Literary Journals. 295 



curly account of the most valuable books published in the 

 several parts of Europe, with a complete alphabetical index." 



" Floriferis ut apes in saltihus omnia, libant, 

 Omnia nos itidem. — Liicret. 



London, Printed for N. Prevost, over against Southampton 

 street, in the Strand. 1731. 



This Journal, which was published in monthly numbers atone 

 shilling each, commenced in the year 1730, and closed in 1733, 

 or early in the year 1734, forming four volumes in octavo. It 

 was written by the noted Archibald Bower, formerly Professor of 

 Rhetoric, History, and Philosophy, in the Universities of Rome, 

 Fermo, and Macerata, and author of the History of the Popes, 

 in seven volumes, quarto. It was undertaken and completed by 

 him while he resided with Lord Aylmer. With this nobleman 

 he lived on terms of the greatest intimacy, and was introduced 

 by him to a large circle of literary acquaintance. 



It is a curious circumstance that he (Archibald Bower) wrote 

 the preface, and several of the first articles, in Italian, because 

 he did not sufficiently understand English to allow him to write 

 in our language ; but finding the inconvenience and expense of 

 employing a translator, he applied so closely to the study of the 

 English tongue, that in six months he was enabled to dismiss 

 his translators *, and continue the work himself in English t. 



The following extracts from the Preface will shew the plan 

 and design of the work : 



I, " We propose to take notice of none but the most valua- 

 ble books, and such as are last published, and have not been 

 mentioned by any other of our Journalists. Of these, whether 

 Latin, Italian, French, English, ^c, weshall give faithful extracts. 

 The choice and novelty of books is what chiefly recommends a 

 Journal ; and the correspondents we have already settled is 

 such, that we may confidently affirm, no work of any figure or 



♦ The several articles which he wrote in Italian were translated by Mr. 

 Barkley, who was the master of an acadeiny of some note at Little Chelsea j 

 itiid tiic i)ielaee was translated hy Mr. J^ockniau. 



t Chalmers, vol. VI. page aj/. 



