536 Retrofpedt of German 
inaccuracies.’ Among the _ politico- 
hiftorical works which have lately ap- 
peared of feparate countries or govern- 
ments, the following deferves particu- 
lar notice, although the anonymous au- 
thor does not venture to enter into a 
critical examination of faéts and mo- 
tives: © Annals of the Government of 
Catherine II. Emprefs of Ruffia;? vo- 
lume firft, containing the fubje&t of 
legiflation, pp. 252, 8vo. 1798. In the 
biographical department of hiftory we 
hall mention two excellent works which 
well deferve a place in our Retrofpect, 
on account of the impartial and fuperior 
manner in which they are written: 1. 
6* The Necrologifi, containing accounts of 
the lives of remarkable Germans who have 
died in the current year.’ Of this in- 
fiructive publication appear every year 
two volumes fince its commencement in 
3790; but it is matter of regret that the 
publifher, Mr. Portrues of Gotha, is 
nearly two years behind, in the order of 
time, with this periodical work, fo that 
we have as yet feen only the fecond vo- 
_ lume for the year 1797; which contains, 
befides the fhort fupplementary accounts, 
nine diftinct biographies, and begins with 
that of the celebrated Count Herzberg, 
late minifter of ftate to the King of 
Pruffia, ‘* a man whofe name alone is his 
greateft encomium, and whofe memory 
will be revered by a grateful pofterity, 
and. rendered immortal in the hiftory of 
Pruffia.”” 2. 6 Memoirs of great and me- 
ritortous Statefmen; sith an Appendix, 
containing the picture of a new-appointed 
«udge.” The editor of this collection is 
a Mr. V. MITTERBERG, privy-coun- 
fellor to the Duke of Saxe Cozure: 
he has here given ten lives of eminent 
Germans who ftand high in the lift of the 
public characters, principally of the laft 
century ; fo that the reading of this book 
may afford a tolerable criterion of the 
ftate of political {cierice im that country 
during the 16th and 17th centuries. Mr. 
V.M. has annexed an ‘* Effay en the 
beneficial. influence which biographies 
have on the education of youth;” in 
which we meet with many original and 
pertinent remarks. 
POLITICS. 
In reviewing this important depart- 
ment of modern literature among the 
Germans, we were not a little furprifed 
to find that their political writers, al- 
moft without exception, either conceal 
their real names, or adopt fictitious ones. 
Such is the effect of the detettable cen- 
ferial offices.in the different flates of Ger- 
Literature....Politics. [Sur. 
many, that men of real talent and genius 
are obliged either to {upprefs their po- 
litical opinions, or to fend their manu- 
{cripts to fome diftant country, for in- 
ftance, Holland, Denmark, or Switzer. 
land, where the cenforial offices are lefs: 
arbitrary and lefs fevere. One of the 
beft publications of the anonymous kind 
is the following: << What important 
Events, and what additional Gain in 
Human aad Civil Happinefi, have we te 
expect in the next Century?” pp. 270, 8vo. 
Although the author confiders many of 
the events to be developed by futurity in 
too favourable a light, yet his ideas 
throughout the whole are correét, while: 
they are expreffed with animated phi- 
lanthropy. The refult of his inquiries 
re{pecting our future profpeé is briefly 
as follows: 1. ¢* The human race will 
become more healthy and Vigorous: 2, 
The cultivation of the underftanding will 
be equally adapted t& the ftrength and 
well-being of mind and body, as well as 
to the different relations of men: 3. Men 
will attain to a higher degree of moral 
perfection: 4. Whe different govern- 
ments of Europe will improve #ill far. 
ther the means of proteéting their fub- 
jeéts from the horrors of war, famine, 
&c.: 5. Political and moral f{eience will 
be more intimately united: 6. Juftice 
will fpread its dominion among men: 
and 7. Innocent mirth and joy will en- 
hance the value of human life.” The 
next political and likewife anonymous 
work of which we take Notice, is a coun- 
terpart to Proteffor Kant’s late ¢ Proje& 
to a perpetual Peace,” intitled « Hetcro- 
chtical Ideas on the natural Boundaries of 
the European States, as the Foundation of 
@ perpetual Peace.” In this {mall work 
the author principally endeavours to de- 
monttrate that the chains of mountains 
are the itrongeft and everlafting walls of 
defence, and that according to the fitu- 
ation of thefe, moft of the European ftates 
ought to be differently divided into other 
more connected river-valleys, which 
fhould be always defended by moun- 
tains. As long, however, as the impere 
Jed adminittration of ftates renders wars 
not only poffible, but even neceffary, we 
can allure the author that neither natural 
boundaries of rivers, nor walls of granite, 
will fave mankind from war, bloodthed, 
and deftruétion :' yet we agree with hm, 
that as foon as the conceit of the real or 
imaginary fuperiority of the prefent Eu- 
ropean fiates over their lefs powerful 
neighbours vanifhes; as foon as they have 
exhaufted the country of refources in men 
ang 
