fhould convey.

It is vain to temporize, by ufing words too weak for what they The advocates for extravagant and democratical claims of right, have never wanted their abettors in those dangerous publications; and Chriftianity, though not exprefsly rejected, is not to be discovered in that human invention, falfely called Rational Chrif tianity; that fyftem which diminishes the mercy of God, deftroys the dignity of the Redeemer, and bends itfelf to every fanciful hypothefis that may chance to fuit the private reafon of any vain or capricious individual. Is there a Writer who would give to the multitude Rights, as well as Powers, beyond all definition or controul? he is fure of countenance or commendation. Is there one who fills his pages with doubts, of with denials of all myfteries, and all that places Revelation above the invention or difcovery of man? he too has found ftrong advocates. His blemishes are veiled, his best arguments are brought forward, his worst fuppreffed, or aided by others of more apparent efficacy: nor has the Reader any chance of being fecured from danger, but by the foundness of his own principles, or by the caution which many have adopted, from necefiity, that of viewing the whole Picture in reverfe. He is invited to a fpecious feaft, where the more the cates are poifoned, the more they are made alluring to the eye, and feductive to the appetite.

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On the other hand, with refpect to works favourable to our Govern ment, or our Religion, the oppofite methods are employed. The Reviewer is a Counsel conftantly retained against the Crown and Church. The writer on their fide is always thought to be mistaken; his abilities, if they cannot be denied, are confidered as overpoifed by his errors; and if he gain celebrity or profit, it must be in fpite of the Reviewers, not by their affiftance.

To obviate these Arts, to check the courfe of Mifrepresentation, and give the chance of favourable hearing to the fide we deem the right, is the object of the BRITISH CRITIC; the Authors of which, though they never will defcend to any thing unfair, can only undertake to write exactly as they feel; that is, as men convinced of certain truths, and zealous to defend them, in proportion to their high importance. They are, and they declare themselves to be, firm friends to real Liberty, as eftablished by the BRITISH CONSTITUTION, and to real Christianity, particularly as delivered in the Evangelical Doctrines of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Such being their Principles, they can not with indifference fee the fecurity of Society endangered, or the

foundations of the Chriftian Faith affailed, whether by pretended friends or open enemies; and, therefore, for their fentiments upon thefe fub jects, they look for commendation only from such persons as agree with them, in what should be maintained as everlafling truths. Thefe are, however, undoubtedly by far the greater part of the inhabitants of this country, among whom, within the clafs of thofe who read and think, nothing has been more fincerely wished, than fuch an effort to refift the forces, and repel the inroads of corruption.

Alarmed by fome apparent progrefs of what they could not but re gard as falfe and dangerous opinions, a Society of Gentlemen publish ed, fome time ago, a Propojal for a Reformation of Principles. This fociety, confifting of perfons of liberal views, and of various fituations and profefiions, united only by the exigence of the times, which feemed to call for more than common efforts in defence of BRITISH PRINCIPLES, and BRITISH HAPPINESS, was defirous only to REFORM where previous Arts had introduced Corruption; where found opinions yet remained, to give them due fupport, and to PRESERVE them. Among their plans for effecting this good purpose, was that of bringing forward REVIEW, conducted in the manner herein proposed,

Under the aufpices of that fociety THE BRITISH CRITIC is now about to appear: the time appointed for its commencement being the FIRST of JUNE. How far it may deferve the venerable name of CRITIC, the Public will hereafter decide; but BRITISH it will certainly be found, in all its fentiments, and in the ground of its decifions; according to thofe principles that long have formed the glory of the British, Nation. In taking such a line, if the Authors of this Review fhould not be able wholly to escape the charge of partiality, they are at least determined to incur no accufation of intemperance. By the scale of their own opinions, must all men judge of others; we know not of any confideration that fhould deter us from fpeaking for ourfelves; and if we plainly avow our Principles, we rather fhould obtain the praife of honefty, than meet with cenfure or fufpicion. A man partial to no opinions is a blank; he neither can have read nor thought. Having opinions, to affect a neutrality by which they fhould be totally concealed, would be to make a facrifice without advantage; it would be to displease all parties. We would be candid, not infipid.

Having thus largely given our Reafons for the prefent undertaking, and expreffed our feelings on the most important points connected with it, we have only now to add, that in every other quality that ought to

be required in a Review, our endeavour will be to rival, if we cannot excel, the most respectable of our competitors: favourable to merit of all kinds, and particularly to the efforts of Genius.

Finding the form already adopted for Reviews to be convenient and proper, we have not attempted innovation, where we could not promise an improvement. Our Monthly Publication will, therefore, consist, as they do, of two principal divifions: a Review at large of fome productions, and a Catalogue of others, more concifely noticed.

But as it appears that the quantity has been too far increased, and three volumes in a year are thought to lay too heavy a charge on public curiofity, we purpose, by avoiding Supplements, to confine THE BRITISH CRITIC within Two Yearly Volumes.

Foreign Literature, however, which chiefly occupies the Supplements of other Reviews, will not be neglected by us. On the contrary, from the affiftance to which we look, we are enabled to promise a peculiarly accurate and intelligent execution of that article. But as few Readers feel as much interested concerning foreign publications, as with those of their own country; and they who do, can easily obtain access to foreign journals; we shall keep this part within a moderate extent, and affign to it only one divifion of our Monthly Catalogue: which will confequently be distinguished into two parts-British Catalogue and Foreign Catalogue.

As we commence our Undertaking in the Middle of the Year, we fhall neither go out of the current year for subjects of Criticism, nor bind ourselves to notice every work that has already appeared in 1793; but, from the date of our first publication, we mean to make our notice general; and, if poffible, to keep pace with the publications that are iffued, better than has been ufual with reviews. Long arrears of Criticifm are prejudicial, in many inftances, to authors; and always are unpleafing to the public.

Of any merits that may be peculiar to us, we shall leave our Readers both to judge and fpeak. Learning and Sagacity must be shown by actual proof, not promifed and held forth in previous boaftings. If we have them, they will plead effectually in our behalf: if they fhould be wanting, the more we had commended ourselves, the greater would be the public disappointment. The attempt itself argues fome perfuafion of ability to execute the talk: Success will justify our hopes, but not relax our efforts,

PREFACE.

UR undertaking having commenced with the fifth month of a year, we found ourselves obliged to decide upon the alternative of making two fmall volumes, of four numbers each, or of enlarging our first volume to eight numbers. Various confiderations induced us to prefer the former method; among which, not the leaft was that of taking an early opportunity to record our gratitude for a patronage almoft without example, within fo short a period; and to give some further elucidations of our Plan, and of the manner in which our publication will be uniformly conducted.

On the fubject of our reception by the Public we are happily secured, as Authors, from too much perfonal vanity, by our knowledge of the almost univerfal feeling that prevailed, of the neceffity there was for fuch an undertaking. If we have ftood forward as volunteers in the cause of truth, we were at least reminded of our duty by a very general voice among our countrymen, and the liberal fupport they have fo readily bestowed, is but the natural reward of executing what they had fo fincerely wifhed. We are well aware that it ftill depends upon the unremitting continuance of very ftrong exertions to maintain the ground which we have gained fo fuddenly; and that a favourite enterprife, ill or carelefsly conducted, would quickly ceafe to find a patronage, even from those who think it most important. Men cannot fupport even their best friends, in direct de

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. I. 1793.

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fiance of found judgment; and though favour may begin the profperity of fuch a work, merit only can confirm it. We have, however, the fatisfaction to know, by the most direct affurances, from quarters the most highly refpectable, that it is not folely the popularity of our undertaking, to which we are indebted for our prefent circulation; and fince we alfo know infallibly that our exertions will not be flackened, the commendations which have already repaid us, in the best manner, for our firft anxiety and trouble, become to us the moft unequivocal pledges of our future eftimation.

Our object has been, and will be uniformly, to give a fair and fatisfactory account of every publication which may appear to claim a full confideration; and the problem we endeavour, in every inflance, to folve, is to communicate the cleareft notion of every fuch work that can by any means be had without an actual perufal of it. This, in various cafes, must be effected by various means: fometimes by abridgment, fometimes by analyfis, fometimes by fpecimens, fometimes by remarks and character, adapted to the general topic, or the particular conduct of the work and to enable us the better to do this, we endeavour, not confining ourselves to any limited number of affistants, to obtain from the most eminent perfons in every branch of science, that species of criticism which they may be peculiarly qualified to give. A mode of communication, which, if we fhould be able to continue and extend it, as happily as it has been begun, muft infallibly render the BRITISH CRITIC a repofitory of the most accurate knowledge this diftinguifhed country can produce.

With refpect to the nature of our defign, we know but of one objection, even of apparent weight, that has been urged against it: which is, that we began by profeffing partiality. That this was an improper conftruction of the words of our Profpectus has been, we truft, fufficiently evinced by the actual exe

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