A Volume of English and Latin Poems, by Mr. E. B. Impey, is nearly ready for publication. The Philofophical Wanderers, or the Hiftory of the Roman Tribune, and the Prieftefs of Minerva, by Mr. John Bigland, will appear in a few days. An Octavo Edition of Lord Valentia's Travels, in three Volumes, with a fourth in Quarto, containing all the Plates given in the Quarto Edition, will be speedily published. Memoirs of Prince Eugene of Savoy, written by himself, tranflated by the Tranflator of the Life of Fenelon, will be publifhed in the courfe of the prefent month, in one Octavo Volume, A new Edition of Martyn's Virgil's Georgics is in the Press. Sir John Carr has in forwardness for publication Defcrip tive Sketches of the South Eaft Parts of Spain, and the Islands of Majorca, Minorca, Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta, during a Tour in 1809 and 1810. The Rev. T. F. Dibdin has in the Prefs, in an Octavo Volume, the English Gentleman's Library Companion, being a Guide to the Knowledge of rare and curious English Books, appertaining to British Literature and Antiquities. Dr. Millar, Lecturer on Materia Medica in the University of Glasgow, is printing Difquifitions in the Hiftory of Medicine, exhibiting a View of Phyfic as obferved to exift during remote Periods, and among Nations not far advanced in refinement. Mr. Trotter, of Montalta, near Wicklow, has in the Press, an Account of the Travels of the late Mr. Fox, Lord St. John, and himself, in Flanders and France, during the late fhort Peace, with a variety of Letters of Mr. Fox, and circumftantial particulars of the laft four Years of his Life. Mr. William Jacob, M. P. has in the Piefs, in a Quarto Volume, Travels in Spain in 1809 and 1810, containing an account of the Manufactures, Commerce, Productions, &c. with a View of Spain under the Mohammedan Dominion. Mr. Hamilton Bruce is preparing from Authentic Sources, a detailed account of all the Scottish Families of Note, from the peopling of Scotland by the Scythians to the prefent era; alfo a copious account of the Scottish Monarchs, and their exifting Pofterity. Mr. Winch has nearly ready for the Prefs, the Flora of the Counties of Northumberland and Durham. It will comprize about 2000 indigenous Plants. ! THE BRITISH CRITIC, For FEBRUARY, 1811. Mes amis, jurons tous dans ce temple ou nous sommes, CHAMPFORT; Let all who use the prefs, or wield the pen, ART. I. An Hiftorical Review of the Commercial, Political, and Moral State of Hindooftan, from the earliest Period to the prefent Time; the Rife and Progress of Christianity in the Eaft, its prefent Condition, and the Means and Proba bility of its future Advancement. With an Introduction and Map, illuftrating the relative Situation of the British Empire in the Eaft. By Robert Chatfield, L. L. B. Vicar of Chatteris, in Cambridgeshire. 4to. 440 pp. 11. 16s. Richardfon. 1808. OUR UR review of this judicious fummary, of what both ancient and modern writers have faid concerning India, has been unfortunately delayed by the illnefs of the perfon to whom the task was alligned. Mr. Chatfield has taken a very extensive range in the field of Indian politics, literature, and commerce, and has devoted a large portion of his valuable volume to a fill more interefting and important fubject; the growth, eftablifhment, and probable diffufion of Chriftianity in Afia. The fources whence he draws his infor mation are of the moft authentic kind, and the references are equally numerous and accurate. A work like this was a defideratum among a confiderable clafs of readers, to whom more detailed accounts were unneceffary; but to whom lefs extended views of the fubject might prove alike infufficient and unfatisfactory. H BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXVII. FEB. 1811. After After a very fenfible and well-written introduction, which contains an hiftorical sketch of the fucceflive invafions of India by former conquerors, of Greek, Perfian, and Arabian origin, together with a general furvey of its prefent ftate under more recent Mahomedan ufurpers, and its Sovereigns of Indian and European defcent, we come to the body of the work itself, divided into parts, and fubdivided into chapters, in a very orderly and luminous manner. That the leading fubjects are thus diftinctly difcuffed, is of important advantage to the reader, where fo many, fo various, and often fo oppofite topics conflantly arife, and imperiously prefs for confider ation. Part I. comprehends, in thirteen chapters, chronological details concerning the commerce of the Eaft, ancient and modern; enters into the views of the conquerors most renowned in its hiftory, from the time of Alexander to the prefent day; difplays the progrefs and the extent of their conquefts, together with that of their commerce fubfequent to thofe conquefls; marks the period, and inveftigates the caufes of the decline, both of their power and of their com merce in those regions; and makes deductions of the utmoft confequence for the direction of its prefent prefiding chiefs, the British nation. With thefe details are occafionally blended, as well in the text, as in the numerous and valuable notes, much interefling hiftorical information, derived from books not, in general, attainable; much geographical inftruction; and many political oblervations, highly honourable to the talents and fagacity of the writer. Part II. contains, in fixteen chapters, general remarks on the religion of the Hindros, and other eastern nations, their rivals and neighbours, and particularly on the Mahomedan fuperftition; difcuffes the rife and progrefs of Christianity in India; treats of the miffionary cftablishments of the Catholics in the Eaft; enumerates the obftacles that have hitherto, in a great degree, prevented the converfion of the inhabitants of Hindooftan; difplays the prefent flate of the church eftablishment in British India; and concludes with offering fome judicious ftrictures on the conduct of the English miffionaries, and pointing out the proper meafures in future to be purfued, as well for the benefit of the English residents, as for that of the nation at large. In the courfe of these extended difcuffions are alfo prefented to the reader, many valuable obfervations on the fate of the arts and sciences at different periods in Afia; and the gradual growth and expanfion of the intellectual powers, wherefoever the light of reafon and liberty broke through the gloom of that barbarous defpotifin defpotifm, which too generally overshadowed those beautiful regions of the globe. To the whole are added, two appendixes, ftill further illuftrative of the pofitions advanced in the preceding pages, and containing additional references to the refpectable authors, Hyde, Renaudot, Bernier, Mallet, and others occafionally cited in the courfe of the work. Having thus given the outlines of Mr. Chatfield's inftructive volume, we proceed to notice a few paffages that more particularly attracted our attention during the perufal, as either marking his own intimate knowledge of oriental cuftoms, manners, and politics; or happily concentrating, within a fmall compafs, the fcattered obfervations of more voluminous writers. On the antient commerce of India he judiciously obferves, "There is every reafon to believe that an intercourse subfifted very early times, between Yeman and the western coafts of India; not indeed with the Brahmans, whofe duties confined them to the adminiftration of the offices of religion, but with the Banyans, or members of the third caft of Hindus, whofe occupation was commerce. The Banyans are recorded by very early authors, and by the most authentic teftimonies, as men diftinguished for their wealth, probity, fimplicity, and fingularity of manners; and they traded with Arabia Felix, and the Ethi opian fhores, which lay within the line of religious limitation. "An extenfive and lucrative commerce had long been carried on from Surat, and the fouth-weft coaft of India, for the gold, ivory, gums, and pearls, which were either furnished from Arabia, or Melinda on the African fhore. Custom had rendered these gums effentially neceffary in all the ceremonials of the Indian worship; and the exchange was made in the cotton of their country, or the fpices of the Malay iflands. Were any proofs wanting of the high antiquity of the Indians, of their early civilization, and addiction to commercial objects, they may be found in the Inftitutes of Menu, a book, the age of which has been computed by Sir W. Jones, as coeval with a very early period of the world; wherein, befides other regulations of trade, provifion is made for the intereft of money, and limited to particular cafes, but with exceptions in favour of adventures and infurances by fea." It is alfo probable, that the Yogee or Indian penitent, whofe religious creed and mortified habits frequently carried him into the moft diftant regions, in fearch of the fprings of Naptha, had with the Banyan alfo vifited the coaft of the Red Sea; nor were thefe fhores utterly forfaken by them, until the troubles of the Egyptian and Perfian dynafties rendered their religion and liberty no longer fecure. "The grain and raw materials of colder climates, neceffary to fupply the encreafing population of a country, whofe internal refources, H 2 refources were inadequate to its confumption, impelled the natives to feek affiftance from foreign climates. The commercial intercourfe, thus introduced by neceffity, enriched the inhabitants, and added to the revenues of the state. From this origin fprung the Phoenician colonies, which covered the Morea and the inlands of the Mediterranean, and spread over the diftant fhores of the Euxine and the Meotis, and the coafts of Africa and Spain. The fpirit of commercial enterprife which animated. the Phoenicians, was not fatisfied with the limited fhores of the Mediterranean. Inhabiting a country in a great measure fandy and barren, it was neceffary that their utmost industry should be exerted against the influences of the climate, and for the fupply of the wants of life. India and its rich commerce had long been an interefting object; and the filver of the Spanish mines, and the tin of Britain, were exchanged for the coftly manufactures of the Eaft. To effect this purpofe, the Phoenicians appear early to have fettled on the north-eaft parts of the Red Sea: hence the trade to India, Ethiopia, and Arabia, was direct; and the cargoes of their veffels being difcharged at Elath, or Eziongeber, were conveyed over land in caravans, by a fhort route of a few days, to Rhinocolura, a town on the Mediterranean Sea, the common frontiers of Palestine, and Egypt, where they were reshipped for Tyre, and other ports of Afia and Europe. "The active and enlightened Greeks, who had received from the Phoenicians their firit notices of the Eaft, their knowledge of navigation, their laws, language, and polity, could not overlook advantages fo important. Early fettlements had been formed by the Athenians, and other independent republics, upon the Euxine and the Palus Maotis. Colchis, forming a part of the modern Mingrelia, whether we afcribe its origin to the fabled Sefoftris, and his colony of Egyptians, or to the industrious Phoenicians of Tyre and Sidon, was foon occupied, and became the mart of a moft extenfive commerce. It was hence by a route long known to the Perfians, that the Athenians received the rich produce of Northern India, which was conveyed down the Oxus to the ports of the Cafpian Sea, and thence transferred along the courfes of the Apus and Phafis to the great emporium at Colchis. The wealth of Tyre and Sidon had folely arifen from their exclufive trade with the Eaft; but as foon as the commu. nication between Syria and the Indian empire was interrupted, Athens and Corinth rofe upon the ruin of their rivals; the Me. diterranean, the Euxine, and the Ionian Seas, were covered with Grecian fleets, or their coafts were planted with Grecian colonies; commerce flourished under the aufpices of liberty, and fupported the naval ftates under the fevereft preffure of the Peloponnefian wars. An intercourfe thus begun, was afterwards fuccefsfully maintained with thofe diftant regions of Afia, which had by turns contributed |