S74, Retrofped? of Dameftic Literabaveoeiy iiftory, Biography, Ee. 
death terminated the conteft; and his 
whole territory has been partitioned. 
Mr. Beatfon’s account of the acqui- 
fition is what an original hiftory ought 
to be, a clear orderly relation of facts, 
flanked with documents. It ts com- 
pofed in that regular book-maker’s 
ityle, which the Scottith writers have 
introduced. The phrafeology is not 
idiomatic, a8 we talk, but European, 
like the thrice tranflated columns of a 
newfpaper. The periods are fmooth 
and fimilar, as if cut out with a butter- 
ftamp. The characters are drawn up 
with urbanity and numerus, and agree- 
ably terminate in fyllabic caicades of 
humanity and moderation. 
It may feem iftrange to propofe to a 
Burgefs or a Southey a cotemporary 
event as a theme of epopcea; yet, it 
would be difficult toindicate any hifto- 
rical incident of equal importance—fo 
glorious in its conduct—to neat in its 
folution—fo dear to our patriotifm— 
and fo capable of mythologic decora- 
tion from local fuperitition, as the Con- 
queit of Myfore. ‘ 
«¢ Hiftory of the Campaigns 1795— 
r7995.§ vol? §5s.” nid : 
This tranilation or compilation is 
drawn up with more apparent than 
real fairnefs, from authentic fources of 
information, and will furnith inttruc- 
tion to the officer, the hiftorian, and 
the politician. The writer is fleadily 
hoftile to the French caute, but appears 
unfettled in’ his opinions of indivi- 
duals ; as, in the earlier volumes, Mo- 
reau is criticifed with feverity, and in 
the later applauded without referve. 
The Dutch expedition is narrated with 
unfatisfactory civility. The political 
complection of the year has fome in- 
fluence on the direction of the author’s 
blame and praife; yet his ability knows 
how to render plaufible his very dere- 
liGions of confiftency. It muft be 
wifhed he would revife and abridge the 
whole narrative, which fubfequent pub- 
lications enable him in places to cor- 
rect. 
«© Summary of Univerfal Hiftory, 
from the French of ANQUETIL, 9 vol. 
335.7" 
To cleanfe the Augean ftable of an- 
cient chronology is not the proper of- 
fice of an epitomator, nor has it been 
the object of M. Anquetil. He-may 
obferve, in the diftribution of his mat- 
ter, a more rational proporiion than 
Bofluet: he may narrate with more 
detail and intereft than Muljiot; and 
he may bring out into new confpicuity 
fome hitorical periods, which are be- 
come important from their refemblance 
‘to recent tranfactions: his geographi- 
cal plan of arrangement may deferve 
the praife of an amelioration; but he 
often repeats the fables of credulous , 
antiquaries under the name of prime- 
val hiflory, and admits received mifre- 
prefentations, where he might have in- 
veftigated the ground-work. For him, 
Freret has in vain refuted the ana- - 
chronifm of Newton; for him, Volney 
in vain obferved, that the fon of Hy- 
ftafpes was the Darius of Daniel; nor 
does he deteé&t the duplicity of Jo- 
fephus, in not recognizing the Nebu- 
chadnezzar of Berolus, and the Cyrus 
of Herodotus, as one and the fame 
prince. 
‘c Fiiftory of Helvetia, By) Bo i. 
NaYLor, 2 vol. 16s.” 
Since their rebellion againft Auftria, 
the Switzers have been governed by 
the.corporations of their large towns, 
each of which is fovereign in its own 
diftrict. A few of thefe corporations, 
like that of Zurich, were chofen from 
without by the burghers: thefe junf 
dictions were called democratic can- 
tons, and had in faét nearly the con- 
ftitution of the City of London. Other 
corporations, and in far greater num- 
ber, were chofen from within: on the 
eceafe of one frxteexer or alderman, 
the remainder filled up the vacancy : 
thefe jurifdi€tions were called arifto- 
cratic cantons, and had in faét nearly © 
the conftitution of the borough of 
Great Yarmouth, where likewifea right 
of life and death vefts in the chief ma- 
giftrate. Thofe who have refided in 
our clofe boroughs will eafily under- 
ftand the manner in which, by inter- 
marriages and partnerfhips in. trade, 
a family-junto commonly obtain the 
exclufive management of fuch a Cor- 
poration, and diftribute its privileges, 
honours, patronages, .benefices, leafes, 
and jobs, among their own relations 
and dependents. Into this ftate, the. 
government of the Swifs cities has long 
fince flidden. Wherever the. public- 
ofiices were fuffiiciently important and 
refpectable to be not beneath the no- | 
tice of a man of intellect, parties grew 
up in thefe towns, and, in oppofition 
to the domineering families, combina- 
tions of voters were formed, which 
often propofed to extend the right of 
fuffrage to all the educated claffes, and. 
moftly became more popular mh 3 
| Lit. 
