North-American Review and Miscellaneous Journal

or at least is already to be found in the record of science and literature, shall form the main body of every article; and that any opinions or speculations of the writer himself shall be declared to be such, and be given distinctly as a mere appendix of the article to which they belong.'

Drake's Age of Shakspeare.-A work has been advertised in England, as preparing for the press, entitled Shakspeare and his times, including the biography of the poet-criticisins on his genius and writings a disquisition on the object of his sonnets-a new chronology of his plays-and a history of the manners, customs, amusements, superstitions, poetry, and elegant literature of his age; by Nathan Drake, M. D. author of Literary Hours, and of Essays on Periodical Literature. It is to be elegantly printed in two quarto volumes with a portrait.

University of Christiania in Norway.-THE Norwegian government has taken laudable measures to promote the study of the sciences. The university library, which, though not inconsiderable, was deficient in several departments, has received at once the sum of seven thousand pounds sterling to be appropriated for the purpose of its increase. The library has also been promised a sum annually, as soon as the finances of the state are in some measure regulated; one thousand pounds have been given for the formation of a physical and chemical cabinet, and a travelling stipend granted to the professor of physicks and chemistry, to enable him to pass some years abroad. One thousand pounds have likewise been granted to purchase astronomical instruments for the observatory at Christiania. The university has more than one hundred students, among whom there are no foreigners. The system of education is exactly the same as at the university in Copenhagen.

American History and Statisticks. We have seen the prospectus of a work, entitled, A Historical and Statistical Account of America from its first Settlement. This prospectus was published at Paris last September. Mr. Warden, the author of the proposed work, has lived ten years in that place, some part of the time in the character of American consul. We do not think Paris the best place in the world for composing a work on the geography, history and statisticks of America; yet he tells us, that he has been favoured with rare facilities for making himself familiar with his subject, and we are led to suppose, that the world is to receive something new and interesting from his labours. He informs us, somewhat exultingly, that he has read thousands of newspapers and period

ical publications.' This is all very possible, but still we shall not think the man, who has accomplished such a task, any the better qualified for writing a history of our country, unless he discover a more accurate knowledge of good English, and better judgment in selecting and arranging his topicks, than appear in this prospectus. The proposals are accompanied with an entire index to the work. It is to be printed in four volumes, and sold for nine dollars in the United States. He does not include geography in the title, but it occupies a large portion of the index. We are fully sensible of the necessity of such a work, or rather a series of works on these subjects. But we wish to have them written at home-by men who can have free access to all the requisite sources of knowledge, and who will write in a manner that will not degrade, if it does not advance our literary character.

Circular Letter relating to Harvard University -THE following is a circular letter, containing facts in the present state of the Seminary, designed to be sent to candidates for admission, their instructers and friends, to parents and guardians of students admitted, and to other persons who have an immediate interest in the University, or apply for information respecting it.

ADMISSION.-Candidates for admission are examined by the President, Professors, and Tutors. No one is admitted to examination, unless he have a good moral character, certified in writing by his preceptor, or some other suitable person. To be received to the freshman class, the candidate must be thoroughly acquainted with the grammar of the Latin and Greek languages, including prosody; be able properly to construe and parse any portion of the following books, viz. Dalzel's Collectanea Græca Minora, the Greek Testament, Virgil, Sallust, and Cicero's Select Orations, and to translate English into Latin correctly; he must be well versed in Ancient and Modern Geography; the fundamental rules of Arithmetick, vulgar and decimal fractions, proportion, simple and compound, single and double fellowship, alligation medial and alternate, and Algebra, to the end of simple equations, comprehending also the doctrine of roots and powers, arithmetical and geometrical progression.* Adam's Latin Grammar, the Gloucester Greek Grammar, and Cummings' Geography are used in the examination for admission.

* An Introduction to the Elements of Algebra has been published at Cambridge, adapted to beginners, which contains those parts of algebra above enumerated, together with several chapters upon quadratick equations, intended for those, who may have leisure and inclination to extend their inquiries on this subject. An Elementary Treatise of Arithmetick, soon to be published at the same place, comprehends those parts of arithmetick, which are required for admission, and will be used in examinations after 1818. Vol. VI. No. 3.

The usual time of examination for the freshman class is the Friday next after Commencement. Those, who are necessarily prevented from offering themselves at that time, may be examined at the beginning of the first term. If any one be admitted after the first Friday of October, he will be charged for advanced standing.

Persons may be admitted to advanced standing at any part of the College course, except that no one can be admitted to the senior class after the first Wednesday of December. Every one admitted to advanced standing, in addition to the requisites for the freshman class, must appear on examination to be well versed in the studies pursued by the class into which the candidate desires to enter. He must also pay into the college treasury a sum not under sixty dollars, nor exceeding one hundred, for each year's advancement, and a proportional sum for any part of a year. Any scholar, however, who has a regular dismission from another Col lege, may be admitted to the standing, for which, on examination, he is found qualified, without any pecuniary consideration.

Before the matriculation of any one accepted on examination, a bond is to be given in his behalf in the sum of four hundred dollars, for the payment of College dues, with two satisfactory sureties, one to be an inhabitant of the State.

COMMENCEMENT, when the degrees are given, is on the last Wednesday of August. There are three TERMS, during which the members of the University must be present. The first or Fall term, from the first to the second vacation; the second or Spring term, from the second to the third vacation; the third or Summer term, from the third vacation to commencement-There are three VACATIONS; the first, from commencement, four weeks and two days; the second, from the fourth Friday in December, seven weeks; the third, from the third Friday in May, two weeks ;-the senior sophisters are allowed to be absent from the seventh Tuesday before commencement.

THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AND STUDY for undergraduates, not admitted to advanced standing, comprises four years. The following are the principal authors and studies assigned to the several classes. The proportion of time devoted to each book or exercise may be nearly ascertained by the annexed table.

FRESHMEN.

1. Collectanea Græca Majora. Dalzell. 2 vols. 8vo.

2. Titus Livius, libri v. priores, 12mo.

3. Q. Horatius Flaccus. Editio expurgata. Cantab. 12mo. 4. H. Grotius, De Veritate religionis Christianæ. 12mo. 5. Excerpta Latina. Wells, Boston. 8vo.

6. Algebra and Geometry.

7. Ancient History and Chronology.

8. Walker's Rhetorical Grammar. 9. English Grammar.

10. Adam's, Roman Antiquities.

Exercises in reading, translation, and declamation.

1. Continued.

SOPHOMORES.

5. Continued and finished.

11. Cicero de Oratore.

12. Algebra,-Trigonometry and its application to heights and distances, and Navigation.

13. Blair's Lectures on Rhetorick. 2 vols. 8vo.

14. Modern History and Chronology.

15. Hedge's Elements of Logick. 12mo.

16. Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding. 2 vols. 8vo. Exercises in declamation and English composition once a forțnight.

JUNIOR SOPHISTERS.

1. Continued and finished.

16. Continued and finished.

17. Iliad, Homer, Mattaire's ed. four or five books.

18. Juvenal and Persius expurg; or equivalent part of Tacitus, Wells & Lilly, Boston. 3 vols. 12mo.

19. Paley's Evidences of Christianity. 8vo.

20. Willard's Hebrew Grammar. Cambridge, 1817. 8vo. 21. No. 1 and 2 of Whiting & Watson's Hebrew Bible, or Psalter.

22. Greek Testament, critically. Griesbach's ed. Cambridge,

1809.

23. Natural Philosophy and Astronomy. Enfield. 4to.

24. Stewart's Elements of the Philosophy of the Human mind, 2 vols. 8vo.

25. Paley's Moral Philosophy. 8vo.

26. Mensuration of Superficies and Solids, and Surveying. Publick declamations, forensick disputes once a month-themes once a fortnight.

N. B. Instead of 20, 21, those above twenty one years of age, and others, on the written request of their parent or guardian, may attend to Mathematicks with the private Instructer, or Greek and Latin, or French.

23. Continued.

24. Continued.

SENIOR SOPHISTERS.

27. Conic Sections and Spheric Geometry.

28. Chemistry.

29. Natural and Politick Law. Burlamaqui. 2 vols. 8vo. 30. Paley's Moral and Political Philosophy.-Political Economy. 31. Butler's Analogy of Religion to the constitution and course of nature. 8vo.

Declamations, forensicks, and themes, the two first terms as in the junior year.

Table of private exercises.