoirs of Count Granniiont. The English edition of this book was published by Mr. Miller, in 1809-12, with 64 portraits by Striven, 31 3s, in two royal octavo volumes. Dr. Dibilin sajs, Grammont's portraits admit of a happier efFott of art: the beautiful gallery at Altliorp would afford rich materials towards such a work. The Life of George, Lord Jeffreys, sometime Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, and Lord High Chancellor of England in the Reign of James II, by Humphrey W. Woolrych. The name of Jeffreys has been handed down to posterity as though no censures were too great, no curses too bitter for him. The scanty memoirs which have been yet published concerning him, abound more in efforts to aggravate his unpopularity, than to canvass the actions of his impetuous career with the impar- tiality which is due to history. The author of these pages has honestly endeavoured to display the brightest colourings of the Judge's character, and while he dares not approve those vices which all mankind have concurred in condemning, he boldly asks a meed of praise for Jeffreys where the redeeming points of his conduct consistently demand it. Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late Rev. Samuel Parr, LL.D. by the Rev. William Field, in two volumes, octavo, with portraits. The Life of the celebrated Dr. Jenner, by Mr. Baron, will form a companion to an excellent little Me- moir of Dr. Bateman, recently published, post oc- tavo, 75 6d. The Life and Times of Salvator Rosa, with Extracts from his Correspondence, by Lady Morgan, in 2 vols, with a fine portrait of Salvator, from the original painting by himself, in the possession of Earl Grosvenor, 1/ 8*. Lady Morgan has produced two of the most amusing octavos we have met with, even in this biographical age. Edinburgh Magazine. 100 BIOGRAPHY. Memoirs of Goethe, author of "Werter," ''Faust," &c. written by himself, 2 vols, octavo, with a fine portrait, 1/ 4^. Goethe has justly been classed by the critics of Germany with the masterminds of modern Europe — with Shakspcare, with Dante, and with Cervantes, not a? possessinj^ powers of a similar kind, but as enjoying, like those gre.at men, the reputation of being, beyond all comparison, the first of his age and country. A work under the following title, written with much power and Tigour, may not be inappropraitely classed under this department: it is moch superior in execution to the well known Dialogues of the Dead by Littleton. Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and States- men, by Walter Savage Landor, the second edi- tion, corrected and enlarged, in 2 vols, octavo. Contents. Richard I. and the Abbot of Bosley. — Tiie Lord Brooke and Sir Philip Sydney. — King Henry IV. and Sir Arnold Savage. — Souhey and Porsou. — Oliver Cromwell and Walter Noble. — Eschines and Phocion. — Queen Elizabeth and Cecil. — King James I. and Isaac Casaubon. — Marchese Pallavicini and Walter, Landor. — General Kleber and some French Officers. — Bishop Burnet and Humphrey Hardcastle. — Peter Leopold and the President Du Paty. — Demosthenes and Eubulides. — Bona- parte and the President of the Senate. — The Abbe Delille and "Walter Landor. — The Emperor Alexander and Capo d'lstria. — Kosciusko and Pontiatowski. — Middleton and Magliabechi. — Milton and Andrew Marvel. — Washington and Franklin. — Roger Ascham and the Lady Jane Grey — Lord Bacon and Richard Hooker. — General Lasey and the Curate Merino. — Pericles and Sophocles. — Louis XIV^. and P6re la Chaise. — Samuel Johnson and Home Tooke, — Cavaliere Puntomichino and Mr. Denis Eu- sebius Talcranagh. — Andrew Hoffer, Count Metternich, and the Emperor Franci-, — David Ilume and John Home. — Prince Mau- rocordato and General Colootroni. — Alfieri and Salomon, the Florentine Jew. — Lopez Banoz and Romero Alpuente. — Lord Chesterfield and Lord Chatham — Aristoteles and Callisthenes. — Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn. — Marcus Tullius Cicero and his Brother, Quinctus. BIOGRAPHY. 101 Sully. Memoirs of Sully. Horace Walpole says, the example of Sully shows that the study of history it practically useful to a statesman; for, he tells us, in his memoirs, that he was much given to it, auy himself, 2 vols. Life of Horatio, Viscount Nelson, 2 vols.* Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, 2 vols.* Biography of Distinguished Individuals who have contributed to the modern improvement of Arts, Sciences, Commerce and Manufac- tures, viz. 5 vols.* Sir Richard Arkwright, Spinning Machinery. Joseph Black, M.D. Cheviistry. Matthew Boulton, Esq. Mechanical Inventions. J , Brindley, Esq. Canal Navigation. John Clerk, Esq. of Eldin, Inventor of the System of Naval Tactics. William Ged, Goldsmith, Inventor of Stereotype Printing. Sir Thomas Gresham, Founder of the Royal Exchange and Gres- ham Lecture. LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 113 Andrew Meikle, Inventor of the Thrashing 3Iachine, with some notices of James Small, Ploiigh-wright Patrick Miller, Esq. of Dalswinton, Steam Navigation, 8j'c. John Palmer, Esq. 3Iail Coaches. James Patterson, Founder of the Bank of England, Darien Expedition, Sfc. John Rennie, Esq. Break-water, Plymouth, Waterloo Bridge, and other National Works. John Watt, Esq. Steam Engine, S^c. Josiah Wedgewood, Esq. Chemical Processes and Improvement in the Pottery. _ A Systematic View of the more popular and practical parts of Ma- thematics, Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry, by William Wallace, Professor of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh, and others, 3 vols.* History, Principles, and Advantages of Benefit Societies, Banks for Savings, and Assurance on Lives.* Life of Napoleon, Emperor of France.* Military Life of Arthur, Duke of Wellington, by the Rev. G. R. Gleig, 3 vols.* Memoirs of the two last years of King Charles the First, by Sir Tho- mas Herbert, Private Secretary to the King. The Life of C. G. Lamoignon Malesherbes, Minister of State to Louis the Sixteenth, translated from the French, by the Rev. Edward Mangin, A. M. The Chevalier D'Arvieux's Travels in Arabia the Desert, giving a very accurate and entertaining account of the Religion, Customs, Diversions, &c. of the Bedouins, or Arabians, &c. History of the Scottish Covenanters, illustrated by fac-similes of the Original Covenant and Confession of Faith, signatures of the no- bility, gentry, clergy, and others throughout Scotland, who ad- hered to the same, from documents in possession of the editor, 3 vols.* Account of the Bastile, and its most remarkable Prisoners. * Account of Ireland, Historical and Political, from the Revolution in the year 1688 to the present time, 2 vols.* Annals, Literary and Political, of the Lives of Dr. Samuel Johnson, Lord Byron, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, 2 vols.* Travels in South America, by Frederick, Baron Humboldt, in asso- ciation with A. Bonpland, translated from the French, 5 vols.* An Account of the Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava, in the year 1795. by Michael Symes, Esq. Major in his Majesty's T6th Regi- 114 LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, ment.» To which arc added, Narratives of the late Military and Political Operations in the Burmese Territory, chiefly from the communications of an Officer in the British army, 4 vols. A Detailed and Authentic History of the Battle of Waterloo, by a British Oniior.* A Description of the East, and some other Countries j Egypt, the Holy Land, Syria, Mesopt)tamia, Cyprus, and Candia; contain- insj observations on the Islands of the Archipelago, Asia Minor, Greece, and some other parts of Europe, by Richard Pococke, D-D. Bishop of Meath,* with illustrative notes, 4 vols. History of Modern Greece, and the Ionian Islands ; with a view of the Dfcline of the Turkish Ascendency on the Grecian Continent, and a sketch of the Revolutionary War, 2 vols.* Conspiracies. — The Abbe St. Real's Conspiracy of the Spaniards a^ninsit Venice, translated from the Italian. Account of the Conspiracy of Fiesco against the Republic of Genoa, by the Cardinal de Rctz. The Rise and Fall of Massaniello, the Fisherman of Naples, by James Howell. Memoirs of Alexander Murray, D.D. Professor of Oriental Languages in the University of Edinburgh, containing a Personal Narrative of his own Life, Original Correspondence, and the Biographical Notice, by Sir Henry Moucrief Wellwood, Baronet.* The English Jest Book, consisting of many hundred originals, also selections from Joe Miller, Beau Nash, Sheridan, and latter wits, with authentic anecdotes.* History of tiie Discovery, Revolutions, and Present State, Political and Commercial, of the Continent of America, 3 vols. * The Travels of Francis Bernicr, and his account of the Court of the Great Mogul,* with notes and illustrations from modern authori- ties and recent Travels in Persia, 2 vols. British Sermon Writers. Extracts from Jeremy Taylor, Barrow^ Clarke, Tillotson, South, Sherlock, Blair, Paley, and other eminent divines, selected by John Clayton, Esq. 2 vols.* Universal Gazetteer, 3 vols.* A new General Atlas.* Select British Drama. Select British Poets. 115 MURRAY'S NATIONAL LIBRARY. The'next is that of Mr. Murray, under the title of The Natioxal Library of Popular Knowledge, and is au improvement, in some respects, upon the plan of Mr. Constable. The selection is likewise good, b(it not so rich and varied as the first. The National Library of Popular Knowledge, com- prising Original Treatises, written expressly for this work, by the most celebrated authors ; in the following divisions ; 1. History. 2. Science and Art. 3. Miscellaneous Literature. " Seeing that knowledge is of the number of those things which are to he accepted of with caution and distinction ; being now to open a J'ountain, such as it ii not easy to discern where the issues and streams thereof will take and fall ,• I thought it good and necessary, in the first place, to make a strong and sound head or hank, to rule and guidethe course of the waters, by setting down this position, namely, that ah Know- ledge IS TO BE LIMITED BY RELIGION, AND TO BE REFERBEO TO UsE AND AcTION." Lord Bacon* ADVERTISEMENT. The object of THE NATIONAL LIBRARY is to supply, in a cheap and condensed form, a body of the most practical, instructive, and amusing information ; adapted particularly io the wants of young persons, and of that immense number of readers, who possess a strong desire for knowledge, without having the means of access to 116 LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. voluminous and expensive worlis. The publications wiiich arc within the reach of this large and important part of the community, are either so limited in their range, or so puerile in their execution, that they fail to satisfy the intellectual appetite which the diffusion and improvement of education have called forth. It is to be remarked that, with '•ome few strikin;^ exceptions, the general literature of our country is either addressed to men of leisure and research, and is therefore bulky and diffuse— or it is frittered down into meagre and Bpiritless outlines, adapted only for very juvenile capacities. In addi- tion to the individuals desirous of acquiring knowledge, who are thus embarrassed in tlie choice of books, associations establislicd by the people for their mental improvement also require the materials for forming suitable libraries. It has become a characteristic of the present age, that w hilst all persons are anxious to acquire solid and useful information, they are desirous to arrive at the acquisition by the shortest roads ; for the knowledge which is spread over a large surface requires a degree of leisure and industry to attain it, scarcely compatible w ith the ordinary duties of life. To collect the scattered elements of useful learning, and give them a shape that may be suited to the circumstances and habits of all classes of a reflecting and inquiring population, is the object of the publication now pro- posed. It is necessary particularly to point out, that it does not form a part of our plan to republish entire standard works of scientific or miscellaneous literature. It is our peculiar object to condense the information which is scattered through voluminous and expensive books, into the form and substance of Original Treatises. Our in- tention to supply a body of popular instruction and amusement will be better obtained by this condension, than by multiplying selections from established authors. The divisions of popular knowledge in which the National Library is arranged, will comprehend, in distinct treatises, the most important branches of general information. They will present the most valuable and interesting articles of an Encyclopedia, in a form accessible to every description of persons. This method of publication appears to be recommended by many important advantages. When one article grows obsolete by the lapse of time, admission may be given to a new article, embracing every recent discovery of the particular art or science to which it refers, -without deranging or replacing the whole of the work. The onerous charge now inflicted upon the purchasers of Encyclopedias by new editions^ as well as the ueceosity of having recourse to the clumsy ex- LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 117 pedient of supplements, will be entirely obviated ; but, what appears to us still more important, such a publication will enable those who devote themselves to particular arts or sciences, or who are desirous to cultivate any particular branch of literature, to purchase treatises adapted to their individual pursuits, in a separate and distinct form. Every man will thus have it in his power, to make up for himself a selection of works perfectly agreeable to his own taste. The series of treatises will be sufficiently comprehensive to render it unneces- sary even for well-informed men to have recourse to more ponderous works ; and every treatise being coai|>lete in itself will possess a value and an interest, from its own intrinsic recommendations, inde- pendent of its connection with the general series. The editors feel authorised in stating that the several works comprised in the National Library v^ill be written by men of the highest eminence, in their respective departments of science and literature. The paper, type, and embellishments of this work will be of the first character, — at the same time the Tolumes will be charged to the public at a lower price than any existing publication ; the National Library may be therefore pronounced the cheapest work that ever issued from the press. The editors have already received very valuable and important suggestions from distinguished characters; and they will gladly avail themselves of any further hints, having for their object the promotion or the improvement of the undertaking in which they arc engaged. The success of a work, which they venture to hope may eventually produce a salutary influence even upon the general interests of so- ciety, will be essentially advanced by the sanction and recommenda- tion of persons of weight and intelligence in their respective neigh- bourhoods. THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. The following list will furnish a general idea of many of the sub- jects of which the Treatises will consist ; and it is essential to bear in mind that, with the exception of a few subjects of peculiar interest, that may extend to several volumes, each work will be complete either in a part or parts, or io a volume. 118 LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. I. HISTORY. History of the Jews, from their Origin to their Dispersion ; witb notices of their partial Re-union in various countries, and a vie of the Prophecies concerning their Restoration. the Progress of Christianity, to the Rise of the Papal Usur pation. the Reformation in Germany. the Reformation in England and Scotland. the Religious Wars in France, consequent upon the Re- w formation ; with a Supplementary Memoir on the ^Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. ■■' the Inquisition. • Mahometanism. the Crusades for the Recovery of the Holy Sepulchre ; witb a Memoir of the Chivalric and Religious Orders of Europe. History of Greece. ■ Rome. the Ottoman Empire. ' — — the Feudal Times. General History of England, to the accession of George the Fourth. Scenes and Characters of the English Wars in France, under Edward the Third, Richard the Second, Henry the Fifth, and Henry the Sixth. Scenes and Characters of the Civil Wars of England, during the Reign of Charles the First. History of the Peninsular War. Lives of British Statesmen, from Alfred the Great to William Pitt. Lives of British Warriors, from Edward the Black Princeto the Duke of Wellington. Domestic History of England ; representing the Progress of Society with respect to Customs, Manners, Language, and Daily Life, from the period of the Norman Conquest to the present time. History of Scotland. Ireland. General History of France, to the Age of Louis the Fifteenth. LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 119 History of the French Revolution, ' — Italy, from the Destruction of the Western Empire to the present time. Germany, including the Kingdom of Austria, and the various States of the Germanic Confederation. Spain and Portugal. Modern India, from the earliest Settlements of the Euro- peans to the present time. Holland and Belgium. Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, — • — • Russia and Poland. North America. South America. Universal Chronology. II. SCIENCE AND ART. Lives of Eminent Philosophers, pointing out the influence of their dis- coveries in fixing the Principles of Science: including Memoirs of Bacon, Newton, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Descartes, Herschel, Boyle, Hervey, Napier, Franklin, Priestley, Watt, Buffon, Linnaeus, &c. &c. History of British Arts and Manufactures ; tracing the Progress of Inventions in the great Branches of National Industry. History and Practical Account of the Steam-Engine, Chemistry Practically Illustrated, in its application to the Arts, Outlines of Astronomy. -- — ■ Optics. ■ — Magnetism, Electricity, and Galvanism- Geology and Mineralogy. Meteorology. Political Economy Popularly Explained and Illustrated by Facts. History and Practice of Agriculture, and the Management of Cattle. Horticulture. The Works of Nature; being a complete History and Classification of the various Species of Quadrupeds, Birds, Fishes, Reptiles and Insects. Botany Displayed, upon the Linnaean and more recent Systems. The Popular Knowledge of Diseases, with a View to their Prevention and First Treatment. 120 LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. The Works of Art; being an Account, Historical and Descrip- tive, of all the great Monuments of Antiquity, and the most re- markable Eilifices of Modern Times. The History and Practice of Architecture, and Civil Engineering. III. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE. Lives of Great Divines of the English Church; with Selections from their Works. The Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, popularly arranged from the Works of Berkeley, Butler, Leslie, Palcy, Stillingfleet, and other autiiurities. History of Idolatry and Superstition, in the various Nations of the World; embracing a View of the Missions for the Diffusion of Christianity The Elements of INIoral Philosophy. A Compendium of the Laws of England, adapted to Practical Objects. The Biography of I^nglish Literature ; comprising the Lives of the most distinguished Authors. The Biography of the Fine Arts; comprising the Lives of the most illustrious Painters, Sculptors, Architects, and Musicians. History of the English Stage, from the time of Shakspeare ; with No- tices of the Lives, and Selections from the Works, of the great Dramatists. History of Romance; including Critical Notices and Specimens of the Works of Fiction of the European and Asiatic Nations. The Mariner's Compass, forming a history of the progress of Navi- gation. Memoirs of English Voyages Round the World ; including thos'e of Drake, Rogers, Dampier, Anson, Byron, Wallis, Carteret, Cook, &c. Memoirs of English Voyages and Travels of Discovery; including those of Flinders, Scoresby, Ross, Lyon, Parry, Franklin, &c. An Account of the British Colonies ; forming a history of their Natu- ral Productions, Commerce, and Civil Institutions. A Popular View of the Commerce, Manufactures, and Public Institu- tions of the Large Trading Cities and Towns of Great Britain ; collected from original and authentic sources; viz. — London. Liverpool, Bristol, Hull. JT LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 121 Manchester, Birmingbam, Sheffield. Nottingham, Coventry, Leicester, Worcester, Leeds. Glasgow, Paisley, Aberdeen, Dundee. Dublin, Cork, and Belfast. Canals and Rail-ways, being the history and description of the most important of these undertakings in the British Empire. The Natural and Commercial History of Fisheries. Remarkable Trials, selected and abridged from the original authentic records, with historical and other illustrative observatioHS. Narratives of Great National Calamities. Narratives of Personal Danger and Sutlering, collected from authentic sources. Narratives of Shipwrecks. Anecdotes of Successful Industry ; comprising the Lives of Individu- als most remarkable for the elevation of their fortunes by talent and perseverance. Anecdotes of Eccentricity ; comprising the Lives of Individuals most remarkable for peculiarities of character and conduct. The Book of Sports ; tracing the history, and exemplifying the prac- tice, of all popular games and pastimes. LONGMAN'S LIBRARY OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. The third is that of Messrs. Longman, entitled the Library of Useful Knowledge, and seems to be more confined to works of Science, Phi- losophy and History. Library of Useful Knowledge, or a Series of Elemen- tary Treatises upon the various branches of Phi- losophy, History, and Art. The want of Elementary Treatises for instructing all classes of the community in the various branches of knowledge, particularly in the Sciences, and the Arts connected with them, having been long expe- rienced by the friends of education, the committee for the diflFusion of useful knowledge have adopted such measures as appeared best calcu - lated to supply this defect ; and with this view Messrs. Longman, Rees, Orme, and Co. will, under their sanction and superintendence, begin the publication of a Series of Treatises on the 15th of Febru- ary, 1827. R 122 LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. L Each Scientific Treatise will contain an Exposition of the Fun- damental Principles of some Branch of Science, — their proofs and illustrations, — their application to practical uses, and to the explanation of facts or appearances. 2. For this jjurposc, the greater Divisions of Knowledsie will be subdivided into Brandies; and if one of these Subdivisions or Branches cannot be sufficiently taught in a single Treatise, it will be continued in a second. 3. When any part of a Subdivision is of sufficient practical impor- tance to require being minutely pursued in its details, an extra or separate Treatise upon this part will be given without inter- rupting the Series: and care will be taken, as far as possible, to publish those Treatises first that handle subjects the know- ledge of which is necessary for understanding those which follow. 4. Thus — the great division of Natural Knowledge, commonly called Natural Philosophy, will be subdivided into different branches, as. Elementary Astronomy — Mechanical Powers — Application of these to Machinery — Hydrostatics — Hydraulics — Pneumatics ^Optics — Electricity — Magnetism. Several Practical Treatises will be given on Dialling — Millwork — Optical Instruments ; and Treatises on Geometry, Algebra, and Trigonometry, will be pub- lished before extending Natural Philosophy to the higher branches, of Dynamics, Hydrodynamics, and Physical Astrono- my, — it being the object of this publication to enable persons who may not have the assistance of experienced teachers, or may prefer learning by themselves, to acquire step by step the whole of any department of science which interest or inclination may lead them to study. 5. To each Treatise will be subjoined a reference to the works or parts of works in which the same subject is handled more at large, with suggestions for enabling the student, who may feel so dis- posed, to prosecute his studies further. 6. Each Treatise will consist of about thirty-two pages octavo, printed so as to contain above one hundred ordinary octavo pages, with neat engravings on wood, and tables. It will be sold for sixpence; and two will appear every month — on the first and fifteenth. Reading Societies, Mechanics' Institutions, and Edu- cation Committees in the Country, will be furnished with sup- plies at a liberal discount, X, The First Treatise, on Elementary Astronomy, will be published on the 15th of February ; and there will be given gratis, on that LIBRARIES OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, 123 day, an Introductory Discourse upon theAdvantages and Plea- sures derived from the pursuits of Science. The following are among the subjects which will be taught in the course of the The extra Treatises are marked *. eighteen months Elementary Astronomy — (2d Treatise.) Mechanical Powers. Practical Mechanics. Mechanical Anatomy. Hydrostatics. Hydraulics. Pneumatics. Optics. Electricity. Magnetism. » Dialling. * Millwork. * Optical Instruments. * Strength of Materials. Plane Geometry. Solid Geometry. Algebra. Algebraic Geometry. Conic Sections. Dynamics. Hydrodynamics. Physical Astronomy. * Observatories. * Astronomical Instruments. * Gunnery and Fortification. * Land Surveying. * Navigation. Heat.— 2 Treatises.) * Thermometer and Pyrometer. * Steam Engine. Affinity. Chemical Apparatus and Pro- cesses. Definite Proportions. Electro-Chemistry. Objects of Chemistry — (i Trea- tises.) Geology — (2 Treatises.) Chemical Functions of Animals. Chemical Functions of Vegeta- bles. Meteorology. * Dyeing. * Bleaching. * Assaying. Structure of Plants. Functions of Plants. Diseases of Plants. Geography of Plants. Arrangement of Plants. Uses of Plants. General Principles of Agricul- ture, Agricultural Buildings and Ma- chinery. Management of Farm. Breeding of Cattle. Fattening of Cattle. Diseases of Cattle. * Farriery. * Hop-planting. * Sheep-farming. * Dairy- farming. * Woods and Timber. » Potatoes, Cottage aad Spade Husbandry, 124 (^eosrapljj)^ The necessity of some acquaintance with Geography will not be disputed, no part of learning is more necessary than the knowledge of the situation of nations on which tiicir interests generally depend ; if the young man be dedicated to any of the learned professions, it is scarcely possible that he will not be obliged to apply himself, in some part of his life, to this study, as no other branch of literature can be fully comprehended without it. Dr. Johnson. Wilkinson. Atlas Classica, quarto, coloured, 2/ 125 Qd. Smith. A Classical Atlas, quarto. D'Anville. An Ancient Atlas, by D'Anville, folio, 3/. A Compendium of Ancient Geography, by the same author, 2 vols, octavo, 1/ is. A more useful compendium cannot be pointed out for the purchase of the student ; great diligence and research is every where displayed in the com- pilation. Rennell. The Geography of Herodotus, by Major Rennell. Memoir of a Map of Hindostan, and of the Peninsula of India. The services Major Rennell has rendered his country, by his excellent work onAncient Geography, will secure hira a lasting name in the literary annals of Great Britain. Of the writings of the Ancient Geographers a few only have been transmitted to the present time ; the principal of these are Strabo, Ptolemy, Pompo- GEOGRAPHT. ' 126 nius Mela, and Btephanus Byzantinus. Among the moderns who have illustrated Ancient Geogra- phy are Cluverius, Cellarius, D'Anville, Gosselin, and Major Rennell, whose researches have shed a flood of light on the geography of the classic his- torians. Of the period of the middle ages we have no geographical work extant, that can afford any just idea of the new order of things intro- duced into Europe by the different people of Germany, after the sub- version of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. Arrowsmith. a New General Atlas, quarto, by Arrowsmith, containing sixty maps, 2/ V2,s 6d, 1826. PiNKERTON. An Atlas of Modern Geography, by John Pinkerton, folio, 9^9^. Modern Geography, 2 vols, quarto, 51 5s. abridged, octavo, 18;?. These works are highly esteemed. Thomson's Edinburgh Atlas, royal folio. Edinburgh Gazetteer, or Geographical Dictionary, comprising a complete body of Geography, Phy- sical, Statistical, and Commercial, in six volumes, octavo, 5/8^. — . — — abridged, in one volume, octa- vo, 18*. This work may be considered as the most complete body of geographical science extant. Malte Brun. a System of Universal Geography, in seven volumes, octavo, by M. Malte Brun, 4/45. The plan of this work is excellent, and the arrangement is far superior to any other work of the kind extant. 126 GEOGRAPHY. This eminent geographer has recently paid the debt of nature, but he lived to render every assistance to the editor of the English trans- lation. No good library ought to be without this truly excellent per- formance. GuTHiuE. A Geographical Grammar, octavo, by Guthrie, bound, iSs. A System of Geography, quarto, with an atlas in quarto, 31 3s. Goldsmith. A System of Popular Geography, nu- merous plates, one thick volume, 18mo. 15^. For joung persons, nothing more enteitaiuing and pleasing can be placed in their Iiands. Brookes. A General Gazetteer, octavo, l^s, ISmo. 6s. Walker. General Gazetteer, by Walker, octavo, 14^. Capper. A Topographical Dictionary of the United Kingdom, by B. Capper, in octavo, 1/ lis 6d. Sebastian Munster may be considered as the restorer of thestudy of geography, who published a very voluminous cosmographical work in 1530. Since the revival of literature, Atclius Gerard Mercator, Va- renius, Janson, Blaeu, and Vischer, among the Dutch and Flemish, have distinguished themselves by their maps and other geographical vi:ork.s. To these may be added Sanson, De Lisle, Cassini, H' Anville, Zannoni, Biiache, Mentclle, Busching, and Chauchard, among the French and Germans ; and, lastly, though the study of this important science has only been of late years peculiarly cultivated in Great Britain, yet the geographical works and maps of Arrovvsmith, Ren- nell, Pinkerton, and Playfair, have reflected equal credit on their country and the subject they have illustrated. To the extension of "■eo-'^raphical knowledge nothing has more efiectually contributed than the different voyages of discovery that have been undertaken within the last hundred years, under the patronage of the different governments of Europe and America. Among these the voyages and ENGLISH LITERATURE. I2t travels of Lord Anson, Captains Cook, Byron, Wallis, and Carteret ; of Bougainville, Dixon, Meares, Vancouver, Perouse, Mungo Park, Humboldt, and Bonpland, Lord Valentia, Mackenzie, Weld, Col. Pike, Ross, Parry, Lyon, Hall, Kotzebue,. Weddell, Burckhardt, Belzoni, Denham, Burchell, and Sir Robert Ker Porter, hold a dis- tinguished rank. CnsUsl) ILtteratute. Ramsay observed. Literature is uppn the growth 5 it is in its spring in France; here it is rather passce. Johnson. Literature was in France long before we had it. Paris was the second city for the revival of letters. Italy had it first, to be sure. What have we done for literature, equal to what was done by the Stephani and others in France? Our literature came to us through France. Caxton printed only two books, Chaucer and Gower, that were not translations from the French ; and Chaucer, we know, took much from the Italians. No, sir, if literature be in its spring in France, it is a second spring: it is after a winter. We are now be- fore the French in literature, but we had it long after them. Boswell's Joknson< BIBLIOGRAPHY. The science of books, for so bibliography is sometimes dignified, may deserve the gratitude of a public who are yet insensibleto the useful zeal of those book practitioners, the nature of whose labours is still so imperfectly comprehended. The Abbe Rive spealsing of a Bibliographer, exclaimed, — '* He chained together the knowledge of whole generations for posterity, and he read in future ages." D'Israeli says, there are few things by which we can so v»ell trace the history of the human mind as by a classed catalogue witi dates of the first publication of books ; even the relative prices of books at different periods, their decline, and then their rise, and a!,ain their fall, form a chapter in this history of the human mind. The gradual depreciation of a great author marks a change in knowledge or in taste. 128 ENGLISH LITEUATURE. DESCRIPTION OF A BIBLIOMANIAC. In error obstinate, in wrangling loud, For trifles eager, positive, and proud ; Deep in the darkness of dull authors bred, With all their refuse lumber'd in his head ; "What ev'ry dunce from ev'ry dunghill drew, Of literary offals, old or new. USES OF BIBLIOGRAPHY. Many secrets we discover In bibliography. Great writers unskil- led in this science of books, have frequently used defective editions, as Hume did the castrated Whitelocke; or, like Robertson, they are ignorant of even the sources of the knowledge tliey would give the public, or they compose on asubject which, too late, they discover had beenanticipyted. Bibliography will shew what has been done, and suggest to our in- vention what it wanted. Many have often protracted their journey in a road which had already been worn out by the wheels which had traversed it; bibliography unrolls the wliole map of the country we purpose travelling over, the post roads, and the bye paths. D^Israeli. READING. Pliny and Seneca give very safe advice on reading ; that we should read much but not many books. But they had no monthly list of new publications. Since their days others have favoured us with methods of study and catalogues of books to read, vain attempts to circum- scribe tliat invincible code of human knowledge which is perpetually cnlargiig itself. We are now in want of an art to teach how books are to ')e read rather tiian not to read them ; such an art is practi- cable. LIBRARIES IN AMERICA. The larjest in the country is that of Harvard College, which is now said to cor.tain 25,000 volumes; six or eight years since it had little more than half that number, and this rapid increase affords a pleasing proof of ftc improving state of instruction. Next in consequence is that of Philadelphia, being the City and the Logan Libraries ENGLISH LITERATURE. 129 united which make together about 20,000 volumes. The Boston AthenEEum Library has 12,000, and the Philadelphia about 6,000. Besides these, the remaining public libraries are those of the other colleges, which are all inconsiderable, from 8,C00 down to a few hun- dreds ; those of the literary and scientific societies, none of which are important enough to be particularly mentioned, and lastly, the social libraries, as they are called, being small collections of books made up in the country towns, by subscription, which are about equal in value and number to those nicely matched octodecimos that are put into a gilt and lacquered box for children, and distinguished by the name of a juvenile library. These out of the question (for it is quite impossible to calculate their number), all the other public libraries of every kind, do not contain above 150,000 volumes, of which not more than 30,000 are distinct works, for as they form so many diTerent libraries, they are of course made up of multiplied copies of the same. This, then, is the whole compass of learning which the most fa- voured American scholar has to depend upon. It is uncertain what is the number of books now extant in all lan- guages. I have used a library of 250,000 volumes, which contained no duplicate, and it was so perfect, that it was difficult to ask for an author not to be found in it. The largest library in Europe contains near 400,000 volumes, duplicates not included, and perhaps it may be about right to estimate the whole number of printed books in the world at 500,000. This being the case, America furnishes about one seventeenth of the means necessary for extending learning to the ut- most, and about one thirteenth of what the city of Paris alone affords. Another comparison will show her poverty in a manner equally striking. Germany contains thirty millions of people, who have two millions of books in public libraries for their instruction, exclusive of those of the sovereign princes, which are always accessible to scholars. America contains ten millions of people, who have 150,000 books for the same purpose. But the ten millions in Germany are more read than the 150,000 in America. By an American Writer. The state of learning in the eighth century may be conjectured from the poetic catalogue of books in the celebrated librarj' of £»■- bert. Archbishop of York, which, as Mr. Sharon Turner says, is the oldest catalogue of books, perhaps, existing in all the regions of litera- ture, certainly the oldest existing in England. This curious docu- ment, which is in I,alin, has been imitated ; it opens thus: — Here duly placed on consecrated ground, The studied works of many an age are found, S 130 ENGLISH LITERATURE. Tbc nncient fathers' reverend remains, The Roman laws which freed a world from chains. M'hate'er of lore passed from immortal (ireecc, To Latiiim lands, and gained a rich increase ; All that blest Israel drank in showers from heaven, Or Afric sheds, soft as the dew of even : Jcrom, the father 'mong a thousand sons, And Hilary, whose sense profusely runs. Cicero writing to Atticus, says, ''Take care you do not part with your library to any man, for I am setting apart all my little rents to purchase that relief for my old age, for I do not despair of my being able to make them mine, which if 1 can compass, I shall think my- self richer than Crassus, and despise the fine villas and gardens of them all " In a third letter, he says, "That he had placed all his hopes of comfort and pleasure, wiienever he should retire from busi- ness, onAtticus's reserving those books for him." STYLE. Good style is founded on good sense ; and the best language is delivered with the least labour. It may be figurative, florid, orna- mented, and highly polished ; still it must be clear, easy, natural, and unaffected. It can never offend the ear, encumber the sense, or perplex the thoughts. It avoids long and tedious sentences: it is laconic, yet expressive: full, not crowded: it unites perspicuous brevity with attic elegance. "When it was asked of Pyrrhus what he esteemed the first quality in an orator, he replied — Pronunciation. What the second ? — Pronun- ciation. And the third ? — Pronunciation, Virgil pronounced his own verses with such a seduction, sweetness, and fascinating grace, that, according to Seneca, Julius Montanus used to say, '' that he could steal Virgil's verses, if he could steal his voice, expressioi), rmd gesture;" for the same verses that sounded to rapture when \ irj;il read them, were, in a manner, harsh and mute in the mouth of another. The orations of the philosopher Favorinus, in the days of Hadrian, were so impressive on his hearers, that the Romans who understood not Greek, were charmed into comprehension by the tone of his voice, the modulation of his periods, and the harmony of look and gesture that perfected the whole. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 131 When jEschines had been banished Athens, he pronounced before a general assembly of Rhodians, an oration he had formerly deliTered at Athens, in accusation against Ctesiphon, of seditious tendency. On the day following he pronounced the defence, as it had been delivered by Demosthenes. At the conclusion, observing the emotion of his audience, JDschines exclaimed, "How would ye have felt, my friends, had ye heard the lion in person roar his declamation ?" CHOICE OF BOOKS. The Reverend Mr. Astle, of Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, brother to the learned and ingenious Thomas Astle, Esq. was from his early years known to Dr. Johnson, who obligingly advised him as to his studies, and recommended to him the following books, of which a list, which he has been pleased to communicate, lies before me in Johnson's own hand-writing. Universal History, (Ancient.) RoUin's Ancient History. PufTendorf's Introduction to History. Vertot's History of the Knights of Malta. Revolution of Portugal. Sweden. Carte's History of England. Geographical Grammar. Prideaux's Connection. Nelson's Feasts and Fasts. Duty of Man. Clarendon's History. Watts's Improvement of the Mind. Logic. Nature Displayed. Lowth's English Grammar. Blackwall on the Classics. Sherlock's Sermons. Burnet's Life of Hale. Dupin's History of the Church. Shuckford's Connections. Law's Serious Call. Walton's Complete Angler. England's Gazetteer. Goldsmith's Roman History. Some Commentaries on the Bible. 132 ENGLISH LITERATURE. Bacon. The Works of Lord Francis Bacon, 10 vols, octavo, with a portrait, 51 5s. Also a new edition edited by Basil Montagu, Esq. in 12 volumes, octavo, 4/ 16*. The orijiinal arran!:pmeiit is restored iu this edition ; translations as well as the original of all the Latin works, with copious indexes, are, for the first time, given. Lord Bacon was the greatest genius that England, or perhaps any other country, ever produced. lie laid down in his Novum Organum the whole method that Descartes afterwards followed. There is an edition of the Advancement of Learning by Bacon, with the Quotations translated, an Analysis, and General Index, crown octavo, 10^ 6d. When Queen Elizabeth, after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, went * in solemn procession to St. Paul's, to return thanks to the Almighty for the signal victory that had been obtained, the attention of the people was attracted to the trophies carried before her; among which were eleven colours and standards. Some of these her enemies had arrogantly boasted should, when they had taken the city of London, be displayed upon the towers of the cathedral w here- in they w ere afterwards deposited. It is very easy to conceive the enthusiasm witli which her loyal subjects (and never monarch had subjects more loyal,) must have be- held these objects of national glory; but it is scarcely possible to imagine the effect which their unbounded joy and ardent gratulations had upon the Queen ; " They moved her even to tears." Nor were these emotions confined to her majesty. These emanations of sensi- bility, these tenderly sorrowful ebullitions of joy, not only stained the lovely cheeks of the female part of the assembly, but rolled un- restrained down the honest faces of our male ancestors, who, although but little iiM-d " to the melting mood," could not, for a moment, in- dulge a relied ion upon their wonderful deliverance, the strong sense of which the exhibition of the standards excited, without paying this sympathetic tribute of piety to God, who had fought their battle, whose interposition was so evident, and of gratitude to those heroes whom, under his inllucnce, they considered as their deliverers. The 18th November, 1583. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 133 With respect to this solemuity, of which it is unnecessary to state the particulars, I shall, as it is but little knotvu, only observe, that when the queen entered the city by Temple-bar, she found the dif- ferent companies ranged on the left, and the gentlemen of the several Inns of Court on the right of the street, consequently in the front of the temple. Sir Francis Bacon, then a young man, » stood among the Barristers ; and observing that many of the courtiers bowed from side to side, in the manner that the aldermen did at the last coronation, he said to the gentleman that stood next to him, " Do but observe the courtiers, and you may, from their exterior, conjecture the situation of their minds and of their circumstances." "How ? " said his friend. " In this way," replied Bacon, " by paying attention to their con- tortions. If they bow first to our opposite neighbours, the citizens, you may depend upon it they are in debt ; if first to us, they are still in a worse situation, for it is as morally certain that they are at law.t" * He was born in 1360; consequently he was twenty-eight years of age. At thirty he was appointed Advocate to the Queen, with whom he was in great favour f Bacon had before this period been guilty of some imprudences in life, perhaps the concomitants of great genius, and was in debt; for we find liim in one of his letters, still extant, " calling de profundis, that is out of a very handsome house in Coleman-street •, {alias a ppungin<^- bouse,) to which he was recommended by the Sheriff of London, being arrested for a debt due to a goldsmith in Lombard Street, whom, by way of contempt, he called a Lombard," (a term applied at that time to usurers,) " and that too when he was executing a commission on the part of the Crown." Of this circumstance he complains to Sir Thomas Eger- ton, then Keeper of the Great Seal, and Sir Robert Cecil, Secretary of State. But I have merely mentioned it to shew the operation of the pri- vate afifairs and situation upon the mind, and consequently the genius of a man of exquisite sensibility. Had Bacon never been in debt, or in law * Coleman Street was then, as Bond Street is now, the resort of the gallants of those days, or, as they are more properly called, the loungers of these times ; but it had in it two requisites, which the latter seems to want, namely, a magistrate (Justice Clement) and a lock-up-house. Having mentioned Bacon as being the inmate of a house of this de- scription, it is but fair to state that he was afterwards the possessor of the finest in Lon- don, i. e. York-house, upon the site of which York-huildings were erected. Upon his fall, all the great men scrambled for the purchase of the mansion ; but at last he was obliged, though reluctantly, to part with it to the favourite, Buckingham. 134 ENGLISH LITERATUHE. Mr. Southcy announces a new work, under this name — a Series of Colloquies on the Progress and Pros- pects of Society, 2 vols, octavo. SIR THOMAS MORE. The singularity of Sir Thomas More was not only conspicuou6 in his writings, but in his conversation, his professional exertions, and even in his devotion. Born to inherit a genius, far, far indeed, ele- vated above the common cast of mankind, he was yet very frequently so mentally dazzled by the brilliancy and velocity of his o\\ n ideas, that when he was placed in situations where they could not burst into corruscations of wit and humour, they, in their clash with gra- vity, became oppressive, and created a verbal confusion which did not always meet with the lenderest interpretation. To this he pro- bably alludes, when, speaking of the different ta-tcs of men, he says, in his epistle to Peter Giles, " Many know nothing of learning, others despise it. A man that is accustomed to a coarse ;ind iiarsh style thinks every tiling is smooth that is not barl)arous. Our trilling pre- tenders to learning think that all is slight that is not drei^^t ri up in words that are worn out of use. Some love only odd tilings and niany like nothing but wiiat is tlieir own. Some are so sour tliat tliey can allow no jests, and others so dull that they can endure nothing that is sharp ; and some are as much afraid of any thing that is quick or lively as a man bit willi a mad dog is of water." While I am upon the subject of Utopia, I cannot help hinting an idea that strikes me, which is, that the grave kind of allegory which pervades this work, seems to have been impressed upon the mind of Swift, and, although in that vehicle it obtained a more humorous tincture, to have been the basis upon which he founded his descrip- tion of Laputa. It is, we think, easy to trace the same cast of re- flection, the same kind of political illusion through the means of serious fiction, and, in some instances, the same turn of thought, in both. If in the latter production there is more humour, it is because Swift meant his piece as a satire upon solemn, though lo- cal and individual absurdities ; and Sir Thomas More his as upon a more general plan, blending extensive observation with almost universal reflection. This great, this little man, (for in his professional conduct, in his writings, and in his colloquial observations, lie was certainly on his own nccount, I much doubt, sagacious as he was, if he would ever have made the remark upon the flexibility of the courtiers. ENGLISFl LITERATURE. ' 135 great, while in his superstitious observances, in scourj^ing heretics with his own hand, and in his singing in a surplice with the choris- ters, he was surely little,) has left many apoplithegms ; most of which appear to be the emanations of an experienced, though, in some inslances, an irregular mind. Tracing the chaff of human ideas as it has floated down the stream of time, they are extremely similar to many that are termed laconic, which are to be found in the Morals of Plutarch. With the apophthegms of Sir Thomas More I could, were I so inclined, easily crowd my pages; but they are, generally speaking, too well known to answer any new purposes, either of instruction or entertainment; the same observation will apply to the anecdotes of him, which are already very numerous. He seems, in a very peculiar manner, to have been the object of the caprice of a mo- narch, who was, perhaps, the strangest compound of luxury, libi- dinousness, hypocrisy, cruelty, credulity, and superstition, that ever the Almighty stamped with the image of man, or fortune blazoned with the title of sovereign. In the year 1520, Sir Thomas settled with his family at Chelsea, having purchased an estate there. He had resided in Chancery- lane, probably at the house termed " the Chancery Mansion." At Chelsea, it is said, Henry the Eighth would sometimes, uninvited, dine Kiith the man whom he afterwards, upon the most frivolous preteiice, consigned to the block. The account which Erasmus gives of the manner of Sir Thomas More's living at Chelsea, exhi- bits a picture of domestic happiness. "His house," he says, "was situate near the water-side," neither so mean as to be entitled to contempt, nor so magnificent as to become the subject of envy. " There he converscth with his wife, his son, his daughter-in- law, his three daughters and their three husbands, with eleven grandchildren. There is not any man living so affectionate to his children as he; and he loveth his old wife as well as if she was a young maid." In the play of the Life and Death of Thomas, Lord Cromwell, (which though not written by Shakspeare, was of his age, and therefore performed at the period when the memory of Sir Thomas More was more recent, and his sajings common in colloquial con- versation,) there is a scene wherein Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Tho- mas More dine with Sir Christopher Hales, (then said to be the Master of the Rolls ;) where the propensity of Sir Thomas to apoph- thegmatize appears in several instances, which, however poor the language, however flimsey the texture of the scene, and we do not 136 ENGLISH LITERATURE. mean to defend either, were unquestionably eharacterislie, and, as such, no doubt highly relished by the audience; e. g. " Hales. My Lords * ! uith wrlcome I present your Lordships a solemn health. ** More. I love healths well, but when as healths do bring Pain to the head, and body's surfeiting, Then cease I healths : Nay, spill not, friend! for ni)ds, but was refused. He came to town with his MSS. in his pocket, and he and Robert Dodsley the bookseller agreed in a manner that neither repented. The style employed by Sterne is fancifully ornamented, but at the same time vigorous and masculine, and full of that animation and force which can only be derived by an intimate acquaintance with the early English prose writers. In the power of approaching and touching the finer feelings of the heart, he has never been excelled, if indeed he has ever been equalled ; and may be at once recorded as one of the most affected and one of the most simple writers, as one of the greatest plagiarists, and one of the most original geniuses whom England has produced. Sir Walter Scott. Spectator. The Spectator, Tatler, and Guardian, edited by Mr. Chalmers, in 12 vols, octavo, 6l 6s. . — Eighteen volumes, royal eighteens, 31 3s. What a compliment to Addison and the good taste of that age, when 90,000 of the Spectator have been sold in one day. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 141 Moore. The Works of Dr. John Moore, with his Life, by Dr. Anderson, containing his Zeluco, Ed- ward, Mordaunt, Travels in France and Italy, in 7 vols, with portrait, 2i l'2s 6d. Locke. The Works of John Locke, 9 vols, octavo, 31 lOs. The genius of Locke has been described by Dr. Watts with equal elegance and truth, as being wide as the sea, calm as the night, bright as the day. It is perhaps not generally known, that this great philosopher, who professed such a contempt .for poetry, made himself several poetical attempts. One is to be found at the commencement of an edition of Dr. Sydenham's works, and another ill a collection called the " Court Poems." I am surprised they are not printed in the new edition of his works ; not for their poetical merit, which I believe is small, but as literary curiosities. Perhaps his want of talents for poetry was the real cause of his professing anti-poetical opinions. Plato, how- ever, it is well known, held similar sentiments on this subject; and his avowed contempt could not certainly arise from such a source, as from his poetical attempts, and indeed the whole of his works, he displays the reverse of inability. Of Boyle, no later edition has been published than that in 1772, in 6 quarto volumes. Milton. Dr. Symraons's edition, in seven octavo volumes, of the Prose Works of Milton, should accompany the excellent edition of his Poetical Works, edited by the Rev. Mr. Todd. Newton. The Works of Sir Isaac Newton, in four volumes quarto, edited by Bishop Horsley. It might be perhaps considered more correct to have placed this author under the department of Mathematical Science. Bishop Horsley's edition of Newton's works may be the best of all his works col- ected, but it sadly disappointed the expectations formed of it; in fact, neither Horsley's mathematical knowledge qualified him, nor did his theological pursuits aObrd himsufficient leisure for such a task. A popular compendium of Sir Isaac Newton's Discoveries, selected fromMacIau- rin, the Comraerciura Epistolicumof Collins, and Voltaire's Account of Newton's Philosophy, would be an acceptable work to the public. Sir Isaac Newton is morp spoken of as a Philosopher than really known 142 ENGLISH LITEKATURK. Sir Isaac Newton said, a little before he died, " T seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordi- nary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." Though so deep in algebra and fluxions, lie could not readily make up a common account. Whilst Master of the Mint he used to get some one to make up the accounts for him. Pope. Junius. The Letters of Junius, edited by Wood- fall, 3 vols, octavo, 11 10s. It ma^ be obtained ia all sizes. Knox, The Essays, Moral and Literary, of the Rev. Vicesimus Knox, in 3 duodecimo vols. lOs 6d. Hume. Essays on Philosophical Subjects, by David Hume, Esq. 2 vols, octavo, I85. Gilpin. Remarks on Forest Scenery, by the Rev. W. Gilpin, 2 vols, octavo, ll l)s 6d. The Picturesque Tour of the River W^e, anil otlier productions of this pleasiuff writer, deserve a place in every solid English library. Price. Essays on the Picturesque, by Uvedale Price. 3 vols. The masterly style in which the subject has been treated by this autlior, merift distinguished commendation, and is woithy of frequent perusal. Johnson. The Works of Dr. Samuel Johnson, complete in 8 volumes, very neatly printed, form- ing part of a series of English Classics, now pub- lishing by Mr. Pickering of Chancery Lane, in octavo, 9 vols. 31 12*. The Works of Dr. Samuel Johnson, with his Life, by Arthur Murphy, 12 vols, octavo, 31 3s. The Works of Dr. Samuel Johnson, 12 Tols. royal eighteens, 2^ 10*. The Parliamentary Debates, form the 10th and II th volumes of Dr. Johnson's Works, edition, by Mr. Pickering, price 16*. Johnson secretly and unremittingly formed his style upon the basis of that of Sir Thomas Brown. Murphy was among the first of the ENGLISH LITERATURE. 143 critics who noticed this circumstance : and Mr. Southej', in several of his critical labours in the Quarterly Review, shows how fondly and fa- miliarly he has made an acquaintance with the prototype of Johnson. After the publication of his English Dictionary, Johnson made a proposal to a number of booksellers convened for that purpose, of writing a Dictionary of Trade and Commerce. The proposal went round the room without any answer, when a well known son of the trade, remarkable for the abruptness of his manners, replied, "Why, Doctor, what the devil do you know of Trade and Commerce?" the Doctor very mildly answered, '* Not much, I confess, in the prac- tical line, but I believe I could glean from different authors of au- thority on the subject, such materials as would answer the purpose very well. ' Th<* proposal however fell to the ground. Dr. Johnson was not paid above two guineas a week for writing the Rambler, of which the booksellers cleared above five thousand pounds The late Lord Buchan was not an admirer of Johnson, especially from the manner in which Johnson speaks of Thomson in his Lives of the Poets. His Lordship, in a letter addressed to me, denies the assertion of Johnson relative to Thomson, that his first want on coming to Lon- don was a pair of shoes. His Lordship says, — "The trifling story about his losing his bundle on his way from Wappingto Mallet's house, in London, and the want of shoes, is in the peculiar style of malevolence which stain the works of Johnson as a biographer. " The only occasion I had the mischance to meet Johnson, was at old Strahan's, the translator of the six first books of the Eneid, in Suffolk Street, London, where I found him and Mallet preparing that work for publication, after having censured Gavin Douglas, Dryden, and the other predecessors of poor Strahan, in the translation of Virgil. " Of all the men distinguished in this or any other age, Dr. Johnson has left upon posterity the strongest and most vivid impression, so far as person, manners, disposition, and conversation are concerned. We do but name him or open a book which he has written, and the sound and action recal to the imagination at once, his form, his merit, his peculiarities, nay, the very uncouthness of his gestures, and the deep impressive tone of his voice. We learn not only what he said, but how he said it." Sir Walter Scott. 114 Cranslations^ Sir Walter Scott, in his lives of the novelists, of the series published by Ballantyne, thus speaks of this department of literature.— '• Excluding from consideration those infamous works which ad- dress themselves directly to awakening the grosser passions of our nature, we are inclined to think the worst evil to be apprehended from the perusal of novels is, that the habit Is apt to generate an indisposi- tion to real history and useful literature ; and that the best that can be hoped is, that they may sometimes instruct the youthful mind by real pictures of life, and sometimes awaken their better feeling and sym- pathies by strains of generous sentiment and tales of fictitious woe. Beyond this point, they are a mere elegance, a luxury contrived for the amusement of polished life, and the gratification of that half love of literature which pervades all ranks in an advanced stage of society, and are read much more for amusement tiian with the least hope of deriving instruction from them. The vices and follies of Tom Jones are those which the world soon teaches to all who enter on the career of life, and to which society is unhappily but too in- dulgent; nor do we believe that in anyone instance the perusal of Fielding's novel has added one libertine to the large list, who would not have been such had it never crossed the press. And it is with concern we add our sincere belief that the fine picture of frankness and generosity exhibited in that fictitious character, has had as few imitations as the career of his follies. Let it not be supposed that we are indifierent to morality, because we treat with scorn that affectation, which, while in common life it connives at the open practice of libertinism, pretends to detest the memory of an author who painted life as it was, with all its shades, and more than all the lights which it occasionally exhibits to relieve them. Dr. Johnson observes, we must read what the world reads, at the moment. It has been maintained that this teeming of the press in modern times is prejudicial to good literature, because it obliges us to AND TRANSLATIONS. 145 read so much of what is of inferior value, in order to be in the fa- shion ; so that better works are neglected for want of time, because a man will have more gratification of his vanity in conversation from having read modern books, than from having read the best works of antiquity; but it must be considered that we have now knowledge more generally diffused. Modern writers are the moons of literature ; they shine with reflected light ; with light borrowed from the ancients. Greece appears tome to be the fountain of knowledge: Rome of elegance. WORKS OF IMAGINATION. The early arts made chivalrous life, with all its pomp and ceremo- nies, more august and imposing, and more picturesque, as a subject for description. Literature for a 'time contributed to the same effect, by her jejune and fabulous efforts at history; in which the ath- letic worthies of classical story and of modern romance were gravely connected by an ideal genealogy. And thus the dawn of human im- provement smiled on the fabric which it was ultimately to destroy ; as the morning sun gilds and beautifies those masses of frost work, which are to melt before its noon-day heat. The elements of romantic fiction have been traced up to various sources ; but neither the Scaldic, nor Saracenic, nor Armorican the- ory of its origin can sufBciently account for all its materials. Many of them are classical, and others derived from the scripture. The migrations of science are difficult enough to be traced ; but fic- tion travels on still lighter wings, and scatters the seeds of her wild flowers imperceptibly over the world, till they surprise ns by springing up with similarity in regions the most remotely divided. There was a vague and unselecting love of the marvellous in ro- mance, which sought for adventures, like its knights errant, in every quarter w here they could be found ; so that it is easier to admit of all the sources that are imputed to that species of fiction, than to limit our belief to any one of them. Arabian Nights. The Arabian Nights' Entertain- ments, translated by Dr. Scott, with additional tales and illustrations by Smirke, 6 vols, post oc- tavo, 3i \3s 6d, without plates, 11 l6s. ' With designs by Westall, 4 vols. post octavo. u 146 ENGLISH NOVELISTS Arabian Nights. Mr. Lirabird has published a very cheap edition in one volume, with wood-cuts, for 6s ()d. A new series in three volumes have appeared, but much inferior. To these may be added the Tales of the Genii, and Persian and Turkish Tales. " It has been siinnisod tliat the Aral)ian Ni2;hts may have pro- ceeded from the old Pehlevi stock, and from that have been translated intoarabic. It is not improbable the land of the fairies, tlie region of the genii, and the king of those imaginary domains, Gian Ben (iian, are purely Persian, and so much so, that the first part of l-"crdousi's Epic Shah Nanieh, introduces tliem to our attention. But the conception of the Eastern genii seems refer- ible to a still older source, — to the ancient Chaldeans." Sharon Turner. British Novelists, with prefaces by Mrs. Barbauld, 50 vols, royal duodecimo, 10/ 10^. Ballantyne's Novelist's Library, edited by Sir Walter Scott. This work, though recommended by the powerful name of Sir Walter Scott, has proved a failure. Don Quixote. Translated from the Spanish of Cervantes, with seventy-four fine engravings, after the designs of Smirke, in 4 vols, octavo, 8/ 8^, large paper, 8/ Ss. ■ With plates from Westall's designs, 4 vols, post octavo, 21 2s, A young man was perceived walking with a book in his hand, and as he read, every now and then he burst into an immoderate fit of laughter: Philip III. who witnessed it, exclaimed, " Either that young man is mad, or he is reading Don Quixote." It was the latter. Could but Cervantes have witnessed thisincontestible proof of the immortality of his work. And yet Cervantes wanted not only the comforts, but the necessaries of life. AND TRANSLATIONS. 147 DuNLOP. The History of Fiction, by John Dun- lop, with a critical account of the most celebrated works of Fiction, 3 vols, post octavo, 2/ 2s. A complete and well written book upon tliis curious and entertaining subject. Fielding. The Works of Henry Fielding', com- plete, with an essay on his life and genius, by Ar- thur Murphy, Esq. post octavo, 10 vols. 41 \0s. ' ■ — There is a good old edition printed by Andrew Miller, in G vols, may be obtained for 31 10s, with a portrait by Hogarth. Andrew Miller, the bookseller, gave Fielding ^800. for the copyright of his Amelia. Smollett. The Works of Tobias Smollett, in- cluding all his novels, with his life, portraits, 6 volumes, octavo, 31 3s. Goldsmith. The Vicar of Wakefield, by Oliver Goldsmith, Westall's illustrations, duodecimo, 8s. Miniature editions in various forms. This beautiful little work remained unnoticed, and was attacked by the reviews, until Lord Holland, who had been ill, sent to his bookseller for some amusing book : this was sent ; and he was so pleased, that he spoke of it in the highest terms to a large com- pany who dined with him a few days after. The consequence was, that the whole impression was sold off in a few days. Johnson informed me he had made the bargain for Goldsmith, and the price was sixty pounds, and a sufficient price too when it was sold, for then the fame of Goldsmith had not been elevated, as it afterwards was, by his Traveller ; and the bookseller had such faint hopes of profit by his bargain, that he kept the manuscript by him a long time, and did not publish it till after the Travel- ler had appeared. Boswe.l. Whatever defects occur in the tenor of the story, the admirable ease and grace of the narrative, as well as the pleasing truth with which the principal characters are designed, makes the Vicar of Wakefield one of the most delicious morsels of fictitious composition on which the human mind was ever employed. The 148 EiNGLISH NOVELISTS principal character, that of the simple pastor himself, with all the worth and excellency which ought to distinguish the ambas- sador of God to man, and yet with just so much of pedantry and of literary vanity as serves to show that he is made of mortal mould, and subject to human failings, is one of the best and most pleasing pictures ever designed. We read the Vicar of Wakefield in youth and in age. We return to it again and again, and bless the memory of an author who contrives so well to reconcile us to human nature. Sir Walter Scott. Le Sage. Diable Boiteux. There is no book in existence in which so much of the human character, under all its various shades and plirases, is described in so few words as in the Diable Boiteux. Every page, every line bears marks of that sure tact and accurate developemcnt of human weakness and folly, which tempt us to think we are actually listening to a superior intelligence. Sir Walter Scott • Le Sage. Gil Bias, translated from the French of Le Sage, with engravin«rs from the designs of Sniirke, 4 vols, royal octavo, 61 6s. Few have ever read this charming book without remembering as one of the most delightful occupations of their life, the time which they employed in the perusal ; and there are few also who do not occasionally turn back to its pages with all the vivacity which attends the recollection of early love. It signifies nothing at what time we have encountered the fascination, whether in boy- hood, when we were chiefly captivated by the cavern of the rob- bers and other scenes of romance, whether in more advanced youth, but while our ignorance of the world yet concealed from us the subtle and poignant satire which lurks in- so many passages of the work ; whether we even learned enough to appreliend the various allusions to history and public matters with which it abounds, or ignorant enough to rest contented with the more direct course of the narrative. The power of the enchanter over us, is alike absolute under all these circumstances. If there be any thing like truth in Gray's opinion, tliut to lie upon a couch and read new novels was no bad idea of paradise, how would that beatitude be enhanced, could human genius afibrd us another Gil Bias ! Le Sage, excellent in describing scenes of all kinds, gives such vivacity to those which interest the Gastronome in particular, that an epicure of my acquaintance used to read certain favourite AND TRANSLATIONS. 149 passages regularly before dinner, with the purpose of getting an appetite like that of the licentiate, Sedillo, and, so far as his friends could observe, the receipt was always successful. Sir Walter Scott. Chrysal, or the Adventures of a Guinea, by John- stone. It is chiefly in the tone of satire that the Adventures of Chrysal differ from those of Le Sage's heroes. I have compared the lat- ter to Horace, and may now safely rate Charles Johnstone as a prose Juvenal. The Frenchman describes follies which excite our laughter ; the Briton produces vices and crimes which excite our horror and detestation. Sir Walter Scott. Robinson Crusoe, with twenty-two plates by Heath, royal octavo, 51 5s; duodecimo, 2 volumes, 10*, 1 volume, 5s. This book was first published in two parts, the second appeared some time after the first. I have in my possession a copy of the first edition of the second part, 1719, and the fifth edition of the first part, 1720, in two small octavo volumes, printed by Taylor, at the Ship, in Paternoster Row. In the preface to the second part, Defoe speaks, in angry terms, of the pilferers from the first part in other publications, and, no doubt, refers to the London Post as well as others. He says in the preface, — " They abridge my work, which is as scandalous as it is knavish and ridiculous, seeing, while to shorten the book they stript it of all those reflections, as well re- ligious as moral, which are not only the greatest beauties of the work, but are calculated for the infinite advantage of the reader. " The injury these men do the proprietor of this work is a practice which all honest men abhor, and, I may challenge them to shew the difference between that and robbing on the highway or breaking open a house. If they cannot shew any difference in the crime, they will find it hard to shew why there should be any diflference in the punishment ; and, I will answer for it, that nothing on my part shall be wanting to do them justice." Dr. Dibdin says, Daniel Defoe first published his Robinson Crusoe in the original London Post, or Heathcote's Intelligencer, from 195 to 289 inclusively: this must be incorrect, no mention 150 ENGLISH NOVELISTS is made in the preface of its having previously appeared in any periodical work. The following anecdote may serve to strengthen my opinion. " The manuscript of this entertaining work, strange to say, " run tiirough the whole trade, nor would any one print it, '* though the writer, Defoe, was in good repute as an author. " One bookseller at last, not remarkable for his discernment, " but very much so for his speculative turn, engaged in tiiis pub- " licalion. He gained above a thousand guineas by it." Monthly Magazine. It may not be uninteresting to notice some farther erroneous esti- mates of publishers. At first Miller would not give Thomson a farthing for his Winter. Cave offered half the booksellers in London the proj)i-r(y of the Gentleman's IMagazine, and, as they all refused to engage in it, he was obliged to publish it himself. Burn's Justice was offered, in vain, to every publisher, for fifty pounds. Dr. Buchan offered his Domestic INIedicine to every principal book- seller of Edinburgh and London, for one hundred pounds, without obtaining a purchaser, and after it had passed through twenty-five editions it sold in thirty-two shares at fifty pounds each. Beresford offered the copyright of the Miseries of Human Life for twenty pounds, which afterwards realized five thousand pounds. The Edward and Zeluco of Dr. Moore, deserve a notice in this de- partment. Walpole. The Castle of Otranto, duodecimo. It was always Walpole's foible to disclaim a professed pursuit of public favour, for which, however, he earnestly tiiirstcd, and to hold iiimsdf forth as a privileged author, 'one of the right hand file,' who did not mean to descend into the common arena, wliere professional authors contend before the public eye, but wrote merely to gratify his own taste, by throwing away a few idle hours on literary composition. There was much affectation in this, which accordingly, met the reward which affectation usually incurs ; as Walpole seems to have sufleredagood deal from AND TRANSLATIONS. 151 the criticism ■which he affected to despise, and, occasionally, from the neglect which he appeared to court. Sir Walter Scott. Mackenzie. The Man of Feeling. It is enough to say here, that Mr. Mackenzie survives, venerable and venerated as the last link of the chain which connects the Scottish literature of the present age, with the period when there were giants in the land, the days of Robertson and Hume, and Smith, and Home, and Clark, and Ferguson ; and that the re- membrance of an era so interesting could not have l^een intrusted to a sounder judgment, a more correct taste, or a more tenacious memory. It is much to be wished, that Mr. Mackenzie, taking a wider view of his earlier years than in the life of Home, would place on a more permanent record, some of the anecdotes and recollections, with which he deli'ghts society. Sir Walter Scott. Geoffrey Crayon. The Sketch Book, by Geoffrey Crayon, (Washington Irving,) 2 volumes, post octavo, 16s. octavo, 16s. Bracebridge Hall, 2 volumes, post Tales of a Traveller, 2 volumes, post octavo, 16^. Salmagundi, 8s. Gratten. High Ways and By Ways, or Tales picked up in the French Provinces, by a Walking Gentleman, octavo, 2 vols. 15^. second series, 4 vols. 11 10s. third series, octavo, 1/ 10s. Waverly. Novels and Tales by the author of Waverly, in 25 volumes, octavo, to Quentin Dur- ward, 15^. in duodecimo, l'2l Is 6d. There is also a very beautiful minature edition, both of the prose and poetical works of the now great known. It is said, though I know not with what truth, that the novel of 152 ENGLISH NOVELISTS, &C. Waverly was offered , in vain, for twenty-five or tiiirty pounds, to several London booksellers ; since which, it has realized above ten thousand pounds. The Works of Miss Edg:cworth have been beautifully printed, in 14 volumes, post octavo, 4Z 4^. Amono^ tlie ladies whose publications, in this depart- ment, have done honour to their sex and country, may be enumerated the names of Barbauld, Trimmer, D'Arblay, Radcliffe, Smith, Opie, West, Edgeworth, Austin, Sherwood, Lady Morgan, Shelley, Hofland, Spence, Porter, Haw- kins, Roche, Lee, Cottin, Genlis. Since the brilliant success of the author of Waverly, a number of writers have appeared as imitators, following the same track in blend- ing historical truth with fiction, and have by these vehicles at- tempted to illustrate the manners and customs of the most remote nations of antiquity. The names of the authors, and the books they have written, are so well known to every reader, that it would only be occupying space to enumerate them, that might be more usefully devoted to work* of Philosophy and Science. 153 ^t-gftorifal ?^ieUj of (JEngli^Jj Sitctaturre* The student should begin his course of reading with the writers of Elizabeth's reign, when the language began to be refined from its original roughness, and to be improved in form and features ; thence continu- ing his course down to the present times. In this plan he must not be deterred, from an apprehension that he will find the old writers clothed in the garb of rude uncouth language ; on the contrary, he will find that the language of his forefathers, in point of struc- ture, formation, and the general meaning of terms, differs not materially from his OAvn. The dramas of Shakspeare will therefore afford the student of the language such instances of style adapted to the grave, tlie gay, the polished, the rough, the heroic, the vulgar characters appearing in the scene will prove that our language was abundantly copious and expressive, to be a proper vehicle for the conception of his wonderful genius. The works of Speed, Ascham, Raleigh, Taylor, Clarendon, and Temple, are highly valuable for the vigour and compass of their language, as well as the 154 HISTORICAL VIEW OF knowledge and abilities they displayed. The common translation of the Bible, abstracting from the impor- tant nature of its contents, deserves great attention : its phraseology is such as evinces no less the powers of the language than the judgment of the translators. The words are in general elegant and expressive,- conveying the sublime ideas of the original on the one hand, without coarseness or familiarity, and on the other, without pedantry or affectation. The manly and dici^nified prose^ the rich and sublime poetry of Milton, far from being degraded or fettered, are ex- alted and adorned by his style; and it was that admi- rable author's peculiar glory, that with consummate skill and taste, he was able to apply (o the majesty of an epic poem, the flowing and unshackled periods of blank verse. The increasing tribute of praise has at all times been paid to the vast stores of his erudition and the flights of his transcendant genius. In the reign of Charles II. the reader will find, perhaps, no author more deserving of his attention than Barrow, whose periods, so round and exuberant, gives us a very just representation of the eloquence of Cicero ; and display to the greatest advantage the energy and fertility of Barrow's intellectual powers, employed upon the most important subjects of morality and religion. The great Locke, in a plain and severe style, well adapted to the precision of his researches, unravelled the intricacies of the most interesting branch of phi- losophy, by tracing ideas to their source, and unfold- ing; the faculties of the mind. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 155 The reign of Anne, which for eminent attainments in arts and literature may be compared with the ages of Pericles in Greece, and Augustus in Rome,produced a Swift, who, in clear and familiar diction, unaided by flowery ornaments, expressed the dictates of a strong understanding, and a lively invention. Addison, the accomplished scholar, the refined critic, the enlightened moralist, like another Socrates, brought philosophy from the schools, and arranged her in the most engaging attire, calling the attention of his countrymen to virtue arid to taste, in his elegant and entertaining essays. The prefaces of Dryden are marked by the ease and the vivacity of a man of transcendant genius; and there is a facility in his rhymes, and a peculiar vigour in his poetry, which justly render him the boast of his country. Pope composed his prefaces and letters with singu- lar grace and beauty of style ; and his poems present the finest specimens of exquisite judgment, adorned by the mo?t harmonious and polished versification. The works of Melmoth, in particular his letters and translations of Cicero and Pliny, are remarkable for smoothness and elegance of composition. The late Sir Joshua Reynolds has, in hrs lectures in the Royal Academy, illustrated the principles of his delightful art in a manner not less creditable to him as a fine writer than as an eminent painter, and a skilful connoisseur. The sacred discourses of the amiable Home recom- mend the duties of that religion, of which he was so bright an ornament, in a sweet and lively style. Where can be found compositions uniting the po- 156 HISTORICAL vn:\v of liteness of the gentleman with the attainments of the scholar, blended in juster proportions, than in the Po- lymetis of Spence, the Athenian Letters, the Dia- logues of Lord Lyttleton and Bishop Ilurd, and the papers of the Adventurer and Observer? These are some of the sources from which may be derived a knowledge of the purity, the strength, the copiousness of the English language ; and such are the examples by which the student ought to regulate his style. In these he may remark the idiomatic structure of sen- tences, and the proper arrangement of their parts ; they present specimens of purity without stiifness, and elegance without affectation; they are free equally from vain pomp and vulgarity of diction ; and their authors have the happy art of pleasing our taste, while they improve our understanding, and confirm our principles of morality and religion. In the course of this perusal it will be found, that in proportion as the great controversies in this country, upon religion, politics, and philosophy, began to sub- side since the revolution, a closer attention has been paid to the niceties of grammar and criticism ; and coarse and barbarous phraseology has been gradually polished into propriety and elegance. \MUTERS OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE. Talking of the eminent w riters of the reign of Queen Anne, he observed, I think Dr. Arbuthnot the first man among them. He w as the most universal genius ; being an excellent physician, a man of deep learning, apd a man of much humour. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 157 Addison was a great man ; his learning was not profound ; but his moralily, his humour, and his ele- gance of writing, set liim very high. Dr. Johnson. The English writers who really unlocked the rich sources of the language, are those who flourished from the end of Elizabeth to the end of Queen Anne's reign; who used a good Saxon dialect with ease, cor- rectness, and perspicuity ; learned in the ancient classics, but only enriching their mother tongue where the attic could supply its defects, not overlaying it with a profuse pedantic coinage of foreign words ; well practised in the old rules of composition, or rather collocation of words which unite natural ease and variety with absolute harmony, and give the au- thors ideas to develope themselves with the more truth and simplicity when clothed in the more ample folds of inversion, or run from the exuberant to the elliptical, without ever being redundant or obscure. Another writer says, "Do Ave not neglect the standard works to hunt after mere novelty ? This is not wisdom, but affectation or caprice. Learning becomes by degrees an indigested heap, without plea- sure or use. We do not see the absolute necessity why another work should be written or another pic- ture painted till those that we already have are be- coming worm-eaten, or mouldering into decay. We can hardly expect a new harvest until the old crop is off the ground. If we insist on absolute originality in living writers, we should begin by destroying the works of their predecessors. We want another Os- myn, to burn and spare not; and then the work of 158 HISTORICAL VIEW OF extermination and the work of regeneration would go on kindly together. Are wc to learn all that is already known, and at the same time to irjvent more? This would indeed be the large discourse of reason loohing before and after. Who is there that can boast of having read all the books that have been written, and that are worth reading- ? Is there not many a sterling old author that lies neglected on solitary unexplored shelves, or tottering book-stalls, unknown to, or passed over by the idle and the diligent, the republication of which would be the greatest service that could be performed by the modern man of letters ? To master the old English dramatic writers, the most esteemed novelists, the good old comedies and periodical works alone, would occupy the leisure of a life devoted to taste and study. If we look at the rise and progress of the maturity and decay of each of these classes of excel- lence, we shall find that they were limited induration, and successive. The deep rich tragic vein of Shakspeare, Webster, Ford, Dekker, Marlow, Beaumont and Fletcher, was discovered and worked out in the time of Elizabeth and the two first Stuarts. All that the heart of man could feel, all that the wit of man could express, on the most striking and in- teresting occasions, had been exhausted by half a dozen great writers, who left little to their successors but pompous lurgidity or sn)ooth common-place — the art of swelling trifles into importance, or turning rough boldness into insipidity. But comedy rose as tragedy fell ; and in the age of Charles the Second and ENGLISH LITERATURE. 159 Queen Anne, Congreve, Wycherly, and Vanbrugh, were contemporary uith Drytlen, Lee, and Rowe. Otway, it is true, belonged to the same period, a straggler from the veteran corps of tragic writers, — as in a range of lofty mountains we generally see one green hill thrown to a distance from the rest, and breaking the abrupt declivity into the level plain. But at each of the periods here spoken of, the tragic or the comic muse was attended by a group of writers such as we can scarcely hope to see again, and such as we have now to complain of seeing unrivalled, w hile they are themselves suffered to remain undis- turbed, in old collections or odd volumes. These probed (he follies, as those unveiled the pas- sions of men; depicted jealousy, rage, ambition, love, madness, affectation, ignorance, conceit, in their most striking forms and picturesque contrasts ; took posses- sion of the strong holds, the 'vantage points of vice or vanity ; filled the stage with the mask of living man- ners, or the "pomps of elder days," shook it with laughter or drowned it with tears ; poured out the wine of life, the living spirit of the drama, and left the lees to others. Little could afterwards be made of the subject, ex- cept by resorting to inferior branches of it, to a se- cond-hand imitation. No doubt nature is exceed- ingly various ; but the capital eminences — the choicest points of view are limited, and when these have once been seized upon, we must either follow in the steps of others, or turn aside to humbler and less practica- ble subjects. IGO HISTORICAL VI RW OK When the highest phiccs have been occupied, when the happiest strokes have been anticipated, the ambition of the poet flags ; without the stimulus of novelty, the rapidity or eagerness of liis l)lows ceases; and as soon as he can avail himself of common-place and conventional artifices, he shrinks from the task of original invention : or, if he is bent on trying his native strength, and adding to the stock of what has been effected by others, it must be by striking into a new path, and cultivating some neglected plot of ground. So the periodical Essayists, Steele and Ad- dison, succeeded to our great comic writers, and the Novelists, Fielding, Sterne, and Smollett to these ; and each left works superior to any thing of the kind before, and unrivalled in their Avay by any thing since. Thus genius, like the sun, seems not to rise higher and higher, but from its first dawn to ascend its meri- dian and then decline ; and art, like life, may be said to have its periods of infancy, manhood, and old age. We see what Sir Walter Scott has done by turning np again to the day, tlie rich mould of ancient manners, and wild unexplored scenery of his native land, and we already see what some of his imitators have done. In a word, literature is confined not only within certain natural, but also within local and temporal limits, which necessarily have fewer available topics; and when these are exhausted, it becomes a caput mortuum, a shadow of itself. Nothing is easier than to show how, from the alter- ation of manners, the brilliant dialogue of the older ENGLISH LITERATURE. 161 comedy has gradually disappeared from the stage. The style of our common conversation has undergone a total change from the personal and piquant to the critical and didactic, and instead of aiming at ele- gant raillery, or pointed repartee, the most polished circles now discuss general topics or analyze ab- struse problems. Wit, unless it is exercised on an indiscriminate subject, is considered as an imperti- nence in civil life. ELIZABETH. Eiterature of tfjat ^crioti. In the reign of Elizabeth the English mind put forth its energies in every direction, exalted by a purer religion, and enlarged by new views of truth. This was an age of loyalty, adventure, and generous emulation. The chivalrous character was softened by intellectual pursuits, while the genius of chivalry itself still lingered, as if unwilling to depart, and paid his last homage to a warlike and female reign. A degree of romantic fancy remained in the man- ners and superstitions of the people ; and allegory might be said to parade the streets in their public pageants and festivals. Quaint and pedantic as these allegorical exhibitions might often be, they were nevertheless more expressive of erudition, in- genuity, and moral meaning, than they had been in former times. The philosophy of the highest minds 162 HISTORICAL VIEW OF still partook of a visionary character. A poetical spirit infused itself into the practical heroism of the age; and some of the worthies of that period seem less like ordinary men, than like beings called forth out of fiction and arrayed in the brightness of her dreams. They had " high thoughts seated in a heart of courtesy." The life of Sir Philip Sydney was poetry put into action. The result of activity and curiosity in the public mindj was to complete the revival of classical literature, to increase the importation of foreign books, and to multiply translations, from which poetry supplied herself with abundant subjects and materials, and in the use of which she showed a frank and fearless energy, that criticism and satire had not yet acquired power to overawe. Romance came back to us from the southern languages, clothed in new luxury by the warm imagination of the south. COMPARISONS OF THE LITERATURE OF THE PRE- SENT AGE WITH THAT OF THE REIGNS OF ELI- ZABETH AND ANNE, BY THE REVEREND R. POLWHELE. On looking back to the learning of our ances- tors, the splendid periods of our two queens, Eliza- bcth and Anne, particularly attract our notice. I have not unfrequently heard it remarked, (though chiefly by the superficial or the austere) ENGLISH LITERATURE. 163 that we have no pretensions to the learning of Eli- zabeth's time, or the eloquence of Queen Anne's. This observation on the depth of erudition in the first Augustan period (for such has it been termed,) is partly owing to a mistaken notion, that all people of education were little less familiar with the Greek and Latin, than the queen herself. Elizabeth, no doubt, had cultivated an acquaintance Avith the classics. From the paucity of publications in her verna- cular tongue, she had, necessarily, recourse to books in other languages ; but I much question, whether she could have read Greek with a boy of the first form in Westminster school. We should also take this along with us, that the age of Elizabeth was, in every thing, an affected age, and where affectation prevails, the fair sex are always strongly tinctured by it. A little learning may be swelled to an enormous size by artifice, os- tentation, and pedantry ; hence, perhaps, that won- derful display of erudition in another female per- sonage. Roger Ascham tells us, that going to wait on Lady Jane Grey, at her father's house in Leices- tershire, he found her reading Plato's work in the Greek, whilst the rest of the family were hunting in the park. He seemed surprised, but she assured him, that Plato was her highest amusement. Pos- sibly the lady had no objection to be interrupted in her studies ; she was hunting for applause. But I have no wish o detract from the merit of these iHustrious females. I will not join issue with their pa- 164 HISTOKKAL VIEW OF iiegyrists, I will do homage to their scholarship and their talents : yet, in just vindication of our own times, I will venture to oppose to them a Carter or a Montagu. In Elizabeth's reign, the superior orders can hardly be said to have been illiterate, if a mere acquaintance with words will constitute the scholar ; but they were miserably deficient in many points of useful know- ledge, in those times, when the great body of the peo- ple are so greatly ionorant ; but when science is begin- ing to shed her lustre on a few, the clergy are gene- rally observed to catch the first illumination. The clergy, however, in Elizabeth's golden days, were irradiated by a species of light which generated ob- scurity. Distracted by the jargon of scholastic ambiguities, the priests of Elizabeth were skilled in such argumentation, as never produced convic- tion in themselves or others. Their sophistry was worse than ignorance ; for *' the soul to be without knowledge is not good," saith Soloman ; but I would rather acquiesce in dreary emptiness, than fill my mind with logical barbarities. Despising their mother tongue, they were accustomed to ad- dress the people in Latin; though however fashion- able I atin sermons might have been, they must have seen the absurdity of preaching in a language which few of their audience understood. An English ser- mon indeed, stutfed with all the terms of theology, must have been almost as unintelligible. For the information of the common people, the bible was translated into English ; but as the com- ENGLISH LITERATURE. 165 mon people were unable to read English, they could not, even now, approach the scriptures. There followed, therefore, a pretty general institu- tion of reading seminaries. The authors who distinguished themselves in this reign, were men of great abilities ; but they were " rari nantes in gurgite Tasto;"" at such a season, true genius and learning always shine transcendantly, contrasted, as they must be, with the general dark- ness. I was going to add, that men of ingenuity are encouraged to exert their utmost powers, by the applauses of an age which cannot restrain its admi- ration ; but the praises of the ignorant neither soothe nor stimulate. The History of Sir Walter Raleigh must place him in our esteem, when we consider the barbarous language with which he struggled. The ecclesiastical polity of Hooker, who was superior to the pedantry of the times, is worthy of the present age for its liberal and manly sentiment ; and few have dared contend with a Ve- rulani or a Shakspeare. But letters were not generally cultivated; Shak- speare himself was illiterate. In the reign of our other queen, the learned lan- guages were taught with a view to real knowledge ; though the acquisition of Greek and Latin, in former reigns, was little else than the acquisition of words. And our own language was much enriched and po- lished. The productions, however, of writers in general, had no claim to elegance ; few were in pos- session of correct taste. Clark was a deep theologian, but he was phlegmatic and dull : Shaftesbury dazzles 166 mSTORICAL VJEW OF with a false brilliancy of style; Berkeley puzzles by his subtleties ; iu the mean time Locke and Newton may be grazed at with wonder, thougli the reputa- tion of the former seems to be gradually declining. In poetry, we see a cluster of pleasing writers, and Pope and Addison are mentioned as the most con- spicuous. But Pope is not original ; and Addison is no longer regarded as a poet, though he will ever be esteemed as a moralist. In his prose essays, indeed, a late ingenious critic hath discovered a want of precision. Grammatical accuracy, and ex- actness of expression, were reserved for a Lowth and a Harris. But to proceed in this manner would be endless ; I proposed only a sketch of our best ages, in order to aw aken the memories of those who might be willing to decide on the question, whether this present race hath any marks of degeneracy from the learning or the virtue of their forefathers. If I am not mistaken, it already appears that the English nation hath made a gradual progress in literature, from the time of Elizabeth to that of Anne. Indeed, even our morose declaimers have allowed, that Queen Anne's was properly the Augustan age of this country. The streams of knowledge were deep and clear, and yet diffused. At this moment, literature is still more exten- sively spread abroad : but " 'tis grown shallow, it seems, in proportion to its diffusion." There is a want of candour and of reflection in this trite remark, the analogy of the stream will no longer hold good. Is it not ridiculous to say, that because we may have five hundred literary men ENGLISH LITERATURK. 107 amongst us, each individual is less learned, than if we had only half the number; or, that none, in such a number, are deep, because many are superficial : the contrary position would be much more rational. I should rather suppose, that the prize of learning would be contended for with stronger emulation, on account of the numerous competitors, at si'ch a crisis as this ; when there are so many men of abi- lity, it must require very great talents to be dis- tinguished above the rest. * For a clever illustration of this, let us look only at the present state of poetry. More than a third part of those who have a clas- sical education, can now write tolerable verse. Thoseof our Wickhamists are superior, in versifica- tion, to the best poets under Queen Anne, if we except Pope and Parnell. Among the choice of poets, therefore, who charm us with their mingled melodies, that bard must possess peculiar sweetness, to attract our chief attention to himself, among the multitude, who rise far above mediocrity, it must require exalted talents to be greatly distinguished. The same observations may be applied to other species of literature. He whose acquirements are now no more than common, would formerly have been regarded as a deep scho- lar, and would not have been overlooked in a crowd of literati. Perhaps we have, at this junc- ture, as many writers as there were readers in the age of Elizabeth ; and while the greater part of the community have minds improved and cultivated 168 HISTORICAL VIEW OF into elegance, our poetry is musical and rich, our history is luminous and elaborate, our philosophy is enlarged and liberal, and our theology is simple and pure; and it may, I think, be justly observed, *' So distinguished an age hath never before existed, when he who Avas educated under the Wartons at Winchester and at Oxford, might converse on poetry with a Hayley or a Mason ; on divinity, with a Hurd or a Porteus: on morals, with a Johnson; on history, with a Gibbon or a Robertson ; on anti- quities, with a Gough or a Whittaker; on anatomy, with a Sheldon; and, after having viewed the gal- leries of a Reynolds, might repair to the theatre of a Siddons." The history of literature teaches us to consider its decline, only as the developement of a great principal of succession, by which the treasures of the mind are circulated and equalized; as shoots by which the stream of improvement is forcibly di- rected into new channels, to fertilize new soils, and awaken new capabilities. Zoroaster dies, but the lore of the Magi and the Chaldees is preserved by the Egyptians. Egypt sinks into decay; but the mantle of Hermes is bequeathed to Plato, and Rome rises into literary greatness, when the world is beginning to retort upon the fallen Greek, the epithet of barbarians. Even the darkness which succeeded the dissolution of the Roman Empire was but temporary. The sun only set in Europe to rise in Asia. Pale indeed, and obscured for a time, un- der the tempestuous reigns of the immediate sue- ENGLISH LITERATURE. 169 cessors of Mahomet, but regaining its brightness under Al llaschid and Al Maimoun. Knowledge had only completed its circle, and the Western world was a second time to receive from the East, the seeds of improvement and the elements of greatness. The art of printing, as practised in the fifteenth century, rather multiplied copies than originals. The first presses were eith,er almost entirely em- ployed in translations from the classics, or engaged in fixing the more volatile effusions of romance and poetry, particularly those of Italy, or in impressing thousands of reams of popular tales into the service of their country, or groaning under those solid and ponderous tomes of ecclesiastical dullness, which were emphatically termed labours : general history was, therefore, but little regarded; local history still less ; and domestic not at all. Connected with the progress of literature, and according w ith observations I have made in another place under the department of biography, it is wor- thy of notice that from a very early period, we mean typographical period, booksellers settled and accumulated round the metropolitan church, St. Paul's. The reason for this is obvious, as it was the most public place in the city, and consequently the centre of notoriety. I shall therefore briefly notice a few of the publications that have issued from Paul's, at the same time observing," that I could have added largely to the catalogue, had I deemed such an addition necessary. 170 historical view of In the sixteenth century. ''The late Expedicion in Scotlande. Made by the Kinges Army under the Conduit of the Ryght Honourable the Erie of Hertforde in the Year of our Lorde God 1544. Londini, cum privilegeo ad imprimendum solum. Imprynted at London in Fowls Church-yarde, by Reynolde Wolfe, at the Sygne of the Brazen Serpent, Anno 1544." Bishop's Bible. *'Tlie Holie Bible. Imprinted at London, in Poules Church-yarde, by Richard Jugge, Printer to the Queenes Majestie, 1568, fol." This is the first edition, the second was printed 1742, by the same person. "A New Enterlude no lesse wittie than pleasant, entituled, New Custome devised of late, and for divers Causes nowe set forthe. Never before this tyme imprinted, 1573." This is in black letter. At the end we find, '' Imprinted at London, in Fleete- streete, for Abram Veale, dwelling in Paules Churche Yarde, at the Segne of the L^ambe." George Gascoigne, Esq. This author, whose works were popular in the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, seems to have been the Farquhar of those times: he was born at Walthamstow, in Essex, and being of a volatile disposition, flew from one university to the other; he then rested a little at Gray's-inn, where he enlisted under the banners of the law ; ENGLISH LITERATURE. 171 but deserted from them to those of the army, wherein his courage became so conspicuous, as to entitle him very justly to the motto which he as- sumed, of Tain Marti quam Mercurio. The plays of Gascoigiie, viz. the Jocasta, the Supposes, and the Glass of Government, incorpo- rated with his other works, were published in 4to. in 1575, with this title, " The Posies of George, Gascoigne, Esq. cor- rected and augmented by the Author. 1575. Tam Marti quam Mercuric. Printed at London for Richard Smith, and are to be solde at the North West Doore of Paul's Church." " The Paradyse of Daynty Devises. Conteyning sundry paltry Precepts, learned Counsels, and ex- cellent Inventions, right pleasant and profitable for all Estates. Imprinted at London, by Henry Disle, dvvellyng in Paul's Church-yard, at the South West Door of St. Paules Churche, and are there to be solde. 1577." '^Andria. The first Comoedie of Terence, in English, by Maurice Kyffin." Black letter. "Print- ed at London, by T. E. for Thomas Woodcock, at the Signe of the Blacke Beare, in Paules Church- yard. 1588." "Rural Sports. Imprinted at London, in Paules Church Yarde, at the Sygne of the Lambe, by Abra- ham Veale." Black letter. "The Countesse of Pembrokes* Ivy Church: 172 HISTORICAL VIEW OF containing- the affectionate Life and unfortunate Death of Phillis and Amyntas; that in a Pastoral, this in a Funerall ; both in English Hexameters, by Abraham Fraunce. London : Printed for Thomas Orwyn, for William Ponsonby, dwelling in Paules Church Yard, at the Signe of the Bishop's Head, 1591." "Midas. Plaied before the Queenes Majestie upon Twelfe Day at Night, by the Children of Paules. London : Printed by Thomas Scarlet, for J. B. and are to be sold in Paules Church Yard, at the Signe of the Bible. J59g." *' The Battell of Alcazar, fought in Barbaria, between Sebastian, King of Portugal, and Abdel- melee. King of Morocco, with the Death of Captain Stakely. As it was sundrie Tymes plaid by the Lord High Admirall his Servants. Imprinted at London, by Edward Allde, for Richard BanlvAvorth, and are to be sold at his Shoppe in Pouls Church Yard, at the Signe of the Sunne. 1394:." " The Tragedie of Dido, Queen of Carthage. Played by the Children of her Majesties Chappell. Written by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nash, Gent. At London, printed by the Widow Orwin for Thomas Woodcocke, and are to be solde at his Shop in Paules Church Yard, at the Signe of the Black Beare. 1594." " The Wounds of Civil War, written by Thomas Lodge, Gent. London: by John Dancer, and are to be solde at the Signe of the Sunne, in Pauls Church Yarde. 1594." ENGLISH LITERATURE. 173 " The Gentlemans Academie ; or, The Booke of St. Albans. *London: Printed for Humfrey Lownes, and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church Yarde. 1595." In the seventeenth century. "The Pleasant Comedie of old Fortunatus. As it was plaied before the Queenes Majestie this Christmas by the Right Honorable the Earle of Nottingham, Lord High Admirall of England, his Servants. London: By G. G. for William Apsley, dwelling in Paules Church Yard, Signe of the Tyger's Head. 1600." " Loves Metamorphosis, by John Lyllie. Printed for Wm. Wood, dwelling at the West End of Paules, at the Signe of Time. 1601." " Satiro-Mastix ; or, the untrussing of the hu- morous Poet. As it has been presented publikely by the Right Honorable the Lord Chamberlaine his Ser- vants, and privately by the Children of Paules. By Thomas Dekker. Non recito cuiquam nisi atnicis, idquecoactus. London : Printed for Edward White, and are to bee solde at his Shop neere the little North Doore of Paules Church, at the Signe of the Gun. 1602." <* The Honest Whore, with the Humours of the Patient Man and Longing Wife. Tho. Dekker. * To this book, I take it, Ben Johnson alludes, when he makes Master Stephen say, "Uncle, afore I go in, can you tell me, an' he have e'er a book of the sciences of hawking and hunting? I would fain borrow it." — Every Man in his Humour, Act i. Scene 1. 174 HISTORICAL VIEW OF London : Printed by V. S. for John Hodgets, and are to be sold at liis Shop in Paules Church yard. 1604." " This Gallant Cavaliero, Dicke Bowyer newly acted. London : Printed for Simon Stafford, for Nathaniel Butler, and are to be solde at his Shope in Paules Church Yard, neere St. Austen's Gate, 1605. " Westward Hoe. As it has beene divers times acted by the children of Paules, written by Thomas Dekker and John Webster," printed for the same bookseller, 1607. '' The Trao^edie of Claudius Tiberius Nero, Rome's greatest tyrant." Truly represented out of the purest records of those times; Et studio et labore. London : Printed for Francis Burton, dwelling in Paules Church Yard, at the Signe of the Flower- de-luce and Crowne, 1607." " Worke for Armorours, or the Peace is broken. Open Warres likely to happen this Yeare, 1609. God helpe the Poore ; the Rich can shift. Saevit toto Mars impiiis orbe. Written by Thomas Dekker. Printed for Natha- niel Butler, dwelling in Paules Church Yard, at the Signe of the Pied-Bull, neere St. Austin's Gate, 1609." " The Atheist's Tragedy ; or the Honest Man's Revenge. As in divers Places it hath often been acted. Written by Cyril Tourncur. At London, Printed for John Stepneth and Richard Redmer, and are to be sold at their Shops, at the West End of Paules, 1611." ENGLISH LITERATURE. 175 «' The Shepherd's Calender, by E. Spencer. At London, Printed by H. L. for Matthew Lownes, and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bishop's Head, in Paules Church Yard, 1611." " A Woman is a Weathercock, a new Comedy, as it was acted before the King, at Whitehall. And divers Times publickly at the White Friers, by the Children of her Majesties Revels. Written by Nat. Field. Si natura negat, facit indignatio versum. Printed at London, for John Budge, and are to be sold at the great South Doore of Paules, and at Britains Bursse, 1612." " When you see me know me; or the Famous Chronicle Historie of King Henry the Eight, with the Birth and virtuous Life of Edward Prince of Wales. As it was played by the high and mighty Prince of Wales his Servants. By Samuel Rowley, Servant to the Prince. At London, Printed for Nathaniel Butler, and are to be sold at his Shop in Paules Church Yard, near St. Austin's Gate." " The Description of a Maske, presented in the Banquetting Room? at Whitehall, on St. Stephens Nio-ht last, at the Marriage of the Right Honour- able the Earl of Somerset and the Right Noble the Lady Francis Howard. Written by Thomas Cam- pion. London, Printed for Lawrence Lisle, dwel- lino- in Paules Church Yarde, at the Signe of the Tyger's Head, 1614. It would be useless to quote examples of the booksellers living in Paul's Church-yard beyond 176 HISTORICAL VIEW OF this period ; because as the trade increased, and li- terature became more diffused, it appears that this was no longer considered as its emporium, and their shops receding in some degree from the cathedral became dispersed to all parts of the town. There is little doubt but that, in the first instance, the number of eminent divines who, at the early part of the last century, exerted their talents in the cause of piety and virtue, among whom Archbishop Tillotson takes the lead, had a very considerable effect upon the principles of the people. But while Jthey aimed at a general correction, the writers against the profaneness and immorality of the English stage, of whom the Rev. Jeremy Collier* » This learned and laborious divine was, as appears by the recant- ation of Dryden, the acknowledgment of Vanbrug, and the irritation of Dennis, of infinite use in correcting the licentiousness of the stage, which, as may be seen by the introduction to his celebrated work, as well as by the pieces against which it was levelled, seems to have wanted correction as much as any system of immorality possibly could; for, as he observes, " The business of plays is to recommend virtue and to discounte- nance vice- To shew the uncertainty of human greatness, the sudden turns of fate, and the unhappy conclusions of violence and injustice. 'Tis to expose the singularities of pride and fancy, to make folly and falsehood contemptible, and to bring every thing that is ill under infamy and neglect. This design has been oddly pursued by the English stage. Our poets write with a different view, and are gone into another interest. Tt is true, that were thcirjntentions fair, they might be serviceable to this purpose. They have, in a great measure, the springs of thought and inclination in their power. Show, music, action, and rhetoric, are moving entertainments, and, rightly em- ployed, would be very significant : but force and motion arc things indifferent, and the use lies in the application. These advantages are now in the enemy's hand, and under a very dangerous management. English literature. 177 was the most eminent, were equally sedulous to counteract the effects of those vicious and indecent representations which nightly disgraced the thea- tres. At this time Addison arose, and, ranging himself on the side of religion and virtue, effected an equal reformation in the lower class of enormities ; we mean those that were not sufficiently important to demand legislative interference, nor sufficiently grave to admit of the animadversion of the pulpit, though they might very considerably infringe upon the order and regularity of life, and the decorum of society. These fled before the pen of that ele- gant author and his able associates.* Like cannon seized, they are pointed the wrong waj', and by the strength of the defence the mischief is made the greater." In this author the clergy found a most able and unexpected cham- pion agarnst the abuse whicli was so constantly levelled from the stage at the sacerdotal character, and appear to have had full revenge on the impiety and illiberality of all our dramatic authors, from the age of James down to thetime ofCongreve; though we firmly believe that the animadversions of Collier were stimulated by a more laud- able motive than vengeance, and that he sought dramatic reformation, which, to his immortal honour, he had the happiness of effectiug in a very great and permanent degree; the consequence of which was a very general reformation of manners. ♦ Although the town had not, at the beginning of the last century, been so deeply bitten by a Tarantula (which is well known to be an Italian spider,) as it, most unfortunately, is at the beginning of the present, yet the keen observation of the Spectator led him to foresee, while his patriotism induced him to endeavour to prevent, the effects of the tarantismus, which he rightly judged would soon become the epidemic disease among the higher orders of society in the metropolis : however, his prescriptions were fo^ind too lenient, his raillery too de- licate, to eradicate a passion that had seized the town by its ears, A A 178 IirSTOKICAL VIEW OF The litcratiiro of this age, respecting \he eirccts of which 1 have, in one instance, just given a and consequently mounted to the heads of the people. The operatic rage, whicli, from a germ planted by the first Italian singer ever im- ported, who sung at York-buildings 1692, glowed witli the greatest fervency on the arrival of Nicolini, in the year 1708. In tiic year 1714 appeared on the st.ngc, at the O|)era-house, Mrs. Aiitastatia Robinson.* The rival syrens, Cuzzoni and Faustini, were also on the opera stage at the same lime, and very frequently in the same pieces ; a circumstance that is said to have divided the town into two parties, and to liavc caused more enmity tlian the disputes then afloat about high and low church, or the contentions betwixt the whigs and the tories. f * This lady was brouglit from Italy by the celebrated Earl of Peterborough, who afterwards married her. Tradition speaks highly of her character in her exalted station. Her affability, charity, and other virtues, rendered her extremely beloved in the ncigiibourhood of Bevis Mount, where she, we have heard, constantly resided. His lordship, in consequence of the turn which the politics of the times had taken, lived there in what he termed retirement; though his popularity with one party, the elegant accomplishments of his lady, and the beauty of the situation, rendered his farm an object of very general attraction. + By this trait we may discover that our ancestors were almost as foolish as ourselves. This dispute afforded too happy a source of ridicule to be neglected by the wits of those times; it was, in fact, the parent of numerous effusions. It was seized on by Arbuthnot, who, in an irregular ode, and some other pieces of broad humour, en- deavoured, though, we ff*a.T, with little success, to render the princi- pals contemptible, and their supporters ridiculous: but, alas ! John Bull, though at this time absurd, was concomitantly obstinate, and ■was so thoroughly Italianized with respect to his ear, that it has been said he would have admired Mrs- Tofts much more if she had not been an Englishwoman. But tn return to the Cuzzoni and the Faustini. The Hon. H.Walpole relates that his mother, the lady of SirRobert Walpole, enchanted with the strains, and pcihaps with the popularity, of those two Italian nighlingaks, induced ti.ein, by the all prevailing medium, to lend ENGLISH LITRRATURE. 179 hint, is so well known, has become so much the standard of taste and the criterion of genius, that a The first regular opera, that was exhibited after the arrival of Nico- lini was Pyrrhus, in which that performer, Valentini, and Mrs. Tofts, are said to have enchanted their audience, and to have fixed the fashion of those exotic dramas, at least for a season. Yet so fluctua- ting was the taste of the public, that a few years after, during a gleam of good sense, Farinclli, notwithstanding his high reputation, is said, by Cibber, to have sung to an audience of five-and-thirty pounds. " Still," he continues, " if common fame may be credited, the same voice, so neglected in one colintry, had, in another, charms sufiicient to make the crown sit easy on the head of amonarch, which the jealousy of politicians (who had their views for his keeping it) feared, without some such extraordinary measure, his satiety of em- pire might tempt him a second time to resign." Cibber^s Life, quarto ed. p. 243. their vocal assistance to a concert which she gave at her house. A concert given by the prime minister's lady, we sliould have supposed, would have been sufficiently attractive without those enchantresses. "With them it was irresistible. The English nobility, who were extremely numerous, gave their elegant hostess little trouble about precedence; but to prevail on the opera singers to relinquish the pas could only be accomplished by renouncing the pleasure of hearing either of them herself. The knot could not be untied ; it was, therefore, cut by the following expe- dient; — Lady Walpole, after many efforts, finding it impossible to prevail on one of these fantastic dames to sing when the other was present, took Faustini first to a remote part of the hous^, under pre- tence of shewing her some very curious china, during which time the company obtained a song from Cuzzoni, who supposed that her rival had quitted the field. A similar expedient was used, with equal suc- cess, to obtain the happiness of a song from Faustini. Such was the compliance of fashion to the whims of two opera ladies, who, it is probable, artificially kept up the ball, and, when alone, laughed at the absurdity of their benefactors. 180 inSTORlCAL VIEW OF very few words will suffice to convey my ideas upon a subject on which, were I not fearful of bestowing " too much of my tediousness upon my readers," I could be extremely diffuse. It was not until the reign of Anne that the " Mob of gentlemen who wrote with ease. Sprat, Carew, Scdley,and a hundred more, That gleam'd like stars the miscellanies o'er," falling from the zenith of false taste, nearly sunk into the pool of oblivion, and are now less remem- bered by the few of their flimsy productions that floated on the surface, than by their being mentioned in the works of authors of far greater eminence. Yet it is certain, that while this age abounded in good writers, it had its full proportion of those that were bad. The Freeholder, the Craftsman, Examiners, Intelligencers, the Crisis, Public Spirit of the Whigs, and a number of other periodical works and loose pamphlets, devoted to politics, drew after them shoals of inferior effusions, which, it is probable, would only have lived their day, and then been '^ heard of no more," had they not be6n embalmed in a manner which renders many of them still accessible to us. To speak without metaphor, the vehicles in which many of those ephemeral productions have been conveyed to us are the Mercuries, Magazines, &c. of those times ; a species of literature for which Pope, botlt in the Dunciad and its notes, expresses the highest contempt, and which we certainly, as those productions were then managed, do not mean ENGLISH LITERATURE. 181 to volunteer in favour of, because their contents do not embrace that general philological character which ought to have distinguished miscellanies of that nature, but are merely transcriptions from the political, or, rather, party productions of those times, and are, in many instances, equally deficient of wit, humour, information, or the smallest parti- cle of genius. This is the more to be lamented in an age when those properties so much abounded, because it shews that their elegant effusions only circulated among the higher ranks of society, and that the retailers of remnants, who were more arduous in the pursuit of profit than praise, sought no higher gratification than that which arose from the compi- lation of works calculated to have a most diffusive spread among the middle and lower ranks of life. All men in those times were politicians ; therefore both administration and opposition took care to employ writers equally florid and dull, who wrote prescriptions exactly suited to the palates, or, I should, perhaps, rather say, to the disorders of their patients; therefore these literary quacks became, apparently, the best mental physicians.* * Recurring to writers of real genius, we must here lament, that there is not extant any very good print of Addison. Those few por- traits of him that I have seen, besides their being ill executed, are, in their features, so dissimilar, that it is impossible they can all be likenesses of that celebrated author. The late Mrs. Digby Cotes 182 HlSTORfCAL VIEW OF To the happy discovery of priutiiii;-, the means of multiplying copies, the world, that is, the lite- rary world, the booksellers, owe the happy dis- covery of the true art of selling bargains, which they have noAv practised for a long series of years with equal skill and success; and I can easily conceive one of the patriarchs of the trade, sta- tioned, for instance, '^ in Paul's," where one is glad to observe the business is still stationary, contem- plating, with anxious thought and deep research, the situation of the times, whether the country was infected with the religious, the political, the party, the theatrical, or the warlike mania, and with in- finite wisdom adopting his bargains, Avhich at first were folded in small papers, and seldom valued at more than a penny each, to the taste of the passing hour, and of the passing multitude. And here it is curious enough to remark, how very soon after its firm establishment in this kingdom, the press was of Shrewsbury, the widow of the Dean of Lismore, had once a very beautiful miniature of him, painted by Zink,* which was said by her to have been a correct likeness (of which, from my knowledge of the works of till- painfer, I have not the least doubt). This picture Mrs. CD. sent to Miss Addisoii,\vith whomshe was acquainted, and that lady was highly grateful to her for such a valuable resemblance of lier^ho- noured parent. Wiiat became of the miniature I have mentioned, it is impossible to say; if it still remains, a print from it would be a valuable acquisition both to the literary and graphic world. * We think in enamel. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 183 made subservient to the passions and liumours of the reignins^ powers, and how soon it became tinted with reflections from tlie colours of the asre. In the rei^n of Henry the Seventh, some treatises on the mathematics, and also some curious prophe- cies, issued from the press : these, which seem to be opposite as truth and falsehood, although they proved great bargains to their proprietors, caused their authors, Ripley, Erghom, Blackney, &c. to be reputed necromancers,' and practisers of the black art ; though, however they might deal with the devil, experience has convinced us, that in their dealings with their publishers we might safely wager they proved no conjurors.* * Little more than forty years since, there stood, close to the place where the begging-bag for the prisoners in the Gate-house was sus- pended by a rope affixed to a pole from the second story, an ancient gateway, and also an ancient building, running backwards a con- siderable way into the Almonry, Westminster. In this building, it is said, one of the first printing presses in this kingdom was erected. On the other side this gateway, till it was dilapidated to form that public nuisance which is now called Dean Street, part of a building remained which had in several places the arms of different abbots. Here, it is said, the alms of the brotherhood used daily to be dis- pensed. Adjoining to this was a range of low sheds, which probably had been cells or lodgings for the lay brothers, who, except upon special occasions, had the care of the eleemosynary department. Here the paternosters, av^s, creeds, &c. dc. were sold, and Iiere, as the learning of the age improved, or rather as the means of dispersing that learning acquired facility, the lay brothers, wlio now became booksellers, used to vend other religious and prophetic books, and, as we know Edmund Dudley was an author* living near this spot, • He wrote a book, entitled, Arbor Repnblirae. 184 IIISTORK.AL VIKW OF In the reign of Henry the Eighth, the principal bargain in the black letter m ay, (if we except the works oT Sir Francis Bigod and some other great scholars, which were in Latin, and also excepting the conjnring books as before excepted,) was " The Unkennelling the Romish Fox;" and the next to that, " Shingleton's Seven Churches," and his " Pennyworth of Prophecies." To this, in the next reign, succeeded, " The troubled Man's Medicine : " an alterative, calcula- ted to operate upon the minds of the people, at that time wavering betwixt two religions. The bibliopolical bargains of the reign of Mary, we find, were but indifferent ; for which many reasons might be assigned, if they were not already sufficiently obvious. Before the works of Cuthbert Tunstall, at first Bishop of London, and then of Durham, three combs are displayed upon a sliield, which is sur- mounted by a mitre, and we are genealogically in- formed that he was descended from the barber of William the Conqueror, and are also happy to find that, in point of literary loquacity, his effusions are no disgrace to the oral profession of his an- cestor. In the age of Elizabeth, the press teemed with bargains of every description ; yet we discover, who in his works encouraged the darling propensity of his master, probably some which we should now term political, or rather re- lating to political economy. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 185 that as the authors abounded in genius, they were the more cautious of disposing of, or indeed exhi- biting them in their works. In the whole range of the plays of Shakspeare, however fond he might be of a quibble, which, says Dr. Johnson, Avith more solemnity and dignity than the subject requires, "was to him the fatal Cleopatra, for which he lost the world, and was content to lose it ; " yet he has few of what may be termed real bar- gains ; which is singular enough, if we consider how coarse the conversatio nof the age waSjand how close- ly he is supposed to have copied from nature. Not so his compatriot, Ben Jonson ; he seems to have been one of the most eminent sellers of bargains of his time ; of which, were it not for fear of contami- nating the purity of my pages, I could, from his works, quote many instances. As it is, I shall leave the said works to the public, with one obser- vation, namely, that perhaps the bargain sold by Brainworm, and those bought by Cokes, are the most unexceptionable commodities of this nature to be found in them. In the reign of James the First, the quibbles of Shakspeare, the bargains of Jonson, the conceits of T. Heywood, the eccentricities of Massinger, Middle- ton, Beaumont, and Fletcher, all the comic effusions of the stage, and, in fact, things the most solemn and serious, upon which authors had before descanted with the utmost solidity and gravity, resolved them- selves iuto that rhetorical figure which is termed Pa- ranomasia, or the Pun. This distortion of language, BB 186 HISTORICAL V^EW OF which certainly owed its birth to some odd perversion of the human intellects, first sprung up among the Greeks, who transferred it to the Romans ; it was lost or mislaid during the irruption of the Goths, but is said, even in the dark ages, to have been dug from under the ashes and rubbish of the city they had de- stroyed. It was occasionally, though sparingly, used by Monkish writers, banished by the Reformation, but, in the learned age we are celebrating, revived and transplanted to Court,* where it grew and flou- rished, and, as has been observed, its blossoms were dispersed from the throne, and its fruit received from the pulpit,t the senate, the bench, the stage, &c. In this happy era, the criminal obtained a pardon for a pun, the jury were convinced by a pun, the lover • The most eminent Court Punster of this age, I conceive to be William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, who wrote four plays, which never were, nor indeed never could be acted. They were only re- markable for abounding with numerous specimens of the affected and vitiated language of the times, of which the three following quotations may serve as instances. — "Whilst Furies, furious by my fury made." " Great Pompey's pomp is past." And "To seem uncivil in these civil wars." + Instances of this propensity may be found in the century of 96 golden Sermons of Dr. Andrews, Bishop of Winchester, who obtained the name of Chrysostom : nor was he the only divine : Dr. Reynolds, of Oxford, is stated to have been infected with this Insus verborum, and to have inoculated this University, whence it spread to Cambridge, thence over the whole Island. Vide the Spectator, No. 61. The puns on Paradise, Paradex, Gotbick Matrimony, Landaff, Eve was A.Dami Noah, Ah no! and a hundred others equally ingenious, arc in the recollection of every one. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 187 gained his mistress by a pun, and if a man launched a pun upon the exchange, it became literally a note, and he might demand what credit he would upon it. Let a gallant carry a pun to his tailor, and this in- genious emanation of his mind was soon formed into a suit of clothes for his body. Having seen the learned of all ranks and professions most laudably engaged in punning through the peace- ful reign of James, I must, I fear, however slightly, glance at times which assumed a much more serious aspect, and, however reluctant, contemplate a period when the attention of mankind was transferred from words to things, a period when wit, humour, and loyalty, fled together, and the people were taught to behold, " as in a glass darkly," every object appen- dant to an exalted station, every person in the upper ranks of life, through a sable medium, and in particular every article belonging to the court, as a bad bargain. Alluding to the solemn mockery of the Interreg- num, a season in which, though conceits, quibbles, and puns, were banished, I suppose from their having some, though a false resemblance, to wit and humour, and the learning of the schools was in danger of degenerating once more into mere school-learning, we must observe, that the art of making bargains of every kind received an improvement, which, from its first invention, it had not hitherto attained : this kind of traffic beginning at the head extended, and "When there was no more to purchase O' the King's revenue* or the churche's," * Among the extraordinaries of those times, an ordinance was 188 HISTORICAL VIEW OF descended lower, and pervaded every order of the people; among- whom, "the Children of God" seem to have divided themselves into two sects, namely, the bargainers and bargainees. Respiring from the horrors of civil war, arms once more yielded their place to the gown, and the loyal hand that had just before wielded a sword, now flourished a pen. Escaped from the barbarity of the dilapidating system, and the vulgarity of republican ideas, of late so prevalent, genius once more ex- panded. The arts, which, seared by the turbulence of the times, had receded, and, dispersed in every direc- tion, had fled to other shores, were now courted back ; they appeared to have improved during their seces- sion ; they brought in their train taste and elegance, wit, humour, and hilarity. But it has been said to be the characteristic disposi- tion of the people of this kingdom, never to know when they had enough of a good thing. In their happy situation, they were not content to enjoy, but must luxuriate. This propensity led to excess and exuberance, which were in many respects visible, but in none more than in the writings of the age. passed, 1649, for the sale oftheKinp^, Queen, and Prince's lands; also for the sale of the lands of Bishops, Ueani, and Chapters. May 16, 1695, after nineteen ordinances had passed for sales of this nature, Whitehall and Somerset were exposed. July 6, 1659, Hampton Court wag ordered to be sold, with the gardens, meadows, parks, and deer, the estates of the universities, colleges, halls, free-schools, cities, ministers' glebe lands ; and so much of the fortunes of the nobility, gentry, and rich citizens, as exceeded ^£300. per annum shared the same fate. Mercurius PolUicus. ENGLISH LITERATURE. 189 Whether it was to distinguish these literary effusions from those of the puritanical school which had pre- ceded them, and which might be truly said to be bound, is uncertain ; but it is certain that the works ofthe Cavaliers were remarkable for their looseness. Waiving any observations upon these productions, which have indeed been most laudably exposed and censured by others, not only for their general tenor, but for a species of humour, which, whatsoever vices and follies we may have at present, would not now be for a moment endured, I shall only observe, that even this subject, prolific as it certainly was, was at length exhausted, and the writers, in order to be as near the mark as possible, were obliged to have recourse to bar^-ains, of which I conceive the rude answer of Lord Rochester to the man that was supposed to have seen many things, was the first of that period, but which, when this ingenious vein was set abroach, flowed through every rank of society, and infected every mode of conversation. Had we not known this compendious and elegant species of wit to have been practised in the theatre, as well before as behind the curtain, we should have learned it from Dryden's Prologue to the Prophetess, in which we find these lines : — "Then think on that bare bench my servant sat, I see him ogle still, and hear him chat, Selling facetious bargains, and propounding That witty recreation, call'd Dumfounding." The absurdity of this kind of bargains attracted the attention of Sir Richard Steel, who, in the 304th Spec- 190 HISTORICAL VILW OF tator, seems so well to have exposed them, that I have no doubt but the bite of hanging in chains, than which it was impossible to carry the wit and humour of the practice further, put an entire stop to this mode of traffic; nay, even the original method of selling bargains, in the vicissitude of human affairs, it has been observed, exceedingly declined, as the great merchants in this way either found their stock fail them, died, or left off business. The trade, upon a contracted scale, was indeed revived by Fielding, who put Squire Western into the shop where the greatest bargains were sold at that time. Dr. Smol- lett, too, was fond of dabbling a little in this way : but the last, though by no means the least, dealer in bargains and other articles of that nature, but still more contraband, was the author of Tristram Shandy. I have lately seen a copy of this work, which, from some circumstances, is conjectured to be the one he kept for his private use, which I have great hope w ill be properly disposed of, as it does appear to be one of the greatest bargains that the united efforts of the rolling and printing presses could have pro- duced. DISPERSION OF ANCIENT RECORDS. Among the many learned observations which I have heard in the Court of Excliequer, a court in which, from the nature of the subjects frequently discussed, it is necessary both for the judges and advocates more particularly to advert to the ancient state of the king- dom than perhaps in any other, I was once struck with ENGLISH LITERATURE. 191 some observations upon the dispersion of manuscripts at the fall of the abbeys, which seemed to me, as I was then considering the subject, so curiou?, that I retained them in my memory until! had an oppor- tunity, which a crowded court would not afford, of committing them to paper, and believe the quotation that follows is generally correct. "When the lesser abbeys were dissolved, an event that happened in the 27th year of Henry the Vlllth, the priests, who still retained hopes of better times, although they were commanded to send their papers to the x\ugmentation Office, generally disobeyed those orders, and endeavoured to secure the most valuable of their deeds and records, either by consignino- them to the care of private persons, or by sending them to Rome, where they were deposited in the Vatican or in other places of security. Of those that remained in the kingdom, many have been discovered in the archives of private families, and some were reclaimed when better times for their owners did arrive. But the reign of Mary being too short a period for re- storing the establishments which had been so violently overturned, the writings and records of monasteries have, like the estates which they described, conveyed or adapted to peculiar uses, to a considerable decree remained in the hands of lay possessors, who seem while they grasped them with avidity, to have, with a more than religious tenacity, adhered to them. Those that are preserved in the Vatican, or dispersed over Italy, are now of little use, and indeed, when found and referred to, are considered only as objects of curiosity." 192 DRAMATIC r.rTERATURE. UBI ANIMUS REQUIEVIT ET MIHI RELIQUAM ^TA- TEM A RRPUBLICA PROCUL HABENDUM DECREVI ; NON FUIT CONSILIUM SOCORDIA DESIDIA BOKl M OTIUM CONTERERE. SALLUST. dramatic Hitetature. Theatrical representations, liowever rude, have been among the amusements of all nations, even in their original state. During the government of the Anglo-Romans, the pleasures arising from the stage seem to have been pursued with avidity, and if we may be allowed to judge from the remains of theatres that have been dis- covered, or from their representations still extant upon medals, to have been very generally adopted. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 193 In Rome, we know that they were at the same pe- riod the delight of the people; and we also know that there are vestiges of them still to be traced in the colonies of Gaul and Iberia.* The Roman actors, that either visited or were set- tled in Britain, it is probable, as in Gaul, derived assistance from the Bards, an inferior order of the Druids, long known in both countries, who, when they engaged in secular entertainment, were denomi- nated scalds. These scalds,^ who were the true fathers of the minstrels, or, indeed, minstrels under another appellation, were unquestionably the original com- posers and representers of performances that were, in our apprehension, entirely dramatic in Ihis island. In the general wreck of affairs in this country af(er the recession of those people, that the histrionic art fell with their theatres is certain : how far it was revived by the Anglo-Saxons we shall now briefly inquire. Before the conversion of these to Christianity, their religion, like the paganism of the ancient Britons, was distinguished by numerous circumstances of rude pomp and barbaric grandeur. In the decoration of their temples, and in all the * The amphitheatre at Nismes, which is not only the most beau- tiful, but also the most perfect specimen of this kind of buildings in France. Such were erected in every colonial city and military sta- tion. At Toledo there is still the remains of an ancient Roman thea- tre, which is now converted into a Christian church, as in England we have seen this order of things reversed, and a Romish chapel diverted into a theatre. cc 194 DHAMATir LITTRATURn. niaj;nificeiicc coincident to the worship of Woden, Thor, and Freya, there was something- theatrical, something that seemed a tasteless, though splendid, addition even to druidical ostentation. The orations of tlieir priests, and their musical accompaniments, bespeak a people whose sensibility was alive to the stimulations of sounds, both vocal and instrumental. To their feasts, therefore, Scalds and Harpers v/ere appendages absolutely necessary.* Those performers (more numerous among the Saxons, who were more devoted to the pleasures of the table, than among; the Briions,) used to recite, and to the sound of their harps and other instrun)ents, to sing of, the warlike deeds of their ancestors. They had with them, Avhen they performed, one of their order, who was ab- solutely a low comedian, and who, under the appella- tion of the Gleeman, used to amuse his audiences with stories, tricks, and mimicry. It is curious to observe how, in all ages, a general similarity prevailed in those kind of performances. In the miracle plays, mysteries, and moralities of the ecclesiastics, the Gleeman, although he has lost his cognomen, still kept his amusing situation. In those he was designated the Vice. In stage plays he was called the clown; and when to this species • This practice has descended to us. Theatric singers are now deemed as necessary as turtle and venison at every grand piihlic enter- tainment, (^ouid we examine this matter with accuracy, we should find that we are in uiauy other points of festirity still closer imitators of our Saxou auccslurs. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 195 of the drama the puppet-show succeeded, he was denominated the merry andrew.* This kind of character was, among our ancestors, in such esteem, and consequently request, that the domestic Gleeman, afterwards the fool, became an officer absolutely necessary in every prince's and nobleman's establishment. The character of the minstrel, as he appeared after the Norman Conquest, seems to have been still more theatrical, that is, more amusing than that of either the scald or the harper. He appears to have possessed all the qualities of the gleeman, who had then degenerated into the Vice, with some that were additional, for which he Avas obliged to the renova- tion of experimental philosophy. He had magical deceptions and legerdemain, as we may say, at his fingers' ends :t he v/as a vocal and instrumental • This kind of character has been so dear to the inhabitants of different parts of Europe, that they have denominated it by the ap- pellation of their favourite food. In England, it is called Jack Pud- ding: in France, Jean Potage; in Italy, Macaroni; and in Holland, Pickle Herring : in all countries its office is the same, vie. that of amusing the multitude by the affectation of folly, and affording a temporary triumph to the understandings of its auditors and specta- tors, by a series of absurd jests, staries, well-contrived mistakes, tricks, and blunders. T The Minstrels, in consequence of these qualifications, were termed Jonglears, Jogelurs, or Juglurs, a species of men that exist, and, under the same itinerant habits of life, practise in Indostan, China, Africa, and all parts of Europe. In every period they seem, like the gipsies, to have considered England, Wales, and Ireland, (for we do not hold them so respectable as the hereditary pipers of Scotland,) as their favourite nations. Chester was once their head- quarters, their royal seat; but they also abounded io London, particu- 19G DRAMATIC LITKRATURE. performer, dancer, posture-master, and jester. These kind of people were formed into parties; which may be termed the most ancient strolling companies in the kini^dom. They used to travel from town to town, and from village to village. How agreeable they must have been to the English,* whose peculiar cast of hu- mour induced them, upon every occasion, to seize opportunities for the enjoyment of these kinds of exhibitions, it is, by what almost every one has felt, easy to conceive. From these circumstances, therefore, aided by our knowledge of the strong propension of the human mind, in every state of society, to relaxation and amusement, at those periods when the evils of war, the care of self-defence, or the horrors of famine, did not press upon it, it is certain that ac- tors, under one or other of the appellations that have been stated, had, from the earliest ages, been known in Britain although they were not com- pletely systematized until after the Norman Con- quest, when the companies of minstrels were in many respects, as has been observed, what itinerant companies, especially those that frequeut fairs and larly at festival times. We have, in the persons of Breslaw, Kater- fclto, the Sieur Comiis, Jonas, Parsloe, Flockton, and JobsoD, whose deceptions were once the admiration of the high and the low, seen their legitimate descendants. * " What dear delight to Britons farce aflfords, Ever the sport of mobs, but now of lords ! " .Pope> DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 197 depend more upon the exhibition of "slight drolle- ries," music, dancing-, and legerdemain tricks, than the performance of regular dramas, now are. But if we wanted a further confirmation of this fact, if we wished to clench the nail that we have thus driven to its head, we shall find the instruments properly adapted to this purpose in the frequent notices extracted from the works of John of Salis- bury, a writer of the twelfth century. This author, who was himself a monk of Canter- bury, is, like the rest of his brethren, ardent and energetic in his declamation against minstrels. Why? Because, according to the trite proverb, two sorts of men whose pursuits are similar can never agree. It was the business of the monks to make their way to the heart through the medium of the senses : of this their miracles are proofs. The minstrels flew their hawks at the same quarry. The former were, to use an operatical phrase, seri- ous men ; the latter buffos, or comic performers. These, as the age became more enlightened, (while the tired nation had, during the reigns of the first Normans, a respite from heptarchical, piratical, and Danish distractions,) had, perhaps, the greatest influence. This was a sufficient reason, though certainly not an excuse, for the virulence with which their reverend opponent attacks them.* * In the sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters of the first book of bis trealise, entitled, " Policraticus de Nugis Curialium.'* The title of 198 DRAMATir LITERATURE. There is no doubt but that this monk, by far the most elej^ant Avritor of his time, had accurately con- sidered his subject* It is not very fre(juent that we can, in monastic effusions, discern any symptoms of classical taste; but we find that he had formed the sixth chapter is, '* De Musica, et Jnstrumentis, et Modis et Fructu eorum" [Of Music, of Instruments, and the Profit to be derived from them.] The seventh chapter is called, " De DhsimilituiUue .'Jugusti et Neronis.'' [Of the opposite Dispositions of Augustus and Nero.] The author, in this chapter, after reciting instances in point respecting these two emperors, in conclusion alludes to the stage, in tliesc words, *' Uistrionibus el mimis pecunias infinilas eiogare non gravabatur.^ [He (Nero) made no scruple of bestowing immense sums of money upon actors and stage buffoons ♦]. The title of the eighth chapter is, " De Jlistrionibus, et mimis, et Prastigiatoribus." [Of Actors, and Stage Buffoons, and Jugglers+]. This includes a warm declamation against the great men, his contemporaries, who, however they might detest the infamy of Nero, yet in some instances they followed his example. Of these, as pi oofs, lie mentions spectacles prepared at a great expense, which he pl.aces in a despicable light; forgetting, at the same time, those spectacles with which his monastery abounded, and in some of which he had probably been a performer. This is natural: men who are ardent and energetic in the censure of others are very frequently apt to give an unbounded toleration to their own energetic irregularities. • Godwin, in his life of Chaucer, has, with uncommon pains and industry, drawn together many valuable materials respecting the early drama ; of som, few of which I have availed myself io this disquisition. • The good monk seems here to have forgotten that Nero, whose character we certainly do not mean to defend, whether moved by compunction or caprice is now unknown, at onetime, byasolemn edict, suppressed and prohibited all kinds of stage plays and scenic exiiibitions. — Vide Suetonius in Vil. Nero. secU 16 — Hi- t Joculator. — Aquinas. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. l99 his style upon better models than, oenerally speak- ing, his own country produced. He says, that the players (Ilistriones) in the reign of Nero wei*o com- paratively respectable men to those of his own time.* Plautus, Menander, and Terence, are mentioned by him, for the purpose of degrading- these modern malitia. He expressly denominates the objects of of his reprehension specLacula et infinita ti/rociria xani' tatis, quibus qui omnino otiari non possunt, perniciosius occupentur. [Spectacles and innumerable rudiments of vanity, by which persons who could not endure to be idle might be occupied in worse than idle- ness. ]+ This author allows that performers were ♦ This was unquestionably true: against monkish prejudice the drama had a hard struggle tor existence; the actors, either obliged to depend upon the casual bounty of the nobility, or upon their col- lections at fairs and festivals, were, with respect to their revenues, in a very precarious state. A week of success was, on the ensuing Sunday, sure to be followed by anathemas against them and their works, and exhortations to the people to desist from such vanities : therefore, when the gain of the one party was deemed the loss of the other, it is no wonder that the stronger used every art, and employed every proper instrument to emblazon in the most diabolical colours the weaker. Still, however, in spite of opposition, the drama must have become of considerable importance, not only in England, but all over Christendom, as the people of all nations are by the Council of the Lateran (the 15) forbidden to be present at stage plays or to encourage tumblers and jesters. — Can, 15, 16. Scrip, torn u'l. p. 734. — The work of John of Salisbury is one of the most valuable, because the most certain, notices that we have of our early performers. It was probably from observing the avidity with which the people followed the amusements of the stage, that the clergy were induced to encourage burlesque festivals, which may be termed melo -dramas. + This observation is a retort to the laity, who had even then, we think, denominated many of the Monks Abbey Lubbers.' 200 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. admitted into the greatest houses; but with respect to their moral characters, as he evidently writes under the influence of prejudice,* and had not the art of alluding to improprieties of conduct in the language of chastity, it would be of little advantage to follow him.t Such, therefore, is the best account which we ran collect of the early state of the English stage. Mira- cle plays and mysteries, representing the history of some legendary saint, were common in the metropolis in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries ; they are mentioned by Fitz-stephen, in a passage thus trans- lated by Strypc ; '* London, instead of plays belong- ing to the theatre, hath plays of more holy subjects, representations in which the holy confessors wrought, • That the ranconr of this good father against players extended also to poets ; the manner in which he mentiuns Sophocles is a suffi- cient proof. — Vide Jo- Sarisb. Nug. Curial. lib' i, cap. 8- + &t. Thomas Aquinas seems to have a very diflTerent opinion of plays and players from that which pervades the wwi tings of John of Salisbury, notwithstanding he states that it is a crime to give super- fluously or lavishly to the latter; a proof that in his lime plays were not only often performed, but the actors in them very liberally paid. Although the whole passage is too long to quote, it may be necessary to give his opinion of theatrical performances, to siiow that in bis days controversy embraced other subjects tlian tiie philoso])hy of the schools. Officium fiistrionwn, quod ordinatur ad sulatiiim hominibiis exhibendum, non est secundum se illicitum- [Stage plays, which are directed to recreate and solace man, are not in tlicmsclves unlawful. 3 Secunda Secunda: Quast. jirt. 3, ad 3 in. This author condemns the custom of Actors and Actresses appearing in apparel of the contrary sex. — Ibid. Art. 2. He probably knew that it had been a custom at Rome, from the time of Numa, for the minstrels to disguise themselves in women's apparel on the Ides of January. The reason for which may be seen in riuiarch, Rom. Quccst. 55. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 201 and sufferings in which the glorious constancy of mar- tyrs did appear." With respect to the composition of profane plays in the thirteenth century, we believe, notwithstanding it appears that the works of the ancient tragic and comic writers were well known, the metropolitan authors did not attempt any thing like regularity ; nay, even at the time when Shakspeare wrote, Dr. Johnson, as we have before observed, says, that the rules of the ancients were* known to few, he means practised by few ; for in fact, when they were practised, they were found by no means congenial to that good sense which has in all ages marked the English character. This we have observed classic iu the coldness with which plays written upon models have been generally received ; therefore the erratic, but still natural, composition of our ancient drama succeeded, as it was found to be a picture of life, and consequently more in unison with the taste of the people. While the minstrels were the only dramatists, it is most probable that their memories were stored with many pieces that were traditional, and consequently short. These were merely interludes, which betwixt their performances of singing and dancing they intro- duced. They were frequently exhibited in the Inn yards of the metropolis : places which, from their ichonography and their surrounding galleries, of which we have some few specimens still left, it ap- D V 202 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. pears could be, with little trouble, converted into toleral)le theatres. That the drama had attained to some, though per- haps not a very considerable, elevation in the four- teenth century, may be gathered from the works of its eminent opposer, Braduardin, Archbishop of Canter- bury, who wrote against the stage in 1345. * In this he was followed by Wicliff, who has been termed the Morning Star of Reformation, w ho levelled his elo- quence against plays in 1380 +. We could, were it necessary, multiply instances of the existence of stage plays in the thirteenth and four- teenth centuries ; but as none of the piece have de- scended to us, what we have already said upon the subject is sufficient for our purpose, which was to in- dicate their effect upon the people. That they were universally reprobated by the mo- nastic orders and other clergy, is very little the sub- ject of our wonder; but that Wicliff, who must have seen, in their exposure of the various devices of those ♦ Vide de Causa die, hi, cap. I, coroll. 20th. + In an inquiry of this nature, so enveloped in the mist of anti- quity, we are glad to obtain information from every authentic source. That players were, in the fourteenth century, considered as of great importance, in their influence upon the morals of the people, may be conjectured by the statutes that were made for restraining those enormities which, it is probable, their enemies ac^cuscd them of com- mitting. They were, in consequence, by the act of the 12th of Rich- ard the Second, cap. 6— 11, forbidden to perform. By the 4th of Henry the Fourth, cap. 27, all minstrels, players, and vagabonds, were banished from Wales. They were also restrained by the 17th of Ldward the Fourth, cap. 3. &c. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 203 fathers, in their censure of clerical enormities, and in their coarse jesting upon the prevalence of passion over discipline, which frequently displayed monks and friars in uncanonical situations, (a most powerful engine in support of his cause,) should so pointedly stigmatize them, is a little extraordinary. Yet per- haps he made this small, and probably insidious, sa- crifice to monastic prejudice from his knowledge of human nature, prone at all times to such relaxations, and in his own age so infatuated with them, that Avhat he could say would, he was certain, have no effect toward the repression of so deep-rooted a propensity; or, rather, that it would cause the taper which he had thus snuffed to burn the brighter. We must now, therefore, consider the people of the metropolis as in some degree enlightened, and consequently conscious of the overbearing, and almost omnipotent, power of the See of Rome, receding in some measure from their monastic spectacles, and in- finitely delighted with shows and representations which may be termed secular. From the early part of this period (the fourteenth century) every adventitious circumstance seems to to have taken a dramatic turn ; their pageants, shows, feastings, justs, and tournaments, had alia kind of histrionic arrangement, and were calculated to pro- duce a theatrical effect.* * In the course of the fourteenth century, the manners of the English may be pretty accurately traced in those of the French. London, even then, in its fashions and amusements, strongly reflected 204 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. That the sagacity of the monks and friars enabled them to discern at a great distance, in this propension the features of its tasteful original, Paris. It was in the reign of Ed- ward the Third that that close imitation, 50 long the delight and re- proach of this country, began. " We conquer'd France, but felt the Syren's charms; Her arts victorious triuinph'd o'er our arms." This triumph was in no part of our domestic arrangement more con- spicuous than in our adoption of their plays, shows, and processions, as well .as their fashions of dress and deportment. Of these one spe- cies was a most extravagant and ostentatious display of magnificence at those assemblies called Cours plenieres, (full courts,) which were held twice a year, viz. at Easter and All Saints Days in France, Whit- suntide and Christmas in England, where they were iHtroduced by Ed- ward the Third. Cours plenieres were also held by the monarchs of both countries at their coronations, marriages, or the baptism of their children, and when they conferred on them Uie order of knighthood. " These festivals did not fail to attract a great number of quacks,* jugglers, rope-dancers, merry andrews, and mimes. The merry an- drews told stories; those that were called jugglers played upon their cymbals, while monkies, dogs, and bears, danced. It is said that the mimes excelled in their art, and that by their gestures, attitudes, and postures, they expressed a passage in history as clearly and patheti- cally as if they had recited it." St- Foix, Essays upon Paris, Vol. ii. p. 64. These exhibitions took place in the court-yards and immense halls of the palaces ; and if, while canvassing so grave a subject, we might * The minstrels, among the abundance of their qualifications, pro- fessed pharmacy, and prescribed as apothecaries: they vended their medicines at markets and fairs, and were consequently the first mountebanks. In order to induce the people to swallow their nostrums, they, after a verbose recommendation, had them presented by one of their tribe, who performed the merry andrew ! a character that is still re- tained as an appendage to the itinerant doctor ; though, we think, the medical lottery, in which medicines are the blanks, and the prizes a silver cup, spoons, &c. is a more modern contrivance. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 205 to what, in their most moderate language, they termed " unsanctified sports " and '■' unholy pleasures," the fall of their establishment, there is no question : they therefore endeavoured, in their plays and mysteries, to oppose pleasure to pleasure, and sport to sport, and from their then influence their example was fol- lowed by the public schools, and their system adopted by the parish clerks, who seem at one time to have be allowed one moment to unbend, ' we should observe, that it seems to have been fortunate for the spectators, that no satyrist or fabulist ever took up the matter, and endeavoured, though we know the thing was next to impossible, to draw a parallel betwixt the human and animal courtiers, and to hint something about quacks, jugglers, mountebanks, mimes, &c. which might, in those ages, have been ill rexeived. The dinner at the inauguration of Charles the Sixth, presented a splendid spectacle of this nature, as well as a most excellent repast. Vide Froissart, torn. ii. cap. 6. When Philip the Fair knighted his three sons with all the pomp of ancient chivalry, a ceremony which was performed on Whit-Sunday, 1313, he invited the King and Queen of England, who, with a great number of their barons, crossed the channel, on purpose to be pre- sent. This festival lasted eight days, and was rendered no less re- markable by the magnificence of the dresses exhibited, than by the sumptuousness of the tables, and the infinite variety of diversions and amusements, that were, upon this occasion, drawn together. France and England equally combined to furnish characters and actors; so that this is stated to have been one of the most superb, and at the same time entertaining, spectacles ever exhibited. *' The princes and lords changed their dresses three times every day. The Parisians presented several shows. In one was displayed the glory of the blessed ; another exhibited a view of the infernal regions, and represented the torments of the damned." To these, which were, we apprehend, of that species of composition afterwards denominated masks, succeeded a procession, '* in which appeared a great variety of the animal creation ; this was termed, ' the Feast of the Fox.' " Hist, de Paris, torn. i. p, 42. 20G DUAMATir LITERATURE. shared the applause of the town with the professional actors. Whether, in this contest, the monastic orders would have been ultimately successful, it is hard to say ; but that they might have made a greater stand had not their large possessions, and, as w as supposed, their immense, their incalculable riches, accelerated their ruin, is indubitably certain. In this one of the worst passions of the human mind, avarice, influencing a few, produced the most beneficial effects on the com- munity. In the early dawn of literature, and when the sa- cred mysteries were the only theatrical performan- ces, what is now^ called the stage did then consist of three several platforms or stages raised one above another; on the uppermost sat the Pater Ccekstis surrounded with his angels; on the second appeared the saints and glorified; and the last and lowest was occupied by men who had not yet passed from this transitory life to the regions of eternity. On one side of this lowest platform was the re- semblance of a dark pitchy cavern, from whence issued the appearance of fire and flames ; and when it was necessary the audience were treated with hideous yellings and noises, as imitative of the bowl- ings and cries of the wretched souls tormented by the relentless demons. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 207 From this yawning cave the devils themselves constantly ascended, to delight and to instruct the spectators ; to delight, because they were usually the greatest jesters and buffoons that then appeared; and to instruct, for that they treated the wa-etched mortals who were delivered to them w ith the ut- most cruelty, warning thereby all men carefully to avoid falling isito the clutches of such hardened and remorseless spirits. But in the more improved state of the theatre and when regular plays were introduced, all this mum- mery was abolished, and the whole cavern and devils, together with the highest platform before men- tioned, entirely taken away, two platforms only then remaining : and these continued a consider- able time in use, the upper stage serving them for chambers, or any elevated situations, (as v^'hen some of the actors should from the walls of cities, or the like, discourse with those who were standing under them on the lower platforms.) This appears from several entries to be found in the old editions of the first plays, where mention is often made of the upper and lower stages, Strutt. In Ben Jonson's entertainment of King James the First, in passing to his coronation through the City of London, A. D. 1603, a large booth or page- ant was erected at Fea Church, measuring fifty feet in the perpendicular, and the same in the ground line, in which " the scene presented itself like to the side of a cily^ the top thereof adorned with houses^ towers^ and 208 DRAMATIC LITERATURK. steeples set off in perspective y''"' with the word Londinum upon the battlements. In the centre or midst of thepegme, there was an aback or square, wherein this elegy was written, *' Maximus hie rex est.*^ This and the whole frame, was covered with a curtain of silk painted like a thick cloud, and at the approach of the king was instantly to be drawn. There can be little doubt of the fact that the mys- teries originated with the ecclesiastics, and for a time were exclusively performed by them: such, amongst other instances, was the case of the play of St. Catherine, at Dunstable, in the eleventh cen- tury, which was exhibited by the novices of that priory under the superintendence of a Parisian monk; and in France a similar practice prevailed. Indeed, the illiterate condition of the laity in general, rendered this at first almost a measure of necessity, but there is reason to believe that in the religious pageants afterwards exhibited by the trading companies, the performers were laymen, as was constantly the case at Coventry. The regula- tions of Cardinal Wolsey for the Canons regular of St. Austin, in 1519, forbid the members to be luseres aut mimici, though this is understood to mean only that they were not to exercise their arts abroad for secular or mercenary views. But Bonner, in 1342, issued a proclamation to the clergy, prohibiting all mannerof common jousts, plays, or interludes, to be played, set forth, or declared, within their churches, chapels, &c. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 209 Warton says that the choristers or elimosinary boys at Mastoke, acted a play every year. Sharye on JSJ'i/steries. On the restoration of Charles the Second, Sir William Davenant took the actors, who were termed the King's Company, under his immediate protection. They first performed at the Red Bull ; they then removed to a new built house situated in Gibbon's Tennis Court, nfear Clare-market, which was the place Avherein Orator Henley afterward gave his lectures ; and, finally, upon the erection of the new theatre on the site of the old cockpit, Drury-lane, the King's Company removed to that, where, it appears by the subsecjuent bill, theatrical performances commenced April 8th, 1663.* FIRST PLAY-BILL OF DRURY-LANE THEATRE. By His Majesty's Company of Comedians, At the New Theatre in Drury-lane. This Day being Thursday, April 8th, 1663, will be acted A Comedy call'd THE HV^MOVROVS LIEVTENANT. The King Mr. Wintersel Demetrivs .... Mr. Hart * In the last edition of the Biographia Dramaiica, there is a mis- take of one year in the date ; it is there stated to be April Sth, 1662. E E 210 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. Selevivs Mr. Bvrt Ijeontivs Major Mohvn Lievtenant .... Mr. Clvn Celia Mrs. Marshall. The play will bes^in at three o'clock exactly.* Boxes 4s.— Pit 2s. Ccl.— Middle Gallery Is. 6d.— Upper Gallery Is. Stowe somewhere says, instead of stage plays have been used comedies, tragedies, interludes, and histories, both true and feigned, whereof certain public places, such as the theatre in Blackfriars, the Curtain. They played also at Inns, as the Cross Keys, the Bull, and the City Globe. The petition of the Londoners to Queen Elizabeth, which was first commenced in 1580, only operated to the pulling down of those playhouses within the city, where the sickness, as it w as termed, was the object dreaded, from having large assemblies of the people in close situations, while those in the suburbs were encouraged, and indeed suffered to stand till the solemnity of one age for a time entirely suppressed, and the gaiety of another removed them into more eligible situations. The sign of the original theatre was a striped curtain. * It is a curious circamstance, that since the period of this bill, the commencement of theatrical performances has, by regular gradations advanced four liourS nearer to miduiglit. 211 Pride of his own, and wonder of this age, Who first created and yet rules tlic stage, Bold to design, all pow'rful to express, Shakspeare each passion drew in every dress : Great above rule and imitating none, Rich without borrowing. Nature was his own. Maiht. SHAKSPEARIANA. Shakspeare's Dramas were so imperfectly known, that in looking- over the play bills of 171 1, and much later, I find that whenever it chanced that. they were acted, they were always announced to have been written by Mr. William Shakspeare. Of the bear gardens and bull rings in the metro- polis, thank Heaven ! no vestiges remain ; though their number and sites may be pretty accurately traced by the names of the streets and places that have been erected upon their ruins, and by the notice that is taken of a very few of them in the oldest map of London now extant.* * Londoo and Westminster in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, A.D. 1563. 212 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. By this map we ob?erve, that Paris Garden,* once so famous for its sports as to have attracted the attention of many ancient authors, was a small ham- let, consisting of a theatre and a few houses, or rather cottag^es, on the bank of the Thames, nearly oppo- site to the Black Friars, to which there was a ferry. A road took exactly the same direction from this place as the London road does at present. Close to the playhouse stood a cross. The Bear Gardent was * Paris Garden.] Here a tcrrihle slaughter happened in the year 1581, by the instantaneous fall of a scaffold that had been prepared for the reception of a multitude of people, but was overloaded. t The Old Bear Garden, wherein was kept " bears, bulls, and other beasts, to be baited, and also mastives in tlieir several kennels ■were there nourished to bait them," was once the resort of the nobility and gentry, as well as of the ferocious, the idle, and dissolute. Whether from the performance of regular dramatic pieces the minds of the people took a more rational turn, is uncertain ; but it is certain that its sports, once so celebrated, from that period declined. The theatre called Paris Garden Play-house fell into decay in con- sequence of the rise of others ; and in the time of Charlts (he Second, an Act of Parliament was procured for erecting a parish-church upon its site,^and making the manor a parish, " to be called Christ Church and Parish, Surrey." Such are the vicissitudes of human affairs.* It has been stated, that Paris Garden was one of the most ancient play-houses of the metropolis ; and Ben Jonson is reproached by one Decker, an envious critic, with his ill success on the stage, and in particular with having performed the part of Zuliman, at Paris Garden, t • Of the Bear Garden at Hockley in the Hole, we have notices to the middle of the last century. What sort of company resorted to it may be learned from Mrs. Peachum, who says to Filch, " You must go to Hockley in the Hole, and to Marybone, child, to learn valour, &c." — Beggars'" Opera, Act i. + Pennant's London, p. 34. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 213 irregular in its form, and had, it is most probable, before it was used for the purpose of sports, been literally a garden.* The amphitheatre for the Among the juvenile irregularities too frequently the concomitants of genius, Ben, it lias been ascertained, like Shakspeare and Otway, attempted the stage, and was one of the performers at the Curtain, in Shoreditch; a theatre which, according to the dramatic scale of those times, was by no means obscure ; nor indeed could any company be with propriety termed so* that possessed such men as Richard Burbage and Edward Allen; " two such actors" (says Baker, in his Chronicle, p. 422,) "as no age mattaile; Hattaile Bridge; the Stews on the Bank Side; Single Woman's C'einetcry ; and the Bear Gardens there. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 215 This place was in very early times a flesh-market. The butchers ranc;ed their stalls along- it, and many of the houses were occupied by cooks, who, driven from the vintry, seem to have chosen a spot that afforded them peculiar accommodation. "For " saith Stowe, ** of old time, when friends did meet and were disposed to be merry, they went not to dine or sup in taverns, for these were then mere drinking^ houses, and dressed not victuals to besold but to the cooks, where tl^ey called for what meat they liked, which they always found ready dressed and at reasonable rates. Some very old persons yet remember the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap. Under the sio-n was written, this is the oldest tavern in London. There are extant, among the small pieces called tradesman's tokens, some used for change in this tavern ; they are probably of the date of Elizabeth aotecedent to the copper coinage. Fenton the poet, in allusion to the aversion of the puritans to theatrical amusements, thus charac- terises them ; " An age most odious and accurs'd ensu'd, Discolour'd by a pious monarcli's blood : Wliose fall when first the tragic virgin saw. She fled, and left her province to the law.* * This, though it is certainly introduced by a circumstance of too much solemnity for the subject, is an allusion to the suppression of theatrical amusements, which from the time of the first rise of the puritans, had been the objects of their greatest detestation. 216 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. Her merry sister still pursued the game; Her garb was alter'd, but her gifts the same. She first reform'd the muscles of her face. And learn'd the solemn screw for signs of grace ; Then cirucmcis'd her locks, and form'd her tone By humming to a tabor and a drone. As wits seldom know, or at least consult, their own interest, we will not aver that our early dramatic poets did not, in a great degree, draw down the vengeance of the sectarians upon themselves. Shak- spcare, supposing him to have been the author of "The Puritan; or, the Widow of Watling Street," * had, in the cliaracter of Simon St. Antlins, Nicholas St. Mary Overifs, in the incident of nimming the gold chain, and in many other of the characters and circumstances of that piece, offended the party against which his satire was levelled beyond all hopes of forgiveness. Jonson, in the curious consideration of Ananias and Tribulation, f wiiicli ended in a resolution of the elders, upon a case of conscience, tliat though coining was unsancti- ficd, yet casting of ducats was to be deemed lawful ; the idea of Sir Epicure Mammon, of taking the lead of the churches, and converting it into gold, saying, at the same time, " Let them stand bare as do their auditory, J Or have them capp'd with shingles," which was a sneer at those who laboured for the demolition not only of the buildings but the hierarchy that had, it is probable, excited against him and his writings, and against •' the devil's workhouses," for so they called the theatres, very considerable indignation, which was greatly increased by the representation of that exquisite picture of local humour, or humours, " the Comedy of Bartholomew Fair." * Tliis, it is hardly necessary to state, is one of the seven plays that have been rejected by the commentators- Why ? they know better than wc do. It certainly has considerable humour, although of the broadest kind ; and though not in the usual style of Shakspeare, it ought to be remembered, that his genius was equal to every style. If he did not write it, who did i t Alchymist. t The puritans, among other reverend and polite habits, wore their hats during divine service in their conventicles. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 217 ITer eyes she disciplin'd precisely right, Both when to wink, and how to turn the white : Thus banish'd from the stage, she gravely next Assum'd the cloak, and quibbled o'er a text j But when, by miracle of mercy shewn, Much suffering Charles regain'd his father's throne. When peace and plenty overflow'd the land. She straight pull'd off her satin cap and band." Fenton's Poems, 8vo. 1717, |>. 71. In his character of Zeal-of-the-land Bi]sy, a Banbury elder, to whose other virtues he added that of inordinate gluttony, he inflamed the whole horde of Banbury saints, while the dispute betwixt him and the puppet Dionisius, beginning with, " Busy. First I say unto thee, idol, thou hast no calling. Puppet D. You lie! I am call'd Dionisius." equally irritated the m'etropolitan sectarians, of which, from a hint that appears in the prelude, he seems to have had an idea, though not attended with any apprehension that they would "censure by con- tagion;" though still less could heJ)elieve that they would cause that long suspension of theatrical amusements which, in the subsequent course of years, followed. Randolph, on the contrary, seems to hare had a presentiment of what, soon after his comedy of the Muses' Looking-glass was played ,* actually took place; so that the denunciation of Flowerdew may be deemed prophetic. " Flowerd. It was a zealous prayer I heard a brother make concerning play-houses. " Bird. For charity, what is it ? " Flowerd. That the Globe, Wherein (quoth he) reigns a whole world of vice, Had been consum'd : the Phoenix burnt to ashes ; The Fortune whipp'd fora blind whore; Black Fryars, He wonders how it 'scap'd demolishing. * Vir in 1638. F P 218 DRAMATIC LITERATURE. COPYRIGHT OF PLAYS. From an account of Bernard Lintot, the book< seller, the following information respecting the prices paid heretofore, for the copyright of plays is obtained. Tragedies were the fashionable drama and ob- tained the best price. Dr. Young received for his Busiris, eighty-four pounds. Rowe, for his Jane Shore, fifty pounds fifteen shillings, and for Lady Jane Grey seventy-five pounds five shillings. Gib- ber, for his Nonjuror, obtained one hundred and fifty pounds. Illustrations of Shakspeare and of Ancient Manners, by Francis Douce, Esq, 1S07, 2 vols, octavo, with numerous appropriate wood and copper cuts. I look upon this work as a sort of Horius Shakspearianus ; the research and learning bestowed on it are immense. Dibdin. Illustrations of Shakspeare, from designs by Stot- hard, 39 in number, price 21. I'th'time of reformation. Lastly, he wish'd The Bull might cross the Thames to the Bear Garden, And there be soundly baited." f + It was a complaint ofa writer, 1629, that seventeen play-houses had been built in sixty years. DRAMATIC LITERATURE. 219 The Essays of Richardson on the character of Shak- speare is a work of considerable elegance of style. Shakspeare and his times, by Dr. Drake, is a co- pious and instructive work, 1817. An Enquiry into the authenticity of the various pictures and prints of Shakspeare, with five engraved portraits of the great dramatist, by Boaden. Shakspeare's Genius justified' by Jackson, 1819, oc- tavo. A curious and interesting book. Mr. Jackson was a printer, and he saw professionally that many of the errors of the text of Shakspeare, arose from the ignorance of the printers of the first quarto and folio editions. The Character of Shakspeare's Plays, by William Hazlitt. The Life of Shakspeare, with Essays on the origi- nality of his dramatic plots and characters, and on the ancient theatres and theatrical usages, by Augustine Skottowe, Esq. 2 vols, octavo. The author's primary object is to compare the dramas of Shakspeare and their sources. The work is likewise intended to contain all the scattered information which the general reader can require beyond the common glossarial index and notes, affixed to the common edition. In Dekker's Gull's Home Book, speaking of the gallants of his time says, there is the French lacquey and Irish foot boy struggling at their doores with their master's hobby-horses to ride 220 DRAMATrC LITERATURE. to the newe play * so that as to the raiulevous thither they g^allopt in post ; let us take a pair of oars and row lustily after. SIGN OF SIIAKSPEARE, AT THE PERIOD OF THE ACCESSION OF GEORGE THE THIRD, I7G0. The grandest display of the art of sign-painting in the metropolis was exhibited near the corner of Little Russell Street, Drury-lane, in the whole length figure of Shakspeare, standing on the angle of the pavement opposite to a house which had been a tavern. This picture, for it really was a very beautiful one of our immortal l)ard, was painted by Catton,* who also painted the Indian Queen or Princess, and several of the superb signs in York Street. The carved and gilt frame of Shakspeare was magnificent; the iron-work correspondent. The attitudes of the figures on both sides this sign, for it had two fronts, were much admired : but, alas ! * This shews the correctness of the anecdote inserted by Dr. John- son in his edition of Shakspeare, communicated by Mr. Rowe to Mr. Pope, respecting those who were too proud, too tender, or too idle to walk, riding on horseback to the play ; and adds credibility to the suggestion that a holder of horses was the first of our immortal bard's Metropolitan occupations, though I am a little sceptical with re- gard to the appellation of Shakspeare Boys being retained by his successors for any lengtii of time after he found higher employment. • Charles Catton, Esq. who arrived at great eminence as a sign and coach painter, was one of the first forty Royal Academicians. DRAMATIC LITERATUllE. 221 when, by the revolution in these matters of taste which the statute for new paving created, that sign, with all the others, was taken down : many can re- member that it stood, faded, dirty, broken, and ex- posed for sale, at a broker's in Mount Street, Gros. venor Square. THE CURTAIN THEATRE. There can be no doubt ;ly recommended the person the governor and you proposed for that considerable office, lately fallen vacant in your department, and that there was good liopes of succeeding. He told me also that Mr. Pitt had said that it was not to be expected that offices such as that is, for which the greatest interest is made here at home, could be accorded to your recommenda- tion, but that as to the middling or inferior offices, if there was not some particular reason to the contrary, regard would be had thereto. This is all that can be reasonably desired : and if you are not infected with a certain Creolian distemper, (whereof I am persuaded your soul will utterly resist the con- tagion, as I hope your body will that of the natural ones,) there are few men so capable of that unperish- able happiness, that peace and satisfaction of mind, at least, that proceeds from being reasonable and moderate in our desires, as you. These are the treasures dug from an inexhaustible mine in our own breasts, which, like those in the kingdom of heaven, the rust of time cannot corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal. I must learn to work this mine a little more, being struck off from a certain hundred pounds a year which you know I had. West, Mallet, and I, were all routed in one day ; if you would know why — out of resentment to our friend in Argyll Street. Yet 1 have hopes given ENGLISH POETRY. 267 me of having it restored with interest some time or other. Oh, that some time or other is a great de- ceiver. Coriolaniis has not yet appeared on the stage, from the little dirty jealousy of Tullus* towards him who alone can act Coriolanus.t Indeed the first has en- tirely jockeyed the last off the stage for this season, like a giant in his wrath. Let us have a little more patience, Paterson; nay, let us be cheerful ; at last all will be well, at least all will be over — here I mean : God forbid it s^hould be so hereafter ! But as sure as there is a God, that ; will not be so. Now that I am prating of myself, know that, after fourteen or fifteen years, the Castle of Indolence comes abroad in a fortnight. It will certainly travel as far as Barbadoes. You have an apartment in it as a night pensioner ; which you may remember I filled up for you during our delightful party at North End. Will ever these days return again ? Don't you re- member eatingthe raw fish that were never caught ? All our friends are pretty much in statu quo, except it be poor Mr. Lyttleton. He has had the severest trial a human tender heart can have ; but the old physician, time, will at last close up his wounds, though there must alw ays remain an inward smarting. * Garrick. + Quin. 268 ENGLISH POETRY. Mitchell * is in the house for Aberdeenshire, and has spoke modestly well ; I hope he will be something else soon ; none deserves better; true friendship an humanity dwell in his heart. Gray is working hard to pass his accounts ; I spoke to him about that affair. If he gave you any trouble about it, even that of dunning, I shall think strangely, but I dare say he is too friendly to his old friends, and you are among the oldest. Symmer is at last tired of gaiety, and is going to take semi-country house, at Hammersmith. I am sorry that honest sensible Warrender (who is in town) seems to be stunted in church preferments. He ought to be a tall cedar in the house of the Lord. If he is not so at last, it will add more fuel to my in- dignation, that burns already too intensely, and throbs towards an eruption. Patrick Murdoch is in town, tutor to Admiral Ver- non's son, and is in good hope of another living in Suffolk, that country of tranquillity, where he will then burrow himself in a wife and be happy. Good- natured obi isfino- Miller is as usual. Though the doctor + increases in business he does not decrease in spleen, that is both humane and agree- able, like Jacques in the play ; I sometimes, too, have a touch of it. But I must break off this chat with you about your friends, which, were I to indulge in, would be end- • Afterwards Envoy to Berlin and a Knight of the Bath. + Dr. Armstrong. ENGLISH POETRY. 269 less. As for politics, we are, I believe, on the brink of a peace. The French are vapouring at present in the siege of Maestricht, at the same time they are mortally sick in their marine, and through all the vitals of France. It is a pity we cannot continue the war a little longer, and put their agonizing trade quite to death. This siege (I take it) they mean as their last flourish in the war. May your health, which never failed you yet, still continue, till you have scraped together enough to return home and live in some snug corner, as happy as the corycium stnex, in Virgil's fourth Georgic^ whom I recommend both to you and myself as a per- fect model of the honest happy life. Believe me to be ever, Most sincerely and affectionately Yours, James Thomson. Copy of a Letter from Thomson, the Poet, to Gavin Hamilton, Esq. at his house, Edinburgh. London, February the 18th, 1737. SIR, I lately heard from my sister's at Edinburgh, that you were so good as to promise to advance to them, on my account, a trifle of money which I pro- pose to allow them yearly. The sum is sixteen pounds sterling, and which I would have paid them eight pounds sterling at Mar- tinmas, and the other eight pounds at Whitsuntide, 270 ENGLISH POETRY. the payment to begin from last Martinmas. So that the first year will be completed at \V hitsunday next. Your doino- this 1 shall look upon as a particular favour, a iJ the money shall be paid here at your order as you please to direct. Please, upon receipt of this, to send to them at Mr. Gusthart's, and to advance to them the payment for last Martinmas, which place to my account. Had I had time this post, I would have written to them to wait upon you. I have a tragedy entitled Agamemnon, to be re- presented here about three weeks hence. Please to let me know how many copies I shall send to you, and you shall have them in full time. I have some thoughts of printing it for myself, but if I do not, I will take care you shall have what copies of it you demand. If I can serve you in any thing else here, I shall be very glad. Believe me to be, sir. Your most affectionate, Humble servant, James Thomson'. ENGLISH POETRY. 271 From Thomson (the poet) to Mrs. Robertson, zcho was ai Bath for the recovery of her health, along zcith her sister. Miss Young (Amanda,) afienturds married to Admiral Campbell. Kcw Lane, Nov. 27, 1742. MADAM, Give me leave to say that amongst all your friends nobodv longs more ardently after the full establish- ment of your health, than I do, first and foremost upon your own personal account, and secondly from more selfish motives, that you may soon return to supply to us the want of the sun by your company. You may perhaps think this compliment a little high strained, whereas, upon the faith of a melancholy, and as I hope to laugh again, I would for three or four hours of your company, give three or four months of such days as these. But at the same time I must be so bold as to add, that though it be down- right deep November, and you, Miss Berry, and Miss Young absent, none of us will push the com- pliment so far as to verify the French author's ob- servation, who begins his book thus: — It was in the month of November, when Englishmen hang and drown themselves — and yet I am dismal enough sometimes. Do, dear Mrs. Robertson, make haste to be well. 272 ENGLISH POETRY. Sorely do I grieve not to have been one of your 'squires the day you set out ; for besides the pleasure of attending" you and your companions, I hear very divertin*]^ accounts of the country, particularly of David's navigation on horseback ; how it blew a hard gale of riding with him; driving him now a great way on one side, and then, helm a lee, on the other ; how he had almost committed piracy on the high- Avay ; and how he was next morning, while asleep, deserted by the ship's crew, and left among the savages. I am furthermore informed, that being thereunto moved by the instigation of , and not having the fear of the ladies before his eyes, he was guilty of high treason against their sovereign beauty by uttering certain base, scandalous, and traitorous words ; for the which he must in due time undergo his trial. George Scott, judge, James Ro- bertson, attorney-general, and William Paterson, foreman of the jury. But by their mutual accusa- tions 1 find there is a heavy charge against them all. To think of leaving, nay, for some time actually to have left distrest ladies, under their protection, to travel in the dark, and through infamous places, where so many robberies had been committed the day before, is such a stain upon all chivalry as their return cannot entirely wipe off. They were indeed upon the brink of perdition ; for had they not returned, their swords must have been broken over their heads, their arras reversed, ENGLISH POETS. 273 and the ban of all gallantry published against them. Nobody would have drunk, nobody toasted them; and nothing" under making two or three campaigns in the service of that kersic lady, the Queen of Hungary, could have restored them to any degree of honour. I hope the ladies have got their clothes. To be at Bath, yet debarred from the rooms, must have been a cruel situation to such as know less how to converse with and enjoy themselves ? The very situation of Tantalus. And yet, notwithstanding, I do from my soul most sincerely pity you, to be so long doomed to a place so delightfully tiresome. Delightfully did I say? No : it is merely a scene of waking dreams, where nothing but the phantoms of pleasure fly about without any substance or reality. What a round of silly amusements, what a giddy circle of nothing, do these children of a larger size run every day. Nor does it only give a gay vertigo to the head, it has equally a bad influence on the heart. When the head is full of nothing but dress and scandal, and dice and cards, can the heart be sensible to those fine emotions, those tender, humane, generous passions, that form the soul of all virtue and happiness ? Oh then, ye lovers, never think to make any impression on the heart of your dissipated fair. But I ask pardon, for railing at a place you are obliged to be at, and which I hope will restore you to perfect health. Yes, that reconciles me to it again : and if my letter was not already too long, I could now make its panegyric. NN 274 ENGLISH POETRY. May I flatter myself with the hopes of hearing from you? If you send me your three names, and above them, we are well, I shall even be glad of that. Ma- dam, I am sorry to acquaint you that your husband, once famous for hospitality, has lost it all since you left this place. Pray be so good as to lay your commands upon him to treat us, some night or other, with a bowl of punch, that we may drink your healths. I had almost forgot to congratulate you on your con- venient lodgings, which 1 hear are exceedingly well furnished w ith stools and forms. But, to be quite serious, my lirst compliments, my most hearty respects, nay, in short, all the good wishes my heart can form, attend you all ! Believe me to be, with the utmost respect, Madam, Your and Miss Young's and Miss Berry's Devoted humble servant, James Thomson. Memoranda of Thomson^ the Poet^ and his associates; communicated by James Robertson, Esq. of Richmond, in Surrey, late Surgeon to the household at Kcw, October 17, 1791, to Thomas Parke, Esq. the Poet, and by him to the Earl of Buchan. HavQ you any objection, sir, to my taking down memorandums to a conversation ? Not in the least, I will procure you pen, ink, and paper immediately. ENGLfSII POETRY. 275 I understand, sir, you knew Thomson long ? I became acquainted with him in the year 1726, when he published his poem of Winter. He lived opposite to me, in Lancaster Court, in the Strand. I went to the East Indies soon after, which caused a chasm in our acquaintance : but on my return our intimacy was strengthened, and continued to the hour of his death. I do not know any man, living or dead, I ever esteemed more highly, and he was attached to me. I had once a complaint of a consumptive nature, which confined me much at home, and he was so good as to come often from Kew-lane to sit with me. Did you knov/ Amanda ? Know her ?— Yes, sir, I married her sister. Amanda was a Miss Young, daughter to Captain Gilbert Young, of the Gulyhill family, in Dum- friesshire, and was married afterwards to Admiral Campbell. She was a fine sensible woman ; and poor Thomson was desperately in love Avith her. Mr. Gilbert Young, her nephew, left my house this very morning. Thomson, indeed, was never wealthy enough to marry. His circumstances were said to have been in a flourishing way at the latter period of his life ? Sir, his circumstances never were very good, and would have been much worse, I believe, without my friendly interference. He was governed by the vis inertia, I think, to a great degree ? He was, sir. Mr. Collins, the brewer, has told me, that he was 276 ENGLISH POETRY. SO heedless in his money concerns, that in paying; him a bill for beer, he gave him two bank notes rolled together, instead of one. Collins did not perceive the mistake till he got home, and when he returned the note, Thomson appeared perfectly indifferent about the matter, and said he had enough to go on without it ! Mr. Robertson smiled at this anecdote, and said it was like him. He was not, I believe, one of the weeping philo- sophers. He was no T'eraclitus ? No, he was not indeed. I remember his being- stopped once, between London and Richmond, and robbed of his watch, and when I expressed my regret for his loss, "Pshaw, damn it," said he, "I am glad they took it from me, 'twas never good for anything." Was he national in his affections ? He had no prejudices whatever; he was the most liberal of men in all his sentiments. I have been told he used to associate with Parson Cromer and some other convivials, at the Old Orange Tree, in Kew Lane ? Relaxation of any kind was, to him, frequently desirable, and he could conform to any company. He was benevolent and social, both in his writings and in his life, as his friend, Dr. Armstrong, said on another occasion, he practised what he preached. Lord L's character of him, as an author, was per- fectly just, that in his last moments he had no cause to wish any thing bjotted he had ever written. I hear he kept very late hours ? No, sir, very early : he was always up at sunrise, but then he had never been in bed. ENGLISH POETRY. 277 Did you ever correspond with him ? Very seldom. We were so much together there was little opportunity or occasion for it. You do not happen to have any reliques of his hand writing ? I don't think I have ; but when 1 get my breath a little better I will look among my papers to try if 1 can find any. The kind old gentleman was warmed with the subject, and even set forward to his escritoire in the pursuit, but returned only with a letter from the late Dr. j\rmstrong, which he flattered himself con- tained something relative to Thomson. In this he was mistaken. It w as a rhapsody of thanks in return for being presented with a large bottle of spirits ; but it was well worth an airing. This, said Mr. R. will show you the intimate terms I was upon with Johnny Armstrong, who wrote that beautiful poem, " The Art of Preserving the Health." He was a very ingenious and excellent man. Did you know Dr. Patrick Murdoch, who wrote Thomson's Life. Ay, very well, and esteemed him. Pattie, as I always called him, had a good heart. Pope, as I have heard, used often to visit Thom- son ? Yes, frequently. Pope has sometimes said, Thom- son, I'll walk to the end of your garden, and then set off to the bottom of Kew-foot-lane and back. Pope, sir, courted Thomson, and Thomson was always admitted to Pope whether he had company 578 ENGLISH POETRY. or not; but Pope had a jealousy of every eminent writer ; he was a viper that gnaAved the file. Was Pope a great talker ? Pope, when he liked his company, was a very agreeable man. He was fond of adulation, and when he had any dislike, was a most bitter satirist. Thomson, I think, Avas very intimate with David Mallet, the editor of Bolingbroke ? Sir, that person's name was properly Malloch ; but I used to call him Moloch in our festive mo- ments, and Thomson enjoyed the jest. Sir, he had not Thomson's heart; he was not sound at the core ; he made a cat's-paw of Thomson, and I did not like the man on that account. Thomson had two cousins or nephews, who were gardeners, did Ihcy live Avith him ? No, they did not live with him, they lived upon him. He was so generous a man that if he had but two eggs he Avould have given them both away. Were you acquainted Avith Mr. Gray, Avho lived at Richmond Hill ? Yes, I kneAV a John Gray, Avho Avas a victualler. He purchased Thomson's collection of prints and draAvings after his decease, but I believe purely out of ostentation. You must have had great influence over him, sir, from several circumstances you have men- tioned, but Avish to be suppressed ? Without ostentation or vanity, sir, I really Aery often have Avondered hoAV I came to have so much, and the rest of his friends AVondered too ; ENGLISH POETRY. 279 for I do say it most sincerely, that I never could find out what made Thomson and many of these geniuses so partial to me as they appeared. Then, sir, I suspect you are the only one who could not make the discovery? Sir, I w as not fishing- for a compliment, I do as- sure you. If you had, sir, I should not have snatched so eagerly at your bait. I suppose you attended .Thomson in a medical as well as in a social capacity ? Yes, Armstrong and myself were with him till his last moments. I was in the room with him when he died. A putrid fever carried him off in less than a week. He seemed to me to be de- sirous not to live, and I had reason to think that my sister-in-law was the occasion of this. He could not bear the thoughts of her being married to another. Pray did you attend his funeral ? Indeed I did, and a real funeral it was to me, as Quin said w hen he spoke the prologue to Corio- lanus, " I was in truth no actor there." Did you hear Quin speak that prologue, sir ? Yes, I could not have been absent. Were you the only intimate friend w ho paid the last tribute of respect to Thomson's remains ? No, sir, Quin attended, and Mallet, and another friend, whose name I do not recollect. He was inter- red in the north-west corner of Richmond church, just where the christening pew now stands. I pointed 280 ENGLISH POETRY. out the place to the sexton's widow, that she might might show it to strang-ers. Did you knoAV Andrew Millar, the bookseller ? I knew hiin well. He took a box near Thom- son's, in Kew-lane, to keep in with him as an author who might be profitable to him. Andrevr was a good natured man, and not an unpleasant companion, bu^ he was a little contracted in mind by his business, and had the dross of a bookseller about him. Did you know Paterson ? Yes, Paterson had been clerk to a countinff- house in the city, went for some time abroad, and on his return was amanuensis to Thomson, was his deputy as surveyor-general of the Leeward Islands, and succeeded him in that office, but he did not live long to enjoy it, I believe not more than two years. Collins, the poet, and Hammond, author of the Love Elegies, visited Thomson ? Yes. Ah ! poor Collins, he had much genius, but half mad. Hammond was a gentleman, and a very pleasant man. Yet Thomson, I remember one day called him a burnished butterfly. Quin, the come- dian, was a sincere friend of Thomson; he was na- turally a most humane and friendly man, and only put on the brute when he thought it was expected from him by those who gave him credit for the character. Was the anecdote of Quin and Thomson true ? Yes, I believe it was. Boswell surmised that Thomson was a much coarser man than is commonly allowed ? ENGLISH POETRY. 281 Sir, Thomson was neither a petit maitre nor a boor ; he had simplicity without rudeness, and a cultivated manner without being courtly. He had a great aversion to letter writing, and did not attempt much of prose composition of any kind- His time for composition was generally at the dead of night, and was much in his summer house, which, together with every memorial of his residence, is carefully preserved by the Honourable Mrs. Boscawen. ' Did you know, sir, of any other attachments of Thomson's except that to his Amanda ? No, I believe he was more truly attached to my little wife and her sister than to any one else, next to Amanda. Mr. H. of Bangor, said he he was once asked to dinner by Thomson, but could not attend ; one of his friends, who was there, told him that there was a general stipula- tion agreed on by the whole company, that there should be no hard drinking. Thomson acquiesced, only requiring that each man should drink his bottle. The terms were accepted uncondition- ally, and Avhen the cloth was removed, a three quart bottle was set before each of his guests. Thomson had much of this kind of agreeable humour. Mr. Aikman the painter, and Dr. De la Cour, a physician and ingenious writer, were intimate and beloved friends of Thomson. Mr. Aikman was a gentleman of competent estate, and was always friendly to Thomson. Sir, I cordially thank you for this kindness, in o o 282 ENGLISH POETRY. suffering yourself to be teased with interrogations ; and when Lord Buchan's tablet on the grave of the poet, shall be imposed in Richmond church, I shall hope to see you tripping across the green to take a peep at it. Sir, if I can crawl across for such a gratifica- tion, I shall certainly do it. We then twice shook hands and parted. In- telligent old gentleman ! Little was I aware that his lengthened eve of life was so very near its close ! He was taken seriously ill a few hours after I left him, Monday, October 24, and on the Friday fol- lowing he died, and was buried on Saturday the 4th of November, by the south side of Richmond church. Mors ultima linea rerum est. (Signed) T. P. UNPUBLISHED POETRY BY THOMSON. Verses hy Thomson^ addressed to Miss Young, his Amanda, from the 31SS. in Lord Buchan's collection. Ah ! urge too late ! from beauty's bondage free, Why did 1 trust my liberty with thee? And thou, why dost thou with inhuman art. If not resolved to take, seduce my heart? And when your glances chanced on me to shine, How my fond soul ecstatic sprang to thine; ENGLISH POETRY. 283 But mark me fair one ! what I now declare, A deep attention claims a serious care. It is no common passion fires my breast ; I must be wretched or I must be blest; My woes all other remedy deny, Or pitying give me hope, or bid me die! Verses by Thomson on the death of his Mother.* Ye fabled muses, I your aid disclaim, Your very raptures, and y«ur fancied flame. True genuine woe my throbbing heart inspires, Love prompts my lays, and filial duty fires. My soul springs instant at the warm design, , And the heart dictates ev'ry flowing line. See! where the kindest, best of mothers lies, And death has closed her ever watching eyes. Has lodged at last in peace her weary breast, And luU'd her many piercing cares to rest. No more the orphan train around her stands. While her full heart upbraids her needy hands ; No more the widow's lonely fate she feels, The shock severe that modest want conceals; Th' oppressor's scorn, the source of wealthy pride, And poverty's unnumbered ills beside ; For see ! attended by the angelic throng. Thro' yonder worlds of light she glides along ; * From the original, formerly in the collection of the Earl of Buchan, by whom it was presented, with other interesting pieces, by the poet, in a dedication copy of the quarto edition of the Seasons, to the University of Edinburgh. 284 ENGLISH POETRY. And claims the well earned raptures of the sky, Yet fond concern recalls the mother's eye ; — She seeks th' unfriended orphans left behind, So hardly left ! so bitterly resigned ! — Still ! still ! is she my soul's diurnal theme, The waking vision, and the wailing dream ; Amid the ruddy sun's enlivening blaze, O'er my dark eyes the dewy image plays, And in the dread dominion of the night. Shines out again the sadly pleasing sight ; Triumphant virtue all around her darts, And more than volumes every look imparts ; Looks soft yet awful, melting yet serene, Where both the mother and the saint are seen. But ah ! that night— that tort'ring night remains. May darkness dye it with its deepest stains ! May joy on it forsake her rosy bow'rs, And streaming sorrow blast its baleful hours ! When on the margin of the briny flood, Chill'd with a sad presaging damp I stood ; Took the last look, ne'er to behold her more, And mix'd our murmurs with the wat'ry roar; — Heard the last words fall from her pious tongue, Then wild into the bulging vessel flung, Which soon, too soon, convey 'd me from her sight. Dearer than life, and liberty and light ! Why was I then, ye powers ! reserved for this, Nor sunk immediate in the vast abyss ? Down ye wild wishes of relentless woe ! I see her Avith immortal beauty glow ; The early wrinkle, care contracted, gone. Her tears all wip'd, and all her sorrows flown. ENGLISH POETRY. I see her through the blest apartments rove ; And now she meets her dear expecting love. Heart easing sight ! if not in part o'erspread, By the dark gloom of griefs uncheerful shade But, round me light ! let this reflection pour \_Several lines wanting.^ 285 The following Stanzas written by Thomson on the blank leaf of a copy of his Seasons, were sent by him to the good Lord Lyttleton, soon after the death of his Lucy. Go, little book, and find our friend, Who nature and the muses loves , Whose cares the public virtues blend With all the softness of the groves. A fitter time thou canst not chuse, His fostering friendship to repay ; Go then, and try, my rural muse, To steal his widow'd hours away. Tliomson to his Amanda,^ with a present of his Seasons. Accept, lov'd nymph ! this tribute due To tender friendship, love, and you ; Bat with it take what breath'd the whole, O ! take to thine the poet's soul. If fancy here her power displays. And if a heart exalts these lays, ^ • Miss Young. 286 ENGLISH POETRY. You fairest in that fancy shine, And all that heart is fondly thine. Beautiful Song hy Thomson. TO MYRA;+ O thou whose tender serious eyes Expressive speak the mind I love, The ffentle azure of the skies, The pensive shadows of the grove ; O mix their beauteous beams with mine. And let us interchange our hearts, Let all their sweetness on me shine, Pour'd through my soul be all their darts. Ah ! 'tis too much — I cannot bear At once so soft, so keen a ray; In pity then my lovely fair ! O turn those killing eyes away! But what avails it to conceal One charm, where nought but charms we see ? Their lustre then again reveal, And let me, Myra, die of thee. On visiting Richmond Church in the summer of ] 825, I could not help being struck with the small and unobtrusive brass tablet placed against the wall at the west end of the north aisle, by the late + This beautiful song, thougii addressed to Myra, was meant for his Amanda. ENGLISH POETRY. 287 Earl of Buchan, the warm admirer of Thomson. When around me (to use the beautiful words of Geoffrey Crayon,) were monuments of every age and style; tombs of knights and high born dames of gorgeous workmanship, with their effigies in coloured marble. On every side the eye was struck with some instance of aspiring mortality; some haughty memorial which human pride had erected over its kindred dust, in this temple of the most humble of all religions. The size of the tablet is about two feet square, with the following inscrip- tion. — " In the earth below this tablet are the re- mains of James Thomson, author of the beautiful poems entitled The Seasons, who died at Richmond on the 22nd of August, and was buried there on the 29th O.S. 1748." I could wish to see the day when this humble piece of brass might be accompanied by a suitable marble monument to the memory of this great poet of na- ture, from the chisel of his enthusiastic admirer, Charles Rossi, R.A. who has produced some of his finest compositions from the Seasons of Thomson. I cannot at the same time but feel much regret at the scanty and imperfect materials extant relative to his life ; and I wish that some talented individual would undertake to give him his due meed of fame. John- son is evidently illiberal towards him because he was a Scotchman, and describes very erroneously his si- tuation on his coming to London. He has thought proper to say, that " his first want was a pair of shoes,'''' whereas he was liberally supplied with money and 288 ENGLISH POETRY. other necessaries prior to his leaving Edinburgh, by a friend of his mother. In describing his person Dr. Johnson could not lose the opportunity of show- ing his antipathy to his northern countrymen, by ap- plying to him the epithet '^tnore fat than bard be- seems. ^^ About thirty years ago Lord Buchan pub- lished an Essay towards a new life of Thomson, from which many interesting particulars might be gleaned ; it is now become very scarce, as there were only five hundred copies printed. About two years since I had, in my possession, a manuscript collection of his early unpublished poems, which was given to me by a lady related to the Montrose family, to one of whom Mallet was tutor when Thomson came to London. Lord Buchan kindly permitted an original miniature of the poet, by Slaughter, in his possession, to be engraved from, which is much superior to any por- traits of him now extant. The manuscript contains fifty-five folio pages, with an index at the end. The fifth of these pieces, as to the order of selection, is a paraphrase of the 104th Psalm ; a performance which the poet delivered in the Divinity School of Edinburgh, about a year after his matriculation, and of which piece both Mr. Mur- doch and Dr. Johnson mention in high terms of com- mendation, though it has never been seen in print. I shall here subjoin some extracts. PSALM CIV. PARAPHRASED. To praise thy author, soul, do not forget. Canst thou in gratitude deny the debt ? — Lord, thou art great, how great we cannot know, Honour and majesty do round thee flow. ENGLISH POETRY. 289 The purest rays of primogenial light, Compose thy robes and make them dazzling bright ; The heavens and all the wide spread orbs on high, Thou like a curtain stretched of curious dye ; On the devouring flood thy chambers are Established ; a lofty cloud's thy car ; Which quick thro' the ethereal road doth fly, On swift wing'd winds that shake the troubled sky. * The changing moon he clad with silver lieht. To check the black dominion of the nisrht : High through the skies in silent state she rides, And by her rounds the fleeting time divides. The circling sun doth in due time decline, And unto shades the murmurins: world resigns. How many are thy wond'rous works, O Lord ! They of thy wisdom many proofs afford ; Out of thy boundless goodness thou didst fill With riches and delights both vale and hill. I'll to God's honour consecrate my lays, And when I cease to be, I'll cease to praise. The young poet was much noticed by Sir William Bennet, of Grubbat, whom he frequently visited ; * These blanks are occasioned by the mice having eaten part of the MS. P P 690 ENGLISH POETRY. the circumstance, I believe, is mentioned by Mur- doch. A POETICAL EPISTLE TO SIR WILLIAM UENNET, BART. OF GRUBBAT. My trembling muse your honour does address, That it's a bold attempt most humbly I confess ; If you'll encourage her young fagging flight, She'll upwards soar and mount Parnassus height. If little things may be with great compar'd, In Rome it so with the divine Virgil fared ; The tuneful bard Augustus did inspire. Made his great genius flash poetic fire; But if upon my flight your honour frowns, The muse folds up her wings, and dying,— justice owns. HYMN TO god's POWER. Hail! Power Divine, who by thy sole command, From the dark empty space. Made the broad sea and solid land, Smile with a heavenly grace. Made the hierh mountain and firm rock, Where bleating cattle stray ; And the strong stately spreading oak, That intercepts the day. The rolling planets thou mad'st move. By thy effective will ; And the revolving globes above, Their destin'd course fulfil. ENGLISH POETRY. His mighty power, ye thunders, praise, As through the heavens you roll ; And his great name, ye lightnings, blaze, Unto the distant pole. Ye seas, in your eternal roar, His sacred praise proclaim ; While the inactive sluggish shore, Re-echoes to the same. Ye howling winds, howl out his praise, And make the forests bow ; While thro' the air, the earth, and seas, His solemn praise ye blow. O you high harmonious spheres. Your pow'rful mover sing; To him your circling course that steers. Your tuneful praises bring. Ungrateful mortals, catch the sound, And in your num'rous lays, To all the list'ning world around. The God of nature praise. 291 UPON THE HOOP. The hoop, the darling justly of the fair, Of ev'ry generous swain deserves the care. It is unmanly to desert the weak, 'Twould urge a stone, if possible, to speak ; To hear staunch hypocrites bawl out and cry, This hoop's a whorish garb, fy I ladies, fy ! 292 ENGLISH POETRY. O cruel and audacious men, to blast The fame of ladies more than vestals chaste ; Should you go search the globe throughout, You'll find none so pious and devout; So modest, chaste, so handsome, and so fair, As our dear Caledonian ladies are. When awful beauty puts on all her charms, Nought gives our sex such terrible alarms, As when the hoop and tartan both combine To make a virgin like a goddess shine. Let quakers cut their clothes unto the quick, And with severities themselves afllict ; But may the hoop adorn Edina's street. Till the south pole shall with the northern meet. It has been said that Thomson never composed a piece in the Scottish dialect, after the manner of Ramsay and Burns ; no specimen of this kind is ex- tant. The following piece will show that he posses- sed powers for this kind of writing, and sometimes indulged his muse in this way. AN ELEGY UPON JAMES TIIERBURN, IN CHATTO. Now, Chatto, you're a dreary place, Pale sorrow broods on ilka face ; Therburn has run his race. And now, ah me, alas ! The carl lays dead. Having his paternoster said. He took a dram and Avent to bed; ENGLISH POETRY. £93 He fell asleep and death was s^lad, That he had catch'd him ; For Therburn was e'er ill bested, That none did watch him. For had the carl but been aware, That meagre death, who none does spare, T'attempt sic things should ever dare, As stop his pipe ; He might have come to flee or skare; The greedy gipe. How he'd had but a gill or twae, Death wouM nae got the victory sae Nor put poor Therburn o'er the brae, Into the grave ; Therburn, for ever more farewell. And be thy grave both dry and deep ; And rest thy carcass soft and well. Free from .... no night Disturb Many of the pieces are pastorals, in imitation of Virgil. The following extract from one of them will show his early preference for describing the beauties of nature. — ^ I love the cottage and the eountry fare, The various products of the teeming year. » Lost in the MS. 294 ENGLISH POETRY. In the clear silver brook I love to spy The headlong mountains and the downward sky; To tend my flock upon the smiling plains, And join the chorus of the country swains. Dr. Dibdin says of Thomson, I much regret that a sort of variorum edition has not been published. I once collected several of the earlier impressions, with a view of satisfying- myself about the best readings, but have long since abandoned the pursuit. I learn that Mr. Mitford, the editor of Gray, has some thought of maturing a similar plan, and of giving the fruits of it to the public. I think a neat post octavo edition of his works, with embellishments, and a new biogra- phy, in which all the materials now scattered about in various quarters might be collected, Avould be acceptably received by the public. Thomson sold his Winter to Millar the bookseller, for three guineas. He gained but little more for his Summer. When he rose in reputation, Andrew Millar gave him fifty guineas for his Spring. The Winter lay like waste paper at the publisher's, until a gentleman of taste, Mr. Mitchell, promulgated its merits in the best circles. Andrew Millar save him j^lS7. \0s. for Sophonisba, a tragedy. Every lover of nature will join in the beautiful sentiment of Theocritus. That future poets may con- tinue to sing of pastoral life. M.-^hoov y^iKtuh; (SoTuvuts hciC7ria.vQsl(rai 'A/A7rg8»ov /3X)jp^0(VT0, (Sosg 8' ayeArjSov ej auAiv Epp(;OjU,£va< cxJTrvaToy eTri vols, octavo, 31 12*. This is an admirable work. WiLKS. Historical Sketches of the South of India, by Colonel Mark Wilks, 3 vols, quarto, Gl 6s. Du Bois. Observations on the Manners, Customs, &c. of India, by the A])be Du Bois, quarto, 21 2s. • Letters on Christianity in India, oc- tavo, 7*. Buchanan. On an Ecclesiastical Establishment for India, by Dr. Claudius Buchanan, 6s. Ecclesiastical Researches, octavo, IO.t. Apology for Christianity in India, 6s. Keppell. Personal Narrative of a Journey from India to England by Bussorah, the Ruins of Ba- bylon, &c. 2 vols, octavo, plates, ll 4*. Walpole. Memoir on European, Asiatic and European Turkey, from the manuscript journals VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 323 of Modern Travellers, plates, quarto, by the Rev. Robert Walpole, 31 3s. Walpole. Travels in Various Countries of the East, being- a continuation of the preceding, quarto, 31 3s. Buckingham. Travels in Palestine, by James Buckingham, 2 vols, octavo, \l lis 6d. • Travels among the Arab Tribes, quarto, 21 I2s 6d. Travels in Mesopotamia and Visit to the Ruins of Babylon, quarto, plates, 31 3s. Wilson. Travels in the Holy Land, by VTilliam Rae Wilson, octavo, 18^. Sketches of India, by the author of Recollections of the Peninsula, 10^ 6d. Asiatic^Researches, or Transactions of the Society instituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the His- tory, Antiquities, &c. of Asia, by Sir William Jones and others, plates, 11 vols, octavo, 71. These volumes are full of the most curious and valuable intelli* gence in every possible form relating to Asia. Marco Polo. The Travels of Marco Polo, a Ve- netian, in the 13th century, from the Italian, with notes byW.Marsden, map, quarto, 21 ]2s 6d. Mr. Marsden's book should be in every professed collection of Voyages and Travels. Jones. The Works of Sir William Jones throw much light upon the History and Antiquities of the East ; they are in J 3 octavo vols. 61. Hamilton. The Gazetteer of India, by Hamilton. Geographical Description of Hindos- tan, in 2 quarto vols. 1820. These are works of the most obvious utility and merit. 324 VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. Frazer. Narrative of a Journey across the Hi- malaya Mountains, by James Baillie Frazer, quarto. Turner. An Account of the Embassy to the Court ofTeshoo Lama, with views by Lieutenant Davis, by Samuel Turner, Esq. This performance is one of the most perfect of those which re- late to the northern parts of India. Symes. An Account of the Embassy to Ava, by Major Symes, 3 vols, octavo. Snodgrass. An Account of the Burmese War, by Major Snodgrass, octavo, 15*. Kirkpatrick. a Mission to Nepaul, by Colonel Kirkpatrick, quarto, 21 2s. This elegant volume is elaborately reviewed in the 5th volume of the Quarterly. Elphinstone. 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The incomparable maps of Major Rennell are highly meritori- ous on the score of scrupulous accuracy. KiNNEiR. A Geographical Memoir of the Persian Empire, quarto, 2/ 2s. Journey through Asia Minor, &c. 16.y, 1818. BuRCKHARDT. Travels in Syria and Mount Sinai, by John Lewis Burckhardt, quarto, 21 2s. Barrow. An Account of Lord Macartney's Em- bassy to China, by John Barrow, Esq. 2 vols, quarto, — Travels in China, plates, quarto, 21 lOs. Cochin China, plates, quarto. Si \3s 6d. Staunton. An Account of the Embassy of Lord Macartney to the Emperor of China, by Sir George Staunton, 3 vols. octavo, 1/4*, or in quarto, with atlas of plates, 6/ Gs. Hall. An Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Coreaand the great Loo Choo Island, with coloured plates, by Captain Basil Hall, quarto, 2/ 2*, 1 vol. post octavo, 7*. Macleod. Voyage of the Alceste to China, octavo, 12*. 326 VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. Ellis. 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Travcls in Nubia and the Interior of North Eastern Africa, by John Lewis Burck- hardt, quarto, 21 2s. The sixteciilli and seventeenth volumes of the Quarterly Re- VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 327 view, contain an interesting account of this unfortunate travel- ler. Bruce. Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, in the year 1768 to 1773, by James Bruce, 7 vols, octavo, and atlas, quarto, C/ 6s. Lyoi^. Travels in Northern Africa, by Captain G. F. Lyon, quarto, coloured plates, 21 2*. Ali Bey. Travels in Morocco and Tripoli, by Ali Bey, 2 vols, plates, 21 2s. Legh. Travels in Egypt ^bove the Cataracts of the Nile, plates, 12^. Waddington. Journal of a Visit to Ethiopia, by Georo-e Waddington, Esq. and the Rev. B. Han- bury, 4to. 1823, 21 2s. Salt- Voyages to Abyssinia, by Henry Salt, Esq. 4to. plates, 51 5s. Of recent authors few stand more deservedly high than Mr. Salt. The share his researches bear in the travels of Lord Va- lentia and Mr. Belzoni, and particularly his own volumes, rank him high in this class. Shaw. Travels through Barbary, by G. Shaw, Esq. 2 vols. Svo. 18s. Jackson. An Account of the Empire of Morocco, by J. G. Jackson, Esq. quarto and octavo, iOsGd. Park. Travels in the Interior of Africa, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797, and during a subse- quent mission in 1805, 2 vols, quarto, 1823, 31 \3s 6d. This edition contains Major Rennell's valuable Me- moirs on the Geography of Africa, a portrait of the author, and maps and plates. Dr. Dibdin mentions here the Narrative of James 328 VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. Riley, wrecked on the Western Coast of Africa, and the Sufferings of his Crew. TucKEY. Narrative of an Attempt to explore the River Zaire, usually called the Congo, by Cap- tain Tuckey, R.N. quarto, 21 2s. BowDiCH. An Account of a Mission from Cape Coast Castle to the Kino-dom of Ashantee in Africa, by T. Bowdich, Esq. coloured plates, SI 3s. Dupui^. Journal of a Residence in Ashantee, quarto, plates, 21 ]2s 6d. BuRCHEi-L. Travels in the Interior of Africa, by W. J. Burchell, Esq. with 116 engravings, 2 vols, quarto, 9/ 9*. This book contains a more extensive and important account of the interior of South Africa than any yet published. They were undertaken with the intention of exploring the unknown coun- tries lying between the Cape of Good Hope and the Portuguese settlements on the western coast. They were continued during five years over 4,500 miles, in regions never yet trodden by Euro- pean foot. Barrow. Travels in Africa, by W. Barrow, Esq. 2 vols. 4to. 31 3s. Percivae. An Account of the Cape of Good Hope, by Percival, 4to. 14*. Denham and Clapperton. Researches and Dis- coveries in Africa, by Major Denham and Captain Clapperton, quarto, plates, 4cl 14* 6d, 2 vols, oc- tavo, 1/ IC*. AMERICA.— North. American Atlas, or a Guide to the History of North and South America and the West Indies, pub- VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 329 lislied at Philadelphia by Messrs. Cary and Lea. Dr. Dibdin says this admirable publication will give a complete notion of the extent, variety, and characteristic features of this stupendous country. It is a small atlas folio of 53 charts; each chart is accompanied by a marginal text, containing a summary account of the situation, extent, soil, climate, mountains, rivers, chief towns, commerce, education and government; with an his- torical sketch of every portion of North and South America there delineated. Morse. American Geography, by Morse, octavo, Warden. A Statistical, Political, and Historical Account of the United States of North America, 3 vols, octavo, 1^ 16*. James. An Account of an Expedition from Pitts- burgh to the Rocky Mountains, by Edwin James, in 1819-20, 3 vols, octavo. 1/ 16*. WEST INDIES. Edwards. The History, Civil and Commercial, of the British West Indies, including that of Saint Domingo, in five volumes, octavo, maps and plates, 31. Six Months in the West Indies, duodecimo, 8*. Tour in Jamaica, octavo, plates, 12*. Stewart's View of the Island of Jamaica, octavo, 10*. SOUTH AMERICA. SouTHEY. The History of Brazil, by Robert Sou- they, Esq. 3 vols, quarto, 71 15*. This excellent work comprises the rise and progress of all the u u 330 VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. European Colonies, from the Andes to the Atlantic, and from the Plata to the river of the Amazons. His performance will un- doubtedly command the attention and applause of posterity. Ulloa. Travels in South America, by Antonio de Ulloa, translated in 1758, iti 2 vols, octavo. An interesting book. Spix and Marti us. Travels in Brazil, in 1817-18- 19-21), undertaken by command of His Majesty, the King- of Bavaria, 4 vols, octavo, by Dr. Von Spix and Dr. Charles Von Martins, 21 8s. The whole of the country from the 24th degree of south lati- tude to Para under the equator, and thence to the frontiers of Peru, is described. ScHMiDTMEYER. Travels in Chili, by Schmidt- meyer, plates, quarto, 21 2s. Waterton. Wanderings in South America, by Charles Waterton, Esq. quarto, plates, 1/ lis Gd. Graham. Journal of a Voyage to Brazil, in ISisJl, 1822, 1823, by Maria Graham, 1 vol. 21 2s. Journal of a Residence in Chili, in 1822- 1823, by Maria Graham, quarto, 21 ]2s 6J. Humboldt. The Personal Narrative of M. de Humboldt's Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent, in five octavo volumes, 4:1 Is, translated by Helen Maria Williams. Four more volumes are in course in publication, to complete this work. Jjesearches on the Institutions and Mo- numents of the ancient Inhabitants of America, 2 vols, octavo, plates. Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain, 4 vols, octavo, 31 13s 6d, boards. Geog-nosiical Essay on the superposi- tion of Rocks in both Hemispheres, octavo, 14 . To contemplate these productiors ;is the work of one man, VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 331 and of hit coadjutor, might in after age* stagger belief, if the fact were not established beyond doubt. And yet Monsieur Humboldt is in the vigour of life, meditating, it is said, a jump over the rival mountains of the Ilimmalaya, rcinged in the Eastern world. Able criticisms of those stupendous works have appeared in the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews. MiERs. Travels in Chili and La Plata, 2 vols. octavo, plates, 2/ 2*. Head. Rough Notes of some rapid Journeys across the Pampas, by Captain Head, post octavo, 9s 6d. 3fn (Dcnerai CoHcction^. Swift says, writers of travels, like dictionary ma- kers, are sunk into oblivion, by the weight and bulk of those w ho come last, and therefore lie uppermost. PiNKERTON. A Collection of the best and most in- teresting Vo\ages and Travels in all parts of the World, numerous plates, in 17 quarto volumes, 18^ 18*. Kerr. A general Collection of Voyages and Tra- vels, in !8 volumes, octavo, 18ll-2'2. BuRNEY. A Collection of Voyages and Discovericis in the Pacific, by Admiral Burney, 5 volumes, quarto, 9^. His book displays a rare union of nautical and literary re- search; and the liberal spirit which it breathes is alike honor- able to his profession and his country. Dihdin. Modern Traveller, published in monthly parts at 2s 6d each. CLARKE. Travels in various parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, by Dr. Edward Daniel Clarke, 12 vols, octavo, with plates. 332 VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. SDi^cotJcric^ of ^abigator^. The Europeans have scarcely visited any coast but to gratify avarice and extend corruption; to ar- rogate dominion without right, and practise cruelty without incentive. Much knowledge has been ac- quired, and much cruelty been committed; the belief of religion has been very little propagated, and its laws have been outrageously and enormously vio- lated; but there is reason to hope that out of so much evil good may sometimes be produced, and that the light of the gospel will at last illuminate the sands of Africa and the deserts of America, though its progress cannot but be slow when it is so much obstructed by the lives of Christians, Dr. Johnson. Ctopagc!^ rounti tljje i^^oritl♦ Cook. Three Voyages round the World, by Capt. James Cook, 7 volumes octavo, with maps and plates, ol \os Qd. Vaucouver. a Voyage round the World, plates, 6 vols, octavo, performed between 1790-1795, 21 8*. Krusentern. Voyage round the World, quarto, 11 10s. Bougainville. Voyage round the World. KoTZEBUE. Voyage of Discovery, 3 vols, octavo, II \Qs. Arago. Voyage round the World, published in quarto, with plates. VOYAGES AND TRAV^ELS. 333 Historical Sketch of tlie Progress of Discovery, Na- vigation, and Commerce, from the earliest re- cords to the beginning of the nineteenth century, by William Stevenson, Esq. in one large volume octavo, price 14*. This Historical Sketch has been drawn up with reference to, and in order to form the ISth and concluding volume of Kerr's Voyages and Travel?. But though drawn up with this object, it is strictly and entirely an independent and separate work. At the conclusion of the volume is given a select catalogue of Voy- ages and Travels, which, it is hoped, will be found generally use- ful, not only in directing reading and inquiry, but also in the formation of a library. a^attjmiaticiEf* ELEMENTARY AND HIGHER MATHEMATICS. 1. ELEMENTARY. On entering this department no work can be con- sulted with greater advantage than the Outlines ofPhilosophical Education, by Professor Jardine of Glasgow, in post octavo, JO* 6d. Euclid. The Elements of Euclid, by Simpson octavo, 9*. Elements of Geometry, from the Greek of Euclid, octavo, 85. BoNNYCASTLE. The Elements of Geometry by Bonnycastle, octavo, 10* 6d. HuTTON. A Treatise on Mensuration, octavo, 18s. Barrow. Geometrical Lectures by Stone. 334 MECHANICS. L/EGENDRE. The Elements of Geometry, and of Spherical Trigonometry, edited by Dr. Brewster, octavo, 10s 6d. ViNCE. On Plane and Spherical Trigonometry, and on the nature and use of Logarithms. WoouHousE. Treatise on Plane and Spherical Tri- gonometry, octavo, 9s 6d, Bridge. Plane Trigonometry, octavo, 4^. Conic Sections, by the same author, 5s. HuTTox. A Mathematical and Philosophical Dic- tionary, by Dr. Hutton, 2 vols, quarto, 61 6s. A Course of Mathematics, 3 vols, octavo, Uns6d. Tracts on Mathematical and Philosophi- cal Subjects, plates, 3 volumes octavo, 11 ils 6d. Recreations in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, one hundred plates, 4 vols. 31 3s. ALGEBRA. EuLER. Algebra, by Euler, with notes by Ber nouille, 2 vols, octavo. Bridge. Lectures on Algebra, octavo, 7s. Taylor. Elements of Algebra, compiled from the French of Garnier, octavo. higher mathematics. Emerson. The Doctrine of Fluxions, octavo, 8s. Creswell. Treatise on the Geometrical and Alge- braical Investigation of Maxima and Minima, oc- tavo, I2s. MATHEMATICS. 335 Cresvvell. On Geometry, with the Elements of Solid Geometry, octavo, 14*. HuTTON. Tables of Logarithms, octavo. Taylor. Tables ofLogarithms, octavo. In Geometry Dr. Johnson (in his admirable pre- face to Dodsley's Modern Preceptor, which contains many excellent hints on education,) recommends the perusal ofTacquet, afterwards Euclid, Keil, and Sir Isaac Newton. This department comprehends, — 1. MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS. 2. APPLICATION OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES TO THE ARTS. 3. EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS. 4. CHEMISTRY. 5. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 6. BOTANY AND VEGETABLE PHYSIOLOGY. 7. ZOOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. Dr. Johnson justly observes our inquiry ought to be, not what degrees of knowledge are desirable, but what are in most situations of life indispensably required ; and the choice should be determined, not by the splendour of any part of literature, but by the extent of its use, and the inconvenience which its neglect is likely to produce. DuPiN. Mathematics practically applied to the Useful and Fine Arts, by Baron Charles Dupin, adapted to the present state of the arts by Dr. Birkbeck, in 1 octavo volume. 336 PHYSICS. This certainly forms the most valuable and complete course of mathematics, applied to the arts, yet given to the public. HuTTON. Mechanics, by Dr. Huttoii, octavo. Wood. The Principles of Mechanics, by James Wood, 5s. The Elements of Optics, octavo, 6s. Ferguson. Lectures on Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Optics, &c. enlarged by Dr. Brewster, 2 vols, octavo, ]l 5s. Gregory. Treatise of Mechanics, Theoretical, Practical, and Descriptive, by Dr. Olinthus Gre- gory, many plates, 3 vols, octavo, 2/ '2s. Tredgold. The Steam Engine, comprising an ac- count of its invention and progressive improve- ment, by Thomas Tredgold, quarto, U I5s, plates. There is also the excellent work of Mr. Partinaton, in octavo, and likewise that of Mr. Farey, in quarto, with numerous engravings. MiLLiNGTON. An Epitome of Mechanical Philoso- phy, by J. Millington, Professor of Mechanics, fourteen plates, 14s. Whewell. An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics, designed for the use of students in the University, by W. Whewell, octavo, I5s. Nicholson. The Operative Mechanic and British Machinist, by John Nicholson, plates, octavo, 1/ 10*. Smith. A Complete System of Optics, 2 volumes, quarto. Kipling. An Abridgement of Dr. Smith's Optics, printed for the use of the Cambridge Students ASTRONOMY. 337 511^tcononip» Gregory. Lessons Astronomical and Philosophi- cal, for the amusement and instruction of British youth ; being an attempt to explain and account for the most usual appearances in nature, in a familiar manner, from established principles; the whole intercepted with moral reflections, by Olinthus Gregory, LL.D. 2 vols, duodecimo, lis, first edition, 1796, sixth edition, 1825. An excellent little book, worthy of all the popularity it has acquired. It is the first publication, I believe, of its now well known and highly esteemed author. Ferguson. Astronomy explained, upon Sir Isaac Newton's principles, by James Ferguson, with notes and supplementary chapters by David Brewster, LL.D. 2 vols, octavo, II 4:s. The first edition of the original work was published in 1736, in quarto. It has often been reprinted since in octavo, with succes- sive improvements, and has all along maintained a high reputa- tion as an excellent popular introduction to the noble science of which it treats. Dr. Brewster's improved edition first appeared in 1811, and has since been reprinted. It contains, besides many valuable notes, twelve supplementary chapters, in which the new discoveries are recorded, and an additional chapter on Practical Astronomy : it contains twenty-four plates. ViNCE. A Complete System of Astronomy, 3 vols. quarto, by Professor Vince. WooDHousE. A Treatise on Astronomy, 2 parts, octavo, II 10s, Jamieson. a Celestial Atlas, with descriptions, by Dr. Jamieson, quarto, 11 5s. X X 338 ASTRONOMY. Prior. Lectures on Astronomy, accompanied and illustrated by the Astronomicon, a series of move- able Diagrams, by W. H. Prior, duodecimo, I0s6d., ' With moveable Diagrams, 31 I3s Gd. This novel and ingenious apparatus accompanies the lectures, to render still more popular this delightful science. While other sciences were progressive in their improvement this appears to have been sometimes advancing, sometimes stationary, and at others re- trograde. For as Hypothesis alone was the founda- tion of each system, the labours of one age or sect frequently destroyed those of the preceding. The number and harmony of the Pythagoreans, the ideas of Plato, and the matter and form of Aristotle, suc- cessively prevailed. The Epicureans embraced one system and the Sceptics another. In later times, amongst a variety of other crude notions, appeared the vortices of Descartes, the metaphysical specula- tions of Leibnitz, and the extravagances of Spinoza. Each of those, however, while pushing his scheme to the utmost of his power, and vainly hoping to render it complete, more effectually contributed towards sTiowing its absurdity, and consequently undermined the foundation of that Babel which he had been him- self erecting. Happily for the world the Stagyrite and his Cate- gories, the Cartesian Vortices of more modern times, NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 339 and all the intermediate absurdities and metaphysi- cal subtilties, no longer haunt the imagination of the philosopher. The sagacious mind of the illus- trious Bacon, witli his inductive process, broke through the trammels of the schools ; and the sub- lime genius of Newton, with his scientific investiga- tors, has conducted the student of nature from the daik and intricate mazes of uncertainty and error, into the illumined path which leads " through nature up to nature's God.'^ , Beckmann. a Concise History of Ancient Insti- tutions, Inventions, and Discoveries in Science and Mechanic Art, by Professor Beckmann, abridged, 2 vols, duodecimo, 155. Good. The Book of Nature, being a popular illustration of the general Laws and Phenomena of Creation in its unorganized and organized, its corporeal and mental departments, by John Ms^* son Good, M.D. &c. 3 vols, octavo, 1/ ICs. This book is certainly the best pbilosopLical digest of the kind which we have seen. Hunt. The Little World of Knowledge, arranged numerically, designed as an Introduction to the Arts and Sciences, History, Natural Philosophy, &c. duodecimo, price 7s, by Charlotte Matilda Hunt. Novel in its plan, praiseworthy in its execution, this little book is truly what it professes to be. To give an example of her method, she arranges under numbers the leading peculiarities of the sub- jects noticed .is under, les cinques, the five orders of architecture are described, and so on. Gregory. An Elementary Treatise on Natural Phi- losophy, translated from the French of M. R. J. 310 NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. Hauy, Professor of Mineralogy, Sec. by Olinthus Gregory, LL.D. with notes by the translator, 2 vols, octavo, 1S07,\1 4iS. The translator having published treatises on Astronomy and Mechanics, and being desirous of completing a course* of Natural Philosophy, met with this work of M. Ilauy, which appeared so well adapted to his design, that he concluded he could not do better than present it in an English dress. There is more origi- nality of manner, and more vigour of intellect, discoverable in the Traite de Physique, than in any other elementary treatise of Natural Philosophy which has for many years made its appear- ance in Britain. The translator has executed his task with abi- lity, and very much enhanced the value of the original work by frequeut and copious notes. Enfield. Institutes of Natural Philosophy, Theo- retical and Experimental, by William Enfield, LL.D. quarto, 17S5, second edition, 1799. This is an admirable work, both in plan and execution, and deserves to be reprinted with improvements adapting it to tlie present state of science, for the institution of successive races of students in Natural Philosophy. Bacon. The Works of Lord Chancellor Bacon, 10 vols, octavo. Leslie. The Elements of Natural Philosophy, by Professor Leslie. Cavallo. The Elements of Natural or Experi- mental Philosophy, by Cavallo, 4 vols, octavo, 21 2s. An excellent work. Imison. The Elements of Science and Art, by John Imison, 2 vols, octavo, U 5s. Joyce. Letters on Natural and Experimental Philosophy, addressed to a youth, by the Rev. J. Joyce, duodecimo, 17 plates, 9^. For young persons there is an excellent little work, EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS. 341 called Scientific Dialogues, by the Kev. J. Joyce, 6 vols, 18mo. ]5s^ half-bound. Companion to Scientific Dialogues, or Tutor's As- sistant in Natural and Experimental Philosophy, half-bound, 2^ 6(1. Conversations on Natural Philosophy, with plates, duodecimo, 10s 6d. Philosophical Transactions, abridged, 18 volumes, quarto, 18/ 18^. INCLUDING MAGNETISM, ELECTRICITY, AND GALVANISM. Cavallo. On Magnetism and Electricity, 3 vols. octavo, 18^. Wilkinson. The Elements of Galvanism, by C. H. Wilkinson, 2 vols, octavo, IZ Is. Davy. The Bakerian Lectures, by Sir Humphrey Davy, in the transactions of the Royal Society. EuLER. Letters of Euler to a German Princess, on different subjects in Physics and Philosophy, translated from the French by Henry Hunter, D.D. with original notes and a glossary, by Dr. Brewster, 2 vols, octavo, I6s. These letters to the Princess d'Anhault Dessau, niece to Fre- derick II, King of Prussia, were begun in 1760. They were first published at Leipsic in 1770, and afterwards in Paris in 1787, by Condorcet and De la Croix. The notes in Dr. Hunter's edition bring down the new discoveries to the date of its publi- cation. Though too many and too great a. variety of subjects are crowded into the work, and some of them appear scarcely to accord with the original plan, yet those that properly belong to it, and treated at sufficient length, display the hand of a mas- 342 CHEMISTRY. ter, and are worthy of a character so deservedly high among mathematicians as that of Leonard Euler, Davy. Chemical Philosophy, by Sir Humphrey Davy, octavo. Thomson. A System of Chemistry, by Dr. Thom- son, 4 vols, octavo, 31. An Attempt to establish the first Princi- ples of Chemistry by Experiment, 2 vols, octavo, 1/ 105. Murray. A System of Chemistry, 2 volumes, oc- tavo, fifth edition, IZ 5.?. Brande. A Manual ' of Chemistry, containing the principal facts of the science, by W. T. Brande, 3 vols, octavo, plates and wood-cuts, 21 5s. GuRNEY. Lectures on the Elements of Chemical Science, by Goldsworthy Gurney, Esq. octavo, 13s. Turner. The Elements of Chemical Science, by EdAvard Turner, M.D. one large octavo volume, 16^. Conversations on Chemistry, 2 vols, duodecimo, lis. Joyce. Dialogues on Chemistry, intended for the instruction of young persons, by the Rev. J. Joyce, 2 vols. 9s. Parke. Chemical Catechism, octavo, 12*. Brande. Outlines of Geology, by W. T. Brande, Esq. 7* 6d. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 343 CuviER. An Essay on the Theory of the Earth, by Baron Cuvier, translated by Kerr, with notes by Jamieson, octavo, 1822. BucKLAND. ReliquiaB Diluvianae, by the Rev. W. Buckland, quarto, 1/ 5*. The works of Professor Buckland merit great attention. Geological Society. Transactions of the Geolo- gical Society, quarto, 4 vols. lOl iOs. MoHS. Treatise on Mineralogy, by Frederick Mohs, Professor in the Mining Academy of Frei- burg, translated from the German, with consi- derable additions by W. Haidinger, 3 volumes, octavo, numerous figures, U 16s. KiRWAN. Elements of Mineralogy, 2 vols, octavo, 1/4*. Sower BY. British Mineralogy, with coloured figures. A beautiful work. KiDD. The Outlines of Mineralogy, 2 vols, octavo. An excellent work for a young student. Clarke. Methodical Distribution of the Mineral Kingdom, folio, 11 Is. Syllabus of Mineralogy, 6s 6d. Mawe. a Descriptive Catalogue of Minerals, by John Mawe, octavo, 7^. ■ Lessons on Mineralogy, 7^. Treatise on Diamonds and Precious Stones, octavo, Ids. Jameson. A System of Mineralogy, 3 vols, octavo, 21 I6s. Manual of Mineralogy, octavo, 155. 344 GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY". Woodward. History of the Fossils of England, 2 vols, octavo. Werner. Treatise on the Internal Character of Fossils. Conversations on Mineralogy, 2 vols, duodecimo, 14:5. with plates. The plan of these Conversations is happily conceived, and executed with ability and taste. Smith. An Introduction to Botany, by Sir James Edward Smith, octavo, plates, 14*. Grammar of Botany, 21 plates, octavo, 12*, coloured, U Ss. English Flora, volumes I and 2, ]l As. Martyn. The Language of Botany, by Professor Martyn, octavo. The Letters on the Elements of Botany, by Rous- seau, translated into English, with notes and additional letters, fully explaining the system of Linnffius, by Martyn, octavo. Knap P. British Grasses, quarto, 61 6s. The plates are beautiful, and the descriptions accurate. Curtis. Flora Londinensis, by W. Curtis, 3 vols. folio, 18^ 18^. ^— Botanical Magazine. SowERBY. English Botany, by Sowerby, 36 vols. octavo. Thornton. An Introduction to the Science of Botany, price 8^. British Botanist, duodecimo. BOTANV. 345 Thomson. Lectures on the Elements of Botany, by A. T. Thomson, F.L.S. vol. 1, plates, MSs. Evelyn. Sylva, or a discourse on Forest Trees, by John Evelyn, Esq. with notes by Hunter, 2 vols, quarto, 5/5*. An admirable work for those who are disposed to improve their estates. Loudon. An EncyclopaBdia of Gardening, with 700 wood engraving's, royal octavo, 21. This is a work of ^reat merit. The information is most exten- sive and complete. As a proof of public approbation it has reached a fourth edition in a short time. There is also published by the same author, the En- cyclopaBdia of Agriculture, the same size, with upwards of 800 engravings. This likewise con- tains avast body of valuable information. 2/ 10*. Ilortus Britannicus; a catalogue of all the plants indigenous cultivated in, or introduced into Britain, by J. C. Loudon, post octavo. Horticultural Society. Transactions of the Horticultural Society, 5 vols, quarto, 29/ 3s 6d. DoNN. Hortus Cantabrigiensis, or a complete cata- logue of plants, by Donn, octavo, 10* 6d. Withering. An Introduction to Botany, 4 vols, octavo, 2/ 8*. Conversations on Botany, plates, coloured, 10* 6d, plain, 7* 6d. AiTON. Hortus Kewensis, or a Catalogue of Plants in the Royal Gardens at Kew, in 3 vols, octavo, 3/3*. Phillips. A History of Cultivated Vegetables, 2 vols. T Y 346 ZOOLOGY. Phillips. Pomariuiu Brituniiicum, or a History of Fruits known in Great Britain, by the same author. Hooker. Muscologia Britannica, containini; the Mosses of (ireat Britain, by W, J. Hooker and Dr. T. Taylor. LriNNEAN SociETY. Transactions of the Linnean Society, of which fifteen volumes have appeared, in parts at ]l Is. Butt. The Botanical Primer; being an introduc- tion to English Botany, adapted to the Linnean system, by the Rev. J. M. Butt, duodecimo, Qs. Eoobgji aitti Comparattljc 311natonip, INCLUDING ORNITHOLOGY, ICllTHYOLOG V, ENTOMOLOGY AND CONCHOLOGY. A philosophic master should turn the attention of his scholars to the contemplation of objects that sur- round them, of laying open the wonderful art with which every part of the universe is formed, and the providence which governs the vegetable and animal creation. He may lay before them the Religious Philosopher of Ray — Derham's Physico — Theology, together with Spectacle de la Nature ; — and, in time, recommend to their perusal, Rondoletius and Aldro- vandus. Dr. Johnson. Latham. A General Synopsis of Birds, by Latham, 10 vols, quarto, 25/. A more complete and scieotific work on tliiii subject canuot be obtained. ZOOLOGY. 347 Lewix. British Birds, 8 vols, quarto, 1800, 10/ \0s, Donovan. British Birds, by K. Donovan, 7 vols. royal octavo, 12/ 12v. Bewick. The History of British Birds, with a supplement, numerous wood-cuts, 2 vols, demy octavo, il lis 6d, large paper, 2/ 2y. Jardine and Selby. Illustrations of Ornithology, by Sir William Jardine, Bart, and J. P. Selby, Esq. F.L.S. This splendid work will be published in quarterly parts, royal quarto, each part containing from 15 to 20 plates, on which from 20 to 30 species are figured ; each part 1/. lis. 6J. ICHTHYOLOGY. Pennant, in his British Zoology, 4 vols, octavo, 31 I3s 6d, gives a full account of fishes. Shaw. The Zoology of Dr. Shaw is likewise a complete library of Natural History. Donovan. The History of British Fishes, 5 vols, royal octavo, 10/ 10^. Isaac Walton. The Complete Angler of Isaac Walton has been beautifully got up by Mr. Ma- jor, of Fleet Street, for 18.s small paper, 1/ 18* large paper. Mr. Pickering, of Chancery Lane, is preparing a splendidly embellished edition, with designs by T. Stothard, Esq. R. A. The Work of Bloch, in German and French, 12 vols, folio, with coloured figures, is the grandest on this subject. 348 ZOOLOGY. ENTOMOLOGY. KiRBY AND Spence. An Introduction to Entomo- logy, with coloured plates, 4 volumes octavo, SI \2s. Donovan. The Natural History of British Insects, by E. Donovan, 16 volumes royal octavo, 24/ 16s. The Insects of China, India, New Hol- land, &c. 3 vols, royal quarto, by the same celebrated Naturalist, 61 6s each volume. Curtis. British Entomology, by John Curtis, F.L.Jr . volume 1 contains fifty highly coloured plates, 2/ 14^. HuBER. On Bees, duodecimo, 95. ■ On the Ant, duodecimo, 9s. These are highly interesting little works. Huber devoted his closest attention to the history of these remarkable insects Keys. On the management of Bees, octavo. Martin and Albin. Natural History of Spiders. Samouelle. British Entomology, plates, coloured, octavo, \l I8s. CONCHOLOGY. Da Costa. Elements of Conchology, by Da Costa. L/Amarck. Illustrations of. Conchology, according to the system of Lamarck, with a series of twenty plates, royal quarto. Montague. Testacea Britannica, quarto, 2/2*. Donovan. British Shells, by E. Donovan, 5 vols, royal octavo, 71 15s. Mawe. The Voyager's Companion, or Shell Col- lector's Pilot, by John Mawe, 5s. Linnaean Conchology, octavo, 1/ 1*. ZOOLOGY. 349 Mawe. Introduction to the Study of Conchologv, plain 9s, coloured 14^. WooDARCH. An Introduction to the Study of Conchology, plates, by Charles Woodarch, post octavo, 9s . Plates coloured, 14*. Brookes. An Introduction to the Study of Con- chology, according to the system of Lamarck, by S. Brookes, Esq. F.L.S. quarto, numerous figures, coloured, SI 10s, highly coloured, 51 155 6d. Dii.LWYN. A Descriptive Catalogue of Recent Shells, by L. W. Dillwyn, 2 vols, octavo, 1/ 18*. Wood. Index Testaceologicus, or a Catalogue of Shells, British and Foreign, by W. Wood, oc- tavo, 9^. Burrow. The Elements of Conchology, accordino- to the Linnffian System, by the Rev. H. E. J. Burrow. Paley. Natural Theology, by William Paley, octavo, 8s, duodecimo, 5s. LiNN.^us. A General System of Nature, translated into English by Turton, 7 vols, octavo. BuFFON. Natural History, by the Count de Buffon. with additions by Wood, many plates, 20 vols. octavo, 10/. Pennant. Arctic and British Zoology, History of Quadrupeds, and Genera of Birds, 5 volumes, quarto. Goldsmith. Animated Nature, by Oliver Gold- smith, 6 vols, octavo. 350 ZOOLOGY. Shaw. Zoology, by Dr. Sliaw, 11 vols. 28/ 17* 6d. Zoological Lectures, numerous plates, 2 vols, octavo, 2/ 12s ()d. Naturalist's Miscellany and General Zoology. Bewic K. The History of Quadrupeds, by Thomas Bewick, numerous wood-cuts, 1/ Is, large paper, 21 2s. Berkenhout. Synopsis of the Natural History of Great Britain, 2 vols, octavo. BiNGLEY. Animal Biography, by the Rev. W. Bingley, 4 vols, plates, duodecimo, \l 85. Wood. Zoography, or the Beauties of Nature dis- played, by W. Wood, numerous plates, 3 vols, octavo, 31 \3s 6d. St. Pierre. Studies of Nature, from the French of St. Pierre, by Dr. Hunter, 4 vols, octavo, 21 2s. Scott. British Field Sports, illustrated by fifty highly finished engravings, octavo. Donovan. The Naturalist's Repository, or Miscel- lany of Exotic Natural History, by E. Donovan, F.L.S. royal octavo, 3 vols. 21 2s each, continued in monthly parts. CrviER. The Animal Kingdom described and ar- ranged in conformity Avith its organization, by the Baron Cuvier, with additional matter by Ed- ward Griffith, F. L. S. demy quarto, India paper, 1/ 4* each part; royal octavo, coloured, 1/4* — plain, 18*; demy octavo, plain, I2s. The Translation of the Ossemens Fossiles of the Baron Cuvier, to be included in 10 parts. Every part of the wide field of xoology has been surveyed by ZOOLOGY. 351 this enlightened aod zealous inquirer, and no corner has escaped his penetrating glance. Equal to Buffon in enlarged Tiews and comprehensive grasp, and much superior to him in pa- tient research, minute observation, and learned inquiry, he pre- sents a rare union of all the great requisites for promoting natural knowledge. He has not been less fortunate in his situation than in his qualifications. Devoting bis whole time to science, and surrounded by numerous able assistants, he could avail himself, to the full extent, of those liberal institutions for the advance- ment of natural knowledge, and that uniform eacouragement of talent, for which science will ever be indebted to the French Government. Accordingly, his progress has been everywhere marked by improvement anc^ discovery. Engaged, says he, in antiquarian researches of a new kind, I have been obliged to learn the art of decyphering and restoring these monuments, of recognising and replacing their primitive arrangement the scattered and mutilated fragments of which they consist, of reconstructing those ancient beings to which they be- longed, of exhibiting their proportions, and lastly, of comparing them to those which are found at this moment on the surface of the globe; an art almost unknown, and presupposing the exis- tence of a science hitherto almost untouched — I mean the laws of co-existence, whicli regulate the forms of the various parts of organised beings- The subject is one of the most curious that can engage our attention. If we feel an interest in following through the infancy of our species the almost effaced traces of so many extinct nations, we shall be at least equally gratified in exploring, amid the darkness that involves the early ages of the earth, the remains of revolutions anterior to the existence of of all nations. Blumenbach. a Manual of the Elements of Natu- ral History, translated from the German of Blumenbach by Gore, octavo, 14*. This is decidedly the most scientific work on the subject. It is by far the best introduction to natural history in any language, and is particularly valuable for the anatomical and physiological information with which it abounds. 332 APPLICAllON OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES supplication of gSp-^ical d^cicnccjB? to tl^e SUtt^. BiRKBECK. A Comprehensive and Systematic Dis- play, Theoretical and Practical, of the Steam Engine, by George Birkbeck, M. D, F.G.S. M.A.S. President of the London Mechanics' In- stitution; and Henry Adcock and James Adcock, Civil Engineers ; illustrated by plates by the best artists, engraved from the most accurate dra^vings, made, in every case, expressly for this work only. Handsomely printed in quarto. Farey. a Treatise on the Steam Engine, Histori- cal, Practical, and Descriptive, by J. Farey, quarto, plates. Young. A Course of Lectures on Natural Philo- phy and the Mechanical Arts, by Thomas Young, M.D. 2 vols, quarto, plates, J 807. In this valuable and interesting w ork there is a most complete catalogue of works relating to Natural Philosophy and the Me- chanical Arts, with references to particular passages, and occa- Bional abstracts and remarks. To give an idea of this arrange- ment, I will subjoin a brief outline, which would serve as a model for the arrangement of other departments of literature. TO THE ARTS. 353 Catalogues. Collections relating to the Sciences. Collections of the works of single authors. Mathematics in general. Of Quantity and Numbers, or Algebra. Proportions. Fractions. General Theories. Impossible Quantities. Equations. Equations with radical Quantities^ Limits of Equations. Machines for Equations. Arithmetic. Logarithms. ITables of Logarithms. Geometry. Mensuration. Trigonometry. Comparison of variable Quantities. Properties of Curves. z z 354 MENTAL SCIENCE, Natural History in general. Mineralogy in general. Systems. Philosophy of Mineralogy. Botany in general. Systems. Zoo Vegetable Anatomy. Systems. Physiology. Cultivation of Natural Productions, including Agriculture. This affords but a faint outline of the Catalogue, fll^cnta! Science* This department comprehends, 1st, Philosophy of the Human Mind. 2nd, Logic. To proceed far in the study of Method, it will be proper to recommend — Crousaz, Watts^ Le Clerc, Wolfius, and Locke's Essay on the Human Under- standing; and if there be any necessity of adding the Peripatetic Logic, which has been perhaps con- demned without a candid trial, it will be convenient to proceed to Sanderson, Wallis, Crackenthorpe, and Aristotle. For a plain and practical Manual, nothing can be better than a small work in French, taken from Du Marsais. MENTAL SCIENCE. 355 LOGIC. The logic which for so m'any ages kept possession of the schools, has at last been condemned as a mere art of Avrangling, of very little use in the pursuit of truth ; and late writers have contented themselves with giving an account of the operations of the mind, marking the various stages of her progress, and giving some general rules for the regulation of her conduct. This work, however laborious, has yet been fruitless, if there be truth in an observation very frequently made, that logicians out of the school do not reason better than men unassisted by those lights which their science is supposed to bestow. It is not to be doubted but that logicians may be sometimes overborne by their passions, or blinded by their pre- judices; and that a man may reason ill, as he may act ill, not because he does not know what is right, but because he does not regard it ; yet it is no more the fault of his art that it does not direct him when his attention is withdrawn from it, than it is the defect of his sight that he misses his way when he shuts his eyes. Against this cause of error there is no provision to be made, otherwise than by incul- cating the value of truth and the necessity of conquer- ing the passions. But logic may likewise fail to produce its effects upon common occasions, for want of being frequently 356 MENTAL SCIENCE. and familiarly applied, till its precepts may direct the mind imperceptibly, as the fingers of a musician are regulated by his knowledge of the tune. This readiness of recollection is only to be procured by frequent impression, and therefore it will be proper to take frequent occasion in the most easy and fami- liar conversation, to observe when its rules are pre- served and when they are broken, and that after- wards he read no authors without taking account of every remarkable exemplification or breach of the laws of reasoning. Dr. Johnson. Watts. The Improvement of the Mind, by Dr. Watts, octavo. ' Logic, by the same author, octavo, 7^, duo- decimo, 4*. Wallis. Logic, duodecimo. Collard's Praxis of Logic is a convenient substitute for the large treatises of Watts and Duncan. Smart. Practical Logic, by B. H. Smart, duode- cimo, 3s 6ri. Stewakt. Philosophy of the Human Mind, by Dugald Stewart, 2 vols, octavo, \lSs. A third volume of (his excellent work is now published. Reid. Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, by Dr. Reid, octavo, Ss. This book is usually read at Cambridge after Locke. Essays on the Mind, 3 vols, octavo, \l 1 Is Gd. One thing which raises Mr. Stewart above all mental philoso- phers, is the spirit of philanthropy which breathes in every line. He most unostentatiously, we had almost said unconsciously, discusses the powers of mind as if he was laying a foundation MENTAL SCIENCE. 357 for the philosophy of virtue; and his object seems to be to ac- quire a knowledge of the intellect of human creatures, as the means of making them happier. This is a point of view in which no French philosopher can be compared with liim. Reid has so admirably fixed the boundaries of those regions into which the human mind may penetrate with reasonable ex- pectation of advantage, and shown the futility of going beyond those limits, that he might be of the greatest use in confining per- sons to attainable inquiries, and preventing them from wandering where there is nothing to guide, and nothing to convince them. Locke. Essay on the Human Understanding, by John Locke, 2 vols, octavo, 14^. Conduct of the Understanding, octavo, 7s. Brown. The Philosophy of the Human Mind, second edition, 4 vols, octavo, 21 12s 6d. Beattie. An Essay on Truth, by Dr. Beattie, duodecimo, 5s. The Elements of Moral Science, 2 vols. octavo, \6s. ALiso>f. Essays on the Nature and Principles of Taste, by the Rev. Archibald Alison, 2 vols, oc- tavo, 1/ 1*. Chapone. Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, royal 18mo. by Mrs. Chapone, 4s. Smith. The Theory of Moral Sentiments, by Adam Smith, octavo, 12s. Burke. On the Sublime and Beautiful, by the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, octavo, 7*. Mason. A Treatise upon Self Knowledge, by the Rev. G. Mason, foolscap octavo, 6s. Grey. Memoria Technica, or a Method of Artifi- cial Memory, by Dr. Grey, new edition, duode- cimo, 55, with Lowe's Mnemonics. 358 MORAL SCIENCE. This department comprehends — 1. Moral and Political Philosophy. 2. Jurisprudence and works on the English Con- stitution. When the obligations of morality are taught, let the sanctions of Christianity never be forgotten, by which it will be shewn that they give strength and lustre to each other. Religion will appear to be the voice of reason, and morality the will of God. Under this article must be recommended, Tully's Offices, — Grotiu?, — Puffendorf,— Cumberland's Laws of Nature, and the excellent Mr. Addison's Moral and Religious Essays. Dr. Johnson. Paley. Moral and Political Philosophy, 2 vols, octavo, 14^. An Analysis of Paley's Moral and Political Philosophy, in Question and Answer, duodeci- mo, 5^. Paley should be read with Gibbon's Principles of Moreland. Political Philosophy Investigated, octavo. Gisborne's Inquiry into the Duties of Men, 2 vols, octavo. The Duties of Women, octavo and duo- decimo. Hutchinson's Moral Philosophy, octavo and duode- cimo. MORAL SCIENCE. 359 Ferguson's Moral and Political Science. EsTLiN. Familiar Lectures on Moral Philosophy, by J. P. Estlin, LL.D. 2 vols, octavo, 18^. JURISPRUDENCE. This knowledge, by peculiar necessity, constitutes a part of the education of an Englishman, who pro- fesses to obey his Prince according to the Law, and who is himself a secondary legislator, as he gives his consent, by his representative, to all the laws by which he is bound, and has a right to petition the great council of the nation, whenever he thinks they are deliberating upon an act detrimental to the in- terests of the community. This is therefore a sub- ject to which the thoughts of a young man ought to be directed, and that he may obtain such knowledge as may qualify him to act and judge as one of a free people, let him be directed to Fortescue's Treatises, — Bacon's Discourses on the Law and Govern- ment of England, — Blackstone's Commentaries, — Temple's Introduction, — Locke on Government, — Zouch's Elementa Juris Civilis, — Plato Redivivus — Gurdon's History of Parliaments, and Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity. Dr, Johnson. Montesquieu. The Spirit of of Laws, from the French of Montesquieu, 2 vols. Ms. BuRLAMAQUi. Natural and Political Laws, 2 vols. octavo. Vattel. The Law of Nations, by Vattel. The original is entitled Le Droit des Gens, 2 vols, octavo, Paris, 1820. 360 MORAL SCIENCE. Grotius. On War and Peace, folio. PuFFENDORF. Law of Nature and Nations, quarto. Winn. Eunomus, or Dialogues concerning the Lraw and Constitution of England, 2 vols, duode- cimo. This book is highly recommended (obe read previous to Black- stone's Commentaries. Blackstone. Commentaries on the Laws of Eng- land, by Sir William Blackstone, revised and corrected by Taylor Coleridge, Esq. 4 vols, oc- tavo. When you have read Blackstone once, read him again, was the advice of Lord Erskine to a young student. There is an Analysis in I8mo. 4*. De Lolme on the Constitution of England, octa- vo, 7s. Reeves. History of the English Law, 4 volumes, octavo. Burn. Ecclesiastical Law, 4 vols, octavo. The Justice of the Peace and Parish Officer, 5 vols, octavo. JDoliticai €tononip. The general principles of trade and commerce it becomes every man to understand, as it is impossible that any should be high or low enough not to be in some degree affected by their declension or prosperity. It is therefore necessary that it should be universally known among us, what changes of property are ad- vantageous, or when the balance of trade is on our POLITICAL ECONOMY. 361 side, what are the products or manufactures of other countries, and how far one nation may, in any spe- cies of trallic, obtain or preserve superiority over another. The theory of trade is yet but little understoofl, and therefore tlie practice is often without real ad- vantag^e to the public ; but it might be carried on with more general success if its principles were bet- ter considered. To excite that attention I recom- mend the perusal of Mun'upon Foreign Trade, — Sir Josiah Child, — Locke upon Coin, — Davenant's Treatises,— The Bi'itish Merchant, — Dictionnaire de Commerce, — and for an Abstract or Compendium, Gee, and an improvement that may hereafter be made upon his plan. Dr. Johnson. Smith. The Wealth of Nations, by Dr, Adam Smith, 3 vols, octavo, 18^. Lauderdale. On the Nature and Origin of Pub- lic Wealth, by the Earl of Lauderdale, octa- vo, \2s. CoLQUHouN. Treatise on the Wealth, Power and Resources of the British Empire, by Patrick Colquhoun, Esq. quarto, 1815. Malthus. An Essay on Population, by the Rev. T. R. Malthus, 3 vols, octavo, 21 2s. ■ Principles of Political Economy consi- dered with a view to their practical application, octavo, 15^. '■ Definitions in Political Economy, with O A 362 POLITICAL ECONOMV. remarks on the deviation from these rules in their writing^s, duodecimo, G* 6d. RicARDo. Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, by David Ricardo, Esq. octavo, 14*. Mill. Elements of Political Economy, octavo. Conversations on Political Economy, in which the elements of that science are familiarly explained, duodecimo, 9*. TooKE. Observations on the Currency. A clever work. Lowe. On the Prospects of England with regard to Agriculture, Trade and Finance, octavo, 12*. Thompson. An In(juiry into the Principles of the Distribution of Wealth, by William Thompson, Esq. octavo, ]4s. Mill. The Elements of Political Economy, by James Mill, Esq, author of British India, oc- tavo, 8*. M'CuLLocH. A Discourse on Political Economy, by J. R. M'Culloch, Esq. octavo, 5s. Mr. M'Culloch has greatly distinguished himself in this depart- ment, by his Principles of Political Economy, and many able articles in the Edinburgh Review. 3lDoi*h^ on 5^aintin0 nnti ^aintct^* Walpole. Anecdotes of Painting in England, 5 vols, duodecimo. This book was first published with portraits, in five volumes quarto, at Strawberry Hill. PiLKiNGTON. Dictionary of Painters, by Pilking- ton, improved by Fuseli, quarto. PAINTING AND PAINTERS. 363 Buy AN. A Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, 2 vols, quarto, 51 os. Dictionary of Painters, Sculptors and Engravers, &c. duodecimo, 10s Gd. Reynolds. Discourses addressed to the Royal Academy, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, octavo. INDEX. Adams, Religious World Displayed, 29. , Roman Antiquities, 42. Addison, Evidences of the Christian Religion, 14. , Works, 136. Advice of Dean Stanhope to a Young Clergyman, 10. Adelung, Survey of Languages, 312. AiKiN, Annals of George III, 50. , General Biography, 84. — , Select Works. British Poet?, 302. , (Lucy) Memoirs of the Court of Elizabeth, 98. James I, 98. Akenside, 255. Anecdote of Dr. Jortin, 21. ■. of a poor Vicar, 21. of Blair's Sermons, 22. Anecdotes of Booksellers, 66. Alison, Sermons, 22. On Taste, 138. Ancient History, 32. Antiquities of Rome, 42. Aristotle, remarkable preservation of his writings, 38. Athenian Letters, 39. Annual Register, 60. Arch^logia, 63. Anthony a Wood, Athenae Oxoniensis, 92. Arrovtsmith, New General Atlas, 125, Arabian Nights, 145. Ariosto, 305. Asia, Murray, Robertson, 321. Maurice, Malcolm, Mill, Wiiks, Du Bois, Buchanan, Keppell, Walpole, Buckingham, Wilson^ Sketches of India, Asiatic Researches, Marco Polo, 323. Jones, 323. Hamilton, 323. 366 INDEX. Asia, Frazci, Turner, Sjines, Snodgrass, Kirkpatrick, Elphiiibton, Worier, Ousclcy, Porter, Rennell, Kinneir, Burckhartlt, Harrow, Staunton, Hall, Macleod, 325. Ellis, Davy, Cordiner, Raffles' Forbes, Ward, Seeley, 326. Africa, Murray, Bclzoni, Burckhardt, Bruce, Lyon, Ali Bey, Legh, AVaddington, Salt, Shaw, Jackson, Park, Tuckey, Bow- dich, Dupuis, Burcliell, Barrow, Percival, Denham and Clap- perton, 328. America, American Atlas, Morse, Warden, James, 329. South, Southey, Ulloa, Spix and Martius, Schmidtmeyer, Waterton, Graham, Humboldt, Miers, Head, 330. Algebra, Euler, Bridge, Taylor, 334. Astronomy, Gregory, Ferguson, Vince, Woodhouse, Jamcison, Prior, 337. Application of Physical Sciences to the Arts, 352. Birkbeck, Farey, Young. Bacon, (Lord,) Observation on Books, 1. . , Works, 132 Barrington, Bishop of Durham, on the Study of Divinity, 2. Baxter, (Richard,) Saints' Rest, 19. Christians' Cyclopaedia, 2t. Bickersteth, Christian Reader, or a Selection of Works reiating to Divinity, 2. Bloomfield, Recensio Synoptica Annotationis Sacra?, 4. Beausobre and L' Enfant, Introd. to New Testament, 5. Brown, Dictionary of the Bible, 5. , (Dr.) The Antiquities of the Jews, 9. Beveridge, Thesaurus Theologicus, 6, 27. Private Thoughts, 19. - , Works, by Horner, 26. Sermons, 26. Buck, Theological Dictionary, 6. Burder, Oriental Customs, 6. Oriental Literature, 6. Milage Sermons, 25. Butler, (Bishop,) Analogy of Religion, 14. Burnet, Pastoral Care, 1 '2. Thirty-nine Articles, 12. Lives of Sir M. Hale and Lord Rochester, 88. BoYLE, Defence of Religion, 14. Benson on Evidences of Christiany, 15. , Scripture Difficulties, 15. Beattie, Evidences of the Christian Religion, 15. An Esjay on Truth, 138. Minstrel, 298. Bentley, eight Sermons, 16. Baskerville the Printer, 16. Buck, Young Christian's Guide, 19. INDEX. 367 Buck, Serious Inquiries, 19. Religious Experience, 19. Pelfracje, Practical Discourses, 19. Barrow, tlie favourite author of the Earl of Chatham, 21. Sermons, 24. Select, 26. Theological Works, 20. Bampton Lectures, 23. Blaik, Sermons, 22. BcTLER, Sermons by Bishop Butler, 24. Berews, Village Sermons, 25. Bible, D'0\ley and Mant, 2. • , Scolt, 2. , Henry, 3. , Patrick Lowth, Whitby, and Arnold, 3. , Blayney, 5. ——, Reeves, 4. « Blore, Monumental Remains, 62. BisnoP, Sermons to a Country Congregation, 25. Bull, (Bishop,) Works, 26. Burnet, History of the Reformation, 28, 59. History of his own times, 59. Brooke, Lives of the Puritans, 29. Bellamt, the History of all Religions, 29. Beringtox, Middle Ages, 33 BooNE on Modern History, 33. Blair, (John,) Historical Tables, 35. Bredow, (Professor,) Chronological Tables, 35. Barthelemy, Travels of Anacharsis, 39. Barker, Civil History of Rome, 42. Brodie, History of the British Empire, 50. BissET, History of the Reign of George the Third, 50. » Bertrand DE INIoLEviLLE, Chronological History of England, 51. Brexton, Naval History, 52. BoTCE and Bellenden, Chronicles of Scotland, 55. Bexger, Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, 56. Anne Boleyn,98. Queen of Bohemia, 98. Barlow, History of Ireland, 58. Blackstoxe, Commentaries, 61. British Antiquities, 61. i Brand, Popular Antiquities, 6). Britton, Architectural Antiquities, 65. Beauties of England and Wales, 65. Batty, Views in Wales, 65. Biograpbt, 66. Booksellers of Little Britain, 71. « •368 INDEX. Batemav the Bookseller, of Little Britain. BoswELL, Life of Johnson, 89. Butler, (Charles,) Horae Biblicfr, 7. Life of Grotius, 91. Life of Erasmus, 103. Bayle, Critical Dictionary, 104. Brookr, General Gazetteer, 129. Bibliography, 127. Burton, Anatomy of Melancholj, 136. Brown', (Sir Thomas,) 137. British Prose Writers, 138. Essayists. 138. Novelists, 146. Theatre, 235. Farces, 235. BcRKE, Works of, 138. Ballantyne, Novelist's Library, 146. Ben Jonson, 229. Beaumont and Fletcher, 230. BioGRAPHiA Dramatica, 233. Baillie, Plays on the Passions, 235, Butler, CWilliam,) Hudibras, 249. Byron, (Lord,) 300. Burns, (Robert,) 300. Barrow, (J.) History, "Voyages to the North Pole, 315. Brooke, Winter's Journey, 315. Baillie, Portugal, 320. Botany and Vegetable Physiology, 344. ^ • > Smith, Martyn, Knapp, Curds, Sowerby, Thornton, British Botanist, Thomson, Lvelyn, L.iu- don, Horticultural Society, Donn, Withering, Alton, Phillips, Hooke, Linnean Society, 346. Commentaries on the Bible, 3. — (See Bible.) CoLLYER, Sacred Interpreter, 5. Calmet, Dictionary of the Bible, 5. Cruden, Concordance, 6. Campbell on the Gospels, 7. Miracles, ibid. , Lectures on the Pastoral Character, 12. Theology 27. Lectures on Ecclesiastical History, 29. Cotton on the Translations of the Bible, 9. Conversations on the Bible, 9. Evidences of Christianity, 15. Clauije on the Composition of a Sermon, 12. Clergyman's Assistant, 12. Instructor, 13. Chalmers, Evidence of Christian Revelation, 14. Discourses, 24. ■, Sermons, 24. INDEX. 379 Christiav Armed against Infidelity, 15. Chateaobriand, Beauties of Cliristianity, 16. Common Prayer, 18. Curious Specimen of a Sermon Writer, 21. Calviv, Institutes, 25. Cook, History of the Reformation, 29. Historical View of Chris- tianity, 29. , Concise View, 29. Crevier, Histor> of tlie Roman Emperors, 40. Chronicles, English, 45. Clarendon, History of the Rebellion, 46. Campbell, (Thomas,) Pleasures of Hope, 298. Specimens of the Poets, 301. . , Annals of Great Britain, 51. Political Survey, 52. Commercial History of Great Britain, 52. COLQUHOCN, 52. Chalmers, Caledonia, 56. Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, 56. En- glish Poets, 301. Biographical Dictionary, 84. «- Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, 98. Croker, Researches in the South of Ireland, 5T. CusTAXcE on the Constitution of England, 60. Camden, Britannia, 62. Capper, Topographical Dictionary, 64. CuRLL, (Edmund,) 72. Cave, (Edward,) Projector of the Gentleman's Magazine, 73. Caxton, (William.) 75. Cavendish, Life of Wolsey, edited by Mr. Singer, 87. CoxE, (Archdeacon,) Biographical Works, 89. Clarkson, Life of Penn. 90. Collins, Peerage of Great Britain, 93. the Poet, 255. CiBBER, Apology for the Life of, 97. Cellini, (Benvenuto,) Memoirs of, 97. Conway Papers, 103. Capper, Topographical Dictionary, 126. Cicero on Purchasing Books, 130. Choice of Books, 131. Con PER, Private Correspondence, 138. Poems, 296. Chrtsal, 149. Castle of Otranto, 150, Comparison of the Literature of the Present Age, with that of Eliza- beth and Ann, 162. 3b 380 INDEX. Copyright of Plays, 918. CrRTAiN Theatre, 221. CoLDRiDGE, Dramatic and Poetical Works, 233. Collections of Old Plays, 233. Chaucer, 248. Churchill, 296. Crabbe, Poetical Works, 300, , (Rev. G.) Technological Dictionary, 310, Synonyms, 310. Universal Historical Dictionary, 311. Cornwall, (Barry,) Mr. Proctor, 300. Camoens, 306. Clarke, (Dr. Ed.) Travels, 316. Chemistry, 3-12. Davy, Brande, Thomson, Murray, Gurney, Turner, Joyce, Parke, 342. Conchology, 348. Da Costa, La Maick, Montagu, Donovan, Ma we, W^oodarch, Brookes, Dillwyn, Wood, Burrow, 349. Douglas, the Criterion, or Miracles examined, G. Coddridge, Family Expositor, 6. Sermons, 14, 24. Lectures on Theology, 27. Duties of the Clergy, 10. Daubeny, Guide to the Church, 12. DwiGHT, (Timothy,) System cf Theology, 2T. Dewar, Discourses on Christianity, 29. Dictionary of Religious Opinions, 29. DuNLOP, History of Iloman Literature, 42. Dalrymple, Annals of Scotland, 55. Domesday Book, 59. Delolme on the English Constitution, 60. Dugdale, Monasticon, 62. Detached Biography,'87. D'Anville, Ancient Atlas, 124. Description of a Bibliomaniac, 128. Dryden, Works, 138, 254. Drake, Evening in Autumn, 138. Winter Nights, 138. Literary Hours, 138. Don Quixote, 146. DoNLOP, History of Fiction, 147. Dispersion of Ancient Records, 190. Dramatic Literature, 192. Douce, Illustrations of Shakspeare, 218. Drake, Shaks|f&are and his Times, 219. INDEX. 381 Dante, 304. DrecovERiES of Navigators, 232. EccLEsiAswcAL Histofy, 2T. Evans, Sketch of Religious Denominations, 29. Evelyn, (Joiin,) Memoirs, 95. Miscellaneous Writings, with Notes by William Upcott, 95. Singular manner of the discovery of the Evelyn Memoirs by William Upcott, 95. English Literature, 127. Elegant Extracts, 137. English Novelists and Translations, 144. Edgeworth, (Miss,) Works, 152. English Poetry, 236. Ellis, Specimens of Early English Poets, 301. Encyclopaedias, 314. Eustace, Classical Tour of Italy, 318. Experimental Physics. • • , Cavallo, Wilkinson, Davy, Euler, 341. Entomology, 348. ■' , Kirby and Spence, Donovan, Curtis, Iluber, Keys Martin and Albin, Samouelle, 348. Faber, Horne Mosaica?, 6. FoRDYCE, Addresses to Youiig Men, 19. ' • ■ Women, 19. Family Lectures, 24. Fry, History of the Christian Church, 29. Ferguson, History of the Roman Republic, 40. Farmer, (Letters of Dr. Richard,) on the Study of English History, 43 Fenn, Original Letters, 60. Fate of Books, 82. Fuller, Worthies of England, 92. Fitzosborne, Letters, 137. Fielding, Works, 147. First Play Bill of Drury Lane Theatre, 209. Ford, Works, 232. Foote, Dramatic Works, 233. Franklin, Narrative, 315. Forsyth, Italy, 318. Gay, 254. Gray, Key to the Old Testament, 5. , (Thomas,) Poet, 254. Grav es on the Pentateuch, 6. Gilpin on the New Testament, 6. On the Church Catechism, 15. Gerard on Biblical Criticism, 7. 3S2 INDEX. Gordon, the History of Ireland, 57. History of the Irish Rebellion, 57. Gregory, Evidences of the Christian Religion, 14. Grotius, Truth of the Chrisiian Religion, 14. GiSBORNE, Survi V of the Christian Religion, 15. ■ — , Duties of Women, 19. Men, 19. Greek Literature, 36. Goldsmith, History of Greece, 39. Rome, 41. Kngland, 50. , (Rev J.) System of Popular Geography, 1'25, Miscel- laneous, Works, 137- Vicar of Wakefield, 147. Gillies, History of Creece, 39. Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 40. Improved by Bowdler, 41. , Remarks on the Publication of his Work, 41. Anecdote by Horace Walpole, si. Granger, Biographical History of England, 51, 93. Godwin, History of the Commonwealth, 51. Guthrie, General History of Scotland, 55. Geographical Grammar, 125. System of Geography, 125. GocGH, Sepulchral Monuments, 62. Grose, Antiquities of llngland, 63. Scotland, 63. Ireland, 63. GiRALDi Cambrensis, G4. Gilpin, Remarks on Forest Scenery, 65", 142. Tour of the Highlands, 65, Lakes of Cumberland, 65. , Western Tour, 65. Tour through Cambridge, 65. Southern Tour, 65. River Wye, 65. German Book Trade, 76. Galt, Life of Wolsey, 87. Grammont, Memoirs of Count, 9S. GoETUE, Memoirs, 100. Garrick Papers, 101. Geography, 124. Gregory, Letters, 137. Gil Blas, 148. Greece, Dodwell, Gel), Stanhope, 321. General Collection of Voyages and Travels, Pinkerton, Kerr, Bur- ney, Clarke Geology and Mineralogy, 342. Brande, Cuvier, Buckland, Geo- logical Society, Mohs, Kirwan, Sowerby, Kidd, Clarke, Mawe, Jamieson, Woodward, Werner, Conversations on Mineralogy, 344 HoRNE, (Hartwell,) Critical Study of the Scriptures, 8. Directions on the Study of Theology, 2. Horne, (Bishop,) on the Psalms, 8. Discourses, 24. Works, '-'6. INDEX. 383 Hall, (.Bishop,) Contemplations, 5. Satires, 250. Hamilton on the Study of the Hebrew Scriptures, T. HuRD, (Bishop,) Introduction to the Study of the Phrophecies, 7- Works, 21. IIoRSLEY on the Psalms, 7. Biblical Criticism, 7. , Sermons, 16. Harmer, Observations, revised by Dr. Adam Clarke. 8- Hunter, Sacrt-d Biography, 9. Hales, Analysis of Chronology, 9. Harris, Natural History of the Bible, 10. Hodgson, Instructions for Candidates, 12. Homilies, 12. Harness on Christianity, 16. ^ HoRsley, (Bishop,) Sermons, 24. Haggitt, Sermons, 44. Hall, (Bishop,) Contemplations, 25. History, 30. , of Greece, 36. Rome, 40. Great Britain, 43. Aids to the Historv of Great Britain, 55. Wales, 54. Scotland 55. Tre- land, 57. , Dr Johnson's opinion on the study of, 30. , Walpole's opinion of the three kinds of, 31. . , On the study and use of, 31- , General, 31, Historical Tables, 35. Hill on the Institutions and Manners of Greece, 39. HooKE, (N.) History of Rome, 40. Hujie, History of England, 47. His remarks on his own work, 47. Essays, 142. Henry, History of England, 48. Dr. Johnson's opinion of it, 48. Hallam, Constitutional History of England, 51. Hansard, Parliamentary Debates, 58. Harleian Miscellany, 60. Hunt and Clarke, Series of Auto-Biography, 85. Hayley, Life of Cow per, 90. HebeR, Life of Jeremy Taylor, 90. Hutchinson, Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson, 94, Haydn and Mozart, 97- Historical View of English Literature, 153. Hazlitt, Character of Shakspeare's Plays, 219. Henderson, Travels in Iceland, 315. , Biblical Researches, 316. HAiiEWELL andTuRNEH, Italy, 318. 384 INDEX IcHTnYOLOGY, 347. Pennant, Shaw, Donovan, Isaac Wallon,Bloch. Ingram, Saxon Chronicles, 59. Italian Historians, 317. iTAtT, 318. Jahn, Catholic Archbishop of "Vienna, on the Studj' of the Scriptures, 4 Jones, Biblical Encyclopaedia, 5. on the Canon of the New Testament, 8. JosEPHUs, Wiiiston, &. J EBB, Sacred Literature, 8. Jennings, Jewish Antiquities, 9. Johnson, (Dr.) on the Composition of Sermons, 10. Works, U2' Dictionary, 308. , opinion on the best Sermons, 20, Journey to the Western Isles, 65. Lives of the Poets, 93. Jenyns, Evidences of the Christian Religion, 14. JoRTiN, Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, 28. James, Naval History, 52. Johnston, History of the Rebellion in Scotland, 56. Johnson, Journey to the Western Isles, 65. JoRTiN, Life of Erasmus, 103. Junius, 142. Jackson, Work on Shakspeare, 219. Johnson, (Dr.) edition of the Poets, 301. Jurisprudence. Montesquieu, Burlamaqui, Vattel, Grotius, Puf- fendorf, Winn, Blackstone, De Lolme, Reeves, Burn, 360. Kennicott on the Hebrew Text, 9. Kennett, Roman Antiquities, 42. Knox, (Vicesimus,) Essays, 142. LowTH on Isaiah, 6. Luther on the Galatians, 5. Leighton, (Archbishop,) on St. Peter, 6. Works, 6. Locke on the Epistles, 7. Works, 141. Lardneu, Credibility of the Gospel History, 8. Levtis on the English Translations of the Bible, 9. LifeofWick- lifTe, 88. Llandaff (Bishop,) on Theological learning, 10. Landon, (Miss,) 300. Leland, View of Deistical Writers, 15. ■ , (Dr. Thomas,) History of Ireland, 57. Leslie, Short and easy Method, 16. Law, Serious Call, 19. Lectures on the Parables, 24. Miracles, 84. INDEX. 385 LiGHTFOOT, Works, 26. L/vvoisNE, Historical Atlas, 33- Lempriere, Classical Dictionary, 42. Lyttletox, History of the reign of Henry II, 46. LiKGARD, History of England, 49. Laing, History of Scotland, 56. Lodge, Illustration of British History, 60. Portraits of Illustrious Persons, 86. British Gallery, 87. Lysons, Magna Britannia, 63. Reliquia Bwtannico Romano, 64. LoNDOX Booksellers, 66. Loss of Books at the Fire of London, 74. LowTH, Life of Wykeham, 89. Lope de Vega, Life of, 27. , La N DOR, Imaginary Conversations, 100. Life of Napoleon, by the author of Waverly, 101. Literary Industry of Florian, 105. Libraries of Useful Knowledge, 107. . in America, 128. Le Sage, 148. Literature of the Age of Elizabeth, 161. List of English Poets, 241. Lounging Books, 306. Lyon, (Captain,) Private Journal. Brief Narrative, 315. Locker, (Edward Hawke,) Views in Spain, 319. LLORENTEi, History of the Inquisition, 320. Logic, 356. Watts, Wallis, Smart, Stewart, Reid, 356. Locke, Brown, Beattie, Alison, Chapone, Smith, Burke, Mason, Grey, 357. Marsh, (Bishop of Peterborough,) Lectures on Divinity, 7. MiCHAELis, Introduction to the New Testament, by Bishop Marsh, 7. Macknight, Harmony of the Four Gospels, 8. , , Literal Translation of die Apostolical Epistles, 9. Mant, (Bishop,) Order for Visitation of the Sick, 12. , Sermons for Parochial and Domestic use, 25. M\gee on the Atonement, 14. MuWRA Y , (L.) Power of Religion, 14. , (Dr. A.) History of European Languages, 311. Manuals of Devotion, 16. Melmoth, Great Importance of a Religious Life, 19. Mosheim, Ecclesiastical History, 27. Summary by Collins, 27. MiLNER, History of the Church of Christ, 27. Middle Ages, 33. 386 INDEX. Mills, Travels of Theodore Ducas, 33. History of the Crusades, 34. History of Chivalry, 34. Rlahommedanism, 34. Modern History, 33. MiTFORD, ( W.) History of Greece, 39. Mayor, ftoman History, 42.- MiDULETON, Life of Cicero, 42, 88. Mackintosh, History of Great Britain, 50. Millar, Historical View of English Government, 51. Markham, History of England, 51. MiLiTART, History, 53. M'Crit, Life of Knox, 56. 95. Life of Andrew Melville, 56. Mackenzie, Memoirs of the Affairs of Scotland, 56. ^ (Sir E.) Travels in Iceland, 315. Meyrick on Ancient Armour, 65. Manner of Publishing in the reign of Henry the Second. Miller, Biographical Sketch of British Characters, 865. MooRE, (Thomas,) Life of Sheridan, 90. . , Poetical Works, 299. , ^ (Dr. John,) Works, 141. Macdiarmid, Lives of British Statesmen, 93. Marshall, Royal Naval Biography, 93. Memoirs and Anecdotes, 94. . of Sully, 101. ■ relative to the History of Great Britain, 102. Malte Brun, System of Universal Geography, 125. More, (Sir Thomas,) 136. Milton, Works, 141, 250. Mackenzie, Man of Feeling; 151. Marlowe, Works, 230. Massinger, Dramatic Works, 232. MiLMAN, (Rev. H. H.) 300. Montgo:wery, (J.) 300. Mallet, Northern Antiquities, 316. Matthews, Diary of an Invalid, 318. Murphy, Antiquities of the Arabs in Spain, 319. Mathematics, Elementary and Higher, 333. Euclid, Boonycastle, Hutton, 333. Legendre, Vince, Woodhouse, Bridge, Hutton, 334. , Higher, 334. Emerson, Creswell, Hutton, Taylor, 335. Mental Science, 354. Moral Science, 358. Palcy, Gisbornc, Hutchinson, Ferguson, Estlin, 359. Newton on the Prophecies, fi. INDEX. 387 Nares, Veracity of Ihe Kvangelists demonstrated, 9. Neal, History of the Puritans, 29- Nightingale, Religions, and Religious Ceremonies, 29 Naval History, 52. North, Lives of the Norths, 88. Nichols, (John,) Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century, 96. Naunton, (Sir R.) Fragmenta Regalia, 98. Newton, (Sir Isaac,) Works, 141, Nash, Views in Paris, 316. Natural Philosophy, 338. Beckmann, Good, Hunt, Gregory, En- field, Bacon, Leslie, Cavallo, Imison, Joyce, 340. Natural Histories, 349. Orme, Bibliotheca Biblica, 4. < Oliver, Scripture Lexicon, 6. Orton, (John,) Exposition of the Old Testament, 6. , Letters to a Clergyman, 12. Owen, Critica Sacra, 9- Owen, (John,) Works, 27- O'CoNOR, Rerum Hibcrnicarum Scriptores Veteres, 57. Ovten and Blakeway, History of Shrewsbury, f)5. Otway, Works, 233. Paxton. Illustration of the Scriptures, 8. Prideux, (Dean,) Connection of the Old and New Testament, 9. Anecdote relative to it, 9. Pearson on the Creed, 12. Abridged by Dr. Barney, 25. Paley, Evidences, 14. Paley, Works, 25. PowLETT, Christian Truth E.^plained, 14. Portels, Evidences of the Christian Religion, 15. , Effects of Christianity, 15. , Lectures on the Gospel of &t. Matthew, 15. , Works, complete, 25. Practical Duties, 19 Peculiarities of Pulpit Eloquence, 24. Pitman, Sermons, 24. Palmer, Nonconformist Memorial, 29. Priestly, Lectures on History, 31. Potter, Antiquities of Greece, 39. Perceval, History of Italy, 42. PiNKERTON, History of Scotland, 55. Plowden, History of Ireland, 57. Parliamentary Debates, 58. Parliamentary History, 58. Sum- mary, ib. Abstract, 59. 3 B 388 INDEX. Paiiliamentary Review, 59. Praise of Antiquaries, 61. PENNA!ST,Tourin Wales, 64, Tour from Chester, 64. Account of London, 64. Tour from Downing, 64. Tour in Scotland, 64. Poverty and Imprisonment of Authors, 80. Poor Authors of Grub Street, 83. Plutarch, Translated by Langhorne, 86. Prior, Life of Burke, 91. Pepys, Memoirs, 102. PiNKERTON, Atlas of Modem Geography, 125. Price, Essays on the Picturesque, 142. Petrarch, 305. Philology, SOS. Physics, 335. Diipin, Hutton, Ferguson, Gregory, Tredgold, Millington, Whewell, Nicholson, Smith, Kipling, 336. Political Economy, Dr. Johnson's Observations, 350. Smith, Lauderdale, Colquhoun, Malthus, Ricardo, Mill, Tooke, Lowe, Thomson, M'Culloch, 362. Painting and Painters, 362. Walpole, Pilkington, Bryan, Rey- nolds, 363. Revision of the Authorised Version of the Bible, 3. Robinson, Theological Dictionary, 5. . , (Thomas,) Scripture Characters, 6. Christian System, 27. Rutherford on the Philosophy of History, 31. RoLLiN, Ancient History, 32. Roman History, 40. Russell, Modern Europe, 33. Ancient Europe, 33. , (Lord John,) Memoirs of the Aflfairs of Europe, 34. On the English Government, 6L Life of Lord Russell, 90. Robertson, History of Charles the Fifth, 34. History of Scotland, 55. Works, 65. RuDiNG, Annals of the Coinage, 65. Roper, Life of Sir Thomas More, 87- Roscoe, Life of Lorenzo de Medici, 89. Leo the Tenth, 89. Remarks on Auto-Biography in the Quarterly Review, 91. Rennell, the Geography of Herodotus, 124. Memoir of a Map of Hindostan, 124. Reading, 128. Robinson Crusoe, 149. Rome in the Nineteenth Century, 318. Recollections of the Peninsula, 320. Stack house, the History of the Bible, 5. Epitome of Greece, 39. Stillingfleet, Origines Sacrae, 8. Stanhope, Commentary on the tpistlcs, 9. INDEX. 389 .STA>fHOPE, (Dean,) Advice to a Young Clergyman, 10. Shuckpord. Connection of Sacred and I*rofaue History, 10. Secker, Kight Charges, 12. , Lectures on the Church Catechism, 15. "Works, 26. Shepherd on the Common Prayer, 12. the Preacher, 12. SiMEov, Skeletons of 500 Sermons, 24. Simpson, Plea for Religion, 14. Storer, History and Antiquities of Cathedrals, 65. Skeletons of Sermons, 13. Sumner, Evidences of Christianity, 16. Steele, Christian Hero, 19. Sermons, 20. « Sermon, Anecdote of a Poor Vicar, on the Sale of a Sermon, 21. South, Sermons of Dr. South, 24. Sherlock, Sermons of Bishop Sherlock, 24. School Divinity in the Fifteenth Century, 25. Scott, (Sir Walter,) Poetical Works, 299. , (John,) Works, 26. , (Robert,) Bookseller, 71. Strype,' Ecclesiastical Memorial?, 28. Annals, 28. Biographical Pieces, 88. SoDTHEY, (Robert,) Book of the Church, 28. History of the P^- insula War, 53, 320. Life of Nelson, 90. Life of Wesley, 103. Poetical Works, 298. Smollett, History of England. Extraordinary Method of obtaining a Sale, 47. Works, 147. SoMERS, Collection of Tracts, 60. Strutt, Dresses of the English, 63. Sports and Pastime?, 63. Regal and Ecclesiastical Antiquities, 63. Spence, (Joseph,) Literary Anecdotes, 97. Salvator Rosa, Life and Times, by Lady Morgan, 99. Study of Theology, Directions for, 2. Stru^ensee, Narrative of the Conversion of, 101. Smith, Classical Atlas, 124. State of Learning in the Eighth Century, 129. Style, 130. Swift, Works, 139. Sterne, Works, 140. Spectator, 140. Sketch Book, 151. Shakspeariana, 211. Skottovte, Life of Shakspeare, 219. 390 INDEX Sign of Shakspeare, 220. Shakspeare, Editions of, 227. Shirley, Dramatic Works, 232. Sheridan, Dramatic Works, 233. Spenser, Faery Qneene, 248. Sh EN STONE, 255. Shaepe, British Poets, 301. Study of Languages, 311. ScoRESBY, Journal, 315. Stothard, Letters during a Tour in Normandy, 316. Spain, 139. Smytm, Sicily, 321. Theology, 1. . , Study of, 2. TiNDAL and Coverdale, Translation of the Bible, 3. Testament, Curious Petition presented to Elizabeth, 4. Trapp on the Gospels, 6- Townley, Illustrations of Biblical Literature, 7. Tomline, (Bishop,) Elements of Christian Theology, 8, 27. , , Introduction to the Study of the Bible, 15; Life of Pitt, 91. Trimmer, Sacred History, 9. Taylor, (Jeremy,) Holy Living and Dying, 16, Works, 26. Thomas a Kempis, 16. Tillotson, (Archbishop,) Works, 26. Abridged by Dakins, 26. Tytler, Elements of General History, 31. Technical Chronology, 35. Toone, Chronological Historian, 35. Turner, (Sharon,) History of the Anglo Saxons, 49. History of England, 49. History of Henry VIIL 49. Tonson, (Anecdotes of,) 69. Thackeray, (Rev. F.) Life of Pitt, 91. Thomson, (Mrs.) Court of Henry VIIL 98. Thomson, Edinburgh Atlas, 125. Thomson the Poet, Interesting Notices and Fragments relative to, 137. Temple, (Sir William,) Works, 139. Tasso, 305. Too&E, Russia, 315. TowNSEND, Travels in Spain, 320. Universal History, 32. Upcott, Topogiaphy, 61. Uses of Bibliography, 128. INDEX. ' 391 Venn, Complete Duty of Man, 19. Village Preaclier, 24, Vyse, Spelling, 75. Voyages round the World. Cook, Vancouver, Krusenstern, Bon- ganville, Kotzebue, Arago, Stavenson's Historical Sketch, 333, Warburton on the Study of Theology, 2. Works, 26, Warden, System of Revealed Religion, 27. Watkins, Pulpit Oratry, 13- Watson, (Bishop,) Two Apologies, 14. Theological Tracts, 9.G. Life, 97. Wilberforce, Practical View of Christianity, 15. Wall on Infant Baptism, 27. WoTTOv, Method of Theologicaf Divinity, 2. Notes by Dr. Cotton. Welchman, Articles of the Church of England, 12, Wells, Geograi)hy of the Old and New Testament, 10. Wyld, Scripture Atlas, 10. Williams, (Dr.) List of Theological Works, 2. Wheatley on the Common Prayer, 12. Waterland, Sermons, 24. Works, 27. Whitby on the Five Points, 26. Wogan on the Lessons, 26. Walpole, (Horace,) Opinion of Burnet, 28. Opinion of Robertson as an Historian, 34. Wordsworth, Ecclesiastical Biography, 29. , Poems, 299. Wood, Parish Church, 29. Williams, Dictionary of Religions, 29. ^ViLKS, Christian Biography, 29. Whitaker, Unirersal History, 32. Wood, Essay on Homer, 40. Wolfe, Letter of the celebrated General, to a Young Man on entering the Military Profession, 63. Life and Correspond- ence, 91. Wakefield, Account of Ireland, 57. Watki-vs, Biographical Dictionary, 84. Walton, (Isaac,) Lives, 87. Watson, Life of Sir Thomas Pope, 87. Wren, (Sir Christopher,) Parentalia, or Memoirs of, a new edition, by Mr. Elmes, 97. Wakefield, (Gilbert,) Auto-Biography of, 97. WiLMOT Papers, 103. Wilkinson, Atlas Classica, 124. Walker, Gazetteer, 126. Pronouncing Dictionary, 311. 392 INDEX. "Walton, Complete Angler, 139. West, (Mrs.) Letters, 139. Waverley Novels, 151. Writers of the Reign of Anne, White, (Henry Kirke,) Remains, 300. Wraxall, (Sir 11.) Memoirs of the Court of Berlin, 316. West Indies, Edwards, Stewart, 329. Young, 255. ZoucH, Life of Sir Philip Sidney, 90. Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, 346. Latham, Lewiu, Dono- van, Bewick, Jardine, 347. FINIS. b '/ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. •"»'» -l 8 1360 vO m- ,4lt ■w 4 n X \ FOKNU \ 1035 The English ^61e fi;entleman»s .*--;•.-:: ,-*- ■-• *