EDINBURGH REVIEW, OR CRITICAL JOURNAL: FOR OCT. 1803......JAN. 1804. TO BE CONTINUED QUARTERLY. JUDEX DAMNATUR CUM NOCENS ABSOLVITUR. BLIUS SYRUS. VOL. III. Edinburgh: PRINTED BY D. WILLISON, CRAIG'S CLOSE, FOR ARCH. CONSTABLE & CO. EDINBURGH, LONDON. 1804. ART. I. Lectures on the Elements of Chemistry, delivered in the University of Edinburgh, by the late Jofeph Black, p. 1 VI. Modern Geography, digested on a New Plan. By John VII. Second Voyage à la Louisiane. Par Baudry des Lozières VIII. Cours de Morale Religieufe. Par M. Necker XIII. Millar's Hiftorical View of the English Government, from ADVERTISEMENT. THE HE Editors have annexed to this Number, a List of all the Books that have been published in this country during the last three months, and of the most confiderable works that have yet reached them from the Continent. The List, as it stands, is unquestionably the most complete that has yet been presented to the Public; and the Editors have it in contemplation to enlarge it, in fome of the fucceeding Numbers, by the addition of very brief characters of fuch of the new works as have been perused, and are not thought to require a more extenfive difcuffion. 24. October 1803. EDINBURGH REVIEW, OCTOBER 1803. N°. V. ART. I. Ledures on the Elements of Chemistry, delivered in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, by the late Jofeph Black, M. D. &c. &c. &c. Now published from his MSS. by John Robifon, LL.D. Profeffor of Natural Philofophy in the University of Edinburgh. 2 vol. 4to. Pp. 1384. Longman & Rees, London. Creech, Edinburgh. 1803. IN performing the duties of Editor to the difcourfes of his departed friend, Profeffor Robifon had peculiar difficulties to overcome. With a few exceptions, Dr Black's lectures were left in a very difordered and imperfect state; generally written indiftinctly upon fcraps of paper; often in the form of notes or memorandums, from which he had fpoken extempore; frequently confifting of references to the experiments that went on during the leffon. To counterbalance thefe difadvantages, the Editor poffeffed fome very important qualifications and happy facilities. He had known Dr Black moft intimately for a long courfe of years; during which he had been, first, his favourite pupil, then his fucceffor, and, laftly, his colleague. He enjoyed the friendfhip of the diftinguifhed circle of philofophers among whom this great man, after achieving the most brilliant difcoveries of modern times, happily and elegantly paffed the quiet remainder of his days. From thefe friends, Mr Robifon obtained all the in-, formation and affiftance; that the nature of his office required. He had free accefs to every document which could enable him to furnish the public with an accurate tranfcript of thefe celebrated lectures, or to aid his own recollections in prefenting a sketch of their author, and in completing a hiftory of the fteps by which his difcoveries were inade. By a coincidence, equally rare and,? fortunate, journals of Dr Black's fcientific purfuits were preferved from the time of his firft application to fpeculative matters; and Mr Robifon has been enabled to fupply fome of the dates VOL. II. NO. 5 Tab which |