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thrown out, and difcufs the points to which they relate, with a more adequate extent of inveftigation.

We fhall now enter into the merits of that verfion which we have before us, and which is called The Philoxenian. It was made in the beginning of the fixth century, after the best Greek copies then extant; which were at the fame time compared in regard to their various readings. These Greek copies have been loft in the revolutions of time, but the critics in facred literature look upon this tranflation as a true expreffion of their contents: for which reafon it is undoubtedly very valuable. The univerfity of Oxford muft, therefore, be confidered as entitled to the thanks of all friends to the critical ftudy of the New Teftament, for gratifying their wishes by printing this version in fo correct and fplendid a manner. We are happy to fay farther, that the publication is fallen into able hands, and that the Editor, Mr. White (Laudean Profeffor) has acquitted himfelf in fuch a manner as cannot fail of doing credit to his abilities and learning.

In the Latin Preface the Profeffor gives, firft, an account of the fate of the Syriac copy from which thefe gofpels are printed, fince it came into England. He fays, the late Dr. Ridley, to whom it was fent, as a prefent, by his friend Mr. Palmer, who bought it at Amida, or Diarbekr, in Mefopotamia, wifhed to fatisfy the defire of the learned in having it printed *. He, therefore, though already advanced in years, applied, very closely, to learn the Syriac language, and furmounted innumerable difficulties, having no inftructor, nor even the proper books. He tranfcribed the four Syriac gofpels from the Heraclean copy, and marked, at the bottom of his transcript, the various readings from his other manufcript-copy, which he called the Barfalibean; but, thinking that the Greek text was the best interpreter of the Syriac, he added not a Latin tranflation. When Dr. Ridley found that, on account of his age, he was incapable of finifhing the work, he made a prefent of his tranfcript to the univerfity of Oxford, who intended publishing it at their expence. Dr. Lowth, the present worthy Bishop of London, propofed Mr. White as a proper Editor. The Profeffor, accordingly, undertook the work, in hopes of having it foon published; but many unforeseen difficulties produced a long delay. He found, particularly, the Latin tranflation, which he gives with the Syriac, under the printed text, a laborious task; and he was obliged to tranfcribe Dr. Ridley's tranfcript over again.

* See our Review for October, 1761, p. 305.

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The first five fections of this Preface are copied from Dr. Ridley's Latin differtation on the Syriac versions, of which we have given an account fome years ago +. The third fection comprehends the hiftory of this Philoxenian verfion and its origin; it is to the following purport: Philoxenus or Xenayas, a Bishop of Hierapolis, or Mabug, as it is called in Syriac, employed (in the year 508) his chorepifcopus, Polycarp, to tranflate the Greek New Teftament verbatim into Syriac. He, accordingly, rendered the four Gofpels, the Acts, the feven Catholic Epiftles, the fourteen of St. Paul, and, perhaps, the Revelation of St. John. All this he tranflated from his Greek copy, with fo much exactnefs, that he even expreffed the Greek articles, though the Syriac has none; he translated likewise those Syriac words, which occur in the Greek gofpeis, over again, in a truly ridiculous manner. But from these very circumstances we may infer the great utility of this tranflation, when confidered in a critical view; for, if Polycarp tranflated fo fcrupulously from his Greek copies, it is evident that we have, by this means, the true readings and refemblance of thofe Greek copies, which he had before him, and which are fuppofed to have been of the third or fourth century. Whatever were Bishop Philoxenus's particular intentions, in ordering this verfion to be made, it is undoubtedly fact that he has done pofterity confiderable fervice, by employing in this bufinefs fo fimple and fcrupulous a man. We only with that Polycarp had not betrayed either an ignorance of the Greek language, or a drowfinefs, which made him translate wrong, of which Wetstein has produced inftances, and Mr. White adds two others-the laft of which, wapatidos, Matth. xxiii. 25, which the interpreter takes to be a compound παρα and is, is a very glaring one.

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This tranflation of Polycarp's, which he dedicated to PhiJoxenus, from whom it is named, was afterward revised by Thomas of Heraclea ‡, as appears from fome notes at the end of the four gofpels, which give an account of this version. We have obferved that in thofe Syriac copies, particularly in the third of them that are in the poffeffion of Affeman*, and of which he himself has communicated an account to Mr. White, thefe notes, which have puzzled the critics very much, differ in fome refpects. Dr. Ridley's copy fays, Thomas had compared them with two Greek copies at Alexandria; Affeman's fays

+ Review, vol. xxv. p. 298.

copy.

Hence the denomination of Codex Heracleenfis, or the Heraclean

This is not Jofephus Simonius Affeman, author of the Bibliotheca Orientalis; but his nephew, Stephanus Evodius Affeman, titular Archbishop of Apamea.

three

threet. Ridley's fays, the collation with the Greek copies was made in the monaftery of Antonius; Affeman's fays, Domitius. Ridley's fays, in the third note, in the year 927, according to the Greeks (which is 616 after Chrift); Affeman's fays, in the year of the Greeks 1799 (which is 1488 after Chrift). Upon the whole, it appears to us that there is a great inaccuracy in these notes, and that it feems very probable that they were added at three different times; the firft perhaps by Polycarp; the other by Thomas, who calls himself Mafcino, or the poor; and the third, perhaps one hundred years after, by him who fays, God knows his troubles,-which, too, is all that the critics know of him; for, hitherto, both his name and perfon have eluded their utmost inquiries.

The troublesome times, which followed in fucceeding centuries, threw this verfion almost into oblivion; but toward the end of the twelfth century, Dionyfius Barfalibæus made, from feveral old copies, which he procured, what we may call a new edition; and these two copies, which Dr. Ridley's friend, Mr. Palmer, bought at Amida, on his journey by land to India, were, in all probability, written about this time.

The fixth fection, which is written by Mr. White himself, treats on the afterifks, obeli, and marginal readings, of which Dr. Ridley has faid nothing in his differtation. Wetstein, in his Prolegomena, speaking of this Syriac copy of Dr. Ridley's, fays, it contains a collation of the firft Syriac verfion, and the latter, which is marked in the text itself, by putting an obelus (-) to those words which the first has more, and an afterifk (*) to thofe which are wanting in the fame. The word or fentence to whom the obelus or afterifk belongs, is always marked at the end with a nota finalis (). Mr. White cenfures Wetstein, and produces many inftances which serve to refute Wetstein's opinion. He thinks that they rather relate to those Greek copies which Thomas of Heraclea had compared ; and as to the marginal notes, he is of opinion, that they are added by fome critic who lived after Thomas, and who, not fatisfied with the authority of those copies which Thomas had made use of, compared the verfion over again with other Greek copies and the Peshito.

As to the manner in which Profeffor White has executed his work, he fays, in the conclufion of his Preface, In this edition of the gospels I have taken pains that the Syriac text of the Heraclean copy might be faithfully printed off, except where

+ Wetstein. Proleg. ad N. T. fol. 113, fays: Idque rectius, cum etiam in noftro (viz Dr. Ridley's) quo ufi fumus exemplari, ad Matth. xxviii. 5. tres Græci codices diferte citentur, and fo we have found in this edition of Mr. White; but it might be asked, Whether this marginal note is not of a later date?

there

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there openly appeared to be a fault, which I have corrected from the Barfalibean and Bodleian copies, of which I have always apprized the reader, and mentioned, in a note, the reading of our copy. Those words which were written on the margin of our copy in Greek characters, I have printed likewife on the margin of this edition; but the Syriac various readings, which are on the margin of the manufcript, are printed, for want of fmall Syriac types, at the bottom of the page.-The Latin tranflation, I have, as far as I could, made literal, without paying attention to elegance of flyle.' And in another place he fays: I muft here make an apology for the shortness of those annotations, which the reader, now and then, will meet with at the bottom of the page, and which I intended to render more copious. The work requires, indeed, a commentary almoft as voluminous as the verfion itself. I had a great many annotations committed to paper, more than I have printed here; but, fince I had no friend, mafter of the fubject, with whom I might have advifed concerning thefe annotations, I would rather fupprefs my thoughts than run the risk of a fevere reprehenfion. Should the univerfity be pleafed to let the fecond volume be printed, and to let me have the management of it, I fhall then communicate more things, relating to the fubject in general, and illuftrate fome difficult paffages.'

This, indeed, does credit to the modefty of Mr. White; but many will, perhaps, wifh, with us, that, in this inftance, he had manifefted fomewhat lefs of this virtue. We hope, however, that the univerfity, and particularly the fuperintendents of the Clarendon prefs, who have fo greatly promoted the cause of Eastern literature, will gratify the friends of that branch of learning with the fecond volume of this work, and intruft Mr. White with the publication,-as he has gained fo much reputation by the first.

The Appendix to the prefent volume contains, first, the hif tory of the adulterefs, taken, no doubt, from the Barfalibean copy, fince it is not in the verfion of Philoxenus. Secondly, those three notes found at the end of the Heraclean copy of the gofpels. Thirdly, Dr. Ridley's collations of the Barfalibean copy and that in the Bodleian library; together with some notes by Mr. White. Fourthly, a defcription of three manuscript copies of the Philoxenian verfion, tranfmitted from Rome to Mr. White by Affeman, whofe property they are. The first of these copies is, according to Alleman, written in the very handwriting of Thomas of Heraclea; which, however, we much doubt. We fhould rather be inclined to think, from the famenefs of the fcripture of the copy with the three notes at the end, that fome Monk may have tranfcribed the whole copy. The difference of thefe notes, at the end of the third copy,

which Affeman defcribes, and which is a great deal younger than the two first, is (as we have before obferved) fo extraordinary, that it has given rife to various conjectures; but we are, with Affeman, of opinion, that Barfauma, or whoever transcribed this copy, was induced by ignorance, or vanity, to alter the two laft notes, and to apply them to himself,-when, in fact, the fecond note related to Thomas of Heraclea, and the third to fome later transcriber.

ART. XIII. Danebury: or, the Power of Friendship. A Tale. With Two Odes. By a Young Lady. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Johnfon.

THE

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HE fcene of this affecting little tale is laid at DaneburyHill, an ancient camp in the vicinity of Stockbridge in Hampshire, near which, according to tradition, a battle was fought between the Danes and the Weft Saxons, in which the former were defeated.' During the battle, Elfrida, whofe anxiety for the fate of her father had compelled her to follow him, receives a wound from a poisoned arrow. Juft as she is expiring, her friend Emma fucks out the poifon from the wound, and restores her to life:

But ah! from Emma's cheek the rofes fly,
Joy beam'd a fmile, while pain awak'd a figh:
Too foon fhe felt her fickening fpirits fail,
And languor o'er life's active fprings prevail !
But loth to damp the joy fhe had inspir'd,
To the cool air the unobferv'd retir'd.

• Beneath an ancient elm's romantic fhade,
Where ruftic toil an humbie feat had made;
When day departing crimson'd o'er the sky,
And glitter'd on the ftream that wander'd by,
The little friendly groupe would oft repair,
(While breathing woodbines fweeten'd all the air)
Each blameless feeling of their hearts unfold,
Or liften to the tale of times of old.

Ah happy moments! ever, ever fled !

Now Emma there reclines her dying head!

While o'er her pallid face creeps death's cold dew,

And all the landscape fwims before her view.
When near approach'd a venerable Sage,

In all the hoary Majefty of Age!'.

• Skilled in falubrious herbs,' this venerable Sage adminifters. an antidote, in confequence of which

In her meek eye, the trembling luftre fhone,
And health and beauty reaffumed their throne.'
The poem then concludes with the following well-finished
and beautiful lines:

The moving tale foon reach'd Elfrida's ear,
The moving tale ftole many a rapturous tear.

Ah!

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