Blackwood's Magazine/Volume 1/Issue 2/Edinburgh Encyclopaedia

EDINBURGH ENCYCLOPÆDIA, Vol. XI. Part I.

Two different plans have been adopted by the editors of Encyclopædias, which may be distinguished by the epithets of alphabetical and scientific. In the Cyclopædia edited by Dr Rees, there is indeed a vast treasure of valuable knowledge; but the plan of that work appears to us, in several respects, essentially faulty. One grand objection to it is its extent, which places it far out of the reach of ordinary readers; another objection, the consequence, indeed, of the former, is the enormous length of most of the articles, which, instead of being compendious treatises, are prolix and ill digested compilations, apparently intended to contain every thing that seems to bear, however remotely, on the subject; but a still more important objection is the want of unity, occasioned by dividing a subject into separate departments, which are discussed in different, and often distant, parts of the work. The Edinburgh Encyclopædia, on the other hand, by a judicious plan of selection, reserves a due space for the discussion of important subjects, while it is overloaded with no useless and lumbersome matter. Its plan is sufficiently extensive to embrace every thing useful in history, literature, and science, but not so extensive; and herein lies its excellence, as to admit of the tedious and perplexing tautology, which is unavoidable when the same subject is brought under the view of the reader, in different articles, and in various forms. The respectable names which appear in the list of its contributors were, from the first, a pretty sure pledge of the ability with which it would be conducted; and the pledge has been fully redeemed. Many of its leading articles may be held forth as the best treatises which have appeared on their respective subjects; and the plan very properly adopted of having every article an original communication, marked by the signature of its author, has excited among the contributors a very beneficial emulation, and conferred on the work a uniformity of excellence of which none of its rivals can boast.

Our notice of the articles which this half volume contains must be extremely brief; and this we are the less disposed to regret, as there are not many of them which can be supposed to be very generally interesting. The first in order is Herpetology, the natural history of reptiles. Under the term reptiles, it is observed, naturalists have generally comprehended all those tribes of oviparous animals commonly called amphibia, including both oviparous quadrupeds and serpents; but in this article it is proposed to consider only the first order, reserving the history of the serpent tribes for the article Ophiology. The account which is given of these animals, and of the history of the science, is methodical, clear, and comprehensive; accompanied with a full list of references, which will be found very useful to those whose attention is directed to this department of zoology. The reptile tribes are distributed into three orders, Chelonians, Saurians, and Batracians. The first order comprehends turtles, of which there are six species, and tortoises, of which there are fifty-two species. The second order comprehends crocodiles, dragon, basilisk, tupinambis, guana, flying-dragon, agamas, stellios, chameleons, geckos, anoles, lizards, takydrome, scinks, efts, and chalcides. The third order comprehends the hylæ or tree frogs, rana or common frog, bufo or toad;—these constitute one family, called the batracians, without tails; the other family (or tailed batracians) consists of the salamander, proteus, and siren. In treating of the anatomy and physiology of these reptiles, the author gives a clear and comprehensive account of their motions, sensation, digestion, circulation and absorption, respiration and voice, secretion and excretion, integumation, generation, and hibernation.

History is the next article of importance. The plan proposed is, first, to point out and explain the various advantages of the study of history; secondly, to enumerate those branches of study which ought to be entered upon, previous to, or contemporary with, the study of history; thirdly, to give a brief and rapid sketch of the order in which ancient and modern histories may most conveniently and advantageously be read; fourthly, to point out the order in which the history of particular countries may be read, so that they may be illustrative of one another; fifthly, to notice the different species of history, besides what is emphatically called history. Notwithstanding some defects, this article may be perused with considerable advantage by those who wish to commence a regular course of historical reading.

The account of the province of Holland is full of important and interesting information. Indeed the geographical articles of this Encyclopædia are distinguished in general by the extensive and accurate knowledge which they display, and by a happy discrimination, which rejects all extraneous matter, without omitting any thing that it is useful to know. The languishing state of manufactures and commerce in that once flourishing country, affords a striking exemplification of the vicissitudes of national prosperity. We have no room for details; but, as a proof of the declining condition of the country, we may state, that, since the year 1732, the population of this province had, even previous to 1796, decreased by one thirteenth of the whole; that, except the internal trade with Germany, its commerce is almost annihilated; that many of its principal manufactures have gone to decay; and that the only one which is on the increase, is the distillation of ardent spirits.

The article New Holland supplies the information, which the publication of Captain Flinders' discoveries has put us in possession of respecting this island, since the article Australasia was written. The author of these articles, however, seems to have known nothing of the journeys of Mr Evans and Governor Macquarrie into the interior—a deficiency which, we doubt not, the attention of the Editor will take the earliest opportunity of supplying. In other respects the article is valuable; containing an accurate and well-digested account of the coasts and bays, the mineralogy, botany, and zoology, of this immense island; of its inhabitants, their arts, manners, and customs.

Our attention is next arrested by a very long article on Horology. We are told by the Editor, that he is indebted for this article to Mr Thomas Reid; and this may be regarded as a pretty sure pledge of its technical accuracy. On the whole, we consider it as the best account of horology that we have seen, so far as the practical part of it is concerned; and as many of the improvements on various branches of the art were invented by Mr Reid himself, no person, surely, could be better qualified to describe them. The departments of this curious art we shall merely mention, in the order in which they occur in Mr Reid's description. 1. The escapement, or 'scapement, that part of a clock or watch connected with their beats—on this part of the machinery Mr Reid has made several improvements; connected with the escapement is the remontoir, the intention of which is, that the movement passing through the wheels should, at intervals, be made either to wind up a small weight, or to bend up a delicate spring, which alone should give its force to the 'scapement; by which means the pendulum or balance was supposed to be always impelled by an equal and uniform force—Mr Reid has described a remontoir which he applied to the clock of St Andrew's Church in Edinburgh; 2. the compensation-balances, intended to counteract the effects of heat and cold on time-keepers; 3. balance or pendulum springs; 4. jewellery of pivot-holes; 5. machinery for going in time of working, invented by Harrison—a contrivance of his own for this purpose is described by Mr Reid; 6. the dividing or cutting engine; 7. equation-clocks, an ingenious contrivance to show both mean and apparent time, invented in London about 120 years since; 8. repeating clocks and watches;. 9. compensation-pendulums, two kinds of which have been invented by Mr Reid, the one with a zinc tube and steel rods, the other with a glass tube; 10. wooden pendulum-rods, on which Mr Reid made some experiments, which he details; 11. on the sympathy or mutual action of the pendulums of clocks; 12. on turret-clocks; 13. on the method of fitting up astronomical clocks; 14. on chimes and bells.

To the amateurs of gardening, the article Horticulture must prove an exquisite treat; while to the practical gardener it will afford much valuable instruction. It is evidently written by a person who not only understands the subject in all its practical details, but who has brought to that delightful study an elegant taste, and a philosophical mind. We cannot afford, at present, to give any analysis of so long an article, or even to mention the various topics which it comprehends. His own definition of Horticulture, however, will give some idea of the principal branches into which the subject is divided. "By the term horticulture," he observes, "is to be understod the whole management of a garden, whether intended for the production of fruit, of culinary vegetables, or of flowers. The formation of a garden may be included also, to a certain extent, under this subject: draining, enclosing, and the forming of screen plantations and hedges, may be considered as parts of horticulture, while the general situation of the fruit and the flower gardens, in regard to the mansion-house, and the position of some of their principal component parts, as shrubberies, hot-houses, parterres, and walks, belong more properly to landscape-gardening."

Thus we have adverted, in a very cursory manner, to the leading articles in this half-volume. It contains, besides, several excellent articles in biography, geography, &c. On the whole, we think that this number supports well the credit of its predecessors.