Asia cannot be its extent if Lord Macartney's statement of that of China be admitted; since the population of China and that of our own eastern empire exceed M. le Sage's calculation.

In the triangle made by the two hemispheres touching in a point and resting on a plane, are inserted the following curious particulars. Respecting the dimensions of the earth, it is stated that its circumference is 27,000 miles; that its surface contains 78,000,000 square miles, and its solidity 36,900,000,000 cubic miles. Of the 78,000,000 miles of surface, a little more than one-fourth (or 21 millions) is in land, and the rest in water. Of the 21 millions of square miles in land, the eastern hemisphere, or antient world, takes up two-thirds.'

The following very simple mode is adopted for exhibiting the actual and comparative elevations of the highest mountains of the globe, in metres and yards:

A note is added, in which the reader is informed concerning the metre, that Messrs. Mechain and Delambre finished in 1798 their measure of the arc of the meridian, comprised between Dunkirk and Barcelona, and their results have determined the length of the METRE, the unity of the new metreology; it is the ten thousandth part of a quarter of the terrestrial meridian, and answers to a little more than three feet.' This may be very true: but we are not told whether the French or the English foot be meant; we conclude the former, which exceeds ours by an inch; and then the above numbers will not accord with the mensurations of our philosophers. Besides, a great error is committed in representing Vesuvius as not 500 REV. FEB. 1814.

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yards

yards high; which the French geographers (near the truth, perhaps,) describe as having an elevation of 3,600 feet of their

measure.

We shall conclude with observing that, highly useful as this Atlas may be found, it is open to great improvements. Being á compilation, references to authorities should always be inserted, which would lead to the correction of mistakes. It would also be improved by a copious index, directing to the number of the map and the column in it; and each map ought to be numbered on the outside, to save time in consultation. It is an Universal Atlas of a peculiar kind, and a very desirable companion to the common Atlas.

ART. VI. A Report upon the Herculaneum Manuscripts, in a Second Letter; addressed by Permission to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, by the Rev. John Hayter, A.M., Chaplain in Ordinary to the Prince, and his Superintendant of those Manuscripts. 4to. 11. 8s. Boards. Sherwood and Co.

THE purport

of this letter is to communicate to the Prince Regent, and to the public at large, a faithful and detailed account of every circumstance, transaction, and occurrence, which in any manner are connected with the nature, the commencement, the prosecution, and the result of the undertaking, of which the successful, at least very promising course was interrupted, most unfortunately, in the year 1806, by the French invasion of the Neapolitan territory.'

We devoted so much space to the consideration of this subject in our Review of the "Herculanensia," that it is not our intention to return to it at present, beyond the mere statement of a few facts and opinions. Mr. Hayter, if we judge from this volume, has made out a clear case of weakness, ignorance, jealousy, and treachery,' against many of his Neapolitan coadjutors in the business: but, unfortunately, whether his account be deemed satisfactory or not, the simple truth is that merely the fac-simile copies of ninety-four unravelled Papyri are the sole fruit of his mission; excepting, indeed, some carbonic masses which are not likely to yield any literary treasures. The original manuscripts, both unfolded and folded, to the amount of nearly eighteen hundred, are in the possession of the French. The fac-similes above mentioned are deposited at Oxford; that University which, either by its general merits or by its greater public spirit in the cause of literature, seems to deprive its rival of the collections even of her own children. Mr. Hayter and Dr. Clark are both sons of Cambridge; and yet the Herculanean fac-similes and the very valuable manuscripts, procured by the zeal and industry of the last-mentioned traveller, are con

signed to the care of another University. In the first instance, indeed, the loss of Cambridge was not optional: but on her own head rests the rejection of Dr. Clark's MSS.; and we give the circumstance publicity, in order to throw one obstacle at least in the way of so ill-judged an economy, and to prevent it from again interfering with the interests and the honour of a learned body.

Besides an account of the discovery, and of the method of unfolding the manuscripts, this volume contains some drawings of the Papyrus in various states. It affords, indeed, if we take the two letters to the Prince into consideration, a very ample account of the whole subject. Adjoined is the exordium of a Latin poem composed by the author, intitled Hercu Laneum, which presents several very high-flown compliments to the Prince of Wales; and two false quantities:

and

O Regni et Britonum spes altera,

Graiosque Phlegrad in sede colonos

We do not know on what classical authority Mr. Hayter uses such an elision as tu ōbvius hosti; — or a dative case after the verb terreo, convulso terreat orbi. He informs us, p. 75.,

that, The dialect of the fragments of the eight books of Epicurus,' which are among the Oxford fac-similes, is attic; that of Polystratus, and Colotes, is so to a certain degree only. The dialect of the Treatise upon Anger, I think, is somewhat attic; the language of that treatise, in general, is superior to all the rest. If one except the Latin poem, the subjects of all the MSS. at Oxford are biographical, or physical, or philological, or moral, or theological. In different places of different works, there are short poetical quotations from lost poets. One quotation from the Odyssey is incalculably precious, because we find, in this quotation, the same language, expression for expression, as in the present editions.' Several other points of information respecting the MSS. might be selected from these letters, which would perhaps be interesting to our readers: but we must here conclude; testifying that feeling of regret which always accompanies our reflections on the fancied treasures of Herculaneum. Why does not the University of Oxford, by the publication of some one of the fac-similes, (of the Latin poem for instance,) endeavour to gratify that curiosity which has been excited only to be disappointed by the Treatise of Philodemus on Music, and the Fragment concerning the Gods? Hitherto, we can only repeat on this occasion the commen confession, Carbonem pro thesauro invenimus?

* The first letter is here republished, with some corrections.

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ART.

ART. VII. A Treatise on the Offence of Libel, with a Disquisition on the Right, Benefits, and proper Boundaries of Political Discussion. By John George, of the Middle Temple, Special Pleader. 8vo. pp. 357. 18s. Boards. Taylor and Hessey. ART. VIII. The Law of Libel: in which is contained, A General History of this Law in the ancient Codes, and of its Introduction, and successive Alterations, in the Law of England. Comprehending a Digest of all the leading Cases upon Libels, from the earliest. to the present Time. By Francis Ludlow Holt, Esq., of the Middle Temple, Barrister at Law. 8vo. pp. 309. 12s. Boards. Reed.

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a free community, the right of free discussion is essential; and any book, therefore, which professes to treat of the nature, utility, and proper limits of that discussion, and of the offences which are liable to be committed in the exercise of it, presents the strongest claims to attention from the public. More particularly is it intitled to the regard of those who instruct their fellow-subjects through the channel of the press, who take an interest in the advancement of knowlege, or who duly appreciate the value of our liberties, and the importance of guarding and preserving them. The accomplishment of such a service cannot be too highly estimated; especially when the person who undertakes it unites legal information. to competent general knowlege, and, while he instructs the practising lawyer, is able to enlighten even the legislator. Being of opinion that, in reviewing works of great merit, we best consult the interest of our readers by allowing the authors, as far as it can be done, to speak for themselves, we are certain that such a rule ought to be observed when the subject itself has seldom been discussed; or never so fully, or by a person so adequate to the undertaking, as is the fact in the instance.

now before us.

Though the author of the Treatise on the Offence of Libel styles himself a Special Pleader, it must not be inferred that his range is so confined and that his views are so limited as such a designation might imply. Indeed, it will be found that the very reverse is the case; and that rarely has a lawyer, be his degree what it might, allowed himself a scope of the same extent with that which has been taken by Mr. George: who does not merely bring together authorities, whence the law may be collected, but lays down and examines its principles, exposes its errors and defects, and, while he states what it is, tells us what it ought to be.

Mr. G. professes that the object of this volume (as far as it is a treatise of law, he must mean,) is to shew the foundation in law of the offence of libel, and the grounds on which the law considers it to be an offence; or, in other words, wherein consists, or what is necessary to be done to constitute, this offence; as it is in effect the purport of the rest of the work

work to evince what the law ought to be on this subject,- that is, when it ought to interfere, and when it ought to be quiescent.

On the present occasion, this assuming profession does not in the person of Mr. George exhibit any of her accustomed pomp. No time is wasted in preliminaries; no impertinent parley or idle gossiping delays us; no dedication trumpets the matchless talents and surprising attainments of a Chancellor or a Chief Justice; no preface intimates the rare qualifications, the exemplary diligence, and the laudable motives of the author; not even a bill of fare of the entertainment is put into our hands: but we are at once ushered in to the court, and instantly proceed to business. Mr. George's volume certainly invites the attention of the lawyer and of the intelligent reader in an equal degree: but let not the former suppose that the law is laid down incorrectly, because it is not deemed in fallible; nor the latter conclude that the subject is not liberally treated, because it is a law-treatise which offers itself to him. Here the professional man and the legislator are at once benefited; the information is correct and the counsels are able. Throughout, Mr. G. seems to have in view written or rather printed libel. The offence of libel in any extent; being of comparatively modern origin, the authorities vary greatly with regard to the grounds of it and to the defence with which it is to be met. It appears that, by very many authorities, libel is deemed to be a public offence as tending to a breach of the peace: but Mr. George objects to this definition, because, he says, many cases are held to be libels in which no such ten'dency exists, and there are others in which its existence is indisputable, yet they cannot be considered to be libels. Some years ago, an obscene book was prosecuted as, and adjudged a libel; and an obscene book having no immediate tendency to a breach of the peace so understood, it was said "the King's peace includes good order and government, and that peace may be broken in many instances without an actual force, as if it be an act, first, against the constitution or civil government; secondly, if it be against religion; and, thirdly, if against morality." Hence it appears, that the alleged tendency of libels to a breach of the peace, using the phrase in its common acceptation, does not serve to indicate the foundation of the public offence in all cases of libel.'--On perusing the reflections in the following quotation, may we be allowed to observe that the wisdom of Mr. George in this instance appears superior to that of the law?

As the public injury to be effected by the publishing of an ob scene book, was of a different species from the injuries effected by, or supposed to spring from, the publishing of other descriptions of

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libels,