ART. 72. Ueber Rufslands Handal, von W. C. Friebe.-Memoirs on the Commerce of Ruffia, &c. by W. C. Friebe. Vol II. in 8vo. Gotha, 1797.

To inform ourselves of the ftate of Ruffia, we may likewise read the work intitled Journal von und für Russland (Journal of and for Ruffia publifhed at Petersburg, by J. H. Buffe. The third year contains a defeription by Pallas, of the Taurica, an account of the government of Tarhow, together with fome memoirs on thofe of Simbirich and of Nifchgorod, in which is fituate the city of Nowgorod; on the nomad Calmucks of Aftracan; on the books in the Mogul language which are found in the library of the academy of Petersburg. This laft memoir is written by Mr. Jaehrig, who lived ten years among the Moguls, and who has left other memoirs on the religion of Bramah, particularly as it is now obferved in Thibet.

Ibid.

ART. 73. Bibliche Encyclopedie, oder exegelifches Wörterbuch über die fämtlichen Wiffenfchaften des Auflegers, nach den Bedürfnissen jetziger Zeit. Durch eine Gefellschaft von Gelehrten.-Biblical Encyclopedia, adapted to the prefent Times; by a Society of learned Men. Vol. III. M-R. 557 pp. in l. 4to. Gotha.

In this new volume of a valuable and generally esteemed Biblical Dictionary, are contained 478 articles. Of thefe, 210 chiefly of a grammatical, critical, rhetorical, and geographical nature, are contributed by Mr. L. One hundred and ten articles belonging to antiquities, mythology, the arts, and natural history, have the fignature H*t. The hiftorical, genealogical, biographical, and archæological articles, by R. are 150, and to 8 no fignature is added. Of thefe 478 articles, there are 95 which are not to be found in Hezel's Reallexicon. Jena ALZ.

ART. 74. 1. Sam. Frid. Nathan. Mori-fuper Hermeneutica Novi Teftamenti Acroafes Academica. Editioni aptavit, præfatione et additamentis inftruxit, Henr. Carol. Abr. Eichstädt, Philos. Doctor et Prof. extraord. in Academ. Lipfienfi (now Philos. Prof. ordinar. in Acad. Jenenfi. Leipzig, 1797; Pref. 68; the reit 336 pp. in 1. 8vo.

ART. 75. 2. D. Sam. Frid. Nath. Mori-Prælectiones exegetica in tres Joannis epiftolas, cum nova earundem paraphrafi latina-published by C. A. Hempel, of Lauchstädt. Leipzig. 7 Sheets 8vo.

In the first of the articles we are prefented with an excellent commentary on Ernefti's well-known introductory work on the fame fubject, proceeding only in this volume to Sect. II, c. 5, of that book; with confiderable additions and improvements by the editor. The fecond article contains a free Latin Verfion of the Text of the Epiftles of St. John, as it was dictated by the author in his Prælections, together with his Obfervations on it, and two Excurfus; one on the reading i Abu or xatakuu, in c. iv, 3; and the other on 1 John v, 7, 8.

ART.

ART. 76. Tabule anatomicæ quas ad illuftrandam humani corporit fabricam collegit et curavit. Juft. Chrift. Loder, in academia" quæ Jena ef anal. et chirurg. profeffor.

This work is diftributed in livraisons at Weimar; and in London, by Remnant. There have already appeared of it three fafciculi, which comprife ofteology, fyndefmology, and myology. We takė this opportunity of bearing teftimony to the accuracy of the designs, and to the beauty of the execution.

Ibid.

ART. 77. Vegetabilia in Hercyniae fubterraneis collecta, iconibus et obfervationibus illuftrata; auctore Georg. Franc. Hoffmann. In folio, with fix plates. First livraison.

There will be four livraisons of this work, which we think it enough merely to announce, the name and character of the author being already fufficiently known to the botanical ftudent. Ibid.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The ribaldry of Rufticus does not deferve an answer. We can certainly judge as well as he, to fay the least, what is nonfenfe and what is not, and his letter gives us occafion. To moft of his queries we fhould give, if we replied at all, a moft hearty and confcientious negative.

In answer to Cenforinus, and other enquirers, we decifively reply, that the Editors of this Review are not connected with any other periodical publication whatsoever.

It is with fome regret we inform our correfpondent at Leip fic, that the whole of the manufcript of Plutarch has not yet been received at Oxford from Profeffor Wyttenbach.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

Dr. Moodie, of Bath, who was profeffionally employed with his Majesty's forces in India, during the late war, is preparing for the prefs, an Hiftory of the Military and Political Affairs of the British Nation in Hindo flan, from the commencement of the war in 1756, to the conclufion of the peace in 1784.

The Rev. Weeden Butler, Sen. of Chelfea, is drawing up. Memoirs of Dr. Hildefley, Bishop of Soder and Man, under whofe care the Mank's Version of the Holy Scriptures was completed. They will foon appear, in one volume octavo.

Confiderable progrefs is made in a Hiftory of the Town of Reading, by a gentleman eminently qualified for the undertaking, We hear alfo of a tranflation of Maximus Tyrius, faid to be in fome forwardness.

ERRATA.

In our Review for July, p. 46, 1. last but three, for Candau, r. Candace. p. 79, 1. nine from bottom, for fix thousand,

1. fix hundred thousand.

ART. I. Memoirs of the Life and Adminiftration of Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford. With original Correfpondence, and authentic Papers, never before published. In Three Volumes. By William Coxe, M. A. F. R.S. F. A..S. Rector of Berneften. 4to. 764, 703, and 622 pp. 81. 15s. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

THE life of a great minifter, long in power, involves of ne

ceffity the most important part of the hiftory of his country, at the fame period; and the Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole are well calculated to fill up a large fpace in the hiftory of England fince the Revolution, the whole of which has hitherto received but little illuftration from able or impartial writers. It was therefore a pleasing circumstance to perfons attached to this branch of ftudy, to learn that the present work was undertaken by Mr. Coxe, an author advantageously known already by the former productions of his pen. The long oppofition with which Sir R. Walpole contended, and by which he was finally overpowered; the virulence of many among his adverfaries; and the unprincipled malevolence of a few, by producing innumerable speeches and writings replete

R

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. xii, sept. 1798,

with

with the most violent hoftility, have expofed his adminiftra. tion in particular to the groffeft mifrepresentation; under the clamour of which, his real merits, and the fervices he actually rendered to his country, are too frequently forgotten. In the narrative of a writer who makes him the hero of his work, if we generally fee, as may be expected, the most favourable afpect of the perfon reprefented, we yet obtain a likeness; and, with a moderate knowledge of general nature, can guess not inaccurately at the truth, between the deformities of the caricatures, and the favourable touches of the portrait.

As the author, in his Preface, explains very clearly the origin of the prefent publication, we cannot better give that information than by using his words.

"Nine years have elapfed fince I undertook to write the Hiftorical and Political State of Europe; the plan of which was printed, and fubmitted to the public. In the profecution of that work, I obtained accefs to various collections of original papers, particularly those of the Earls of Hardwicke, Harrington, and Peterborough, and of Sir Benjamin Keene. It was in fuch forwardnefs, that the hiftories of Spain, Portugal, Auftria, the German conftitution, Ruffia, and part of Pruflia and Sweden, were already prepared for the prefs; I had alfo sketched the hiftories of the Italian ftates, Holland, and France: feveral maps were finished. Finding it impoffible to obtain in England fufficient information refpecting foreign countries, I vifited Germany in 1794, with a view to obtain an accurate knowledge of

recent events.

"On my return I went to Wolterton, for the purpofe of infpecting the papers of Horatio Lord Walpole, father of the prefent Lord Walpole, whofe interefting correfpondence during his embaffies in France and Holland, were of the utmost importance to my undertaking. I employed feveral months in perufing and arranging these papers. In the courfe of this occupation, I traced motives of action unknown to hiftorians, which placed in a new light the foreign and domeftic tranfactions of the cabinet. I alfo derived, from the converfation of Lord and Lady Walpole, many facts and anecdotes which elucidated the events adverted to in the papers.

The progrefs of the French revolution, and the uncertain pofition of Europe, compelled me, notwithlanding the expence, and lofs of time and labour, to fufpend my original defign, and to defer the completion of the Hiftorical and Political State till the return of more quiet and favourable times.

"With the fanction of Lord Walpole I propofed, therefore, to give to the public a felection of his rather's papers. In the course of this undertaking, I met with feveral letters and papers of Sir Robert Walpole, which made me folicitous to obtain further information con cerning his character and adminiftration. On my arrival in London. I had frequent converfations with the late Earl of Orford, who related raany anecdotes of his father, which led to further inquiries. It now infenfibly became a part of my plan, to blend in the narrative as many

particulars relating to Sir Robert Walpole as could be authenticated, and to infert in the correfpondence as many of his letters as I could obtain.

"This defign was promoted by the kindness of Lord Orford, who imparted to me all his father's papers which remained in his poffeffion, and permitted me to ufe them at my difcretion, without the fmalleft controul.

"The connection and friendship which, for a long period, had fubfifted between Sir Robert Walpole and his brother-in-law, Charles Viscount Townshend, naturally fuggefted that the Townshend papers muft afford confiderable information. The acquifition of thefe important documents led to the discovery and communication of others, particularly in the Hardwicke, Grantham, Waldegrave, and Poyntz collections.

"With thefe fources of information the work gradually expanded; and Sir Robert Walpole from being a fecondary became the principal object. I therefore interrupted the impreffion of Lord Walpole's correfpondence, and pottponed that publication. I determined to give to the world the Memoirs of the Life and Administration of Sir Robert Walpole, drawn from thefe copious and original fources, and to illustrate, by interefting and authentic documents, the tranfactions of the busy and eventful period, in which that minister acted so confpicuous a part." Pref. p. xv, &c.

Thus the prefent work has arifen, we fee, out of two which are for a time fufpended, but may hereafter be expected. The catalogue of authorities which is then fubjoined in the Preface, is ample, curious, and fatisfactory. Mr. C. begins with printed information; and in this clafs firft adverts to Smollett and Belfham, of whom he does not speak in very favourable

terms.

"Though this fource of intelligence is open to every writer, and an omiffion to confult and compare the advocates on both fides of the question indicates either negligence or want of candour, yet Smollett and Belham, in their accounts of the times, have betrayed these faults in the highest degree. Dazzled by the eloquence of Pultney, feduced by the fophiftry of Bolingbroke, or deluded by the fpecioufnefs of Chesterfield, they appear to have formed their opinions without comparifon, to have ftigmatized the whole adminiftration of Sir Robert Walpole as an uniform mafs of corruption and depravity, as a gloomy period, during which not a fingle ray of light gleams through the impenetrable darkness. Though I have occafionally noticed the mifreprefentations of these writers, yet as Smollett quotes no authorities, and appears never to have confulted the journals, and either partially or fuperficially to have perufed the parliamentary debates; and as Belfham is, in general, a mere copyift of Smollett as to facts, though he differs from him in fpeculations, I have not relied on) either as an authority," P. xviii.