Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS OF IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING WORKS,
PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH;

A GENERAL ACCOUNT OF SUCH AS ARE OF LESS CONSE
QUENCE, WITH SHORT CHARACTERS;

NOTICES, OR REVIEWS OF VALUABLE FOREIGN BOOKS;
CRITICISMS ON NEW PIECES OF MUSIC AND WORKS OF ART;

AND THE

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE OF EUROPE, &c.

"At hæc omnia ita tractari præcipimus, ut non, Criticorum more, in laude et
"cenfura tempus teratur; fed plane biftorice RES PS narrentur, judicium
parcias interponatur."
BACON de biftoria literaria confcribenda.

VOL.

VIII.

FROM SEPTEMBER, TO DECEMBER INCLUSIVE, 1790.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, N°. 72, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD,

M DCC XC.

THE

ANALYTICAL REVIEW,

For SEPTEMBER, 1790.

ART. 1. The History of France from the first Establishment of that Monarchy to the prefent Revolution. In Three Volumes. 8vo. 1458 pages. Price 18s. in boards. Kearfley. 1790. BEFORE the appearance of this publication a confiderable link was wanting, to general readers, and efpecially to young perfons, in the great chain of hiftory. In the English language there was no hiftory of France which a modern reader could perufe with fatisfaction. The public are therefore certainly obliged to the anonymous author of this production, for affording them information which was not easy to be obtained by the majority of readers; and the publication is peculiarly feafonable at this period, when the affairs of France are fo much the fubject of general converfation.

The first pages of this hiftory are occupied by a brief, but perfpicuous detail of the origin and enterprises of the Franks, previous to the reign of Clovis. The conquefts of that monarch, who was originally a petty chief of a tribe of Franks, and his converfion to christianity are next recounted. By the united efforts of valour and policy, Clovis, it is well known, poffeffed himfelf by degrees of the whole of the northern part of Gaul, which had been divided among the Vifigoths, Alemanni, and other barbarian invaders. The Vifigoths, with Alaric at their head, were unable to withstand the force and ability of the victorious Frank, but his progrefs was stopped by Theodoric, king of the Aftrogoths. Clovis, however, in thefe wars, added Aquitain, from the Pyrenees to the Loire, to his former acquifitions. His career was crowned by the honour of being appointed conful of Rome; in the laft year of his reign he reformed and published the famous Salic laws; and in 511 he died at Paris, in the 45th year of his age, and 30th of his reign. The character of Clovis is worthy of an extract: VOL. I. p. 16.

VOL. VIII. No I.

B

Among

« PreviousContinue »