ART. XII. Encyclopædia Britannica, or a Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Mifcellaneous Literature, Sc.

ON

(Concluded from p. 104 of this Volume.)

N confidering more exactly the extenfive and valuable work published under this title, we perceive two things. In the first place, that to go through it with the minuteness of our original plan, would occupy 100 much both of our time and of our space; in the second, that fuch an effort cannot be required of us, fince it is not abfolutely neceffary, in order to characterize the publication with juftice. We shall endeavour therefore to do this, in the way that may be moft fatisfactory to our readers.

To return to the plan of the Encyclopædia. It was faid in our former article, in rather too unqualified terms, that the work, in its prefent form, "may with more propriety be called a collection of treatifes alphabetically arranged, than a regular dictionary." It may more ftrictly be confidered as a collection of treatifes, fuperadded and inferted into a dictionary. This, it should be obferved, is a kind of medium between two other plans; that of Chambers, which is folely and strictly a dictionary, and that of the Encyclopedie Methodique, or the new form of the French Encyclopedie, which is a dictionary of dictionaries; or a collection of dictionaries, following each other in alphabetical order. In fome points of view, the middle plan must be allowed to have the preference over both the extremes, as uniting a part of the advantages of each. Yet it may properly be doubted whether complete treatises on the Sciences, feparately taken, ought ever to be expected in a dictionary. Such a treatife, forming in itself a complete whole, is to all intents and purposes a book, whether it be printed in connection with other matter or not; and a work like the Encyclopedie Methodique is a fcientifical library of dictionaries, not a book of reference. The proper ufe of a dictionary feems to be, not to teach any fciences completely, but to furnish particular knowledge with convenience, to those who may have immediate occafion for it. Treatifes, thus brought together, will contain in general too much for the occafional enquirer, and too little for the regular ftudent. It is alfo feldom that a perfon can be found capable of drawing up a complete and fyftematical code of information, even in his own particular fcience. The confequence will be, either that fcientific treatises must be given, inferior to works already exist

ing in a feparate form, or that some of those (as we remarked concerning Dr. Simmons's Elements of Anatomy) must be exactly copied, and introduced into the collection. Yet, whatever may be faid upon this fubject, in the way of theoretical difcuffion, it has been proved abundantly by the fale of this work, that its plan has been generally pleafing to the public; and that which meets the withes of fo many can hardly be very ill contrived. It may be fair alfo to let the editors argue for themfelves, on the other fide of the queftion. Speaking of the dictionary of Chambers, they say in their Preface:

"Had all the articles in the work been treated in fufficient detail to conftitute, when reunited in the order of fcience, fo many complete fyitems; yet the multitude of references was fo great, that this reunion could not have been made, but by a degree of irksome labour, to which few readess will ever submit. The work therefore, with all its improvements, was still a book of fhreds and patches, rather than a fcientific dictionary of Arts and Sciences; and, confidering the letters of the alphabet as the categories, the arrangement was certainly incon venient as well as antiphilofophical."

To this, however, we fhould anfwer, that a dictionary is, by its very name, a book of reference to words, which cannot be found in any way with fo much convenience as in an alphabe tical arrangement. The editor proceeds:

"Of this inconveniency, infeparable from a mere dictionary of Arts and Sciences, the original compilers of the Encyclopædia Britannica were fully aware; and they refolved to conduct their own work upon a plan from which it might be completely removed. They were equally apprifed with their predeceffors of the utility of explaining by itfelf every technical term, and of illuftrating every particular topic, in the wide circle of the Arts and Sciences; but they were at the fame time fenfible, that it is only, by thinking in method, and reducing their ideas to the order of nature, that mankind can make any progrefs in ufeful knowledge. To accomplish therefore effectually what Mr. Chambers, by means of his prefatory fcientifical analysis, attempted in vain, they endeavoured to give a compendious, yet clear and fatisfactory, account of the feveral Arts and Sciences under their proper denominations, whilft the fubordinate articles in each were likewife explained under their technical terms. Thefe fubordinate articles they divided into three kinds; of which the firft confifts of fuch as, independent of particular fyftems, admit of a full and complete illuftration under their proper names; the fecond, of fuch as require to be partly difcuffed under the fyftems to which they belong, and partly under their own denominations; and the third, of fuch as appertain to fyftems, of which all the parts must be elucidated together. Articles of the first kind admit of no references; thofe of the fecond, being only partially explained under their proper denominations, demand references to the fyftems where the illuftrations are completed; and

thofe

thofe of the laft, are wholly referred to the fyftem of which they are constituents."

To difmifs this part of the fubject in few words, it may be faid, that if a dictionary is intended as a book of reference, fcientific inftitution, and regular ftudy, are objects of a different kind; and the man who feeks to gain a complete knowledge of any fcience from a general dictionary, might as well tudy the hiftory of literature in a catalogue of books. To endeavour therefore to gratify the wishes of fuch ftudents, is to provide for unreafonable demands, and to depart from the real nature of the work. At the fame time, if the public will be unreasonable, the compiler cannot be condemned who derives a fair profit from complying with its defires.

Of this work, a part never before introduced into an Eng lish Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, and not anticipated by many publications abroad*, is Biography. We believe this to be a very popular part of the prefent compilation. The attractions of Biography are very great, and they were never perhaps more ftrongly felt than at this period. If we confider that fifteen closely printed octavo volumes lately appeared, containing rather an abridgment than a detail of general Biography, and that thefe are, by the confeflion of the editors, unavoidably incomplete; and that Dr. Aikin's large and much compreffed 4to volume proceeds only to BA, it will be evident that only a very defective collection of Lives can be introduced into fo mifcellaneous a work. Yet the authors have had the merit of introducing feveral Lives which had not before found their way into biographical collections; and it appears that, in many cafes, they took the beft methods of obtaining information. If we have found inftances in which feanty and imperfect materials have been employed, we can readily believe that the nature of the 'cafe, rather than any want of diligence, produced the effect. Very early in the first volume we find the Life of Acidalius (Valens) a youth of premature excellence, which does not occur either in Dr. Aikin's late publication, or in the General Dictionary. It is in the French Dictionnaire Hiftorique, but has been here augmented. The Natural Hif tory inferted in this Dictionary is taken from Buffon, Pennant, and other good authorities; but the plates do not, in general, contain any well-executed imitation of their figures. Yet, when we mention the plates, we ought in juftice to say, that, confidering their great number, and the extreme cheapnefs of

The editors fay only by the French Encyclopedie; but we have feen a German work which has the fame addition.

the

the work (a volume of more than 800 pages, fmall print, being fold at a guinea) they are upon the whole quite as good as can be expected. Geography and Hiftory, which were excluded from the Dictionary of Chambers, are here introduced and the accounts of the principal divifions of the world are extended into long historical tracts. We fee with pleasure, in the large and important article of Theology, that the writer has maintained with propriety the effential and fundamental doctrines of Chriftianity: thus offering an honourable contrast to that French work which was undertaken principally for the subverfion of Religion.

The articles of a literary kind appear, in general, to have been drawn up with intelligence and tafte; but as one accidentally offers itself to our notice, to which we can make an ufeful addition, we shall here infert our remarks upon it; not by way of blaming the writer, or making any display of knowledge, but to amufe the reader, and diverfify the matter of this article. After giving the famous Bononian Ænigma, beginning D. M. Elia, Lalia, Crifpis (Art. Enigma) the writer fays,

"In the MS, at Milan, instead of D. M. we find A. M.P. P.D. and at the end the following addition:

Hoc eft fepulchrum intus cadaver non habens,

Hoc eft cadaver fepulchrum extra non habens
Sed Cadaver idem eft et fepulchrum."

Whatever is the meaning of the ænigma, which at Eologna was found engraved upon a marble, it is certain that thefe three lines in the MS. are a fpurious addition. They are a literal tranflation of a well known epitaph of Niobe, by Agathias, which stands thus in the Greek Anthology.

Ὁ τύμβος ὗτος, ἔνδον ἐκ ἔχει νεκρόν,
Ο νεκρὸς ὗτος ἐκτὸς ἐκ ἔχει τάφον,
̓Αλλ ̓ αὐτὸς αὑτῷ νεκρός ἐσι καὶ τάφος.

This was thus rendered into Latin Iambics, by Aufonius:

Habet fepulchrum non id intus mortuum

Habet nec ipfe hic mortuus buftum fuper,
Sibi fed eft ipfe hic fepulchrum et mortuus.

But perhaps better by Politian :

Hoc eft fepulchrum intus cadaver non habens,
Hoc eft cadaver et fepulchrum non habens,
Sed eft idem cadaver fepulchrum fibi.

It is obfervable, that the first of these lines is exactly the fame

with that in the Milan manuscript.

Refpe&ting

Refpecting the editors of this compilation, we ought not to be wholly filent. Mr. Colin Mactarquhar, of Edinburgh, was the perfon who planned it in its prefent form, and with the aid of Mr. Andrew Bell, an engraver, conducted it to nearly two thirds of its extent. Of him the following account is given in the Preface.

"Mr. Colin Macfarquhar who conducted the publication beyond the middle of the twelfth volume, was a man whom few who knew him will be difpofed to blame, and on whofe induftry and integrity thofe who knew him beft, muft admit that it would be dificult to bettow too much praife. Born in Edinburgh, of parents refpectable, though not affluent, he was, at an early period of life, bound apprentice to a printer. This profeffion gave him taite for fcience and literature, or rather furnished him with opportunities of cultivating the tafte which he derived from Nature; and he foon became well acquainted with the most popular writers in natural hiftory, and in natural and moral philofophy. When he opened a printing-houfe of his own, rectitude of conduct quickly recommended him to friends and employment; and the unremitting profecution of his ftudies eminently qualified him for fuperintending the publication of a new dictionary of Arts and Sciences, and Literature; of which, under the title of ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, the idea had been conceived by him and his friend Mr. Andrew Bell, engraver. By whom thefe gentlemen were affifted in digefting the plan which attracted to that work fo much of the public attention, or whether they had any affittance, are queftions in which our readers cannoc be interested*. Suffice it to fay, that Mr. Macfarquhar had the fole care of compiling the prefent edition; and that, with the aid of a very few literary friends, he brought it down to the article Mysteries, in the twelfth volume, when he was cut off, in the 48th year of his age, by a death, which though not fudden, was perhaps unexpected. His career was indeed fhort; but of him it may be faid with as mach propriety as of moft men, Nemo parum diu vixit, qui virtutis perfe&tæ perfecto functus eft munere."

We are then told how the work was conduЯed after the death of Mr. Macfarquhar.

Among his literary correfpondents was the Rev. Dr. Gleig, of Sterling, who had written for him various articles, of which fome were printed during his life time, and others in their order after his death; thefe fhall afterwards be enumerated, with those furnished by foine other occafional contributers; but they are mentioned at present because they account for that partial regard of Mr. Macfarquhar for their author, which on the death of the former, induced the truftees, for his children, together with Mr. Bell, the furviving partner, to request the latter to undertake the task, which their decealed partner had hitherto discharged with fo much credit to himself. In this propofal, after

This we cannot think the cafe. Rev.

fome