MAGAZINE, LITERARY; a well-known species of periodical publications, of which the first that appeared was The Gentleman's, set on foot by the projector Mr Edward Cave in the year 1731: (see the article CAVE.) This, as Dr Kippis observes †, "may be considered as something of an epocha in the literary history of this country. The periodical performances before that time were almost wholly confined to political transactions, and to foreign and domestic occurrences; but the monthly magazines have opened a way for every kind of inquiry and information. The intelligence and discussion contained in them are very extensive and various: and they have been the means of diffusing a general habit of reading through the nation, which in a certain degree hath enlarged the public understanding. Many young authors, who have afterwards risen to considerable eminence in the literary world, have here made their first attempts in composition. Here too are preserved a multitude of curious and useful hints, observations, and facts, which otherwise might have never appeared; or if they had appeared in a more evanescent form, would have incurred the danger of being lost. It
Magazine it were not an invidious task, the history of them would
Magde- be no incurious or unentertaining subject. The maga-
burg. zines that unite utility with entertainment are undoubt-
edly preferable to those (if there have been any such)
which have only a view to idle and frivolous amuse-
ment. It may be observed, that two of them, The
Gentleman's and The London, which last was begun the
year after the former, have, amidst their numerous ri-
vals, preserved their reputation to the present day.
They have both of them, in general, joined instruction
with pleasure; and this likewise hath been the case
with some others of a later origin.—The original Lon-
don Magazine, it has been believed, has been discon-
tinued for some years past.—The next oldest publica-
tion of this kind, is that entitled The Scots Magazine:
which was commenced at Edinburgh a few years pos-
terior to the appearance of the Gentleman's at London;
which, like it, has survived many rivals, and has been
continued, under different proprietors and editors, with
various degrees of merit.