Literary Journals. 239* 



in literature ; to present a powerful and useful 

 check to the licentiousness of the press, and to fur- 

 nish rich materials for the history of human know- 

 ledge. It is true, these publications, which should 

 be guides of popular opinion, are often partial, and 

 sometimes grossly erroneous. Written by a number 

 of different persons, and, of course, with different 

 abilities, opinions, passions, and prejudices, the 

 judgments they express can seldom be admitted 

 without cautious inquiry and modification. Still, 

 however, though the learned must ultimately judge 

 for themselves, yet even they derive benefit from 

 literary journals tolerably conducted; and their 

 influence upon the great mass of those who occa- 

 sionally read, is extensive and important. If it be 

 objected that the knowledge they diffuse is super- 

 ficial, it is what multitudes would never attain, if 

 this means of bringing it within their reach were 

 wanting; and that it is no better than total igno- 

 rance, none will presume to contend. 



There is another class of publications nearly alli- 

 ed to literary journals, and by the multiplication of 

 which the eighteenth century is much distinguish- 

 ed, the Transactions of Academics and philosophical 

 Societies. Publications of this kind appear to have 

 taken their rise near the middle of the seventeenth 

 century; but, for a considerable time afterwards 

 they were few in number, and were presented to 

 the public at distant and irregular intervals. Since 

 the commencement of the period under considera- 

 tion, they have greatly increased in number, in the 

 extent of their circulation, and in the practical and 

 useful nature of their contents. Associations for 

 literary and scientific purposes, of various kinds, 

 and under different names, have multiplied in 

 every part of the learned world, and have laid be- 

 fore the public, at stated times, the result of their 

 experiments and inquiries; insomuch that from 



