* Chap. 8.

P. 42, 43,

44.

"to treasure up in their memory the fignification of the "terms: and when they come to talk or write in the speech "thus acquired, their language is full of their own native "idioms. If we suppose this foreign tongue to be instanta

neously infused, the effect must be the fame. Divine inspi"ration can only convey the terms and fingle words of one language correfponding to thofe of another. For, an im

preffion of phrafeology or idiom, requires a previous one of "the tempers, fashions and opinions of the people to whom "the language is native, upon the minds of them to whom "it is imparted. But this would be a waste of miracles "without fufficient caufe. For, the terms of one language adapted to the idiom of another, abundantly ferve the purpofe of giving CLEAR INTELLIGENce.*"

Here, there are some things affumed as evident and inconteftible, which yet may be controverted, I prefume, without any breach of candor.-We are told, that in order to convey clear intelligence to a foreigner, nothing more is neceffary, than to use the words of his language adapted to the idiom of

our own.

But shall we always find correfpondent words in his language? It is a point well known to philologers and critics, that every language hath not only it's own idiom, but also many terms peculiar to itself. It is equally well known, and generally acknowledged, that the real of almost every purport fentence in every language, is not to be learned from the fignification of detached words, and their grammatical congruity, even where their fignification may be expreffed by correfponding words in another language. Cicero writes thus to Cato. "Quem ego currum aut quam lauream cum tua laudatione conferam ?" Adapt English words to this Phra

feology,

།།

seology, and say whether the sentiment will be conveyed to a meer unlettered English reader. I open accidentally on the following fhort epiftle, which is not encumbered with political or forenfic terms, but written on a plain familiar fubject.

66

CICERO. SERVIO. S.

Hagefaretus Lariffaeus magnis meis beneficiis ornatus in "confulatu meo, memor et gratus fuit; meque poftea diligentiffime coluit. Eum tibi magnopere commendo, ut et hofpitem meum, & familiarem, et gratum hominem, & ❝ virum bonum, & principem civitatis fuæ, & tua neceffitu"dine digniffimum. Pergratum mihi feceris, fi dederis operam, ut is intelligat hanc meam commendationem apud te pondus habuiffe. Vale."

Let any man try to exprefs the fense of these few lines in English words, without deviating from the Roman Idiom.The figurative phrase in the conclufion [pondus habuiffe] may poffibly have been rendered familiar to an illiterate reader. But I fufpect, that one intirely unacquainted with Latin writers, or who never conversed with those that copied from them, muft find fome difficulty in comprehending "magnis "meis beneficiis ornatus; meque diligentiffime coluit," and fuch like, when tranflated into" by my great benefits "adorned ;" and-" me he most diligently cultivated." And where are the correfponding English words, to render "gra

tum hominem," and "virum bonum," with fufficient diftinction? Not to mention " hofpitem, familiarem, tua necefi"tudine digniffimum, fi dederis operam," and fuch like terms and phrases, which it is impoffible to translate, but according

.

to the rule prescribed by Cicero..

ut ea non abhorreant a more noftro.

-Verba perfequens eatenus,

* A great genius of the country where I now write, was betrayed by his paffion for trifling into the hands of Editors, who have tranfmitted to the world an idle and unworthy amusement of his private life, that of adapting Latin words to English Phrafeology, fo as to form a whimsical style, which he called, for fome reafon not worth remembering, LATINITAS GRATTANIANA. According to his Lordship's pofition, this fpecies of Latinity would be perfectly intelligible to an old Roman, were he to revifit this world. And yet the defign of it was to puzzle and confound those who were acquainted both with the Roman and English languages. Nor is it understood without more attention than it deferves.

The author of the Minute Philofopher tells us, that the English Gentleman who informed his foreign guests, that, "Les Chevaux font tombez enfemble par les Oreilles," made them stare; what expreffed a very plain fenfe in the original English, being incomprehenfible when rendered, word for word, into French.

The learned SELDEN fpeaking of a tranflation of the Bible word for word, condemns it as an attempt never known. “ If,” faith he, "I tranflate a French Book into English, I turn it "into English Phrafe, not into French-English. [il fait froid] "I fay 'tis cold, not it makes cold: But the Bible is rather "translated into English words, than into English Phrafe ||.” Mr. LEWIS, juftly obferves upon fuch a tranflation, that " it "feems an odd way to convince an Englishman, that the Scripture is the best interpreter of itself, to tranflate it into "fuch English, AS HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND."§ And to

fhew

Hiflory of the English Translations of the Bible, p. 352. 8vo. 1739.

shew the absurdity of fuch an attempt, he quotes the ninetyfifth Pfalm from Canne's literal tranflation. But, instead of recurring to the figurative and poetical parts of scripture, let us make the experiment, in a plain historical narrative. The following is a tranflation from the Hebrew, precisely in that manner which my Lord Bishop hath afferted to be abundantly fufficient for conveying clear intelligence to a perfon acquainted only with the Latin tongue: The words being rendered by correfponding terms, and the original phrafeolegy ftrictly preferved.

2 SAM. 18. 5, &c.

Et præcepit Rex Joabo, Abifchaio, & Ittaio, dicendo, leniter mihi ipfi puero Abschalomo. Et omnis populus audivetunt in præcipere Regem omnibus principibus fuper verbum Abfchalomi; et egreffus eft populus in agrum in occurfum Ifraelis ; & fuit proelium in fylva Ephraimi; et cæfi funt ibi populus Israel, ad facies fervorum Davidis. Et fuit ibi plaga magna in die illa viginti millium; et fuit proclium fparfum fuper facies omnis terræ ; et multiplicavit fylva peredere in populo præ quibus peredit gladius in die illa. Et occurrit Abfchalomus ad facies fervorum Davidis. Et Abfchalomus equitans fuper mulum; et intravit mulus fubter denfitatem quercus magnæ; et invaluit caput ejus in quercu, et datus eft inter colos & inter terram, & mulus qui fub eo tranfivit. Et vidit vir unus, et indicavit Joabo, & dixit, ecce vidi Abfchalomum fufpenfum in quercu. Et dixit Joabus viro indicanti illi, & ecce vidiftin', & cur non percuffifti eum ibi in terram? et, fuper me dare tibi decem argenteos & cingulum unum. Dixitque vir ad Joabum, et fi ego appendens fuper volas meas mille argenteos non mitterem manum meam in filium Regis. Etenim in auribus noftris præcepit Rex tibi et Abifchaio, et

Ittaio,

Ittaio, dicendo, obfervate quis in puerum ipfum in Abschalomum; vel feciffem in animam meam mendacium, et omne verbum non abfconditum erit a Rege, & tu ftatueres te ex adverfo. Dixitque Joabus, non fic expectabo ad facies tuas, et cepit tria spicula in vola fua, it infixit ea in corde Abschalomi adhuc ipfo vivente in corde quercus : Et circundarunt decem pueri ferentes vafa Joabi, & percufferunt Abfchalomum, & occiderunt eum.

By this time, I prefume, it hath appeared that one part of the argument advanced by the right reverend author, in fupport of his bold affertion, is by no means, univerfally and inconteftibly evident. And that when he would demonftrate the natural condition of an inspired Language, his first and grand principle is fuch as no critic or grammarian can admit.

And perhaps it is no less hazardous to affirm, that " a know"ledge of the idiom or phraseology of any language, always implies a previous knowledge of the customs and manners "of thofe to whom it is vernacular." -Some phrases indeed there are in every language, obviously deduced from customs and manners. Yet the general import even of these (tho' not always their whole force and beauty) may be acquired without a previous knowledge of these customs or manners. the inftance already quoted, "quem ego currum, aut quam lauream cum tua laudatione conferam ? A foreigner might be taught that this fignifies in general, "what public honours "can I put in competition with your applaufe? altho' he had

Thus in

never heard of a Roman Triumph, &c.". -Again, there are other inftances of Phrafeology abounding in every language, as arbitrary as the detached terms themselves, at least equally inexplicable from manners or cuftoms. They may arife from accidental affociations, from fimilitudes cafually

obferved,