M

ART. 37. An Indian Gloffary; confifling of fome Thonfand Words and Terms commonly used in the Eaft Indies; with full Explanations of their refpective Meanings, forming an ufful Vade Mecum, extremely ferviceable in affifting Strangers to acquire with Eafe and Quickness the Language of that Country. By T. T. Roberts, Lieut. &c. of the 3d Regiment, &c. of the Native Infantry E. I. 8vo. 8 Sheets. - 3s. 6d. Murray and Highley. 1800,

At the time of Mr. Haftings's trial, in 1788, was published by Mr. Stockdale a small volume entitled, The Indian Vocabulary. On that the prefent publication is evidently founded; the longer articles being to a word and a comma precifely the fame. The author does not confefs to have made fuch ufe of any book, but fays, a work published by Mr. Hadley on the fame plan fell into his hands, but did not induce him to relinquith his project, as he found his words more numerous than thofe of Mr. Hadley. Whether both publications were obliged to Mr. H. or not, is more than we can fay, not having feen his book: but certainly the additions to that which we have mentioned are not extremely important. Even its faults are copied: for ADDA is here, as well as there, explained a Dawk chokey" words utterly incomprehenfible without the Gloffary, and with it only to be gueffed at in their new connection. It seems that they should mean "a Poit-house."

Both thefe books are very deficient, and the deficiencies are ufually the fame. Thus both want Kurrea, a term for a village, and its territory, explained by Beatfon, App. xxiv. In orthography both differ from many of the moft refpectable authorities; thus they have Bebauder for Bahauder, and Moufa for Mozah, &c. But this is a point fo conftantly varied by all English writers in India, that we cannot alledge it as any ground of complaint,

ART. 38. A Praxis of Logic, for the Ufe of Schools. By John Collard. 12mo. 231 pp. 5s. Johnfon. 1799.

This author first published an Epitome of Logic, under the name of DRALLOC, which was his real name reverfed. This we noticed with commendation (vol. vii, p. 449). He then ventured to give his real name, and thus published what he entitled "The Effentials of Logic." This, as being virtually only another edition of the first, we did not particularly notice. In the prefent Praxis, the author has reduced his fyftem into a form convenient for learners; being digefted into queftions and anfwers, with illuftrative obfervations fubjoined. This endeavour to render the art of reasoning, and the rules for analyzing arguments, familiar to young minds, appears to us very commendable, and the method likely to be found useful in practice.

ART.

ART. 39. Latin Profody made cafy, or Rules and Authorities for the Quantity of fral Syllables in General, and of the Increments of Nouns and Verbs, interspersed with occafional Obfervations and Conjectures on the Pronunciation of the ancient Greeks and Romans. To which are addea, Directions for fearning and compofing different Kinds of Verbs, followed by an ly ie Kemarks on the harmonious Structure of the Hexameter; together with Symptical Tables of Quantity for every Declenfion and Conjugation. By T. Carey, 8vo. 192 pp. 55. Cadell

and Davies.

1800.

By his long and overflowing title-page, the only objection we perceive to his book, Mr. Carey has made it unneceffary for us to defcribe its contents. It is evidently a work of much utility, and evinces not only industry but fagacity and care. His remarks on the -rimus and -ritis of the perfect and future fubjunctive, have convinced us that they were molt probably common in the penultima; and the additional proof in the Preface, drawn from the cadence of Cicero, is to us as convincing as it is ingenious. His memorial verfes comprise abundant information in a finall compass; and the Synoptical Tables, at the end, are of the most useful kind, and cannot fail to clear away many doubts from the minds of learners.

ART. 40. Some Account of St. Bartholomew's Hofpital, Londen. 12mo. 6d. Weft and Hughes. 1800.

The account of the founders and revenue of the Hospital is very fhort, and not correct or fatisfactory. Dr. Radcliffe's name, who was a large benefactor, is omitted, as well as many others. The author gives a defcription of the Hofpital, and of the feveral wards, with the number of patients each of these are calculated to contain. The names of the phy ficians, furgeons, and other officers, the times of taking in patients, their diet and management; but the whole appears to be done in a hafty manner, A more ample and correct account of the foundation, fucceffive increafe, and prefent eftablishment, of this fplendid receptacle for the fick and wounded, as well as of the other Royal Hofpitals, would be well received by the public.

ART. 41.

The State of the Hop-Plantations, including a candid Review of the Difputes between the sla and new Hop-Merchants: with a correet Table. exhibi ing the prime Coft and Sale of the Hops. To which are auded, Strictures on Monopoly; together with Hints on the prefent Searcity and high Price of Provifions. By W. Randall, Nurferyman, Maidstone, Kent; Autor of Plans for training Oak Timbers to compajs Shapes for Naval Purposes; fince published in the Annals of the Society of Arts, &c. 8vo. 86 pp. 2s. 6d. Symonds. 1800. Little information in many words. All that we can collect from

this dear book is, that bip planters are among the greatest Gmpletons, and hop merchants among the moft cunning knaves in the kingdom. The hints on Scarcity are not worth one grain of wheat.

ART.

ART. 42. The Latin Scholar's Guide, or Clarke's and Turner's Latin Exercifes corrected. Together with the References to the Originals from which the Sentences are extracted. By Mr. Tocquot, Author of the Royal Pocket English and French Dictionary. 8vo. 9s. Dulau.

1800..

The editor of this ufeful book has given proof of uncommon diligence, in afcertaining moft of the paffages taken by Clarke and Turner from the claffical Latin authors. The work, in this form, is calculated for the affitance of those who wish to teach themselves the art of writing Latin; or for the guidance of thofe who teach others, that they may avoid giving any erroneous inftructions. But to boys, who generally wish to fee the exercife given by the mafter performed for them, it would offer an irresistible temptation to idleness.

ART. 43. Abregé des Memoires pour fervir a l'Hiftoire du Jacobinifme. Par M. l'Abbé Barruel. 8vo. 8s. Dulau, &c. 1798.

A principal fault of the original work being that it was too full of words and repetitions, an abridgment of it may be recommended with peculiar propriety. The Proteitant reader fhould be cautioned against the prejudices of the Catholic author, under both forms of this otherwife ufeful work.

ART. 44. The Perfian Diary; or, Reflection's Oriental Gift of daily Counfel. By William Robfon, of Caftle Cary. 12mo. is. 6d.

Wallis. 1800.

What this little book has to do with Perfia or the Eaft, the author has not condefcended to explain. It is a calendar with a moral fentence for every day in the year. The inftruction is however exclufively moral, and not religious; in this point of view, it is fitter undoubtedly for a Perfian than a Christian.

FOREIGN CATALOGUE.

FRANCE.

ART. 45. De la littérature confidérée dans fes rapports avec les inftitutions fociales; par Mad. de Stael. 2 Vols. in 8vo. Pr. 9 fr. Paris. This new production of a pen already known by other approved works, is compofed of two parts, very diftinct from, and indeed, to a certain degree, independent on each other,

The

The first presents a general hiftory of literature, confidered according to the relations which it has had, at each of its fucceffive epochs, to political inftitutions, religious opinions, and the condition of women.

The fecond part comprites different confiderations on the actual ftate of literature in France, with conjectures in regard to its future probable or poffible progrefs.

Mme. de Stael begins the hiflory of literature with that of Greek literature, in which the diftinguishes three epochs; the time of Homer, the age of Pericles, and that of Alexander.

The firft of thefe epochs is that in which poetry chiefly flourished. The fecond is marked by the progrefs of cloquence and of tragedy. Laftly, the third is diftinguished by the developement of reafon in the research of moral and political truths.

The principal caufe to which it is owing that the Greek poetry is the first in excellence, is, according to this author, the circumitance of its being the first in date. What has most contributed to its ferving as a general model, is, that it never had any.

According to Mme, de St. poetry, properly fo called, is "l'art de peindre par la parole tout ce qui frappe les regards, La plus forte impreffion refultante de la defcription des objets phyfiques, a dû être produite par le premier prête qui a fu les peindre. La puiffance de l'imagination eft d'autant plus vive que l'exercice de cene puiffance eft plus nouveau.-Loin donc qu'il faille s'étonner que 1, premièr poétie ait é é la plus admirable, c'est à cette circonftance même qu'eft due fa fupériorité."

The author afterwards examines the influence of the religious opinions of the Greeks on the dramatic art. The imperfection and frequent indecency of the Greck comedy, is afcribed by her to the nature of democratic manners, to the want of that tafte which arifes from the morality of actions, and to the exclufion of women from dramatic exhibitions.

Paffing now to the examination of eloquence and philofophy among the Greeks, the finds the cause of the fuperiority of the former to confilt in the character of the democratic government; and the fource of the imperfections of the latter to be the nature of the human mind itself, the first effects of which can only be uncertainty and error.

To this picture of Greek fucceeds that of Latin literature. In this, as in that, three great epochs are obfervable: the latter period of the republic, the age of Auguftus, and the interval between the death of this Emperor and the reign of the Antonines.

The firft epoch of Greek literature is marked by the triumph of poetry; whereas it is the fuccefs of eloquence which diftinguishes the correfponding epoch of Latin literature. The third in both is remarkable for the cultivation of philofophy.

The order of philofophy now brings Mme. de St. to that epoch fo famous in hiftory, and generally reprefented to have been fo prejudicial to civilization, and to the progrefs of the human mind.; namely, the invafion of the Roman empire by the barbarians. This author, however, difcovers in it many causes of development to the moral and intellectual perfectibility of man. She likewife confiders the Chriffian

religion

religion to have contributed effentially to the affimilation of thofe people, and to have been the immediate means of the happy combination of fuch oppofite characters.

She attributes to it also the abolition of domeftic flavery, the amelioration of the condition of women, and the general encrease of fympathy.

The study of theology has likewise been to the human mind à further caufe of improvement, by habituating it to attention and abftraction, and by introducing into fcientific difcuffions a fpirit of party.

"Si l'efprit de faction," fays fhe, ne s'étoit pas introduit dans la métaphyfique, fi les paffions ambitienfes n'avoient pas été intéreffées dans les difcuffions abitraites, les efprits ne s'y feroient jamais affez vivement attachés pour acquérir, dans ce genre difficile, tous les moyens néceffaires aux découvertes des fiècles fuivans.

"Ainfi marche l'inftruction, pour la maffe des hommes, quand les cpinions que l'on profeffe fur un ordre d'idées quelconques, deviennent la caufe et les armes des partis, la haine, la fureur, la jaloufie parcourent tous les rapports, faififfent tous les côtés des objets en difcuffion, agitent toutes les queftions qui en dépendent: et lorfque les paffions fe retirent, la raifon va recueillir, au milieu du champ de bataille, quelques débris utiles à la recherche de la vérité."

After fome general obfervations on the different characteristics of ancient and modern literature, Mme. de St. proceeds to the critical examination of the literature of the different nations of Europe, beginning with that of the Italians, and of the Spaniards. She feeks in the political circumftances which prefided in Italy over the revival of letters, the causes which have favoured, or, at leaft, permitted the fuccefs of certain branches of knowledge, while they oppofed the perfection of others.

Admitting the fuperiority of the Italians in the fine arts, their talent for ridicule and burlefque poetry, their fuccefs in the cultivation of phyfical science, the author does not allow them true eloquence or a philofophical fpirit.

The prevalence of fuperftitions ideas, and the divifion of the country into small states, from which refults the difperfion of men of talents, are reckoned by Mme. de St. among the principal causes of the defects to be found in Italian literature.

The 11th chapter of the first part is confecrated to general obfervations on the literature of the north; the author diftinguishing literature into that of the south, of which Homer is the fource, and that of the north, the origin of which is to be referred to Offian. From the former is derived the literature of the Italians, of the Spaniards, and of the French, in the age of Louis XIV. from the latter that of the English, of the Germans, and fome other northern people.

What characterizes the literature of the north is melancholy, the expreffion of fentiments arifing from the confideration of what is incom plete in the deftiny of man.

"L'imagination du Nord," fays Mme. de St. " fe plaît fur le bord de la mer, an bruit des vents, dans les bruyères fauvages; elle porte rs l'avenir, vers un autre monde, l'ame fatiguée de fa deftinée.