for the coaft, or in winter for the metropolis, is feldom worth the ink that must be employed to write its character. Such we leave altogether to the winds of the one place, or the fmoke of the other. Of a very different character is the Life of Agrippina, by Mifs Hamilton*, which only claffes with Novels as containing an imaginary narrative, but founded on hiftorical facts, and rich in moral instruction. With a still higher object is the Count de Valmont † written, a work tranflated from the French, and intended to ftrengthen the principles of Christian duty, against the feductions of infidelity and corrupt manners.

MISCELLANIES.

We have endeavoured, and not unfuccefsfully, to reduce as much as poffible this nominal clafs, but real apology for the difficulty of claffifying. We fhall enumerate under it only three or four books; the first of which, by Mr. Twifs, bears the very title of Mifcellanies, and is completely mifcellaneous. The general tafte of readers will not find it on that account the lefs amufing. The Costume of Hindostan §, a book of pleafing information, reminds us naturally of Mr. Maurice's Vindication of his Hiftory of that country; a fpirited and well founded defence of a work, in which the author has certainly done much to deserve the approbation he has generally received. Of a directly oppofite caft are Mr. W. H. Ireland's Confeffions in which, however, they who are curious in literary anecdote, cannot fail to meet with much gratification.

;

But, of all miscellaneous works, none are fo completely various as the general Dictionaries of Arts and Sciences, fo fashionable in the prefent day; and, under the name of Cyclopædia, now becoming

No. I. p. 26.

No. VI. p. 690.

No. VI. p. 672. No. V. p. 557.
No. I. p. 96. I No. I. p. 93.

fo

fo very numerous. In that of Dr. Rees*, if we have mentioned fome faults, it has been with the view of improving a work, the execution of which is ftill, to a vast extent, within the power of its conductors. That it is founded on the first good work of the kind that ever appeared; that it has been enriched by prodigious improvements; and that it will, with attention to a few important hints, be well worthy of the fupport it has obtained, we by no means with to deny. But the greater the circulation of fuch works, the more important is it that they should be conducted with all poffible circumfpection, as to the great tendencies of their contents, in points of moral and religious moment.

Now, therefore, gentle reader, farewell; and, for dignity's fake, in Greek:

Ταῦτα φίλοις μὲν ἐμοῖσι φέρω χάριν· ἐςὶ δὲ μύσαις
Konòs & Toy Mania Svens sépavos.

* No. III. p. 225.

TO THE

BOOKS REVIEWED IN VOLUME XXVI.

N. B. For remarkable Paffages in the Criticifms and Extra&s
fee the INDEX at the End of the Volume.