WRITINGS OF DR. SMITH,

XV

guiflied abilities, but which they were preventedby other engagements from carrying farther thanthe two firft numbers. To this work Mr. Smithcontributed a review of Dr. Johnson’s Dictionaryof the Englilh Language, and alfo a letter, ad-dressed to the editors, containing feme generalobfervations on the ftate of literature in the differ-ent countries of Europe . In the former of thefepapers, he points outfome defeéisinDr. Johnson’splan , which he cenfures as not fufficiently gram-matical. “ The different lignifications of a word( he obferves ) are indeed collected ; but they are" feldom digefted into general classes, or ranged“ under the meaning which the word princi-“ pally expresses : And fufficient care is not“ taken to diftinguifh the words apparentlyfynonymous. ” To illuftrate this criticifm, hecopies from Dr. Johnson the articles but andhumor, and' oppofes to them the fame articlesdigefted agreeably to his own idea. The variouslignifications of the word but are very nicely andhappily diferiminated. The other article doesnot feem to have been executed with equal care.

The obfervations on the ftate of learning inEurope are written with ingenuity and elegance ;but are chiefly interefting, as they Ihow the at-tention which the Author had given to the philofo-phy and literature of the Continent, at a periodwhen they were not much ftudied in this ifland.