SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER 
TO] THE 
MONTHLY 






No. LXI. | Juny 20, 1800. 
MAGAZINE. 
Wot, 1s, 


HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF DOMESTIC LITERATURE. 
HisTory. 
WORK has jaft heen prefented to 
the public which at the prefent pe- 
riod is peculiarly imterefting: ‘* The dhif- 
tory of tire Helvetic Confederacy, in two 
quarto volumes, by Jos. PLanTa, Eig. 
Sec. R.S. and Princ:pal Librarian of the 
Britifh Mufeaum.”. Mr. Planta is known 
to be a gentleman of extentive knowledge 
and. acute difcrimination, and his ac- 
quaintance with modern languages pecu- 
larly well qualifies him for an undertaking 
like the prefent, the materials for which 
weie chiefiv to be furutfhed by German 
and other continental works, The author 
divides his Hittory into two books; the 
firt, beginning with the origin of the Hel- 
vetic nations, extends to the complete efta- 
blifhament of the confederacy in the year 
1412; the fecond decribes its progrefs, 
decline and diffolution. In fo very rapid 
a retrofpect of literature as ours muft ne- 
ceffarily be, we are forbidden to dwell {0 
long on curious and interefting works as 
our inclination would prompt us; in the 
prefent inftance we muift content ourfelves 
with paffing a general encomium on the 
authes, and can merely give our readers 
the fatisfagtion of knowing whence the 
materials for the prefent volumes have 
been principally taken. For the founda- 
tion of his hiftory, our author has taken 
Muller's “-Hiftory of the Swifs Confede- 
racy,” which proceeds no further than to 
the year 1443 : Lautler’s *« Exact and cir- 
cumftantial Reiadon of Helvetic Hiftory,” 
Meifter’s ‘* Principal Scenes of Helvetic 
Hiftory,’ Meiner’s ‘* Letters on Swiffer- 
land,” Leu’s ‘* Diétionary of Swifier- 
land,” and our countryman, Mr. Coxe’s 
publication on that country, have largely 
contributed to the completien of the 
work. The account of the laft + revo- 
lution, is drawn from public documents, 
acknowledged by the French themfelves 
to be authentic, from Poffelt’s Euro- 
pean Annals, and from the. narrative of 
Meifter. 
Montuiy Mae. L&I. 
Dr. Hawes, a diftinguithed -minifter - 
of the church of England, and a leading 
member of that body of its clergy which 
aflumes to itfelf the title of Evangelical, 
has publifaed, in three o€ftavo volumes, 
«* An Impartial and Succinét Hiftory of - 
the Rife, Declenfion and Revival of the 
Church of Chrift, from the Birth of Our 
Saviour to the prefent Time, with faith- 
ful Characters of the principal Perfonages, 
Ancient and Modern.’ We certainly do 
not agree with this author in many of his 
religious tenets; but it is impoffible to 
peruie his work, without giving him the 
hiyheft praife for induftry, fkill, know- 
ledge, piety, and liberality. Dr. Haweis 
was countenanced by Lady Huntingdon, 
enjoyed the friendfhip of Mr. Wefley 
and Mr. Whitfeld, and was principal 
agent, it feems, in the plan for fending” 
Miffionaries into the South Seas. ; 
“« Fragments of Scottifh Hiftory.” The~ 
title of this very curious volume fuffici- 
ently indicates the random unconneéted 
nature of its contents. The author, is a 
man of various and recondite reading, 
who has explored the antiquities of his 
country with an eagle eye; and has evinced 
uncommon talents in the iluftration of 
them; although, to ufe his own words, 
‘it is doubtlefs more eafy to complete.a 
hiftory of .any civilized country in Eu- 
rope, than to elucidate one ob'cure century 
of the hiftory of Scotland.” 
ments confift of I. Defultory refleGtions 
on the ftate of Ancient Scotland, with*a 
curious appendix of charaéters-and other 
original documents. JI. The diary of 
Robert Birrel, from 1532 to 1605. IIi. 
The expedition into Scotland by the Earl 
of Hertford in 1544. IV. The expedie 
tion into Scotland by the fame perfon 
when Duke of Somerfet. Of thefe the firft 
only is an original compofition; which, 
we are informed, is a {election from notes 
which occurred during the perufal - of 
fome volumes of hiftory. The objeé of 
the author was to notice what other 
4K writers 
Thefe Frag- , 

