a word lately introduced to express a view or survey of any kingdom, county, or parish.

A Statistical view of Germany was published in 1790 by Mr B. Clarke: giving an account of the imperial and territorial constitutions, forms of government, legislation, administration of justice, and of the ecclesiastical state; state; with a sketch of the character and genius of the Germans; a short inquiry into the state of their trade and commerce; and giving a distinct view of the dominions, extent, number of inhabitants to a square mile; chief towns, with their size and population; revenues, expences, debts, and military strength of each state. In Prussia, in Saxony, Sardinia, and Tuscany, attempts have also been made to draw up statistical accounts; but they were done rather with a view of ascertaining the present state of these countries, than as the means of future improvement.

A grand and extensive work of this kind, founded on a judicious plan, conducted by the most patriotic and enlightened motives, and drawn up from the communications of the whole body of the clergy, was undertaken in Scotland in the year 1790 by Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, one of the most useful members of his country. Many praises are heaped upon genius and learning; but to genius and learning no applause is due, except when exerted for the benefit of mankind: but gratitude and praise is due to him whose talents shine only in great undertakings, whose happiness seems to consist in patriotic exertions, and whose judgment is uniformly approved by his successors. A work of this kind, so important in its object, so comprehensive in its range, so judicious in its plan, and drawn up by more than 900 men of literary education, many of them men of great genius and learning, must be of immense value. It was completed about 1799, in 21 volumes 8vo.

The great object of this work is to give an accurate view of the state of the country, its agriculture, its manufactures, and its commerce; the means of improvement, of which they are respectively capable; the amount of the population of a state, and the causes of its increase or decrease; the manner in which the territory of a country is possessed and cultivated; the nature and amount of the various productions of the soil; the value of the personal wealth or stock of the inhabitants, and how it can be augmented; the diseases to which the people are subject, their causes and their cure; the occupations of the people; where they are entitled to encouragement, and where they ought to be suppressed; the condition of the poor, the best mode of maintaining them, and of giving them employment; the state of schools, and other institutions, formed for purposes of public utility; the state of the villages and towns, and the regulations best calculated for their police and good government; the state of the manners, the morals, and the religious principles of the people, and the means by which their temporal and eternal interests can best be promoted.

To such of our readers as have not an opportunity of perusing this national work, or of examining its plan, we will present the scheme for the statistical account of a parochial district which Sir John Sinclair published for the consideration of the clergy, and which has been generally followed by them, though often with great improvements.

The name of the parish and its origin; situation and extent of the parish; number of acres; description of the soil and surface; nature and extent of the sea coast; lakes, rivers, islands, hills, rocks, caves, wood, orchards, &c.; climate and diseases; instances of longevity; state of property; number of proprietors; number of residing proprietors; mode of cultivation; implements of husbandry; manures; seedtime and harvest; remarkable instances of good and bad seasons; quantity and value of each species of crop; total value of the whole produce of the district; total quantity of grain and other articles consumed in the parish; wages and price of labour; services, whether exacted or abolished; commerce; manufactures; manufacture of kelp, its amount, and the number of people employed in it; fisheries; towns and villages; police; inns and alehouses; roads and bridges; harbours, ferries, and their state; number of ships and vessels; number of leasen; state of the church; stipend, manse, glebe, and patron; number of poor; parochial funds, and the management of them; state of the schools, and number of scholars; ancient state of population; causes of its increase or decrease; number of families; exact amount of the number of souls now living; division of the inhabitants; 1. By the place of their birth; 2. By their ages; 3. By their religious persuasions; 4. By their occupations and situation in life; 5. By their residence; whether in town, village, or in the country; number of houses; number of uninhabited houses; number of dove-cots, and to what extent they are destructive to the crops; number of horses, their nature and value; number of cattle, their nature and value; number of sheep, their nature and value; number of swine, their nature and value; minerals in general; mineral springs; coal and fuel; eminent men; antiquities; parochial records; miscellaneous observations; character of the people; their manners, customs, stature, &c.; advantages and disadvantages; means by which their situation could be meliorated.

If similar surveys (lays the public-spirited editor of this work) were instituted in the other kingdoms of Europe, it might be the means of establishing, on sure foundations, the principles of that most important of all sciences, viz. political or statistical philosophy; that is, the science, which, in preference to every other, ought to be held in reverence. No science can furnish, to any mind capable of receiving useful information, so much real entertainment; none can yield such important hints for the improvement of agriculture, for the extension of commercial industry, for regulating the conduct of individuals, or for extending the prosperity of the state; none can tend so much to promote the general happiness of the species.