LETTER IV.

J. — J**. Cafpari Wetftenio. S. D. NOVUM Teftamentum J. J. Wetflenii perlegi, ncc

fine infigni voluptate. Inter legendum tamen occurrebant nonnulla, quæ emendata aut delenda videbantur. Quænam ea fint, indicare tibi non poffum; abierunt enim, non revocanda, nifi repetita Lectionis laborem fufcipiam. Pauca faltem ex iis accipe.

Matt. I. 25. 'Oux iyivwaxey dulv. Citat Wetstenius Ovidium, Met. IV. 594. ubi Cadmus in ferpentem mutatus,

fua lambebat Conjugis ora,

Inque Sinus caros, veluti cognofceret, ibat. Vox cognofceret, in Ovidio, certe non defignat Ta apodioia. Hanc Obfervationem meam tu Wetftenio tranfmififti: Sed dubitat, ut ais, vir doctus, et nonnulla in utramque partem dici poffe etiamnum exiftimat. Quod fi ita fe res habet, reftat profectò ut ego defperem me quicquam cuiquam poffe perfuadere.

Matt. xxv. 6. Locum producit Wetftenius ex Valerio Maximo, ubi tamen nuptialia non funt Nuptiæ, fed aliud prorfus. -Petit nuptialia, nempe omina. Vide Ciceronem, de Divin. I. 46.

Matt.

Matt. ν. 6. Πεινώντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Adde Xenophontem, Oecon. C. 13. П ἐπαίνω ἐκ ἦτον ἔνιαι τῶν φύσεων, ἢ ἄλλαι τῶν σίων τε κ wol. Alia exempla vide apud Scot. p. 39. qui Matthæum edidit, Anglicè, cum Notis brevibus et eruditis.

Τῆς δικαιοσύνης, vel, δια δικαιοσυνην, ex conjectura legit, (non improbante Wetftenio) Mangeius noftras, qui Novum Teftamentum fe aliquando editurum jactabat; edetque, uti fperamus, Græcis Calendis.

Græci fane genitivo in locis huic fimilibus plerumque utuntur, fed non femper. Credo fcriptores, faltem negligentiores et plebeios, fæpe accusativum posuiffe, ubi alii genitivum. Sic Joannes II. 9. 'ns diycúcalo lò udup Et certe omnia verba tranfitiva, ut Grammatici loquuntur, naturâ fuâ poftulant accufativum: Ubi vero genitivus locum ejus occupat, id fit aut per Ellipfin, aut ex abfurdâ quædam Elegantià, quam fcilicet vult Ufus, omni Logica potentior.

Verba Senfus, et fexcenta alia (aiunt Grammatici) gaudent Genitivo, præter ea quæ ad vifum pertinent. Atticè vero omnia Verba Senfus Accufativum regunt. regunt. Quoties autem genitivus ita cum verbo jungitur, fubintelligitur aut Præpofitio, aut Cafus accufativus, aut voces dixny, xápio, Evexa, &c. Nullum enim verbum regit genitivum.

VOL. II.

D

LETTER

LETTER V.

MADAM,

I RECEIV RECEIVED yours, and am obliged to you for the good opinion which you feem to entertain of my skill and judgment. But I must beg leave to add, that you have made me an improper requeft, as you yourself perhaps will difcern, when you reflect a little more upon it. You conceal yourfelf from me, and yet you expect that I fhould treat you as an old and familiar friend; and tell my thoughts, without reserve, on a theological performance which you have sent me, written by a friend of yours,-by the Lord knows who; and intended, I prefume, for the Prefs. Suppofe now, that I fhould judge favourably of it; then my approbation may be made publick ufe of, without my leave. Suppofe I fhould dislike it; then I am pretty fure that I fhall fink, not a little, in your opinion. You must therefore excufe me from giving you my fentiments upon the contents of

your papers.

You must know, Madam, that I am a burnt child, and a fcalded cat. I have fuffered too often

for

for dealing too fincerely, and preferring truth to felf-intereft. I have loft the favour of many poets, male and female, and of many projectors in philofophy, criticism, divinity, and fo forth, only because I did not fall defperately in love with the compofitions which they forced into my hands. The ufual fees which I have received, for my pains and advice on fuch occafions, have been coldness and refent

ment.

Here I did design to end my letter; but however, that I may not quite difappoint a lady, I will venture for once to offer you my thoughts-though I fear, at the hazard of displeasing you-upon two things in the Character which you have drawn up of your anonymous friend.

First, you obferve, that "he is not a man of diftinguished learning." In this we shall have no difpute; I readily and entirely agree with you. He hath indeed undertaken a work, in which a good share of erudition is ufually neceffary. But infpiration, as we all know, can fupply that defect.

Secondly, you tell us, that, in his opinion," the divines in general, especially those of England, have not shewed a due refpect to the holy fcriptures, for which he (good man!) hath a most profound veneration."

Why this, Madam, is the very Pharifee's prayer; "God, I thank thee, that I am not like the Chillingworths

D. 2

lingworths, the Hookers, the Hammonds, the Stillingfleets, the Tillotsons, the Barrows, the Pearfons, the Medes, and the rest of the Ecclefiafticks, who, by the courtefy of this country, are called Divines."

Whilft your righteous friend thus bleffeth himfelf, I blefs myfelf too-but for other reafons. I am really much at a lofs what to admire most in this remark of his; whether the politenefs, or the erudition, or the acuteness, or the modefty, or the candour, or the good nature, or the good manners, or the chriftian charity with which it equally abounds.

I am, &c.

JOHN JORTIN.