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INTRODUCTORY DISSERTATION.

SOME years have now have now elapsed since the Book of Enoch translated by the profoundly learned Archbishop of Cashel, again became known to the world, after a lapse of at least fifteen hundred years, during which, even the fact that such a book had ever existed, was at length disbelieved.

We owe to the celebrated Bruce the recovery of this ancient record, which however might still have remained unnoticed or unvalued, had it not been rescued from obscurity, by one who has added to his knowledge of a language so rarely acquired, not only the patience necessary for so tedious an undertaking, but the judgment and caution, without which the accuracy or fidelity of a version made under such difficult circumstances, might have been questioned.

But no such doubt can exist in the mind of any

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one who observes the care and discrimination which are displayed in every criticism relating to the choice of words made by the translator, in cases of doubtful signification: and it requires little knowledge of the original language, to convince us that all which learning, united with caution and fidelity can accomplish, has already been done.

The reader is referred to the preliminary dissertation prefixed to the Archbishop's translation, for the various arguments whereby the priority of the book of Enoch to the Christian æra is fully established: and the various authorities which are there given in detail, will convince the enquirer that the same book which anciently existed is now recovered.

The Archbishop has in one instance only, transposed any part of the book; the places which he has thus amended manifestly containing portions of the same passage, separated from one another by some accident of transcription, or from some other fortuitous cause.

He has also remarked that "the different portions of the book may have been written at dif

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