say something of the works which have already appeared, of a nature bearing any resemblance to the present attempt. The design, of the execution of which this number is a specimen, is in our opinion an original one-at least, we can say with certainty, that it is unlike any other that has fallen within the limits of our observation—it owed its birth to no imitation of any other previous publication, but from the mere want of such a work-from a constantly recurring feeling of the absence of a review and critical miscellany, which was not precariously fed upon the literature of the day, but should live securely and competently upon the never-failing income derivable from the treasures which men of genius, in all countries, have been long creating and accumulating for our use.

The lovers of old English literature are considerably indebted to the bibliographical works of Sir Egerton Brydges, who combines the two apparently inconsistent characters of a bibliographer and a man of taste and genius, who in a publication, far the greater part of which is mere compilation and transcription, has contrived to interest the reader in his own habits and feelings-and who through the mist of black-letter, dates, title-pages, and colophons, clearly shines an amiable man and elegant writer. His" Censura Literaria," which at first sight might be supposed to bear a near resemblance to the "Retrospective," is however essentially different, though many of the articles taken separately are a good deal on the same plan. The "Censura" was never intended, or at least very ill calculated, to become a favourite with the public-had the number of copies printed, which was very limited, been

more extensive, the nature of its contents must have prevented it from ever becoming generally read-it being almost entirely adapted to the purposes of the curious book-collector, or literary antiquary. It has, however, had and always will have, its use-its collection of titlepages, its discussions on the age of the old writers, its bibliographical notices, and its quotations, which though not often selected for their beauty, are frequently introduced, all have their value, and confer important advantages on the student of English literature. Although we should be sorry to lose the original productions of Sir Egerton's own pen, yet we cannot but lament the striking inconsistency of introducing his own literary papers and poetry, together with obituaries and biographies of contemporary writers, into a publication whose avowed object was to recal the taste of the public from modern trash to ancient treasures.*

Of the "British Librarian" of Oldys, only one volume was published. It appeared monthly, and met, it is said, with a most favourable reception.-The plan of this work is more similar to ours, than that of any other, though still very different. The object of the British Librarian was to give an abstract, rather than a critical account, of the work which it notices, while the articles of the "Retrospective" will consist of both, sometimes jointly and sometimes separately—the books that chiefly attracted his notice, were valuable works in their respective departments, which ought to be read,

*The title of the "Censura" is as follows-Censura Literaria, containing titles, abstracts, and opinions of old English books, with original disquisitions, articles of biography, and other literary antiquities.

and commonly were read, by the student in that department-on the contrary, many books will occur in our selection, which neither are read in the whole, nor deserve to be read, but from which we hope to extract the valuable part, and exhaust them, as it were, of their vitality, in a receiver - Had this work been continued, it would, in all probability, have contained an accurate and important account of a very curious and valuable collection of English books: it ceased, however, at the end of the sixth monthly number; when Mr. Oldys could neither be persuaded by the entreaty of his friends, nor the demands of the public, to continue the labour. Some extracts from the preface to this work we shall here transcribe, by way of conclusion, because they are as applicable to our design, as to that to which they were prefixed, and because they are well worthy of being read, for their intrinsic merit :

"For through the defect of such intelligence, in its proper extent, how many authors have we, who are consuming their time, their quiet, and their wits, in searching after what is past finding, or already found? Or admiring at the penetrations which themselves have made, though to the rind only, in those very branches of science which their forefathers have pierced to the pith? And how many who would be authors, as excellent as ever appeared, had they but such plans or models laid before them, as might induce them to marshal their thoughts into a regular order; or did they but know where to meet with concurrence of opinion, with arguments, authorities or examples, to corroborate and open their teeming conceptions."-Page 1.

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Lastly: Again, how many readers, who would not be glad of attaining to knowledge the shortest way, seeing the orb thereof is swollen to such a magnitude, and life but such a span to grasp it! How many who have not some curiosity to know the foundations of those tenets upon which they so securely trust their understandings? or where the footsteps of those opinions and precedents may be found, which have given direction to so many modern performances Who would not embrace the most likely means to detect the vile grievance of plagiarism, and deter so many disadvantageous repetitions of the same thing? What reader would not think it convenient to be apprised of the worth of authors, before he gave them place in his study or esteem, by some previous character, or little analysis of what is comprised in them? and who would not find it commodious to have the opportunity of revising the library of which he has been or may be possessed, in faithful portraits thereof, at such times and places, and in which he cannot come at the originals? In a word, if he be ignorant, who would not covet to enlarge his knowledge? If he be knowing, who would not willingly refresh his memory? And yet all the expedients we have to accommodate the curious with so many desiderata are only some superficial catalogues, either of authors rather than their works, or of the works of authors only, in some one peculiar place of education, or in some single science; or else those which have been most cursorily taken of some particular libraries, and also a few extracts, limited to the recommendation only of some modern writers."--P. ii.

The following quotation will clearly exhibit the difference between our work and that of Oldys:

"Our business therefore cannot be so much to delight Readers with the flowers of books, or satisfy them with a smooth contexture of all the reasons and arguments in them, as to point out those heads or topics which, like so many streams and rivulets that severally arise in the provinces of literature, may best direct them to the fountains themselves, where every reader will extract those parts and those proportions, which no epitomist can do for him :-So that by this compendium of hints and advertisements concerning the most observable persons and places, times and things, which have been spoken of in the writings of men, is intended a promptuary only to the search of those writings, as the best means to expedite the attainment of what every one is seeking; for, as the excellent Lord Bacon complains, learned men want such inventories of every thing in nature and art, as rich men have of their estates.'