Jefferson bought the later numbers from Stockdale of London. On July 24, 1786, in a letter written from Paris, he requested Stockdale to send the Monthly and Critical Reviews, “ since those I have received.”

On May 18, 1788, he ordered from Stockdale the Monthly and Critical Reviews after August 1787.

On July 16, 1788, he cancelled the order after the end of that year: “ charge me also to the end of my year’s subscription for the Monthly & Critical reviews, and the Repository & so long be so good as to continue to send them to me, & no longer. ”

These instructions were confirmed in another letter, dated the following day, July 17.

Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia was reviewed in two parts, in the numbers for May and June 1788 [Volume 78, pages 377 and 459]. The review occupies ten pages in all, and contains a number of quotations.

Other reviews of American interest are:

Vol. 75, page 69. A poem on the Happiness of America, by David Humphreys.

page 282. An Account of the present State of Nova Scotia.

page 309. A Treaty of Amity and of Commerce between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Prussia.

page 310. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. [See no. 3753.] (continued in later volumes).

page 310. Laws of the Legislature of New York.

page 466. The History of the War with America, France, Spain and Holland, by John Andrews. [See no. 486.]

page 473. Letters written in London by an American Spy.

Vol. 76, page 253. Preface to Poor Richard’s Almanac for the Year 1787.

page 523. Observations on the Causes and Cure of Smoky Chimneys, by Benjamin Franklin.

page 633. The History of Mexico, by Abbé D. Francesco Saverio Clavigero.

Vol. 77, page 38. Travels in North America, in the Years 1780, 1781, and 1782, by the Marquis de Chastellux.

page 43. Remarks on the Travels of the Marquis de Chastellux, in North America.

page 75. A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, by Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton. [See no. 491.]

page 153. An Inquiry into the Effects of Public Punishments upon Criminals, by Benjamin Rush.

page 288. Philosophical and Miscellaneous Papers by B. Franklin.

page 329. Observations on some Parts of Natural History by Benj. Smith Barton.

page 489. Plan of the new Constitution for the United States of America.

Vol. 78, page 248. The Vision of Columbus, by Joel Barlow.

page 285. A Defence of the Cosntitution of Government of the United States of America. By John Adams. [See no. 3004] [continued in later numbers.]

page 289. The History of the Revolution of South Carolina, by David Ramsay.

page 347. The Claim of the American Loyalists reviewed and maintained.

page 637. Récherches Historiques et Politiques sur les Etats Unis d’Amerique Septentrionale. [See no. 3005.]

page 665. Remarks on the proposed Plan of a federal Government, addressed to the Citizens of the United States of America, and particularly to the People of Maryland.

Vol. 79, page 67. A Review of the Government and Grievances of the Province of Quebec.

page 74. Arbustrum Americanum. By Humphry Marshal.

page 385. Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

A large number of the reviews throughout the work refer to books in this Catalogue.

Ralph Griffiths, 1720-1803, was the founder, proprietor and publisher of the Monthly Review. The first number was issued on May 1, 1749, from Griffith’s [ sic -- Ed. ] shop in St. Paul’s Churchyard, at the sign of the Dunciad. In 1757 Oliver Goldsmith was employed by Griffiths and contributed articles from April to September of that year, and again in December 1758. For The Critical Review , started by Archibald Hamilton in opposition to Griffith’s Monthly Review, see the next entry.