THE

BRITISH CRITIC, ,

FOR

JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL,

MAY, AND JUNE.

MDCCCVII.

Hocc'est advorso nixantem trudere monte
Saxum : quod tamen a summo jam vortice rursum
Volitur, et plani raptim petit æquora campi.

LUCRET.

VOLUME XXIX.

London:

PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON,

NO 62, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.

1 807.

Printed by Law and Gilbert, St. Jului's Square, Clerkenwell

PREFACE.

F
ROM the unceasing, and ever augmenting cala-

mities of Europe, happy are the hours that compel us to turn to the contemplation of British Literature. Even the worst books are a temporary refuge from still worse news; and the most absurd speculations are welcome, while they turn aside our attention from the most melancholy facts. Under these impressions, to which every new half year gives tenfold force, we sit down to write our present preface: to cull the flowers of recent literature, and recommend afresh what, in this volume, has obtained our approbation. Let us then turn away our eyes altogether from public events, and enjoy, for a short time at least, the recollection of good books, and the oblivion of bad things.

Divinity.

Several articles in the present, and some in our preceding volume, are devoted to the biblical labours of Dr. Stock, Bishop of Killala *. In tranNating Ifaiab his object was to make such corrections of the Version of Lowth, as the original Hebrew, printed

* No. II. p. 134. IV and V. pp. 368 and 496,

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