But few words are necessary for a description of the work, the first number of which is now before us. With the exception of the more ordinary particles, every word in the Hebrew Bible is given with every passage in which it occurs cited in full. Every variety of form, inflection and conjugation is presented and separately arranged. The nouns, for example, are given, first in their simple form, then as they occur with the article, the prefix conjunctions and prepositions, with and without the article, followed by the same forms as they occur with all the various suffix pronouns. The word may suffice as a specimen of the whole. The forms follow each other in the following order (a single anomalous form occurring

cited all the passages, in which they are found; each passage containing all the words necessary to the understanding of the connection, and amounting in all to more than 1500; besides those which are precisely similar, not only in the primary but also the connecting words. Every one may judge of the immense labor bestowed, notwithstanding the assistance derived from previous less perfect compilations, and especially the concordance of Fürst on which the present work is founded. The mere labor of reading the proof, and comparing the origi nal passages, is alone a Herculean task, that might have discouraged even the most enthusiastic lover of Hebrew learning.

By the plan pursued important aids are given, not only to those who wish to fix the meaning of words, but also to the critical philologist, who wishes to judge of the comparative frequency of unusual forms, the effect of the article, and all those matters that belong to the more minute criticism of the language. It may thus be regarded, not only as a concordance of words, but also as a synopsis of etymological and grammatical peculiarities.

The work, when complete, will form a narrow quarto of about 900 pages, very closely printed in beautiful Hebrew type; the leading words in large letters, with the references in smaller, yet very plain and distinct characters. The first number is executed with all that elegance and accuracy, which appear in the other works of our author, and which have been so highly commended in the various periodicals in which they have been reviewed. The words are arranged in the etymologico-alpha

betical order, with an index of the same kind, and also a purely alphabetical index, for the use of beginners. The order of the roots, however, is undoubtedly the best both for a lexicon and concordance, and one most useful process in the acquisition of the language is neglected, when the student is not exercised in classifying the derivatives under that radix of whose life and spirit they all partake. Independent of the use of a concordance, as a book of reference, we cannot conceive of a more pleasant mental exercise, than to trace a root through all its derivatives, and with all the passages in which they occur present at a glance, to familiarize the mind with their various associations, until the primary sense, or soul of the word, comes forth like light from chaos,-henceforth to form a part of the furniture of the student's own soul,-his own word, or λóyos, and not a mere remembered sound, arbitrarily connected with the various senses given by the lexicographers.

We conclude by a few remarks in reference to the lexicographical portion of the work. This, although necessarily concise, will be found to contain all the information which may be deemed important in Gesenius. A separate lexicon is necessarily swelled by reference to illustrative passages. This of course is dispensed with in the present work, because the same office is most fully performed by the concordance which follows. All that remained, therefore, was to give the author's view of the primary sense, not so much by way of authority, as a clue to guide the student in the subsequent examination of passages, or as a nucleus around which his own thoughts might gather, until the result of his own investigation might confirm or reject it. Next follow very concisely the secondary applications of the word and its derivatives. This part of the work has evidently been the result of much more mental labor than the more mechanical department. If the author has erred, it has arisen from a strong desire (which may have occasionally been carried to excess) to find a principle of unity flowing through all the applications of a term. He may have been led to this, not only from a philosophical or theorizing habit of mind, but also from having constantly before him all the passages in which the term occurs. It must also be admitted, that this simultaneous exercise of compiling the concordance of passages, gives him great advantages in tracing the primary sense, and should attach great authority to his decisions.

It should undoubtedly be assumed, that there is in most, if

not in all cases, such a connecting unity; and certainly nothing can be more valuable to the student, than the constant assumption, that there is a reason for every thing in language, which may in most cases be discovered; yet still coupled with the admission, that there may be occasional failures, and with a caution against over-refinement. It may sometimes be impossible to determine the primary from the secondary senses, because the change to the latter, although never arbitrary, may have depended on accidental circumstances, on which the history of the language or of the people sheds no light. For examplehad not the ancient manner of making covenants been known to us historically, as set forth in the Bible and in classic authors, we should have been utterly at a loss in determining how the Hebrew, the Greek réuro, and the Latin pango, came to have this peculiar application. If, therefore, under such circumstances, these words had been found only in their secondary uses, (as is the case with many others,) every effort to deduce from them the remote primary sense must have been mere conjecture, probably widely variant from the truth. If there is, however, any error here, it is far more safe than that opposite fault, which consists in dividing and subdividing, one radix into several, with varying primary senses, to correspond to what appear to be independent derivatives. Even should the assigned primary be a mere conjecture, it may still serve as an important aid to the memory, by forming a bond of connection, although perhaps an artificial one, for the various secondary applications. It has besides this advantage, that even in its failures, it habituates the student to a process of investigation, necessary to be employed in the right acquisition of any language.

The opposite error, to which we have alluded, forms a striking fault of the lexicon of Gesenius. Words, in which all the derivatives, and secondary senses, may be arranged under one primary, and deduced from it in a natural and satisfactory manner, are not unfrequently divided by Gesenius into distinct roots, each with a separate and independent meaning. Many examples of this might be given did our limits permit. One striking peculiarity of Gesenius is his great fondness for deducing the Hebrew senses from the Arabic-a fondness which he often carries to great excess, in resorting to far fetched derivations from the cognate tongues, when the pure Hebrew origin is too manifest to be mistaken. Our author makes much more

use of the Hebrew in explaining itself. His almost vernacular acquaintance with the language led him to appreciate more fully its resources, than could be done by one whose knowledge of it, however critical, was of a different kind. All the works of our author show, that he is deeply imbued with the Hebrew spirit, and that he thinks and feels in the language, whilst Gesenius only speculates about it.*

ARTICLE X.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

1.-Psychology; or Elements of a New System of Mental Philosophy, on the basis of Consciousness and Common Sense. Designed for Colleges and Academies. By S. S. Schmucker, D. D., Professor of Christian Theology in the Theol. Sem., Gettysburg, Pa. New-York: Harper & Brothers, 1842. pp. 227.

HAD not our confidence in the good sense of the author forbid the apprehension, the title of this book would have awakened in our minds a suspicion as to the wisdom and soberness of its plan. After all the study, and trained and vigorous reasoning, that have been expended in the investigation of mind and its phenomena, it argues either great temerity, or an unusual degree of self-reliance, to attempt a "System of Mental Philosophy," which may be properly denominated new. Orig inal investigation, however, in respect to all subjects, should

* We would simply annex the concluding paragraph of the publisher's prospectus for the benefit of those who may wish to subscribe. It announces that "the work will be completed in 9 parts of 100 pages each, which it is proposed to issue at intervals of two or three months, at one dollar a part, to be paid on delivery. Those who have already subscribed, and also those who shall subscribe before the second number appears, will receive the last number gratis. After the work is completed the price will be raised. Orders for the work may be sent either directly to the publishers or to any of the booksellers in the country." ED.

be encouraged. When conducted with a due regard to the eternal truths of revelation, and the principles which are settled in the experience of all mankind, it constitutes our only means of advancement in knowledge. Such advancement may doubtless be made in the science of Mind; and, if we mistake not, Dr. Schmucker has accomplished a valuable work by the clearness and simplicity of his division and arrangement of its elements. He does not attempt a system in all respects new. There is in it no affectation of novelty; but the author, having thoroughly studied the works of others, has carefully subjected every principle to the test of his own experience. This he has done for many years, with the advantages of having been constantly engaged as a Teacher of Mental Science, and other associated branches. The result is the suggestion of what he regards some important modifications and improvements in the arrangement and classification of the materials of the science; and which, as a system, may perhaps with some propriety be denominated new.

This system has been constructed with great care and thoroughness. It is sufficiently condensed, in the volume before us, and is stated and illustrated with unusual precision and clearness. It is in these respects well adapted for use as a Text-book in Academies and Colleges. It is all embraced in 200 pages, the remaining 27 pages of the volume being occupied with a recapitulation of the leading principles and statements of the system, for the purpose of reviews. It represents the proper materials of Mental science to be, "not the supposed faculties, of which we know nothing directly, but the known phenomena of the mind, and all those entities or existences, which exert an influence upon these phenomena, or are concerned in their production." Its division of these phenomena, or operations, is threefold, embracing them all under the terms Cognative Ideas, Sentient Ideas, and Active Operations. The first embraces perceptions, consciousness, conceptions, judgments, recollections, results of reasoning, etc.; the second embraces sensations, emotions, affections, and passions; and the third, volitions, processes of reasoning, acts of memorizing, etc.

The Will is defined to be "that power of the soul by which it freely determines, in view of motives, either now or hereafter, absolutely or conditionally, to perform or not to perform some one or more of the active operations." The motives by which the soul is influenced, in respect to its acts of choice, are its constitutional inclinations, the bodily appetites, and all other en tities. Yet the will is free in all its acts of choice.