It will be recollected by many of the readers of the Anthology, that the Rev. Arthur Homer, D.D. and Fellow of St. Mary Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1799 dispersed a folio sheet of proposals for printing by subscription a new work, intituled Bibliotheca Universalis Americana; or, an universal American library containing a general catalogue of publications, relating to America and the West Indies, from the first discovery thereof by Columbus in 1492, to the end of the present century." The work was to consist of two - quarto volumes: the price to subscribers two guineas, in boards, to be paid when the whole is completed; and to be dedicated to Gen. Washington. Several improved impressions of the proposals and prospectus were circulated in 1799, to which was annexed a numerous and respectable list of subscribers. Upon the death of Washington, ‘a necessary change in the intended dedication' took place; and, in 1800, a new impression of the proposals, &c. was published, in which

was

the following paragraph: The dedication will be addressed, by particular permission, to the right reverend Dr. Watson, bishop of Landaff, the learned and pious author of the Apology for the Bible, was a sincere token of the editor's esteem for his lordship's defence of every thing most dear and valuable to man, in answer to the impious and heretical opinions of a person, whose works he shall necessarily have occasion to record.' From this new impression it appears, that the liberal and indefatigable author, who had in contemplation a scheme of personally visiting the continent of America, for the sake of obtaining more full and effectual information on the subject, was become a 'corresponding member of the Massachusetts

Historical Society. In 1801, another impression of the proposals, &c. was published; in which the compiler pledges himself to give up all the emoluments to the benefit of two distinct funds in England and the United States of North America; the subscriptions in England to be applied to the use of the incorporated society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts; those in the United States to the purchase of books for the benefit of a publick library in the new Federal City, or university intended to be established within the limits of the district of Columbia, if such an university should receive the sanction of the legis lature; if not, for the use of any other publick library which the subscribers themselves shall please to nominate. To this alteration in the terms of the original proposals, so agreeable to the principles of common equity, it is presumed that no objection can reasonably be made, especially as it has already received the sanction of that society, to which the editor had before intentionally dedicated the exclusive profits.' A postscript intimates that as the number of subscriptions already received to this work are more than sufficient to defray the expenses of the press, it affords the editor the greatest satisfaction to observe, that every additional subscription will be a considerable benefit to the institutions which it is meant to serve.' The subscriptions already receiv ed' are then particularized, and are closed with the following advertisement to the reader: The editor of this work having hitherto been prevented by very important, though private, reasons from putting into execution his intended excursion to the continent of America, begs leave to inform his subscribers, that he has by no means

abandoned that scheme altogether, but has only postponed it to a more favourable opportunity, when those reasons shall no longer exist. In the interim, he trusts that they will readily excuse the necessary delay, which this will occasion in the publication of his undertaking, from the hopes which he entertains, of rendering it more perfect by a personal visit to that country, especially with respect to its provincial productions, and consequently more worthy of the generous patronage which it has received. In 1803, however, he addressed a printed letter to his subscribers, dated Magd. Coll. Oxford, Feb. 5,' announcing his having entirely given up, or at least suspended for a considerable time,' the further prosecution of the work. His premature decease is on many accounts deeply to be regretted, and may probably have prevented any testementary direction relative to it. In the aforementioned letter he considers his subscribers as fully released from the terms of their subscription, and with many thanks for their intended support of the undertaking, concludes thus: The materials, however, which have been collected at much expence to myself, and infinite pains for several years past, shall not be wholly lost, but, when revised and duly arranged, published at my own risk, or deposited in some publick library, where free access may be had to them for the information of any future writers upon American history and literature.' It is surely much to be wished that his representatives may fulfil his truly liberal intentions, and deposit these valuable materials in some publick library accordingly.

A manuscript copy of Dr. Ramsay's Life of Washington, with several alterations by the author, designed chiefly for the benefit of the British reader, has been forwarded to England, and will shortly be published.

The portraits of Dr. Samuel Johnson, which have been hitherto publish

:

ed, were taken at an advanced period of his life, when his sight was very much impaired a picture of this great man, painted by the late Mr. Barry, is now engraving by Mr. Anker Smith, and will be published by Mr. Manson. This, being painted when he was much younger, may be fairly presumed to be

a more characteristic resemblance than

any of those which have preceded it.

Mr. Bowyer, of Pall Mall, has issued proposals for a very splendid work, which cannot fail to be highly interesting to all the friends of mankind at large, as it is intended to commemorate the final triumph of humanity in the cause of the much injured natives of Africa. It will be entitled, A Tribute of the Fine Arts in Honour of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and will contain three original poems by three gentlemen who have already given distinguished proofs of their poetical talents, beside extracts relative to the subject from some of our most eminent authors. These will be embellished by near twenty plates, including vignettes, by the very first engravers; and the historical subjects will be from original cabinet pictures by the first painters in this country. It will form one handsome volume in large quarto, printed by Bensley, in his best manner, on superfine wove paper, and will be dedicated by permission to his royal highness the duke of Gloucester, patron, and the directors and governors of the Society for bettering the Condition of the Natives of Africa. A correct and animated likeness of W. Wilberforce, Fsq. will be introduced into the work.

In the course of the summer will be published, Memoirs of the voyages, adventures, and extraordinary long life of David Salmon, now living in Liverpool, the only survivor of the crew of the Centurion, Commodore Anson, with whom he sailed round the world.

Proposals have been issued for publishing by subscription a Series of Lectures on Painting, delivered at the Royal Academy of Arts, and at the Royal Institution, in the years 1806 and 1807, by the late

John Opie, Esq. They will be printed in quarto, accompanied with a Mezzotinto engraving, by Reynolds, from a portrait of the author painted by himself.

Dr. Gregory's Bible, accompanied by the illustrative notes of various commentators, and with plates from the designs of the great masters in all the schools of painting, will be put in course of publication at the beginning of the next year. It will be so printed as to form two large volumes quarto, embellished with about one hundred engravings by all our best

artists.

A new edition, in six volumes octavo, of the Works of Jacob Bryant, is nearly ready for publication. Mr. Williams, a merchant of London, who was detained with other English in France at the commencement of the present war, and who lately obtained his liberty by the intervention of Dr. Jenner, is preparing an account of his detention, and of the present state of the interior of France. Such a work, by a gentleman on whose testimony the publick may depend, cannot fail to be generally interesting at a crisis like the present.

Mr. Belsham's History of Great Britain, from the revolution of 1688 to the ratification of the peace of Amiens, is about to be given to the publick in monthly volumes, embellished with a portrait to each volume, engraved from original paintings, by Heath and Fittler. This work will then correspond, in all respects, with the best editions of Hume, of whose history this revised and enlarged edition of Belsham is worthy of being received as a continuation.

A new edition of Sir William Jones's works, with a life of the author, by Lord Teignmouth, in 13 volumes octavo, is in preparation.

A fine edition of the Comus of Milton, translated literally, and line by line, into French and Italian prose, was printed at Paris, in 1806, in quarto, at the press of Monsieur Charles Crapelet, Rue de la Harpe,

Dr. Lloyd, regius professor of Hebrew in the university of Cambridge, has undertaken to superintend the edition of eminent writers on the scriptures of the proph ets, which will be enriched with much valuable additional matter, from writers whose works are little known in this country. The books intended to be included in this edition, are Lowth on Isaiah; Gregory's translation of Lowth on the sacred poetry of the Hebrews, with valuable additions from Michaelis, &c.; Blayney on Jeremiah; Newcombe on Ezekiel; Whitby on Daniel; and Newcombe on the minor prophets. It is intended to publish this edition in monthly parts.

Dr. William Hales, formerly professor of oriental languages in the university of Dublin, proposes shortly to publish a learned work, under the title of, An Analysis of ancient chronology, sacred and profane.

An institution for the deaf and dumb has for several years been established at Kiel, with good success. Another institution of this nature is now establishing at Copenhagen, at the expence of gov ernment. It will consist of three teachers, besides one female teacher, and forty pupils. Seventy rixdollars (141.) are to be paid annually for every pupil, which will be defrayed by the pupils themselves, or their parents, when they can afford it, otherwise by the poorchest of the district to which they belong. Dr. Castberg, who has travelled two years to inspect the best institutions of this kind in Europe, and who has laid down the plan for this establishment, is appointed the head teacher of this institution.

A recent statistical account of Holland, states the population of that country to amount to two millions, a much greater proportion to the soil than is found in any other

country. The national revenues are stated at 150 millions of florins. The foreign fisheries are very much decayed, and the whale-fishery, which is mentioned as a losing concern, is stated to support 15,000 individuals. The herring and codfisheries are still of much importance to the prosperity of Holland, though other nations have obtained so large a share in this species of industry.

Efforts are making to revive the Dutch school of painting and the fine arts. The king of Holland has created a director-general of the fine arts, who is to superintend the royal museum and those of the departments. He is also to be president of the academy of arts, to direct a monthly journal, and to use all his efforts to attract celebrated artists to the Hague. Every year the academy is to give a prize of 3000 florins for the best picture of national history, another of the same value for the best sculpture, a prize of 2000 florins for the best fancy picture, and the same for the best landscape and the best engraving. Eight students are to be maintained at Paris and at Rome, who are to reside two years at each of these capitals.

The catastrophe at Leyden was fatal to one of its first men of letters, Adrian Kluit, professor of antiquities, diplomatick history, and statisticks in its university, He had displayed his profound knowledge of those subjects by various publications. His works on the Rights of Man in France, and on the Sovereignty of the United Provinces, did him great honour; but it was from his "History of the Government of the United Provinces to the year 1795," that he derived the highest reputation. The academical disputations held under his presidency, and which were all extracted from his different courses, are in part collected and translated into Dutch. They are memoirs on the most important topicks on the history and law of that country. He was engaged on a general statistical account of

Holland at the time of the terrible explosion, in which his wife also perished.

Wieland is at present at work on a complete translation of Cicero's Epistles.

The king of Naples (Joseph Bonaparte), by a decree dated 17th March, has instituted a new academy of history and antiquities, which is to consist of forty members. The first twenty are nominated by the king; and these twenty are to present to him, for his choice, three names, for each of those wanted to complete the above number. The king appoints a perpetual secretary, and the academy has the power to elect a president for three months. The directors of the museum, of the fowller excavations, and of the royal press, are always to be members. The minister of the royal household will annually allot to the academy 8000 ducats, to be for current expenses, &c. and 2000 for prizes to the authors of four works, which, according to the judgment of the academy, shall be most deserving of such a reward. There will be a grand meeting every year, when the prizes are to be distributed, and analyses of the works read. The academy may nominate a correspondent in each of the fourteen provinces of the kingdom. The members will enjoy the privilege of being admitted to court. The first meeting was held on the 25th of April. The king, after having received the oaths of the members, pronounced an oration replete with expressions of the lively interest he takes in the labours of the learned men thus brought together. M. Francesco Daniele, the perpetual secretary, in his reply, gave a sketch of the glorious epoch, when Naples was the cradle of the arts and the sci

ences.

Printing presses are ordered to be established in all the great towns of the kingdom of Naples, and the bishops have been invited to see that they are in activity throughout every province.

Don Pedro de Escala has recently completed his Universal Traveller in 43 volumes. It comprises the best voyages and travels in all countries, either at large or in abstract. The same author is engaged on Travels in Spain.

Basil, a Greek physician, has printed, at the patriarchal press of Constantinople, a collection of letters, as a model for the epistolary style in modern Greek. In this collection are several letters of Alexander Mainacordato, the celebrated minister of the Porte, and also of his son Nicholas, prince of Wallachia and Moldavia. It likewise contains notices of several learned Greeks.

The following useful plan for village or parish libraries has been circulated by some publick-spirited individuals in England, and as many of our country readers may have opportunities to promote such establishments, we hope that its republication in the Anthology will not be useless.

"It is proposed to establish in every village or parish in the kingdom a small library, consisting chiefly of books of agriculture, history, modern voyages and travels, and other subjects of rational instruction and general utility.

"The funds for commencing and maintaining such a library, to be raised by a subscription of five shillings per quarter for three years, and of a half crown per quarter afterwards.

"The resident clergyman, for the time being, to be president of the society, and a treasurer to be appointed annually from among the subscribers.

"The subscriptions to be received, the accounts to be kept, and the books to be circulated and registered by the parish clerk, or by the parish schoolmaster, who, besides having the use of the books for his own reading, is to be entitled to the fines.

"The books to be kept in the vestry room, at the house of the officiating clergyman, or at any

other convenient place, in a room which shall be accessible to the subscribers.

"Quarterly meetings to be held of the subscribers at the place where the books are kept, when new books are to be ordered, accounts stated, and regulations formed.

"No book to be kept for reading more than a month, under the forfeiture of one penny per day afterwards; and no magazine, review, or pamphlet, to be kept more than five days under a similar penalty.

"The first object of such a society, should be to possess itself of the County Reports, and other books published by the Board of Agriculture, of Gregory's Cyclopadia, some of Arrowsmith's maps. Dickson's Agriculture, a system of geography, Mavor's Universal History, Johnson's Dictionary, and Hume and Belsham's (the last revised edition) History of England. It should also begin to take in for periodical circulation, the Monthly Magazine, the Annals of Agricul ture, the Oxford Review, and the Journal of Modern Voyages and Travels.

"The library to be considered as the property of the subscribers, and of their resident heirs or successors, as long as they shall continue to pay their quarterly contributions within twelve months after they fall due; but any parishioner may, at any time, be at liberty to become a reader of the library on paying three shillings for a single quarter.

"N. B. To establish such a library, it seems only to be requisite that a fair copy of this plan should be affixed to the church door, that the clergyman, or parish-clerk should solicit the names of the chief parishioners; and as soon as a dozen have paid their first subscription, the society must be considered as formed. Should any nobleman or gentleman lend his countenance to the plan, and contribute a donation of ten or twenty pounds, its establishment could scarcely fail to be permanent."