Literary Journals. 241 



abounded in modern times. The astonishing 

 number, and the extensive circulation of these 

 works, are certainly among the peculiar charac- 

 teristics of the age, and mark an important asra in 

 the history of learning. 



The first publication ever made under the title 

 of a Magazine was in the year 1731, by Edward 

 Cave, of London, who then commenced the Gen- 

 tleman's Magazine, which has been continued to 

 the present time. Several periodical works had 

 before appeared under different names; but they 

 were chiefly confined to political transactions, and 

 to foreign and domestic occurrences of various 

 kinds, without paying much attention to literary 

 objects. Indeed, this was the case with Mr. 

 Cave's Magazine for several years after its com- 

 mencement. The way, however, was gradually 

 opened for the introduction of literary, moral, and 

 philosophical discussions, and the work proved to 

 oe one of the most popular and productive perio- 

 dical pamphlets ever published. 



In the latter half of the eighteenth century, and 

 especially in the last twelve or fifteen years of this 

 period, these monthly miscellanies multiplied to a 

 prodigious amount, and gained a circulation be- 

 yond all former example. The taste for works of 

 a similar kind spread rapidly over the continent of 

 Europe, insomuch that their number at the present 

 time is almost too great to be accurately estimated. 



In our own country the attempts to establish 

 Magazines of different kinds have been very 

 numerous; but, for the want of due encourage- 

 ment, have generally failed in a short time. It is 

 believed that the first attempt to publish a work of 

 this nature in North-America was about the year 

 1741, by Dr. Benjamin Franklin, then a printer 

 in Philadelphia. His publication, however, under 

 the title of the General Magazine and Historical 



VOL. II. 2 i 



