THE Retrospective Review. NEW SERIES. VOL. I.-PART I. A Collection of Letters from the Original Manuscripts of many Princes, Great Personages, and Statesmen, together with some curious and scarce Tracts and Pieces of Antiquity, Religious, Political, and Moral. By Leonard] Howard, D.D. Rector of St. George's, Southwark, and Chaplain to her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales. London, printed for the Author, MDCCLIII.-4to. IN commencing with this volume the series of critical notices which we purpose laying before our readers, of Collections of Letters illustrative of English History, we have been influenced much more by its being comparatively unknown, even by those whose studies would render them the most likely to be acquainted with it, than by any particular claim which it possesses to attention. But, besides this circumstance, the extraordinary way in which its contents are thrown together, and the cause that produced its publication, combine to render the work a sort of literary curiosity which would alone entitle it to a place in the "Retrospective Review." But, notwithstanding the trash which fills a large portion of its pages, several articles of a redeeming character will be found; and a few of them do not yield in interest to many which occur in far more popular "Collections." These it will of course be our duty to extract; and though the space which can be appropriated to the purpose is very limited, we shall, we believe, present our readers with the entire kernel, leaving little but husk and shell behind. It may perhaps be expected, on expressing our intention of noticia" Collection of Letters and Papers illustrative of VOL. .—PART I. B English History" in each number, that something should be said in explanation of our motive and our plan. A few sentences will convey all that is necessary on both. Of the deep interest, as illustrations of the domestic manners, the customs, and state of society in past ages, as well as of the historical importance of such "letters;" and of the lively and faithful picture which they exhibit of all which is interesting respecting our ancestors, it would be a waste both of our own and our readers' time to dilate. They are highly estimated by all who understand their value: but they are so numerous, and, generally speaking, embrace such various periods of English history, that we flatter ourselves we shall perform an acceptable service by bringing each "Collection" to the notice of the public; and, by explaining the nature of the documents they contain, the time to which they relate, and their particular merits, render these works more extensively known and more justly appreciated. Nor will these attempts merely be useful; for, by extracting the most valuable or amusing letters, we trust to render our articles on the subject both of varied and general interest, not only to the historian or the antiquary, whose memories we can only expect to refresh, but to numerous individuals who, from the want of time, or other pursuits, have been prevented from perusing the volumes themselves. Thus much for our motive, in the explanation of which we have also said nearly all that is necessary with respect to our plan. Indeed, nothing more need be remarked on the subject, than that we shall be guided by convenience only, in the works which we may from time to time select; that we shall dwell longest on those which are the least known and most deserving of attention; and that we hope to present a minute bibliographical account of this most important branch of historical and antiquarian literature. It appears that Dr. Howard's " Collection" was formed with the sole object of fulfilling an engagement to publish a work of a similar kind, the materials for which were destroyed by fire; and that the necessary delay in providing suflicient matter to replace them, exposed him to much obloquy and reproach, he having received money from his subscribers. He says, "I should be wanting to myself in not giving the true reasons for their being so long postponed, and clearing myself from the cruel, I was going to say, unchristian accusations of my enemies, viz. that this Work never would, never was designed to come out. I shall not trouble the public with many apologies for the unhappy and unforeseen delay; it shall suffice, and I am sure it will satisfy those of the least good nature, and charitable reflection, that some years ago, when I was preparing the work for the press with all expedition, a sudden and disastrous accident of fire consumed the greatest part of the |