will alfo be highly acceptable to moft purchafers. Mr. Dibdin has diligence and attention, guided by a very found judgment; and has certainly, by this volume, contributed very largely to the extenfion and improvement of bibliographical knowledge in this country. The Greek and Latin Claffics are noticed in alphabetical order, and are followed by useful lifts of, 1. the Delphin Claffics. 2. Variorum, 4to. 3. Collectanea, 4to. 4. Variorum Claffics, 8vo. 5. Collectanea, 8vo. 6. Elzevir Editions. 7. Maittaire and Barbou. 8. Aldine Claffics; and, finally, what the author calls an Index Analyticus, which is a general and chronological view of all the editions noticed in the body of the work. If we could allow space for an extract, we should infert either the account of one of the Polyglotts, or that of the Editio Princeps of Lucretius, p. 245, or that of Virgil, P. 423, both in the truly valuable library of Lord Spencer, and there examined by the author of this work. Still, among all our commendations, we have one or two complaints to make. Some Claffics are wholly omitted, and without any apology, or reafon affigned. For inftance, Apuleius, Antoninus, Apollodorus, Aurelius Victor, Celfus, Hippocrates, Manilius, Frontinus, Vitruvius, and several others, marked with afterisks in fome of the author's own lifts. But why are they omitted? Are not Apuleius, Manilius, and others, of confequence enough to be included? Is not Hippocrates, is not Vitruvius, concerning the real Princeps Editio of whofe work, which is very rare, much that is interefting remains to be publifhed? We cannot at all account for these omiffions, nor excufe them. Our other complaint refers perhaps to the publisher rather than the au thor; but it refpects that bafe bibliographical trick of deftroying the four additional plates, after only fifty copies were ftruck off. What then fhall we fay?-that these plates were executed, not to inftruct or gratify the public, but to be the purpofed fubject of an impofition; and to be fold, after a time, only to those who can or will pay an extravagant price! It is abfolutely fhameful; and, whatever precedent there may be for fuch deftruction of useful engravings, we hefitate not to fay, that it reflects the utmost difgrace on those who have at any time been guilty of it. From the liberal and fenfible turn of the author's ftudies, we feel interested for him, and impreffed with a fenfe of friendship, though perfonally unknown: we hope, therefore, that he has no concern whatever in this mercenary contrivance. If he has, we mult at least gently hint to him, that he has, in this inftance, fuffered himself to be infected with the bafe and foolish part of bibliography; from which, in all other inftances, we hope his good understanding and right feelings will deliver him. ART. 35. Critical and Philofophical Effays. By the Author of the Advifer. Vol. 1. 12mo. 336 pp. 55. Wallis. 1803. Again the author of the Advifer (Mr. Brifted) who, if he would liften to a found adviser, would either not appear fo often before the public, or certainly not with an announced reference to a publication, of which he ought long ago to have been afhamed. (See Brit. Crit. vol. xxi. p. 693.) Among the peculiarities of this writer, is that of confeffing as faults what he thinks will excite curiofity. This volume was Hh2 printed, printed, he fays, at a diftance; and whent he copies were tranfmitted for publication, he felt afhamed and difgufted at the manner in which much of it was written". What this manner is, he prefently explains. "The ftyle and expreffion, in general, are too harsh and cruel; indeed, I am afraid that the coarfenefs and illiberality of many of the phrafes will prevent, in a great meafure, the benefit of those remarks, which are founded on reason and truth”. And again: "That vein of farcoflic and contemptuous afperity, which pervades nearly the whole of the work, mut greatly tend to render the reader unwilling to liften with complacency to what it might contain, by raifing indignation againft the author's want of gentleness and urbanity". Now why all this confellion, and much more, of what, till the moment of publication, might have been corrected or fuppreffed? Merely because abuse is known to be a mott faleable commodity, and farcaftic afperity much fuited to the vitiated tafte of thoufands. The only antidote to all this is, that nobody can poffibly feel at all interefted whether fuch a writer praises or cenfures perfons living or dead. As he praifes Mifs Joanna Baillie, who certainly deferves it, we could with that his fuffrage were of more value; but what literary fame can be aided by that man who impudently pronounces, and attempts to prove, Hugh Blair a block head? ART. 36. Public Characters of 1802 and 1803. 8vo. Phillips. 1803. 105. 64. We are by no means anxious to fee biographical sketches of living characters; it is fo very difficult, indeed almoft impoffible, to avoid prejudices on the favourable or unfavourable fide, that the portrait never conveys a faithful refemblance of the object. This is a fifth volume of the work, and exhibits, among other dif. tinguithed names, fketches of Lord Auckland, Dr. Jenner, Dr. Vincent, Lord Macartney, Archdeacon Paley, Mr. William Gifford, Profeffor Carlifle, Sir Francis Burdett, &c. &c. They are evidently the work of different hands, compiled from various refources. The fketch of Mr. W. Gifford's life, is taken verbatim from his own inimitable introduction to his verfion of Juvenal. Some profiles alfo accompany the volume, of which the lefs that is faid the better. To us they do not communicate the remoteft idea of the originals. The editor returns thanks for the flattering patronage he has received, and folicits materials for future volumes. By which it may be prefumed, that there are many who approve of the plan; and it must certainly be acknowledged that, in a curfory perufal of this particular volume, we have not discovered any fpirit of acrimony, or traces of malignity. The editor is undoubtedly a good-natured chronicler. ART. 37. A General Index to the firft Twenty Volumes of the British Critic. In Two Parts. Part I. containing a Lift of all the Books reviewed. Part II. an Index to the Extracts, Criticifms, &c. 8vo. Ss. Rivingtons. 1804. The Editors of the British Critic, impreffed with gratitude for the very favourable reception given to their labours by the public, are re folved to omit nothing that may ferve to render the work more ufeful. They have therefore had thefe Indexes compiled, which it is their intention to continue at proper intervals. ART. 38. The Man in the Moon; confifting of Essays and Critiques on the Politics, Morals, Manners, Drama, &c. of the prefent Day. 8vo. 192 pp. 45. Highley. 1804. We had a Man in the Moon in the Pic Nic, which we reviewed about a twelvemonth ago. This is a different man, though perhaps related, in the thought at leaft, to that Lunar author. If there is one man in that fatellite, there may be many. The prefent lunatic extends his lucubrations only to twenty-four Numbers, which appear to have been separately published, at the price of 4d. each. The topics of his papers are extremely temporary, confifting, in part, of critiques on dramatic picces which appeared early in laft winter, fuch as Hearts of Oak, Cinderella, &c. The ftyle of the writer is lively, perhaps bordering upon the flippant. He is, however, fometimes grave; and we do not perceive that he is any where otherwife than patriotic and instructive, fo far as his topics are capable of conveying inftruction. We have by us an old publication by Defoe, called the Confolidator, profeffedly written from the fame orb, in 1705. So there is nothing new under the Moon. ART. 39. The Hindoftanee Intelligencer and Oriental Anthology, containing a Narrative of Tranfactions in the interior Provinces of Hindoftan, as derived from the Perfian Newspapers, corrected by collateral Information, derived from various Sources; and a Series of original Ejays and poetical Pieces, which have from Time to Time appeared in the Benga! Hincarrah. 4to. Calcutta. Four Numbers. Debrett. 1801. 10s. We have received four Numbers of this publication, which will be entertaining and interefting to those who have Oriental connections and purfuits. Some very agreeable fpecimens of poetry will be found interfperfed, of which the reader will not be displeased with the following. « TRANSLATION. Think not, my fair, thofe heavenly dies Nor fhall thy image, lovely maid, And then at Death's command. His cure from Mercy's hand. And And who fo fit that cure to prove, Let him who fears to lofe his eafe, In change for cares, but cares that please, ART. 40. A compendious Hiftory of the World, from the Creation to the Thefe publishers frequently have introduced to our notice very ufeful books for young perfons; and this is particularly adapted to the propofed purpofe. It is very neatly printed, and is very cheap. It is a very perfpicuous compendium, and the ftyle is good and easy. ART. 41. The Shakesperean Mifcellany: containing a Collection of Scarce and valuable Tracts; Biographical Anecdotes of Theatrical Performers, with Portraits of ancient and modern Altors (of many of whom there are no Prints extant) scarce and original Poetry; and curious Re mains of Antiquity; viz. the Life and furprifing Adventures, Miracles, Sc. of the Prophet Abraham; from a Manuscript tranflated_from the Arabic. Account of John of Eltham, with an illuftrative Plate. Account of the Death and Burial of the Princess Elizabeth, Daughter of King Charles the First, with a Plate of her Coffin. The Wicker Chair, a Poem, from the Manufcript of W. Somerville, Efq. Two Elegies, by Dr. Donne, not in any Edition of his Works. The Country Life, a Poem, by Bishop Corbet, not in any Edition of his Works. A poetical Defcription of a Journey, from Margate to Brighihelmftone, by Dr. W. Dodd. Curious Epitaphs in Brighton and Rottingdean ChurchYards. The Holy Vengeance, a Scottish Ballad, by F. G. W. A concife Hiftory of the early English Stage, with Anecdotes and Portraits of the following Authors and Performers: Perkins, Bond, Cartwright, Harris, Penkethman, Farquhar, Mifs Norfa, Theophilus Cibber, Redman, and S. Davies; printed chiefly from Manufcripts, in the Paffion of, and with occafimal Notes by, F. G. Waldron, Editor of the Literary Mufeum, Harding's Biographical Mirror, c. 4to. 155. Lackington, &c. This is a moft voluminous title-page, but the volume will be found to contain much amusing matter; though the reader will be dilappointed who may expect to find much about Shakespear. The care and diligence of Mr. Waldron, in fuch researches, have often been approved. ART. 42. IS. Two Dialogues of the Dead. The first, between Handel and Braham. The fecond, between Johnfon and Bofwell. By J. B. 8vo. 32 pp. 1s. Johnfon. 1804. Left any friend of Mr. Braham made a party in a dialogue in the - from the author's Advertisement. fhould be alarmed at feeing him shades, we fhall infert this paragraph "The first of the two Dialogues originated originated in a falfe report of Mr. Braham's death;-may he live to reap benefit from the advice which has arifen from the mistake". The purport of the advice is certainly good; which is, to avoid those extravagant cadenzas which Mr. B. is accufed of having ventured to introduce, into the fublime and fimple fongs of Handel. There is, however, rather more severit, both in this and the fecond Dialogue, than the occafions feem to require; and particularly in the latter, where the good-humoured Bo'well, whofe amufing reports have been enjoyed (without the malignity imputed) by fo many thoufands, is nothing less than extremely ill treated. There is fome liveliness in the Dialogues, but they can hardly be faid to deferve to form a publication by themfelves. In fome light mifcellany they might perhaps have been introduced with effect. ART. 43. The Proper Names of the Bible, New Teftament, and Apocrypha, divided and accented, with other Facilities for their Pronunciation, agreeably to the bft Ujuge, and to English Analogy. To which is added, a Selection of fame of the most beautiful fcriptural Pieces, calculated to inftruct Youth in the Art of Reading with Propri ety; and, at the fame Time, to inculcate the Principles of Morality and Religion: in which it has been attempted to show the Learner the emphatic Words in every Sentence. Intended as a Sequel to the SpellingBook, and an Introduction to the Scriptures, Speaker, c. By John Robinjon, Author of the "New English Spelling-Book," Sc. and Mafter of Arundel-Street Seminary. 8vo. 8vo. 181 pp. Is. 6d. Law, &c. 1804. The author of this book informs us, that "the Scripture Proper Names have not yet been published in any book of less value than five fhillings". His table of Scripture Proper Names, he fays," contains near five hundred more than Mr. Walker's, which is the completett and best the author has feen. None have ventured to prefcribe pofitive rules for their pronunciation; but have been principally directed by the harmony of found, as it affects the English ear." This rule is very defective. The English practice is, to throw the accent, in all words, as far back as poffible, with little or no regard to the right quantity of fyllables. Even in the church this practice is fubmitted to; but practices of fuch a kind fhould be corrected by recurrence to the original languages. There is an excellent book of Leufden's (we think) on the fubject, which ought to be confulted for all thefe points. Mr. Robinfon's may, however, be used with advantage by youth, and others who have not the aid of literature. In the fecond part of this work the author has done well, in compreffing" a greater body of fcripture morality within its pages than he has met with in any book of the fame fize." But when he adds, "it is conveyed, too, in language particularly calculated to instruct learners in the important art of reading"; here we find continual occafion for differing in judgment from him. There is not a page, and fcarcely a sentence, in which we thould not omit many of the emphafes, or place them on very different words from those which are here made |