rity, in the eye of his ruling paffion. But he was little loved, and he died unregretted. The reafon was :-His foreign engagements detained him much on the continent, during which, in the administration of his jufticiaries, the laws were neglected; or many evils, from the ftate of things, neceffarily disturb ed the public harmony. The very circumstance of his abtence, to a nation jealous of their honour, and confcious of their fuperior weight in the fcale of the empire, was a fubje&t of complaint; and when their king returned to them, it was often with a fevere brow, to correct abuses, and to enforce the execution of the laws. The English, therefore, did not love him. They admired him as a warrior, who extended his dominions, and they feemed to fare in his triumphs.-Nor was he well with his French fubjects, the Normans only excepted. The monarch of France was to them a more natural fovereign; he was always at hand to protect them; and befides, it was ever his aim, as the most obvious policy directed, to foment a spirit of oppofition, to hold out favour to the refractory, and to fhew Limfelt to them, with the benign afpect of their fovereign lord.

Henry is generally acknowledged to have been the greatest of our English kings. I will not fay that it was otherwife: but when, in cool reflection, we take a view of England, as he left jt, and of each particular province which conitituted the wide empire of his command, we are compelled to own, that he had done little to improve their laws, to correct their manners, to extend their commerce, to diffute the light of fcience, to spread the bleflings of peace, in a word, to make them a better or a happ er people. Added to the nominal empire he had, Scotland had done homage to him, and Ireland, it may be faid, had fubmitted to his controul. But never was a conquest more imperfectly fettled. His reign, in a word, was more brilliant, than attended by any real benefits; more fortunate than prof perous in ufeful and permanent fuccefs; and had providence added a few more years to its duration, we thould have feen it terminate, molt probably, in the melancholy reverfe of all its acquired glory. He died unlamented; but the experience of t'e next reign, fays the most philofophical of the monkifh writcrs, taught them, in forrow of mind, to look back to Henry, as to a great and good prince.' (To be continued.)

Britannia; or, a Choregraphical Defcription of the flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Islands adjacent; from the earliest Antiquity. By William Camden, Tranflated from the Edition published by the Author in MDCVII. Enlarged by the latest Difcoveries, by R. Gough, F. A. and R. SS. luftrated with Maps and other Copper-Plates. 3 Vols. Folio. 10l. Boards. Payne and Son.

TH

HE ftudy of topography has always been interefting. In the claffical ages, the works of Paufanias, Dicæarchus, and others, and in the barbarous middle period, thofe of

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Adam of Bremen, Giraldus Cambrenfis, &c. fhew that this branch of science has always invited attention in the various revolutions of the human mind; has attracted the fagacity of fcience, and the curiofity of ignorance.

But fince the revival of letters, topography and local antiquities boaft of fach numerous followers, as to evince, that there muft exift in these times fome (pring of curiofity, fome centre of attraction, unknown in the claffical and in the middle ages. In the former period, no irruption of barbarians, no innovations of religion, had buried or obliterated ancient remains. The monuments of art, though antique, were too familiarly known to excite much curiofity. In the latter, few men exifted who could could look upon fuch remains with a fcientific eye; or had minds enlarged enough to regard any object of topography, but the fuperior riches or fanctity of any particular abbey or monaftery. In modern times, on the contrary, curiofity has awaked as from a long fleep; and has found perpetual food in the difcovery of places and of monuments, endeared to the mind by their connection with the claffic writers, to whom we are indebted for our earliest, warmeft, and most vivid ideas; it has delighted in the pleafing lo calities of our native country; and in the progreffive increase of towns, of industry, of civilization. Topography is generally attractive by its minute and copious difplay of the ftate of a country; but to the natives it is particularly interefting, for it is a fource of real utility, as well as of elegant and scientific pleafures.

So rapid was the progress of this ftady upon the revival of literature, that most countries had good topographers before Camden published his Britannia in the year 1586. But fuch were his advantages, by the perufal of fo many models; and fach were the intrinfic merits of his work, that so far as we can recollect, he is the only early topographer of any country whofe book has been conftantly reprinted to the prefent times, and fupplied with additions; while in other countries the latest topographers have eclipfed the former; and it has been found better to compofe entirely new works, than to augment and correct the old ones.

The prefent editor is fo well known in this department, that it is needless to point out the proofs which he has formerly given of being well qualified for his office. It has been started as an objection to this large edition, that the former editions of Camden were fufficiently fall for a general topography of Great Britain; and that the reader who wished for more particular information, on any local objects, muft, at any rate, have recourfe to the large hiftories of the feveral counties: Mr.

Gough, if he affumed the office of choofing the extracts, might felect from thefe county-histories what was interefting to one reader and not to another. This objection feems to remain in full force, and we must add that the editor has pushed the lis cence of extracting and of compilation as far as it can well go. The accounts of Wales and of Scotland, for inftauce, are chiefly extracted from Mr. Pennant's Tours, which are works in every topographical library; probably in the hands of every reader who will look into Mr. Gough's Camden.'

Before proceeding to a more minute examination of this vaft compilation, let us attend to fome parts of our editor's Preface.

Four editions of Camden's Britannia in English prefenting themselves to the public regard in the fhort space of 65 years, and at the different distances of 30, 2c, and 17 years from each other, may feem an extraordinary appearance in the literary world that requires to be accounted for.

The claims of the first of these three editions are founded on the prefumptive right of booksellers to oiftribute a new edition when the preceding is fold off, efpecially when the book has fo much merit as this in its rudeft ftate.

Thofe of the fecond and third reft on the reputation of the right reverend tranflator, and the additions he might have intended for any future edition.'

The language of the two laft paragraphs is fo obfcure, that we confefs we can hardly guefs at their meaning. But to procred:

If it be objected that too large a portion of Leland is tran fcribed, let it be confidered that it is merely with a view to fhew where Mr. Camden borrowed from him. Should the fuppofed plagiarifm by this com arifon be thought to turn out greater than even Brooke afferted, it is no reproach to Mr. Camden to have given fuch a form, arrangement, and drefs, to the fugitive notes of his great predeceffor, whole noble design a variety of accidents concurred to cut fhort. Leland was the Camden of his age; and had the reign of Henry VIII. been as favourable to literature or antiquarian refearches as that of his daughter, we might not have wanted Mr. Camden, or rather we should have had his genius under another name. How warmly Leland breathed the fame fpirit may be feen in his letters to archbishop Cranmer, recommending his collections to his care. Not to repeat what i have eliewhere laid in praise of Leland, suffice it to oblerve, that the rapidity or reformation, however favoura ble to religion, gave a fatal wound to fuch kind of knowledge as Leland and Camden purfued. It is no mean praise for Mr, Camden that he filled up the outlines of Leland.

Mr. Gough then mentions that for twenty fummers he amufed

amufed himself with taking topographical notes in various parts of England, and at laft of Scotland: but from the little original matter which we find in thefe volumes, we are afraid that his excursions were not extenfive; and we are certain that his attention has been partially beflowed, for in his defcription of many counties, particularly where no county-history was to be found, the additions to the former edition are very trifling and fometimes erroneous. From the many works in folio and quarto which our editor has published within these few years we do not hesitate to fay that the prefent edition has not received the neceffary attention; and that we do not wonder to find, in fome places, the fenfe obfcure and the language inaccurate.

The editor then proceeds to mention the plan which he has followed, and which is certainly preferable to bishop Gibfon's. It chiefly confifts in retaining Camden's text, and adding the labours of future editors and annotators, in a continued nar. rative, which is fubjoined to the defcription of each county.

After all that has been or can be collected towards forming a complete edition of the Britannia, much must be left to be corrected and supplied by attentive inspection of judicious travellers, or natives in the feveral counties. Increase of wealth renders property fo fluctuating that it can hardly be ascertained for a fucceflion of years. Increafe of honours, a consequence of the foregoing caufe, will add names to the peerage, and titles to places now obfcure. Increase of cultivation makes rapid alterations in the face of the country. Old flations are leveiled by the plough, old manfion houfes by modern refinement, and old titles revive in new families. Ot ers may trace out many things barely hinted at here, and fettle many points which are unavoidably left dubious.

• The errors of former editors ferve but to awaken a stronger apprehenfion in the prefent: and if the great author could not fatisfy himself in his laft and completeft edition, what fecurity is there for another editor's promite? If, in pointing out fuch errois, thofe of other antiquaries are alfo animadverted on, this it is hoped is done with the candour due to refpectable names.

Far from prefuming on an ability to correct the mistakes of preceding editors, it is not without the utmost diffidence I fubmit to the public eye the refult of twenty years journeying, and a longer term of reading and enquiry; the labour of seven years in tranflating and enlarging Mr. Camden's valuable work; and of nine more in attending this edition through the prefs. This laft term must apologife for the omiffion of events that happened during the progrefs of the piefs, and for appearances of anachroniím.'

To

To the preface fucceeds a life of Mr. Camden, commencing with this paragraph:

A life of Mr. Camden to be prefixed to the Britannia, should contain only the most friking traits. There is no occafion to wander into digreffions, enlarge upon vindications, or distract the reader's attention with episodes. The life written by Dr. Smith, confidered by itfelf, is an elegant piece of Latin compo fition. That by bishop Gibson a bald tranflation of it, and that by Dr. Campbell in the Biographia Britannica, a meagre ill-digefted compilation, whofe principal aim is to flatter the reverend tranflator through his hero, and to vindicate Mr. Camden becaufe bishop Gibion tranflated his work. Yet it lands unaltered in the new edition of that dictionary, and the notes added to it are trivial and uninterciting.'

Mr. Gough cenfures with fuch afperity, that he ought to have guarded himself against cenfure with great caution. It muft, however, be confeffed, that this life of Camden is weil drawn up, though the notes are too much in Mr. Gough's usual Ayle of compilation. Hardly a perfon is mentioned in it, but a life is given in the Notes; and that furor of trifling anecdotes fo prevailing in the dotage of literature, is too appsrent. In the notes are long accounts of many persons either known abeady to every one, or whom none withes to know. Mr. Gough feems determined to forget that other people have books as well as himself.

In proceeding to the work itself, we are almoft at a lofs what plan to follow, in order to specify fuch a heap of materials. But we think we cannot follow a better, than to produce a large extract from Mr. Gough's additions to Dorfetfhire; because they not only form as good a fpecimen as any other, but alfo thew how much Camden was a plagiary from Le. land, whom he never quotes*, a matter not generally known, The paffages in Italic letter are taken by Camden from Le-land's Itinerary without acknowledgment.

Britport, of fum written Bruteport, is a fair large toun, and the chief treat of it lyith in length from west to eat. Ther croffith another fair treat in midle of it into thefouth. The toun longith unto the king, and hath privilege for a market and two bailives. At Bridpor b be made good daggers." A Bridport dagger is a proverb for a halter. At the weft end

of the toun runnith a river, and going a mile lower entereth into the occan: Nature bath fo fet this ryver mouth in valley between tavo billes that swith coff the fe might be brought in, and ther an haven made." In confequence of an act of parliament an attempt was made, 1741, to clear this haven, but the current of the river