, at the modento pnce of t dollars 



in itrlf a recommendation which unities the 



pmtia Americana to extensive patronage .New 



7!sMV KtMMtMf Ps&isL. 



We an clad to see the unanimity with which the 

 Asaertesui editan bear evidence to the value of tin- m-\v 

 fTsjsillsnaitls Americana, which is edited by Dr I.i> t>er, 

 I Barton, with the aid of Mr Wigglrsworth. These 

 gentlemen an eminently competent to the i-xi. n-.v. and 

 .. tMk which they hav undertaken. We regard 

 i>oUi M literati of considerable atuiinmt nl*, mdela- 

 li(able teal, and sound judgment. Dr Lirber is a Ger- 

 man sefeobr sufficiently acquainted with our tongue tu do 

 justice to that part of the work which is to be dciiv.d 

 ' from the popular Convrrsnlions Lexicon, the most i . .-. MI 

 German Enqdopcdia, of which more than eighty thou- 

 sand topic* hare been sold in (.Yrmam, ami translations 

 already made into ieTeral of the continental languages. 



It must be known to all general readers, that English 

 bibliography embrace* no good " 1'opular Dictionary of 

 Arts, Sciences, Literature, History, Politics, and Bio- 

 graphy, brought down to the jtresent time" none \yith- 

 out abundant rubbish or .surplusage, none that furnishes 

 iMVurnle and compendious inforination on all the topics 

 liK.h to occupy the attention of intelligent individuals and 

 enlightened circles. The compilation of Kees is too 

 voluminous; much of its ingredients may be regarded as 

 obsolete, and a number of its articles are excessively copi- 

 ous and heavy. According to the plan of Ur Lieber, a 

 desideratum will be supplied ; the substance of contem- 

 porary knowledge will be brought within a small compass ; 

 and the character and uses of a manual will be imparted 

 to a kind of publication heretofore reserved, on strong 

 shelves, for occasional reference. By those who under- 

 Hand the German language, the Conversations lexicon 

 k consulted ten limes for one application to any English 

 Knorloptrdia. It is not the mere multitude of heads, or 

 tli- length and depth of treatises, which constitute the 

 chief or proper worth of such productions; their merit 

 and usefulness may lie principally in the judicious exclu- 

 sion of matters rarely emergent, and the skilful compres- 

 sion of whatever belongs to the active fund of theory, tact , 

 and illustration. The possessor of the Encjdopsedia 

 should be enabled by it to understand all that he may 

 peruse or hear in the ordinary routine of life; to satisfy 

 that curiosity or need which may be casually created 

 National Gazette. 



Letter from GEORQE TICKXOR, Esq. of Boston. 



BOSTON, Kot. 25, 1827. 



SIR. I am not acquainted with any book in a foreign 

 language, which, I think, may be translated into Eng- 

 lish and published in the United States, with the needful 

 alterations, with so much success as the Conversations 

 Lexicon, of which so many editions have been published 

 in Germany. It seems to me to be suited, in a particular 

 manner, to the present condition and wants of this coun- 

 try, because it contains more of that information which 

 is useful and interesting to well-educated persons of all 

 classes, than any other work with which I am conversant. 

 It has made the fortunes of its publishers in Germany. 

 It is about to be adapted to the wants of thenrest of the 

 Continent, in a French translation just undertaken at 

 Brussels; and I do not doubt, a similar adaptation of it 

 tothe United States, would be as fortunate and as suc- 

 cessful as was the original work; because, the class of 

 persons to whom it would be interesting is much greater 

 in this country than it is in Germany. 



GEORGE TICKNOR. 

 Da FRANCIS LIEBER. 



Letter from DR CHARLES POLLEN, Instructor in 

 German in Harvard University. 



CAMBRIDGE, Nov. 23, 1827. 



- to the transition, of the 



y ef Conversation into English, as proposed by 



Dr Lieber, coincides entirely with the views wlikh thlf 

 gentleman and several eminent literary men of thiscoun- 

 ti \ have already expressed. The Dictionary for Conver- 

 sation owes its excellence, as well as its signal n 

 principally to this circumstance, that in Germain 

 line who aims at distinction in any science or art, eom- 

 nii.nh devotes himself almost exclusively to his particular 

 pursuit. This devotedness to a single object is apt tu be 

 attended with a very imperfect acquaintance with other 

 branches of knowledge, and it is this detect which , 

 sioned the editing of a work which brought within the 

 reach of every one the most interesting results of all the 

 din", rent departments of learning and industry. On the 

 other hand, the profound knowledge contained in ihe 

 works of those who have made a particular pursuit tint 

 object of their life, has enabled the compilers of that Dic- 

 tionary to present to the public, in a concia 

 great number of articles which are generally interesting, 

 without being superficial. It is satisfactory not only to 

 thegeneral reader and scholar, to the philosopher and the 

 historian, but to those also who are cn^a-jcd in am parti- 

 cular business or profession, as farmers, mechanics, mer- 

 chants, physicians, lawyers, or theologians. Thi.se ani. 

 clesof the work which do not hilly deserve this \-. 

 will certainly be improved in usefulness and interest i'..r 

 this country, by the translator and those literary men l,o 

 are expected to assist him in this useful and patriotic 

 undertaking. 



CHARLES POLLEN. 



From GEORGE BANCROFT, ESQ. one of the Princi- 

 pals of Hound-Hill Seminary, Northampton. 



NORTHAMPTON, Dec. 22, 1827. 



SIR, 1 am very glad to hear that you seriously propose 

 to publish die Conversations Lexicon among us. It is the 

 most convenient book for general reference, with which I 

 am acquainted; and as for its popularity, the sale of 

 more than seventy or a hundred thousand copies of it in 

 Germany establishes that point. It is for the past, what 

 a newspaper is designed to be for the present, a <; 

 summary of the most interesting things known, stated on 

 the best authority, to which access could readily be had. 

 There is one circumstance which I think is much in its 

 favour. We have had Encyclopaedias, compiled in 

 France and G real Britain, each containing the current 

 views on matters of science and letters, prevailing j< 

 tively in those countries. In the German work we shaK 

 have the materials a little differently wrought. There 

 has been nothing of the kind at once so popular, and so 

 trust-worthy. 



I remain, with best wishes and sincere regards, 

 Respectfully yours, 



GEORGE BANCROFT. 



From EDWARD EVERETT, Esq. Member of the ht 

 of Representatives of the United States. 



W;NTER-HILL, CHARLESTON, Nov. IT, 1827. 



I ENTIRELY concur in the opinion expressed in the foi 

 ;oing pages, of the merit of the Lexicon for Conversation. 

 It is somewhat of the nature of an Encyclopaedia, intended, 

 however, for convenient and popular use. Although, of 

 the great number of articles contained in it, all are not 

 equally well executed, no work, that I am acquainted 

 with, contains such an amount and variety of information, 

 in a form so accessible and commodious. The alteration* 

 proposed by Dr Lieber, seem to me calculated to render 

 it still more valuable in this country ; and with them, it 

 will be, in my opinion, the best work for convenient 

 general reference, in the English language. So deeply 

 impressed have I been with the merit of the work, that 

 without having heard of Dr Lieber's proposal to under- 

 take a translation, I had determined to recommend to 

 some of the principal booksellers to endeavour to procure 

 a translator of it. 



EDWARD EVERETT. 



TT. 



