640 
place remark, in language too fize for the 
fubje&t. One obfervation, however, we 
remember which certainly may claim to 
itfelt.the merit of originality : {peaking of 
the expanfion of mind which the ftudy of 
altronomy produces, Mifs Hatfield gravely 
delivers it as her opinion that a capacity 
which is able to trace the mazes of a 
‘country dance, and purfue in imagination 
the intricate adventures of the heroines of 
modern romances, will, ewithout dificulty, 
be taught alfo to conceive the ftructure of 
the folar fyftem, and the fituations, peri- 
edical revolutions,and other circumitances, 
belonging to the heavenly bodies! what a 
pity that Veftris has not the telefcope of 
Herfchel! and that the opera-dancers have 
not penfions and apartments allotted to 
them at the Royal Greenwich Obferva- 
tory! Young ladies will foon learn aftro- 
nomy, perhaps, in ** Memoirs of the Life 
of Saturn,”—“* A Hiftory of the Reign of 
Jupiter,” and ** The Adventures of the 
Georgium Sidus, written by their refpec- 
tive Moons!”’ ** The Travels of'a Comet”’ 
mult be extremely interefting and full of 
anecdote. 
“ The Hiftary of Man in a favage and 
civilized State. Written in a familier 
Style,and adapted to theCapacities of Youth. 
being Vol. I. of the Minor’s Magazine.” 
This is a favourable fpecimen, and if 
the future volumes equal the prefent they 
will form an ufeful collection. 
\ Far beyond any and all the little books 
which ever came under our in{peétion are 
the ‘* Scientific Dialogues; intended for 
the Inftru€ticn and Entertainment of young 
People: in which the firft Principles of 
Natural and Experimental Philofopay are 
fully explained.” 
Four volumes have already made their 
appearance, (the two firft, indeed, a confi. 
derable time fince); the firft treats on 
mechanics, the fecond on aftronomy, the 
third on hydroftatics, and the fourth on 
pneumatics. Each volume has four plates, 
engraved with the ulual elegance and ac- 
-curacy of Mr. Lowry. We are encourage 
ed to hape that in a fhort time two other 
volumes compriling optics, chemittry, 
electricity, and magneti{m will make their 
appearance. 
“¢ The Schelars Orthograpbical and Or- 
thoépical Afifiant ; or, Engiifp Exercife- 
- book, Gc. by THOMas CaRPENTER,” 
Ose of the objects of this uteful book is 
to corre& provincial or (aid) foreign in- 
accuracies of pronunciation. 
Mr. RicHarn’s ‘* PraGical Arithme- 
zic’” is wcll arranged: the rules are per- 
fpicuoufly explained. 
mendation. 
> ~ 
Retrofped? of Domeftic Literature Mifeellanies. 
“ TInprovements in Education; as if 
vefpecis the induftrious Claffes of the Com- 
munity : containing a foort Account of its 
prefent State, Hints towards its Improwe- 
ment, and a detail of fome Pradtical Ex- 
periments conducive to that End, by Ja- 
SEPH LANCASTER.” 
Mr. Lancafter_ is the mafter of a {chool 
of three hundred boys, whom he educates 
in a particular manner; the bafis of which 
is reward, not flageilation—honour not. 
fear. Indeed, for our own part we have 
ever confidered flagellation as fundament- 
ally bad: and it is with pleature we. fee 
the fyftem abolifhed in a large {chook 
with fo good effe&. Mr. Lancafter 
has freely imparted his plan to the public 
and it is deferving of the higheft com- 
' The recolle@lion, even at 
this diftance of time of our corporeal fut- 
ferings at {chool, is almoft infandum re- 
novare dolorem: it makes one tingle to 
think of them. 
Mits Venrum’s °* Surveys of Nature” 
are adapied to the capacities of children 
of ten or twelve years old. 
A great number of little tales, &c. have 
been publifhedwhich we have not time to 
enumerate, We muft proceed tq the con- 
clufioti of our article, and wind it up with 
a few gists, ys 
MISCELLANIES. 
“The General Diffufion of Knowledge, 
one great Caufe of the Profperity of Nort3 
Britain; by ALEXANDER CHRISTISTON, 
one of the Mafters of the High School of 
Edinburgh, and F.R.S. Edin.” 
Of the faét afferted in the title-page to 
this interefting pamphlet there is no 
doubt ; knowledge has for upwards of a 
century been diffuled among the lower 
clafles of people in Scotland by means of 
parochial fchools ; with knowledge have 
been diffufed good morals and induftry. 
The noble infiitutioa, however, which has 
produced effeéis fo obvioufly beneficial is 
now falling into decay, and it 1s the ob- 
ject of this work to call the attention of 
the legiflature, and the public, to the im- 
pending calamity. The following is a 
melancholy itatement: ‘* the wretched in- 
come of fome ettablifhed teachers, parti- 
cularly parith {chool-mafters, is becoming 
every diy worle. Mazy of them do not earn 
half fo much as a journeyman majon. The 
unhappy old men who are in the profefhion 
mult continue in it, as they are too eld to 
learn any other; but many of them,unlefs the 
income be rectificd, will have no fucceffors. 
‘Tnis event has taken place already. There 
are many parifh-{chools vacant, becaule 
no man will accept of them with fo {mall 
/ a reward 
