Vor. VL] 
picturefque. The charts and engravings 
which adorn thefe interefting volumes 
are executed with elegance, and no doubt 
with accuracy. ‘* A Sketch has been pub- 
lithed of the War in Vendée, extracted from 
manufcript Memoirs, written by General 
Beauvais. This ketch is the outline of 
a larger manufeript hiftory of the fame 
war, intended as a corrective of the ac-: 
count given in Turreau’s memoirs. From 
the,table of contents we anticipate much 
curious information from the publication 
of the whole. <A hiftory of the revival 
ef letters is yet a defideratum in Englifh 
literature: to the dilcredit, even of our 
beft hiftorians, they devote whole volumes 
- to the circuitous difclofure of political 
intrigues, and to the minute narrative of 
Imilitary exploits, while a few pages only 
are left to record the viciflitudes of {cience, 
and to inveltigate thofe curious and im- 
portant cautes whofe foftering influence 
has, in different foils, and in different 
funs, affitted the luxuriant and vigorous 
growth of Jiterature, or whole deleterious 
agency has blighted its blofloms, and de- 
ftroyed its fruit? We are indebted to an 
anonymoué writer for an ‘* Introduction to 
the literary Hifiory of the Fourteenth and 
Fifteenth Centuries 3 in the firft part of 
his traét he has given a fhort hiftorical 
and critical fketch of the decline of Jearn- 
ing in the Roman empire down to the 
tenth century, where its very exiftence is 
queftionable: in the fecond part he has 
attempted to difcover and illuftrate the 
principal caufesto which, ia his opinion, 
“its re-appearance may be properly attri- 
buted, “* its dawn in the eleventh, and 
an encreafing radiance in the twelfth and 
thirteenth centuries.”” Thefe caules, he 
conceives, will admit of a commodious 
divifion. 1. The Arabian fettlements in 
Europe, and their literary and {cientific 
communications. 2. The Crufades, in 
their effects on the manners, learning, 
romance, and poetry. 3. The introduc- 
tion of the Roman civil law, tcgether 
with the canon law, inte our univerfities, 
fchools, and tribunals. The third and 
laft part of this excellent traét, exhibits 
~ a view of the progrefs of learning during 
the r2th and 13th centuries, and par- 
ticularly of its aétual ftate .in different 
branches and divilions, during the clofe 
of the latter period. We know not to 
whom we are indebted for this ingenious 
and learned publication, but we flatter 
_ourfelves that the author will lay us un- 
der ftili greater obligation by completing 
the work to which he has given fo mat- 
terly an introduction. Mr, Walker’s 
Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature....Finance. 
495 
“© Analyfis of Refearches into the Origin and 
Progrefs of Hiftorical Time, from the Crea- 
tion to the Acceffion of C. Caligula,”’ evinces 
-much induftry and much learning: but” 
he treats many theologians, many chro- 
nologers and critics of the higheft re- 
{pectability, both as to character and ta- 
lents, with an infufferable degree of pert- 
nefs and prefumption. In announcing a 
republication of the late Lord Hard- 
wicke’s ‘¢ Athenian Letters,’ we com- 
municate to the public a very valuable 
piece of information: the map which ac- 
companies them, as well as the engrav- 
ings, are excellent. 
From the f{earcity, and, we may add, 
the poverty of publications which have 
appeared on 
FINANCE, 
we are forced to conjecture that the 
politicians of both parties unite in opi- 
nion, that the lefs that is faid on this 
ominous fubject the better: we prefume 
not to differ from them. Mr. Cuar- 
NOCK’S ‘* Letter on Finance, and on Na- 
tional Deftnce,’ is addrefled to thote 
fhort-fighted and timid people ‘¢ who are 
inclined,”’ truly, ‘‘to defpond at the pre- 
fent pofture of public affairs !’? We can- 
not compliment his calculations fo far as 
to fay that they have much elevated our 
{pirits. An anonymous financier has 
offered to the public fome “ Obfervatzions 
upon the Ad fcr the Redemption of the 
Land-iax,’’ in which he has fhewn ** the 
benefits likely to arife from the meafure 
both to the public and to individuals :”’ 
the author of this fhort traét has fup- 
ported his panegyric of the meafure with 
fome ingenuity. A few other pamphlets 
have been written on this fubjeét: Sir 
Joun Sincharr’s * Alarm to Lagd- 
holders”? is the {peech which he delivered 
againft the meafure in the Houfe of Com- 
mons. Mr. SrmMEON Pape has publifhed 
fome “ Intercfting Suggeftions,” &c. re- 
fpecting the land-tax fale and redemption 
act, His object isto exhibit the advan- 
tageous fituation in which landholders 
‘are placed by it: the pamphlet is weil 
worth attention. ‘The fame may be faid 
of “6 A Plan for reducing Sewo Hundred 
and Thirty Millions of the Three per Cent. 
Funds,” &c. &c; alifo of ** A Plan for 
raifing the Supplies during the War.” A 
banker, who has publithed ‘* Thoughts 
on a New Coinage of Silver,’ &c. has 
evinced much meritorious refearch and 
financial knowledge. ‘¢ The Theory of the 
National Debt’? is elucidated with as 
much minutenefs and peripicuity as ceuld 
be expécted from a /ixpenny paraphlet oe 
‘¢ 
