JOURNAL

, in Merchants Accounts, is a book into which every particular article is posted out of the Wafte-book, according to the order of time, specifying the debtor and creditor in each account and transaction.

, in Maritime Affairs, is a reg<*>ster kept by the pilot, and others, noticing every thing that happens to the ship, from day to day, and from hour to hour, with regard to the winds, the rhumbs or courses, the knots or rate of running, the rake, soundings, astronomical observations, for the latitudes and longitudes, &c; to enable them to adjust the reckoning, and determine the place where the ship is.

In all sea Journals, the day, or what is called the 24 hours, is divided into twice 12 hours, those before noon marked A. M. for ante meridiem, and those from noon to midnight marked P. M. post meridiem, or afternoon.

There are various ways of keeping a sea Journal, according to the different notions of mariners concerning the articles that are to be entered. Some writers direct the keeping such a kind of Journal as is only an abstract of each day's transactions, specifying the weather, what ships or lands were seen, accidents on board, the latitude, longitude, meridional distance, course, and run: these particulars are to be drawn from the ship's log-book, or from that kept by the person himself. Other authors recommend the keeping only of one account, including the log-book, and all the work of each day, with the deductions drawn from it.

Journal is also used for the title of several books which come out at stated times; and give accounts and abstracts of the new books that are published, with the new improvements daily made in arts and sciences.

The first Journal of this kind was, the Journal des Sçavans, printed at Paris: the design was set on foot for the ease of such as are too busy, or too lazy, to read the entire books themselves. It seems an excellent way of satisfying a man's curiosity, and becoming learned upon easy terms: and so useful has it been found, that it has been executed in most other countries, though under a great variety of titles.

Of this kind are the Acta Eruditorum of Leipsic; the Nouvelles de la Republique des lettres of Mr. Bayle, &c; the Bibliotheque Universelle, Choisie, et Ancienne et Moderne, of M. le Clerc; the Memoirs de Trevoux, &c. In 1692, Juncker printed in Latin, An Historical Treatise of the Journals of the Learned, published in the several parts of Europe; and Wolfius, Struvius, Morhoff, Fabricius, &c, have done something of the same kind.

The Philosophical Transactions of London; the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences; those of the Academy of Belles Lettres; the Miscellanea Naturæ Curiosorum; the Experiments of the Academy del Cimento, the Acta Philo-exoticorum Naturæ et Artis, which appeared from March 1686 to April 1687, and which are a history of the Academy of Bresse; the Miscellanea Berolinensia, or Memoirs of the Academy of Berlia; the Commentaries of the Academy of Petersburgh; the Memoirs of the Institute at Bologna; the Acta Literaria Sueciæ; the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Stockholm, begun in 1740; the Commentarii Societatis Regiæ Gottingensis, begun in 1750, &c, &c, are not so properly Journals, though they are frequently ranked in the number.

Juncker and Wolfius give the honour of the first invention of Journals to Photius. His Bibliotheca, however, is not altogether of the same nature with the modern Journals; nor was his design the same. It consists of abridgments, and extracts of books which he had read during his embassy in Persia. M. Salo first began the Journal des Sçavans at Paris, in 1665, under the name of the Sieur de Hedonville; but his death soon after interrupted the work. The abbé Gallois then took it up, and he, in the year 1674, gave way to the abbé de la Roque, who continued it nine years, and was succeeded by M. Cousin, who carried it on till the year 1702, when the abbé Bignon| instituted a new Society, and committed the care of continuing the Journal to them, who improved and published it under a new form. This Society is still continued, and M. de Loyer has had the inspection of the Journal; which is no longer the work of any single author, but of a great number.

The other French Journals are the Memoirs and Conferences of Arts and Sciences, by M. Dennis, during the years 1672, 1673, and 1674; New Discoveries in all the parts of Physic, by M. de Blegny; the Journal of Physic, begun in 1684, and some others, discontinued almost as soon as begun.

Rozier's Journal de Physique, begun in July 1771, and continued, till in the year 1780, there were 19 vols. quarto.

The Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres, News from the Republic of Letters, were begun by M. Bayle in 1684, and carried on by him till the year 1687, when M. Bayle being disabled by sickness, his friends, M. Bernard and M. de la Roque, took them up, and continued them till 1699. After an interruption of nine years, M. Bernard resumed the work, and continued it till the year 1710. The History of the Works of the Learned, by M. Basnage, was begun in the year 1686, and ended in 1710. The Universal Historical Library, by M. le Clerc, was continued to the year 1693, and contained twenty-five volumes. The Bibliotheque Choisie of the same author, began in 1703. The Mercury of France is one of the most ancient Journals of that country, and is continued by different hands: the Memoirs of a History of Sciences and Arts, usually called Memoires des Trevoux, from the place where they are printed, began in 1701. The Essays of Literature reached but to a twelfth volume in 1702, 1703, and 1704; these only take notice of ancient authors. The Journal Literaire, by Father Hugo, began and ended in 1705. At Hamburgh they have made two attempts for a French Journal, but the design failed: an Ephemerides Sçavantes has also been undertaken, but that soon disappeared. A Journal des Sçavans, by M. Dartis, appeared in 1694, and was dropt the year following. That of M. Chauvin, begun at Berlin in 1696, held out three years; and an essay of the same kind was made at Geneva. To these may be added, the Journal Literaire begun at the Hague 1715, and that of Verdun, and the Memoires Literaires de la Grande Bretagne by M. de la Roche; the Bibliotheque Angloise, and Journal Britannnique, which are confined to English books alone. The Italian Journals are, that of abbot Nazari, which lasted from 1668 to 1681, and was printed at Rome. That of Venice began in 1671, and ended at the same time with the other: the authors were Peter Moretti, and Francis Miletti. The Journal of Parma, by Roberti and Father Bacchini, was dropped in 1690, and resumed again in 1692. The Journal of Ferrara, by the abbé de la Torre, began and ended in 1691. La Galerio di Minerva, begun in 1696, is the work of a Society of men of letters. Seignior Apostolo Zeno, Secretary to that Society, began another Journal in 1710, under the protection of the Grand Du<*>e: it is printed at Venice, and several persons of distinction have a hand in it.

The Fasti Euriditi della Bibliotheca Volante, were published at Parma. There has appeared since, in Italy, the Giornale dei Letterati.

The principal among the Latin Journals, is that of Leipsic, under the title of Acta Eruditorum, begun in 1682: P. P. Manzani began another at Parma. The Nova Literaria Maris Balthici lasted from 1698 to 1708. The Nova Literaria Germaniæ, collected at Hamburgh, began in 1703. The Acta Literaria ex Manuscriptis, and the Bibliotheca curiosa, begun in 1705, and ended in 1707, are the work of Struvius. Mess. Kuster and Sike, in 1697, began a Bibliotheca Novorum Librorum, and continued it for two years. Since that time, there have been many Latin Journals; such, besides others, is the Commentarii de Rebus in Scientia Naturali et Medicina gestis, by M. Ludwig. The Swiss Journal, called Nova Literaria Helvetiæ, was begun in 1702, by M. Scheuchzer; and the Acta Medica Hafnensia, published by T. Bartholin, make five volumes from the year 1671 to 1679. There are two Low-Dutch Journals; the one under the title of Boockzal van Europe; it was begun at Rotterdam in 1692, by Peter Rabbus; and continued from 1702 to to 1708, by Sewel and Gavern: the other was done by a physician, called Ruiter, who began it in 1710. The German Journals of best note are, the Monathlichen Unterredungen, which continued from 1689 to 1698. The Bibliotheca Curiosa, began in 1704, and ended in 1707, both by M. Tenzel. The Magazin d'Hambourg, begun in 1748: the Physicalische Belustigunzen, or Philosophical Amusements, begun at Berlin in 1751. The Journal of Hanover began in 1700, and continued for two years by M. Eccard, under the direction of M. Leibnitz, and afterwards carried on by others. The Theological Journal, published by M. Loescher, under the title of Altes und Neues, that is, Old and New. A third at Leipsic and Francfort, the authors Mess. Walterck, Krause, and Groschuffius; and a fourth at Hall, by M. Turk.

The English Journals are, The History of the Works of the Learned, begun at London in 1699. Censura Temporum, in 1708. About the same time there appeared two new ones, the one under the title of Memoirs of Literature, containing little more than an English translation of some articles in the foreign Journals, by M. de la Roche; the other a collection of loose tracts, entitled, Bibliotheca curiosa, or a Miscellany. These, however, with some others, are now no more, but are succeeded by the Annual Register, which began in 1758; the New Annual Register, begun in 1780; the Monthly Review, which began in the year 1749, and gives a character of all English literary publications, with the most considerable of the foreign ones: the Critical Review, which began in 1756, and is nearly on the same plan: as also the London Review, by Dr. Kenrick, from 1775 to 1780; Maty's Review, from Feb. 1782 to Aug. 1786; the English Review begun in Jan. 1783; and the Analytical Review, begun in May 1788, and still continues with much reputation. Besides these, we have several monthly pamphlets, called Magazines, which, together with a chronological Series of occurrences, contain letters from correspondents, communicating extraordinary discoveries in nature and art, with controversial pieces on all subjects. Of these, the principal are those called, the Gentleman's Magazine,|

which began with the year 1731; the London Magazine, which began a few months after, and has lately been discontinued; the Universal Magazine, which is nearly of as old a date.