DRAMATIC.

The pulfe is still languid in this part of the poetical body. We fhall notice here but five dramas; only two of which were acted at the London theatres. Mr. Sotheby, the merit of whofe writings we have often acknowledged, ventured to bring upon the stage a Tragedy, entitled Julian and Agnes*. The poetry was worthy of the author; but the play, from fome want of dramatic intereft, did not attract the public. Adelmore, by Mr. Lewist, though not without its ghoft, did not pleafe like his Caftle Spectre. The ghoft was withdrawn, but the ftory was ftill improbably told, and the play died. Mr. Bidlake, not without fame in other walks of poetry, feems to have tried his dramatic powers for the exercife of his pupils. His Virginia, was reprefented by them at Plymouth, and, from the perufal, we should fuppofe, with good effect. Deaf and Dumb§, as tranflated literally from the original, may be perhaps to fome readers an object of more curiofity than the acted play. In neither form could it have had the celebrity in London, which, partly from local circumftances, it obtained at Paris. Among the various productions of the German theatre, we have not feen one fo little exceptionable, in any point of view, as Mary Stuart, by Schiller. It is alfo refpectably tranflated, and may be read with pleafure; though without much alteration, it could not be reprefented on an English stage. We drop the clafs of Novels, till we fhall find fomething init that may be truly worthy of report.

PHILOSOPHY AND ARTS.

We shall not here omit, though we have no great difpofition to extol, Dr. Darwin's Phytologia. It is a fanciful fyftem of vegetation, with little more foundation than the fame author's fyftem of animal life, and fet forth with the fame ingenuity. The Supplement to the Encyclopædia Britannica, by Dr. Gleig**, + No. V. P. 545. No. VI. p. 665.

* No. I. p. 84. No. IV. p. 424. P. 265.

** No. III.

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XVIII.

b

No. I. p. 84.
No. I. p. 4.

concludes

concludes, in the most creditable manner, a work which has been patronized by the public to a very uncommon extent. Many names of the contributors are now made known, and the public no longer wonders at the fuccefs or credit of the compilation. In the line of mathematical science, Mr. Profeffor Vince's ́ Conic Sections*, will always ftand high as an elementary treatife; which, indeed, might reasonably be expected from the cftablished character of the author. Mr. Dix's Treatife on Surveying, is a book for mere beginners; but may be found convenient in fchools.

MUSIC.

We still continue to have fcientific works produced in this moft pleafing branch of study. A mafter, as high in fame, as he is modeft in his own pretenfions, Mr. Shield, has published an Introduction to Harmony, in which his knowledge is not only completely proved, but moft fuccefsfully communicated. Mr. Kollmann, following up the theory and practice of compofition, with the more familiar practice of Thorough Bafs§, has left little to be wifhed by the ftudents who fhall take him for their guide.

GENERAL LITERATURE.

Under this comprehenfive name, we shall introduce Mr. Whiter's Etymologicon Magnum; a work in : which, while we difputed the hypothefis of the author, we admired his ingenuity; and faw every proof of merit, except one, which ought to be infeparable from it. On the fubject of English Verse, Mr. Robinfon has added to his former instructive works, one which both teachers and their pupils may receive with gratitude. It is found, clear, and comprehentive. Mr. Stackhoufe**, in his New Effay on Punctuation, and the Key to it, has ventured upon ground, which the former writer had alfo trodden; not indeed without fuccefs, but certainly without any urgent neceflity. In a tract, called The Way to Ipeak welltt, we faw ftrong traces of ingenuity; and * No. I. p. 56. + No. III. p. 285. No. 1. p. 46; II. 157. No. IV. p. 389. For his former Treatifes, fee vol..xvi, pp. 169, 393. and vol. xvii, p. 399. No. III. p. 225; V. 478. 1 No. VI. No. III. P. 329; V. 560. + No. VI. p. 677.

P. 680.

the sketch of a plan which, when matured, will probably affift the eloquence of the moft naturally eloquent pupils. As a compendium of the beft fpecimens of French compofition, let us repeat our commendation of Moyfant's Bibliotheque abregée; a book, the purpose of which was, to reduce into a ftill more eafy form, a compofition not diflimilar in plan to our Elegant Extracts.

MEDICINE.

In eftimating the comparative merits of our medical lift, we think it neceffary to give the preference to Dr. Heberden's Obfervations on the Increase and Decreafe of Difeafest, and Dr. Haygarth's Letter on Infectious Fevers; the former a diligent and fagacious inveftigation, founded on the Bills of Mortality; the latter, an explanation of methods taken to prevent the fpreading of contagion, with a fuccefs beyond all hope; except perhaps that of the practitioner himfelf, who founded his expectations on his own fagacious reafonings. Two other writers have taken up the confideration of a difeafe, little noticed by former medical authors. Dr. Hull, who has given to the disease the name of phlegmatia dolens§, is oppofed in fome of his opinions by Mr. White, whofe prefent treatife on the fubject is a fequel to a former publication. Two medical men again (for they feem in this inftance to go in pairs) a phyfician and a furgeon, have given the hiftory of the Cow-pox. Dr. Lettfom's Objervations, as they are entitled, are compreffed into a thin quarto; but Mr. Ring's Treatife** extends nearly to five hundred octavo pages, and is given as only a first volume: The hiftory of this mode of practice is therefore in no danger of being loft; nor do we mean to deny that it well deferves recording. Mr. Charles Bell's Syftem of Diffections†† continues to be executed with much ability; and we thall, from time to time, report upon its progrefs. The Gulftonian Lecture, by Dr. Powel, is an exercife highly commendable'; and the benevolent defign of a fmall tract, on the Difeafes of the Poor in the Metropolis§§, reviewed nearly at the * No. II. p. 217. + No. IV. p. 401. No. I. p. 85. No. IV. p. 425. I No.V. p. p. 667. ++ No.V. p. 547. ́ ̄‡‡ No. II. p. 201.

No. VI. p. 636. 513. ** No. VI. §§ No. II. P. 202. fame

fame time, gives that also a strong claim to notice. With this, we fhall clofe our prefent medical account. MISCELLANIES.

One fault produces another. In our first notice of Nuptia Sacre, a tract of diftinguished merit on the important fubject of marriage, we placed it in the clafs of Mifcellanies, though, from its conftant reference to fcriptural authority, it fhould rather have been claffed with Divinity. To be confiftent, therefore, we repeat its praises in this place; and should it thus be rendered rather more confpicuous, we shall not much repent an inadvertence of fo little moment. Of Dr. Vincent's particular Defencet, against a gene ral accufation, we fhall only fay, in this place, that it is written with the fpirit of a man who ftrongly feels his duty. A feries of Perfian Tales, published by Sir William Qufeley, under the title of Baktyar Nameh‡, is calculated at once to amufe the English reader, and affift the Perfian ftudent. Like the other publications of that author, it will doubtlefs be well received. The two firft volumes of an Afiatic Annual Regifters, promife an information refpecting India, which we at prefent enjoy but very imperfectly, with refpect to the British Iles and Europe. The tardiness of our general work, and the friking demerits of its fubftitutes, leave us rather an annual regret than an annual gratification. To the enquirers into the English drama, the Theatrical Remembrancer published by Egerton, was a very acceptable work. The Continuation, by Mr. Oulton, not only carries on, but in many inftances has extended, its information, and will therefore infallibly be fought by the fame clafs of purchafers. A fmall work, named Select Amufements¶, ince it offers in general very rational amufements, may alfo be mentioned with commendation. Here then we close our prefent career, We began with inftruction; we end with amusement. These things must take their turns. Happy are they whose amusements are not uninftructive, and whofe ftudies are a fource of the best amufement to their minds.

* No. I. p. 103. No. VI. p. 631.

+ No. VI. p. 657.
No. VI. p. 679..

+ No. II. p. 214. No. VI. p. 687

TO THE

BOOKS REVIEWED IN VOLUME XVIII.

N. B. For remarkable Paffages in the Criticifms and Extracts, fee the INDEX at the End of the Volume.

ABERCROMBY, lines on the Bardomachia, or the Battle of the