_Louisa, or Memoirs of a Lady of Quality. By the Author of Evelina and Cecilia. Three vols._ 12mo. ARTICLE V. _The Peasant of Bilidelgerid, a Tale. Two vols. Shandean._ ARTICLE VI. _An Essay on Novel, in Three Epistles, inscribed to the Right Honourable Lady Craven. By William Hayley, Esq._ 4to. ARTICLE VII. _Inkle and Yarico, a Poem. By James Beattie, L.L.D._ 4to. ARTICLE VIII. _The Alchymist, a Comedy, altered from Ben Jonson, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq._ ARTICLE IX. _Reflexions upon the present State of the United States of America. By Thomas Paine, M.A. &c._ 8vo. ARTICLE X. _Speech of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, on a Motion for an Address of Thanks to his Majesty (on the 28th of November, 1783) for his gracious Communication of a Treaty of Commerce concluded between George the Third, King, &c. and the United States of America._ THE HERALD OF LITERATURE, &C. * * * * * ARTICLE I. THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. BY EDWARD GIBBON, ESQ. VOLS. IV, V, VI, VII. 4TO. We are happy to have it in our power thus early to congratulate the public upon the final accomplishment of a work, that must constitute one of the greatest ornaments of the present age. We have now before us, in one view, and described by the uniform pencil of one historian, the stupendous and instructive object of the gradual decline of the greatest empire; circumscribed by degrees within the narrow walls of a single city; and at length, after the various revolutions of thirteen centuries, totally swallowed up in the empire of the Turks. Of this term, the events of more than nine hundred years are described in that part of our author that now lies before us. It cannot therefore be expected, that in the narrow limits we have prescribed to ourselves, we should enter into a regular synopsis of the performance, chapter by chapter, after the laudable example of our more laborious brother reviewers. We will pay our readers the compliment, however unauthorised by the venerable seal of custom, of supposing them already informed, that Anastasius succeeded Zeno, and Justin Anastasius; that Justinian published the celebrated code that is called by his name; and that his generals, Belisarius and Narses, were almost constantly victorious over the Barbarians, and restored, for a moment, the expiring lustre of the empire. We shall confine ourselves to two extracts, relating to subjects of the greatest importance, and which we presume calculated, at once to gratify and excite the curiosity of the public.