39 
torious, that it can scarcely be necessary 
to record another mstance, in proof of 
it. There is, however, one method, by 
which they manifest this disregard which 
distinguishes them, from all other re- 
viewers. Whenever the pages of other 
Reviews are stained by misrepresen- 
tation, the editors always pay some at- 
tention to the complaints of the aggrieved 
author: but when misrepresentations, 
whether resulting from inadvertence, or 
malignity, find their way into the Edin- 
burgh Review, their effect,.so far as the 
méluence of that publication extends, is 
to be perpetual. However deep the in- 
jury an author may sustain, his request 
that the mis-statement may be corrected, 
is uniformly neglected ; and any attempt 
he may make to undeceive the public, 
through another medium, (though such 
an attempt can never completely meet 
the evil,) will only cause these northern 
eritics to heap up for him a new treasure 
of wrath, to he by, rankting and accu- 
mulating, till they are furnished with a 
convenient opportunity of pouring it 
upon his devoted head. 
Your liberally conducted Magazine 
has always been the asylum, to which 
those who were the victims of these mis- 
representations have fled. Since, there- 
fore, the editor of the Edinburgh Review, 
has recently refused to attend toa very 
respectful request I made him, for the 
correction of some malignant falsehoods 
he admitted into that work, respecting 
my Treatise of Mechanics, you will 
oblige me highly, by indulging me. with 
the only means now left me of obtaining 
justice; and allowing the following copy 
of the letter 1 sent Mr. Jeffray, to ‘obtain 
a place in your widely circulated. Mis- : 
Nal 
Yours: ier ts 7 is 
OLIN 
Royal Military Academy, 
Fune 6, 13809. 
-eellany. 
£ 
oe. 
.# 
To the Editor of the Edinburgh Review. 
March 18, 1809. 
Sir, 
As the author of several of the ad- 
mirable observations in the Critique 
upon Warburton’s Letters (an article 
which I cannot help ascribing to you,) 
must be a lover of justice,* I beg leave 
* The Edinburgh Reviewers, however, 
take care to prove that it is very easy to 
round a period with the expression of ge- 
nerous and ndble sentiments, though they 
never touch the heart, or ‘stimulate to liberal 
conduct. 
1 
« 
Misrepresentation in the Edinburgh Reviewer's 
nTHUS GREGORY. | 
[ Aug. I, 
to call your attention to a few remarks, 
occasioned by some of the animadver- 
sions you have admitted into your 
twenty-sixth Number, upon the history 
of steam-engines, and some other ar- 
ticles, selected, for the purpose of cen- 
sure, from my Treatise of Mechanics, 
published more than three years ago. 
I am, however, unwilling to infringe 
deeply upon that time, which I am sure 
you can employ more pleasantly, and 
profitably, than in listening to the que- 
rulous accents of one of that class of 
mortals, which is reckoned proverbially 
irritable ; and shall, therefore, confine 
myself to two topics : first, I will assign 
the motives which induced me to admit 
Mr. J. C. Hornblower’s statement into 
my second volume; and then, since the 
reviewer has set me the example of en- 
quiring into motives, I will request the 
a our of you te enquire into the motives 
vhich could stimulate him to indulge in 
the insinuations, and grossly erroneous 
charges, contained in the note printed 
on the 236th page. After you have in- 
stituted such enquiry; I wish you may 
find that the motives which led to that 
statement were as pure, benevolent, 
and laudable, as those by which I was 
actuated. 
At the time I was preparing the practi- 
cal volume of the Mechanics, a volume. 
which is professedly, and from its very na- 
ture, -** a compilation,” a friend, for 
whose judgment, talents, and cha- 
racter, a entertain a high respect, men-> 
tioned to me Mr. Hornblower (of 
whom I then:knew nothing) as a man 
who had made the improvement of steam- 
engines the chief business of his life; but 
who, through an unfortunate contest ‘with 
afiluent and powerful competitors, had 
been/thrown into a state of comparative 
adversity and obscurity: I was urged to 
_ give him an opportunity, by combining 
history with description, to tell his own, 
Story, asa thing that might be serviceable 
to himself and his family, and ultimately 
beneficial to the public. II assented to 
the proposal, it was not because I wished 
‘© to trouble -the repose of an eminent 
man, retired frgmpctive life,” but to re- 
cal the public attention to an ingenious 
man, of excellent moral character, whem 
1 then considered, as thrust ‘* from active 
life,” when he possessed more than ever 
the power of being useful: not to infringe 
upon the laws of £¢ truth and justice’, for 
which it is easy for any person to be a 
champion, when he thereby hopes to 
eatch the smiles of .a man ‘* of ease and 
: affluence,” 
\ 
