A Supplement to Allibone's Critical Dictionary of English Literature. 2
vols. By John Foster Kirk. (J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia.) —" The original work," writes Mr. Kirk in his preface, "con- tains the names and enumerates the works of over forty-six thousand authors ; the present work, confined to a period not exceeding an average of thirty years, contains the names of thirty-seven thousand one hundred and eighty-three authors." Less than one generation, that is, has produced four-fifths of the number produced by all the generations since Cmdmon, or who- ever it may be with whom we may choose to begin English litera- ture. This is nothing less than appalling. Happily, the world will refuse to be burdened with more than a certain quantity of literatnre. Meanwhile, till it is settled what is to perish and what to survive, we are greatly indebted to the industry and care with which this supplement has been put together.
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