246 Literary Journals. 



the Observer, and a vast multitude of others that 

 rose into view, lived their day, and sunk into for- 

 getfulness. Cato's Letters, and the Craftsman, 

 were executed with greater ability, and were also 

 better received, being more devoted to political: 

 discussion, than the papers which had gone before 

 them. In 1750 the Rambler appeared, and for 

 the first time presented a rival to the enchanting 

 productions of Addison and his contemporaries. 

 In this work Dr. Johnson, the principal writer, 

 carried the composition of moral essays, and in- 

 structive narrations, with respect to purity and 

 dignity of sentiment, acuteness of observation, 

 and vigour of style, to a higher degree of perfec- 

 tion than they had ever before reached. Next 

 followed the Idler, also by Dr. Johnson, but less 

 laboured, and more light and superficial in its cha- 

 racter than the Rambler. These were succeeded 

 by the Adventurer, the World, the Connoisseur, the 

 Mirror, the Looker-On, the Lounger, the Observer, 

 and a number of others which deserve respectful 

 mention, which contain many papers of high 

 merit, and will long be read with pleasure. The 

 numerous unsuccessful attempts which have been 

 made, within a few years past, to revive this mode 

 of writing, seem to indicate that it is nearly ex- 

 hausted j and that to renew and carry it on re- 

 quires more diligence, ability and leisure, than com- 

 monly fall to the lot of those who adventure in. 

 such a field. 



From the foregoing details, it appears that the 

 eighteenth century may be emphatically called the 

 age of periodical publications. In the number of 

 these it so far transcends all preceding times, as to 

 forbid comparison; and their amusing, popular 

 form constitutes a peculiarty in the literary his- 

 tory of the period under consideration, equally 

 signal. They form the principal means of diffus- 



