Star.
London, England, 1817-09-19 00:00:00

LITALITURL

ENCiCLOIVEDIA METROPOLITANA.

[See Prospectus, published by R. FENNER, Paternoster-row I
We mean to devote the present Article to the n. rit
of a Wot k which as yet is only. in agitation. but whit'
if executed crerespondeotly with its professed view,
and intentions, will form one of the'mnst important
additions to literature that have been made in moder
times. Ever since the publication of the French En-
cyclopedie, the latter term has become popular fur r
Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. Like most popular
terms, however, it has not been strictly confined within
the limits of its definition; but has been mid, to com
nrehend much miscellaneous matter, without refe
ranee to any distinct system; and from similar elute
;t las often omitted important articles, and given to
those which were inserted very disproportionate de
l',,ees of eztension'and importance.
,There are two modes of arrangement for such a
w irk, each possessing its peculiar advantages, the
Alphabetical and Philosophical. A Dictionary is
generally looked upon so much as a work of reference.
at d the business ot referring to authorities commonly
adapts of so little delay and reflec:ion, that for the
same reason that alphabetic writing has in most na
dons prevailed over all attempts at the formation of a'
philosophical character, alphabetic arrangement has
generally prevailed over the arrangement par ordre
dos ;swim:. Nevertheless it is obvious that the two
modes of arrangement are not wholly irreconcileable;
we might perhaps say, th t by their union alone can
rtch a woik be rendered perfectly applicable to pur-
poses both of instruction and of daily use. This is
'the object prcposed in the Prospectus of the Jusry-
rlopedia Itfaropolitaoa. The philosophical arrange-
ment must of ci.urse predominate, the other must
be merely auxiliary; by means of the one we shall be
enabled to understand a term scien,ifically or histori-
cally, by means of the other we shall be at once di.
rem," to that part of the Circle of Sciences, or that
point in the Stream of History, where its import is
developed. and its relations are explained.
It is a just observation of Bacon's, that the strength
of all sciences consists in their harmony, each sup.
porting the other. This profound remark he indeed
• wakens, as WAS too much his custom, by a fooltigb
and inapplicable simile. 44 Were it not bettei;4%ya
he, " for a man in a fair room to set up papyri/10,v
of branching candlestick of lights, than to gq abot
with a sod/ watch candle into every corner o
which we might answer in his own formal int,.
I, that is thereafter as it may be; it you want only to
hunt in corners, your watch candle may serve you
best; but it you ask whether a great light will illu.
initiate a room better than a small one, methinks your
question is right simple. Setting aside therefore the
simile, and reverting to the important truth, that the
sciences mutually strengthen and support each other,
we may observe, that is roost Encyclopalias this ob-
ject has been lost sight of; no general view has been
taken of the powers and faculties of the human mind,
r from whithi as from a vantage ground, we might
trace their mutual relations and dependencies. There
ba. been no prima P/siforeishia, as a General disposing
and commanding the whole order of the battle ; but
we have seen troops here and there, marching we knew
no whither, or stationary for no intelligible purt.iite.
Tire eonsequences.of this neglect of the harmony of
Ahoofkireist are well pointed out Id tbe-hospectus be-
Tate us w The Inapplicability,'Esays diriirriter, 44 of a
strictly stioseijc method to a modern'Encyclopwdia,
Such as shall include the whole of its contents, has led
to the abandonment of all pi inciple of ratified arrange-
ment ;and it may be safely asserted of all our Univet sal
Dictionaries hitherto, that the chief difference between
them, in respect of their it/as, consists in the more or
less complete disorganization of the Science and Sys-
tematic Arts s now retaining certain integral portions
of the system as integers, forming each an entire trea-
tise, but resigning these treatises to the places seve-
rally assigned to them by the accident of their initial
letters; and now splintering all alike into their frac-
tional parts, with an arrangement merely alphabeti-
cal. Nor has the imperfection rested here. This very
alphabetical position was but too frequently detcr-
mined by the caprice or convenience of the compiler;
inasmuch as the division of parts into minor parts had
no settled limit. Thus, one technical or scientific
term included suits subordinate, and to be explained
in the same article(soinseti mes more, sonik ti Ines fe er)
other terms : acid the arrangement became neither pro-
perly scientific, nor properly alphabetical. It bad, the
inconvenieneief of both, without the advantages of
eithet."

if The results are such as might have been expect.
td, in part from the necessity of sueh.plans, and in
part from the interference of individual whim, care-
lessness, and procrastination,. to which they afforded
the amplest opportoniues, and even frequent tempta-
tion. Numerous articles of important information will
be found where the reader could have least expected to
find them; while articles 'et equal interest (either be.
cause they were forgotten, or because the references to
them were made by one writer and the articles referred
to written by another, of whose plan they formed no
part) are in many cases not to be found at all."
.4 A second result is, that an Universal I)ictionary
so constructed, equally with an EncyclopmJia the
most methodically arranged, requires alphabetical
references; but with a two-old inconvenience, from
which the latter would be free. First, the references,
instead of being collected in one amsrepriarindix,or at
least in sane known portion of the work, are scat-
tered throughout the whole: and this is no slight an.
noyance when a scientific term happens to h.ave many
synonymes, as for instance, Azute, Nitrogen, Pillogis.
ticated Air, &c. Secondly, the references must reed.,
tuallyleadthe readerthrough as many volu mes,as those
other words happen lobe placedin, which are necess ay '
to be previoady understood in order to a tolerable coll.
prehension of the teets,first sought. Of the troth of
this remark, and, of ants extent to which it it tau*,
every reader who with to acquire a general know-
ledge of the physical or physiological termer that
are now so often- introduced in caravels .tion and po-
pular literature, m sy readily convinee himself. He
need only read through any one number of a thilo.
sophical Magazine, referring to' n EncyclopzJia so
constructed, for the purport of each word which he
does not understand, and practical proofs will occur
with more than sufficient frequency.'
fo A third evil, malting from the same causes, is
the utter want of all proportion in the space occu-
pied by each article, relatively either to theimport-
anee of the particular subject, or to the promised

"mite of tie whde work. Elena ton it arises that
the Propriefrrs arc in Tien I red.7ced to a choke
,tt evil.. l'he w 'rk most • trended fir beyond
the firm i•spect•ititi . lie purch.ficts, tr. the arts-
ties assig re.i t 4 the lam rv• lomes list be e, , fled
in scanty and superfir;al b con.
I 'act to gve the Public an U.nversal Dicti•al .ry of
the Arts and Sciences, hut 1... I,..tition maim s the
olin. Either open.), then, or in the form of Supple-
mentary Volumes ( hearing perhaps a large pro,wi tion
to the whole work) this pledge must be redeemed. la
'nth cases the disorder and dislocation, and, in many
instances, the deficiencies, amain unremedied. We
might look is v iin 1.. r any intelligible reason, why
t4ir article is allowed 'to branch wit on all sites, iit
full lutiviance of limb and foliage, while other. of
equal, and not seldom of far greater, interest are 10.
duced to a mere sterile deftytition:"
' And le:sibyl sinalfe,i dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless.'
" Thus in one of our most popular Encyclif x!i
a word of b irharons, or perhaps of sportive
6 o:cup es 'even or eight ultra s rite spa. •.-.•
assigned to NATURAL rueot.ncv, which is distr.:
sed to our astonishment, in a very inadequate
tion of a line and a half, and v..itlimit even a single
reference to any other part of the work."
" It requires but a moment's reflection to be con-
vinced, that the most voluminous Eneyclor rdia which
has yet appeared, is incomparably too nariuw to con-
tain an Universal History of Knowledge in its present
state s and that the authors and compiler. wail have
satisfied all rational expectations if only nothing shall
be found ercluded from any other cause than the higher
importance of that which has been admitted ; in or.:er.
that on all subjects the ends of general inforinatinn at
lead may Se accomplished. W here, therefore, selec-
tion is so imperiously required, there mutt be an equal
necessity that certain fixed and inteli Bible principles
should be pre-established."
he &Isms of the proposed Encycloi Clere-
fore divides itself into Four grand chymous, the first
comprehending the pure Sciences, tie second the
mixed Sciences, the third History, and the f •urth
Lexicography : and the whole is to be preced d by
an laireludion, setting forth the elements-of Metho-
dology, and is :o be followed by a.. Index cont lining
the alphabetical iefeeences. "'Thus," says the Edi.
:tor, 46 after its' Completion, the work will appear as
an orderly Digest Of All' the great point* of human
knowledge, and, notwithstanding it, cumpar4 lively
moderate extent-andc:price, must form the most per..
feet system of intellectual Instruction and Entertain-
nsent, that has been hitherto submitted to the Friends
and Patrons of Art, Science, History, and gcneial
Literature in Gteat Nritain."

Such an undertaking cannot but have the good
wishes of all who are well disposed to the real pro-
gress of knowledge.—tkssuredly it will be no mean
subject of congratulation to the British Public, if
ti:e.e lair pumas should be canted, as we earnestly
hope they may be, into full effect. We hear too
much of “ the spit of the age," and ut the " pro-
gress of the human mind," horn men, not only ur.-
qualified to judhe of such matte's, but actually
employed in polluting the waters of science, it they
Cannot NM* back the stream. May The Entyeloptika
Metro/widow tall the hopes which its l':o.pectus
eacourages us to entertain! The at temen is ant aous.
its execution must occupy a large port:.in of time,
and wit! deraanartne CO-oper.,:lor. of :latch and varied
talent ; butif carried through, iit the spirit in which
it is undertaken, it wiil be an honour to our Country,
and a benefit to MAnkiild.

Thy deMolition of the old Jail of Edinburgh corn-
!naked on Monday. The prisoners sv,re removed
to the new one'early that morning.
At Fortingall, in Perthshire, the traveller is •liewn
one of the greatest natural Antiquities which &oil aid
can boast, viz. a yew tree, li.ty.three leet ill C.ICUM•
Terence. Its age cannot be Ascertained, but Ir.nn sp.
pearance and tradition it must be no less than 700 or
800 years gild. It is now in a decayed state, and the
proprietor's burial ground lies beside it ; and through
the decayed part or the trunk the funeral processions
pass. Its branches Are still green. Tuts is well
worth seeing, atid many travellers carry off pieces
of the wood to Teielgoit'-couattles. as relies of this Ve-
nerable and so:itary tree:' _ _ _

The origina4 di.ittiond.ring of MARY QLEEN er
Scots, upon which areVngraved the Arm, ut Lng-
land, Scotlaud, anil•leetand, guarkred, and which was
produced in evidence at the trial of the outuri once .
MARY, as a proof of her pretensions to the Crown of
England, was in she possession of the late Mr.
BLANCHICRD, one of the Lairds of the Admiralty, at
the time of his death. rite history of this fatal ring
is curious. It descended from MARY to her granais
son CHARM I. who gave it, on the scaffold, 10
bishop JUXon. fir his son CtiartLes If. u /go, in lis
troubles, pawned it in Holland fur A 3 41, %O.:* it
was bought by Governor Yaut, and sole at his anis:
fur £320, cuppozed for the Prefitider. 11109.a..iia4 it
came into possessitni of the Earl of /st.s., D.te ,if
Attonst, and probably from him to the faitaYy of Mr. -
lILANCHaOitn. At the late sale f his rff..-cts, it was
said to have been purrh..s.d tor the hum:v. ReuENT.
Tuesday se'sinight, Wm. Durw..td, A.l industrious
tradesman, was drowned bathing at Montrose. The
circumstances attending his death are very radian.
choly, as he hes lelt a wife and five children ; (Woof
the eldest were with him when the accident happened,
and heard the cries of their father, which erabled
them to give the alarm to some bathers niu hr from
the spot. Two young men came rip, and with some
difficulty succeeded in finding the betty, i.ut the vital
spark was too far gone for re-animation.
Saturday, as two Gentlemen were walking on tLe
pier, between Grantor. and Caroline Park, neur
in.
burgh, they perceimOrkbt!), on a rock, surrounded
by the tide, which mai ri4;ivaPidly. The poor bey.
!seeing his dange;', for lief? ; and
Gentlemen desir4 stimeiglaSons, 'who .were „.„,kin„
near die spot, to go to Griinton for a horse, Luckily
there was a man not ra7,4, with.a horse and cart,
and to him they applied, but the fellow had the ir.
humanity to reluse. It was not howerer a time for
ceremony ; the horse was therefore taken lam the
cart without the owner's permission. and one of the
masons having mounted it, relieved the hey from his
perilous situation; The result afforded a teoroet to
the cat ter more keen than any langu sge of reproach
or indignation could have conveyed— clic koy, for
whose rescue from death lie had refaced the u 4.•:
horse, proved to be his own son