The Edinburgh Reivew was a sort of TLS and NYTBR for its day, with very long and penetrating articles reviewing books and reports on a very wide range of topics.
- Available so far: 1825, 1826, 1828, 1831, 1833, 1835 (many more to come).
- For 1802-1810, see the very last entry.
1825/6
The Edinburgh Review and Critical Journal, November 1825 to February 1826. Published in Edinburgh, printed by Ballantyne & Co., 1826. 9'x6 , (2), 519pp. Recently rebound in modern linen, with new endpapers. Very crisp. Very Good copy. $125
Three good papers in economics/political economy:
"A Discourse on the Rise, Progress, Peculiar Objects, and Importance of Political Economy: Containing an Outline of a Course of Lectures on the Principles and Doctrines of that Science" by J. R. M'Culloch, Esq.,[book review] pp 1-23; "Reports and Evidence upon the State of Ireland. Ordered to be printed by the House of Lords and the House of Commons, Sessions 1824 1825"; and "Thoughts on the Education of the Irish Poor", by J. O'Driscoll.
Also:
"England enslaved by her own Slave Colonies. An Address to the Electors and People of the United Kingdom", by James Stephen, Esq., long review of a 91pp paper published in the same year, 1826, pp 406-422. Stephen (1758-1832) was the principal English lawyer associated with the abolitionist movement (Wiki), writer, and great-grandfather of Virginia Woolf. "Thoughts on Popular Education"; "Considerations on the Game-Laws", by Edward Lord Suffield; "Considerations on the Expediency of the Law of Entail in Scotland", by Patrick Irvine, Esq.; "Reports and Evidence on the State of Ireland, ordered to be printed by the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Session 1825"; "A Treatise on the Law of Landlord and Tenant in Ireland", by John Finlay, Esq.
1828: Exploration, Police Reports, and Alehouses
Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal for June 1826...September 1826, Edinburgh, printed by the Heirs of D Williams, 1826; iv, 526pp, volume 44, 8.25x5.5”. Rebound in modern cloth. Very tidy, in FINE condition. $75 For example, for this volume we have:
Several reviews of early attempts at reaching the North Pole:
“Narrative of a Second Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827”, by John Franklin, Captain; “Narrative of an Attempt to reach the North Pole, in 1827”, by William Edward Parry, Captain R.N. F.R.S. “Remarks on the Probability of Reaching the North Pole; being an Examination of the Recent Expedition under Captain Parry”, by the Rev. William Scoresby, F.R.S. Pp 423-451.
“(A Letter to the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Surrey...”) with the more interesting dropped title “Licensing of Alehouses” “The immense importance of a pint of ale to a common person should never be overlooked...”
Major Denham, “Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the Years 1822, 1823, and 1824. June 1826, pp 173-219.
George Combe, “A System of Phrenology”, September 1826 253-318;
“Massacre of St. Bartholomew”, June 1826, pp 95-155;
Also in the volume:
“History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus”, by Washington Irving, pp 1-32;
“The History of Painting in Italy, from the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts, to the end of the 18th
Century”, translated from the original Italian of the Abate Luigi Lanzi., by Thomas Roscoe.
”Proceedings of the Expedition to explore the Northern Coast of Africa, from Tripoly eastward, in 1821-22; comprehending an Account of the Greater Syrtis and Cyrenaica, and of the ancient cities composing the Pentapolis”, by Captain F. W. Beechey. “The Life of Robert Burns”, y J. G. Lockhart,, . Pp267-312. “Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India, from Calcutta to Bombay, 1824, 1825, (with Notes upon Ceylon;) an Account of a Journey to Madras and the Southern Provinces, 1826; and Letters written in India. By the late Right Reverend Reginald Hebe”. “A View of the present State and future Prospects of the Free Trade and Colonization of India; 312-348.
And some very interesting pre-Sherlockian London crime reporting: “Report from the Select Committee on the Police of the Metropolis, ordered, by the House of Commons...” pp 411-423.
1831
Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal for March 1831 to June 1831. Edinburgh, printed by Ballantyne and Co. ; ii, ii, 586pp; volume 53, 8.25x5.5”. Rebound in modern cloth. Very tidy, in FINE condition. $75 Some of the interesting papers in this volume include:
N.W. Senior, “Three Lectures on the Rate of Wages, with a Preface on the Causes of the present Disturbances” (dropped title “Causes and Cure of Disturbances and Pauperism”, pp 43-63;
(“Corrspondence between Schiller and Goethe from 1794 to 1805”), a review of the six volume work published in Tubingen in 1829, pp 82-104;
Beechy, F.W. Reivew of Beechy's “Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Behring's Strait...”newly published just months earlier, pp 210-231;
“Pretended Miracles—Irving, Scott, Erskine”, pp 261-305;
“Two Essays on the Geography of Ancient Asia...” by John Williams, published in 1829, pp 306-328;
“Fauna Boreali-Americana; or the Zoology of the Northern Parts of North America”, by John Richardson, published 1829, pp 328-360;
“Universities of England—Oxford” (“Oxford University Calendar for 1829”), pp 384-427;
Three works on the Government of British India, pp 438-477.
1833
The Edinburgh Review or Critical Journal, For July 1833…January 1834; Edinburgh, Longman, Rees etc., London,. Volume 58 546pp. Recently rebound in modern cloth and strong and is very fine; the text is crisp, though with some browning and foxing. $75
Of interest are the two long reviews of astronomical works by two great 19th century figures: A Treatise on Astronomy., by Sir John F. W. Herschel, Knt. Guelp., F.R.S.L. and E., Correspondent of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, &c. (Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia.) . . . pp 164-199; and Astronomy and General Physics considered with reference to Natural Theology, y the Rev. William Whewell Cambridge, pp422-457
Also there s a fairly longish look at transportation as criminal punishment: Du Systeme Penitentiare aux Etats Unis, et de son application en France; sum d'une Appendice stir les Colonies Penales, ct de Notes statistiques. by G. de Beaumont et A. de Tocqueville. SJ. Thoughts on Secondary Punishments, in a Letter to Earl Grey. By Richard Whately, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin. Reports from the Select Committee on Secondary Punishments, together with the Minutes of Evidence, and an Appendix of Papers, . .pp 336-362. This is mostly it seems a discussion of transportation to Australia and the relative cost of convict-keeping there vs. the U.S.
1835 Babbage, Railroads, Shipwrecks
The Edinburgh Review and Critical Journal, July 1834 January 1835. Volume 60. Published in Edinburgh, printed by Ballantyne & Co., 1835. 9"x6 , (2), (ii), 554pp. Recently rebound in modern linen, with new endpapers. Very crisp. Very Good copy. $75
Includes the following articles of interest: "Seven Annual Reports of the President and Directors to the Stockholders of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company and The American Railroad Journal", pp 94-125; Peter Mark Roget, "Animal and Vegetable Physiology considered with reference to Natural Théology", pp 142-180; Mrs. Jameson, "Characteristics of Women, Moral, Poetical, and Historical", pp 180-190; The first three meetings of the BAAS, pp 363-395; John Marshall, "Statements as to the Proceedings of the Committee for Classing the Mercantile Marine", and James Ballingall "The Mercantile Navy Improved and Sea Insurance the Cause of Shipwreck", pp 363-395.
In addition to a substantial amount of early railroading material and the interesting insurance report on the frequency of shipwrecks there is this nugget from the review of the first three meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science coming from Davy, Herschel, Brewster, and Babbage, about reversing a downward trend in the sciences in England by having the government make some modest investments in scientific associations. They did so ".under a deep concern for the honour of England, boldly pointed out the fact of the decline of science and the scientific arts. They investigated the causes by which so fatal a change had been produced, and suggested the means by which the sciences be fostered and revived. They felt evidently a fair amount of pushback: Some individuals, interested in science as a source of professional gain, and others, prompted by vanity and ignorance, endeavoured to thwart these appeals to the government and the country. A third class, already enjoying professorships, and other university appointments, repudiated the idea of a national establishment for science.[and] conceived that philosophers, like Puritans, would be disgraced by secular honours and dignities; and it was their desire that science, like virtue, should be its own reward. But in the rare and pure ether which they breathed, they had forgotten that in the two English universities, no fewer than nine professors had received from government an annual addition of L. 100 to their incomes."
47 papers in 17 volumes, plus many dozens of other papers in varied areas. Contains contributions by Malthus (4), Brougham (21), Horner (8), Jeffrey (3), Napier (2), Ellis (1), Allen (4), Alex. Hamilton (1), Buchanan (1), James Mill (1), Mackintosh (1). The Edinburgh Review was “the closest thing Great Britain had to an economic journal” (Fetter, “The Authorship of Economic Articles in the Edinburgh Review, 1802-47”, in the Journal of Political Economy, 1953).
8.5”x 5.25”, vols 1-17. All bound in the same nice cloth. Text has some browning and foxing; bindings nearly as-new. It seems unlikely, but all of these are Second through 11th editions, published between 1812 to 1821; the originals being 1802-1811.
(Note: all of this information regarding authorship--including the use of teh parenthetic "possibly" and "probably" is taken from the terrific piece of research by Fetter, noted above.)
October, 1802
- “Irvine's Emigration from the Highlands”, Francis Horner
- “The Utility of Country Banks”, Horner;
- “Thornton on the Paper Credit”, Horner;
- “Crisis of the Sugar Colonies”, by Henry Brougham;
January, 1803
- “Canard's Principes d'economie politique”, by Horner;
April, 1803
- “Guineas an Unnecessary and Expensive”, by Brougham;
- “Incumbrance on Commerce, Sir John Sinclair's Essays”, by Francis Jeffrey;
July, 1803
- “Lord King's Thoughts on the Restriction Payments in Specie at the Banks of England and Ireland” , Horner;
October, 1803
- “Wheatley's Remarks on Currency and Commerce”, by Brougham;
January, 1804
- “Hatcbett on the Gold Coin”, Brougham (probably);
“Bishop Watson on the National Debt”, by Brougham;
April, 1804
- “Morgan's Comparative View of the Public Finances” by Brougham (probably);
July, 1804
- “Lord Lauderdale's Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Public Wealth”, by Brougham;
October, 1804
- “Plans of National Improvement”, by Brougham (probably);
- “O'Connor's Present State of Great Britain Brougham’ (probably);
- “Observations upon the Bounty upon Exporter Corn’, by Horner
April, 1805
- “Talleyrand sur les colonies, Brougham (probably);
- “Sur l'usage de numeraire”, Brougham (possibly);
July, 1805
- ‘Lord Lauderdale's Hints to the Manufacturers of Commerce’, Brougham;
- “Jackson's Commnerce of the Mediterranean”;
October, 1805
- “Parkinson's Tour in America”, Macvey Napier;
- “Lord Selkirk on Emigration”, Horner;
January, 1806
- “Lord Liverpool on the Coin”, Brougham (probably);
- “Playfair's Edition of Wealth of Nations”, Horner;
April, 1806
- “The Frauds of the Neutral Flags”, Jeffrey;
- “Oddy's European Commerce, Napier” (probably);
July, 1806
- “MacPherson's Annals of Commerce”, George Ellis;
October, 1806
- “Foster on the Commercial Exchanges”;
January, 1807
- “Mercurio Peruano”, John Allen;
April, 1807
- “Colebrooke's Remarks on Bengal”, Alexander Hamilton (probably).
- “Lord Henry Petty's Plan of Finance”, David Buchanan;
July, 1807
- “Wheatley on Money and Commerce”;
- “Considerations on the Trade with India”;
- “Capmany, Questiones criticas” Allen;
October, 1807
- “Randolph and Others on the Neutral Questions”, Brougham;
- “Inquiry into the State of the Poor”;
- “Pamphlets on West Indian Affairs”, Brougham;
January, 1808
- “Spence on Commerce”, T. R. Malthus (probably);
- “Examination of the Late Orders in Council”, Brougham;
April, 1808
- “Baring and Others on the Orders in Council”, Brougham (possibly);
July, 1808
- “Newenham and Others on the State of Ireland”, Malthus;
October, 1808
- “Smith on Money and Exchange”, James Mill;
- “Comber on National Subsistence”;
January, 1809
- “Pamphlets on West Indian Affairs”, Brougham;
April, 1809
- “Jovenallos on Agriculture and Legislation”;
- “Spence on Agriculture and Commerce”, Buchanan and Jeffrey;
- “A permanent and effectual remedy for West India Distresses”;
- “Newenham on the State of Ireland”, Malthus;
July, 1809
- “Lord Sheffield and Others on Foreign Affairs”, Brougham;
January, 1810
- “Lauderdale on Indian Affairs”;
April, 1810
- “Letter on the French Government”, Jeffrey;
- “Humboldt's Essai politique sur la Nouvelle Espagne”, Allen;
- “Affairs of India”, Mill;
- “Rose on the Influence of the Crown”, Brougham (probably);
August, 1810
- “Disquisitions on Population”;
February, 1811
- “Depreciation of Paper Money”, Malthus.
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