of the reverend gentlemen who have contributed to the work, that fince the year 1755, when an account of the population of Scotland was procured by the late Dr. Webster, the num ber of inhabitants is, in many parts of the country, much enereafed; and both in agriculture and manufactures, improvement is equally confpicuous. The clergy in Scotland feem, in general, to have a comfortable, though not an ample fubfiftence; but the provifion for the fchoolmasters, in almost all the parishes, is miferably defective. We find, however, that there is a plan in agitation for remedying this evil; and it requires to be carried into execution with all poffible difpatch. The prefent work, by diffufing over Scotland the obfervations. and experiense collected from every district, must greatly promote the farther improvement of the country; and it ought to be attended with the additional effect, of exciting government to co-operate, with all its power, in every scheme for accomplishing that object. Many ufeful hints for this purpose may be found in the Statistical Account. It is imagined, that when the work is completed, it will confift of about ten votumes; and every friend to the interests of the nation must with for the fuccefsful execution of a defign, which promifes not only literary entertainment, but great advantage to the public.

The Romance of the Foreft interfperfed with fome Pieces of Poetry. By the Authorefs of A Sicilian Romance, &c.' 3 Vols. 12mo. 95. fewed. Hookham. 1791. WE fpoke with refpect of the Sicilian Romance; but this lady, for by the term (authores) we must fuppofe it to be the production of a female's pen, has greatly exceeded her first work. The novel before us engages the attention ftrong ly, and interefts the feelings very powerfully: the general style of the whole, as well as the reflections, deferve also commendation. The greater part of the work refembles, in manner, the old English Baron, formed on the model of the Caftle of Otranto. We have the ruined abbey, a fuppofed ghost, the ikeleton of a man fecretely murdered, with all the horrid train of images which fuch fcenes and fuch circumftances may be fuppofed to produce. They are managed, however, with skill, and do not difguft by their improbability: every thing is confiftent, and within the verge of rational belief: the attention

In the advertifement to the fecond edition, fhe ftyles herfelf Ann Ratcliffe, and we have no authority, for prefixing Mits or Mrs.

is uninterruptedly fixed, till the veil is defignedly withdrawn. One great mark of the author's talents is, that the events are concealed with the utmost art, and even fufpicion sometimes defignedly mifled, while, in the conclufion, every extraordinary appearance feems naturally to arife from caufes not very uncommon. The characters are varied with fkill, and often dexterously contrafted.

In the third volume, the scenes are changed, and we are led to the wild and more picturefque fcenes of Savoy. The def criptions are in this place often beautiful, and feem to be drawn from perfonal examination. The family of De Luc, the worthy venerable paftor of Leloncourt, are defcribed with equal feeling and elegance. We fhall make no apology for copying one of the fcenes in this neighbourhood.

They pursued their way along the borders of the lake, fometimes under the fhade of hanging woods, and fometimes over hillocks of turf, where the fcene opened in all its wild magnificence. M. Verneuil often flopped in raptures to obferve and point out the fingular beauties it exhibited, while La Luc, pleased with the delight his friend expreffed, furveyed with more than ufual fatisfaction the objects which had fo often charmed him before. But there was a tender melancholy in the tone of his voice and his countenance, which arofe from the recollection of having often traced thofe fcenes, and partook of the pleasure they infpired, with her who had long fince bade them an eternal farewell.

They prefently quitted the lake, and, winding up a steep afcent between the woods, came, after an hour's walk, to a green fummit, which appeared, among the favage rocks that environed it, like the bloffom on the thorn. It was a spot formed for folitary delight, infpiring that foothing tendernefs fo dear to the feeling mind, and which calls back to memory the images of paffed regret, foftened by diftance and endeared by frequent recollection. Wild fhrubs grew from the crevices of the rocks beneath, and the high trees of pine and cedar that waved above, afforded a melancholy and romantic shade. The silence of the scene was interrupted only by the breeze as it rolled over the woods, and by the folitary notes of the birds that inhabited the cliffs.

From this point the eye commanded an entire view of thofe majestic and fublime alps whofe afpect fills the foul with emotions of indefcribable awe, and feems to lift it to a nobler nature. The village, and the chateau of La Luc appeared in the bosom of the mountains, a peaceful retreat from the storms that gathered on their tops. All the faculties of M. Verneuil were abforbed in admiration, and he was for fome time quite filent; and length, bursting into a rhapsody, he turned, and would have addressed La Luc, when he perceived him at a distance leaning against a ruftic urn,

over which drooped, in beautiful luxuriance, the weeping willow. As he approached, La Luc quitted his pofition, and advanced to meet him, while M. Verneuil inquired upon what occafion the urn had been erected. La Luc, unable to answer, pointed to it, and walked filently away.

If it may appear, that we have commended this novel with an eager warmth, we can only fay, in apology for it, that we have copied our real fentiments. The lady is wholly unknown to us, and probably will ever continue fo. We muft, however, confider The Romance of the Foreft' as one of the first works in this line of novel-writing that we have feen.

Anna St. Ives, a Novel. By Thomas Holcroft. 7 Vols. 12mo. 1. 15. Shepperson. 1792.

IT

Tis neceffary, in tracing the revolutions of literature, to mark each new era, from which improvements or alterations in any style of writing may be dated. We have seen the levelling principle, the pretended philofophy of modern times, rifing above the fyftems and the opinions for ages held facred; and, bursting the confines of fpeculation, boldly trying the practicability of its plans on a very extenfive fcale. The procefs ftill goes on; and, while the event is uncertain, though we may offer our opinions, or call the experiment rath, we dare not decide on its fuccefs, or on the fum of happiness likely to refult from it on the whole. In this ebullition of fentiments, an enterprifing female rifes to put in her claim for the Rights of Woman; and, to complete the climax, a philofophical leveller becomes the hero of a novel.

Frank Henley is the fon of fir Arthur St. Ives' projec tor and furveyor, the director of his improvements at Wend bourne Hall, an artful, treacherous, and difhoneft steward. Frank is, however, the mirror of modern excellence; cool, decifive, able, and philofophical. But, with courage to face danger and death in its worst forms, he is more than once beaten, becaufe duelling is against the rule of right; and fol lowing his ftrict leffons of morality, degenerates on fome occafions into a coward. He loves Anna St. Ives; who, before fhe is thoroughly converted to the modern fyftem, feems to prefer Clifton; and, though his love is violent, it is ftill kept within the bounds of reafon. No murmur is heard, no figh efcapes. At the hazard of his own life he faves his rival from drowning, in a manner which leads to a fufpicion of his own infanity; and which, if he had failed, might have very juftly fubjected him to the fufpicion of improving the accident to his

own advantage. Anna loves Clifton; but her love is rational and philofophical. She difcuffes the fubject at firft with coolnefs; but rifing in her enthufiafm, the kiffes Frank, boasts of this kifs to Clifton's fifter, and afterwards to himself. Clifton's fifter, who has a touch of this philofophy, though fond of her brother, makes no objection to the kifling, and even pleads the caufe of Frank Henley. Clifton, whofe character is well drawn, ably and confiftently supported, is not quite fo philofophical. Anna's partiality in favour of Frank, the long folitary walks with her philofopher, the contempt which the freely expreffes for Clifton, produce fome very natural antiphilofophical effects, and drive him to defperate meafures. He defigns to force her to his will, but is awed by her reafoning, and not able to truft himfelf with this female reafoner, feizes her and Henley, confines him in a mad-house, and the lady in a separate, folitary manfion. All this part of the ftory is well told; the fituations are interefting and affecting. The lovers efcape; Clifton is wounded almost mortally, but becomes a convert to reafon, is allowed to live, and the paflions, of course, fubfide. Anna is married to Henley.

Such is the outline of a story, abfurd, often infipid, and unreafonably extended; but the character of Clifton, and the laft volume, though the denouement is a little too abrupt and artificial, rife greatly above the reft of the work. It displays, however, no little defect in judgment to connect these events with the modern reafoning fyftem, and with the dramatis perfonæ of levelling principle. Similar abfurdities occur in the New Heloife; but the warmth, the imagination of the author, language the moft polifhed, ideas the moft fedu&tive, by their glare leffen the impropriety. Here they are canvaffed, if difguft will for a moment admit the examination, in their native forms; they must confequently be almost inftantaneoufly rejected; and, if it were the intention of the author to ridicule the new doctrines, he could not have taken a more effectual step. But there are a few more ferious exceptions. Reafon, the dignity of virtue, or a confiftent propriety, is the deity looked up to in the greatest diftreflès: cunning and difhonesty fucceed in their schemes; and, in one place, the force of an abfolute promife is artfully attempted to be evaded. Thefe are faults which demand the fevereft reprehenfion, and compel us to disapprove of the work in general. The fashion, we truft, will not prevail, and the period of philofophical lovers will probably begin and end with Frank Henley.

A concife History of the County and City of Chester, from the most authentic and respectable Authors; with defcriptive and lively Obfervations on the Manners, Cufloms, &c. of the Inhabitants. Alfo the Life of St. Werburgh, the memorable Founder of the Cathedral of Chefter. Embellished with an elegant ground Plan of the City and Suburbs of Chefter, taken from a recent Survey. Small 8vo. 25. Sael. 1791.

7HILE feveral places of inferior note have become fub

jects of particular refearch, it would be furprising if Chefter had not likewise its provincial hiftorian. It is doubtlefs a town of great antiquity; though we may be allowed, without the imputation of fcepticifin, to, abate a little of the date affixed to its origin by fir Thomas Elliot; according to whom, the original name of this city was Neomagus, fo called from Magus, fon of Samothes, fon of Japhet, its founder, 240 years after the flood. An affertion which, our author justly obferves, if duly authenticated, places it on a line of antiquity with any other city in the univerfe.' Its fecond name, we are told, was Caerlleon, fo called from Leon Vafor, or Gawr; who, as fome writers fay, was a giant in Albion, and one of its restorers. Upon the fettlement of the Britons it was next called Caerleil, and afterwards Caerlier, becaufe these two British kings were enlargers and beautifiers of it, according to Stone and others.

So much for what may be called the fabulous hiftory of Chefter. Under the Roman government, it appears to have alfo different names. Sometimes it is called Ceftria; at other times Deunana, Deva, or Devana Civitas, from its proximity to the Dee. In later ages it was ftiled Legan Chester, and Lege Chefter; but in thefe days Weft Chefter, or Chefter. It is fuppofed to have been the capital of the Ordovices, before the arrival of the Romans in this island.

This ancient and pleafant city ftands upon the borders of the river Dee, about twenty miles fouth-eaft from the nearest part of the Irish Channel. It is accounted a very healthy fituation, as ftanding chiefly on a dry fandy ftone rock. Though it be not the feat of any staple manufacture, the number of inhabitants, at prefent, is faid to amount to fifteen thousand, and is annually increafing. For the information of fuch of our readers as have never been at Chester, we prefent them with the defcription of the fingular plan on which it has been erected.

The city is of a fquare form, which evinces the origin to have bren Roman, being in the figure of their camps, with four gates facing the tour points, four principal ftreets, and a variety of lef

fer