IV

PREFACE.

piled from Ozanam, Wolf, and Stone's Dictionaries. M. Saverien's work bearing the same titleas that last mentioned, appeared in 1753. In 1751—72 was published the “ Encyclopedic , ouDictionnaire raisonnee des Sciences, des Arts, et des Metiers,” by Diderot, D’Alembert , &c. 28 vols.fol. Supplement to ditto, 5 vols. fol. 1770—77. It was republished at Geneva, at the same time,and with the same date, fol. at Yverdun, 1778, 58 vols. in 4to. and at Lausanne in 1780, 30 vols.royal 8vo. A little before the French Revolution broke out, Mr. Pankanke, at Paris , undertooka new edition under the title “ Encgclopcdie methodique, ou par ordre de Matieres ; par une So-ciete de Gens de Lettres.” The Sciences, Arts, &c. are all included in separate Dictionaries,under a distinct alphabetical arrangement; so that this Encyclopaedia comprehends 40 separateDictionaries; and what is published, (for it is not yet completed,) amounts to nearly 150 vols. 4to.The plates in this work are very numerous, and very well executed. The great fault of this work,and of the “ Dictionnaire Raisonnee” is the insidious attacks which are made upon religion, and thesacred records of truth, connected with their strenuous efforts to support infidelity; this is sucha blot upon the whole performance, that it prevents us from speaking a single word in its praise.The third Edition of this work in 27 volumes folio, enriched with much supplementary matter,in the form of notes, was dedicated to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and published at Leghorn ,3 770—1778. The plated of this, which form eleven volumes, are 2888 in number, the mostsuperb and accurate collection of this kind ever yet published.

In 1754 was published Owen’s “ New and Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences,”in six neat octavo volumes, and a second edition improved in 1760; a work deserving highcommendations, and which has furnished matter for numerous compilations since.

Several Encyclopaedias now successively made their appearance, as Proctor’s, Castieau’sCrocker and Clark’s, Barrow’s, Hall’s, Howard’s, &c. &c. possessing different degrees ofexcellency, but none of them rising above mediocrity. In 1760 was published the “ Dic-tionnaire Portatif,” being a general Dictionary of the Sciences and Arts, and including ageographical account of places, in eight volumes.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica forms an important aera in this account, as it ap-pears to have been the first work of this kind which incorporated systems, or scientifictreatises, with the explanation of technical terms, in the order of the alphabet. The first editionseems to have been published at Edinburgh in 1768, in ten volumes quarto. A second im-proved edition was printed also at Edinburgh in 1778 in ten volumes quarto, with about twohundred plates, which, though not well engraved, are yet superior to those in the subsequenteditions. This work was extended, under the superintendance of Dr. Gleig, to twenty volumes,and completed in 1800; a work of unparalleled merit, but greatly debased by the wretched style ofthe engravings. Another edition, professing to be improved, is now in the course of publication.

Smaller works of this nature were now multiplied in every quarter; but the next worthy of beingrecorded is the “ Oekouomische Encyclopaedia” by Joh. Georg. Krunitz , in 1773, and “EncyclopaedicHistorischen, der Philosophischen und Mathematischen,” by Joh. Georg. Busch in 1775 and 1795;to which we may add G. S. Klugel 's “ Encyclopaedic oder zusammenhangender Yortrag der ge-meinnutzigsten Ivenntnisse” in 1782—1784. In 1802, the British public was favoured with the“ Domestic Encyclopaedia” of Dr. Willich, in four vols. 8vo. which deserves to be spoken ofwith great respect. An enlarged and much improved edition has been published in America ,in five vols.

The “English Encyclopaedia ” in ten vplumes 4to. was published in 1803;—it wouldhe scarcely worthy of notice after the Britannica , except on account of the plates, which, inthis work, are far superior to any which had gone before. The “ Encyclopaedia Perthensis,” ofwhich a second edition is publishing, incorporates, with the scientific part, the whole of Dr. John-son’s Dictionary, making it a Dictionary of words as well as of things, in other respects it pro-ceeds on the plan of the Encyclopaedia Britannica , from which it appears to be copied: the pre-sent edition is to bp completed in 24 vols. royal octavo. The “ Dictionary of Arts and Sciences,”

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