632° Retrofpeet of Domeftic Literature—TLcpography and Antiquities. 
undertaking which, fays he, ‘‘ proceeds 
on the found and excellent foundation 
which the former commentators had laid, 
and will not be found to differ from them 
but where they feem not to have had it in 
their power to reach the truth.” As to 
the execution of this work, we are not 
competent to offer any opinion: it has 
been loofely praifed in one of our periedi- 
cal journals *; and in another, with much 
learning and much labor, feverely criti- 
cifed as an attempt which ‘fo rafhly made, 
to diflocate the whole body. (as it were) of 
the Roman topographers in Britain, and 
to lead us back into the chaos from which 
we had emerged, required a firong hand 
of correétion to bafile the attempt, and a 
keen fpirit of cenfure to reprobate the 
rafhnefs ¢.” 
« Literary Antiquities of Greece; as 
develaped in an attempt to afcertain 
Principles for a new Analyfis. of the 
Greek Tongue, and to exhibit thofe 
Principles as applied to the Elucidation of 
many Paffages in the ancient Hiftory of 
that Country, &c. by the Rev. PHILIP 
ALLWooD.” This is a moft curious 
and learned work, in which the author 
has fucceeded in the very arduous attempt 
of difpelling the cloud which hung over 
the early hiftory of Greece, and feemed to 
fhroud it with darknefs almoft impene- 
trable: that country, he obferves, no lefs 
than Egypt, may be ftyled the Mother 
of Montters: monfters which have pof- 
feffed themfelves of the extenfive domains 
of antiquity, and effectually deterred the 
learned, till comparatively of late years, 
from any fuccefsful refearch. ‘ It_ 1s 
with the view,” he continues, ‘‘ of ex- 
ploring fome tracks in thefe infefted re- 
gions, which the foot of difeovery has 
never trod; and of afcertaining more per- 
feétly the fituations and qualities of others 
which have been only fuperficially ob- 
ferved; that I have ventured io digrefs 
from the ordinary paths of literature, and 
to attempt, by engaging fome of thefe 
terrific beings upon their own grounds, 
to oblige therm by force to relinquifh their 
policifions.” The author has difplayed 
a degree of ftrength and prowefs in thefe. 
‘confli€ts. equal to the bravery which 
prompted him to undertake them. 
——— 
"* Monthly Review for April 1800, 
p- 349. et feq. - 
+ Britith Critic. for December 1799, 
p. 639, and for January 1800, p. 21 et feq. 
‘fliey who feel interefted in this fubject 
will, dpubtlefs read the learned and acute 
criticifm from which the above extract is 
taken, bo fe ¥ 
The Society of Antiquaries, in profe- 
cution of their defign of publifhing de- 
{criptions of the principal ancient churches 
of England, have given us *- Some account 
of the Abbey-Church of Bath, illuftrative 
of the Plans, Elevations and Seétions of 
that Building.” The Committee ap- 
pointed to conduct this undertaking have 
{tated it as their opinion, that it would be 
more fatisfa€tory to feleét fuch churches 
for their firft fpecimen, as gave examples 
of the different ftyles of building in dif- 
ferent ages, and of which at the fame 
time no good account was extant, than to 
follow any topographical or chronological 
arrangement. ‘The firft, therefore, which 
they feleéted was the chapel of St. Ste- 
phen in Weftminfter, as a fpecimen of the 
moft ornamental ftyle of architeéture in 
the time of Edward Ill. The cathedral 
of Exeter was next chofen, both as being 
of uncommon elegance in a plainer ftyle 
about the fame period, and as being wholly 
unpublifhed with the exception only of 
the great weft window. The Committee’ 
ftate that they have now feleéted for pub- 
lication the Abbey-Chapel of Bath, as 
being the laft building of any magnificence 
erected in this country in a ftyle purely 
Gothic, and almoft the only one which re- 
mains exactly 12 the ftate in which it was 
originally defigned. In:this work, which 
from the elegance and accuracy of its exe- 
cution does honor to the fociety, there are 
ten plates, to each of which is.a copious 
and lucid explanation. 
The Rev. Joun Mitner has pub- 
lifhed ** The Hiftory Civil and Eccle- 
fiaftical, and Survey of the Antiquities 
of Winchefter.” In this work the writer 
difplays a ftrange mixture of ignorance 
and learning, and unites the ftrong fentfe 
of a man with the ftupid credulity of! a 
crone. Mr. Milner, we fearcely need 
tell our readers, is a Papift; his preju- 
dices in favor of the religion to which he 
is attached, have in the courfe of this di- 
greffive work, prompted him to a cul- 
pable palliation of the crimes of thofe 
Englifh monarchs who have perfecuted. 
the profeflors of the proteftant religion, 
‘and to an equally culpable calumniation 
of fome characters of high refpe€tability, — 
who contributed to promote the Refor- 
mation, The prefent work on the whole 
is by no means likely to add to the repu- 
tation of Mr. Milner as an-antiquarian, a 
man of learning or of candor: we are in=_ 
debted-to it however, for fome admirable 
« Reflections on the Principles and Infti- 
tution of Popery, with reference to Civil 
Society and Government, efpecially that 
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