Page images
PDF
EPUB

story of "Sappho," the ground-work of a romance, which may be read without ennui.

"St. Clair ; or, the Heiress of Defmond," is a very fimple and affecting tale, difplaying great fenfibility and fuperior judgment.

"Barbara Markham," to our utter aftonishment, is dedicated to the Duchefs of Bedford, and printed by the Philanthropic Society! Who would fufpect after this to find it difgraced with immoral fentiments and licentious descriptions? There must have been some very foul maneuvering in this business.

"Lobenftein Village," tranflated by Mr. MEEKE from La Fontaine, is an in. terefting and well written novel.

Madame de STAEL'S " Margaret of Strafford," is in every refpect contempti ble: Madame de Stael is totally ignorant of, or wilfully mifreprefents, thofe hiftorical facts which form the fubject of her novel; and the immorality of these pages rivals that which difgraces Delphine.

A fecond edition is published, corrected and improved, of a tranflation of Bocca. cio's "Decameron." The Life of the author is well drawn up.

Mifs EDGEWORTH's" Popular Tales" unite instruction and amufement.

"The Foreft of Hohenelbe" is above the ordinary run of novels: the characters are well difcriminated, and the incidents arise without violating probability.

"Light and Shade," is the title of a pleafing and lively novel.

Mr. MOORE's" Theodofius de Zulim," is a Spanish tale, in which the author has evinced himself to be a man of talent: there are fome descriptions, however, which ought to be expunged. The author's object is to fhew the evil confequences of a private and retired education. Mr. Moore is a good novelist, but not a legitimate reafoner. We are amufed by his story, but not convinced by his argument.

"Mofs Cliff Abbey; or, the Sepulchral Harmonist," is a novel by Mifs YOUNG: the incidents are not very probable, nor are the characters very natural. The ftory is, nevertheless, not to be read without interest.

Mr. Lane can fhow the Catalogue of an hundred other novels, which have escaped us; but we have probably noticed all, and more than all, that are worth reading.

EDUCATION.

We are exceedingly gratified to find that Dr.BARROw has been induced, by the approbation of the public, to prefent it

with a fecond edition of his excellent "Efay on Education." The present is not only corrected, but enlarged by two long chapters. In the first, after a fair investigation, he condemns, as of immoral and injurious tendency, all dramatio performances at school; in the other, he has entered upon an elaborate defence of the English Universities, chiefly againft the very grave and serious attacks of Gibbon, Smith, and Knox.

Mr. WHEATLEY'S “ Friendly Adviser" attempts the correction of those miner immoralities, tattling, listening, peevishness, difcontent, &c. which are oftentimes through inattention, fuffered to expand into groffer faults.

Mrs. CRESPIGNY's "Letters of Advice" to her fon, ought to be recommend. ed by every parent to the attentive perufal of her child. Having already brought down our Retrofpect to the verge of its ufual limits, we cannot expatiate on the found judgment, the powerful reasoning, and pure morality, which pervade these excellent admonitions. We must content ourselves with giving the author our beft thanks, and very strenuoufly recommending her publication.

Mr. HOLLAND has published a volume of "Effays on Hiftory; particularly the Jewish, Affyrian, Perfian, Grecian, and Roman."

This may ferve as an useful text-book to inftructors to every effay Mr. Holland has funjoined questions for examination, and these conftitute a valuable portion of the work.

Mrs. MARY TRIMMER'S " Hiftory of Quadrupeds" is by no means to be recommended.

We are furprised that Mrs. PILKINGTON fhould have abridged "Goldsmith's Natural Hiftory, for the Use of Schools. A frange want of judgment ! Goldimith was a very incompetent naturalilt.

Meffrs. E. and J. BRUCE'S "Introduction to Geography and Aftronomy" is a very useful little book: the first part contains thirty-fix problems to be refolved by the erretrial globe; the second contains thirty adapted for the celestial. The writings of Dr. Hutton, Profeffor Vince, Dr. Her chell, and other able mathematicians, have been judiciously had recourse to, and the modern discoveries are inferted in their proper places. The whole forms a complete treatise, fuperior in many respects to most of its predeceffors on the fame fubject.

Mr. GOLDSMITH'S "Geography for the Ufe of Schools," is an elementary work 45 2

of

of great merit: the fame may be faid of
his" Eafy Grammar of Geography,"
which is intended as a companion to it.
Mr. PRITCHARD's " English Intro-
duction the Latin Tongue," is a very ufe-
tful book. Whether it is preferable to the
Eton Grammar, experience only can decide.
"Iatin Dialogues, &c." This little
work is faid to come from the pen of Dr.
Valpy it will be found extremely fervice-Account of their Works."
able in our schools.

tionary, containing a Chronological Ac-
count, alphabetically arranged, of the mo
fcarce, curious, useful, and important
Books in all Departments of Literature,
which have been published in Latin, Greek,
Coptic, Hebrew, Samaritan, &c."

It is high time that we should close our retrospect with noticing a few

MISCELLANIES.

"A Treatife on a Mathematical and Mechanical Invention for Chimney Sweep ing; with a Difquifition on the different Forms of Chimneys, and fhewing how to cure Smoky Ones. By G. ORR, Efq."

We are truck with the plaufibility of the plan here fuggelled, and do moft fincerely hope that by its practical efficacy it may render the employment of children in fweeping chimneys altogether unneceffary. Mr. Orr propoles that a finall bar of wrought iron fhould be placed across the chimney at top, fecured in the brick-work: the undermolt edge of this bar being thinned off very fine to avoid any refi tance against the current of air: to the centre of this bar is fixed a pulley, moving round on its axis, and over the pulley is fixed a brafs or iron rotatory or revolving chain, paffing double down the chimhey and coming out below about a yard double. This chain is to have no interruption, but, like a jack-chain, to revolve continually when in ufe, and when not ufed, there is a nail infide of the chimney, at about a yard from the bottom, on which it may be hung. When about to be used, it is taken down, and to one fide of it a bruth is to be fattened, the wood work of which is fomething of the fhape of a flue, but lefs by between two and three inches: the brush is to be filled on all the four fides with the strongest, stiffeft, and beft briftles, extending wider by about two inches on all the four fides than the flue. By a little very fimple machinery, which Mr. Orr defcribes, it is kept in a proper even pofition, while fome one below takes hold of the chain and hauls away like a failor hauling a rope. The brush is thus drawn up and down, a yard or two at a time, and effectually clears the flue. Mr. Orr recommends that chimneys fhould be, built with curved bricks, in a cylindrical form; then a fmaller aperture would fuffice, and the chimney leí's liable to fmoke. We are happy to fee a fourth volume published of the Bibliographical Dic

[ocr errors]

Bibliographia Poetica: a Catalogue of English Poets of the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th Centuries, with a jbort

This valuable work is the production of the late laborious Mr. Ritfon: the information contained in it is uncommonly minute and extensive. This gentleman had prepared for the prefs a " Catalogue of Scottish Poets," intended as a companion to the prefent work, and we understand there is a defign of giving it to the public. "Women: their Condition and Influence in Society.”

This amufing little work is translated from the French of Jofeph Alex. Segur..

Mr. DIBDIN has published a very entertaining account of his " Profeffional Life," with the words of fix hundred fongs, and fixty small prints taken from the subjects of the fongs, by his daughter, Mifs DIBDIN. Mr. Dibdin is a man of extraordinary fertility of imagination, and all his fongs, &c. are conducive to the cause of morality and virtue. We hope his book will, as it deferves, have an extenfive fale.

"The Hiftory of Free Mufanry, drawn from authentic Sources of Information, with an Account of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, from its Inftitution in 1736 to the prefent Time, compiled from the Re cords; and an Appendix of original Papers."

The laudable object of the first part of this book is to refute the affeverations which have been fo ignorantly or malevolently brought against the fraternity, and to fhew that the principles of free-mafonry are as oppofite as poffibie to any thing connected with revolutionary anarchyt The second part is occupied with the Hiftory of Sottish Free masonry, from its inftitution in the year 1736, to the present time. The laft is entirely new, and communicates fome important and intereft ng facts.

The reader will alfo find two ancient charters from the Scottish Mafons to the Sinclairs of Rollin, taken from Hay's MS. in the Advocate's Library.

Our readers must be content with the title of the following book, the merits of which we are unable to appreciate: "Art of Univerfal Correspondence, peculiarly adapted to the Ufe of the Commercial World, and Travellers in foreign Countries; which, with the Aid of a Dictionary

only

only, will, in a few hours, enable two Perfans ignorant of each other's Language to correfpond in either. Useful alfo to Schools, for Grammatical Exercifes, and as a Subftitute for Short-hand. By the Rev. P. ROBERTS, A. B."

The ingenious Mr. GREATHEAD has published "The Report of the Evidence and other Proceedings in Parliament refpecting the Invention of the Life-Boat, &c."

Mr. WILKINSON's" Epitome of the

Hiftory of Malta and Gozo," though a profeffed compilation and abridgement, will repay the perufal.

"An Account of Louisiana, being an Abftract of Documents delivered in or tranfmitted to Mr. Jefferson, and by him laid before Congress, and published by their Order."

We are glad to see these curious and interefting documents republished in London they communicate much important information in a very finall compass.

IN

RETROSPECT OF GERMAN LITERATURE. EASTER AND MICHAELMAS FAIRS, 1803.

N our laft Retrofpect of German Li terature, in the Supplementary Number to Vol. XV., published in July, 1803, we connected together our account of the books published at both the Leipfic Fairs of the preceding year; and we here again adopt the fame plan, which we prefer for many reafons, but more particularly on account of the great difproportion there would neceffarily be betwixt two half-yearly Retrofpedis, from the comparative fcantinefs of the produce of the Michaelmas Fair. How great this difproportion, will appear from a flight infpection of the Catalogues: for in Eafter Fair, 1803, three hundred and fifty bookfellers brought 4000 books to market; but in the Michaelmas Fair following, only about 200 booksellers not much more than 1000 books, pamphlets, pocket-books, and the like. From this immenfe and variegated crowd we fhall felect principally fuch fcientific works as are diftinguished by the names of authors of eminence, whom we have either formerly introduced to our readers, or probably fhall in future frequently have occafion to mention, or by the interesting nature of their contents, or of the occations and events that gave rife to them. We shall likewife occafionally interweave with our notices fome anecdotes of their authors, remarks on the univerfities and other inftitutions for the diffulion of knowledge, and on the state of learning in Germany, or the feveral provinces and principalities of that country, and likewife many circumftances, more or Jefs known, which contribute towards the continual increase of authorship and

book-making. We fhall, as in our last Retrospect, begin with

PHILOSOPHY AND METAPHYSICS. The various fects of the Kantians, Fichtians, and Shellingians, are still vifible, befides fome individual philofophers, who have not yet been able to acquire difciples enough to form a separate party. The adherents of KANT, a fecond edition of whofe "Tugendlehre," and a " Pedagogick" were publifhed, continued with diligent perfeverance, partly to defend the fyftem of their lately deceafed mafter against the attacks of the Tranfcendental Idealifts, and partly to treat of philofophy in general, or fingle divifions thereof, according to the principles laid down by him. To this clafs of productions belong, besides the continuations of the works of MELLIN and MUTSCHELLE, the "Natur-recht," Law of Nature, be Profeffor REIDE ITZ of Königsberg, who here explains the pure unmixed principles of his matter in a language easily understood, which is likewife done by FESCHE (profeffor at Dorpat) an immediate difciple of Kant, and by feveral others :-The "Grundrifs der Sittenlehre," - Outlines of Ethics, comprehending the Law of Nature, (in 2 vols.) by Profeffor TIEFTRUNK, of Halle, (to which univerfity the obfervation is, on the whole, applicable, which we before made relative to that of Königsberg):-The "Verfuch der Aesthetik für Liebhaber,”—Essay_on Aestheticks, for Amateurs, by Profeffor SNELL, of Gieffen; a comprehenfible Extract from "KANT'S Kritik der Urtheilskraft"-Critique of Judgment:-and the "Verfuch einer

fafslichen

fafslichen Darftellung der Kantifehen Kritik der Urtheilkraft-Attempt to place Kant's Critique of Judgment in a clearer Point of View, by Proteffor KIESEWETTER, of Berlin, who continues to teach there the fyftem of Kant, whilft Fichte, in the fame city, reads lectures on his "Wiffenfchaftslehre"-Doctrine of Science, in which he promises to folve the enigma to the world.

FICHTE feemed to be left nearly alone to fupport his caufe; for, except MEHMEL, who, whit editor of the "Literatur Zeitung," a review, till lately, published at Erlangen, endeavoured to exalt the new school of philofophy and atheticks, and last year published a " Verfuch einer Analytifchen Denklehre,"-Effay of an Analytical Theory of Thinking, and a work on education, which we hall have occafion to mention below, we do not find any author who has come forward as his champion.

On the other hand, he as well as his predecellor and fuccellor in Jena found an expert antagonist in a young philofopher, a difciple of Schelling at Jena, viz. Mr. F. FRIES, who, in a work entitled "Reinhold, Fichte and Schelling," evinced an uncommon degree of acumen and learning, recommended by a good style and arrangement; and gave not only a profound critique of the fyftems of thefe philofophers, but likewife many new elucidations of philofophical fubjects. In like manner we find his Philofophifche Rechtslehre," Philofophical Jurifpru. dence, which he afterwards published, many new ideas, and more luminous views of his fubject. Schelling alone met with an equally formidable in Mr. F. KÖPPEN, of Lubeck, who, though formed and educated in the fchools of Kant, Fichte, and Jacobi, did not refign his independence of thought, as he had already fhewn in a work against Kant's Doctrine of Revelation, which we noticed in a former Retrofpe&t. His lateft publication, entitled "Schelling's Lehre oder das ganze der Philofophie des abfoluten Nichts,"-Schel. ling's Doctrine, or the whole Theory of the Philofophy of abfolute Nullity, is accompanied with letters by F. H. JACOBI, who teaches a fyftem of his own, agreeing however in moft of the effential points with that of Kant, which he has attacked; and in

these letters fpeaks against Schelling in the fame fente as Kant, whofe opinion is fufficiently indicated by the title.

SCHELLING, however, who not only continued his Journals, but likewife published a fecond and improved edition of his "Ideen zu einer Philofophie der Natur," Ideas towards a Philofophy of Nature, and again recommended his fyftem in his "Vorlesungen uber die Methode des Akademischen Studiums,"-Lectures on the Method of Studying at the Universities, continued in the mean time to acquire more difciples and adherents; especially in the fouthern provinces of Germany, where his influence will in future be much increased by his appointment to a profefforfhip at the university of Wirzburg; the more fo, as, there too he has colleagues of the fame way of thinking. For foon after his appointment to that place, WAGNER, author of a work Ueber die Natur der Dinge," On the Nature of Things, was tranflated thither from Salzburg, where he had in the Journal entitled the "Gelehrte Zeitung," zealously defended the Syftem of Schelling,

But notwithstanding the removal of Schelling from Jena, his doctrines con、 tinue to be taught at that university by his friends HEGEL and SCHAD. The latter of thefe gentlemen publihed, in 2 volumes, at the last two Fairs, a "Syftem der Natur-'und Tranfcendental Philofophie," - Syftem of Natural and Tranfcendental Philofophy, which is drawn up according to the principles and method inculcated în the writings of Schelling.

ESCHENMAYER, another partizan of Schelling, but who,difdaining to follow him with flavish obfequioufness, strikes into a path of his own, gave us in his "Philofophie in ihrem Uebergange zur Nichtphilofophie,"-Philofophy in its Transition to Non-Philofophy, a further elucidation of a pofition of Jan cobis, but without any reference to that profound thinker, viz. “That the last step in philofophy is the first towards non-philofophy and faith."The Kantian philofophy, fays this author, was fufpended betwixt finite and infinite. Schelling folved all the oppofite principles and positions, fuch as I and Not I, Neceffity and Free Will, Ideality and Reality, Form and Being, &c. &c. and fixed the highest point of the fpeculation in the Eternity of Rea

10

fon itself." Thus fays the author; and then holds forth another power above reason itself.

At the fame time other philofophers and metaphyficians were bufily employed in producing new fyftems, or in elucidating and bringing them to perfection. BOUTERWECK, of Göttingen, defended, in a new "Museum," the fyftem he had sketched out in his "Apodiktik," and entered upon a farther difplay of a part thereof in his "Anleitung zur Philofophie der Naturwiffenfchaft,"-Introduction to the Philofophy of Phyfics; relative to which he totally differs from Schelling's fyftem, with which he did not become acquainted till at a later period. Befides REINHOLD, the anonymous author of "Briefe über Wahrheit, &c."-Letters on Truth, God, Organifin, and Immortality, ftood forth as the champion of Bardili's fyftem. KRUG, now of Frankfort on the Oder, difplayed and detailed, in a work entitled "Fundamental Philofophie," his fyftem in oppofition to tranfcendental idealism. KERN, a very young philofopher, who had in the preceding year introduced himfelf to the notice of the public by his "Programm zur Philofophie," brought forth a fyftem of fundamental philofophy, arifing out of and reverting to experience. In this publication, which is called a " Gnofologie," the late fects of philofophers, and especially their leaders, Kant, Fichte, and Schelling, with the exception of only Herder, are lafhed with the most unmerciful feverity. SCHLEIERMACHER, of Berlin, a difciple of the newest fchool, applied the critical philofophy to all the preceding fyftems of mineralogy ;-and a quite new "Gravitationsgefetz für die moralifche Welt,"-Law of Gravi. tation for the Moral World, came forth from the pen of Profeffor BUCHHOLZ, of Berlin, a declared enemy of the idealiks, who rets the whole development of the human race upon the antagonifin of two opposite inftincts; one of which leads to hatred, and the other to love, i.e. the deftru&tive inftin&t of, felf-prefervation, and the prefervative fexual or focial inftinct.

To fupply the wants of very oppofite ciafles of readers, philofophers by profeilion, amateurs, and beginners, Profeffor LOSSIUS of Erfurt, wrote a new Philofophifches Allgemeines Reallexicon, General Philofophical

Dictionary, which, though on the one hand it be defective in fome points, and on the other contains feveral fuperfluous articles, may prove a very useful work.

Nor was the Hiftory of Philofophy neglected. Whilft Profeffor TENNEMANN, of Jena, continued his "Hiftory of Ancient," and BUHLE, of Göttingen, that of "Modern Philofophy," a prize-question of the latter of these univerfities gave rife to a well written work, entitled

"Hiftoria Doctrina Græcorum atque Romanorum Philofophorum de Statu Animarum poft Mortem; and SIMON published "HiftorischKritifche Unterfuchungen über den Urfprung und Fortgang des Völkerglaubens an das Dafeyn und die Uniterblichkeit der Seele,&c."-HistoricoCritical Researches relative to the Origin and Progress of the Belief of various Nations in the Existence and Immortality of the Soul.-Baron EBERSTEIN, already advantageously known to the literary world by his works on the "Progrefs of Metaphyfics in Modern Times," and on the " Nature of the Logic and Metaphyficks of the pure Peripatecians," furnished a "Natürliche Theologie der Scholastiker," -Natural Theology of the Schoolmen; which, in the opinion of the enemies of the newest philofophy, is a useful little work for our fcholaftical times, being well calculated for the purpose of fhewing to the young students, that many of the things and doctrines which they with such astonishment and profound veneration daily hear promulgated from the profeffional chairs, or through the medium of the prefs, are far from being fo new as is pretended. ENGEL, of Mentz, in his "Verfuche in der fcientififchen und populairen Philofophie," Scientific and Popular Effays on Philofophical Subjects treats in a very inftru&ive manner of genius, ftudy and the indifpenfableness of metaphyfics in the concatenation of the fciences, on various difputes of ancient and modern philofophers, on the fcientific ftudy of ethics, and fimilar fubjects.-This Engel must be distinguished from the lately deceafed author of the fame name, to whofe Philofoph für die Welt,"-Philofopher for the World, an anonymous writer has added a fourth volume; which, though not equal to the former volumes by Engel and his friends, will be found not unworthy

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »