~ 563 Retrofpec? of Damefic 
Poems, which we believe are’ now very 
generally if not univerfally ailowed to be 
fpurious. As the prefent work forms a 
continuation of Dr. Robertfon’s Hiftery of 
Scotland, we are happy to be informed by 
‘the auchor, that itis his defign to add, in 
a fall preliminary or rather intermediate 
‘volume, an Hiftorical and Critical Differta- 
tion on the acceffion of Mary Queenof Scot- 
Jand tothemurder of her hufband. On this 
‘fubject Mr. Laing fays, that-he has already 
difcovered fome, and may full expeét, to 
procure more, original materials fubfer- 
wient to the evidence of which the public 
is poffefled. 
An ancnymous writer has prefented the 
public with “A Hiftorical and Philofophi- 
«al Sketch of the Diicoveries and Settle- 
ments of the Europeats m Northern and 
Weftern Africa, at the -clofe. of the 
Eighteenth Century.””. This little work 
is chiefly indebted jor its materials to Mr. 
Ledyard, Mefirs. Lucas,, Bruce, Watt, 
Winterbotham, Houghton, Park, Brown, 
&e. ~The writer has drawn it up with 
confiderable care, and. we doubt not but 
that he will be amply repaid for his 
trouble. 
It may be fufficient to tranfcribe the 
title page of the following work :— 
¢* George Buchanan’s Dialogue, concern- 
ing the Rights of the Crown of Scotland. 
Tranflated into Englifh; with two Differ- 
tations prefixed; one Archeological, en- 
quiring into the pretended Identity of the 
Getes and Scythians, of the Getes and 
Goths,. and of the GotHs and Scots ; and 
the other Hiftorical, vindicating the Cha- 
raéter of Buchanan as an Hiftorian: and 
containing fome Specimens of his Poetry, 
in Englifn Verfe. By Robert Macfarlan, 
Au MM 
«** The New Annual Regifter” has 
made its appeaiance, and we are happy 
to fay, that the writers, not content with 
merely fupporting that well-earned repu- 
tation which their labours, during feveral 
years, have acquired chem for talent; im- 
pirtiality, and judgment, have exceeded 
themfe!ves in the diligence, accuracy, 
and ability, which shey have. employed 
in the compofition of the prefent volume. 
The limits of their publication obvioutly 
prohibit that cepious and minute detail 
of Parliamentary Debate which is afford- 
ed in our diurnal papers, and fome_pe- 
‘yiodical publications exprefsly devoted to 
the purpofe. 3 his portion of the account 
of our domehic occurrences, ‘theretore is, 
of negefiiy, meagre-and unfatistactory : 
_ byt the department of foreign hiftory 1s 
executed with uncommon ability, and 
Literature—Hifiory, 
evinces the writer to have taken a moft 
enlarged and critical view of the Conti- 
nental operations, and’ of the. intrigues, 
interefts, and conneétions, of various Ca- 
binets. ‘The narrative given of the fub- 
je€tion of Switzerland ¢o the French arms 
brought to our remembrance Mifs Wil- 
liams’s account of the caufes: which led 
to that event: <¢§ the Mountain-nymph, 
iweet Liberty,” had long fince fled shofe 
regions which fhe had once fixed on as her 
abode: the governments of the feveral 
Cantons were indeed difimilar if many 
refpects, but they appear to have been 
itamped with cne common character of 
intolerance and oppreflicn... In account- 
ing for the facility with which this coun- 
try fubmitted to the Republic, the au- 
thor, however, is far from fanckioning 
the conduét of the latter, and fully and 
feelingly relates the miferies which en- 
fued ; who, indeed, could fee the yul- 
ture hovering over thofe once happy hills, 
its prey held firmly in its talons, witheut 
breathing for the unhappy victim one fich 
of commiferation? The military opera- 
tions of the year 1799 were fo numerous, — 
and fo widely extended over Europe, that 
it demanded no common pen to give a 
lucid and accurate account of them: the 
writer of this portion of the Annual Re- 
gifter has, however, accomplifhed the 
dificult underteking in a mafterly man- 
ner.. Tothe prefent volume is prefixed 
Part IIT. cf the Hiéory of Knowledge, 
Learning, and Tafte, in Great Britain 
during the Reign cf Charles II. 
In a former retvefpecst we noticed Mr. 
Herbert Marfh’s ‘ Hiftory of the Poli- 
tics of Great Britain and‘ France, from 
the Time of the Conference at Pilnitz to- 
the Declaration of War again Great 
Britain,” &c. in which werk the learned 
auther had laboured with great earneft- 
nefs to fhew that France was the ageref- 
fer in the prefent calamitous, and blocd- 
fhedding conteft. On that pamphlet Mr. 
W. Beliham, a gentleman of whofe in- 
telleGiual attainments and moral charaérer 
we think highly, notwithftanding the 
opinion which we unfortunately gave on 
a former occafion of his Hiltery of the 
Reign of George fil. has lately pyb- 
- difhed fome ‘‘ Remarks” which have called 
from Mr. Marfh a vindication of his 
werk. \Thefe gentlemen, we -are-forry 
to fee, preferve not that coclnefs and mo- 
deration which would have beea more 
confiftent with the dignity of thew cha- 
raéters, nor that fenie of each ‘others 
merits and abilities which an indifferent 
fpeciator would have felt for beth. side 
’ ~ have 
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