We can confirm this remark, by declaring, that in perufing the account of these inftitutions (particularly that of the fpinning and greycoat schools) we felt a greater degree of intereft than any fubject of that nature feemed calculated to excite. The conduct of the ladies who eftablished the one of these charities, and reformed the other, affords a ftriking difplay of active and judicious beneficence: and this publication may be highly useful to thofe who are difpofed to form, or entrusted to regulate fimilar establishmen's. ART. 36. Holmes's Tract on the Novel County-Rates, Exeter, 1799, bypotbetically founded on the Births of Two Acts of Parliament (12 and 13 Geo. II,) now nearly Sixty Years of Age, collated with CountyRates, Devon, c. Where Forfeitures of Recognizances, Felons' Goods, c. pafs into his Majesty's Exchequer; but in Exeter, to the Burfer of the Chamber of Exeter; including a Sketch of the prefent State of the City, Bodies-Corporate, generally and specially difcuffed. By William Holmes, Efq. a Deaf Freeman of Exeter, S. C. L. 8vo. 48 pp. IS. Coker, Exeter. If the deaf freeman would hear our voice, he would abftain from literary purfuits; which require an understanding very differently conftituted from that which feems to have fallen to his lot. His prefent undertaking (if we rightly comprehend it) is indeed of a nature fufficiently humble, namely, to investigate the rights and duties, and mark fome errors in the proceedings, of the Corporation of Exeter. In particular, he infifts that the charges incurred by his Majesty's forces paffing through the county and city, ought to be paid by the chamber of the city, and not out of the county rates. Non noftrum eft tantus componere lites; which can only intereft the inhabitants of that city and its neighbourhood. Even to them fuch a rude and undigested mafs (of extracts from Charters and Acts of Parliament, with ftrange and abfurd comments upon them) can afford but little information or benefit. ART. 37. The Trial of Jane Leigh Perrot, Wife of James Leigh Perrot, Efq. charged with fealing a Card of Lace in the Shop of Elizabeth Gregory, Haberdasher and Milliner at Bath, before Sir Soulden Lawrence, Knt. One of the Juftices of his Majefty's Court of King's Bench, at Taunton Affizes, on Saturday, the 29th Day of March, 1800. Taken in Court by John Pinchard, Attorney, of Taunton. 8vo. 43 PP. 25. Norris. 1800. As we were not prefent at the extraordinary Trial here recorded, it cannot be expected that we should pronounce on the accuracy of this report. From the circumftance, however, of its being published by a gentleman of the law, with his name, and from the general reputation of what paffed on that occafion, it has the appearance of being drawn up with care and fidelity. On the trial itself, we will only remark that, as it was impoffible, from the nature of the circumftances, that the charge could be pofitively contradicted (and yet this may happen in other cafes to innocent perfons) the reader, it is to be hoped, will be i... impreffed with the neceffity of preferving through life a fimilar character to that which, in this inftance, proved the beft protection to the party accufed. ART. 38. Reflections on the relative Situations of Mafter and Servants. biftorically and politically confidered; the Irregularities of Servants, the Employment of Foreigners, and the general Inconveniences refulting from the Want of proper Regulations. 8vo. Is. 6d. Miller. 1800. That fome regulations with refpect to fervants are effentially and immediately neceffary, every mafter of a family will readily bear teftimony. Perhaps one of the greatest evils is the formation of clubs, for the expreffed purpofe not only of maintaining fervants out of place, but we fear for the encouragement of infolence and depredation. This tract contains many fenfiole and important obfervations on the relative fituations of masters and fervants; and has perhaps nothing more exceptionable than the tide-page, which is too diffule, and promifes too much. ART. 39. A Manual for the Ufe of Coachmen, Grooms, Oftlers, and all Perfons concerned in the Care and Management of Horfes; being a Selection of near Three Hundred Receipts, for the feveral Disorders to which that noble Animal is jubject; together with fame general Obfer vations, and an Index. 12mo. 103 PP. 25. Lee and Hurit. 1799. The compiler of this little book informs, that "he was induced to undertake the rafk, to avoid the conftant trouble he was at in tranfcribing fingle receipts for one or other of his friends." So far as our knowledge of the fubject enables us to judge, he has executed that talk in general with fkill and accuracy; though one medicine is omitted, which we have feen given with great fuccefs; namely, Daffy's Elixir, for the gripes. The General Obfervations, at the end, are useful, as explaining the nature and application of the remedies propofed. We therefore, without fcruple, recommend this publication to all coachmen, grooms, and oilers," who are, or may become, readers of the British Critic. ART. 40. Le Negociant univerfil, su Recueil de Lettres originales de Commerce, écrites par les meilleures Maisons de Ruffie, Hollande, Angleterre, France, Espagne, Portugal, Allemagne, Italie, Turquie, &c. Avec une Table alphabétique des Termis ufués dans le négre. Ona rage propre à fervir de modèle à une Correfpondance Françoife, et à former le vrai fyle commercial. Utile aux Négocians, Marchands, Commis, &c. A l'Ujage de la Jeuneffe Anglaise qui fe dfline au Commerce. Par G. Keegan, Maitre de l'Académie, Manor-Houf, Kenfington. Svc. 312 pp. 55. Vernor and Hood, &c. The defign of this author to inftruct youth in commercial writing, is what many parents will approve; and the examples are fufficiently numerous to teach facility and variety. FOREIGN FOREIGN CATALOGUE. FRANCE. genre d'unlité ART. 41. Leçons d'hiftoire prononcés à l'école normale, en l'an III. de The author, employed as Profeffor of History in the Ecole normale,or, rather, to inform thofe appointed to inftruct, how they ought to teach hiftory, as well as to examine whether, and how far, historical knowledge ought to make a part of education, was at first truck with the daily influence which history exercises on the actions and opinions of men. "C'eft de l'hiftoire," fays he, in his Advertisement, que dérive la prefque totalité des opinions réligieufes; et en accordant à l'orgue 1 de chaque fecte d'excepter les fiennes, il n'en eft pas moins évident que là où la religion eft fauffe, l'immenfe quantité d'actions et de jugemens dont elle eft la bafe, porte auffi à faux et croule avec elle. C'est encore de l'hiftoire que dérivent la plupart des maximes et des principes politiques qui dirigent les gouvernemens, les renverfent ou les confolident; et l'on fent quelle fphère d'actes civils et d'opinions embrasse dans une Enfin ce font les récits que nous entendons nation ce fecond mobile. chaque jour, et qui font une branche réelle de l'hiftoire, qui deviennent la caufe plus ou moins médiate d'une foule d'idées et de démarches erronées; de manière que, fi l'on foumettoit au calcul les erreurs des hommes, j'oferois allurer que fur mille ar icles, neuf cent quatre-vingts appartiennent à l'hiftoire, et je poferois volontiers en principe, que ce que chaque homme poffède de préjugés et d'idées fauffes, vient d'autrui par la crédule confiance accordée aux récits; tandis que ce qu'il poffède de vérités et d'idées exactes, vient de fon expérience perfon nelle. "Je croirois donc avoir rendu un fervice éminent, fi mon livre pouvoit ébranler le refpect pour l'histoire, pafle en dogme dans le fyftème d'éducation de l'Europe; fi devenant l'avis préliminaire, la préface univerfelle de toutes les hiftoires, il prémuniloit chaque lecteur contre l'empirifme des écrivains, et contre fes propres illufions; s'il engageost H BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XVII. Jan. 1801. engageoit tout homme perfant à foumettre tout homme raconteur à un interrogatoire févère fur les moyens d'information, &c." We have, however, been taught, that teftimonium hominum parit certitudinem metaphyficam, or a complete degree of certainty; metaphyfical certainty being itself defined in the fame logical fyftems, adhafin mentis alicui judicio propter motivum à veritate, ne quidem divinitùs, feparabile. Human teftimony, if accompanied with the requifite conditions, is calculated to produce this metaphyfical certainty even circa facta fupernaturalia, it not being more difficult to establish the reality of thefe, than of other events. But it must not be understood that M, V. refufes to believe every thing. "Entre ces excès," fays he (of admitting or rejecting every thing) "il eft une terme moyen; c'eft d'affeoir fon jugement lorfque l'on a péfé et examiné les raifons qui le déterminent, de le tenir en fufpens tant qu'il n'y a pas de motif fuffifant à le pofer, et de méfurer fon degré de croyance et de certitude fur les degrés de preuves et d'évidence dont chaque fait eft accompagné." The author, having thus examined the certainty of history, in the next place treats of its utility. This he finds to be of three kinds; the first moral, relative to individuals; the fecond political, relative to governments and focieties; and the third applicable to the fciences and the arts. The ftudy of history does not appear to M. V. to be fuited to children; it fuppofes an experience already acquired, and a maturity of judgment incompatible with their age; it ought therefore, in his opin'on, to be banished from the primary fchools. On confidering the moral and individual utility of hiftory, this author contends, that well-written romances, or novels, have the advantage of it. A romance prefents leffons more analogous to the condition of the greater part of mankind; they may retrace in it their own hearts, their own paffions, their own vices, and their own virtues. In regard to the political utility of history, M. V. obferves, that "il eft remarquable que dans l'hiftoire ce ne font pas tant les faits majeurs et marquans qui font inftructifs, que les faits acceffoires, et que les circonftances qui les ont préparés ou produits; car ce n'eft qu'en connoiffant ces circonftances preparatoires, que l'on peut parvenir à éviter ou à obtenir de femblables réfultats: ainfi, dans une bataille, 'ce n'eft pas fon iffue qui eft inftructive; ce font les divers mouvemens qui en ont décidé le fort, et qui, quoique moins faillans, font pourtant les caufes, tandis que l'événement n'eft que l'effet. Telle eft l'importance de ces notions de détail, que, fans elles, le terme de comparaifon fe trouve vicieux, n'a plus d'analogie avec l'objet auquel on veu en faire l'applica tion; et cette faute, fi grave dans fes conféquences, eft pourtant habi-' tuelle et prefque générale en histoire: on accepte des faits fans difcuffion; on les combine fans rapports certains; on dreffe des hypothèses qui manquent de fondemens; ou en fait des applications qui manquent de juftefle; et delà, des erreurs d'adminiftration et des gouvernemens, fauffement imitatives, qui entraînent quelquefois les plus grands malheurs. C'est donc un art, et un art profond que d'étudier l'hiftoire fous ce grand point de vue, &c." Fon Fontenelle called hiftory une fable convenue. In reading different hiftories, we learn three things: 1. the charac ter and talents of the hiftorian; 2. the prevailing fpirit of the epoch in which he lived; 3. the events which he relates. Of thefe three things, the firit is that of which we gain the moit perfect knowledge, In effect, the events ftrike us according to the manner in which they are prefented, and inftruct us chiefly by the reflections with which they are accompanied. Read the Hiftory of England, as written by Hume, Mrs. Macaulay, and le père d'Orleans; the fund of the events is the fame, but they are notwithflanding very different hiftorics. The Abbé Mably has given precepts on the manner of writing hiftory. According to him, one would almost be induced to believe, that the hiftorian is the master of his matter, like the poet; he must form for himself a fyftem, a plan, a law of unity, of intereft; he recommends it to the writers to put fine difcourfes into the mouths of the leading perfonages; he permits, and even advises, them not to follow the order of events; according to the precept of Horace,, Pleraque differat et præfens in tempus omittat, He almost allows a little fiction : Atque ita mentitur, fic veris falfa remifcet, Imo ne medium, medio ne difcrepet imum. Confidered in this light, we may fay, that the reading of good hif. tories is not lefs ufeful than that of romances; the reafon is plain, becaufe most hiftories are romances; the fund, or ground, may be true, but what a rich embroidery! And it is the embroidery which interefts the moft, and to which the greatest attention has been paid. It is often faid, that phyfic is better than the phyficians; but here the contrary is the cafe, the hiftorians are better than the hiftory. The Prefident Henault had conceived, that history might be written in a dramatic form, and he has fet the example. Indeed, many of our tragedies are excellent fpecimens of this kind. In the parts of this work which treat of the effect of the Jewish, Greek, and Roman historical and other books, introduced into education, we find many original, as well as juft obfervations, which we shall therefore commend; but a much greater number to which we must. Efp. d. Journ. ftrongly object. ART. 42. Connoiffances des Temps pour l'an XI. (1803) In 8vo. Paris. We have here, for this year, three calendars; the Julian, the Gregorian, and the Republican; and a chart of the Eclipfe of the 17th of Auguft, 1803, for all the countries of the earth. This chart is not to be found in the Ephemerides of Bologne, for 1799-1810; it has been fupplied by Mr. Duvaucel. The additions, which form 270 pages, contain a catalogue of 887 fouthern stars, by Mr. Vidal; one of 1500 new ftars, by Michael Lefrançais Lalande, bringing the total number of ftars reduced to 10,500; obfervations, or memoirs, by Laplace, Delambre, Vidal, Flaugergues, |