76 Literari) Journals. [Chap. XXI. 



supported until the present time. The Critical 

 Eeviezv was established in 17-56, nearly on the 

 same plan. These M-ere the only regular works 

 of the kind in England until 177<5, when another 

 was begun, under the title of the London ReviezVy 

 by Dr. Kenrick, which however lasted but a 

 little \^ hile. From that period to the end of the 

 century they increased rapidly in number. They _ 

 became gradually improved in their fonn, and 

 were made to present a greater amount of infor- 

 mation respecting the several works which they 

 reviewed. Few magazines or periodical publi- 

 cations of any kind have been undertaken, within 

 a iev/ years past, which did not include some kind 

 of Review; insomuch that the literary journals in 

 Britain at present are extremely numerous. 



The attempts to establish regular Reviews of 

 new books, and of the progress of letters and 

 science, in the United States, have been few, and 

 generally unsuccessful. The small progress of a' 

 literary taste among the mass of their citizens; the 

 scattered state of their population ; the rarity of 

 leisure with those who are best entitled to the 

 character of scholars ; together with the want of 

 iaients, enterprise, and capital, in the greater num- 

 ber of those who have hitherto undertaken to con- 

 duct such works, may be considered as the prin-i 

 cipal causes of their failure *. 



* As earl" as 174-1 a kind of Review \vas attempted by Dr. 

 IVanklin, who, in a Magazine which was continued only for a 

 few months, gave notices of new American books, and presented 

 liberal extracts from them. Attempts of a similar kind were 

 made in several sTiccessive works a few years afterwards, but with 

 as little encouragement and success. Exertions were made to 



