“THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 


XXxII. | 
For JUNE, 1798. 
w [VOR Vv. 

About the middle of Fuly will be publifhed the suPPLEMENTARY NUMBER @0 the FIFTH 
VoLuME of this work, which, befides the Title, Indexes, and a variety of valuable 
papers, will contain a critical and comprehenfive Retrofpecd of all the Books publifhed 
during the laft fix months. 
Complete Sets, or any former Numbers of this Work, may be had of all Bookfellers. 
—_— 
“To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
bos AO 
pe is no longer doubted, that by a 
free and reciprocal communication of 
ideas, which are current among different 
nations, not only individuals derive much 
benefit and amufement, but alfo the beft 
interefts of fcience are thereby pro- 
moted. ; 
Whether our modern tranflators from 
the German have not confulted the former 
fpecies of advantage, rather than that re- 
fulting from verfions in favour of general 
literature, is not very difficult to afcer- 
tain. 
Among the five or fix thoufand publica-_ 
.tions annually iffuing from the German 
prefs, it is a matter of aftonifhment, that 
-thofe in the more ufeful branches of 
{eience fhould be almoft entirely over- 
looked by our tranflators. Upon repeated 
inquiries among bookfellers and pub- 
 lifhers in this country, during the laft 
fifteen years, it has been generally affert- 
- ed, that fearcely any other verfions from 
the German, but novels, ghoft-ftories, 
poems, and the like, would meet with a 
ready fale in the Englifh market. This, 
however, appears to be an objection 
equally frivolous and ill-founded. With- 
out prefumption it may be faid, that the 
want of good tranflations of fcientific 
works from the German, is owing in. 
tirely to our imperfect acquaintance with 
the true ftate of the literature of that 
country. And, in order to enable the 
reader to judge of the great variety of 
books on ufeful fubjeéts, I have been at 
confiderable pains of difcovering the 
average number of werks that have axnu- 
ally appeared during the laf tavelwe 
years*, in the following branches, which 
are throughout interefting to every cul- 
tivated mind : 

* Namely, from the year 1785 to the 
tlofe of the year 1797. 
fONTHLY Mac, No. Xxx, 

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 

On Education - - -~ 130 
On Phyfics and Natural Hiftory - 310 
On Geography and Hiftory in general 820 
On Polite Literature - - - 690 
On the Arts and Manufaétures - + 220 
On Politics and Finances - - 380 
On Mathematics - - -~ 120 
Inthefe branches ~ = = 2670 
Befides which, there are publifhed every 
year, nearly the following number of 
works in the other departments of litera- 
ture, viz. “libs 


In Philology and General Science - 310 
In Divinity, Metaphyfics, and Moral 
Philofophy Wate -— - 1250 
In Jurifprudence, and the Art of War 440 
In Medicine and Surgery, - - 360 
In the Hiftory of Literature, and Books 
on Mifcellaneous Subjetts == - 330 
‘ 2690 
Adding the above ftated number 2670 
Total annually - - - 5360 
From this fummary view of German 
publications, it is eafy\to conclude that, 
among fuch a variety, there muft be-a 
number of excellent as well as many fri- 
volous productions. But, as my prefent 
aim is not fo much direéted to inveftigate 
the zature of the fubjeéts which deferve 
to be tranflated, as to pointout a few re- 
marks on the manner in which they have 
hitherto been tranflated, I. muft confine 
my obfervations within thefe limits. 
In attempting to make.a correct trang- 
lation from one modern language’ into 
another, it certainly is of the utmoft im- 
portance to preferve, as muchas poflible, 
the fpirit of the original, to unfold, 
in accurate expreflions, the ‘idiom, or 
genius, of the langudge from which we 
tranflate, and. thus to do juitice to the 
author. Whether a native of England 
or Germany is better calculated to fulfil 
thefe conditions, is a queition that can be 
decided only by the relative degree of 
knowledge which either of thele indivis--~ 
Oe ae 
duals. J | 
