Vol. V.]  Retrofpeft of German Literature.—-Biography, Sc. 
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fential circumftance, which exclufively 
and peremptorily condemns every law 
impofing reftriétions on the prefs ; and 
this circumftance is indifputable, name- 
ly, that fuch a law cannot be main- 
tained, or, in other words, that it may | 
be eafily evaded. The facility of cir- 
* culating ideas among the public is fo 
“ great, that reftri€tions of this kind are 
turned into ridicule. And though 
fuch laws be ineffectual, they are, ne- 
verthelefs, calculated to produce ani- 
mofities ; and this is the moft mifchiev- 
ous part of them, that they are apt to 
irritate the very clafs of men, againft 
whom they are direéted, and to ftimulate 
them toa refiftance, which frequently is 
not only fuccefsful, but is likewife con- 
fidered as meritorious. T he moft wretch- 
ed produétions, which, on account of 
their intrinfic merit, could not expect 
to live two hours, make their way 
with the public, becaufe a fort of rage, 
or fatality, feems to be connected with 
their origin. The onlv antidates, the 
produétions of better writers, lofe their 
effeét, becaufe the ignorant are but 
too prone to confound him who {peaks 
of Jimitation, with him who approves 
of what is unjuft; hence, fire, let the 
liberty of the prefs be the unalterable 
principle of your government! Never 
will this fyftem fofter dangers in a- 
well-regulated ftate; never has this 
fyfttem proved dangerous to fuch a> 
ftaté : for, in thofe countries where it 
has become defiruétive, deftruétion had 
already preceded, and the voracious 
infe&ts were generated only beneath 
the mouldering ruins.”—Dr. Doxn’s 
fmall, but claffical, work, intitled, ‘ Re- 
flections on Luxury, the Taxations of 
Luxury, and their Objeéts, principally in 
a Political and Statiftical View,” deferves 
to be read by every financier, particularly 
in thofe countries, where the objeéts of 
taxation muft be occafionally /A:fied; as 
they become nearly exhaufted; or, per- 
haps, from the lamentable circumftance, 
that the premiers of fuch devoted cqun- 
tries are equally obftinate in their ruinous 
plans, and unacquainted with rea? life. 
‘The author has taken a comprehenifive 
view of this fubjeét, and premifes his 
profound aod jut obfervations with the 
following definition of duxury: ‘* It con- 
‘© fifts,”? fays he, * in the confumption of 
¢; things, which aim at fuch a degree of 
« conveniency and enjoyment of life, as 
“ may be difpenfed with in our indi- 
6 vidual fituation, without detriment 
s* to our phyfical, civil, and intellectual 
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‘* exiftence;” things, therefore, which 
can be confidered as objeéts of luxury, 
‘‘ carry along with them a certain de- 
gree of inutility, of fcarcity, and of res 
‘¢ finement ; yet always in a relative fenfe 
‘© only, never abfolutely.” 
BIOGRAPHY. 
Although the Germans poffefs, per 
haps, a greater number of individual des 
{criptions of the lves of eminent men ; 
yet in colleétions and biographical dic- 
tionaries the Englifh have obvioufly the 
advantage. Among the few publications 
of the latter kind, we take notice of 
*€ Colle€&tion of Piétures, reprefenting 
learned Men and Artifts (of Germany), 
together with fhort Accounts of their 
Lives.” Of this publication the nineteenth 
and twentieth numbers: have iately ap- 
peared: the plates are well executed; 
and the biographies, though rather too 
concife, are well and’ impartially writ- 
ten. Among ‘the variety of other 
* Lives” poured forth by the German 
prefs, we fhall mention only'that of John 
Henry Tifchbein, formerly -counfellor 
and aulic ~pamter to the landgrave of 
Heffe Caffel. His life, which is here 
defcribed by Prof. ENGELSCHALL, of 
Marpurg, is uncommonly inftruétive and” 
important, in as muchas it exhibits the 
fubjeét in his double capacity, asa man 
and an artif?. ‘There is further annexed 
to this life, a ‘* Leéture in Commemora- 
tion of Tifchbein, read in the Society of 
Antiquaries at Caffel, in April, 1790, 
by Counfellor and Proteffor Ca/parfon.’” 
In this, the merits of the deceafed are 
duly appreciated; and we meet with 
many valuable remarks, which may be 
read, with equal fatisfaétion, by every 
lover of the arts, as well as by future 
biographers. 
GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY. | 
Inthefe branches the accuracy and ine 
duftry of the Germans 1s univerfally ac- 
knowledged. Since the days of Biie 
SCHING, the namesof FoRSTER,FABRI, 
ELUGEL, Zacu, and Exe ina, ftand 
foremoft among modern geographers. 
As an elementary book there has appear- 
ed lately, ‘* An Introdyétion to Mathe- 
matical and Phyfical Geography, Part I, 
with two Maps by Srorzmann, and 
two Plates, 145 pp. large quarto, Ber- 
lin, 1797” (without the aythor’s narne). 
This elegant and accurate work is chiefly 
defigned forthe ufe of young people, and 
females in particular, who are not in 2 
fituation, in which they can acquire a pros 
found knowledyze in phyfics and mathe- 
matics. We muft only regret, that the 
ca ae hee anonymous 
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