36 Mr. Parkes's History of 



Art. III. An Account of the Periodical lAterary Journals 

 tohich were published in Great Britain and Ireland, from 

 the year 1681 to the commencement of the Monthly Re- 

 view, in theyear 1749. By Samuel Parkes, F.L.S., 

 M.R.I.,&c. 



The French " Journal des Scavans," and the " Republique 

 des Lettres," printed at Amsterdam, are well known to the 

 learned; but at this day few persons are acquainted with the 

 extent of the efforts made in Great Britain, in the latter part of 

 the seventeenth, and the beginning of the eighteenth, century, 

 to communicate to the public, by means of periodical works, 

 interesting intelligence respecting the nature and design of the 

 various publications which were then issuing from the British 

 press. And as so long a time has elapsed since the first literary 

 journal was published in Great Britain, I conceive no apology 

 can now be necessary, for laying before the English reader 

 a consecutive account of such publications, from their com- 

 mencement to the middle of the last century and this I shall 

 attempt with as much brevity as is consistent with the object I 

 have in view, after having said a word or two respecting the 

 foreign journals above mentioned. 



The " Journal des Scavans," which commenced in 1665, 

 was planned by M. Denis De Sallo, who was an eminent 

 Greek and Latin scholar, and an authorized ecclesiastical coun- 

 sellor in the parliament of Paris. According to Voltaire, this 

 accomplished man was the inventor of literary journals, and 

 although the " Journal des Scavans" was the first work of the 

 kind, it very soon acquired so much reputation that it was cir- 

 culated and read in every country of Europe. M. De Sallo, 

 however, published only the three first journals, and these were 

 printed under the name of Herouville, which was that of his 

 valet-de-chambre. He then resigned the work to the Abbe 

 Gallois, who, patronised by the great Colbert, continued the 

 publication until the year 1674, when he was obliged to relin- 

 quish it, in consequence of his having been chosen librarian to 

 the French king, and professor of Greek in the royal college. 



