346 
fluence of time. Opinion is not impartial 
towards ‘the frets, characters and maxims 
of the different systems which have ruled 
‘and disturbed us since the year 1789; 
posterity will re-model the history of this 
“quarter of a century, and view it much 
better than the writers of our own times. 
The work of the Count de Ségur has been 
‘Téud as eagerly asa new novel of Walter 
Séott’s,—four French editions have been 
rapidly exhausted ; and the translation here 
vhas-had some éclat. But it has been thought 
by critics of his own country, that his 
‘work would have been much less sought 
after, if it had better deserved the title 
of history. Many of the assertions of M. 
Ségur were, in some degree, refuted before 
they were published ; and General Gour- 
geud employs little other justification of 
his animadversions than the previous work 
of M. de Chambray. But Gen. G. does 
not only assail the facts of Count Ségur, 
whom he constantly calls the Marechal-des- 
logis ; he is equally severe upon his com- 
»ments and reflections, and his judgment in 
matters of military science. 
» . The English translation is given in a 
: clear and unostentatious style, which, with- 
_out any appearance of elaborate polish, 
maintains the dignified simplicity which 
"should belong to history and historical dis- 
‘ quisition. We extract a single specimen from 
p- 36], in which the author animadyertsupon 
oe assertion of Ségur, that at the head- 
quarters at Liadi “all the papers which 
' Napoleon had collected for the purpose of 
|.writing the history of his life were con- 
sumed.” 
~ . There is something ridiewlous in supposing that 
~ the Emperor, on entering upon the war, carried with 
, him all his papers in order to write the history of his 
. life, as if he had expected to find himself in Russia 
. in a state of undisturbed repose. That prince had 
. mo occasion to burna single paper relative to his his- 
tory, because he brought none with him. What 
does the author mean, besides, by these collected 
‘yspapers? Napoleon had no need of taking such a 
“precaution, since tle acts of his life are every where 
+. Tecorded. He had caused entries to be made in 
“ee of his correspondence as general-in-chief of 
_the armies of Italy and of Egypt: and these regis- 
"ters never quitted his archives. His intention was 
‘to take advantage of the state of repose in which he 
“expected to be left by the general pacification, in 
+\ order to write a complete history of his campaigns 
© and of his reign; and if hecould have had the bene- 
/»fit of thdése valuable materials at St. Helena, he 
2c would Nave been better able to raise an imperishable 
bs » taonument to the glory of the French arms.” 
°A Manual of Classical Bibliography : 
eri ric @ copious Detail of the various 
\“Zeditions ; Commentaries and Works, Criti- 
édl and Mlustrative ; and Translations into 
“the English, French, Italian, Spanish, Ger- 
‘min; ands occasionally, other Languages ; aor 
2"iRe Greek aud Latin Classics. By J. W 
ny Moss, 'B.a., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. 
° B yols: Sovis—The subject of which these 
ph edhe hestrisen into much, and, in 
~ .gtéet depree, ‘merited: consequence; and 
rons 
by ae 
Monthly Review of Literature, 
could point out 0 an ite 
* 
[Noy. I, 
we must allow, therefore, that when this . 
work was undertaken, Mr. Moss did not 
embark on an enterprize free from difficul- 
ties: of these, we do not mean, to insi- 
nuate, that Mr. M. was altogether unaware ; ; 
though it does appear, from his own admis- 
sion in the preface, that he had not dis- 
cerned their full extent. At any rate, he 
found an “ alteration’’ of his original plan 
to be necessary ; which “ alteration,”’ how- 
ever, he assures us was “ influenced solely 
by the wish to increase the utility’’ of the 
work.—The justice of the remark, that. 
learned men and classical scholars oftimes 
are but imperfect writers of their mother 
tongue (which has, more than once, been 
made in the columns of the Monthly Ma- 
gazine), is fully exemplified in this sentence ; 
which we will quote without further. note 
or comment, as J. W. Moss, B.A., of Mag- 
dalen Hall, Oxford, has put it forth. 
«« From the alteration of the plan intended to have 
been pursued at the commencement of the work, 
which alteration has been influenced solely by the 
wish to increase its utility, the acc6unt of the first 
five authors will be found less complete than it other- 
wise would have been.” 
Other sentences might readily be found 
which would not tend to remove this stigma 
from Mr. Moss’s composition ; but we spare 
him. Now, whatever reasons may haye sa- 
tisfied the author as to this alteration, still 
we doubt whether his feelings on the point’ 
will be generally participated: it may be 
thought that the forty pages alluded to 
should have been re-written, and, if printed’ 
of before, cancelled and repla¢ed: and 
perhaps some may think that when two 
octavo volumes are charged thirty shillings, 
the small still voice of justice might have 
demanded so much: especially as Mr, M. 
might then have found an opportunity of 
introducing a few words concerning. /is- 
chines,—had it been only to refer to the 
list of the editions of Demosthenes, in. 
which certainly there are ¢hree instances in 
which the name, of Aischines does appear 
in conjunction with the above-mentioned 
orator; some of which would much more 
properly have found place under the head 
“« Aischines.” It should be remembered, 
also, that there are other editions, or copies, 
of which no notice is taken. 
dye preface says, 
* From the length of time during: which, ‘the book 
ibs been creeping through the press, it is feared that 
a few of the more recent editions pri oad,” 
(and at home, should have been added) ‘may h Nave 
been omitted.” 
The more recent editors, ‘then; A, just 
cause of complaint, as “the Man as- 
sumes to comprize “ details.of £48 yarious 
editions, &c. But we hope»these..gentle- 
men will, with us, overlook, is off ae 
A much more grievous eras : f over- 
sight may, we. appr. 
Mr. Moss 5.49%. fei i 
cumscribed. library, 
i” 5 
lel 
