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The object of the authors of this work has been to arrange and illustrate principles; to bring into one view what is most important upon these subjects in other treatises, now become numerous and expensive; to add their own experiments in support of correct theory; and to digest the whole into system.

Johnson and Warner, Philadelphia, To republish by subscription-Guthrie's new Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar: and present State of the several Kingdoms of the World-illustrated by twenty five correct Maps. The Astronomical part by James Ferguson,

F. R. S.

Bradford and Inskeep, Philadelphia,

To republish-Letters and Reflections of the Austrian Field-marshal Prince de Ligne. Edited by the Baroness de Staël Holstein. Containing Anecdotes, hitherto unpublished, of Joseph II. Catharine II. Frederick the Great, Rousseau, Voltaire, and others; with interesting remarks on the Turks; translated from the French, by D. Boileau.

J. Milligan, Georgetown, Col. To republish-Tales of Fashionable Life, by Miss Edgeworth, author of Practical Education, Letters for Literary Ladies, the Parent's Assistant, &c.-J. M. has also nearly ready for publication, The Parent's Assistant; or, Stories for Children, in 3 vols. 18mo.-price 2 dollars 50 cents, neatly bound and lettered.

Williams & Whiting, New-York, To publish by subscription-A copyright edition of The Federalist, on the new Constitution, written in 1788, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay together with an additional volume of selected and original matter, from the writings of general Hamilton.

S. Gould, New-York,

the novel and interesting views which they afford, of the countries northwest of the Canadas, their inhabitants and natural history. In Lower Canada, a prominent ob. ject of inquiry was the commerce in furs; and every detail of this commerce necessarily connects itself with the actual history of the North American nations, involving accounts of their numbers, habits, and condition. These subjects, so well calculated to fix the attention of philosophers and statesmen, Mr. Kendal has been enabled, by the aid of original documents, and much oral communication, to treat of, in a manner full of novelty, and peculiarly satisfactory. The arts, the poetry, and the mythology of these tribes of hunters, are each found to invite attention, and even to possess attractions not unworthy of the walks of polite letters. Besides other engravings, this work is to be accompanied by a splendid series of coloured plates, exhibiting the military costume of the Kinistinoes of the plains. In that part of the travels which relates to Upper Canada, the memory of Brandt, the Iroquois chief, is preserved, by a portrait, drawn from the life, and by some biographical memoirs. The agriculture, trade, resources, and political and moral state of Lower and Upper Canada, are illustrated by a multitude of important facts, and the work abounds with anecdote. The work is expected to form one large volume 4to. and will be published in England about the time of its appearance in America.

Thomas & Whipple, Newburyport, To publish a copyright edition of A New System of Modern Geography; or, a general description of all the considerable countries in the world; compiled from the latest European and American geogra phies, voyages and travels: designed for schools and academies. By Elijah Parish,

To republish-Cooper's Equity Plead. D. D. Minister of Byefield; author of " A er; also, Roberts on Wills.

At New-York,

Proposals are issued, without a name, to publish a work, to be entitled, Theophi lanthropist; to be published by a Society in monthly numbers.

The object of this work to us, appears to be to promote the cause of infidelity and atheism. The professed object is "to of promote the progress reason, and to increase the sum of human happiness."] E. A. Kendal, of New York, has in the press, Travels in Lower and Upper Canada. A very high degree of importance attaches itself to these Travels, as well for the recent and authentick information which they contain, concerning two provinces of so much value to the British empire, as for

compendious system of universal Geogra phy," &c. &c.; ornamented with maps. Though geography is an earthly subject, it is a heavenly study."

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SELECT REVIEWS.

FOR DECEMBER, 1809.

FROM THE QUARTERLY REVIEW. Essays, biographical, critical, and historical, illustrative of the Tatler, Spectator,

Guardian, Rambler, Adventurer, and Idler, and of the various periodical Papers, which, in imitation of the Writings of Steele and Addison, have been published between the close of the Eighth Volume of the Spectator, and the commencement of the Year 1809. By Nathan Drake, M. D. Author of Literary Hours. 4 vols. octava. London.

PERIODICAL papers devoted to est; women were either the frivolous elegant literature and popular in- idols of the toilette, or the solemn struction, exhibiting pictures of the drudges of the housekeeper's room. manners of the age, constitute a spe- Science, which had felt some encies of literary composition, which couragement from the gayety of with pride and fondness we pro- Charles, was neglected by the phlegnounce to have originated in this matick William, and ridiculed in the country. Our author ascribes the first years of Anne; and it was not honour of the invention to Steele. wonderful that our women could not With him, however, it seems to have spell, when it may be said, that our been nothing more than one of those men had not yet learnt to read. fanciful projects which he easily em- The popular effects produced by braced and easily relinquished. The these papers is unequalled in the hisinvention seems more fairly due to tory of literature. They made us a Addison, who having amassed ma- people of readers, of thinkers, and terials with the assiduity of a student, of writers, and they gave a new di. came prepared to rescue periodical rection to the literature of Europe. composition from the dregs of po- Dr. Drake, has produced some striliticks and polemicks—and to give a king evidence of their influence from new direction to the national taste. two interesting contemporary pam

Dr. Drake opens his work by an phlets. essay which describes the state of

Every morning their readers were literature and manners in this island, instructed in some new principle of duty, at the commencement of the Tatler which was endeared to them by the beauThere was a theatre, which incul. ties of description, and impressed on their cated debauchery as a duty, and im- minds in the most indelible characters."

“ All the pulpit discourses of a year scarce morality as a grace; men of the high- produced half the good as flowed from est rank indulged in amusements

the Spectator of a day."-" These writings which are now confined to the low- here set all our wits and men of letters

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upon a new way of thinking, of which equal power and pathos, he describes they had but little or no notion before the tyranny of patrons, the torments Every one of them writes and thinks of avarice, and the perfidy of friends, much more justly than they did some time since.”

by those incidents, and touches of Some facts, however, relative to character, which he discovered in his this period, have escaped his indus- own country. In the Spectator of Van try. Budgell declares, that 20,000 Effen, the manners and feelings of of the Spectators have been sold in the Hollanders are given, like copies one day. They penetrated even to the after life, by Heemskirk. The memHighlands, and were read with the bers of his literary club share the news of the week, by the grave po- ponderous gravity of the natives, liticians who met after church on while the boorish pride of the monied Sundays, to arrange national affairs. Dutchman is at once the coarsest and They were soon imitated, and their the truest of portraits. Van Effen has very titles copied, throughout Eu- given a voluminous love-story; but in rope. The lethargick Hollanderawoke a country where that romantick pasto a Spectator, by Van Effen; the

sion does not appear above once in a French had their Babillard; and the century, with more truth than taste. Germans their Guardian. This last,

His Laura is a maid servant, his Peprinted at Hamburgh, found a heavy trarch a carpenter of Amsterdam. sale, till the writer's inserted trans- The first interview takes place as she lations of the English Spectators, stands on the steps of her door, holdwhen the demand for it rapidly and ing one of those stoves of lighted widely increased. At that time, it turf which the women carry to warm was a tribute paid to wit, somewhat themselves. The youth, who has long unexpected from Germany.

watched for the auspicious moment, The bold feature in this new requests to light his pipe at her stove; manner of writing," as it was called, but as every puff closes with a sigh, is the dramatick plan which Addison the pipe of love is to be perpetually adopted with all the felicity of genius, renewed. The dialogue is artless. and which has become the despair of The Dutch_maid is coy, and even his imilators! By the invention of a coquettish. The boor delicate—at a dramatis persona, of opposite hu- certain period of the history, he acmours and pursuits, as in the club of tually exhibits somewhat like the Spectator, and the feigned cha. symptom of despair ! racters of his correspondents, he That the lucubrations of Addison poured all the colours of life into this had such an influence on the popular moving scene. These personages writings of foreigners, is a fact served as vehicles for exhibiting the which seems to have escaped notice. domestick manners of the nation, at a Dr. Drake, does not allude to it, time when there was a decisive cri- though he gives accounts of foreign ginality among our countrymen, now works, which preceded Addison, with so equalized and flattened by artiscial some congeniality of character. Such uniformity. As some of his foreign are the "Cortigiano," of Castilione, imitators copied this invention, they and the “ Galateo” of De la Casa ; exbibit an interesting contrast of na- the former, which the Italians em tional manners. In the Spectator of phatically term, “ the golden book," Miravaux, for instance, we find the displays the politeness which reignportraits of his Parisians; the lively ed among the higher ranks of society Frenchman plays with their levities, during the sixteenth century. The but weeps over their serious distress. latter was the domestick code of cics. The letter of a father on the in- vility throughout Europe, and congratitude of his son, is an eloquent tains the art of living in the world, -i'pcal to the feelings; while with addressed to all ranks of society.

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The character of Steele branches, He detected the fallacy of the Southunder the fertile pen of our author, sea scheme, while he himself invented into six essays, including his bio- projects, neither inferiour in magnifigraphy_his style—his taste and cri- cence nor in misery. Yet, gifted at all tical abilities-his invention, imagery, times with the susceptibility of geand pathos-his humour and deline- nius, he exercised the finest feelings ation of character-his ethicks and of the heart. The same generous senmorality. These are treated with timents which deluded his judgment considerable ingenuity, and with that and invigorated his passions, rennice discrimination of the charac- dered him a tender and pathetick drateristicks of an author, in which Dr. matist; a most fertile essayist; a Drake is so expert.

patriot without private views; an The life of Steele is not that of a enemy, whose resentment died away retired scholar; hence his moral cha- in raillery; and a friend, who could racter becomes more instructive. He warmly press the hand that wounded was one of those whose hearts are him. Whether in administration, or the dupes of their imaginations, and expelled the house-whether affluwho are hurried through life by the ent, or flying from his creditors in most despotick volition. He always the fulness of his heart he, perhaps, preferred his caprices to his interests; secured his own happiness. But such or, according to his own notion, very men live only for themselves; they ingenious, but not a little absurd are not links in the golden chain of 6 he was always of the humour of society. In the waste of his splendid preferring the state of his mind to talents he had raised sudden enmities, that of his fortune." The first act of and transient friendships. The world his life develops the succeeding uses such men as eastern travellers ones. His uncle could not endure a do fountains; they drink their waters, hero for his heir: but Steele had seen and think of them no more! Steele a marching regiment-he therefore lived to be forgotten. He opened his enlisted as a private in the horse career with folly; he hurried through guards, and cocking his hat, and put it in a tumult of existence; and he ting on a broad sword, jack boots, closed it by an involuntary exile, and shoulder belt, with the most ge- amidst the wrecks of his fortune and nerous feelings he forfeited a good his mind! estate! His frank temper and his wit His writings are often careless, and conciliated esteem, and extorted ad- rarely graceful. His literary excelmiration. The private was raised to lence consists in his delineation of an ensign, and the ensign plunged character. He copies life with all the into all the dissipations of the town. faithfulness of a Flemish painter; But genius is often pensive amidst and if, contrasted with Addison, he its orgies. It was in the height of be found without the sofiness of his these irregularities that he composed colouring, and the delicacy of his his “ Christian Hero,” a moral and penciling, it cannot be denied that religious treatise, which the con- he is more versatile and vigorous, tritions of every morning dictated, and and the most original sketcher after to which the disorders of every even- life of the early part of the last cening added another penitential page. tury. His portraits, like those of He was, at once, a man of the town Lely, preserve the likenesses of our and a censor; and he wrote lively es- ancestors; but not being formed on says on the follies of the day in an the general and permanent principles enormous black peruke which cost of art, he is more a painter of fashions him fifty guineas ! He built an elegant than of nature. villa; but as he was always inculca- The character and writings of ting economy, he called it a hovel. Addison occupy six essays, in the

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