— 
1804. ] 
with me in prifon during my four months 
confinement, and afterwards brought off 
in fafety, when I fled with my family 
from France, One of them is a Latin 
Prayer book, containing the public pray- 
ers.of the Catholic church, beautifully 
written on vellum, and ornamented; and 
in the firt page is a memorandum, fup- 
pofed to be ia the hand of James II. 
declaring the book to have belonged to 
Mary Queen of Scots, and to have been 
ufed by her. Majefty on the fcaffold. The 
oiker is alfo a common Larin Prayer- 
book, or Breviary, which belonged to 
the fame Queen Mary, given ber asa pre- 
fent by the then Pope, with the arms of 
the Holy See richly embroidered on the 
back. Both books are fiacly illuminated, 
and contain numerous paintings; and 
they are the only ones of this famous 
Colle&tion which I can anfwer for. “They 
are now in.my poffeffion, and I thall be: 
ready and happy to'fhew them to anv per- 
fon who may-think them an object of cu- 
riofity. With great regard, I am, 
Dear Sir, your's, &c, 
CuarLes BRowNneE MOSTYN. 
Kiddington, February 1, 1804. 
Before we undertook to publifo the pre- 
ceding very curious communication, we 
confidered tt our duty, as well to the public 
as to the illufirious flatejnan whofe name 
occurs in the latter part, to fend it to Mr. 
Fox, for bis perufal. That gentleman, 
wvben he returned it, favoured us with 
fome further particulars, which we deem 
it of importance to prefent to our readers. 
LETTER FROM THE HON. C. J. FOX. 
Sik, 
The account in the enclofed paper cor- 
refponds exactly with what I have been 
able 10 collect concerning the S:uart 
papers both here and in France,—I had 
loft all hopes of finding the Scotch Col- 
lege Papers before I went to that coun- 
try ; and the chief object of my journey 
was to confult the archives of the Secre- 
tary of State’s Office,’ &c. Barillon’s and 
D°’Avaux’s correfpondence. In this I 
fucceeded, and found much very uleful 
and curious matter. ‘There were not in 
the National Library any papers that 
either had, or were pretended to have, 
belonged to the Scotch College. I can 
have no doubt but Carpentier’s account 
is true; for if he had them in his poffeffion, 
he would certainly either have reftored 
them to the right owners, or have dilpofed - 
Ona particular Species of Reviewers. 
163 | 
of them to his own advantage, which he 
might eafily have done.—I! hear there are 
in Scotland at prefent {-me MSS. which 
are, or pretend to he, compilations trom 
the Scotch College Papers; and Iam now 
actually engaged in an enquiry concerning 
them. dam, ‘Sir, is 
Your moft obedient fervant, 
St. Anne's Hill, C.J. Fox. 
February 12,-1304. 
em ; 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
\ Y OTHING is more natural than that 
— the moftiplication of reviewers 
fhould be proportioned to that of authors ; 
nor, as a friend to literature, would I, 
Were it 10 my power, impole the leaft 
reftraint upon the free communicat.en 
of opinions concerning books, which, 
being addrefled to the publ c eye, appeal 
to the public judgment. Yet, it is obvi- 
ous, that when critici!m becomes a trade, 
followed by a number of competitors, 
there is danger left it fhould be purfued tm 
the {pirit of other overftocked trades ; and 
that its original purpofe of utility fhould 
be made fubordinate to the aim of catch- 
ing the attention by finifter aris. 
It would be a curious topic to confider 
all the varieties of charaéter aflumed by 
periodieal reviewers, and the different 
modes of deviation fiom the plain duty of 
their office by which they endeavour to 
make themfelves confpicuous. Such a 
tafk would, however, exceed the limits to 
which your corre!pondents are expected to 
confine themlelves: and I fhali trefpafs 
upon your patience no jarther than to make 
fome obfervations upon one defcription of 
critics, who feem to have ufurped a place 
in the public eiteem to which | cannot 
think them entitled. Indeed, they ap- 
pear to me, rather the declared toes of 
literature, than its tervants and guardians. 
I know not. how better to detignate the 
clafs of which they. are compofed, than by 
the familiar appellation they are fo fond-of 
mutually giving and receiv:ng, that of the 
very clever fellows. Whey would for- 
merly have been called men of bright 
parts ; geniufes of too high a caft to re- 
quire the adventitious aid of reading and 
reflection, and fit to diiculs, at fight, all 
foris of queftions. . 
When one of thefe clever fellows fits 
down to review a book, nothing is tarther 
from his intention than to give an explicit 
account of what itcontains—-that would be 
