THE BRITISH CRITIC, A NEW REVIEW, FOR MAY, JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST, M DCC XCIII. QUO PEDE CŒPIT EAT. VOLUME I. London: PRINTED FOR F. AND C. RIVINGTON, No. 62, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD. AL THE BRITISH CRITIC, A NEW REVIEW. I' Prospectus. the number of Reviews already in existence were the only point to be confidered, there could be no reason to attract the public notice to a NEW ONE. Nor is it any apparent want of knowledge, or ability in the Authors of these publications, that encourages the prefent Competition with them. As Critics, fome of them perform their task in a distinguished manner; most of them fo well, that, on the whole, the cause of Taste and Literature receives, no doubt, a great advantage from their labours. But, highly as we value Taste and Literature, and infeparably as their interefts are connected with fuch work's, there are objects of yet more importance continually presented to the mind of a Reviewer; and thence reflected to the Public in fuch colours as his Principles or Prejudices may chance to give. Such are the opinions that, from time to time, are published, on the two great topics of Politics and Religion. CRITICISM, though professedly the primary object of Reviews, gives place, in point of public importance, to the difcuffion of opinions on the fe fubjects. It is of much lefs confequence to a country, whether its Writers excel in Style and Diction, in the arts of Compofition, and the various branches of Literary Skill, than whether their opinions on those leading points are found and right and whether their defects or merits of that kind are fairly or unfairly ftated by the periodical reporter. Here then we find the evil that fo much demands a Remedy. Some of our principal Reviews have long been animated by a spirit very hostile. not only to the whole establishment in Church and State, but to all that Englishmen in general hold most facred, in the principles by which it is fupported; in Politics, to Monarchy itfelf; in Religion, to Chrif tianity, 409090 |