Literary Journals. 303 



commencement of our great national work, the " Monthly 

 Review." 



It is observable that the " History of the works of the Learned" 

 (the octavo series) was brought down to the end of the year 

 1743; and that the Irish Journal was begun in 1744, and car- 

 ried on until the Monthly Review commenced in the year 1749. 

 Thus the chasm which there would otherwise have been in the 

 series of British Journals, is filled up, and we have now almost a 

 complete succession of works of this nature in the English 

 language from the year 1681 until the present day. 



In consequence of the entertainment and instruction which I 

 have myself derived from the perusal of the Dublin Journal, I 

 am desirous of giving some farther particulars respecting the 

 plan of the work, and the manner in which it was executed. 



As to the plan of the publication, that will perhaps best ap- 

 pear from the words of the Author in the preface to the first vo- 

 lume. " As Foreign books," says he, " are only known from 

 the French Journals, understood by few, and read by fewer, my 

 intention is to give Enylish abstracts of the most important fo- 

 reign books, German, Dutch, French, or Latin. To execute 

 this scheme, I shall chuse the best Abstracts to be found in the 

 great variety of foreign Journals; enlarge upon what shall be 

 judged to be of the greatest moment ; and suppress what shall 

 appear to be of small use. I shall also venture some short re- 

 marks of my own, when necessary to the better understanding 

 of the subject; and sometimes give abstracts not to be met with 

 in any Journal." 



" Tho' my principal design is to give information of Foreign 

 books, yet I do not mean so to confine myself as never to take 

 notice of English writers, who treat of matters either entirely 

 new, or remarkably curious; but satyr and personal reflections, 

 shall be totally excluded from these papers." 



" The favourable reception of this undertaking must neces- 

 sarily depend on the execution. Success will encourage me to 

 go on, and to give four parts. Octavo, every year, one each 

 quarter, containing about fourteen sheets, at the rate of one 

 shilling and sixpence English money, each part." 

 Y 2 



