to the fubject of the Memoirs, which in very recent biography is not often avoided. The Life of Gregory King, the Calculator, by Mr. G. Chalmers*, we shall briefly mention here, though the tract to which it is annexed will be noticed in another clafs. It is an interefting though brief account, of a man of real merit. A fmall Dictionary of painters and other atiftst may clofe this branch of our enumeration. TOPOGRAPHY. In this divifion, the completeft work of its kind, is Mr. Carlile's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. It is accidentally even more complete than his Dictionary of England, of which it is a continuation. The parts belonging to Wales and Scotland are ftill to be expected. When completed, upon this plan, this Dictionary will approach very nearly to a perfect work of its kind. Minor works may include even more information, of trivial kinds, but this will be the standard work for men of business, and for libraries. Dr. Mavor's Account of Berks §, though called Agricultural, comprifes many other objects, and is in fact a very good topography of the country. We only with that fuch Surveys had always been made by men of equal intelligence. The Zetland or Shetland Iles have found a very excellent hiftorian and topographer in Dr. Edmonstone, whofe two octavo volumes fill up a chaẩm long vacant, in that branch of knowledge. Of the Isle of Man a defcriptive and hiftorical account, of fmall fize, has appeared, with out the writer's name ** ; we understand, however, that he is gone where fame reaches not; which makes his name, of the lefs importance. To come within a narrower circle of defcription, Amfinck's Tunbridge Wells is a work of beauty and expence; not that the plates are all that they might have been, but fill they have their merit, and the defcriptions are in general fatisfactory. The History of Shaftesbury +, as it is called, is a fmall and flight book, yet in defect of larger works it may anfwer a temporary purpose. For the ufe chiefly of young perfons, Mrs. Wakefield drew up her Perambulations in London and its Environs, and while it ferves for their use, there seems to be nothing in it which maturer readers need defpife. TRAVELS. The Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb, actually written in Perfian, and tranflated by Major Stewart §, have a ftrong and peculiar claim to attention. For Europeans to defcribe the Eaftern world is common, but for a native of the eaft to write his opinions and ob. fervations on Europe and Afia, is perfectly new and extraordinary. Such things have been feigned, but they have been very feldom realized, and the perfely genuine travels of Abu Taleb cannot but excite an active curiofity. We remember to have feen the author when in London. Of countries which, from the peculiarity of their productions, more particularly deferved to be defcribed, few are more remarkable than Surinam, and the account of Baron Sack, tranflated from the original German, will be found, in many points, to correct the reports of Stedman, and other travellers. Lambert's Travels through P. 246. * No. III. + No. II. p. 199. Canada, Canada are also a curious and valuable production; the author had fingular opportunities, and he employed them like a man of understanding. In Morocco, after the interefting account of Mr. Jackfon, not much could be immediately collected; but Dr. Buffat has defcribed his own route through the coun try with diftinctnefs, and has made an entertaining book, one merit of which is that it is not too large. Other works of this kind, which have lately fallen under our notice, are on a smaller scale, except indeed Mr. Bradford's Sketches of Spain and Portugal, which confist of picturefque views of places and perfons, delineated with fpirit, and executed in colours. They may form an admirable Companion to the Hiftory of General Moore's Expedition, in which they were drawn. Henderfon's account of Honduras §, and the anonymous Notes on La Plata, are rather flight defcriptions of their respective objects; but not fo flight as to be without intereft or curiofity. Dr. Domeier's account of Malta appears to have been written chiefly with a medical view; yet gives fuch an account of the ifland, its circumftances, and peculiarities, as every traveller would be glad to find on his arrival. We come to domeftic tours. That veteran Peripatetic, Mr. Hutton, of Birmingham, has conducted his readers at laft to Coatham**, a bathing place in the north of Yorkshire-He is, as ufual, original and amufing; and if he should wind up his authorship by a genuine and equally undifguifed fketch of his own long life, as he seems to promife, he will certainly leave the world in excellent humour with him. The No. VI, p. 545. No. V. p. 502. No. IV. p. 408. ** No. I. p. 89. + No. V. p. 5o5• · No. V. p. 524. No. VI. p. bog. fcenes fcenes which were viewed by that eminent tourist Mr. Gilpin, continue to "Live in defcription, and look brown in Sketch," -even after his death; and a pofthumous view of Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Effex, has lately made its appearance*; a dreadful jaunt, we should think, for a picturesque tourist, and enough to fhorten a life which had been devoted to the beauties of nature. POLITICS. We cannot, however, always riot among the luxuries of defcription, the harfher and more inflamAt prematory fare of politics must have its turn. At fent alfo, to make the matter worfe, we have little to notice but controverfial pamphlets. Among thefe we cannot but give particular diftinction to the tract of Mr. Tinney, on the Rights of the Sovereignty t The title, however, it must be confeffed, does not very clearly point out the objects of the tract, which are to vindicate the caufe of Spain, and to counteract the efforts of Jacobin writers, in whatever way they have been lately directed. The author is not new in the fields of controverfy, but has received our praifes on former occafions 1, Sir F. D'Ivernois alfo, Aill longer known in political warfare, has furpaffed himself in his work on the Continental Blockade §. So much of luminous obfervation is there given, on matters both of foreign and domeftic intereft, that the tract cannot easily be ranked too high in the fcale of political writings. We rejoice therefore to fee that this work, together with the letter of the American writer, Walsh, and one begun at Peter. burg by a M. Faber, but stopped in its progrefs by No. IV. P. 492. + No. I. p. 18. See Vol. xxxi. p. 663, and xxxiv. p. 628. No. II. p. 107. May laft, p. 433 the the influence of France; has been reprinted here in a fingle volume, under the title of " Offrandes à Bonaparte, par trois Etrangers." If fuch works could obtain any circulation on the Continent, they might be productive of much good. 3 On the conftitutional fide, for fuch we must efteem it, of the Catholic queftion, we have lately had fome valuable publications. We may mention the Obfervations of Lord Kenyon on the fubject †, the Speech of Lord Boringdon, and that of Lord Caftlereagh; the latter is particularly ftrong on the point of the Royal Veto, on which even the friends of the Catholic caufe are divided; as may be feen in one of the best produc tions on that fide, the Speech of Sir J. C. Hippifley §. On the more general topics of politics, two anonymous tracts appeared to us to deferve commendation, the one, called Advice to the Whigs ¶, tended to refift the efforts of the difcontented in our own country; and the other, under the title of American Candour ** to develope the proceedings of thofe who are inclined to French Counfels, on the western fide of the Atlantic. But the iniquity of the French government was never fo expofed as by a perfon who not long ago was faid to be very reprehenfibly connected with it. This picture, drawn by Mr. L. Goldsmith ++ is almoft too horrible to be credited; and yet but too confiftent with fome things which we know, and with itfelf, to be haftily rejected. We turn with pleasure to more general views. Gregory King's Political Obfervations and Conclufons published by Mr. G. Chalmers, are imporcant to ftatiftical enquirers refpecting this country, ++ ++ We shall take an early opportunity of noticing the latter tract, in particular. + No. 1. p. 171. of Bonaparte. No. II. p. 192. No. II. p. 191. An |