the CRAZY TALES for his model, and has managed the fubject with his wonted ingenious addrefs. They who are afflicted with the tedium vita, fhould hold themfelves indebted to Mr. Colman, for furnishing them with this volume, the perusal of which muft excite rifibility, and banish melancholy. On these confiderations, we heartily recommend them to our friends and readers as active antidotes against the influence of the spleen.We have often heard of the names Fielding, Sterne, Smollet, &c. mentioned with gratitude by valetudinarians, for the relief which a perufal of their works afforded them; and we have reafon for believing that thefe Tales will be no lefs effectual ;—and that he may be justly accounted a benefactor to mankind, who contributes to the diminution of their pains.

Elements of General Knowledge, Introductory to useful books in the principal branches of Literature and Science; with lifts of the most approved Authors. Defigned chiefly for the Junior Students in the Univerfities, and the higher classes in Schools. By HENRry Kett, B. D. Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.-London, 1802.

THE attention of the public has been fo often folicited to books of this kind, and fo often meagerly rewarded in their perufal, that we might juftly confider ourselves unworthy of credit, fhould we recommend fuch works, without being deeply impressed with an idea of their fuperior merit. We are bold however in praifing this publication, fince we entertain no doubt of its value and importance. It manifefts a clear and judicious method, extensive and accurate science, a correct and perfpicuous style, together with a strong and lively mode of thinking. This paffage from the author's preface, will give a better account of the work, than any we are able to offer.

"The following work contains the fubftance of a course of lectures, which I have occafionally read to my pupils during the last twelve years. The fatisfaction, which they expreffed on hearing them, has encouraged me to hope, that they will not prove unacceptable to thofe, for whose use they are now made public.

"To affert a claim to originality in such a work as this, would perhaps only be equivalent to a confeffion of its demerit. My pretenfions to public regard must depend in no small degree upon the manner, in which I have clothed old ideas in a new drefs, and upon my skill in compreffing within a moderate compass the substance of large voluminous works. Upon all

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my subjects I have endeavoured to reflect light from every quarter, which my reading would afford. My references, and the books mentioned in my appendix, will show the fources, from which I have derived my principal information but it would be almost an endless, and perhaps a very oftentatious task, to enumerate all my literary obligations.

:

"There are a few topics indeed, with respect to which I think I may be allowed to affert fome claims to novelty. For many of my remarks on the Greek Language I am indebted principally to my own observations upon its nature and comparative merits. The biftory of Chivalry, important as the influence of that remarkable institution has been upon manners, is a subject, which I have been able to collect little information from English Authors; and the history of the revival of claffical learning, although a topic of the strongest interest to every man of letters, has never been fully treated by any writer, with whose works I am acquainted.

upon

"Many of my quotations are selected from fuch books, as, either from the number of the volumes, their scarceness, or expense, do not frequently If fome of them are borrowed from come within the reach of young men. more obvious and popular works, their peculiar beauty, strength and appofiteness, it is presumed, will justify their introduction. But elegant as my quotations may be in point of style, conclufive as to reasoning, or striking as to the impreflion they are calculated to make, they will not completely answer the intended purpose, if, while they raise a high opinion of the merit of their authors, they do not excite an eager curiosity to peruse more of their works.

"If I should be fortunate enough to fucceed in procuring for eminent writers any additional degree of regard; if I fhould excite a more ardent and more active attention to any branches of useful knowledge; and if the variety of my topics fhould contribute to diffuse more widely the light of general information and useful truth; 1 fhall have the satisfaction to reflect, that my time has not been facrificed to a frivolous purpose, by thus endeavouring, in conformity with the occupations of the most valuable portion of my life, to inftruct the rifing generation."

Our limits will not permit us to enter into a thorough invefti gation of the propriety or impropriety of the fentiments and docwe will only mention, that we trines, contained in this book : have scarcely ever followed a didactic writer through the variegated fields of literature with more pleasure and approbation. We do not hesitate in declaring, that we think this work will prove an interesting manual to every Student, and that the perufal of it will by no means be unpleasant to the accomplished literati. We present to our readers thefe paragraphs, which close the chapter on eloquence.

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« The eloquence of the moderns has rarely reached the standard of excellence, which was erected by the ancients. The character of each is widely different. In Greece, the public speaker was bold, impetuous and sublime. In Rome, he was more declamatory, verbose, flowery, and pathetic. Fenelon has thus ingeniously discriminated the eloquence of the two great orators of Greece and Rome. "After hearing an oration of Tully, how finely and eloquently has he expreffed himself!' faid the Romans. After Demofthenes had spoken, let us rife and march against Phillip,' said the Athenians." In England the public speaker is cool and temperate, and addreffes himself more to the reafon of his audience, than to their paffions. There is still great scope for the display of genius in the pulpit, at the bar, and in the houses of parliament; and the path of fame is still left open to rifing orators. The rules laid down by the ancients, as the principles involved in those rules are of general utility, may be studied to great advantage, although much judgment is necessary for their proper application; and attention must be paid to modern manners and to modern taste.

"Many distinguished examples of eloquence may be held up to the obfervation of the young orator; but he must avoid too close an imitation, even of the most eminent. Let him ftudy the most esteemed works of his predeceffors; let him frequently revolve, and even commit to memory, their productions, and repeat them with suitable voice and action: and let him Father in his own compofitions endeavour to catch a portion of their spirit, than tread servilely in their steps. Demofthenes was vehement, abrupt, energetic and fublime. Cicero was dignified, luminous, and copious. Chatham united the energy of the one to the elegance of the other. Mansfield was perfuafive, delightful, and inftructive. Burk was flowery, vivid, and fluent. Let the orator study to combine in his compofitions their united excellence. Let him not, to use the appofite and beautiful illustration of Quintilian, resemble the stream, that is carried through a channel, formed by art for its course; but rather let him be like those bold rivers, which overflow a whole valley; and where they do not find, can force a passage by their own natural impetuofity and strength."

We have not heard of the republication of this work in the UNITED STATES. If it has not yet been printed here, it is fure, ly an object, that deserves the attention of OUR BOOKSELLERS,

MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES.

By the death of J. Mackenzie, Efq. the publication of the Original Poems of Offian is for the present fufpended. To this gen tleman Mr. Macpherson committed the original Celtic, from which he had tranflated or made up his English Offian. A fubfcription,

amounting to a thousand pounds, for the purpofe of publishing this original, was raised among the officers and others of the Highlands, in India, and remitted to Mr. Macpherson. His fon and heir (who had himself made a large fortune in the capacity of British Agent, for ten or twelve years, at the Court of the Nizam,) Mr. Macpherson of Bailiville in Invernefsfhire refuses or declines to give up the An action has fo fubfcribed. money been inftituted against him, for the purpose of compelling him to give up the thoufand pounds, in the Court of Seffions in Scotland, by Sir John Murray, in whofe hands the money was placed, and by whom it was remitted to the elder Mr. Macpherson. Mr. Mackenzie, whether trufting wholly to this fund, or actuated merely from motives of patriotifm, and regard for the memory of his friend, had begun and made fome progrefs in the printing of the original Offian, with the literal Latin Verfion. All expenfes were defrayed by Mr. Mackenzie from his own funds. His death, of courfe, fufpended the work; and whether it will ever be refumed, is thought a matter, that will depend on the iffue of the fuit, instituted by Sir John Murray against the son and heir of the Offian Mr. Macpherson.

THE celebrated KALKBRENNER, Member of the Philotechnic Society of Paris, the Royal Academy of Stockholm, and the Philoharmonic Academy of Bologna, has lately publifhed a book' entitled "Hiftoire de la Mufic;" of which an English Critic gives the following account.

"This work is the production of a diftinguished member of the Mufical Confervatory. The author remarks, that fince the death of the celebrated Ramau, mufical literature has been greatly neglected in France, and that but few are at prefent acquainted either with the theory or the mathematical principles, on which the art is founded. According to him, all the productions of the eighteenth century confift entirely of compilations from thofe of the fixteenth and feventeenth.

"M. Kalkbrenner alfo prefents the reader with a history of his art. In his account of the inftrumental music of the Hebrews, he affirms that it was extremely imperfect, and supports his opinions by the teftimony of Professor Pfeiffer, who has maintained

the fame doctrine in a celebrated work written by him fome time fince. After this, he proceeds to examine the mufic of the Greeks; and although M. Buretto has published a variety of learned and curious obfervations on the fame subject, those, made by the author now before us are not deftitute of interef. It is his defign upon this occafion, to demonftrate that the mufic of the ancient Greeks had not attained a high degree of perfection; but he remarks, at the fame time, that they have tranfmitted an infinite variety of precious inventions, on which the moderns have only improved. As for the Romans, we are told that every thing they knew, was borrowed from the Greeks, whom they imitated, but could not furpass, or even equal, more especially in the mufical art.

"M. Kalkbrenner confiders pofterity as greatly indebted to St. Ambrofe for having introduced a fuitable manner of finging the praises of and adoring the Divinity, by the introduction of church-mufic; he alfo does juftice to the science of Pope Gregory, who improved the art, and had ftudied the poets and muficians of Greece with uncommon care. He laments, that, anterior to the Reformation, mufic was entirely monopolized by the clergy, against whom he, on many occafions, exhibits the most implacable refentment, and he rejoices greatly to think, that the laity are now admitted to a participation in this elegant amusement."

THE University of Copenhagen lately propofed the following queftion: "Whether it would be advantageous to the literature of the North to fubftitute the ufe of the mythology of the North to that of the Greek mythology." Three memoirs on this fubject have appeared, all very interesting, and worthy to be taken into confideration. That which has been adjudged the best, demonftrates the neceffity of retaining the Greek mythology, as the most cultivated and the most ingenious; the two others give the preference to the mythology of the North, as more proper to produce chef d'œuvres than the other, which has already produced fo many, and which feems to be exhausted.

A GREEK Poem has lately been publifhed at Vienna, by Father AMBROSE POMPERY, confifting of 506 verfes, which have the fame meaning, when read either backwards or forwards.