Retrofpect of American Literature Hiflory—Poctry—Drama, Ge. 619 
terature but not worthy of diftiné&t enu- 
meration in this place. 
HISTORY: 
For colle&ting, preferving, and multi- 
plying the copies of hiftorical records and 
documents, an afluciation has been a con- 
fiderable time eftablithed in Maffachufetts, 
called ** The Hiftorical Society.’” ~ This 
excellent inftitution perfeveres, with great 
fpirit, in furthering the objects for which 
it was formed. 
Mr. Minor’s ‘* Hiftory of Maffachu- 
. fetts Bay,fince the Year.1748,°’ a Continu- 
ation of Hutchinfon’s refpeétable Work 
on that Subje&, is now before the Public 
in cne Volume.’? The author intends to 
prepare a fecond, and to bring up the 
Hiftory nearer tothe prefent Time. Such 
performaiices are always perafed with in- 
tereft. . 
Mr. JEFFERSON, now Prefident of the 
United States, has publifhed ‘* An Ap- 
pendix to his Notes on Virginia, in which 
a candid and faithful Statement of Facts 
is given relative to the Murder of Logan’s 
Family.” The calmnefs of temper and 
clearnefs of reafoning difplayed in this 
piece, muft for ever filence and confound 
thofe who cailed in queftion his Original 
Narrative of the celebrated Indian Speech. 
In a new American edition of the Notes 
on Virginia, this Appendix forms part 
of the volume. 
| POETRY. 
Several poetical publications have been 
offered to the public within a fhort time. 
Since the publication of Mr. WaRREN 
Dutton’s ** Poem on the Preferit State 
of Literature,” a_ Colle&tion by the late 
Mr. Clifton has been iffued from the 
prefs. 
Mr. Samvet Low, who had fome 
time ago publifhed a ‘little volume of 
Poems, has fince compleated a fecond. 
And more recently ftill, «* A Colleétion 
of Poems, chiefly written in South Ca- 
yolina, by Joun Davis,” has miade its 
appearance. Of thefe, the firft mentioned 
was publifhed at Hartford, the three others 
in New York. ' q 
To thefe may be added, Joun Biair- 
DINNS’s ** Poavers of Genius,” which has 
juft made its appearance. rare 
. DRAMA. 
The Manager of the New York Thea- 
tre, Mr. WiLL1amM DuN tap, has zea- 
~Toufly exerted himfelf in preparing the 
preferable pieces of Kotzebue for repre- 
fentation on the ftage. ‘The better to ac- 
complifh this, he has acquired fuch a 
Knowledge of the German Janguage, as 
to read the works of that celebrated dras 
Montary Mac. No. 756 
matift in the original. But he has dove 
more! he has made verfions of feveral of 
them, and adapted them to the ftate of 
manners and feeling in America. Thefe 
have been exhibited with great applaufe. 
His laft tranflation is of ** Pizarro ; or, 
the Death of Rolla, with ‘Notes, marking 
the Variations from the Original.” In 
this, he has not neglected to avail him- 
felf,in fome degree, of Mr.Sheridan’s play. 
Two other of the plays, formerly ren- 
dered into Englifh, were ‘“Der Wild- 
fang,’ and ** The-Virgin of the Sun.” 
We {carcely mention ** The Hypocrite 
Unmafked,” of Mr. WiNSTANLY, tho’ 
printed, it had not merit enough for fcenic 
reprefentation. | 
Mr. D. EveretT’s ‘* Daranzel ; or, 
Perfian Patriot,’? as performed in the 
theatre at Bofion, has fince been pub-~ 
lifhed. 
LAW. 
Mr. Coteman’s ‘ Cafes of Practice, 
adjudged in the Supreme Court of New 
York,” is a valuable book for pra¢tifers 
of law ir that commortwealth. 
“Tuomas Jerrerson’s ** Manual of 
Parliamentary Praétice, for the Ufe of 
the Senate of the United States,”’ will be 
found highly ufeful in aiding the deli- 
berations of that auguit body. 
_DIVINITY-AND SERMONS. 
Mr. CHarLes Crawrorn’s “ Effay 
upon the Eleventh Chapter of ihe Revelations 
of St. ‘fobn,” is intended to thew that the 
paflage, concerning the earthquake and 
the fall of the city refer to Jerufalem, 
and not to Rome’or France. 
Ezra Sampson’s ‘ Beauties of the 
Bible,’ is a Selection from the O!d and 
New Teftaments for the Ufe of Chriitians 
in General, and more particularly for 
Schools: to which Mr. Sampfon has 
added, Remarks and Obfervations of his 
own. 
The almoft innumerable pulpit ‘* Dift 
courfes on the Death of. Wafhington”’ are 
how over, and this fertile field of fer- 
monizing and oratory, has compleated its 
aftonifhing crop. 
A volume of ¢* Sermons on fome of the 
Firft Principles and Doétrinés of True 
Religion,” by NATHANIEL EMMONS; 
ts remarkable for the adherence of the au- 
thor, to what is called in America, [op-~ 
kinfian Theolazy, one of the tenets of 
which is, that in the production of evil 
the Deity exercifes the fame direét and 
pofitive agency as in the accomplifhment 
of good. ‘ 
Mr. Strone’s fecond volume of 
** Sermons, Doctrinal, Experimental, and_ 
aK Practical,” 
