Three major periodicals are essential for understanding the Scottish Enlightenment and the circulation of ideas in eighteenth-century Britain. All are now digitized and freely available online.
The Monthly Review (1749-1845)
Founded by Ralph Griffiths in May 1749, The Monthly Review was one of the first and most influential literary periodicals of the eighteenth century. It reviewed works across all fields including philosophy, science, medicine, literature, and history—making it indispensable for tracking Scottish Enlightenment publications.
Structure
- First Series: 81 volumes (1749-1789)
- Second Series: 108 volumes (1790-1825)
- Third Series: Started 1826
- Final period: 1831-1845 (annual volume numbering)
Digital Access
Complete runs:
- HathiTrust - Volumes 2-81 (First Series) and complete Second Series from Harvard, Indiana, and Princeton
- Online Books Page (Penn) - Comprehensive listing with links to Google Books and HathiTrust
Internet Archive:
- Multiple volumes - Searchable collection from various sources
Research Tools
Indexes:
- Nangle, Benjamin Christie. The Monthly Review, First Series, 1749-1789: Indexes of Contributors and Articles (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1934)
- Nangle, Benjamin Christie. The Monthly Review, Second Series, 1790-1815: Indexes of Contributors and Articles (1955)
- Ayscough, Samuel. A General Index to the Monthly Review from its Commencement to the End of the Seventieth Volume (1749-1784) (2 volumes) - Available on Internet Archive
Editor
- Ralph Griffiths (May 1749 - September 1803)
- G.E. Griffiths (October 1803 - April 1825)
The Critical Review (1756-1817)
Founded in 1756 and initially edited by Tobias Smollett, The Critical Review was established partly as a rival to the Monthly Review. Smollett's Scottish connections and his position in London literary circles made it an important venue for Scottish writers and reviews of Scottish works.
Structure
- Published 1756-1817
- Also known as The Critical Review; or, Annals of Literature
- Alternative title (1791-1803): Annals of Literature, Extended and Improved, By a Society of Gentlemen
Digital Access
Internet Archive:
- Multiple volumes - Extensive collection digitized from various libraries
- Many volumes digitized by Google from NYPL and uploaded to Internet Archive
HathiTrust:
- Catalog entry - Volumes available from 1756-1817
Editor
- Tobias Smollett (1756-c.1763, primary editor)
- Various editors thereafter
Publisher Variations
- Printed for R. Baldwin (1756-58)
- For A. Hamilton (1758-98)
- For S. Hamilton (1799-1804)
- For J. Mowman (1804-13)
- Published by J. Souter (1814)
Research Notes
Coverage Comparison
- Monthly Review: Most comprehensive for 1749-1789 period; indexed by contributor and article
- Edinburgh Review: Begins 1802, crucial for understanding the legacy of Scottish Enlightenment ideas
- Critical Review: Important alternative perspective, particularly valuable for Smollett's Scottish network
Using These Resources
- For tracking specific Scottish authors: Use the Nangle indexes for Monthly Review to identify reviews of their works
- For intellectual networks: Cross-reference reviews across all three periodicals to see how ideas circulated
- For publication patterns: These reviews often indicate when books were published and how they were received
Digitization Quality
Most volumes are searchable OCR texts, though quality varies. HathiTrust generally provides the most reliable search functionality. Internet Archive offers page-by-page viewing which can be helpful for browsing.
Further Reading
- Basker, James G. Tobias Smollett: Critic and Journalist (1988)
- Clive, John. Scotch Reviewers: The Edinburgh Review, 1802-1815 (1957)
- Roper, Derek. Reviewing Before the Edinburgh, 1788-1802 (1978)
This catalog compiled December 2025. All links verified as active and freely accessible.