critics and grammarians, whofe well directed labours "have difpelled the clouds of grammatical jargon, that obfcured the most important part of the Greek tongue; i. e. the inflexion of the verbs." In the fixth fection, he gives at confiderable length his reafons for rejecting, in the whole of his enquiry, the evidence of fome very celebrated and important monuments of antiquity, firft publifhed in the memoirs of the French Academy of Infcriptions and Felles Lettres, and fince cited as authentic by every writer upon the fubject. The feventh fection is employed in ftrictures upon the Oxford edition of the Decree of the Lacedæmonians againft Timpotheus. The whole is illuftrated by engravings of coins and infcriptions, to which he refers in the courfe of his work. This effay will afford entertainment to the hiftorian and antiquary, as well as the philologift. "Ariftarchus, or the Principles of Compofition; containing a Methodical Arrangement of the Improprieties frequent in Writing and Converfation, with felect Rules for attaining to Purity and Elegance of Expreffion," was the production of the late ingenious and very eccentric Dr. Withers. Notwithstanding the promise in the title-page, we have met with no methodical arrangement in this work; for which the peculiar circumstances of the author, which would not permit him to complete his defign, may, in fome meafure be admitted as an apology. But although unconnected, and defultory, and diftinguished by all the peculiarities of the author, it contains a number of ingenious and fenfible remarks, which deferve the notice of more methodical, and more fortunate grammarians. The "Effay on the Principles of Traflation," is the puublication of an anonymous author, which is in as tended to fupply the deficiences on a fubject, to which didactic writers, either among the ancients or moderns, have not paid a fufficient attention. His defign is, to examine the neceifary requifites of a good verfion: and to take a middle path between those who infift that it is the duty of a tranflator to attend only to the fenfe and fpirit of his original, and to communicate the ideas of his author in what he judges to be the most fuitable expreffions; and those who contend that it is farther neceffary to attend ftrictly to the arrangement of his fentences, and even to their order and conftruction. A good tranflation he defines to be, "that in which the merit of the original work is fo completely tranfused into another language, as to be as diftinetly apprehended, and ftrongly felt, by a native of the country, to which that language belongs, as it is by those who speak the language of the original work." From this definition of a good tranflation, he lays down the following laws: that the tranflation fhould give a complete tranfcript of the original work; that the ftyle and manner of writing fhould be of the fame character with that of the original; and that the tranflation fhould have all the cafe of original compofition. We cannot follow him in the manner in which thefe laws are diftinctly considered; in the fubordinate precepts which he lays down; and in the appofite examples by which they are illuftrated. It is but juftice, however, to obferve, that the author is dif tinguifhed by extenfive knowledge, and juft tafte and difcrimination; and that he is peculiarly happy in many of the remarks and illuftrations which accompany his work. In our account of the Literature of the year 1791, we announced, in the the department affigned to works of a Metaphyfical nature, a publication entitled "Effays, Philofophical, Hiftorical, and Literary," which, as we have been fince given to underftand, was the production of Mr. Belfham, of Bedford. During the prefent year, a fecond volume of thofe Effays has been published; which it would have been more regular to have noticed in the fame department of our prefent volume. As, however, it was overlooked by us in proper time for infertion in our metaphyfical lift, and is, partly, of a literary complexion, we take the opportunity of mentioning it in this place. The prefent volume is fo fimilar to the preceding, with refpect to its general spirit and character, that its merits need not to be particularly mentioned. We think the author, however, to be more vulnerable than in his former volume, in fome of his metaphylical papers; and particularly, in his effay on ecclefiaftical establishments. In the walk of history, he offers a variety of judicious and liberal reflections; and in his moral and critical papers, is often inftructive and entertaining, The treatise entitled "Curiofities of Literature," is a collection of va. rious anecdotes, characters, sketches, and obfervations, literary, critical, and historical, from which we have received confiderable entertainment. It is divided into three fections, under the titles of, Literature and Criticism, Anecdotes, and Mifcellanea. Many of the particulars under thefe divifions are not new; but the greater part will be found fo by most English readers, as the editor has been liberal in his extracts from the Menagiana, and other French memoirs, dictionaires d'anecdotes, &c. &c. On the whole, we think it the most judi cious and pleafing selection of the kind that we have even feen. The compiler has given proof, not only of extenfive and various reading, in the articles which compofe his cabinet of curiofities, but of a found judgment and correct tafte, in the reflections and remarks which he frequently introduces. His style and language, likewise, are perfpicuous, polifhed, and elegant. The Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, and Expofition of the English Language, &c. by John Walker, Author of Elements of Elocution, &c." contains the commendable and laborious attempt of a refpectable grammarian and ver'bal critic, to furnish a more perfect and unexceptionable guide to the true pronunciation of the English language, than any which hath hitherto been offered to the public. Of the labours of his predecessors in orthoepy, he makes respectful mention, particularly thofe of Elphinstone, Kenrick, Sheridan, and Nares; while he freely points out thofe defects, improprieties, and inconfiftences in them, which he has endeavoured to avoid in his work. A general idea of Mr. Walker's object may be learned from his own words. "It not only exhibits the principles of pronunciation, as others have done, divides the words into fyllables, and marks the founds of the vowels like Dr. Kenrick, fpells the words as they are pronunced like Mr. Sheridan, and directs the infpector to the rule by the word like Mr. Nares; but where words are fubject to different pronuncia tions, it fhews the reafons from analogy for each; produces autho rities for one fide and the other, and points out the pronunciation which is preferable. In short, I have endeavoured to unite the fcience of Mr. Elphinstone, the me thod thod of Mr. Nares, and the general utility of Mr. Sheridan; and to add to thefe advantages, have given critical obfervations on fuch words as are fubject to a diverfity of pro nunciation." In reading this work, we occafionally found reafon to differ from Mr. Walker, in the extent to which he has carried his theoretical principles, and in his reafon ings from analogy, etymology, and cuftom. We, likewife, fometimes thought, that his directions were too arbitrary and fanciful. Yet it is but juftice to acknowledge, that he has, in a great variety of inftances, improved much upon the efforts of his predeceffors; and contributed, very confiderably, towards fixing a standard of pronunciation, which is not only defirable for foreigners, learning the English language, but even for Englishinen themselves. The "Difcourfe delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy, on the Distribution of the Prizes, Dec. 10th. 1790, by the Prefident," like the former difcourfes of fir Joshua Reynolds, contains interefting and valuable advice to ftudents in the art of painting, delivered in his peculiarly elegant and energetic language. After intimating the probability that it was the last time he fhould have the honour-of addreffing them, in that place, fir Jofhua takes a review of the fyftem which he had laid down in his former essays, gives fome proper illuftrations of his principles, and finishes, as he began, with the name of Michael Angelo. That great man he styles, "the exalted founder and father of modern art, of which he was not only the inventor, but which he, by the divine energy of his own mind, carried at once to its highest point of poffible perfection." And it is the princi pal object of this difcourfe to perfuade young artists to fiudy the works of that mafter, and to propofe methods by which they may acquire fomething of his ftyle. The polite fcholar, as well as the artist and connoiffeur, will receive pleafure and inftruction from this effort of fir Joshua Reynolds pen; and will lament with us, that, as the author's mind feemed to forbode, it proved his last effort. From the "Remarks on Forest Scenery, and other Woodland Views (relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty) illuftrated by the Scenes of the New Foreft in Hampfhire, by William Gilpin, A. M. in 2 Vols." we have received considerable entertainment. Notwithstanding that from the nature of his fubjects, they may not prove fo generally interefting as his former productions, they exhibit, nevertheless, numerous and ftriking evidences of the author's tafte, judgment, and knowledge; and contain, befide scientific obfervations, a variety of lively defcriptions and amusing anecdotes. The washed etchings. which illuftrate thefe volumes, are executed in a style that deferves much commendation. In l'oetical tranflation, the first work that calls for our notice is, "The Iliad and Odyffey of Homer, tranflated into English Blank Verfe, by W. Cowper, efq." in 2 vols. 4to. In his preface Mr. Cowper obferves, that, "whether a tranflation of Homer may be beft executed in blank verfe or in rhime, is a question in the decifion of which no man can find difficulty, who has even duly confidered what tranflation ought to be, or who is in any degree practically acquainted with thofe very different kinds of verfification." With refpect to the free and close tranflations, in con. conveniencies belong to both. tion for the numerous evidences of both, which we have met with in thefe volumes. The fpirit and manner of the original, in paffages diftinguifhed for their poetical excellence, are frequently transfused into this copy, with peculiar felicity; and many of the difficulties in the Grecian bard, are very fuccefsfully elucidated. But on the whole, the perufal of his work left that difatisfaction in our mind, which we before had expected from our difapprobation of his defign. As a poetical performance, its merits are greatly inferior to the other productions of Mr. Cowper, with which we have formerly been greatly delighted. The "Tranflation of all the Pythian, Nemean, and Ifthmian Odes of Pindar, excepting the fourth and fifth Pythian Odes, and thofe Odes which have been tranflated by the the late Gilbert Weft, efq. by the Rev. J. Banifter," do great honour to the learning and poetical taste of that gentleman. Like Mr. Weft's incomparable performance, his work is frequently a paraphrafe, rather than a tranflation; and is defervedly to be commended for its fpirit, elegance, and harmony of verfification. "Oenone to Paris, an Epistle of Ovid; to which is added an Elegy of Sheaftone, tranflated into Latin elegiac Verte," is a performance which is not deftitute of merit, although the author does not poffefs very high claims to critical approbation. Of the two verfions which he has given us, the English one is the best. Among the general poetical publications of the year 1791, we meet with a volume of " Poems, by Mrs. Robinfon." Many of the pieces which compofe this volume were published by the fair authoress under different fignatures, in fome of of our public prints. They deferve, however, a greater chance for perpetuity, than they were likely to receive if confined to fuch repofitories; and were very properly brought into this collected form. Thefe poems confift, chiefly, of odes, elegies, and fonnets : and they are diftinguished by great tendernefs of feeling, beautiful poetic imagery, harmony of verfification, and uncommon elegance and delicacy of expreffion. In fome paffages we thought them obfcure, from a too great fondnefs which feems to have prevailed for originality of fentiment, and brilliancy of language. To this volume, which is beautifully printed, there is prefixed an elegant portrait of Mrs. Robinfon, from a painting by fir Joshua Reynolds. "The Poetry of the World, vols. III. and IV." is a continuation of a collection noticed by us in our Regifter for the year 1788, that is intended to preferve a number of elegant and pleafing poems, which had at different times been inferted in the paper mentioned in the title-page, from the fate to which fuch unconnected and fingle pieces are commonly configned. As they are the productions of different authors, in different fituations and circumftances, they muft be fuppofed to poffefs different merits. Among the name of the contributors to this collection, are thofe of Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Merry, Mrs. Cowley, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Colman, Mrs. Robinfon, captain Broome, and captain Topham. "Salmagundi, a Mifcellaneous Combination of Original Poetry; confifting of Illufions of Fancy; Amatory, Elegiac, Lyrical, Epigrammatical, and other palatable Ingredients," is a publication of very confiderable merit. In the different fpecies of poetical compofition which the author has attempted, he has fucceeded in a manner that will afford entertainment to every reader of tafte. The IlJufions of Fancy fhew, that the author poffeffes great fertility of imagination; the Amatory and Elegiac Odes are elegant and harmonious; the Epigrams and Songs pointed and lively; and the pieces of wit and humour, highly entertaining. Some flight imperfections, in point of perfpicuity, and the harmony of the rhymes, were noticed by us, while we partook deliciously of this poetical treat; but they bear no proportion to its general excellence. The Poems by the Author of the Village Curate, and Adriano," are of a fimilar character with his former works, of which we have already given our opinion. Many paffages in them are highly poeti cal and beautiful; while others betray, a feeblenefs, and negligence, that are very unbecoming the author's known abilities. The prin pal pieces in this collection are, El. mer and Ophelia, a fimple and interefting story; and Fanthea, a dramatic narrative, taken from the Cyropædia of Xenophon, which, though in fome parts defcriptive and pathetic, is not fufficiently correct, difcriminative, and animated, to extort any warm applause. The volume of "Poems, by J. Aikin, M. D." is the production of an author who, to a vigorous imagination, and correct claffie taste, unites extenfive knowledge, a found judgment, great delicacy of feeling, and liberal and enlarged philanthropy. Of the pieces of which this volume confifts, too numerous to be diftinctly mentioned by us, fome are confecrated to the domeftic affections, and to friendship, and will be found truly pleafing and beau |