''The Critical Review'' was a British publication appearing from 1756 to 1817. It was first edited by Tobias Smollett, from 1756 to 1763. Contributors included

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

David Hume David Hume (; born David Home; 7 May 1711 NS (26 April 1711 OS) – 25 August 1776) Cranston, Maurice, and Thomas Edmund Jessop. 2020 999br>David Hume" '' Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 18 May 2020. was a Scottish Enlightenment ph ...

, John Hunter, and Oliver Goldsmith.

Early years

The

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

printer Archibald Hamilton started publishing ''The Critical Review'' in 1756 with Tobias Smollett as its first editor. The content was mainly book reviews, which were often long and favourable, with copious verbatim quotations. The Tory and High Church perspectives of contributors came through clearly, however. Besides Smollett, the writers of the first two volumes have been identified as John Armstrong,

Samuel Derrick Samuel Derrick (1724–1769) was an Irish author. He became known as a hack writer in London, where he gained wide literary connections. Life Born in Dublin, Derrick served an apprenticeship with a linen draper, and after that failed as an actor ...

, Thomas Francklin, and Patrick Murdoch. After a

libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defi ...

against Admiral Sir Charles Knowles in the ''Review'', Smollett was sentenced to a fine of £100 and three months in King's Bench Prison. In 1763 he retired from the ''Review'', but left it as an influential publication.

Sources

External links

Full texts
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

Eighteenth-Century Book Tracker for ''The Critical Review''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Critical Review, The Newspapers published in Scotland Publications established in 1756 Publications disestablished in 1817 1756 establishments in Great Britain 1817 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Defunct newspapers published in the United Kingdom