As it is the wish of the Editors to render this Work a REPOSITORY O whatever may be supposed to be most interesting to general readers, they be leave to offer one or two remarks, on what is new in the plan they have adopt ed, and on the specimen of it now subinitted to the Public.
UNDER the title of Antiquarian Repertory, they have reason to hope, from the access that has been most liberally allowed them to unpublished manu scripts, both in the national and in family repositories, that they shall for r long period be able, not only to lay before their readers articles calculated to gratify curiosity, but also to rescue from oblivion such materials as may throw some light on the disputed points in British history, and on such minute fea- tures in the state of society in former ages, as must necessarily be excluded from the pages of the historian.
THE Editors have ventured to allot a part of their MAGAZINE to notices of the articles contained in the most celebrated periodical publications;-under which they propose also to include works published in parts, at more irregular intervals, and a list of the contents of the minor Journals. They are aware of the difficulty of giving general satisfaction under this head; but as they have never seen any attempt of the kind made, or at least persevered in, either by their predecessors or contemporaries, they cannot but hope, that this proof of their resolution to spare no pains for the gratification of their readers, will be received with indulgence. And here they must regret, that it has not been in their power to notice, in the present number, the British Review, No XVII. which contains the best discussion they have any where seen, of the means by which an equalization of weights and measures may be effected.
Ir the Editors shall be able to realize their own wishes and expectations, the Register will comprise a greater variety of information than is to be found at present in any monthly publication. Rash as it may appear, they will venture to declare, that it is their ambition to give such a view of Foreign and Do- mestic Affairs, as may in a great measure supersede the necessity of resorting to Annual Registers, or other more voluminous and expensive works, for the period which their labours may embrace. But as their limits had been almost reached before they began to print this their last branch, the Editors must re- quest their Readers to take the present as but an imperfect specimen of what they mean it to contain. Every division of it has been curtailed; and the Public Papers and Accounts, as well as the list of Patents, Promotions, &c. have been unavoidably postponed. All these, however, shall be given, from the commencement of the year, in the early Numbers of the Magazine.
THE Memoir of an eminent and favourite Scottish Author, lately deceased, will appear in an early Number." Observations," &c. concerning the pro- gress of Scottish Literature-and the article on Hospitals by Q.,-in our next,
THE Review Articles, by W. A. and B. W., and the communication from "An Unknown Friend," are unavoidably delayed till next month.
THE two communications from L. N. have been duly received. We are sorry to assure him, that the process described in his first cannot at all benefit or interest the public as a discovery. It has been well known, and generally practised, for the last fifty years.
THE paper by Junius' is in many respects interesting, but it is unfor- tunately so overloaded with "fine writing," as to be quite unfit for our hum- ble Miscellany in its present shape.
No II, will be published in Edinburgh on the 20th of May, and in
London on the 1st of June.
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, NO 17, PRINCE'S STREET, EDINBURGH ;
AND T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES, STRAND, LONDON;
To whom Communications (post paid) may be addressed.
SOLD ALSO BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.
THE curious "Antiquarian Notices," by the learned author of the article "On the Nature of the Office of Mareschal," and the letter relating to the compilation of a Gaelic Dictionary, will appear in our next.
The articles-" On the Utility of studying the Ancient and Foreign Lan- guages"-" On the Origin of Whig and Tory"-" On the Detrition of Moun- tains, &c."-and the Review of a recent elegant Poem, transmitted by A. D. are under consideration.
The Review of Dr Irving's Life of Buchanan has been unavoidably post- poned.
The continuation of the "Memorandums of a View-Hunter,"-and the Letter relating to the proposed New Translation of the Psalms, were too late for insertion.
The obliging 'Hints' from N- —ʼs, and the Additional Communications from • Strila,' and from "An unknown Friend," have been duly received :—Also, several Gypsey Notices, which will be carefully attended to in our next.
The paper on Craniology,' by Peter Candid,' would have appeared in our present Number if it had not contained some improper personal allusions.
The "Memoirs of the House of Graham," in the shape in which they have been sent us, have nothing more to recommend them than the good intentions of the author.
The paper under the title of "Irish Literature," which announces the intended early publication of an "Irish-English Dictionary," in one volume quarto, by Edward O'Reilly," was omitted to be noticed in another place. From the same quarter we have received some extracts from a new work, of which the object seems to be to prove an affinity between the Hebrew and Irish languages; but we know not well what to make of them, and our corres pondent has not condescended to assist us.
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.
THE following Articles, which we have been under the necessity of postponing, shall, if possible, appear in our next:- Car-Rock Stone Beacon'—' On the Study of some branches of Natural History'- Attack upon Bergen-op-Zoom' ➡′ Danger of Early Attachments, a Tale ;'—Continuations of the View-Hunter -Greek Tragedy-and Scottish Gypsies ;-Reviews of Grenfell's Speech' of the Life of William Hutton'-of Miss Edgeworth's Comic Dramas'-and of Colman's Eccentricities for Edinburgh.'
The communications upon The Origin and Descent of the Gael- Etymo- logy of the Alphabét' Isle of Man' Dangers of Good Fortune'-' Origin of the Gypsies' Story of Colonel M'Gregor Valley of the Voice of Fear,' --and a number of poetical pieces, are under consideration.
Besides the paper by Candidus,' noticed in our last, we have received various communications upon Dr Spurzheim's system-or rather upon the controversies to which it has given rise. Two of these now before us are ably written, but nevertheless inadmissible. They are opposite in their views of the subject, but equally objectionable on account of frequent and invidious personal reflections. We have no objection to insert another paper on Craniology, but only on con- dition that the subject be treated exclusively upon its own merits—as a philo- sophical discussion, and not as a party quarrel.
We have just received a valuable communication, entitled, On sitting be- low the Salt, and the Stewarts of Allanton.' This able vindication of that an- cient family was too late for our present Number, but it shall occupy a promi- nent place in our next.
From the press of materials requiring immediate attention, and the length of our Review branch; we have been obliged to leave over, till next month, the very excellent paper (already in types), entitled, Cursory Remarks on Music,' and likewise our Select Extracts and Antiquarian Repertory.
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