THE

BRITISH CRITIC,

JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER,
NOVEMBER, AND DECEMBER.

FOR

MDCCC VI.

Χρὴ Μουσῶν θεράποντα καὶ ἄγγελον, εἴ τι περισσὶν
Εἰδείῃ σοφίης, μὴ φθονερὸν τελέθειν
̓Αλλὰ τα μὲν μῶσθαι, τὰ δὲ δεικνύναι.

VOLUME XXVIII.

London:

THEOGNIS.

PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON,
No. 62, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.

1807.

Printed by Law and Gilbert, St. Jolu's Square, Clerkenwell.

PREFACE.

fo called", are a mo

dern invention, in which the French took the lead, and were followed first by the Englisht. It was fome time, in England at leaft, before the plan of thefe Journals was fettled. One of the earliest was in the form of Letters, no inconvenient vehicle for fuch information, But in 1708 an attempt was made

The "Bibliotheca" of Photius has been confidered as an ancient Review; and fo it is, in fome refpects. But it was not a journal, nor a record of what was paffing in the literary world. The defign was different, though the refult was somewhat fimilar.

The "Journal des Sçavans," by Hedouille de Sallo, is confidered as the firft Review, and began in January, 1665-6. The firft English Review was entitled, "Weekly Memorials for the Ingenious; or an Account of Books lately fet forth in feveral languages. With other Accounts relating to Arts and Sciences." 4to. 1683. Struvius, unless he has been corrected in a later edition, mentions as the first, "The Hiftory of the Works of the Learned," 1699. (Hiftor. Liter. Ed. 1729). But there were others before that, befides the Weekly Memorials: namely, "The Works of the Learned," published monthly by La Crofe, in 1691; and "Mifcellaneous Letters, giving an Account of the Works of the Learned, both at home and abroad," 4to. Begun in October, 1694, and published weekly. The latter is anonymous. "Memoirs for the Ingenious," published monthly by La Crofe, from January 1693, is a Philofophical Magazine. The curious "Notitia Ephemeridum," by J. Joach. Schwabius, prefixed to Morhoff's Polyhiftor, mentions all thefe works, but not being chronological, does not readily mark their fucceffion.