Literary Journals. 2-1-3 



conran-ed those habits of connected reading and of 

 patient systematic thinking, which were the glory 

 of the learned in former ages, and enabled them 

 to accomplish those mighty labours which fix their 

 posterity in astonishment. Accordingly it would, 

 perhaps, be no difficult task to show that the general 

 literary features of the period before us remarkably 

 correspond with this unfavourable picture, and 

 that the general diffusion of superficial reading and 

 scraps of knowledge may be said, pre-eminently, 

 to characterize the last age. 



But this is not the whole of the evil. Such are 

 the effects which must result from the general cir- 

 culation of works of this nature, supposing them to 

 be, on the whole, well conducted. Many of them, 

 however, are by no means entitled to this character. 

 They have often given prompt and willing cur- 

 rency to erroneous opinions in morals and religion. 

 They are too frequently found receptacles of such 

 filth,' obscenity and impiety, as are fit for the perusal 

 of none but the prostitute, the thief, and the mur- 

 derer. It is scarcely necessary to add that the effect 

 of such publications on the manners, principles 

 and happiness of society, must be in a high degree 

 pestiferous; and that this is one among the 

 numerous instances in modern times, in which 

 literature, perverted and abused under plausible 

 forms, has been found insidiously to undermine the 

 morals and welfare of man. 



Another item in the literary history of the age_ 

 falls, perhaps, more properly within the design of 

 this chapter than any other part of the present 

 sketch. The mode of addressing the public by- 

 short periodical Essays, though not wholly peculiar 

 to the eighteenth century, was yet so much extend- 

 ed, and had such a powerful Influence in this 

 period, as to entitle it to be ranked among the re- 

 markable circumstances of the age. "To teach 



