ART. 46. Letter to the Proprietors of Eaft-India Stock, in behalf of the prefent Owners of Eaft-India Shipping. 8vo. 38 pp. 1s. Debrett. 1795. Thefe publications refer to a difpute, which, for the prefent, is fettled in favour of the perfons whofe caufe they efpoufe. Whether, at any future period, the proprietors of Eaft-India ftock will think differently; or whether they will be able to refift the influence of the parties interested, which is faid to be very predominant; or whether it may be expedient for them fo to do, are queftions which we shall not undertake to handle. The arguments in these tracts, however, feem to be by no means unanswerable. ART. 47. Subftance of a Speech delivered by Randle Jackson, Efq. at the Eaft-India Houfe, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1795, in Support of a Reftriction of the Honourable the Court of Directors, for conducting the Shipping of the Eaft-India Company in future, upon Principles of fair and open Competition. Reported by William Woodfall; and print ed at the Defire of feveral Proprietors of East-India Stock. 8vo. IS. Debrett. 1795. : 35 PP. The oppofite fide of the question is here fupported, and has certainly this general principle of reafon in its favour, that it is not eafy to fee how any contract can be better performed for being confined to certain hands, inftead of being thrown open to feveral competitors. It is for the proprietors to determine, whether the cafe of their fhipping forms an exception; and hitherto they have fo decided. The ftipulation of an adequate fecurity for the due performance of the contract, feems to remove most of the dangers apprehended from a change. ART: 48. Lectures on Aftronomy and natural Philofophy, for the Ufe of 68 pp. We have seen few books fo well calculated to anfwer the end propofed as this. It is evidently drawn up by a fkilful hand, which has contrived to teach subjects, in themselves abftrufe, in a manner both perfpicuous and entertaining. ART. 49. Rudiments of conftructive Etymology and Syntax. 12mo. 148 pp. 2s. Knott. 1795. The editor informs us in his preface, that he does not pretend to originality, but has endeavoured to attain concifenefs and clearness in his compilation. We think he has actually done fo, and can confiftently recommend this volume to those who are engaged in the arduous task of instruction. We much like the author's mifcellaneous exemplifications, and exercises of falfe conftruction. This part of the work is, in fome degree, novel, and cannot fail to be useful. ART. ART. 50. Facts for the Confideration of the Public at large, on the bigh Price of Meat, fhewing the real Caufe of the fame, 8vo. 17 pp. 68. Rivingtons. 1795. ART. 51. Monopoly. The Cutting Butcher's Appeal to the Legisla ture upon the high Price of Meat; in which many of the base Practices of Smithfield Market are expofed, and a Remedy pointed out for the Poor. By a philanthropic Butcher. 8vo. 16 pp. 6d. Symonds. ART. 52. The crying Frauds of the London Markets; proving their deadly Influence upon the two great Pillars of Life, Bread and Porter. By the Author of the Cutting Butcher's Appeal. 8vo. 16 pp. 6d. Symonds In a difpute between a carcafe butcher and a cutting butcher, it · muft needs be a delicate, matter for critics to interfere; we are more difpofed to adopt the foothing language of neighbour Palæmon, (genuine or not) et vitulâ tu dignus et hic," than to encourage the difpute, or to crown the victor. But if we are to decide upon the merits of the combatants, we muft obferve that the carcafe butcher ftands up to his antagonist, neither flinching from his blows, nor fhifting his ground; the other is impetuous, deals his blows at random, and Itrikes widely and ineffectually. The former, in fhort, fticks to the queftion propofed; the latter deviates without a guide into the fields of politics. ART. 53. Scarcity of Bread. Difficultas Annone; or, The Difeafe examined, and the Cure premifed. By Job Whitebread Philoplethus. 8vo. 32 pp. 18. Symonds. 1795. This worthy gentleman is determined that a famine hall come, and that we fhall all be ftarved. We truft, however, that he will prove as bad a prophet as he is a writer. ART. 54. The new experienced English Housekeeper, for the Use and Eafe of Ladies Housekeepers, Cooks, c. written purely for her own Practice, by Mrs. Sarah Martin, many Years Housekeeper to the late Freeman Bower, Efq. of Bautry. Being an entire new Collection of original Receipts, which has never appeared in Print, in every Branch of Cookery, Confectionary, Ec. 8vo. 173 PP. 5s. Rivingtons. 1795. Glad fhould we be if it fell within our province to fpeak more decifively on the merits of this performance. Alas! fricaffees, rich foups, and high ftews do not often come in the way of literary critics; and they are feldom invited to made difhes, except, perhaps, occafionally, the hathing of a calf's head. As far as we are able to judge, Mrs. Martin is a very ingenious lady, and has produced a book which will be very ufeful to others, if not to us. If we fhould ever happen to wander within the fcent or favour of fome of her delicious hope she will in kindness allow us to have a finger in them. pyes, we ART. ART. 55. Biographical Sketches of eminent Perfons whofe Portraits of Dorfet's Collection at Knole, with a brief Embellished with a Front and East View of 6s. Stockdale. 1795 form Part of the Duke Defcription of the Place. Knole. 8vo. 164 pp. These sketches are thirty-nine in number; the perfonages were all of them of celebrity, and their portraits were painted by eminent hands, and fome of them by Holbein. The lives contain but little new matter; but the defcription of this magnificent manfion will be welcome to many, and the whole forms an elegant and entertaining volume. The two views of Knole are drawn by Bridgman, and ens graved by Sparrow and Storer, FOREIGN CATALOGUE. GERMANY. ART. 56. Recueil des Synonymes François. Leipfic, 719 pp. in large 8vo. In the French language there are already feveral approved works on this fubject by Girard, Beauzée, Roubeau, and others. The compiler of this now before us, who figns himself W. only, has, by making a judicious felection of the most important articles from all of them, and by the addition of a very complete index to the whole, prefented the public with a work which will be found more useful, in proportion as it is more comprehenfive, than any of those by which it had been preceded. Götting. Anz. ART. 57. Gefchichte der lutherischen Reformation, und des deutschen Krieges. Nach den erften Quellen bearbeitet von Karl Hammerdörfer, Prof. in Jena. Erfler Theil; mit Beylagen und Regifter.-Hiftory of the Lutheran Reformation, and of the German War; drawn from the firft Sources. By C. Hammerdörfer, &c. Vol. I. with the Supplements and an Index. Leipfic, 418 pp. in 8vo. At the end of the preface the author requests that fuch of his readers as are competent to decide on the merit of hiftorical compofition, would forbear to pronounce judgment on this work till the appearance of the fecond volume, when they will be more fully enabled to form an adequate idea of the general character and tendency of the whole. In the mean time, he expects them to acknowledge that his materials have been derived from the pureft fources, and that he has not only exhibited an hiftorical picture, highly embellished indeed by the colouring of the imagination; but that this is likewife a true picture, and, as he would have us to understand beforehand, the only impartially rue Hiftory of the Reformation. He conceives, too, that from this volume, volume, which reaches to the end of the Schmalcaldic war, we may be convinced as well of the reality of his intentions, as of his ability to perform what he thus promifes, This we are certainly very much difpofed to believe, and we fhall, therefore, hope to fee, in the fequel of the hiftory, his authorities for facts, which, as they are not confirmed by the teftimony of other writers, muft, we fuppofe, have been drawn from fources hitherto unexplored; and a further elucidation of arguments, by which, in order to be strictly impartial, he fupports opinions that muft likewife be founded on a system of logic peculiar to himfelf. In regard to the fupplemental articles, which fill not lefs than fix fheets, we think it neceflary to obferve that they are entirely borrowed from Hortleder; a circumftance which it had probably not occurred to Mr. Hammerdörfer to point out. Ibid. ART. 57. Erklärende Anmerkungen zu Virgil's Aneis heraufgegeben von G. H. Nöhden, und Karl Fr. Heinrich. Zweyte und dritte Theil.-Explanatory Remarks on Virgil's Æneid. Published by G. H. Nöhden and C. Fr. Heinrich. Second and third Vol. Brunswic, Svo. 1794. Mr. Heinrich did not begin to take a fhare in this work till the eighth Book of the Æneid. To unite the explanation of words and things, to direct the attention to the poetical language and images, and to do this in the moft clear and intelligible manner, was the object of the prefent undertaking, which is calculated as well for the teacher who may have fome occafion to prepare himself for the lectures he is to give, as for the learner, and particularly for thofe who have not the benefit of inftruction. This illuftration of the Eneid, therefore, may very properly be confidered as a companion to the excellent Commentary on Homer, by Köppe. It appears, likewife, from their explanations of feveral paffages, that the authors have taken the liberty to think for themfelves, Thus vi. 533, the words, " an que te fortuna fatigat?" are here rendered, "What fate compels thee?" and in v. 743, Quifque fuos patimur manes," they conceive that by the term manes is to be understood punishment. So again, viii. 1, it is very justly remarked, that the verb extulit would not be applicable to the Belli fignum, were it to be interpreted, as it has been by fome commentators, to be a trumpet. Seldom have we met with any unnatural, or far-fetched explanations, fuch as where they hint that by Ida venatrix, the mountain itself may poffibly be understood, in qua fcilicet venatus exercetur. Ibid. ART. 58. Museum für die griechische und römifche Litteratur. Heraufgegeben von Carl Philipp Conz, Diakonus in Vachingen an der Enz im Würtemburgischen. Museum for Greek and Roman Literature. By C. P. Conz, &c. A periodical Work, of which a Number is to appear every three Months, forming from twelve to fifteen Sheets. The present one confifts of 181 pp. in large Svo. Leiptic and Zuric. The chief diflertations in this volume are, 1. On the Profe and Poetry of the Ancients compared with thofe of modern Times, by the H BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VII. JAN. 1796. editor. editor. Of this we have here the first part only; the advantages of the ancient over modern profaic compofition, with an enquiry into the grounds and caufes of that fuperiority. The author is of opinion that we might ourselves beft attain to fomewhat nearly approaching, at leaft, to their excellence by tranflations made from them; two fpecimens of which are here annexed; namely, Cicero on Death and Immortality, being a German verfion of the first book of the Tufculan Questions, by Prof. Drück; and the Axinchus, on Death, a Dialogue, by Afchines, tranflated by the editor. Mr. C. then proceeds to the examination of tranflations made from the Poëts, where he enters on a difcuffion of the opinion of the celebrated Bodmer concerning the Aneid, to which is added: A short Vindication of that Poem, by Hettinger, 1782. 2. A few words on the queftion, Whether the ancient Puets Jhould be tranflated into their own Measures, or into Verfe accompanied with Rime? As proofs of poetical tranflation, we are here prefented with a verfion of the ftory of Nifus and Euryalus into German, and an other of a paffage of the Meiab, into Latin Hexameters ; both apparently by the editor. The remaining articles are of a local and, therefore, not generally interesting nature. HUNGARY, Ibid. ART. 59. Univerfa hiftoria phyfica regni Hungariæ fecundum tria regna Nature dig fa aut. J.B. Grotlinger. Tom. I. Regni animalis Pars I. Zoologia five hiftoria quadrupedum. Prefburg and Comorra; 591 pp. in Svo. Befides a fupplement, in which the author treats of foreign, and perhaps, in fome inftances, problematical animals, arranged in alphabetical order, according to the names which they bear in their native countries, we have here alfo a valuable lift of the Hungarian and Sclavico-Bohemico-Illyrian names, together with a description, firft, of domeftic, tame, and then of wild, animals; among which latter are the flag, roe, chamois, beaver, otter, bear, wolf, lynx, badger, inarren, polecat, weafel, fquirrel, hedge-hog, mole, marmotte, water and field-rat, &c. We doubt not that this work will be found very acceptable to a certain clafs of readers, who will be equally ftruck with the great appearance of learning fhown by the author, and informed by the accounts which he has given of thefe animals. At the fame time we think it incumbent on us to obferve, that we were difappointed in our expectation of feeing a complete natural hiftory of this country, which, though it has been fo much favoured by nature, is, however, fill in this refpect (for, in regard to its botanical and mineralogical productions more has certainly been done) fo little known, In the preface the author gives a Catalogue raisonné of the most approved works on the fubject of Natural Hillory, particularly that of Hungary, including fuch as have been tranflated into Hungarian, among which that of Bellarmon is not forgot, a tranflation of which has likewife been published in the Illyrian language. CORRESPONDENCE. |