In the interefts of literature it is worth while, now and then, to expofe the method by which incompetent perfons manage to acquire a reputation for scholarship and ability. The prefent is an instance in point. We fhall illuftrate this fact by a brief com> ment on the feparate features of the work under confideration.zioni be a large one." Mr. James T. Fields, in editing a new edition of the Religio Medici of Sir THOMAS BROWNE, has proceeded upon much the fame principle. He has put in all the intelligence furnished him by previous editors, and all the ignorance peculiar to himself; and the refult is, a fignal fpecimen of literary quackery. We turn these pages in vain to discover any features, The first luxury to which we are treated of excellence not poffeffed by former edi- by the munificent Mr. Fields is a “Biotions, any traces of fuch editorial labor as graphical Sketch of the Author." Forty-1 might redeem the work from the charge of four fentences of this interesting production being utterly fuperfluous. Several editions comprise the fum total of that gentleman's of the Religio Medici of Sir Thomas Browne editorial labors. The remainder confifts -correct, convenient, and handsome have mainly of garbled extracts from Whitelong been before the public. There was no foot's "Minutes." As to the authenticity neceffity for a new one, and certainly Mr. and the style of this sketch, to fay nothing. Fields was not competent to prepare it, even of the care bestowed upon its preparation, had fuch a neceffity exifted. A little fhrewd the reader may judge by comparing it, in nefs and a little taste may qualify a man for fections, with corresponding extracts from the business of trading in books, but fome- a life of Sir Thomas Browne by Dr. Johnthing of scholarship is defirable in one who fon. It will be observed that Mr. Fields prefumes to edit an English claffic. Super- has adopted the errors made by Dr. Johnficial readers may, perhaps, marvel at the son, without materially deviating from the erudition and the enterprife of Mr. Fields. language of that biographer. By this means, His coterie of Boston admirers will doubt- he has certainly faved himself some trouble; lefs be charmed with the learning of " Bof- but it is questionable whether the merit of ton's favorite publisher." It is fomething his edition has thereby been commensurateto have discovered that the writings of Sir ly increased. Thomas Browne are "eloquent writings," has largely confulted" other editors. Had and that Sir Thomas himself was "an old he indeed done this, instead of copying from English phyfician." But we are convinced them without ftint and without discretion, that no fcholar will examine this publica- he might have afcertained, among other tion without a fentiment of mingled wonder facts, that Dr. Johnson is not always a fure and contempt at the effrontery which has authority. Here is the contraft of extracts, infpired fuch a ridiculous fpecimen of book- however—a fignificant inftance of editorial making. botching: Life of Sir Thomas Browne by Mr. Fields. 'Sir THOMAS BROWNE was born in London, on the 19th of October, 1605, and died on his birthday, at Norwich, in 1682. His father came of an ancient Upton family, in Cheshire, and enjoyed a good name as an honeft merchant. This excellent perfon dying when his Mr. Fields admits that he' son Thomas was yet a lad, the boy was de- according to the common fate of orphans, frauded by one of his guardians, but found defrauded by one of his guardians; he was his way to the school of Winchester for his placed for his education at the fchool of education. Winchefter. 5 In 1623 he went to Oxford, entering He was removed in the beginning of as a gentleman-commoner, and graduated the year 1623 from Winchefter to Oxford, from the newly-named Pembroke College and entered a gentleman-commoner of in 1626-7. Turning his attention to phyfic Broadgate Hall, which was soon after enafter taking his degree of Mafter of Arts, he dowed, and took the name of Pembroke practifed in his profeffion fome time in Ox College.... He was admitted to the defordshire. gree of Bachelor of Arts, January 31, 1626 27. Having afterwards taken his degree of Master of Arts, he turned his studies to phyfick, and practiced it for fome time in Oxfordshire. mous by the publication of fob admirable a very extenfive, and that many patients re book. 10 In 1641 he married Mileham, a graces, both of moft excellent lady, Mrs. forted to him. "He married in 1641 Mrs. Mileham, a lady (fays Whitefoot) of fuch fymmetrimind and body, well fitted her to becomei cal proportion to her worthy husband, both the partner of her diftinguished husband. in the graces of her body and mind, that They lived together forty-one years, and, they feemed to come together by a kind of with their ten children, formed a household natural magnetism.? She lived happily with fingularly happy in all its relations. res him one-and-forty years; and bore him ten children. Two, at least, of thefe ftatements, copied by Mr. Fields from Dr. Johnson, are incorrect. Sir Thomas Browne, according to the pedigree, had eleven children; and we do not believe that any Italian tranflation of the Religio Medici is in exiftence. We have not fucceeded in finding fuch an edition, though several bibliographers vaguely mention it; but it is fafe to prefume that the incurious Mr. Fields has not condefcended to fearch it out. them all? Can it be poffible that he has Following the quotations from Whitefoot, comes, by way of novelty, a quotation from Johnfon, embodying a eulogistic Ore quoted in opinion as to Sir Thomas. The memoir But it is not alone in these refpects that "the present editor," as he ftyles himself, has teftified his homage for the authority of Dr. Johnson. In making extracts from Whitefoot's account of Sir Thomas, he the fame quotes paffages Johnfon's Life omitting, as Johnfon did, paragraphs one, two, three, four, fourteen, fifteen, fixteen, and feventeen: and this he does, after expreffing regret that Mr. Whitefoot did not carry out his intention of writing an extended memoir of his welli ompanion.' If the " Minutes" the Rev. Mr. Whitefoot are fo precious in the cefteem of Mr. Fields, why has he not improved the opportunity to reprint 6.6 is then concluded with a few ingenuous ftatements, by Mr. Fields, in reference to his method of arranging this edition." These statements merit special confideration: The notes and readings adopted by other editors of Sir Thomas Browne's writings, have," fays Mr. Fields, been largely confulted." This is, indeed, cool, To how great an extent they have been "con fulted," a few facts, not mentioned by "the" His belief defined," which is Mr. Fields's prefent editor," may enable our readers to reference, printed on page 8? or is he in understand. any manner responsible for the garbled text NOTES AND REFERENCES OF GARDINER, USED BY L On the Religio Medici 101 14 41 The whole number of notes comprised of Mr. Whitefoot's Minutes? The point in this volume is two hundred and fixty- is a dark one, and we do not care to purfix. Of thefe, one hundred and fifty-fix fue it. Mr. Fields, like Mr. Gardiner, are taken bodily from the well-known Pick- hopes that "the endeavor to supply a more ering edition of the Religio Medici, etc., perfect text than has hitherto appeared has edited by Gardiner (London, 1845). They been fuccessful"a hope which would have are diftributed as follows: a better chance of fulfilment had any fuch endeavor been really made. The truth is, that Mr. Fields, bent upon dazzling the Hypatias of Bofton with his brilliant scholarship, has fimply reprinted, without improving upon, the text of Gardiner, and has manufactured a falable book by "cribbing" the labors of abler and more cultivated men. "It is a difgraceful fact," fays a recent English biographer, "that, in our own day, the skull of Sir Thomas Browne has been abstracted from his grave and placed in a museum." Scarcely lefs difgraceful is the fact that the noble fruits of that original and vigorous 79 intellect should thus become the food of a 25 literary parafite. Mr. Fields's book has 4 been puffed ad naufeam all over the country. It remains for us to congratulate him on having produced one of thofe "pieces," which, according to Sir Thomas Browne himself, are "only fit to be placed in Pantagruel's library, or bound up with TARTARETUS De Modo Cacandi." The remaining one hundred and ten are reprinted from the well-known edition of the Works of Sir Thomas Browne edited by Mr. Simon Wilkin. These latter are diftributed thus: NOTES AND REFERENCES OF WILKIN, USED BY FIELDS. On Urn-Burial "Letter and Refolves 2 It would be interefting to inquire what portion of this arduous labor must be attributed to those friends" who, as Mr. Fields fubfequently remarks, "have kindly aided him with their corrections and annotations." Did they read his memoir in manufcript, and did they correct and refine the orthography? If fo, great credit is certainly due to friendships fo fruitful and labors fo Herculean. It is proper, to add ou, that Mr. Fields, though he makes no mention of Wilkin, acknowledges obligations to Gardiner, and alfo to the late Rev. Alexander Young, D. D., of Boston. What he derived from Gardiner, we are enabled to judge; but what it is that he derived from Young is not fo clear. Did that reverend gentleman change Gardiner's reference, "Our phyfician a churchman," into Paradoxes sur les femmes: SONT PAS DE L'ESPECE HUMaine. Chex les Libraires qui vendent les nouveautés. M.DCC.LXVII♫ [12mo, pp. 76.19 m In the preface to this little treatise, the writer calls his work the translation of a fingular little book which appeared in 1595, |