the kingdome, yet for the present it was thought of greater necessitie to imploy him in that command of the westerne forces, and they cannot doubt of the concurrence and submission of those well-affected parts in whatsoever is judged to be of publike advantage.

Hereupon it was ordered the third of June, 1645, by the lords and commons, that master Luke Nurse, mayor of Gloucester, Alderman Singleton, and Colonell Blunt, or any two of them, shall have the command of the garrison of Gloucester, and of the forces and garrison in Gloucestershire, in as ample manner as Colonell Massie had, till the appointed governour come downe to his charge there, or the houses take other order.

Colonell Massie in the meane while labours to disingage the affections of the countrey, and to take off discontents and mutiny, and beseeches the parliament to send downe the succeeding governour that he might seeke to interest him in the hearts of the people, whom he never desired to indeare unto himselfe, but to those masters whom he served, which was a full testimony of a true servant to the state, upon the sole termes of conscience and honour.

T. WHITE AND CO. PRINTERS,
BEAR ALLEY, LONDON.

FINIS.

THE

Retrospective Review.

ADDRESS.

SEVEN volumes of the RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW have already appeared, and the EDITORS of it have the satisfaction of reflecting that their exertions have met with the unvaried applause of the numerous publications in which their work has been noticed. They likewise acknowledge with pleasure, and some mixture of pride, that they have received that most unerring of all testimonies, as large and respectable a circulation as perhaps any work, so young, ever had the fortune to experience. This success has, from time to time, stimulated their efforts, and being joined with an ardent love of literature, and an honorable ambition to contribute to the instruction and entertainment of the public, has not failed, they trust, to produce a valuable and interesting Miscellany.

It is, however, by no means the intention of the Editors to stop here: encouraged as they are, and as they hope to be still more, by public approbation, they entertain the idea of forming, by their continued publication, a body of criticism and information respecting the history of literature, which they will endeavour to make as excellent in its kind, as it is peculiar in its plan.

There is scarcely any department of letters which does not fall within the province of this Review, for an example of which the Editors wish to appeal to the volumes already published, where disquisitions on the rare and curious, discoveries of the lost and the neglected, criticisms upon the established and universally received productions of genius, alternately succeed each other. At the same time that they make this appeal to the former numbers with confidence, they would be very sorry to think, that each succeeding part will not bear visible and striking marks of improvement. The past has been an experiment, a successful one indeed, which has enabled those connected with the RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW, to lay plans for realizing all the views they originally formed for advancing it to the highest pitch of utility.

The various duties and labours necessarily attendant upon the editing of six volumes, have been an instructive lesson: they have likewise led the Editors into new connexions, opened fresh and unfailing resources, and put means into their hands of procuring all the assistance that may advance the interest of their work, increase its importance, and extend its influence.

2

To those who are not already acquainted with the design of the RETROSPECTIVE Review, it may be observed, that the chief and final end in view is a copious and enlightened history of literature, which it is intended to accomplish by a series of promiscuous and miscellaneous papers on most of the remarkable publications which have appeared from the middle ages down to the one immediately preceding our own. No chronological order is preserved, but every effort is made to render each number a varied collection of entertaining and instructive critiques, which shall be valuable in themselves, and at the same time throw light on the main design. The form and manner of the common reviews is adhered to, and into their discussions upon the remains of the genius of other times, the Editors have attempted to infuse the philosophical spirit of modern criticism.

If, however, this work possess no other merit, it will contain an unrivalled collection of interesting extracts from all descriptions of books, which alike serve the purpose of the cursory reader, and furnish a body of specimens of the greatest part of the English authors.

With these claims, the Editors submit the sequel of their Review to the patronage of the public, and confidently trust in a continuation and extension of the notice they have hitherto received.

ON THE FIRST OF MAY 1823, WAS PUBLISHED, No. XIV. COMPLETING THE 7th VOLUME OF

The Retrospective Review,

Consisting of Criticisms upon, Analyses of, and Extracts from curious, useful, and valuable Books in all Languages, which have been published from the revival of Literature to the Commencement of the present Century.

(CONTINUED QUARTERLY.)

CONTENTS OF Nos. I. TO XIV. FORMING THE SEVEN FIRST VOLUMES.

Published by CHARLES BALDWYN, Newgate Street, and R. TRIPHOOK, Old Bond Street, London: DEIGHTON and SONS, Cambridge; BELL and BRADFUTE, Edinburgh; and GRAHAM and SON, Dublin.

MAURICE, PRINTER, FENCHURCH STREET.