364 Koikes respecting New Books. 



The work of Hadji Khalia consists of a short preface, an 

 introduction, a bibliographical dictionary, and the con- 

 chision. 



The prtfacc displays in few words the object the author 

 has in view. 'T'he introduction is divided into five chapters, 

 subdivided into sections, paragraphs, &c. The first chap- 

 ter has fur its object the definition of science in general, its 

 division into various principal branches, and the subdivisions 

 of these last ; the second treats of the origin and' history of 

 sciences and books ; the third, of the differeni classes of 

 writers and books ; the fourth contains general considera- 

 tions upon the sciences, upon those who have cultivated 

 them, upon the circumstances which favour their cultiva- 

 tion, and the obstacles to their progress; upon the qualities 

 which a learned man ought to possess, and other similar 

 subjects : the fifth chapter is a kind of supplement to the 

 former, and contains various miscellaneous observations not 

 alluded to in the preceding chapters. 



In spite of the nuiltitude of divisions and subdivisions in 

 this treatise, which may be regarded as a synoptical picture 

 of the sciences, and every llnng relating to them, we do 

 not think Hadji Khalfa has adcjjM'.d the most perspicuou-% 

 arrangement. He has oflen confounded consiutraiions of a 

 general nature with those which have a particular object ; 

 and although he may have had some idea of a general sy- 

 stem of human knowledge, he is far from having realised 

 this idea in a manner to entitle him to rank with Bacon, 

 or the author of the preliminary discourse lo the French 

 Encycloiiedia. 



Tb.e work, however, notwithstanding its faults, deserves 

 to be better known. The introduction is the most deserving 

 of notice; and our anonymous author lias translated it from 

 beti^inning to end, v.-iih some slight exceplioi-.s, and it oc- 

 cupies nearly 160 pages of the volume. Some people, 

 perhaps, would have preferred the suppression of this intro- 

 duction, and would have wished to have seen, if not the 

 whole, at least the principal articles of the Bil>!iographical 

 Dictionary of Hadji Khalfa, from which those who cultivate 

 Orientalliierature would certainly derive very great advantages. 



J\JUhi idaies : 



