understand. Some of these have been addressed to the infidel, others to the scholar, and some to the plain unlettered Christian. The number of the latter, it is true, has not been great: but what is deficient in quantity is supplied by the very accurate information they impart. Such works require only to be better known in order to become universally esteemed.

In the first rank of such writers the Abbé Fleury and Father Lamy stand highly and deservedly distinguished; the former by his treatise entitled Mœurs des Israelites, (the book now before the reader,) and the latter by his well known work called Apparatus Biblicus. The former is allowed by competent judges to be the most accurate and useful treatise on the subject ever published.

In 1750 the Mours des Israelites was translated in one vol. 8vo. with this title :-" The Customs of the Israelites: translated from the French of the Abbot Fleury, by R. G." (Richard Gough, the celebrated antiquary, then a youth of about fifteen years of age.) This translation I have not seen; it was never sold, being done for presents to the friends of Mr. Gough and his family. See Nichols' Anecdotes, Vol. VI. p. 266.

In 1756 another translation issued from the press of Mr. Bowyer, with the following title:"A Short History of the Israelites: with an Account of their Manners, Customs, Laws, Polity, and Religion; being a useful Introduction to the reading of the Old Testament. Translated from the French of Abbé Fleury, by Ellis Farneworth, M. A." 8vo.

The honour of this translation, though long given to the above claimant, does not appear to be his just due; but belongs to Mr. Thomas Bedford, of Compton, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, who furnished Mr. F. both with the original and the translation; as appears by a letter of his to Mr. Bowyer the Printer, and from which we learn that the work was not then well received by the public.

"Compton, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, 1763.

"Mr. Farneworth has left his poor sister in woeful circumstances, a very worthy gentlewoman in the decline of life, and of an infirm constitution. She will be so just to the creditors as to give up all his effects to any one who will administer; and depend upon Providence and the benevolence of her friends, and other charitable people, for her future subsistence.

"I was sorry Fleury's useful little book was so unsuccessful it was I that put it into his hands, both the original and the translation, (that had lain by me many years) in hopes that it would have raised him fifteen or twenty pounds; knowing that both he and his sisters, for then he had another living, were low at that time. Your very humble servant,

To Mr. Bowyer.

THOMAS BEDFORD."a

This is to be regretted, both on account of the editor, Mr. Farneworth, and on account of the public, who deprived itself of one of the most useful manuals of the kind that ever proceeded from the press. Nor was it neglected in consequence of not being introduced to public attention; for the monthly reviewers gave a very extensive notice of it, of no less than twelve pages, in their review for October, 1756. Vol. XV. p. 321.

When I first thought of preparing a new edition of this work for the public, I intended to re-translate the original but, on reading over the translation attributed to Mr. Farneworth, I was satisfied that a better one, on the whole, could scarcely be hoped for. In general the language is simple, pure, and elegant; and both the spirit and unction of the original are excellently preserved. I therefore made no scruple to adopt it; reserving to myself the liberty to correct what I thought amiss, and to add such notes as I judged necessary to the fuller elucidation of the work.

As some judicious friends thought the original work rather too concise, and hinted that several useful addi

See Nichols' Anec. of the Eighteenth Century, Vol. II. p. 392.

tions might be made to it on the same plan, I was naturally led to turn to Father Lamy for materials; whose work, above mentioned, I considered as ranking next to that of the Abbé Fleury. From Mr. Bundy's edition, much of the fourth part of the present volume is extracted. Those points which I thought the Abbé had treated too concisely to make intelligible, I have considered more at large; and some subjects of importance, which he had totally omitted, I have here introduced. To the whole I have added a copious index, by which any subject discussed in the work may at once be referred to. I have now reason to hope that every serious Christian, of whatever denomination, will find this Volume a faithful and pleasant guide to a thorough understanding of all the customs and manners, civil and religious, of that people to whom God originally entrusted the Sacred Oracles. Without a proper knowledge of these it is impossible to see the reasonableness and excellency of that worship, and of those ceremonies, which God Himself originally established among the Israelites and by which He strongly prefigured that glorious revelation under which we have the happiness to live.

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Many have spoken very highly of the usefulness of this work. Among the rest the late excellent bishop of Norwich, Dr. Horne, recommends it in the following terms :

"This little book contains a concise, pleasing, and just account of the manners, customs, laws, polity, and religion of the Israelites. It is an excellent introduction to the reading of the Old Testament, and should be put into the hands of every young person." DISCOURSES, Vol. I. This recommendation will have its due weight, both with the learned and the pious.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE

SECOND EDITION.

THE former Edition of this work has been received by the British public with such flattering marks of approbation as are highly honourable to the memory of its excellent author. In no common case has the public opinion been more correctly formed, nor more unequivocally, expressed. The Editor too has had his share of the public approbation; and takes this opportunity of acknowledging his grateful sense of the praise bestowed on his part of the work. Actuated solely by the desire of doing good to his countrymen, and especially to the plain unlettered Christian, he undertook a work from which he neither expected nor received any kind of emolument. He has, however, been amply rewarded by the satisfactory consciousness of having endeavoured to promote the study of those living oracles which testify of Jesus; and the conviction that his labour has been crowned with success.

When he found from the rapid sale of the first, that a second edition would soon be called for, believing the work susceptible of still farther improvements, and consequently of being more useful to the public, he determined to spare no pains to render it fully worthy of that patronage by which it had been already so highly favoured. Having now accomplished his design, as far as circumstances would permit, he thinks it proper to inform the reader what has been done, in order to furnish him with additional pleasure and instruction.

1. The translation has been collated with three copies of the original: the first edition published by the Abbé, Paris, 1681. 12mo; the Paris edition of 1736, 12mo. with

additional references; and that in the OPUSCULES de M. l'Abbé FLEURY, Tome I. à Nismes, 1780, 5 vols. 8vo. This collation has given rise to innumerable alterations and improvements of the translation.

2. The references, not only to the Scriptures, but also to the Greek and Latin writers, have been collated with the authors themselves; and a multitude of errors have been corrected which had been increasing with every edition of the work.

3. To render these references more serviceable to the reader many of them have been produced at full length, accompanied with an English translation, where the matter appeared to be of considerable importance.

4. A great variety of notes have been added, to illustrate and confirm what is advanced in the text, and to make the meaning more easy to be understood.

5. Some supplementary chapters have been inserted, viz. On the Hebrew poetry;-Instruments of music among the antient Hebrews;-Hindoo and Mohammedan fasts, purifications, &c. to illustrate those of the antient Jews;-A short history of the antient and modern Samaritans, which was certainly a desideratum in the former editions; together with a short sketch of the present state of the Jews, and a copy of their antient Liturgy.

6. To the work a Life of the Author is prefixed, which had not been done in the former English editions ; and which, though short, will, it is hoped, serve to bring the reader more particularly acquainted with the amiable spirit of this excellent man.

On the whole the Editor hopes the work will now more effectually answer the purpose for which it was formed, viz. to render the study of the Bible improving and delightful; and thus, especially to the young and inexperienced, prove an antidote against Deism, irreligion, and impiety of all sorts. For he thinks it would be impossible, even for a prejudiced mind, to read over the history of this antient people, and compare their political

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