Quarterly Review
VOLUME 18 , NUMBER 36 (January 1818)

NOTES

• This Number was published 9 June 1818 [Courier advertisement, 9 June 1818]
  
  
• Ann Cleaver (a contemporary subscriber) noted on her copy of the Number: 'Rec'd June 10. 1818' [Present writer's collection]
  
  
• Murray now prints 14,000 copies per Number [Harewood MS., WG to George Canning, 28 Feb. 1818]
  
  
• This Number sold at least 13,000 [Barrow, Autobiography, 506]
  
  
• An Editor's note appears on page 541 concerning Captain Wilks, Major General Sir Thomas Dallas, and Mr. Huddlestone
  
  
• Southey thought the Number, on the whole, 'amazing' [WG to JM, n.d., quoted in Smiles II 48]
  
  
• Parliament, that had been in session from 24 Nov. 1812, was prorogued 10 June 1818, the day after the QR was published. It was summoned 4 Aug. 1818
  
  
• Advertisement in the Courier 5 June 1818 announces the publication of Frankenstein 'this day'
  
  
• Important or otherwise interesting articles in this Number include: #454, #456, #457, #458 (Croker's review of Frankenstein), #461
  
  
• Number of definite attributions for this issue: 11
  
  
• Number of probable or possible attributions for this issue: 2

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CONTENTS, IDENTIFICATION OF CONTRIBUTORS, AND HISTORICAL NOTES

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454 Article 1. Reports from the Select Committee on the Poor Laws; Davison, Considerations on the Poor Laws; Sheffield, Observations on Impolicy, Abuses, and False Interpretation of the Poor Laws; and on the Reports of the Two Houses of Parliament, 259-308. Author: John Rickman, with Robert Southey.

Running Title: On the Poor Laws.

Notes: In attributing the article to Robert Southey, Shine cites JM III's Register; Smiles II 48; Gentleman's Magazine XXI 141; and QR CCX 746. Shine says to see also Warter II 79. In suggesting Rickman as an alternative attribution, Shine cites Graham 12-13 and Graham in PQ II 106. 

The following evidence and information was first published in VPR 27. The article is certainly not Southey's; it does not appear in Southey's definitive MS. list of his QR articles. Murray MS., WG to John Taylor Coleridge, [4 Apr. 1818 postmark], says that Southey has given him a paper on the Poor Laws. Fetter: Southey and Rickman, cites Williams, 'Some Unpublished Letters of Robert Southey,' Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine CLXIV (1898), 167-85 and note. Williams makes clear that Rickman in 1817 was furnishing Southey material on the poor law for use in the QR, and it is probable that the material was used in this article, as well as in #469. Murray MS., Cash Book, 1817-18, p.186: 'Quarterly Review No. 36 ... Recomposing RS 2 sheets 5£.' There is no other article in this Number that is plausibly by Southey. Southey, New Letters II 317; Curry II 178; and Kaderly MLN 70, 261-63 show that Rickman wished not to be known by the QR editorial coterie as author of this review, that he had Southey present his review to WG, and that WG and JM mistakenly believed the article was from Southey himself. John Davison, the author of one of the works under review, was an important contributor to the QR.

Davison was reviewed in ER #904, Jan. 1820, by Sydney Smith.

JM III's Register: attribution to Southey, but without evidence. 

455 Article 2. Account of a Voyage to the West Coast of Corea and the Great Loo-Choo Island; with an Appendix containing Charts and various Hydrographical and Scientific Notices, by Basil Hall, Esq. Captain. R.N. F.R.S. L.&E. And a Vocabulary of the Loo-Choo language, by H. I. Clifford, Esq. Lieutenant R.N., 308-24. Author: John Barrow, probably.

Running Title: Hall's Account of the Loo-Choo Islands.

Notes: Shine does not suggest an author for this article and demonstrates that in ascribing the article to Mr [William] Hamilton JM III in his so-called Register mistook a reference in Murray MS., WG to JM [June 1818] for #455 that points instead to the authorship of #457. Shine quotes from Murray MS., WG to JM [June 1818]: 'I wish you would look at the Revise—you can form a better guess than I can whether what I have struck out, will leave room for the insertion of those parts of Mr Hamilton's ms which are no[t] crossed. If not—the note on the Memnon on p.308 [actually p.368] must be struck out. ... The note is certainly creditable to Mr Hamilton's judgment and taste.' Shine states, 'That MS letter probably was the basis for [JM III's] ascription of Art 2 (pp. 308-24) to Hamilton. However, examination of QR XVIII shows that "page 308" (Art. 2) is a mistake for p. 368 (Art. 4): see Entry 457.' Shines says to see also Grierson V 116. 

The following evidence and information is published here for the first time. Gentleman's Magazine (March 1844), 246-47, attribution to Barrow, but this source is often unreliable. The author of the article quotes from Barrow's Travels and refers back to articles on the same topic, #428, #438, and #446, all of which are by Barrow. In his QR articles, it was Barrow's signature practice to refer to his own works. The article is in Barrow's vein and resembles his writing in most respects. Murray MS., Book Loans Register: the book reviewed was sent to 'W Jacob' on 14 July 1817. No additional evidence has been located to support an attribution to Jacob. Korea is spelled in the article's head note as above. John Murray published the volume under review.

[Bookseller's note, from Hill, modified: 'This expedition took Lord Amherst's embassy to China and explored the relatively little-known East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Visits were made to Korea and the Ryukyu Archipelago. Europeans had sketchily explored Korea, but it was not until the Alceste and Lyra expedition in 1816-17, under Captains Murray Maxwell and Basil Hall, that detailed information was obtained about the Ryukyus. On the homeward passage, the Alceste was wrecked in Gaspar Strait off Sumatra. Basil Hall was post-captain in the British Navy and saw extensive duty on the Pacific coast of America. Hill p. 134.']

The subject of this article was reviewed in ER #827, Feb. 1818, by Francis Jeffrey.

JM III's Register: attribution to 'Mr Hamilton', but without evidence. 

456 Article 3. Hunt, Foliage; or, Poems Original and Translated, 324-55. Author: John Taylor Coleridge.

Running Title: 'Foliage,' by Leigh Hunt.

Notes: In querying its attribution to John Wilson Croker, Shine does not accept the unqualified attribution to Croker in JM III's Register. Shine cites Graham 41; Clark 197-98, 213-14; and Brightfield 454; and says to see also Jennings I 134. Shine also quotes from Smiles II 322, where Croker, in 1831, is quoted as saying about Hunt: '... I knew neither him nor his works, except "Rimini"'. It is not clear from the presentation of this evidence why Shine queries JM III's attribution, unless Shine believed the quotation from Smiles put the matter into doubt. In suggesting John Taylor Coleridge as a queried alternative, Shine cites White 124-25, 363, 393, but White does not decide between Coleridge and Croker. In suggesting Robert Southey as a third, unqueried, alternative, Shine cites Smiles I 399 that quotes a Byron to JM letter, 24 Nov. 1818; in it Byron ascribes the article to Southey.

The following evidence was first published in VPR 27 (correcting an earlier attribution in VPR 24). The article is definitely Coleridge's: Murray MS., WG to John Taylor Coleridge, [4 Apr. 1818 postmark], encloses proofs of this article: 'have no fear, you have not been too severe ....' WG's comment demonstrates that Coleridge was therefore responsible for originating material that appeared in the article and was not (as might have been the case) acting as sub-editor, say, of Croker's work. Murray MS., WG to Coleridge, 24 Apr. 1818, Coleridge returns a borrowed copy of 'Leigh Hunt.' To put alternatives to rest: the article is certainly not by Southey; it does not appear in the definitive MS. list of his QR articles. The article is claimed by Croker in two of his Clements Library MS. lists; however, in what is demonstrably the later of these two lists, the entry is first queried and then crossed out. The article is not included in the Cambridge University bound volumes of Croker's articles.

JM III's Register: 'J W Croker,' citing unspecified letters. 

457 Article 4. Narrative of an Expedition to explore the River Zaire, usually called the Congo, in South Africa, in 1816, under the Direction of Captain J. H. Tuckey, R. N.;—to which are added the Journal of Professor Smith, some General Observations on the Country and its Inhabitants; and an Appendix, containing the Natural History of that Part of the Kingdom of Congo through which the Zaire flows. Published by permission of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,  335-79. Author: John Barrow, with Henry Salt and William Hamilton.

Running Title: The Congo Expedition—African Discoveries.

Notes: Shine co-attributes the article to Henry Salt, John Barrow, and William Hamilton, in that order. In doing so, Shine cites JM III's Register (that attributes the article to Salt alone) and Gentleman's Magazine XXI 414 (that states the article was based on documents contributed by Salt). Shine quotes from Murray MS., WG to JM, [June 1818]: 'I wish you would look at the Revise—you can form a better guess than I can whether what I have struck out, will leave room for the insertion of those parts of Mr Hamilton's ms which are no[t] crossed. If not—the note on Memnon p.308 [actually p.368] must be struck out—and this, I suppose, would grieve Mr Barrow—The note is certainly creditable to Mr Hamilton's judgment and taste.' Shine also cites Salt I 491: 'Hall believes the article was "compiled from documents sent over by Mr Salt."'

The following evidence, first published in VPR 28, demonstrates that the article was primarily by Barrow, with information from Hamilton and Salt. Murray MS., John Barrow to JM, 17 Nov. 1818, speaks of the article as his. The article's author refers back to #337 (twice), which is by Barrow, and makes two personal references to Barrow. The article is referred to in #472 (twice), #531 (three times, including a specific reference), and in #578, all of which are by Barrow. In his QR articles, it was Barrow's signature practice to refer to his own works. There is no information in Henry Salt's fascinating letters at John Murray's to illuminate Salt's role in this article. Salt, Life and Correspondence, ed. J. J. Halls (1834), I 491 correctly states (as quoted in Shine):  'compiled from documents sent over by Mr Salt.' John Murray published the volume under review.

JM III's Register: '—Salt (Consul in Egypt)'. 

458 Article 5. Shelley, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, 379-85. Author: John Wilson Croker.

Running Title: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.

Notes: In attributing the article to Croker, Shine cites JM III's Register; Graham 41; and Brightfield 454. Shine summarizes Iowa MS., JM to Croker, n.d.: 'After urging Croker to write a major article on the old regime in Louis XV's France [cf. # 490], Murray suggests topics for three minor articles: "Frankenstein, Sir P. Francis, & Belo—Three hours hammering would convert into Poker, Tongs & Shovel & put into instant use—& if I had these four subjects—my Quart[erly Review] is full."' 

The following evidence is published here for the first time. Claimed by Croker in six of his Clements Library MS. lists and included in the Cambridge University bound volumes of Croker's articles. For an electronic transcription of Croker's article, follow this link.

JM III's Register: attribution to Croker, citing unspecified letters. 

459 Article 6. An Historical Account of the Rise and Progress of the Bengal Infantry, from its first formation in 1757 to 1796, when the present Regulations took place: together with a Detail of the Services on which the several Battalions have been employed during that period. By the late Captain Williams, of the Invalid Establishment of the Bengal Army, 385-423. Author: John Malcolm.

Running Title: Origin and State of the Indian Army.

Notes: In attributing the article to Malcolm, Shine cites JM III's Register and quotes from Murray MS., WG to JM, [June 1818]: 'Sir John may certainly follow Frankenstein.' Shine also cites the DNB article on Malcolm that claims the article for him. Shine says to see also Smiles II 29.

The following evidence is published here for the first time. Murray MS., Walter Hamilton (of Liverpool) to JM, 15 May 1818: 'I understand that Sir John Malcolm borrowed a copy of the first edition [of Ward on the Hindoos] from Dr. Fleming ....' 

JM III's Register: attribution to Malcolm, but without evidence.

460 Article 7. Douglas, An Essay on the Principle and Construction of Military Bridges, and the Passage of Rivers in Military Operations, 423-31. Author: Walter Scott, with assistance from an unidentified person.

Running Title: Douglas on the Passage of Rivers.

Notes: In attributing the article to Scott, Shine cites JM III's Register; Lockhart V 86, IX 277; Gentleman's Magazine XXI 140; and Douglas, II  2. Shine says to see also Grierson V 109, 112, 136 and Smiles II 9, 11, 15. 

[Quarterly Review Archive editor's note: This seems a very unlikely article for Scott; the mathematical formulae are quite unlike anything produced by Scott elsewhere, but the evidence cited in Shine is definitive. Smiles II 9 quotes a letter from Scott to JM in which Scott states he will review this work, by an old friend and school companion of his, with the assistance of a 'scientific friend.' Smiles I 15 quotes a letter from JM to Scott thanking him for his two articles in QR Number 36.]

The following evidence and information is published here for the first time. Murray MS., Robert Southey to JM, 26 June 1819, asks to be sent Howard Douglas on military bridges. The article, however, is not in Southey's definitive MS. lists of his QR articles. NLS MS. 3889 (ff.79-80), WG to Walter Scott, 30 Apr. 181[8]: 'I found your m.s. at Murray's yesterday, & sent it immediately to the press.' This might refer to #466. Murray MS., WG to Robert William Hay, 5 Jan. 1818: 'I'll keep your <?> for the next No.' Howard Douglas was super of Royal Military College, Hye Wycombe, and then at Farnham. Cf. Olinthus Gregory, mathematical master at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. 

JM III's Register: [in pencil] 'Sir W Scott'.

461 Article 8. Burney, A Memoir on the Geography of the North-Eastern Part of Asia, and on the Question whether Asia and America are contiguous, or are separated by the Sea, 431-58. Author: John Barrow.

Running Title: Burney—Behring's Strait and the Polar Basin.

Notes: In attributing the article to Barrow, Shine cites JM III's Register and Gentleman's Magazine (Feb. 1844), 141; (March 1844), 246, but these articles are unreliable. 

The following evidence is published here for the first time. Barrow's series of articles in the QR on polar exploration includes #451, #461, #474, #503, #585, #667, #705, #97WI, and #163WI. This article is referred to in #503 (twice, including a specific reference) and in #667. It was Barrow's signature practice in his QR articles to refer to his own works. 

 JM III's Register: attribution to Barrow, but without evidence. 

462 Article 9. Hazlitt, Characters of Shakespear's Plays, 458-66. Author: William Gifford, possibly.

Running Title: Hazlitt's Characters of Shakespeare's Plays.

Notes: In querying its attribution to James Russell, Shine cites Graham in SP XXII 506 and Clark 213-14 (but Clark merely repeats Graham). Shine points out that the attribution to Russell is probably based on JM III's Register entry for #486 (another article on Hazlitt) that arose from JM III's misreading in Murray MS., WG to JM,  [Aug. 1818], of  'Russell' for 'Barrett' and says to see, however, #487. Shine gives Gifford as an alternative attribution, citing Hazlitt 417-32, but that is no evidence at all. 

The following discussion is published here for the first time. The article has often been attributed to WG, as in Clark 213-14, but Clark does not believe it reads like WG, and no one has found primary evidence to suggest that it is his. Contra Clark's opinion (p. 213-14), the article seems to the present writer to read very much like WG—pedantic and sardonic. As WG had done elsewhere, the author taunts Hazlitt for his association with the working class and attacks his politics and morals. In the article's first sentence the author refers back to #403, which is probably by WG.

Shakespeare is spelled in the article's head note as above and in the running title as above.

The subject of this article was reviewed in ER #804, Aug. 1817, by Francis Jeffrey.

463 Article 10. Origin of the Pindaries; preceded by Historical Notices on the Rise of the different Mahratta States. By an Officer in the Service of the Honourable East India Company, 466-80. Author: William Jerdan.

Running Title: Account of the Pindarries.

Notes: In attributing the article to Jerdan, Shine cites Jerdan III 55 and says to see also Brightfield 257. In suggesting Henry Ellis as a queried alternative Shine cites JM III's Register and quotes from Murray MS., Henry Ellis to JM, Saturday [?March 1818]: 'It [i.e., some MS. that Ellis had been reading for Murray] contains very little new matter upon the most interesting point, the Pindarries themselves. It would however form a good text for an article in the next Quarterly upon the present state of India and I should have no objection to undertake it.' [Quarterly Review Archive editor's note: The letter Shine quotes does not represent evidence that Ellis actually produced an article.] 

The following evidence is published here for the first time. Harewood MS., WG to George Canning, 21 Feb. 1818, says he has sent Jerdan proofs for the conclusion of his article. Harewood MS., WG to George Canning, 28 Feb. 1818, sends the whole of Jerdan's proofs. There is no other article in this Number that could plausibly be by Jerdan that is not already reasonably attributed to another author. Note opening sentence:  'The rise and progress of the Mahratta States have been fully detailed by us in the course of our critical labour from more elaborate works than the little volume before us.' Articles that appeared before this on India include #160, #273, and #442, all of which are by Barrow. But the article is not in Barrow's manner, and the opening sentence can be seen as apologetic. Because it was WG's usual practice to have articles sub-edited by specialists, it is also possible that Barrow looked at the article before its publication and that Barrow added the first sentence.

 JM III's Register: '? H Ellis' and note: 'See H E's letter undated'.

464 Article 11. Saabye, Brudstykker af en Dagbok holden i Grönland i Aarene 1770-1778, 480-96. Author: Francis Cohen.  

Running Title: Ancient and Modern Greenland.

Notes: In attributing the article to Cohen, Shine cites JM III's Register and Smiles II 46-47 (quoting WG to JM in which Cohen is spoken of as the author of this article); Palgrave; and Clark 178 (who states that WG heavily revised the article). Shine also quotes from Murray MS., WG to JM [May 18, 1818]: 'I send the revise ... I wish you could induce our friend to make a few additions....'

The following additional evidence is published here for the first time. (Cohen later took the name Palgrave.) Note the emphasis in the article on lore and superstition, very much in Cohen's vein. The article is included in R. H. I. Palgrave's collection of Francis Palgrave's works. 

JM III's Register: attribution to Cohen and note: 'from a letter of Mr Giffords'. 

465 Article 12. Investigation of the Cause of Easter, 1818, being appointed on a Wrong Day, &c. &c. By a Member of the University of Oxford, 496-502. Author: Alexander Boswell, probably.

Running Title: Ecclesiastical Computation of Easter.

Notes: In querying its attribution to Boswell, Shine cites Smiles II 47 (that states the article is probably by Boswell) and quotes Murray MS., WG to JM, [May-June 1818]: 'What if between Greenland and Pindarries, we place Boswell (if he can be got ready)....'

466 Article 13. Kirkton, Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland, from the Restoration to the year 1678, 502-41. Author: Walter Scott.

Running Title: Kirkton's History of the Church of Scotland.

Notes: In attributing the article to Scott, Shine cites JM III's Register; Lockhart V 86, 99n, IX 277; Scott; Gentleman's Magazine XXI 140; Grierson IV 379, 379n, V 108-9, 109n; and Douglas II 2. Shine says to see also Smiles II 9, 11, 15; Grierson IV 485, 485n, 487, 487n, 508, 508n, V 35, 141; and Sharpe II 147, 150, 163. 

The following evidence is published here for the first time. NLS MS. 3889 (ff.79-80), WG to Walter Scott, 30 Apr. 181[8]: 'I found your m.s. at Murray's yesterday, & sent it immediately to the press [this might refer to #460]. ... This Post Murray says will convey _^^to you Kirkton's Hist. I sincerely thank you for this lively & spirited review. ... [Y]ou have given by far the best history of Kirkton's times that I have ever read.' NLS MS. 852 (ff. 56-57), Scott to JM, 15 May [1818] (copy): 'I add a curious quotation from Kirkton.... The revise of Kirkton is just arrived ....' 

JM III's Register: attribution to Scott, but without evidence.