510 
work, though inadequate to the fcenery, 
which is the fubjeét of it, is a relief to 
the dry genealogical inveftigations, which: 
are unneceffarily abundant, and to the bio- 
graphical accounts of a number of men of 
properly, whofe birth, parentage, and edu- 
cation, Is as uninterefting as impertinent 
to the fubjeét of this work. Mr. Maton’s 
** Obfervations, &c. on the Weftern Coun- 
ties’ difplay confiderable tafte and know- 
jedge ina variety of branches of natural 
hiftory. Thefe obfervations are illuftrated 
by a mineralogical map, and adorned with 
fixteen views, in aqua-tinto, by Alken. 
Mr. Roots has tranflated into Englifh 
<¢ The Charters of the town of Kingftone 
on Thames :” fuch a lift may be fervice- 
able tothe hiftorian, and interefting to the 
antiquary ; but to the general clafs of rea- 
ders it will, of neceffity, be dull. “ A 
Defcription of the Town and Fortrefs of 
Mantua :” the author, M. Haffelmeyer, 
a lieutenant in the Imperial army, has 
given a very fpirited account of the muli- 
tary operations which preceded the fall 
of that city ; and, much te his credit for 
impartiality, has done juftice to the perfe- 
verance and intrepidity of both armies. 
Mr. Price, inthe “ Ludlow Guide,” has 
given, in an accurate and entertaining 
manner, the ancient and modern hiftory of 
that town and neighbourhood. 
BIOGRAPHY. 
Many valuable publications have ap- 
peared in this interefting and ufeful de- 
partment of literature: ‘“*’ The Works of 
sir Jofhua Reynolds, &c. to which 1s 
prefixed, an Account of the Life. and 
Wrhitings of the Author,’ have been 
edited, in two quarto volumes, by the 
laborious Mr. Malone, whofe long habits 
of intimacy with that illuftrious charac- 
ter,and whofe unufiial opportunities of 
furnifhing himfelf with materials to ren- 
der the biography of his friend valuable 
and amuting, prepared. us to expect a 
work far different indeed from the dull 
and ponderous performance with which 
he has prefented us. After all the labour 
of Mr. Malone, wé know but little of the 
life and writings of Sir Jothua, which we 
had not long fince learned froma hun- 
dred publications. Inthe fecond volume, 
however, is a Journey to Flanders and 
Holland, inthe year 1781; which having 
never been before publithed, and centain- 
ing very mafterly criticifms on the fiyle 
of fome celebrated painters, is highly 
valuable; the character of Rubens is par- 
ticularly. ftriking. Thefe volumes are 
certainly valuable, as they contain a col- 
ieé#ion of the works, which had hitherto 
Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature— Biography. 
[Sup. 
been fcattered,. of Sir Jofhua Reynolds. 
Tt may not'be amifs-to mention, that, im ~ 
Mr. M‘Cormick’s Memoirs of Mr. Burke, 
it is flatly ftated, that every one of thofe 
addreffes, for which the prefident of the 
Royal Society has enjoyed fuch celebrity, 
were written by Mr. Burke, who was 
known to receive 40001. for the job. 
“ The Life of William late Earl of 
Mansfield,” by John Holliday, of Lins 
coln’s Inn, Efq. contains, perhaps, as 
copious an account of him as is to be ex- 
pected : materials which might have form- 
ed a complete biography, together with 
his lordfhip’s mannfcripts and library, 
were deftroyed in the year 1780. A 
tranflation has appeared of the manu- 
{cript ‘* Memoirs of the Life of Lord 
Lovat, written by himfelf, in the Frenck 
Language.’’ They are divided into two 
parts: the firft relates the cruelties which 
the author fays he experienced » from 
the family of Athol; andthe: feecond 
dwells on the perfecutions which were 
employed againft him, fora number of 
years,by the court of St. Germain’s. Lord 
Lovat 1s well known to have been be-~ 
headed on Tower Hill, for the part he 
took in the laft rebellion; and though the 
principal cireumftances of his life and 
fortune are notorious, the prefent me- 
_moirs will be far from uninterefting te 
the reader. ‘* Tiffo’s Life of Zimmer- 
man’’ has too much panegyric in it, but 
contains abundant matter for reflection 
on the weaknefs and inconfifiency of man. 
The fubje&t of this biography was of an 
hypochondriacal temperature,and,inthe . ~ 
latter days of his life, was affliéted: with , 
what Dr. Darwin’ would denominate a 
maniacal hallucination: he fancied him- 
felf pennylefs and deftitute, and that the 
enemy was plundering his houfe! Mr. 
Harwood has publifhed ** Alumni Eto-- 
nenfes ; or, a Catalogue of the Provofts 
and Fellows of Eton College, and King’s 
College, Cambridge, from the Founda- 
tion in 1443,to 1797.” Eton has un- 
doubtedly been the mother of many a 
learned man ; but a catalogue of provoits 
and fellows, three centuries in length, 
is not likely to afford much general uti- 
lity or entertainment. The ** Authentic 
Memoirs of the Life and Reign of 
Catharine II, @mprefs of all the Rutfias,’” 
are loofe and unconneéted anecdotes, 
which allthe world knew long ago. ‘The 
«¢ Memoirs of Charette, &c, by an Emi- 
grant of Diftinétion,” are an eulogy on 
the valour and humanity of that great 
man. On the avthenticity of the narra- ~ 
tive we have na cpinion to offer, We 
mut 
