In the four numbers which we have now before us, will be read with pleafure details on the state of instruction and education at Edenburg, a town in Hungary; on the method propofed by Mme de Genlis, for teaching children drawing and painting; on a plan for learning practi cally different languages; on fchools of induftry among the Negroes,

The judgment paffed by the author of this journal on the new works announced by then, will show the degree of utility which is to be expected from each of them. From the manner in which thefe articles are drawn up, it is evident that they proceed from the pens of men intimately acquainted with this department of literature. Jena ALZ. ART. 54. Geographisch-physikalische und naturhistorische Befchreibung des Ruffifchen Reichs-Geographico-phyfical defcription of the Empire of Ruffia, together with that of its natural Productions, by J. G. Georgi. Tom. 4 and 5, large 8vo. Koenigsberg, 1800. Pr. 2 Rixd. 12 gr. This work of Mr. G. is regarded as one of the best of those which have been written on the natural hiftory and the phyfical geography of the empire of Ruffia; and deferves to be placed at the fide of thofe of the celebrated Pallas. Thefe two new volumes contain a complete catalogue of all the indigenous plants of Ruffia, claffed according to the fyftem of Linnéus, with an account of their particular properties, and the ufe made of them in the different provinces, either as articles of food, or in the processes of art.

ART. 55.

Ibid.

Plante rariores Hungariæ indigene-by the Count de Waldfein and Dr. Kitaibel. Fol. Vienna, 1800.

Of this valuable work there have appeared three decads, prefenting a great number of interefting plants, with the plates nearly in the style of those of Jacquin, of which fome are very good, and others indif; ferent. It is remarkable that the compilers have difcovered the Nymphea lotus in fome mineral fprings in Hungary, whereas before it had been thought to be indigenous in Egypt, and in the Eaft-Indies only. The Flora Europea of Reemer, is likewife continued without interruption. The author has publifhed the 9th livraison.

DENMARK.

ART. 56. Thomas Bugge's Reife til Paris, aarene 1798 and 1799.— Travels to Paris in the Years 1798-9, by T. Bugge. Part 1; 224 pp. 8vo. Copenhagen, 1800.

The National Inftitute of France having invited all the allied, or neutral powers, to fend Commiffaries to Paris, to confer on the fubject of the unity of weights and measures, Mr. B. Profeffor of Mathematics and of Natural Philofophy, was fent thither by the Danish government. The work written by him on this occafion is compofed of fourteen chapters or letters. The three firft are filled with de ails col lected on the route from Copenhagen to Bruxelles. At the polytechnic

school

fchool at Paris he affifted at the public examination, under the infpection of Laplace and Boffut; his account of which forms the fubject of the fourth and fifth letters. The fixth relates to the écoles de fervice publique ou d'application. The feventh is occupied with the école de chirurgie, that des beaux arts, and that du College de France; the eighth with the Musée d'histoire naturelle; the ninth with the Mufée central des Arts, and that of the Ecole Française de Verfailles. The number of Italian pictures in the firft of thefe Museums amounts to 223; thofe in the Mufée de Versailles have been taken from the convents, churches, royal houfes, and thofe of emigrants. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth letters, treat of the Obfervatoire de Paris; the thirteenth, of the Bureau des longitudes, of that de géographie, of the Bibliothèque na tionale, and of thofe de l'Arfenal and du Panthéon. The national library poffeffes, according to the estimation of Mr. Capperonnier, near 300,000 volumes, and 80,000 MSS. The library de l'Arfenal, contains about 75,000 volumes, and 6,000 MSS. and that du Panthéon 100,000 volumes, and 2,000 MSS. The depofits of books collected from the emigrants, will gradually be incorporated with the three great libraries, and with thofe of the departments. The fourteenth and laft letter treats of the establishment and organifasion of the National Inftitute.

In the Decade philofophique the author has been charged with ridiculing the Inftitute, and with fpeaking of it in, what were conceived to be, not fufficiently respectful terms.

SWEDEN.

ART. 57. Differtationes academice Upfaliæ habitæ fub præfidio C. P. Thunberg. Volumen tertium. 18 fheets in 8vo. with 12 plates.

Thefe differtations are in number eighteen, on the following fubjects: 1. de murana et Ophito, by J. N. Ahl; 2-10, de infectis Suecicis, by different authors; 11-16, nove infectorum Species; 17, characteres generum infe&orum, by S. Toerner; 18, de falcone canoro, by G, Riflach,

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We are forry that we cannot give formation on the fubject of the work he mentions, being preCornubius any exact incifely of his opinion with refpect to the substitute.

To

To Mr. H. F. who confults us about an intended work, we can only fay that we disapprove in general of expedients to divert learners, and particularly children, from acquiring the habit of fair and rational application to study.

If we omitted to fay, that the Travels of Antenor contained fome exceptionable patfages, we certainly muft affert it now, from those which our correfpondent, K. S. has produced. A general caution against French works of imagination would not be amifs, and we hereby give it.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

A beautiful edition of Anacreon, with highly finished vig nettes, is printing at the Shakespeare Prefs.

Mr. King's fecond volume of the Munimenta Antiqua is finished, and will be published within a fortnight.

We are informed that a Commentary, on fuch parts of the Prophecies as more immediately relate to the prefent times, may foon be expected from the pen of a diftinguished layman.

Dr. Arnold is preparing for the prefs a revifed and corrected edition of the works of Handel, to be published in monthly volumes.

It is faid that the new edition of Shakespeare, from the corrected copy of Mr. Steevens, fuperintended by Mr. Reed, will be given to the public in the courfe of the enfuing year.

Our informer, who ought to have known better, mified us laft month, refpecting Mr. Ritfon's intended work, the subject of which is ancient Romances, not Dramas. Of this defign indeed we knew, but fuppofed the Dramas mentioned to us to be fomething additional. He alfo mifinformed us altogether refpecting Mr. Douce; concerning which we can only fay, that we wish the fact had been as he stated it,

A fmall volume, by Dr. Berdmore, on Literary Refemblances, with critical cbfervations, will make its appearance very shortly.

ERRATUM..

In our laft, p. 422, 1. 24, for freely read feebly.

THE

BRITISH CRITIC,

For DECEMBER, 1801.

Omnium hominum quos ad amorem veritatis natura fuperior impreffit, hoc maximè intereffe videtur, ut quemadmodum de labore antiquorum ditati funt, ita et ipfi pro pofteris laborent, ut ab eis poftertias habeat quo ditetur. DANTE.

They whom fuperior talents have impreffed with the love of truth, fhould feel it peculiarly incumbent on them, that, as they have been enlightened by the labours of their predeceffors, fo they alfo endea vour to inftruct pofterity.

Ex

ART. I. Hofea, tranflated from the Hebrew; with Notes planatory and critical. By Samuel Lord Bishop of Rochester. 4to. 221 pp. 1. Is. Robfon, New Bond-Street. 1801.

THE

HE Prophet Hofea, generally esteemed the most ancient of the Minor (or fhorter) Prophets, and perhaps of all those contained in the Sacred Code, is peculiarly entitled to attention; among other reafons for his ftrong and lively intimations of the Meffiah and his Kingdom, and the future reception of the Jews under his Covenant and Grace. The latest illuftration he has received in this country. was from the labours of Archbithop Newcome (then Bishop of Waterford) in his "improved Verfion of the Minor Prophets." That his efforts were important and valuable, is teftified by his very able fucceffor; but there are many reafons which induce us to rejoice, that the further illuftration of this Prophet has been undertaken by the Bishop of Rochefter. One reafon of great moment strikes the eye at once on reading the Preface, in a table containing 0 ი

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XVIII. DEC. 1801.

fifty

fifty-one inftances, wherein emendations of the text, proposed by the Archbishop, have been rejected, after mature confideration, by the prefent tranflator. The neceflity there is for the moft extreme caution in attempting conjectural emendations of the text of Scripture, muft, we should conceive, be felt in all its ftrength by every perfon who entertains a due veneration for that Sacred Code; but it is explained with fuch peculiar force and propriety in the Preface to the préfent tranflation, that we fhould be unpardonable if we did not copy the paffage, for the general inftruction of biblical critics.

"But Archbishop Newcome maintains that the "greateft difficulties arife from the corrupt readings, which deform the printed text.” Much as I have been indebted, in the profecution of this work, to the previous labours of that learned Prelate, against this opinion I muft openly and earnestly proteft. It is an erroneous opinion, pregnant with the most mischievous confequences; and the more dangerous, as having received the fanction of his great authority. That the facred text has undergone corruptions, is indifputable. The thing is evident from the varieties of the MSS. the antient verfions, and the oldeft printed editions for, among different readings, one only can be right; and it is probable, I go farther, I fay that it is almoft certain, that the worfe reading has fometimes found its way into the printed text. That the corruptions are greater in Hofea, than in other parts of the Old Teftament, I fee no reason to suppose. That the corruptions in any part are fo numerous, or in fuch degree, as to be a principal caufe for obfcurity, or, indeed, to be a caufe of obfcurity at all, with the utmoft confidence I deny. And, be the corruptions what they may, I muft protest against the ill-advifed measure, as to me it seems, however countenanced by great examples, of attempting to remove any obfcurity fuppofed to arife from them, by what is called conjectural emendation. Confidering the matter only as a problem in the doctrine of chances, the odds are always infinitely against conjecture. For one inftance in which conjecture may reftore the original reading, in one thoufand, or more, it will only leave corruption worfe corrupted. It is the infirmity of the human mind, to revolt from one extreme of folly to the contrary. It is therefore little to be wondered, that, when the learned first emancipated their minds from an implicit belief, which had fo long obtained, in the immaculate integrity of the printed text, an unwarrantable licence for conjectural alteration fhould fucceed to that defpicable fuperftition. Upon this principle, great allowance is to be made, firft for Cappellus, after him for Hare and Houbigant, and for others fince, men of learning and piety, by whofe labours the church of God has been greatly edified; if, in clearing away difficulties by altering the reading, they have fometimes proceeded with lefs fcruple in the bufinefs, than the very ferious nature of it fhould have raised in their minds. But their example is to be followed with the greateft fear and caution. I muft obferve, however, that, under the name of conjecture, I condemn not altogether alterations, which, without the authority of a fingle MS. are fuggefted by the antient

verfions,