THE BRITISH CRITIC, A NEW REVIEW, FOR JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MDCC XCIV. •fi delectaris aceto VOLUME III. London: PRINTED FOR F. AND C. RIVINGTON, PREFACE. To paint ungrateful labour perpetually recom mencing, the fable of Sifyphus has often been employed. But if to thofe parts of our monthly talk, wherein we are obliged to cenfure or condemn, we should be tempted to apply that comparifon, or any one equivalent to it, the cafe is very different; whenever we can allow ourselves to praife; and we should rather feek for images of pleafure frequently renewed, the returns of light, or fucceffion of delicious feafons, to illuftrate what we feel in fuch exertions. If to the monthly circuit of our bufinefs thefe reprefentations are occafionally applicable, much more have we reafon to exult, whenever we return to our periodical employment of recording the literary tri-. umphs of our country. Thefe, even after our first intervals, of four months each *, appeared confider able; and may be expected now more fully to grati fy both our readers and ourselves, when we have the fcope of half a year through which to view their pro grefs. It is a pleasure alfo of no trifling magnitude, to be confcious that when we confecrate in our writings: the fame of our contemporaries, we are enabled by their circulation to extend it very confiderably; and that while we distribute praife, we are allowed in fome degree to share it. We are not merely fervants at the feaft, who fupply the guests with luxuries to * The two firft volumes of the BRITISH CRITIC confifted of only four months each, because the work commenced with the fifth month of the year. In future there will be annually two volumes of fix months each. |