THE Eclectic Review. MDCCCXXVI. JULY-DECEMBER. NEW SERIES. VOL. XXVI. Φιλοσοφιαν δε ου την Στωικην λεγω, ουδε την Πλατωνικην, η την Επικουρειον σε και Αριστοτελικην αλλ όσα είρηται παρ έκαστη των αιρεσεων τουτων καλως, δικαιοσύνην μετα ευσεβούς επιστημης εκδιδασκονία, τουτο συμπαν το ΕΚΛΕΚΤΙΚΟΝ Φιλοσοφίαν φημι. CLEM. ALEX. Strom. Lib. 1. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY B. J. HOLDSWORTH, 18, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD, SOLD ALSO BY JOHN ANDERSON, JUNIOR, AND JAMES ROBERTSON AND CO. EDINBURGH, CHALMERS AND COLLINS, GLASGOW ; AND R. M. TIMMS, DUBLIN. PAGE. Ackland's brief Sketch of the History and present Condition of the Valden- Amulet, the or Christian and Literary Remembrancer for 1827 Arrowsmith's Outlines of the World Arvendel; or Sketches of Italy and Switzerland Binney's Memoir of the Rev. Stephen Morrell Bishop of Bristol's Ecclesiastical History of the Second and Third Centuries, Humboldt and Bonpland's Personal Narrative' of Travels to the Equinoctial Mansart's Literateur: Choice Extracts from the best French Writers, &c. Meyer's Esprit, Origine, et Progrés des Institutions Judiciaires Mignet's Histoire de la Revolution Française Minutes of the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, &c. Parry's Journal of a Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Radcliffe's, Ann, Gaston de Blondeville Remarks upon the recent Accusations against the Committee of the British Review of the Evangelical Magazine and Christian Guardian, for May 1826, on the Apocrypha Controversy: Extracted from the Edinburgh Christian Review of the Letters by Amicus, in Defence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and of the Eclectic Review, and Congregational Magazine, Stewart's Cause and Remedy for National Distress. A Sermon Stonard's Dissertation on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel the Prophet Zumpt's Grammar of the Latin Language. Translated from the German, By Art. I. An Inquiry into the Origin of the Laws and Political Institu tions of Modern Europe, particularly of those of England George Spence, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo. pp. 636. Price 15s. London. 1826. THE HE knowledge of History is by no means an affair of such cheap and average acquisition as people in general seem to think. A superficial familiarity with its general outline and with the marking circumstances of its detail, ispindeed, com mon enough, and may have its use and value in the business of education, as well as in the routine of literary pursuits. There is, however, a wide difference between such an acquaintance with the facts of history as may answer the demands of social intercourse, or serve for a connecting medium throughout the various branches of scientific investigation, and an intimate conversance with the secret springs, the incidental motives, the aiding and antagonist influences-in a word, with the associations, immediate or remote, direct or indirect, which give specific qualification to events, and without reference to which, all reasoning founded on mere circumstances must be uncertain and ineffective. The highest kind of historical illustration, that which results from the ascertainment of chas racter and counsel, is, on a large scale at least, nearly inac cessible; and can be obtained only by presumption and approximation. With respect to individuals, this species of evidence, desirable as it may be, is to be derived only from their overt t acts. When men are the heroes of their own tale, their frankness is not trust-worthy, and their very indiscretion takes colour from their vanity: when their ministers and auxiliaries tell it for them, the pars magna fui will too fre quently raise the mere agent and accessary to a level with his principal. Still, although it may be scarcely within the limits of pos sibility to obtain direct evidence in this matter, so as to give VOL. XXVI. N.S. B |