but it is weakened by an attempt at romance, and the relation of unavailing expeditions to their summits had been better omitted. The description of the notch is incorrect. Some gentlemen of information and veracity have informed us, that having had their expectations raised by this description of stupendous scenery, they had actually passed it without once suspecting it, and were not assured of their mistake but by their distance. At the same time they added that the scenery in its vicinity was extremely grand. A turnpike road has now been made through this difficult passage.

The fifth chapter contains a minute account of the particu lar rivers of New Hampshire. These relations are useful for reference, but are generally tedious and uninteresting to the reader. At the close of this chapter is inserted a letter from the Rev. Mr. Peabody, describing a large floating island in the town of Atkinson, containing seven or eight acres, which was once covered with large forest trees, and which rises and falls with the water. This letter is inserted without comment. As Dr. B. had requested information from the clergymen in the state, he perhaps thought himself bound to publish it, and leave his readers to judge of so extraordinary a relation. The story, notwithstanding its absurdity, has found its way into the geography of Dr. Morse and other publications.

The sixth chapter, upon the making and repairing of roads, contains a good specimen of that part of political economy as practised in New England. In the seventh chapter we find what is now known of the arts and manners of the Indians, and of which their degenerate posterity retain but a slight remembrance.

Dr. Belknap apologizes for the imperfection of his botanical chapter. He however accumulates all the information upon the subject then known. Few errours are to be found in it, and even at the present moment our knowledge of the subject is not much greater. We are however in expectation of the work of the younger Michaud upon the forest trees of America, and from the ability of the author and the pains taken by him, it will undoubtedly be worthy the attention of the publick. From the late botanical establishment at Cambridge, and from the taste for mineralogical pursuits now prevalent, we hope soon to be relieved from our dependence upon foreigners for a knowledge of the treasures which nature has deposited in our country. In the ninth chapter upon rural

economy the description of the methods of clearing wild lands is rather confused, the several modes not being sufficiently distinguished, but the rest of the chapter is very good. Dr. Belknap does not pretend to add much to the natural history of New Hampshire; he gives a catalogue of the common animals, with remarks upon some of them. The 11th chapter contains an account of the natural curiosities. These are few, consisting principally of caverns, which have little to make them interesting. The 12th chapter describes the port of Piscataqua, and the 13th gives a full view of the commerce of the State. It labours under peculiar disadvantages, their only port being so situated that it is convenient for the commerce of but a small part of the State. A correct view is given of the advantages commerce gained by the revolution, and ample tables are added to support the facts adduced. Dr. Belknap proves very satisfactorily in his next chapter the salubrity of the climate. The next chapter is upon the character of the present inhabitants of New Hampshire, and the description is confined to the husbandman and lumberer, whose manners and habits are very well delineated. The constitution has been altered since the abstract of it, made in this volume. In this chapter is likewise an abstract of the laws arranged under distinct heads. Laws are of great use to illustrate the character of nations. It would have been more interesting, if they had been introduced in this way, rather than in a distinct chapter with short notices under each article. The next chapter upon religion contains a set of tables, in which is set against the name of every town its population in 1775 and 1790, the proportion of 10001. of State tax paid by each town, with the names of every clergyman settled there, the date of their settlement, removal, &c.

The last chapter is an address to the people of New Hampshire, and contains much wholesome advice. The following paragraph upon the use of spirituous liquors will excite a

smile :

"Suffer me to add a few words on the use of spirituous liquors, that bane of society, that destroyer of health, morals, and property. Nature indeed has furnished her vegetable productions with spirit, but she has so combined it with other substances, that unless her work be tortured with fire, the spirit is not separated and cannot prove pernicious. Why should this force be put on nature to make her yield a noxious draught, when all her original preparations are salutary?”

The volume closes with the author's sketch of a happy society in the country.

In judging of the merit of Dr. Belknap, it is necessary to consider the time at which he wrote. During the revolution many of our literary characters quitted their country, and the attention of the rest was so much diverted towards political subjects, that at the period of the peace the exertions of our authors did not extend beyond occasional pamphlets and the annual composition of an almanack. Besides the want of literary taste, the materials for a history of our country were so scattered, as to render them very difficult to be found. When these difficulties were overcome, and an author had accomplished his task, the publick paid but little attention to his labours, his works were suffered to moulder on the bookseller's shelves, and he had himself to pay the expense of impression. We therefore must feel extremely grateful to Dr. Belknap, who under all these discouragements devoted his time, talents, and property to improving the literature of his country, with only the hope of being repaid by the opinion of posterity.

Dr. Belknap's style is plain, neat and simple, but in the two last volumes may be called polished. In the first volume are occasionally found expressions peculiar to New England, and which have become antiquated even here. Throughout the work are Americanisms. In the preface to the third volume Dr. Belknap has entered into a defence of some of these expressions. After explaining his sense of the word freshet, he says, in this sense "it is understood in New England, and as it is a part of the language of the age and country in which I write, it is frequently used in this volume." This reasoning would authorize any provincialisms whatever,

INTELLIGENCE.

From the Panoplist, published at Boston.

TO THE FRIENDS OF LITERATURE.

en

THE public have been repeatedly informed of my design to compile a large and complete Dictionary of the English language; and most men of learning are probably apprized of the opposition manifested, in various parts of the country, and especially in the eastern part of New England, to this attempt at improving the lexicography of our language. The unabating zeal displayed, on this subject, by various remarks and strictures published in the Anthology, indicates a spirit of mity very unusual; the motives of which I will not attempt to explain. If honest, the men who possess them evidently manifest more zeal than knowledge or discretion. It is not improbable that many gentlemen mistake my views and the tenor of the remarks, which I have made on the English philological works which are now used in this country if so, some explanations are due to the public, and required by a decent regard to my own reputation. But as the spirit displayed in the Anthology renders it necessary for me to with. hold all communication, with the conductors of that work, I beg leave to trouble the readers of the Panoplist, with a few observations in explanation of the motives by which I have been actuated, and in vindication of my conduct, principles, and designs.

The principal charges against me, may be comprehended in these particulars-That I have indulged too much freedom in censuring the works of many men, of unquestionable erudition, and of established reputation in philology; and that I have displayed great zeal in pressing my own publications upon my fellow citizens.

In regard to the first charge, I can say most sincerely that if I have ever violated the rules of decorum in my strictures upon authors, it is a subject of much regret ; for nothing is more abhorrent to my feelings, and repugnant to my principles. I really thought that in the preface to my Compendious Dictionary I had treated Dr. Johnson, bishop Lowth, and other English authors with a due degree of respect; having uniformly expressed my high opinion of their erudition, and having censured Mason, for the contemptuous manner in which

he speaks of Dr. Johnson. In my letter to Dr. Ramsay, I have also censured Mr. Horne Tooke for the severity of his remarks on the same author. I have attempted to point out many errors in the works of those distinguished authors, and to prove the errors, by numerous examples and authorities. In the view of many learned men, these proofs appear amply sufficient for the purpose. In the view of others perhaps the proofs are not sufficient, for it would be very extraordinary that no differences of opinion should exist on this subject.

One thing is certain, that in whatever I have alleged, I have been actuated by a firm belief of the truth of my assertions; and, on a review of what I have written, aided by further researches, I can now declare my belief that, far from exaggerating the errors and defects of the English dictionaries and grammars used in our country, I am persuaded that my representations come very much short of the truth.

In addition to what I have said on the works of Lowth, Johnson, Varro, Vossius, Junius, and Skinner, I will now mention the Hebrew Lexicon of Parkhurst. I have no doubt that the sense of Hebrew words has been generally understood; but a great number of Hebrew words which are treated as radical, are compound or derivative, and a multitude of words are arranged by Hebricians, under roots with which they have no connexion.

Equally erroneous and defective are the Latin and Greek Lexicons in assigning words to their radicals. I have made no enumeration of these errors, but in the dictionaries of Ainsworth, Schrevelius, and Johnson, probably, not one word in fifty is traced to its radical signification.

In making these representations, I am persuaded my mo. tives are pure and honorable. They spring not from vanity, or a disposition to depreciate the learned labors of other men. My real motive is to justify to the world my design of publishing a new work. I hold it to be very improper to tax the public with the expense of a new publication, without offering to the purchaser, as a compensation, real and valuable improvements. It is a common practice for men, for the purpose of acquiring fame or money, to make books by selection, without the merit of erudition, or the toil of research; and there may be cases, especially in regard to school books, in which the practice, if not commendable, is at least not very censurable. There are other instances in which men of

very