Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Miscellanies. 
known to Collins, Murdin, Jones, Birch, 
end otber publishers of State-Papers : 
and yet, if we except those of the Earl 
of Llardwicke, no papers were more de- 
serving of publication. In Mr. J. West’s 
Collection, there are also Bishop Ken- 
net’s Historical Papers, which are very 
voluminous and valuable: hkewise Sur- 
veys, and other materials for the histories 
of the different counties of England, par- 
ticularly Sussex and Yorksinre, which 
were collected by Warburton, Austis, 
and other antiquaries; also considerable 
treasures in the department of Family 
Mistory and Pedigree, with Heraldical 
Collections of Le Neve, and most of the 
Heralds and Kings at Arms, back to the 
time of Glover and Camden; and many 
original Abbey Registers of- great value, 
as Records in tythe causes, &c. and 
finally, every paper and volume that 
could be procured, relative to the office 
of Secretary to the Treasury, which Mr. 
West enjoyed for many years. His in- 
timacy with the second Harley, Earl of 
Oxford, seems to have contributed much 
to enrich him in several of the afore- 
mentioned particulars. 
“Mr. Ph. Carteret Webb’s Collec- 
tion, consisting chiefly of Parliamentary 
and Revenue History, contains number- 
less curious articles relative to the Chan- 
cery, Exchequer, and Treasury, the Spi- 
ritual and the Admiralty Courts, Wards 
end Livery, Star Chamber, &c. Among 
these are above thirty volumes of the 
Papers of Sir Julius Cesar, Judge of the 
Admiralty in Queen Elizabeth’s time, and 
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mas- 
ter of the Rolls in the time of James I. 
and. Charles I. From them may he 
gained almost a complete history of the 
finances of those reigns, together with 
much secret information, and many cu- 
rious unpublished state papers, connected 
with the general: history of those times. 
Sir Julius Cesar’s Manuscripts were ex- 
posed to sale many years ago at an 
auction, in St, Paul’s ‘hurch Yard, where 
Mr. West and Mr Webb became the 
principal purchasers of them. Mr. Webb, 
being Solicitor to the Treasury, was 
likewise attentive to collect all memorials 
of the business of that office down to his 
own time. Several volumes of his Ma- 
nuscripts belonged to Lord Somers; and 
many, not the least curious relative to 
law business, were the property of Mr. 
Umfreville, who, having incurred an ex- 
traordinary expence in carrying his elec- 
won, as Coroner for Middlesex, was 
649 
under the necessity of selling his Cole 
lection, 
“In addition to the two Coll ections 
which have been already described, there 
are many volumes of copies, done at a 
‘great expence, from the Tower aud Cot- 
tonian Records. Many of them are of 
singular value, as they preserve the con- 
tents of some onginals which are oolite- 
rated, burnt, or lost. There is likewise 
avery considerable collection of original 
Letters to and from the Wings. and 
Queens of England and Scotland, trom. 
the time of Henry Vili. to that . of 
George IT. 
“ For the extent of the present Cata- 
logue, no apology is deemed necessary. 
If any manuscripts ever deserved a cir- 
cumstantial Catalogue, these surely do, 
The trouble which it has cost, and the 
expence which it has ineuried: are far 
outweighed by the single consideration, 
that a Catalogue of this descripnon will 
not only improve the value of the pro- 
perty, but, it is hoped, confer an impor- 
tant and permanent advantage upon the 
Republic of Letters.” 
‘The “ Portraiture of Quakerism, ag 
taken from a View of the Moral Educa~ 
tion, Discipline, peculiar Custoins, Reli- 
gious Principles, Political and Civil Eco- 
nomy, und Character of the Society of 
Friends,” by Mr. Crarxson, Conant eae 
cates a variety of curious particulars 
concerning the history and prevailing 
opinions of the Quakers; forming a Se- 
quel to Barclay’s Apology. 
The first part of the “ Philosophical 
Transactions,” for 1807, contains only 
six articles. The first 1s the “ Bakeran 
Lecture, on some Chemical Agencies of 
Electricity,” by eae Davy, esq. 
The second is “On the Precession of 
the Equinoxes,” by ne Rev. Abraham 
Robertson. The third and fourth are 
by Everard Home, esq. containing an 
“ Account of two (Children, born ‘with 
Cataracts in their Eyes;” and some 
“Observations on the Structure of the 
different Cavities «hich constitute the 
Stemach of the Whale.” The fifth ar- 
ticie is, “On the formation of the Bark 
of Trees,” in a Letter from T. A. Knight, 
esq. to ‘Sir Joseph Banks. The sixth, 
presents “An Investigation of the ge- 
neral Yerm of an important Series in the 
inverse Method of finite Differences.” 
By the Rev. John Brinkley, D.D. 
“ The Manual of Nobility,” by Mr. 
Banks, contains the substance of the 
Peerage in a compressed form, referring 
Bick to 
