It is well to bear in mind that these reviews all seek to discuss the most important subjects of contemporary interest, and to secure the services of writers best qualified to treat those subjects. In the narrow sense of the term, they are not literary reviews; the function of periodicals that discuss present day politics, sociology, theology, history, science, art and numerous other generic subjects is more inclusive and appeals to a much larger audience than the periodical of literary criticism. In the quarterlies and monthlies we look for the most authoritative reviews of the important books of the day; but for general literary review and gossip, a new class of monthlies, best represented by Dr. Robertson Nicoll's _Bookman_ (1891) and the American _Bookman_ (1895) and _The Critic_ (1881) has appeared. These fill a gap between the more substantial monthlies and the very popular weekly papers. The last-mentioned class was practically developed during the nineteenth century. The frequency of publication forbade a strict devotion to the cause of _belles-lettres_; hence, in most cases, politics or music and art were included in the scheme. At first literature was granted meagre space in newspapers of the _Weekly Register_ and _Examiner_ type. William Cobbett, profiting by his previous experience with _Porcupine's Gazette_ and the _Porcupine_, began his _Weekly Political Register_ in 1802 and continued its publication until his death in 1835. It was so thoroughly political in character that it hardly merits recognition as a literary periodical. The _Examiner_, begun in 1808 by John Hunt, enjoyed during the thirteen years of his brother Leigh's coöperation a wide reputation for the excellence of its political and literary criticism. Under Albany Fonblanque, John Forster and William Minto it continued with varying success until 1880.