SOURCE: Review of Memoirs of Modern Philosophers. The Anti-Jacobin Review and Magazine 7, no. 27 (September-January 1801): 39-46, 369-76.

In the following review, the anonymous critic celebrates Memoirs of Modern Philosophers as a well-written, humorous, and effective tool for the anti-Jacobin cause. The reviewer later admits that he did not know the author's identity until halfway through writing the review.

We will endeavour to offer to our readers something like an outline of the story of this excellent work; in doing which we shall occasionally make such extracts as will afford them an opportunity of forming their own judgment, on what we esteem the first novel of the day.

Bridgetina Botherim, daughter of the late Rector of—, is the heroine of the tale. She is described as one of those young ladies, who, disregarding all the old-fashioned female excellencies by which the women of this country have been so eminently distinguished...