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The works which Mr. B. announces, and which he means to pub lifh fucceffively, are:

1. Engravings of universal Natural Hiftory of the three kingdoms, with a complete enumeration of all the natural bodies, at present unknown, and a fynoptical Table of their characters.

2. A Manual for the use of those who are to teach popular Natural History in schools and feminaries, or for amateurs who wish to inftruct themselves, without ftudying the fcience ex-profeffo.

3. Elements of popular Natural History, for the ufe of fchools.

4. An Abridgment of popular Natural Hiftory, for the ufe of inferior and country schools, with a selection of the most necessary figures.

The engravings will be in large quarto, and appear by cahiers, in the three natural kingdoms together. Mr. B. conceives, that the animal kingdon will contain about 240, the vegetable zoo, and she mineral about 60 plates. That amateurs may be enabled to form fome judgment of the execution, three, one for each kingdom, are annexed to the prefent work. For the accommodation of foreigners, Mr. B. will likewife publish a French edition of the short text which is to accompany the engravings.

Ibid.

ART. 46. Chriftiani Theophili Kuinal, Prof. Lipf. Narratio de Joanne Friderico Fischero ad Virum Magnificum et fumm. Rev. Francifcum Volkmarum Reinhardum, Theol. D. &c. 1800. Leipzig, 8vo.

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Of the late J. Fr. Fischer, whofe merit as a philological and exegetical scholar is generally acknowledged, the author of this eulogium ddreffed to Fr. V. Reinhard, fays, p. 20: Nofti quam diligens fuerit diei difpenfator, quam mirabilem a natura alacritatem facilitatemque agendi habuerit, quantopere fugerit affiduam et promifcuam cum aliis confuetudinem, quam fobrie et temperanter vixerit. Laborandum effe di&titabat, et faepius eum affirmare memini, fe, quanquam fenem, quotidie difcere debere nec aliis fuas invidere voluptates, fe enim unicè literis dele&tari, et fludium literarum ac virtutis anteponere ftudiis rebufque aliis omnibus. The principles of his exegetical inftruction are thus, in part, defcribed by Prof. K. ridebat eos, (fa; s he, in p. 26) qui neglecta plenaque linguarum veterum et legum juftæ interpretationis cognitione, commendarent et nimiis laudibus extollerent interpretationem pratticam five moralem, qua noftra ætate quamplurimi tantopere abufi funt. Ipfe in explanandis illuftrandifque fcrip torum facrorum locis affidue grammaticis illis fubfidiis ucbatur, &c. As inftances of writers who, among others, are understood to have availed themselves of the labours of the late Fischer, to increase their own literary fame, we find here mentioned Bahrdt, who had the affurance to publish, in his own name, his (Fifcher's) Prælections on Malachi, which had been lent him to tranfcribe; and Dathe, the fuppofed author of the excellent and much-efteemed Differtation de Aquilæ reliquiis in Hofea, &c. Ibid.c

ART.

ART. 47. Codicis Uffenbachiani, qui epiftola ad Hebræos Fragmenta continet, recenfus et specimen were exfculptum, auct. H. Ph. Conr. Henke. Helmftädt, 4to. 1800.

As this valuable MS. (Wetftein and Griefbach, Cod. 53) which is now preferved in the library at Hamburg, had been very imperfectly defcribed by Majus, Werftein, and Bengel, the author has certainly rendered an important fervice to the biblical critic, in paying the attention to it which he has done. He confiders it to belong, at least, to the ninth century; and we perfectly fubfcribe to the judgment of Ber gel, when he fays, that fi integer hic extaret codex, hodie vix parem baberet. As the MS. is generally very free from errors, it is the more remarkable, that v. 1. of ch. ii. is entirely omitted in it; which, indeed, is not abfolutely neceffary to complete the fenfe. Inftead of the common reading xp Secu, ch. ii. 9, it has likewife the other Hwpis So, which the author of this Programma is difpofed to prefer. Ibid.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

P. C. whofe hand we perfectly recognize, might have written in a more friendly ftyle. We are willing, however, to affure him, that, in our review of Mr. Gilpin's Hints for Sermons, we meant to cenfure only thofe who prefume to write against the doctrine in queftion. We had even particular perfons in our eye, whom we forbore to mention, left we should engender the very difputations we wished to difcourage, In the other matter alfo, our refpect for private worth produced a forbearance, which candour certainly will not misinterpret; particularly when it is confidered, that we made fome objections, and hinted at many more.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

A fourth volume of Mr. Burke's works is in the press, containing the pieces printed fince the publication of the three quarto volumes which appeared during his life.

An

An octavo edition of the whole of Mr. Burke's works, in eight volumes, is alfo preparing for publication.

A fourth volume of Sermans, by the late Dr. Samuel Carr, will appear in the courfe of the prefent month.

A collected edition of Goldfmith's works is nearly ready for publication, as alfo a new edition of Johnson's works, and of thofe of Locke.

A new edition of the works of Dean Swift, in eighteen volumes, octavo, improved from that publifhed by Mr. Sheridan, in 1784, has been fome time in the prefs, under the direction of Mr. Nichols, and may be expected in a few weeks. Mr. Todd's edition of Milton, in five volumes, octavo, will appear early in June.

Mr. Jones's works are in great forwardness.

A new edition of Dr. Langhorn's tranflation of Plutarch's Lives, in fix volumes, octavo, will foon be ready for publi

cation.

Mr. Maurice's Modern Hiftory of Hindoftan, is in fome forwardness at the prefs.

Mr. Kett has nearly completed his work on the Elements of general Knowledge, intended for the ufe of ftudents in the uni verfities, and the higher claffes of fchools.

The Rev. Mr. Bingley, of Peter Houfe, Cambridge, has, ready for the prefs, a work entiled Sketches of Nature, defcriptive principally of the Economy of the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms. He is alfo preparing a Synopfis of British Zoology, on the plan of Dr. Withering's arrangement of British plants.

We understand that the Magiftrates in the Southern part of Westmorland, intend to compile and publifh a regular account of their Townships, with the numbers of the inhabitants, from the returns of the Overfeers under the late Act. As this plan will be highly ufeful to Magiftrates, if completed throughout England, it is earneftly hoped that the example will be

followed.

The work for Weftmorland is chiefly promoted by Mr. Wilfon, of Cafterton Hall, near Kirkby Lonsdale.

ERRATA.

In our Review for March, p. 179, 1. 3, for parliaments, read bailments. Line 5, for applicable, read applied. Line 17, for adequate. read inadequate. P. 180, 1. 18, 19, for Conyer's, read Comyn's.

THE

BRITISH CRITIC,

For MAY, 1801.

"Miror equidem doleoque, eo decidiffe rem Literariam, ut à multis libri è chartis et typis magis quam ex argumento æftimantur." REISKE Pref. in Abilfedam.

We fee with grief and astonishment the ftate of Letters fo fallen, that, by multitudes, books are valued rather for the type and for the value of the contents.

paper than

ART. I. T. Lucretii Cari de Rerum Natura Libros Sex, ad Exemplarium MSS. fidem recenfitos, longè emendatiores reddidit, commentariis perpetuis illuftravit, indicibus inftruxit, et cum animadverfionibus Ricardi Bentleii non ante vulgatis, aliorum fubinde mifcuit Gilbertus Wakefield, A. B. Collegii Fefu apud Cantabrigienfes olim Socius. Tomis tribus, in 410. 51.5s. Charta majore 211. Apud Bibliopolas Lond. 1797.

IT

T will readily be granted, by men of fenfe and judgment, that an edition of a claffical author is by no means to be eftimated from the beauty of the type, the fineness of the paper, or the elegant proportions and arrangement of the page. If thefe matters could afford foundation for a reasonable judgment, there could be no poffible doubt about the praises due to the prefent work. In its external form, the book speaks abundantly for itfelf, nor can many editions of the claffics vie with it in that refpect: futh only excepted, as exhibit merely a beautiful text, without any apparatus of notes. With regard to the existence of the work, Mr. Wakefield has fufficient

Kk

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XVII. MAY, 1801,

celebrity

celebrity to announce it amply to the world; and all perfons who would be inclined to purchase it, either for the fake of its elegance, or for the fake of its editor, would know, without our interference, that fuch an opportunity was offered. For thefe, and similar reafons, though we privately encouraged the work, we long ago decided that it would be fuperfluous for us to expatiate at all on this new edition of a claffic author, unless time and opportunity fhould enable us to examine with accuracy the particular qualifications which are held forth as diftinguishing it from all its 'predeceffors. Refpecting a work of this kind, two things are principally to be wifhed; firft, that the editor fhould receive from the public a due remuneration for the care, labour, time, and expence bestowed on the undertaking; secondly, that the public, on the other hand, fhould be accurately informed of the real merits of the book prefented to it. The first of thefe objects, we truft, has been in a tolerable degree obtained, in the courfe of more than three years, wherein the new Lucretius has been in circulation: on the second, it is our bufinefs to fpeak, if we fpeak at all, without bias or prejudice on either fide of the question.

Lucretius, according to this editor, has been worfe handled than any other poet, by the licence of conjectural critics, and by the accumulation of errors. Havercamp confeffedly performed but little towards the emendation of the text; and the edition of Creech, which is best known in this country, is chiefly valued for its interpretation of the author, without pretenfions to the labour ufually called critical.

The prefent editor profeffes to have revifed the text, and rendered it much more accurate, by the aid of MSS.; to have illuftrated it by continued notes, and to have added other aids. Some notes and conjectures he obtained from a copy of Faber's Lucretius, in which the critical remarks of Bentley had been written. He conjectures alfo, that more notes, and of more importance, by that great critic, must be in the hands of his grandfon, Mr. Cumberland; of whom, however, he heavily complains, as refufing to communicate any thing. The notes of Mr. W. are indeed very numerous and various; philological, critical, illuftrative, political; fuch as he always pours forth, with a facility which judgment fometimes limps after in vain. A reader, however, muít be more than ufually morofe, who is not pleased with the ftrong and lively relifh which this annotator exhibits, for the poetical beauties of his author, and thofe of all the ancient claffics; though, it is true, that he fometimes rather overwhelms than illuftrates Lucretius by thefe excurfions.

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