ages, on the Encylopédie méthodique, and, more efpecially, on the Esprit des usages et des coutumes des différens peuples, which certainly cannot be confidered as authority: he has alfo made Mr. Levaillant fay directly the contrary of what he had advanced refpecting the conformation of the Hottentot women. Upon the whole, however, we must allow the work to be well written, and that it contains many ingenious obfervations, fometimes, indeed, paradoxical, but, in general, fufficiently probable. Efpr. d. Journ. ART. 60. Notice hiftorique fur l'état actuel, le commerce, les mœurs et les productions des iles de Malie et du Goze; brochure de 60 pages in 8vo. par Jean François Meimaut. Paris, Malta is 60 miles in circumference by zo in length and 12 in breath. It is diftant 60 miles only from Sicily, and 270 from Africa. Near it are two finall ifles nained il Gozo, and il Cumino, fortified like itfelf. The principal towns of Malta are il Borge, the ancient capital, and the città Valletta, the refidence of the Knights and of the GrandMafter. There are about 22 chief villages in the Eaftern part, and the Weftern contains a great number of country-houfes; the population is faid to a sount to about 90,000 fouls. The inhabitants ftill retain fome traces of Arabian manners. Their character is formed from thofe of the different people to whom they have been fubjected; their language a mixture of Arabic, Greek, Spanith and Italian. The woman are beautiful, but poffefs fo little liberry, that at the time of their marriage it is often made an article in the contract that they fhall accompany their hufbands to the different feafts which are annually celebrated there. The Maltese live chiefly on fifh, fruits and vegetables; their drefs, or coftume, is nearly the fame with that of Italy. They cultivate the arts with fome fuccefs, having muficians, ftatuaries, and painters, who are not without merit. The palace of the Grand-Mafter is filled with curiofities and antiquities, as alfo with pictures by the most famous painters of the Italian schools; his library likewife contains valuable manufcripts and rare editions. The heat is exceffive in Malta during the fummer, aud the cold very intenfe in the winter. The foil is naturally barren, producing nothing without force. The whole island is only a rock which the inhabitants cover with an artificial foil, that is to be renewed every ten years, during which time it is fcarcely lefs fertile than Sicily itself. It fel dom rains there, the earth being watered chiefly, by the dews, and the freshness of the nights. The principal articles of cultivation are corn and cotton; the ifle abounds in fruits of the beft forts; its oranges and melons, more especially, are the most excellent that are known. The ifles of Gozo and Cumino are equally covered with citron-trees, almond-trees, vines, &c. The affes of Malta are remarkable for their ftrength and fize; the Romans likewife fer a particular value on their dogs with long hair, but the fpecies is now degenerated. Lastly, there are to be found in the country fome remains of antiquity, as alfo petrifactions, and other objects of Natural Hiftory. There are fome extracts from the tract which we here announce; upon the whole, we may observe that the author has drawn his mate rials from the most approved fources, and that, notwithstanding the precipitation with which he appears to have written, nothing effential, or of much importance, feems to have been omitted in it. GERMANY. Ibid. ART. 61. Kurzer Entwurf der alten Geographie von Paal Friedric Achat Nitfch.-Short fketch of ancient Geography by P. Fr. A. Nitfch, publifbed and augmented by Conrad Mannert, Profeffor at Altdorf; 350 pp, in fm. 8vo. Leipzig. 1798. -The Geography of Danville is not fufficiently clear and methodical in its divifions. Of the Orbis antiquus of Profeffor Oberlin the principal object is to point out the monuments of the ancient world; and the work, though very methodical, exhibits, in regard to Geography, nothing more than mere tables of names. Profeffor Nitfch conceived, therefore, that an elementary work, extracted from thofe of Cellarius, Weigel, Schneider, and Danville might be useful to youth; and the reception with which his book has met, fhows that he has fucceeded in the execution of it. There were, however, still some defects, and no one was more capable of removing than Mr. Mannert, who took upon himself the care of this third edition. This little treatise begins with a compendious literary hiftory of ancient Geography. The common practice of other Geographers is to commence with Spain, and to proceed from West to Eaft. Mr. Nich judged it more proper to begin with thofe countries which have been, the most celebrated in Hiftory; we think, therefore, that, even according to this principle, the Geography of Greece should have preceded that of Italy.. Under the article of Italy, properly fo called, is a fhort description of. the fourteen regions of Rome; the whole is terminated by an ample lift of the articles. To this treatife may be joined an elementary work by Samuel Auguftus Gerber, which has for its object the account of the part of the world fubject to the Roman Empire. This Geography is not fo general as that of Nitfch: like that of - Profeffor Oberlin, it prefents little more than names; but the whole is drawn up with great perfpicuity, terminated by excellent comparative tables of ancient and modern meafures, by a very curious chronological lift of the increafes and loffes of the Roman Empire, and, laftly, by a copious Index of Names. The Orbis antiquus of Oberlin, the Geographia Imperii Romani of Gerber, and this third edition of the Geography of Nitfch, are three works which deserve to be tranflated for public instruction. ACKNOW ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A Correfpondent from Birmingham, whofe fignature is the letter 1, defends the character of a Phyfician, whom we are not conscious of having attacked. We therefore fuppofe the Letter to have been fent to us by mistake. We are not certain that we rightly decypher a great part of the Letter. The delay of our critiques on one or two works, mentioned by Amicus, has arifen not from inattention, but from circumftances of illness, and other unavoidable interruptions. Modeftus thinks us too fevere on one or two authors whom he mentions; Ariftarchus pronounces us too generally indulgent. How are we to please both? Let them know, that we with always to be indulgent, but are obliged fometimes to be fevere. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. The particulars of an Embaffy to the very extenfive, but little known kingdom of Ava, by Captain Symes, who was employed on that fervice, may be expected in the course of a few months. The work will be illustrated by Charts and explanatory Plates. The Narrative of Mr. Brown's extraordinary Journey, and long refidence in Africa, is in the prefs, and will foon appear. Mr. Caxe is preparing an account of a Tour in Monmouthfhire, which will be rendered interesting by historical notices, and many plates. A volume of Sermons, by Mr. Gilpin, is said to be in fome degree of preparation. The conclufion of Mr. Maurice's fecond volume, will be published fome time in May. Mr. Malone's edition of the profe works of Dryden, will now very foon appear. We are informed, that Profeffor Perfon's edition of the Phoeniffe of Euripides is completely ready for the prefs. An edition of all the works of Robert Burns, with an account of his Life, is nearly finifhed. It will amount to four volumes octavo. Dr. Shaw's Lectures on Natural Hiftory will be refumed, ere long, at the Leverian Mufeum. THE BRITISH CRITIC, For APRIL, 1799. Tel vous femble applaudir, qui vous raille et vous joue. Than falfe applaufe what fatire more fevere? BOILEAU. ART. I. The Hiftory and Antiquities of Staffordshire. Compiled from the Manufcripts of Huntbach, Loxdale, Bishop Lyttleton, and other Collections of Dr. Wilkes, the Rev. T. Fielde, c. c. including Erdefwick's Survey of the County; and the approved Parts of Dr. Plot's Natural Hiftory. The whole brought down to the prefent Time; interfperfed with Pedigrees and Anecdotes of Families; Obfervations on Agriculture, Commerce, Mines, and Manufactories; and illuftrated with a very full and correct new Map of the County, Agri Staffordienfis Icon, and numerous other Plates. By the Rev. Stebbing Shaw, B. D. F.A. S. and Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge. Vol. I. Containing the Ancient and Modern Hiftory of Thirty Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow, arranged Geographically, with an Appendix of the most curious Charters, &c. Illuftrated with Sixty-Two Copper Plates, and a copious Index. Folio. 560 pp. befides Appendix, &c. 31. 10s. Nichols. 1798. THE patient industry which a topographical work of fo great an extent as a county hiftory requires, does not always of immediately receive the praife it merits. The reafon is per Bb BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XIII. APRIL, 1799. haps, haps, that its benefits to literature, and indeed its political importance, are not at firft fight fo obvious as thofe of many undertakings far inferior in excellence. But to trace the progrefs from ignorance to refinement; to mark the changes of manners, and variety of customs; to investigate the caules and the confequences of the tranfpofition of property, and the creation and extinction of family honours; to record anecdotes of characters locally illuftrious, with the various other objects of refearch which employ the attention of the hiftorian of a county, collectively form a mass of inftructive information, the value of which cannot, in juftice, be lowly appreciated. This work, of which the first volume is only now publifhed, will, when completed, rank very high in the clafs to which it belongs. In his Preface, Mr. Shaw properly recapitulates the fources from which his materials are derived, and the individuals to whom he feels himself obliged. The Contents of this first volume may be thus concifely reprefented. There is a copious general history of the county, from the remoteft period to the prefent; with a fhorter view of its Natural Hiftory. To this part are fubjoined fome of the more curious records, and what perhaps might be difpenfed with in fuch works, a Lift of County-Sheriffs, and Members of Parliament, from the reign of Henry II. Then follows the Parochial History of the greater part of the hundred of Offlow, extending, as is expreffed in the title-page, to thirty parishes; with an Appendix of additional illuftrations. The whole concludes with, not the leaft ufeful part, a very copious Index. After defcribing Burton upon Trent and Rolleston, the third parish introduced is Turbury; and as this place ever has been, and ever will be, a fubject of intereft to most readers, from its being one of the places of confinement for the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, our principal extract shall be taken from this portion of the work. "The above account, written in the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth, brings us to a period foon after, when the fcenes of feftive revelry, which formerly filled the cattle, were now changed to gloomy melancholy, and its folitary walls became the prifon of unfortunate royalty. In 1568, during the time of the duke of Norfolk's intrigues, Mary, queen of Scots, who has given celebrity to fo many caftles and old manfions by her melancholy imprisonment beneath their lofty turrets, was removed hither from Bolton caftle, a houfe of the lord Scroop's, on the borders of Yorkshire, where the was confined foon after fhe had placed herself in the power of her cruel rival Elizabeth; but, upon fome diftruft of that nobleman's fidelity, was fent to the earl of Shrewsbury's feat at Tutbury, and placed under his care. In this castle, and at Wingfield manor, Hardwicke, and Chatfworth, in the county of Derby, queen Mary was under the care of George Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, and Sir Ralph Sadler, feventeen years; during which period many a bitter pang |