cess, who had given sufficient proofs that she was capable of removing the obstacles to her designs at any price? It is much in favour of the author's history of France, that the pe rusal of it constantly recalled to our minds the events of the last 18 years, as we beheld the props of social order and prosperity falling one after the other by the neglectful conduct, or pulled down by the tyrannical measures, of the French rulers and their corrupt servants.-The account of the revolution is written with great moderation and impartiality.

During the period under review, no country has suffered so much by wars in. which it had no immediate interest, as Germany. Destined by her constitution to be the abode of peace, she has till the middle of the 17th century been afflicted with religious contests; afterward been implicated in the destructive wars of Louis XIV; and since the year 1780, has been almost continually involved by the ambitious house of Austria in its private differences. Yet, under the influence of that constitution which is now no more, and was undoubtedly no longer capable of securing to her a political independence, she has risen in point of prosperity and civilization to an eminence, which places her justly by the side of her enlightened neighbours. Professor EICHHORN's description of the state of Germany, at the end of the reign of Joseph II, may, perhaps, by some who are still accustomed to look with contempt on German literature and taste, be considered as flowing from a partial pen; and it certainly forms a striking contrast to the sentiments which we have lately seen expressed in English publications of considerable reputation: but we should incur the suspicion of at least equally great partiality, if we refused all credit to the Professor's judgment. It is, however, too long for insertion.

With regard to Italy, its history has long ceased to form one whole, and is an aggregate of historical relations which have little or no connection with each other. They are, therefore, very properly kept separate. Under the head of Italy of the Pope, a view of the decline of the papal supremacy is given, which includes also a short history of the Jesuits: but it is very imperfect. Some of the popes, as Leo X. and Sixtus V, are not even mentioned by name; though they have surely had more influence on the state of the world than many of the Italian princes whose names Prof. E. has deemed worthy of being recorded. Those who wish to refer to his work will not thank in for this neglect.

Russia, who at the beginning of the 16th century freed herself under Ivan I. from a yoke which she had borne nearly 250 years, advanced under Peter I and Catharine II, with

giant strides, from the barbarism and despotism of the East towards the civilization and refinement of the West. The progress which she has made in some measure conceals the scenes of horror and bloodshed, by which it was often promoted, and at other times impeded; and we arrive by a checkered path at a fair prospect under the reign of Alexander. Poland, during her aristocratic struggles, by which she hastened to an untimely end;-Sweden under her Gustavus Adolphus, his vain daughter Christina, the unpolished and bold Charles XII. and the late promising Gustavus;-Prussia under the wise elector Frederick William, the martial Frederick William I., and his great successor;-Hungary, a prey to warlike chiefs, and constantly bleeding in honorable yet fruitless struggles for political and religious liberty ;-are the sunjects of passages which will please both by their historical truth, and the manner in which that truth is conveyed. If a preference can be given to the composition of the account of one country over that of the other, it is, in our opinion, due to the history of Sweden.

Volume V. leads us into Asia, and opens a scene gratifying only as far as it makes us conscious of our advantages over the unfortunate inhabitants of that ill-fated garden of the world. The long preface to this volume contains one of the most elegant and impressive descriptions of the state of Asiatic nations and governments in general, that we remember to have read. While the yoke of their own despots, and their host of governors and eunuchs, constantly threatens to crush them, the civilized European has, alas! completed their misfortunes, and rendered their abject and miserable condition still more lamentable.-After many excellent remarks on the progress of the Europeans in Asia, Professor E. sums them up in these words; the truth of which the friend of mankind may in wain wish to deny, and which must strike our own country. men with deep compunction.

During the last 300 years, Europeans have penetrated to all corners of Asia to which they could obtain access, not for the pur pose of imparting to its inhabitants more extensive knowlege, and superior laws, manners, and customs, but in order to communicate their own vices and depravities, their diseases, and their evils; not to lighten the yake of the oppressed, but to render it more oppressive by a new one. not to lead them by civilization and by enlightening their understanding to a rational enjoyment of life, but to lower human nature in them still more, to exhaust and to plunder, to ty rannize and to murder. Many districts of Asia, since the arrival of the Europeans, groan under a treble slavery; the despotism of their own kings or chiefs, the oppression of their European masters,

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and the extortions of covetous servants of European mercantile corporations.'

The contents of the 5th and 6th volumes afford but too many affecting proofs of the truth of these assertions. What is the modern history of several parts of Asia, Africa, and America, except a relation of the cruelties and injuries by which Europeans have rendered themselves masters of regions to which they could produce no lawful claim ?-The whole history of Asia is divided into that of the European possessors of Arabia, Persia, India, China, Japan, Thibet, Tartary, and New Holland. As the discovery of many of these occurs in the last three centuries, and the others were at best but little known previously to those periods, we are here furnished with an abstract of their whole history, as far as it can be traced; accompanied by an interesting account of the navigation, discoveries, and foreign commerce of Europeans. It is evident that the author has made use of all the sources which promised authentic information; indeed, he has given proofs of indefatigable industry, and of an acute discrimination in distinguishing the truth from native fable, or from the numerous conjectures of credulous travellers. Our deficiency in the knowlege of our own species, and the still greater poverty of our ancestors in that respect, are here strikingly evident. That some nations exist, and that their numbers have wasted away in the struggles which they have supported against foreign power and oppression, form not unfrequently all the infor mation which can be obtained with regard to them.

Siberia was completely unknown before the year 1499, when Anika Stroganow, excited by the annual visits of strangers of peculiar colour and features, and encouraged by the prospects of lucrative discoveries, sent some of his people with those strangers to their country; from whom he obtained some knowlege of the districts beyond the Uralian mountains, and laid in fact the foundation for the Russian empire in Asia. In the year 1578, a few thousand Cossacks, under their bold leader Jermak Timosiegev, having lost their way, began the reduction of Siheria, and obtained the assistance of Russia; from which time the conquests of the latter made a rapid progress. Kamschatka was known only by report in 1690, but became soon afterward the scene of Russian barbarity; which, in union with destructive diseases, has reduced the population to a few thousands.-The discoveries of Vasco de Gama gave to the Portuguese an empire in Asia, which they increased under almost incredible cruelties, but which they have been obliged to abandon gradually since the beginning

of

of the 17th century.-Magellan established the influence of Spain in the Manillas and Marianne islands; and religion was abused as a pretext for the injustice with which they were treated. In proportion as the Portuguese lost ground in Asia, the Dutch gained footing: but they were neither milder nor less covetous masters than their predecessors. I he Danes were in 1618 led by a Dutch factor Boschower to India, where their possessions have afforded them great advantages.-France has never obtained a lasting influence in India; while her rival is now become the lawgiver of the East.

The romantic life of the tribes of Arabia affords few materials for the pages of history. The situation of their country and their habits have alike contributed to prevent, or to render useless, the attempts of their powerful neighbours to subdue them. Persia exhibits true eastern greatness in the different periods of Schah Abbas and Nadir Schah, but has been enfeebled by Russia.-India has been the scene of important changes but we cannot expect new information respecting them from a continental writer, since English works must be his principal authorities.-In the history of China, the long reign of the late Emperor Kienlong is not only the most known, but also by far the most interesting. If the accounts which have been given of that truly remarkable man may be credited, his name deserves to be recorded in the list of the ornaments of his age.-Professor E. seems to have been unacquainted with the latest accounts of New Holland by Collins and others, since he makes no mention of the progress of the British colony in New South Wales.

The greatest part of Africa is terra incognita to the geographer; and a much larger part must be such to the historian who can do no more than gather a few fragments. Prof. E. thought, however, that it might be useful, not only to collect those fragments, but also to point out the regions which are still wrapt in historical darkness; and he therefore proceeds from north to south, over the whole vast continent. The events of the French invasion of Egypt form the principal part of the history of that country; and they are related with great impartiality. British valour and British honor shine in the

account.

Almost all nations of Europe, that possess a sea coast, have attempted to form settlements in Africa: gold and slaves being the allurements which that region holds out.-The Turks, the Portuguese, the French, the Spaniards, the Dutch, the English, and the Danes, have to this day maintained a footing but Prussia and Sweden have been obliged to abandon the project. In the year 1682, the Elector of Branden

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burg, Frederick William, with the view of increasing his power and commerce, and by the advice, of his minister Raule, sent two ships to Guinea; the success of which excited such enthusiasm, that an African Company was established, first at Berlin and afterward at Embden, under great expectations. Large sums of money were embarked, and lost; Frederick William's successor endeavoured to support the company, but it became insolvent in 1698; and Frederick William the First of Prussia sold the four forts, which had been erected, for 7200 ducats, to the Dutch West-India company.-The wild scheme of the Swede, Wadstrom, who in 1779 projected the plan of establishing a Swedish republic on the western coast of Africa, experienced the fate which was foretold by less enthusiastic persons.

James, Duke of Courland, founded likewise, in the year 1640, a short-lived colony on the Ivory-coast of Guinea.

In the history of America, Prof. E. pursues the same method which he adopted in that of Asia. After a short account of the discovery of the Western Continent, he speaks first of the independent America of the natives, then of the United States, and lastly of the America of the Europeans, As, in so short an abstract as his plan requires, the merit of an author cannot consist in new matter, but in the arrangement of that which was known before, and as the information on these points must in a great measure be derived from British sources, we do not enter into farther detail.

Those who read history merely for amusement, and seek in such a pursuit only entertaining anecdotes and biographical curiosities, will probably not feel much inclined to peruse the six volumes of Prof. EICHHORN: but for those who wish to lay a solid foundation in the study of modern history,who desire to become acquainted with the times, and not with single facts only, and who acknowlege that the name of history ought not to be bestowed on tales, we know few works that will better gratify their wishes than that which we have now analysed, Though far from being perfect, or even 30 perfect as it might be, it is a very valuable addition to literature; and its worth is considerably enhanced by numerous literary references, and a copious index both of the names that occur in the text, and of the authorities which have been quoted in the notes.

ART.