impreffed with the neceffity of preferving through life a fimilar character to that which, in this inftance, proved the best protection to the party accused. ART. 38. Refletions 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. 15. 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 greateft evils is the formation of clubs, for the expreffed purpose not only of maintaining fervants out of place, but we fear for the encouragement of infolence and depredation. This tract contains many fenfible and important obfervations on the relative fituations of matters and fervants; and has perhaps nothing more exceptionable than the title-page, which is too diffuse, and promises too much. ART. 39. A Manual for the Ufe of Coachmen, Greams, Ofilers, 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 fubje&t; together with fome general Obfer25. 103 pp. Lee and Hurst. vations, and an Index. 1799. Izmo. The compiler of this little book informs, that " he was induced to undertake the task, 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 skill 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 ufeful, as explaining the nature and application of the remedies propofed. We therefore, without fcruple, recommend this publication to all "coachmen, grooms, and oftlers," who are, or may become, readers of the British Critic. ART. 40. Le Negociant univerfel, ou Recueil de Lettres originales de Commerce, écrites par les meilleures Maifons de Ruffie, Hollande, An gleterre, France, Espagne, Portugal, Allemagne, Italie, Turquie, &c. Avec une Table alphabétique des Termes ufués dans le négoce. Ouv rage propre à fervir de modèle à une Correfpondance Françaife, et à former le vrai ftyle commercial. Utile aux Négocians, Marchands, Commis, &c. A l'Ufage de la Jeunesse Angloife qui fe define au Commerce. Par G. Keegan, Maitre de l'Académie, Manor-Houfe, Kenfington. Svo. 312 pp. 5s. 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 1 FOREIGN CATALOGUE. FRANCE. ART. 41. Leçons d'hiftoire prononcées à l'école normale, en l'an III. de la république Française: ouvrage élémentaire, contenant des vues neuves fur la nature de l'hiftoire; fur le dégré de confiance et le genre d'utilité dont elle eft fufceptible; fur l'abus de fon emploi dans l'éducation de la jeuneffe; et fur le danger de fes comparaifons et de fes imitations généralement vicieufes; accompagnées de notes, et de trois plans relatifs à l'art de conftruire les falles d'affemblées publiques et délibérantes; par C. F. Volney, membre de l'inftitut Paris, an VIII. The author, employed as Profeffor of Hiftory 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, hiftorical 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'est de l'hiftoire," fays he, in his Advertisement, " que dérive la prefque totalité des opinions réligieufes; et en accordant à l'orguel 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 embraffe dans une nation de fecond mobile. Enfin ce font les récits que nous entendons 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 affurer que fur mille ar icles, neuf cont quatre-vingts appartiennent à l'hiftoire, et je poferois volontiers en principe, que ce que chaque homme poffède de préjugés et d'idées fanfes, 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 refpe pour l'histoire, paflé en dogme dans le fyftème d'éducation de l'Europe; fi devenant l'avis préliminaire, la préface univerfelle de toutes les hiftoires, il prémuniffoit chaque lecteur contre l'empirifme des écrivains, et contre fes propres illufions; s'il engageoit 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 fyitems, adhæfio 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 Supernaturalia, 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 mésurer son degré de croyance et'de certitude fur les degiés 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 study of hiftory 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 opinion, to be banished from the primary schools. 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 hiftory, 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 préparatoires, 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 instructive; 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'est 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 habituelle 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 jufteffe; 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'histoire fous ce grand point de vue, &c." Fon Fontenelle called history une fable convenue. In reading different hiftories, we learn three things: 1. the character 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 first is that of which we gain the moft 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 notwithstanding very different hiftorics., The Abbé Mably has given precepts on the manner of writing hif tory. According to him, one would almost be induced to believe, that the hiftorian is the mafler 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 advifes, them not to follow the order of events; according to the precept of Horace, · Pleraque differat et præfens in tempus omittat, He almoft allows a little fiction: Atque ita mentitur, fic veris falfa remifcet, 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 moft 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 hiftory 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 hiftorical 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 ftrongly object. Efp. d. Journ. ART. 42. Connoiffances des Temps pour l'an XI. (1803) In 8vo. Paris. We have here, for this year, three calendars; the Julian, the Gre gorian, 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 Le français Lalande, bringing the total number of ftars reduced to 10,500; obfervations, or memoirs, by Laplace, Delambre, Vidal, Flaugergues, Duvancel, Quenot, Sorlin, Mougin, ferom, and Michael Lefrançais La lande, Burckhards, Thulis, Duc-la-Chapelle, and Bernier. To thefe are added, the hiftory of Aftronomy for the year 7 (1799)'s notices of new aftronomical books; an extenfive extract from two pieces, to which the prize of the Inftitute was adjudged, by Mr. Burg, and Mt. Bouvard, with the programma of the prize propofed by the Board of Longitude, &c. Ibid. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. In reply to Mr. Lewis, we defire he will enquire of his publisher, what are the reafons which he affigns, for refufing to the trade the customary credit for the Tules of Wonder. The letter of Veritas has been received. We shall undoubtedly bestow a careful confideration on the production. mentioned in his letter. We do not happen to know the book to which Homo alludes; but we recommend to him 'Dr. Watt's Scripture Hiftory, in queftion and anfwer, which is probably at least as good. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. Mr. Fitzgerald, whofe compofitions have been often heard with applaufe at the Literary Fund, is preparing a volume of Poems for the public. A new edition of Boileau, with various notes, will foon be publifhed by Dulau. A comprehenfive fyftem of medical and operative furgery is preparing for the prefs by Mr. Blair, affifted by other respectable furgeons. A work by Mr. Fabrooke, called British Monachifm, or Monaftic Manners and Cuftoms, is gone to prefs. Mr. Bofcawen's volume of Poems will very foon go to prefs. ERRATUM. In our laft, p. 652, 1. 4, for " or the ftraits,” read " or the marts beyond the Strait.". |