gaged in this task with his mind well stored with historical and claffical knowledge, with a fufficiency of fcience, and a genuine love of virtù. After prefenting the reader with a fketch of the hiftory of Rome, the origin and progrefs of her architecture, as peculiar, and as borrowed from the Grecians, &c. he carries him to the gates of the city, and the moft remarkable antiquities which appear on the roads leading from them; whence he conducts him to the feven hills within the walls, and to the remains of the temples, baths, aqueducts, and other public buildings, of which he gives a minute account, accompanied with interefting differtations, remarks, and anecdotes. To the body of his work he has added an appendix confifting of fix letters, defcribing the Nafonian Sepulchre, Tivoli, the Villa of Hadrian, and including remarks on Prænefte, Albano, and Herculaneum. The illuftrative plates are few, but well executed.

The "Account of Roman Antiquities difcovered at Woodchefter, near Minching-Hampton, in the County of Gloucefter, by Samuel Lyfons, F. R. S. and A. S. folio, with Forty-four Plates," is a highly elegant and fplendid work, the chief value of which confifts in the accuracy and excellence of the numerous engravings, from views and plans made by the anthor. The fabjects of them, befides a map of the Roman ftations, roads, and buildings within fifteen miles of Woodchefter, are views of that village and the adjacent country; plans of the Roman buildings difcovered at Woodchefter; Mofaic pavements, which are not equalled in point of extent or beauty by any in Europe, if we except thofe difcovered at Otricoli in Italy, and

now in the mufeum of the Vatican ; plans and fections of the flues and hypocaufts for warming the different apartments; a view and plans of a fweating room; and fragments of columns, ftatues, ftucco, pottery, and various utenfils. Mr. Lyfons' defcriptive account, which is given in French as well as Englifh, is little more than explanatory of the plates; but it is accompanied with notes, abounding in claffical illuftrations, which convey defirable information on the fubject of Roman architecture.

The "Illuftration of Roman Antiquities at Bath, by the Reverend Richard Warner," has been publifhed under the auspices of the corporation of that city, and reflects credit on them for having extended their patronage to fuch a laudable undertaking. Mr. Warner is known to be a zealous and well-informed antiquary; and in the work before us he has exercised his talents, in general, with his ufual judgment and fkill. After rejecting the hypothefis that a flourifhing city had been erected by the Britons on the fame fpot, he prefents his readers with a fketch of the Roman hiftory of Bath, from its origin, which he dates in the period of Vefpafian's conquefts; and with defcriptions of remains of monumental ftones, altars, basreliefs, and ftatues, illuftrated with wooden cuts. In particular inftances Mr. Warner opposes the judgment of Governor Pownall, in his "Defcriptions and Explanations of fome Remains of Roman Antiquities, &c." noticed in our Register for the Year 1795; but not without, fometimes at least, asfigning valid reasons for his difference of opinion.

In our last year's Register we announced the appearance of the

first volume of Mr. Hutchinfon's "Hiftory of the County of Cumberland, and fome Places adjacent, from the earliest Accounts to the prefent Times." We have now to inform our readers that the fecond volume of that work has been completed, confifting, like the former, of two parts, published at different periods, and abounding in much ufeful information, and in much amufement. Mr. Hutchinfon has received contributions from various gentlemen, on the fubjects of antiquities, biography, agriculture, and natural hiftory, which he has communicated, in general, in their own language. This circumftance has rendered the compofition of this Hiftory of Cumberland very unequal and uncouth; and it is befides marked by frequent negligencies and inaccuracies, which fhould not have been fuffered to escape correction.

The publication of " the Hiftory of Devonthire, in 3 Vols. folio, by the Rev. Richard Polwhele," commenced fome time ago with the appearance of the fecond volume, which has but very lately fallen under our infpection. Singular as fuch an inverted order may appear, it is not of fufficient importance to make us very inquifitive after the author's reafons for it. In his preface Mr. Polwhele informs us, that the more curious and ftriking particulars that are ufually interwoven in the general texture of county hiftories, the more interesting accounts in antiquities or hiftory, &c. are referved for the firft volume; that the work before us confifts of nothing more than a chorographical defcription or parochial furvey of the county of Devon, which will doubtlefs be confidered as vapid and dead, by those who have no relith for topographical delineations, for accounts of

landed property, for genealogical memoirs, or for defcriptions of parifh churches. Although we are not difpofed to pronounce quite foʻharth a judgment on this part of our author's labours, yet we are not per fuaded that the method which he has adopted was the moft likely to create favourable impreffions, even in their minds who comprehend the defign of the subcle work. The plan which he has followed of contin.ng himself to dry chorography through the whole of the volume before us, we apprehend will have the effect of rendering it heavy and tirefome, and on thofe accounts leis inftructive, and certainly lets pleafant, than the mode ufually purfued by county-hiftorians. Mr. Polwhele, however, will not be wanting in defenders of the method which he has chofen; and he appears to have been confirmed in his fentiments refpecting its propriety, by many whofe judgment he reveres. In executing his plan he has followed the ecclefiaftical divifions of the county, commencing with the archdeaconry of Exeter; which, fubdivided into its deanries, occupies the whole of the prefent volume. The order in which thefe deanries are introduced, after a fhort account is given of Exeter, its churches, and its neighbourhood, is the following: Cadbury, Dunsford, Kenne, Ayletbeare, Plymtree, Honiton, Dunkefwell, and Tiverton. On Mr. Porhele's accuracy as a chorographer, we muft leave others to decide who are better acquainted than ourselves with the county of Devon. Where his readers" mark deficiencies, they will be aware that chaims are often owing to papers promifed, but withheld; where they detect errors, they will confider the negligence of correfpondents, whose feeming zeal, or ingenuity, too fre

quently

quently precludes every fufpicion of mistake,"

During the prefent year a part of "Vol. 1." of Mr. Polwhele's hiftory has been published, which is to be followed by fucceeding portions till the plan of the author is completed. The pages of which this part is compofed contain a sketch of the natural hiftory of Devonshire, and the hiftory of that county during the British period, from the first fettlements in Danmonium, to the arrival of Julius Cæfar, fifty-five years before Christ. The sketch of the natural history of Devonshire, which is divided into ten chapters, we have found inftructive and entertaining, as well as many of the notes, chiefly furnifhed by Mr. Polwhele's correfpondents, or felected from MSS. with which he has been favoured. The hiftory of the county during the British period is compofed from his volume of "Hifiorical Views of Devonshire," noticed in our Regifter for the Year 1793, and is divided into eleven fections, forming the first chapter of the great body of the author's work. This hiftory contains an account of the fettlements, divifions of land, governments, religion, civil, military, and religious architecture, pafturage and agriculture, mining, manufactures, commerce, language and learning, perfons and population, character, manners and usages of the Danmonians. In this department of his, labours, more particularly under the articles civil, military, and religious architecture, and commerce, Mr. Polwhele must be allowed, even by those who may not concur with him in many of his opinions and deductions, to display much induftry of research, and ingenuity of remark, and to offer a variety of curious particulars which merit the

favourable attention of the pub

lic.

The fourth volume of Mr. Lyfons's " Environs of London, being an hiftorical Account of the Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, within twelve Miles of the Capital," completes that useful and entertain ing work, the nature and general merits of which we have fufficiently explained in our Regifters for the years 1792 and 1795. The prefent volume is confined to the counties of Herts, Effex, and Kent; and at the end of the parochial accounts contains a very curious general view of the foriner and prefent ftate of market-gardens, and of the quantity of land now occupied for that purpofe round the metropolis. To the whole work Mr. Lyfons has added a general appendix of additions and corrections.

Mr. Langley, in his "Hiftory and Antiquities of the Hundred of Detborough, and Deanry of Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, including the Borough Towns of Wycomb and Marlow, and fixteen Parithes," appears to have made the most of his fcanty materials, which he collected, among other fources, from the MSS. of Mr. Browne Willis, in the Bodleian library, and from the evidences which the Tower, the British Mufeum, and the Registry of Lincoln afford." But the difiriet which he has undertaken to defcribe, will be found to contain little that is attractive to those who have no local interest in it. The picturefque fcenery, indeed, we must except from this remark ; in the defcription of which Mr. Langley's pen has been moft advantageoufly employed, for his own credit as a writer, and for the entertainment of his readers. The defcents of ancient families, armorial enfigns, the fucceffive patrons

and

and incumbents of the refpective benefices, and fepulchral notices, occupy their due portion of the volume. Mr. Brewfter's" parochial Hiftory and Antiquities of Stocktonupon-Tecs, including an Account of the Trade of the Town, the Navigation of the River, and of fuch parts of the Neighbourhood as have been connected with that Place," is written in a series of let ters; and contains as much information relative to the civil, military, and commercial ftate of Stockton from the earliest times, and to the prefent manners of its inhabitants, as the author's diligent enquiries and perfonal obfervation enabled him to collect. It comprizes, likewife, biographical notices of fome of the moft diftinguished inhabitants, or natives of that town. But we cannot align it a respectable rank among the productions in British topography.

The Hitory or Defcription, general and circunftantial, of Burghley Houfe, the Seat of the Right Honourable the Earl of Exeter," if we are to take its character from the anonymous author, is "a more neat, elegant, and extenfive de fcription of the palace of Burghley than any that has ever appeared, arranged in a more polifhed and methodical manner, &c. &c." But although we cannot adopt his critique on his own performance, and found ourselves frequently difgufted by his affectation in fentiment and language, we can recommend it as an ufeful companion to thofe who may vifit that noble manfion.

Mr. Green's "Account of the Discovery of the Body of King John, in the Cathedral Church of Worcefter, 17th of July, 1797," is published as a fupplement to the author's inveftigations concerning that monarch's tomb, in his "Hif

tory and Antiquities of Worcester, noticed in our laft volume, and de fcribes the particulars of the relics found under a cenotaph erected in the choir of the cathedral. They appear to indicate the identical remains of king John; and they af ford fcope for antiquarian curiofity to afcertain, whofe body. " may have been admitted to the poffeftion of the royal grave."

Mr. Roots's "Charters of the Town of Kingston-upon-Thames, tranflated into English, with occa fional Notes," may prove acceptable to the inhabitants of that town, but cannot be fuppofed adapted to excite much intereft beyond its boundaries. In his preface Mr. Roots makes it appear probable, that Kingfton loft its privilege of fending members to parliament in confequence of the theriff's difcontinuing to inue the precepts for election, and not in confequence of a petition from the inhabitants that they might be releafed from the burthen, as ftated in Mr. Lyfons' Environs of London."

Mr. Croft's "Excerpta Antiqua," contain fome felections from original papers which will amufe the curious antiquary, notwithstanding that they do not convey any ufeful or important information. A confiderable number of the author's pages is employed in detailing the depofitiens of the quen dowager, lords, ladies, and others, taken before James II. and his council, refpecting the birth of the nominal prince of Wales, afterwards called the Pretender.

In our last year's Regifter we laid before our readers an account of a moft impudent literary fraud, which was attempted to be practised on the public, respecting legal inftru ments and MSS. which it was pretended had belonged to Shakspeare; as well as of the controverfy which