Literary Journals. 39 



appetite to learning, which we may hope these brief accounts 

 will give them. I shall not confine myself onely to authors of 

 our own nation, but shall likewise give accounts of most books 

 transmitted to us from all other parts, and shall transcribe 

 from the Paris Journal des Scavans the curious novelties 

 therein contained. Mr. Oldenburgh in his ' Philosophical 

 Transactions, commonly gave us something from the French 

 journals, Mr. Hooke, in the first of his two Philosophical Col- 

 lections, having done the like. But by reason of Mr. Hooke's 

 other considerable employs, these have been long intermitted, 

 which has made me enter into thoughts of giving accounts 

 from them. If the Royal Society shall think my endeavours in 

 this kind any way subservient to their designs, it may animate 

 my industry to perform things in the best manner I may, none 

 being more devotedly their servant than myself." The editor 

 of this work was the ingenious and indefatigable James Petiver, 

 and I doubt not but he was the author of the preface which I 

 extracted. But more of this great man hereafter. 



The volume is very neatly printed, and contains some good 

 copper-plate engravings of subjects in natural history, with 

 some other curious designs on the letter-press. The last paper 

 but one in the volume is entitled, " Historla Moschi ad Nor- 

 man Academiae Naturae Curiosorum, Conscripta aLuca Schroc- 

 kio, M.D., 1682, quarto," and it is embellished with a very 

 neat copper-plate engraving of the musk animal, with two 

 other descriptive drawings, one of the musk-bag, with the long 

 fine hairs that surround it ; the other, shewing the internal struc- 

 ture and texture of the bag. 



I perceive, however, that some of the most valuable articles 

 in the volume are English translations from the French " Jour- 

 nal des Scavans." 



II. 1687. " The Universal Historical BiBLioTHEQUE, . 

 or an account of most of the considerable books printed in 

 all languages, in the month of January, 1686, wherein a short 

 description is given of the design and scope of almost every 



