ART.

PAGE

X. Remarks on Antiquities, Arts, and Letters, during an Excursion in Italy. By Joseph Forsyth, Esq..... 200

XI. Monthly Register, of Arts, Sciences, and Literature.... 212

N.B. Unforeseen avocations have prevented us from delivering, in this number, our opinions on the general aspect of National Affairs. But we shall hold ourselves bound to compensate fully for this omission next month; when we shall also have the satisfaction of laying before the public, the first of another series of commentaries on the merits and demerits of some of the Reviews.

ERRATA in No. XV.

Page 95 and 102, for Wallaston, read Wollaston.

THE

Augustan Review.

N°. XVI. FOR AUGUST, 1816.

ART. I.-Annals of the Reign of King George the Third, from its Commencement in the Year 1760, to the General Peace in 1815. By JOHN AIKIN, M.D. 2 vols. 8vo. Longman and Co. 1816.

An eminent merchant, who had often visited the Coatinent, and who died at an advanced age, since the commencement of the present century, always contended, that England was the finest country in Europe-the city of London the most pleasant spot in England-and his own habitation in Tokenhouse-Yard the most delightful one in the city. There are people who would have disputed some of these points-perhaps all of them. We did not; because our respectable friend's opinions, so far at least as he was concerned, were sound enough-if he only thought so. But there are points which cannot be disputed, because every body of common understanding entertains the same opinion of them. The following are of this nature. That, of all histories, the history of our own country is to us the most interesting; and that, of the reigns of our kings, the reign in which we live is the most important to us-we might perhaps add, to all mankind. This stated, we observe that, according to the strict definition of the word history, the work before us is not a history. It does not pretend to be one, but merely a book of annals. It is, however, such a book as to justify us in asserting, that, for most purposes of general utility, it will be found superior to any professed history of the same period.

"Care has been taken to preserve, as much as possible, the exact application of the word annals, by limiting the narrative of each year to the occurrences within the space of that year. In a history at large it may be more advantageous to follow the thread of events of a particular class through the series of causes and effects, without an exact limitation to NO.XVI. VOL.III.—Aug.Rev.

I

time; but the design of the present attempt being chiefly to provide, in the most useful form, a repertory of all the important facts of the reign, it was judged expedient to arrange them, as nearly as could be done, in precise chronological order."-Pref, p. 8.

Dr. Aikin's talents and taste did not stand in need of attestation when he undertook to compose these volumes. It was, however, somewhat to be doubted, whether one who had always looked upon the revolutionary storms of both Ame rica and Europe without apprehension, could possibly treat of their causes and effects, and describe their progress, without manifesting what some people might think an undue bias. We find, and are happy to find, that he could; and the fol lowing extract will, after perusing the Annals, be found to contain a real truth.

"In the composition of the work, the objects in view have been perspicuity and order in narrative, selection of the most important circumstances, and a strict impartiality, exhibited not only in a fair and ungarbled representation of facts, but in the absence of every kind of colouring which might favour the purposes of what may properly be denominated party. This last intention, which has never ceased to guide the writer's pen, did not appear to him necessarily to preclude every expression of his feelings on points involving inoral or constitutional questions; but he trusts that he shall be found to have used this liberty with moderation and reserve, and without any effort to enforce opinions in their nature dubious or disputable."

Most periods of his Majesty's reign have been productive of events, which foreigners join us in admiring from their greatness. But there bave in this reign been seasons, which have given birth to circumstances and transactions very interesting to us as Britons-not from their grandeur, but from the character of the principal actors in them, the proceedings instituted on them, and the opposite effects produced by them on the sentiments of individuals. Every history of England abounds with such circumstances. Accordingly one has scarcely opened these volumes before he is reminded of the favouritism with which the king was charged soon after his accession. But "an impartial record of leading facts" being Dr. Aikin's object, he enters into no formal discussion of the question, or he might, in a manner well calcu'lated to afford entertainment, have contrasted the grounds of that accusation with that total absence of the spirit of favouritism of which the Prince Regent was accused when be assumed the reins of government. For the same reason, he does not pourtray at full length the characters of John Wilkes and Lord George Gordon, the two great mob-makers of their

He

me. He does not try to ascertain who Junius was. does not point out the importance of coalitions at critical conjunctures of affairs. Nor does he set himself to tell us either what party in parliament it was-ministry or the opposition-that caused the separation from Great Britain of the Thirteen United States, or which it is that has preserved the country from the fraternal embrace of France. Yet the performance, or even an earnest attempt at the performance of such things, must have been very acceptable to most people; and, on a future day, when we come to introduce our readers to a closer acquaintance with these Annals, we shall endeavour to supply what the ingenious author's plan has obliged him to omit. In the meantime we observe, that we consider this performance as by far the best help that has hitherto appeared, to all who desire to be readily and safely conducted to the main incidents in his majesty's eventful reign. To persons acting in civil capacities, to magistrates, to members of the legislature, and we would add, did we not doubt of their admitted importance, to all miscellaneous and periodical writers, it will be found extremely useful; for it touches on every thing considerable in peace or in war, recording with fidelity the decisions of the courts of law, the proceedings of parliament, the effects of battles, the results of negotiations, the revolutions of the countries more intimately connected with Great Britain, and the feelings and opinions of the people arising out of successive views of the whole.

"Although the title of Annals of the Reign of George III.' implies that the affairs of the countries of which he was the sovereign are peculiarly their subject, yet the concerns of all civilized states are so blended, and the events passing in one, exert so material an influence upon the policy of others, that it has been necessary to combine with the record of British history, a sketch of the most important occurrences of which not only the European continent, but a large portion of the inhabited world, was the theatre. Such a comprehensive view was frequently requisite, in order to elucidate our own political system; but, independently of that consideration, it appeared desirable to associate, in a reader's mind, with the memorable events of his native country, those which were simultaneously taking place in other scenes of action. The extraordinary character and momentous consequences of some of these transactions, especially of those which, for the last twenty-five years, have rendered France the object of universal interest, have sometimes made it difficult to keep this part of the narrative in due subordination to the leading topic; but such a subordination has always been the writer's purpose; and, with respect to domestic affairs in particular, he hopes it will be sufficiently apparent to justify the title given to the work."

We have already hinted, that we do not mean to complete our account of this work in the present Number. And, although the author's object may be tolerably well conceived from the opinions we have given, we think it may be desirable to our readers to have a specimen from the body of the . work. In indulging them, we must request of them always to bear in mind, that "his design is nothing more than to provide a repertory of all the important facts of the reign;" and that the following passage, which is the whole record of the transactions of the first year of his majesty's reign, is presented to them as a specimen-not certainly of the occasional elegance and the sagacity of the writer, but of the simplicity of his manner, and his talent for that condensation of matter which was so essential to the due fulfilment of his plan.

"A.D. 1760.-Year I. of George III. Parliament 6 and 7. "Death of George II. and State of the War.-Accession and Character of George III-Meeting of Parliament and Speech.

"On October 25th, died suddenly, at his palace of Kensington, his majesty king George II., in the 77th year of his age, and 24th of his reign, in the midst of a war with France, carried on in the four quarters of the globe, with a success, on the part of Great Britain, to which its history affords no parallel. The commencements had been highly unfavourable to this country, and repeated losses and disgraces had produced general despondency and discontent; when the spirit of the nation being at length roused, and its energies being directed by the genius of one of the greatest ministers it had ever known, William Pitt, the last two or three years had been marked by an almost uninterrupted succession of victories by sea and land. The marine of France was nearly annihilated. The conquest of its North-American colonies was in this year completed; and in the East-Indies its force was greatly reduced, in consequence of the defeat of General Lally by Colonel Coote, at the battle of Wandewash. In Germany alone did the French arms maintain at least an equality; and, indeed, it was chiefly owing to the talents of that consummate general, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, that in this quarter they did not become decidedly superior. The King of Prussia, the sole aily of England, some subsidized German princes excepted, had lately undergone such losses, in a most unequal contest with a host of foes, that it exercised all his abilities to preserve himself from being totally overwhelmed. Through these circumstances the war in Germany had been rendered less popular than any other part of the political system; and although parliamentary opposition to measures of administration had subsided to a calm scarcely ever before experienced, yet some publications had appeared, and been much read, in which, with respect to this object, the conduct of the ministers had been animadverted upon with great force and severity.

"On the day after the king's decease, his grandsen, George III. was proclaimed with the usual solemnities. This sovereign, born on June 4th, 1738, was son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta, Princess of Saxe Gotha. It appears to have been a leading object in his education to