504 
degree; few of them being generally 
known, and all-of them elucidating the 
charaéter of that miferable man. 
CLASSICAL LITERATURE. 
The only work which we can find on 
this fubje, is Profeflor Porson’s 
‘<EYPHHAOY OPEZTHE.” In a former 
Retro{pect we noticed his valuable edition 
of * The Hecuba of Euripides :*” it is with 
great pleafure we announce the continuance 
of Mr. Porson’s labours upon this tra- 
gedian. To thofe who are at all ac- 
quainted with the cxquifite acutenefs, the 
confummate judgment, and the profound 
erudition of Mr. PORSON, it 1s quite 
unneceffary to fay how extremely valua- 
ble is this edition of Oreftes, and how 
much illuftration the play has derived 
trom his mafterly fkill. It cannot but be 
confidered as the fevereft cenfure on the 
temerity of vulgar commentators, that 
the learned Profeflor confines his conjec- 
tures to his notes, and with the utmoft 
modefty and caution, never ventures to 
alter or add one letter to his text but upon 
the firongeft grounds, and in cates of the 
moft unequivocal neceflity. 
PHILOLOGY AND CRITICISM. 
“© The Saxon and Englifo Languages re- 
ctpracally illuftrative of each,” &c. In this 
work Mr. HENSHALL protefles to exem- 
plity the impra@icability of acquiring an 
accurate knowledge of Saxon literature 
throuch the medium of Latin phrafeology, 
by the errors of Hickes, Wilkins, Gib- 
fon, and other {cholars. The laborious 
efforts of thefe and other learned men, are 
reprehended with much arrogance, and 
from the {pecimen which Mr. HENSHALL 
has given of his own “radical tranfia- 
tion,” of a Saxon MS. it does not ap- 
_ pear that his cenfure is to be juftified by 
any fuperior accuracy or fkill which him- 
felf polfeifes. Mr. Moncx Mason has 
Jong been known as a commentator on 
Shak{peare; he is now endeavouring to 
refcue, from unmerited neglect, the works 
of Beaumont and Fletcher, by publifhing 
** Comments”> on their plays. The ho- 
nourable annctator difplays contider- 
able ingenuity in fome of his conjectural 
eriticifms; but he would have fthewn 
more induitry, and would have been a 
yore valuable editor, had he rather ex- 
amined the ancient copies than employed 
his time in fanciful emendations. 
NATURALHISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY. 
_ A fellow of the Linnzan fociety, Mr. 
Frederick Kanmacher, has publifned with 
sonfiderable additions and improvements, 
anew edition of the late Mr. Adams” 
*« Effcys om the Microfcope. Jt may not 
Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature....Claffics, ie. 
(Sup. 
be amifs to ftlate in the author’s words 
what thefe additions are: ‘¢ Accounts of 
the lateft improvements which have been: 
made in the conftruétion of microfcopes, 
particularly the luccrnal. A defcription 
of the glafs, pearl, and micrometers, as 
made by Mr. Coventry, andothers. An 
arrangement and deicription of minute ~ 
and rare fhells. A defcriptive lift of a 
variety of vegetable feeds. Initructions 
for collecting and preferving infects, to- 
gether with directions for torming a ca- 
binet. A copious lift of objects tor the 
microfcope, and a lift of Mr. Cuftance’s 
fine vegetable cuttings. With refpect to 
the plates, three new engravings are in- 
troduced, viz. PlateIV. exhibiting the 
moft improved compound microfcopes, 
with their apparatus. Plate XIV. mi- 
crof{copical figures, and minute and rare 
fhells. Plate XV. a variety of vegetable 
feeds, p. xix. Mr. Stackhoufe has pub- 
lifhed a fecond number of his ** Nereis 
Britannica; or, a Botanical Defcripicon of 
Britifh Marine Plagis.’ In the preiace to 
the former number were lone ingenious 
poyfiological obfervations on the ftruc- 
ture and fructification of facz. In the 
preface to the prefent number the fubject 
is continued, and the microfcepical re- 
fearches of Mr. STACKHOUSE have ena- 
bled him to accomplifh what he betore ex- 
reffed a hope that his inveftigation might 
fend to, namely, the removal of that ep- 
probium which relts on this part of the 
clafs cryptogamia, by subdftituting fome 
more diicriminative arrangement of the 
fuci. Mr. Stackuouse divides them 
into fix genera, and affigns to each genus 
its fubordinate fpecies, according to the 
different modes of fruétification. The pre- 
fent number contains the chara&ters, fy- 
nonyms, defcriptions, and coloured figures 
of twenty fpecies: ten of thefe are now 
ficured for the firft time, and four of them 
are entirely new. ‘* Stapelieg Nova :”’ Mr. 
Maton has given in four fafciculi, a col- 
lection of forty new fpecies of this rare 
genus of plants, difcovered m the interior 
parts of Africa. The ftapelia, from its 
wonderful continence of water amidft the 
fevereft drought, and on the moft arid 
foils, has, by a very elegant and happy 
fimilitude, been called ‘* the camel ot the 
vegetable world: uaturalifts yet hefitate 
concerning the fource of its fupply in 
thofe torrid regions where the air and the 
earth are equally deftitute of moilture. 
Like the camcl, it is f{uppofed to imbibe 
oceafionally vaft quantities of fluid, and 
retain them to fupply the deficiency of 
drier feafons : its roots, moreover, feem 
t@ 
¥ 
