Great Britain, from the Time of Henry Among the fmall and large historical works published feparately, we again have to notice, as particularly worthy of attention, several by authors of eminence, on the history of Germany in general, or of fingle provinces. Whilst the large works of HEBERLIN and SMIDT were continued by SENKENBERG and MILBILLER; MANNERT, of Altdorf, a gentleman whofe labours have greatly contributed to the elucidation of ancient geography, gave us a valuable "Compendium of the History of the German Empire;" BREYER, of Jena, a young man of eminent talents, a "Sketch of the Age of the Germani," being a specimen of his Univerfal Hiftory; and ARNDT, of whom we have before spoken as the author of Travels, and of a work on the Slavery of the Peasants in Swedish Pomerania, drew, in his "Germanien und Europa," a grand outline of the history of the moral and polifical culture of Europe, and particularly of Germany, as alfo a view of its prefent Hate and probable progrefs. The indefatigable Baron von ARETIN, librarian to the Elector of Bavaria, pubfifhed, from manufcripts in the Electoral Library, at Münich, "Die ältefte Sage über Karls des Groffen Geburt und Ju gend" Oldest Legends relative to the Birth and Youth of Charlemagne; " Aufprüche der Minnegerichte" Judgments pronounced by the Minstrel Courts; and Eine Gefchichte der Juden in Bavaria" History of the Jews in Bavaria. PFISTER'S "Allgemeine Gefchichte von Schwaben-General History of Swabia; RUMPLER'S "Gefchichte von Salzburg'a -Hiftory of Salzburg; and other Provincial Hiftories, were received with approbation. L. MEISTER, a native of Switzerland, advantageously known as the author of a great number of hiftorical publications, continued his "Helvetische Geschichte," &c.-or, History of Helvetia during the laft Two Thousand Years; and added a fhort 66 Helvetische Revolutions Gefchichte"-History of the late Swifs Revolution. ZSCHOKKE, partly as an eyewitnefs, wrote a "Hiftorische Denkwürdigkeiten der Helvetischen Staatsumwälzung;"-or, a Hiftory of the Memorabilia of the Helvetic Revolution: his ftyle is nervous, but fometimes rather too florid. Continuations of HEINRICH'S "Hiftory of France" and WOLTMANN'S "Hiftory of Great Britain" made their appearance. beginning of his " Gefchichte von Schweden"-History of Sweden, which is executed in a matterly manner. VON HA LEM's "Leben Peter des Groffen"-Life of Peter the Great; and "Lebensbefchreibung des General Münnich"-Memoirs of Field Marshal Munnich, are excellent contributions towards the hiftory of Ruffia.-JEKEL and fome others pub lifhed works on the History of the late Kingdom of Poland. To the biographies which we have already mentioned as forming contributions towards the hiftory of empires, we have now to add notices of fome other biographical works. At Hal'e there ap peared one, called "The Biographer; or, a Collection of the Lives of remarkable Perfons during the laft Three Centuries, which is compiled by writers of abilities adequate to the task. The Rev. Mr, BAUR published the first volume of his Interefting Accounts of the Lives of the moft eminent Perfons of the Eighteenth Century;" and likewife, as a further ad dition to Lavocat's Biographical Dictionary, which had been before continued by him, an "Historisches Wörterbuch aller merkwürdiger Perfonen in dem letzen Jahrzehend des 18ten Jahrhunderts”→→→ A General Historical Dictionary of the Lives of all remarkable Perfons of the last Decennium of the Eighteenth Century, Several others treated of the events of modern times in connected general hifto ries. Befides the continuation of EICH HORN's "Gefchichte der 3 letzten Jahr hunderte"-or, Hiftory of the last Three Centuries, there appeared in French, a very animated "Tableau des Revolutions du Syftême Politique de l'Europe depuis la Fin du 15 Siècle," by ANCILLON, Profeffor of History in the Royal Military Academy, at Berlin, in which he endea vours to fhew how the ftates of Europe followed the maxim, that ftrength and ac tions are commenfurate, and that every thing is to be feared from him who is in a condition to undertake every thing. A valuable contribution towards the hiftory of the middle ages was given by SPALDING, in his "Gefchichte des K. Jerufalem;"-or, Hiftory of the Kingdom of Jerufalem; the principal object of which is to give a faithful picture of the manners and spirit of those times. The hiftory of all ages and countries was likewife collected into one mafs in what are called Univerfal Hiftories, by BREYER, GALLETTI, of Gotha, &c. Mr. SCHLICHTEGROLL, whom we have before had occafion to mention as the RUHS, of Greifswald, published the editor of the German Necrology, and who is is keeper of the Duke of GOTHA's extenfive collection of medals and coins, began to publifh "Annalen der gefammten Numifmatik"- General Numifmatical Annals, for the Illuftration of Ancient and Modern History. We find, however, though the conuary might have been expected from the tile, that thefe Annals will not comprehend the coins of the middle ages. Several cultivators of ancient history and geography, likewise communicated the refults of their refearches. BUTT. MANN, of Berlin, in his " Aeltefte Erdkunde der Morgenländer"-Moft Ancient Geography of the Orientals, endeavours to prove that the fcite of Paradife, according to their traditions, was in India, the country situate betwixt China and the Persian Gulph. HASSE, of Königf berg, in his "Zigeuner in Herodor." &c. combats the generally received opinion, that the Gypfies firft came from Egypt into Europe about the beginning of the fif. teenth century; and finds in Herodotus (V. 9) traces of their existence in Hungary at a very remote period. LUNNE MANN drew from Strabo, compared with later writers, the materials for his fuccefsful prize differtation, “ Defcriptio Caucafi Gentiumque Caucafiarum. HERRMANN, the author of feveral publications in illuftration of Heyne's Mythology, gave us rów a work on the "Fefte von Hellas" the Festivals of Greece, in which he pretends to have first confidered them in their proper point of view, and to have fhewn the real purposes for which they were inftituted, M. BÖTTIGER, of Weimar, long celebrated as one of the most learned archæologifts of Germany, furnished, in a little work, equally amufing and inftructive, entitled "Sabina; oder, Morgenfcenen in dem Putzzimmer einer Römerin"-Sabina; or, Morning Scenes in the DreffingRoom of a Roman Lady-an excellent contribution towards a correct knowledge of the private life of the Romans, by which means only many paffages in ancient Latin authors can be explained. "Die hiftorische Kunft der Griechen in ehrer Entstehung und Fortbildung," by CREUZER, of Marburg, throws muca light on the fubject he has undertaken to illuftrate; viz. the origin and progreffive improvement of hiftoriography among the Greeks. All these works on Greek and Roman antiquities might, with equal propriety, have been claffed under the head of vators of it. That, however, there is no want of friends and patrons of the ftudy of philology in general appears from the circumftance, that befides the "Commentarii Soc. Phil. Lipfienfis (which have been continued feveral years, though the circulation be not fo extenfive as it merits,) another journal, entitled "Philo logie," has been begun by HANFF, of Stuttgard, for the purpose of diffufing a tafte for, and facilitating the study of, the beft Greek and Roman authors; and MATTHIE, of Altenburg, has met with fufficient encouragement to induce him to publish his "Mifcellanea Philologica;"or, Collection of fmall Tracts, by philologifts of established reputation. At the two latt Leipzig Fairs likewife, there again came forth a great number of new editions of ancient Greek and Roman claffics, commentaries, &c. JENISCH, of Berlin, publifhed his "Vorlefungen über die Meisterwerke der Griechischen Poefie," &c.Lectures on the Mafter pieces of the Grecian Mufe, in which he takes a comparative view of the chief poetical productions of modern Europe. M. JACOBI, of Gotha, a man of the most refined tafte, gave, befides a continuation of his edition of the "Anthologia," a German Anthology, under the title of "Tempe,' and drawn from that fource. The fol lowing Greek claffics were likewife illuftrated in a manner that claims our approbation; Orpheus, by SCHNEIDER, of Frankfort; Theocritus, by DAHL, of Roftock; Sophocles's Philocletes, by BARBY; and the fame poet's Ele&ra, by ERFURDT. LANGE's edition of Ifocrates feems not to have been fufficiently prepared for the prefs. KUINOL published from the MSS. of the late learned M. FISCHER, of Leipzig, to whom philology is fo much indebted, a "Commentary on the Plutus of Ariftophanes,* and "Remarks on Xenophon's Cyropadia." A German tranflation (the first that appeared in that language) of “ Aris totle's Rhetoric," was given by VOIGT, of Prague, who has long been engaged in the critical study of that author's works. TIEMANN, in his "Verfuch über Lucian's Philofophie und Sprache"-Effay on the Philofophy and Style of Lucian, strongly recommends the writings of that author. FIORILLO, of Göttingen, furnifhed, in a feparate publication, “Obfervationes Critica" on Athenæus, the excellent edition of whofe works by SCHWEIGHAUSER goes on without interruption. Of the Latin claffics, four feries of editions were begun almost at the fame time; one 46 ner of the Schlegelian school, spoiled by being overloaded with ornaments. BOTHE has publifhed a volume of Satires, in which the tranflations and imitations are better than the original pieces. In TiCK'S Sammlung von Minneliedern," we are prefented with a collection of old German ballads, &c. in their original state, without any alteration with respect either to language or orthography. MATHISON, on the other hand, has given in his Lyrifche Anthologie," a felection from the German poets of the last two centuries, which he has corrected and mo. dernised. Of the poets of the prefent day, collec one at Erfurt, and another at Vienna, which are only reprints of the text; the two others at Leipzig and at Göttingen are furnished with notes, and are printed under the direction of EICKSTADT and RUPERTI, two well known philologifts. Befides thefe collections, there appeared a great number of feparate editions and tranflations of Latin claffics. DoRING, director of the excellent grammar fchool at Gotha, began a valuable edition of Horace; Calpurnius was edited by the learned BECK, of Leipzig; and Phædrus, by BOTHE, with annotations, in which he enters deeply into the investigation of the genius of the fabulift, and of that species of poetical compofition. KRAUSE's editions of whofe productions made their aption of "Velleius Paterculus" will be pearance, the tender bard who edited the found particularly useful for fchools. above-mentioned collection, and his friend SPALDING finished his beautiful edition SALIS, hold a distinguished rank: of the of Quintilian. former's poems a fifth, and of the latter's a fourth edition was published. TIEDGEN'S "Elegien und vermifchte Ge. dichte". Elegies and Mifcellaneous Poems, abound with tender fentiments; and may likewife be recommended as excelling with respect to delicacy and fulnefs of expreffion, euphony, and fmoothnefs of verification. LINDENMEYER'S Poems may likewife be characterised by delicacy of fentiment; and thofe of BURDE, by a beautiful fimplicity. The German poems of the celebrated Danish poet, BAGGESEN, deferve likewife to be noticed here with commendation. Of the larger poetical compofitions, publifhed feparately, the moft diftinguifhed is ROSEGARTEN'S "Jucunde," a paftoral poem in five eclogues; which requires, how ever, a few trifling corrections and alterations. Virgil's Georgics were tranflated anew by Bock, who had before rivalled the celebrated Vofs in the execution of the difficult task of transfufing into the German language the beauties of the Roman bard. Many other tranflations of Roman claffics were published, but thefe cannot be fuppofed fufficiently interefting to an English reader, to require a particular enumeration in this place. HARLES'S "Brevior Notitia Literaturæ Romanæ" is not merely an extract from his former publications on that subject, but a really valuable work, which is remodelled after an improved plan. With refpect to Oriental Literature, we fhall here only notice ROMMEL'S "Commentary on Abulfeda," which gained the prize offered by the University of Göttingen; DOMBAY's "Grammatica Linguæ Perficæ, cum Vocabulario," &c. ; and ALTER'S "Treatife on the Tagalic Language." The two laft mentioned authors refide at Vienna, where the oriental languages and literature are cuitivated with confiderable ardour. LICHTENSTEIN'S "Tentamen Palæographia"Affyrio-Perfice," is the long-expected explication of the nail-headed or Perfepolitan characters. POETRY AND THE DRAMA. In the preceding fection we mentioned fome poetical tranflations from the ancient claffics; and here we fhall notice other tranflations from more modern claffics, and original productions of the German Mufe, SCHLEGEL'S "Blumenfträuffe Italiänischer, Span:fcher, und Portugefifcher Poefie," confifts of tranflations from felect pieces of Italian, Spanish, and Portuguele poets; but, according to the man MONTHLY MAG, No. 117. In the dramatic department of literature there was a very rich harvest, both with refpect to quantity and quality. Befides Göthe and Schiller, Kotzebue, and many other poets of more or lefs celebrity had written for the ftage, and communicated their works to the public. GÖTHE'S Tragedy, entitled "Die Na. türliche Tochter"-The Natural Daugh ter, is only the first part of a dramatic poem, founded upon the Memoirs of Stephania Louifa of Bourbon-Conti: it will probably be extended to three parts, like Schiller's Wallenftein. In SCHILLER'S "Braut von Meffina; oder, die feind❤ lichen Brüder"-Bride of Meffina; or, the Hoftile Brothers'-choruffes are introduced, after the plan of the ancient Greek tragedies. It is impoffible to characterife thefe two works in a few lines, and we must therefore content ourselves with this 4 X brief brief notice of them. BERGER, advantageously known before by his Henry IV. produced now a tragedy in iambics, founded on the tragic Hiftory of Conradine of Swabia. Count SODEK dramatifed the ftory of Bianca Capello. KOTZEBUE, from whom the public are every year expecting fomething new, furnished, in the ninth and tenth volume of his New Plays, feveral affecting dramas, comedies, and farces, fome of them imitated from French authors. Of the late Mr. JUNGER, there appeared two pofthumous volumes of plays; and likewife feveral theatrical productions by the late ingenious actor and dramatic writer, BECK; and likewife feveral new productions for the ftage, by RAMBACH, RÖCHLITZ, ZIEGLER, ZSCHOKKE, and other living authors. W. A. SCHLEGEL, whom we have mentioned before as the tranfplanter of exotic flowers of poetry into German ground, and, in a former Retrospect, as the tranflator of Shakespeare, published, befides the Ion of Euripides Germanized the beginning of a Spanish Theatre, in which he retains the verfification of the original. The whole are in a ftyle that certainly will not fuit the tafte of every body. From the fuccefs of GÖTHE in adapting the Tancred and Mahomet of Voltaire to the German ftage, the French tragedians had again become the order of the day, notwithstanding the fentence of condemnation lately pronounced against them by Horn. Corneille's Rodogune and Racine's Bajazet, were Germanized with much diligence and abi. lity by A. BODE. NOVELS. Such is the increasing rage for reading among all ranks of people, that not only a vaft crowd of novels, romances, tales, &c. make their appearance every year, but even whole collections, or series of them, fome of which furnish originals and tranflations, and others are appropriated to the reception of the productions of particular countries, meet with fupport and encouragement. We shall notice only a few by writers of approved merit. GER BER, who had hitherto concealed himfelf under the affumed name of Doro Caro, and who has a pleafing manner of telling a tale, published a "Collection of New Novels." In the profe works of VON HALEM, we find ten mifcellaneous narratives, and eighteen tales of the middle ages. KIND, advantageously known before as the author of "Carlo and Natalis," and of "Caftle Aklam,' a dra matic poem, which though rather defecsive on the whole, contains many beauti ful paffages, furnished, in conjunction with Lafontaine, two "Myftic Narratives." LAFONTAINE himself, favoured the public with the beginning of a new feries of novels, under the title of "So geht es in der Welt," which cannot fail to meet with approbation, as they are written in the usual manner of that favourite author. Two merry authors, LANGBEIN and LAUN, published new collections of humourous tales. RICHTER, better known by affumed name of Jean Paul, concluded his "Titan," the most finished production of this fenti mental and paradoxical writer. SCHILLING, diftinguished by his happy mode delineating original character, and by his knowledge of the tone and manner of polifhed fociety, added to his former pleafing productions a comic romance, entitled "Die Ignoranten." SELBIGER, whofe "Journey to France" (à la Yorick) had been received with approbation, announced another fentimental "Journey to the Bath." However much may be expected from the known genius of the author, we doubt whether he will ever rival THUMMEL, whofe "Reife durch die Mittäglichen Provinzen von Frankreich," Tour through the Southern Provinces of France-in a beautiful prose narrative, intermixt with charming poetical effufions, unites humour with the philosophy of life. Paffing over a number of works of inferior note, we fhall close this section with the notice of a new edition of the "Das goldene Kalb," the Golden Calf, by an anonymous author. This humourous fatire against many of the prevailing follies and vices of our egoistic age, abounds with wit and friking remarks on the human, and particularly the female, heart. THEORY AND HISTORY OF THE FINE ARTS. In this department of literature there likewife appeared feveral works worthy of notice. Befides the continuation of the "Handbuch der Æsthetik,”—Compendium of Efthetics, by the venerable EBERHARD, of Halle, who had long given oral inftructions on that fubject, we were favoured with SAUER'S "Unterfuchungen über den Antheil der Einbil dungskraft an deu Werken der Dicht- und Redekunft," where the author, in treating of the influence of the imagination in poetical and rhetorical productions, has combined the principles of Kant with the opinions of Schiller. BECHER, author of feveral hiftorical works for the use of young perfons, confidered the "Dichtkunft ans dem Gefichtspunecte des Hifto riker," riker," the Art of Poetry in an Hiftorical Point of View, according to the above-noticed ideas of Profeffor Buchholz. FUESSLI, of Vienna, continued his "Annalen der bildenden Künste, &c."Annals of the Plattic Arts in the Auftrian Dominions; and at the fame time a German tranflation of his namefake's "Lectures on Painting" was given by an eminent connoiffeur, ESCHENBERG, of Brunswick. MEUSEL began, inftead of his "Mifcellen artistischen Inhalts," a new "Archiv for Künftler und Kunftliebhaber,' Archive for Artists and Amateurs. FIORILLO'S "Kleine Schriften Artiftifchen Inhalts,"-Small Tracts relative to the Arts, contain many very inftructive illuftrations of the arts in ancient and modern times. SICKLER'S "Geschichte der Abführung vorzüglicher Kunstwerke in die Länder der Sieger;"or, Hiftory of the Seizure and Tranfportation of the beft Works of Art from conquered Countries into that of the Conquerors, the fecond volume of which brings the hiftory down to the prefent times, will be found a valuable contribution towards the hiftory of the influence of war on the arts and literature; as will likewife the "Recenfio Manufcriptorum Codicum; qui ex univ. Bibliotheca Vaticana felecti, Procuratoribus Gallorum traditi fuere." We shall now, as in our laft Retrofpect, conclude with a view of MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS AND CRITICAL JOURNALS. Separate Journals are now publishing in Germany for almost every country of Europe, which collect fuch particulars as may enable their readers to form a proper judgment of the state of culture there, and contribute towards the promotion of the fciences by extracts from the latest publications. FISCHER, author of feveral works relative to Spain, began Spa nische Mifcellen❞—or, a Spanish Miscellany. A Madame HASTFER, and other Germans refiding in Paris, furnished materials for a "French Mifcellany." The journal entitled "Frankreich' or, France, and the Count SODEN's "Franzöfifcher Merkur" French Mercury, were likewise continued; and PFAFF and FRIEDLANDER publifhed "Franzöfifche Annalen," for recording the Progrefs of Natural Hiftory, Phyfics, Chemistry, &c.; and "Entdeckungen Franzöfifcher Gelehrten in den gemeinnützigen Wiffenchaften und Künften,”- or latest Difcoweries of the French Literati in the Arts and Sciences of general Utility. For Italian there appeared, befides WISMAYR'S "Ephemerides," the above noticed journal, entitled "Italien." Befides HÜTTNER'S "English Mifcellany," there was begun by KüнN, of Leipzig, "A Repertory of the lateft Experiments and Difcoveries of the English in Phyfics, Medicine, and Surgery"; and. ALBERS, of Bremen, continued his "Anglo-American Annals of Medicine, Natural Hiftory, Chemistry, and Phyfics. -Befides DÖRING's and SALOMON'S "Journal of the State of Medicine and Natural History in Holland,” there is another entitled SCHMIDT'S" Holländifcher Magazin der Naturkunde," which is confined to phyfics. The Medical and Phyfical Literature of Denmark and Sweden, is recorded by PFAFF and SCHEEL, in their "Nordifcher Archiv”-Northern Archive; and another "Northern Archiv" was appropriated for the Litera ture of Ruffia, and particularly of Livonia. RICHTER likewife publifhed "Ruffifche Mifcellen"-Ruffian Mifcellany. For Hungary, the before-mentioned Journal of SCHEDIUS was continued. In Germany itfelf, continuations ap peared of feveral provincial and general Journals, fuch as WIELAND'S "Deutfcher Merkur,"-German Mercury; the "Berlinifche Monathfchrift"-Monthly Magazine of Berlin. For fome years, fingle provinces of the Empire, fuch as Auftria and Bavaria, have had their feparate Critical Journals, whilst the "Allge meine Deutsche Bibliothek," the " Allgemeine Literatur Zeitung," formerly published at Jena, now at Halle, and other general reviews went on without interruption. Notwithstanding, however, this multitude of Journals and Reviews, it is very difficult to obtain a correct view of German literature: the many good productions are fo oppreffed by the heaps of rubbish, that the complaint of the decay of the book-trade daily increafes and remedies are propofed for removing the evil; as for inftance, in the publication, entitled, " Ueber den Buch-handel," and "Ueber den jetzigen Verfall de Buckhandels in Deutschland überhaupt und in den Preuffifchen Staaten ins befondere." -On the prefent Decay of the Book-trade in Germany, and particularly in the Pruffian Dominions. HÜBLER, the hiftorian, contributed for the use both of booksellers and authors, his “Bibliopoeia," which is well worthy of attention. 4 X 2 HALF |