ART. VIII. Preludes to Knowledge; or, amusing and instructive Conversations on History, Astronomy, Geography, Optics, and the Division of Time in different Countries. Interspersed with Stories moral and entertaining. By ELIZABETH SOMERVILLE: AUthor of "James Manners and his Dog Bluff." 18mo. pp. 194.

THESE stories are above the capacity of children to whom they are addressed, and are too superficial for chil

ART. IX.

dren of more advanced age. The volume abounds in typographical errors, which is an unpardonable fault.

The History of Man.

12mo.

WE should think that children would are wanting to enliven dry descriptions find this little compilation dull and wea- of dress.

isome: anecdotes of men and manners

ART. X. The Life of Moses; designed for the Amusement and Instruction of Youth. By a Lady. 8vo. pp. 75.

THE writer of these pages prefers two claims upon the public, which are never urged in vain. "She is young and in adversity, scarcely yet entered her twentyLecond year; she has drunk deep of the

fountain of human affliction, nor has hitherto been permitted to refuse the bitter draught of keen disappointment."

This little work is not destitute of merit, either in point of plan or execution.

Aar. XI. The Elegant Preceptor: or, an Introduction to the Knowledge of the World; tordaining Instructions in Morality, and useful and ornamental Accomplishments, selected from the Works of the most eminent Writers. 18mo. pp. 136.

SCRAPS of morality from Blair, Rousseau, Madame Genlis, cum multis Johnson, Addison, Steel, Edgeworth, aliis que nunc perscribere longum est.

ART. XII. Lessons of Fenelon, late Archbishop of Cambray, selected from his Works, for the Instruction of Youth. By M. DE LEVISAC. The whole translated from the most recent Editions of the Author's Works. 8vo. pp. 322. THE Abbé Lévisac published last year a selection from the works of the Archbishop of Cambray, entitled Legons de Fenelon, of which an account was given in our former volume, p. 587.-By trans. lating these lessons" into English, the whole value of the book is totally destroyed. There is no scarcity of excelat books for young people in our own Language, but the number of French

works adapted to the same purpose, and from the purity of their style serving also as exercises in that language, is but small. The explanatory notes of the Abbé are totally omitted in this version, nor do we see any use to which it can be applied, except that of saving idle boys the trouble of turning over their dictionary, and thus injuring themselves and deceiving their masters and parents.

Aer. XIII. Evenings Ruionally Employed; or, Moral and Entertaining Incentives to Virtue and Improvemeut. By W. HELME. 8vo. pp. 270.

WE have no fault to find with the the book is wholly worthless. The style moral tendency of this little volume, ex- is wretched; a large proportion of the rept that it now and then inculcates that facts recorded are vulgar and long exkly nervous sensibility which is too ploded errors; and the proper names of much the characteristic of the present persons, places, and things, betray gross ge. In every other respect, however, ignorance or shameful carelessness.

ART. XIV. An Introduction to Philosophical and Physical Geography: in which all the Operations and Appearances of Nature are demonstrated to be the Result of natural Causes. Likewise the Cause and Origin of Mountains, Rivers, the Properties of the Sea, Springs, Mineral Waters, Hot Baths, &c. explained. To which is added, an Explanation of the different Lengths of Days and Nights, the Vicissitudes of the Seasons, &c. 8vo. pp. 12. One plate.

IT will not be supposed that a satisfactory explanation of the subjects men

tioned in the ample title page, which we have just transcribed, can possibly be

454

given in the short compass of 124 pages.
The author, however, has found an ef-
fectual way of reconciling us to his bre-

vity, by evincing the most deplorable ignorance of the science which he has undertaken to demonstrate.

ART. XV. An Introduction to Geography and Astronomy, by the Use of the Globes and Maps. To which are added, the Construction of Maps, and a Table of the Latitude and Longitudes of the Places mentioned in the Work. By E. and J. BRUCE. 8vo. pp. 250,

THIS useful little work consists of two parts: the first contains thirty-six problems to be resolved by the terrestrial globe; the second contains thirty problems, adapted to the celestial globe. -The writings of Dr. Hutton, Professor Vince, Dr. Herschell, and other

pro

able mathematicians, have been ju ciously had recourse to; and the mo dern discoveries are inserted in their per places. The whole forms a very complete treatise, superior in many respects to most of its predecessors on the same subject.

ART. XVI. An Easy Grammar of Geography: intended as a Companion and Introduction to the "Geography for the Use of Schools," by the same Author." With Maps. By the

Rev. J. GOLDSMITH. 18mo. pp. 144.

THE manner in which this introduction is executed, can only be known by a specimen; take one any where:

"Of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

"The island of Great Britain is divided into England, Wales, and Scotland. It is six hundred miles long, and three hundred broad; and contains about twelve millions of inhabitants.

The advantages of its climates are thus described by a modern poet :

"A fairer isle than Britain, never sun View'd in his wide career! A lovely spot For all that life can ask !--Salubrious !--mild! Its hills are green! its woods and prospects

fair!

Its meadows fertile! and, to crown the whole
In one delightful word,-it is our home-
Our native isle."

"To the above it may be added, that Great Britain is the undisputed mistress of the seas, which are every where covered with her ships. Her wealth, the value of her manufactures, and the extent of her commerce are unequalled. The industry and intelligence of her inhabitants, the excellent form of her political constitution, the just administration of her laws, and the independence arising from her insula situation, combine to render her an object of admiration to all other nations.

England contains forty counties or shires, situated in the following order, taken from north to south.

Counties.

Northumberland

Durham

Cumberland

Westmoreland

Yorkshire

Lancashire

Cheshire

Shropshire

Chief Towns.
Newcastle
'Durham

Carlisle

Appleby
York
Lancaster
Chester
Shrewsbury

Middlesex
Kent
Surrey
Sussex
Berkshire
Hampshire
Wiltshire
Dorsetshire
Somersetshire
Devonshire
Cornwall

"London contains

Bedford

Huntingdon

Cambridge

Norwich
Bury

Chelmsford

Hertford
London

Canterbury

Guildford

Chichester
Reading
Winchester
Salisbury

Dorset

Wells

Exeter

Launceston

rence, and is the largest and most opulent nearly a million ef inhabitants, is twenty miles in circumfe city in the world."

After giving such an account as this is of almost every country in the globe, Mr. Goldsmith gives some geographical questions, problems and questions ca the use of the globes, and a vocabulary of the proper names of places, divided and accented in the way in which they are usually pronounced.

ART. XVII. Practical Arithmetic; or the Definitions and Rules in whole Numbers, Fractions Vulgar and Decimal, exemplified by a large Collection of Questions relating to Business including Rules and Examples of Mental Calculations and Abbreviations in most Parts of Arithmetic. The whole combining Theory with Practice: with Notes. By J. RICHARDS. 8vo. pp. 160.

THE multiplication table used by Mr. Richards extends as far as 12 x 19; by means of which and the common pence table, most of the calculations requisite in the common routine of retail business, and in making out bills, may be effected with accuracy and expedition, without the use of the pen. In almost all cases the habit is acquired even at

present by long and frequent practice, but the rules here laid down will considerably promote this desirable facility. The abbreviations of the common rules we do not much approve of; they are thus rendered less intelligible to the learner, and no other advantage can counterbalance this defect.

CHAPTER IX.

BIOGRAPHY.

THE richness of the Biographical Department, in the literary history of the last year, atones, in a considerable degree, for the deficiencies and worthlessne.: which unfortunately characterise some of the other divisions. Not only have the lives of several eminent character, already known and recorded, been writte afresh, and presented to the public in a new light, and with additional circam stances of interest; but some of the distinguished moderns, lately deceased, have. during the last twelvemonth, been worthily recorded, and associated with the ill trious of former ages, who, by general consent, have been selected to serve as m dels and examples of human nature.

If we estimate the merit by the degree of interest excited, Mr. Hayley's Life Cowper undoubtedly demands the earliest notice. It must not be conceal however, that this is less owing to the abilities of the biographer, than to touching and melancholy circumstances in the life of the author, the tend sprightliness which distinguishes his numerous letters, and the uncommon pati that breathes in some of the poetical pieces, which are here for the first time la before the public. The late Dr. Geddes has found a worthy memorialist in Mr. Good; whose congeniality of attachment to oriental literature, has peculiarly ç lified him to estimate the merit of his friend on those topics, upon which his fatum reputation must mainly depend. The uneventful, though by no means useless l of Dr. Reid, has been sketched by Professor Stewart; who has, at the same time vindicated his metaphysical system, from the general objections that have be urged against it. The life of the gallant Admiral Earl Howe, has been wri by Mr. Mason; and we are indebted to a female pen for a particular and hig interesting biography of General Zieten, one of the ablest warriors of the gre Frederick of Prussia, and no less distinguished for his moral worth than his militar talents. The publication of Lady Wortley Montague's Correspondence, by Mr Dallaway, has not only established the compleat authenticity of her celebrated e ters from Turkey, but has raised her to the very highest rank among the epistola writers of Europe, for the combination of brilliant wit, glowing descriptict and sound sagacious observation on life and manners. Mr. Godwin has writte the Life of Chaucer on a new plan, which we trust will for ever remain unique Dr. Aikin has furnished a large and valuable contribution to Biographical Hister by the publication of the fourth volume of his General Biography; and our At nual List is swelled, though not greatly increased in value by the Revolutionary Plutarch, Public Characters for 1803, &c. &c.

ART. I. The Life and posthumons Writings of William Cowper, Esq. By WILLIAM HAYLEY, Esq. 2 vols. 4to.

GENIUS and virtue in union, never fail to excite the interest of all who contemplate them; and when misfortune is added, all the sympathetic emotions are irresistibly called into action. This concurrence was exemplified in an uncommon degree in the late William Cowper; whose poetical talents broke forth with a lustre that astonished all readers, while the tokens displayed in his works of exalted piety and warm benevolence on the one hand, and of a deeply wounded spirit on the other, inspired general esteem and regret. Curiosity was powerfully awakened to the history of such a man; and as it was imperfectly gratified during his life, the public impatiently expected fuller information after his decease. Every one was apprised, that various reasons of delicacy existed, which might prohibit an undisguised narrative of all that concerned him; but it was hoped, that enough of the veil might be drawn aside, to exhibit the true features of his singular character, and the principal circumstances by which it was formed. When it was understood that the office of his biographer had devolved upon an eminent writer, who had enjoy. ed a great share of his intimacy, and might be supposed to have obtained actess to all existing memorials respecting him, little doubt was entertained that a valuable and interesting publication would be the result. It is our business to consider in what degree the general expectation has been fulfilled in the work before us.

Mr. Hayley has adopted a mode of biographical writing, which has proved popular in some late instances, and certainly possesses some advantages, that f making the subject, in a great meaure, his own historian, by interweaving the narrative all his familiar letters, which relate the events of his life, or disslay the sentiments of his mind. This method is lively and entertaining, and arries with it a strong impression of auhenticity; it has, however, obvious deects. Frequently, no one is less to be pended upon in the representation of dents, or of principles and motives, the person to whom they belong; it is from the sagacious and imparal biographer alone, that we can expect uch a statement, as shows the man as he

really is, stript of the mask of self love, Further, the thread of narrative is broken, and all due proportion of length, to importance of matter, destroyed by such an intermixture. On the whole, we cannot consider it as a just model of this species of composition; and we are persuaded, that it will seldom be employed, unless where the biographer is conscious of a paucity of materials for his own share of the work, or of some nice and delicate points in the story, upon which he does not choose to express himself with the responsibility of an author. That the familiar letters of men of eminence are, of themselves, highly pleasing, no one will call in question; or that they form excellent matter for the use of the biographer, who may, with great advan tage, introduce portions of them, as illustrations of character and incident. It is only to this chequered mode of mingling them entire, with the staple of the writer's narration, that we venture to propose our objections.

We have no right to suppose that Mr. Hayley has designedly sunk any information relative to the early history of the subject of his memoirs; but we must lament that this period of his life is passed over with a rapidity which leaves us in the dark, with respect to the most essential points in the formation of his extraordinary character. We are told of an extreme modesty and reserve in his nature, of a shyness and delicacy of feeling, that rendered a public school a scene of terror and torment to him; yet he passed with credit through this school, formed connections with such men as Colman, Lloyd, and Thornton, and, as we have reason to believe, mingled in the pleasures and gaieties. of the metropolis, rather distinguished by uncommon mirth and vivacity, than marked with the impress of pensive diffi dence. Are we then to imagine that it was the influence of mere natural temper, which, at the mature age of thirty-one, rendered the idea of appearing, in an official station, at the bar of the house of lords, so distressing to his mind, as entirely to overwhelm his reason; or rather, to conclude, that some previous circumstance had so debilitated and deranged his nervous system, as to reduce him to the brink of that unhappy condition,