ing ray of Providence which brings moral turpitude to view. The latter, however, is the meaning to which the text before us has more especial reference. "It is turned as clay to the seal, and they stand or present themselves as a garment," means, that the wicked spoken of in the preceding verse, stand confessed, or exposed to view, like the embroidery of a garment at the approach of light.—Or rather, I think, when this verse is regarded, together with the preceding, the analogy is, that the wicked, and the dark contents of the engraving, are both cast off, as a garment is cast off,a thing that has fitted and adhered. It is the blending of the literal and the figurative meanings together, (which is done in all the translations that I have had opportunity of consulting), that has somewhat perplexed the passage, and conspired with their ignorance of cylindrical signets, and their non-advertence to the science of astronomy, to perplex also those commentators who have busied themselves in its explication. They have fancied that the seals of the land of Uz could be of no other form than that of the seals which are in modern use. But now that these revolving seals are produced, I should expect that the clouds of learned conjecture which have obscured the subject, would be dispelled, and the meaning of this mysterious passage, shine forth like the morning light in the superb metaphor before us: for, from the whole passage, when viewed with the signets, results an interesting and beautiful similitude between three dissimilar things; that is to say, between the light of morning beaming on, and passing round, a darkened world, and disclosing its contents; and that intellectual light, emanating from the Deity, which exposes in their true forms the dark deeds and moral deformities of the wicked;* and the operation of impressing one of these ancient cylindrical signets on clay, which bends as the cylinder revolves in delivering its impression, stands around it curvedly as a garment, (till you flatten it while in a moist state,) and renders conspicuous to view the dark contents of the intaglio engraving. * The words which in Job immediately follow these, are perfectly homogeneous with the explanation which I here venture to submit. "For from the wicked their light is withheld," clearly means that providence discloses the evil deeds of the wicked, by means of which their infatuation renders them blind to the approach. The remainder of the 15th verse is easily understood, and has no reference to our cylinders. That there should exist a similar reference to a signet, perhaps to a signet of a similar kind, in another of the most ancient of poems;-that the Grecian lyre of Orpheus should respond to the Hebrew harp of the poet of Job,-is another curious fact which might serve to confirm (if such confirmation were needed) the justness of the poetical analogy before us. In the Orphic hymn to Apollo, or the Sun, that deity is addressed as possessing the signet which stamps the darkened world with the destined varieties of the seasons.-Dr. Dodd has rendered the passage, "Nature's tribes, No less than NATURE, to thy harmony Owe the variety and pleasing change Wherefore thou the marking-seal Of the whole world possessest. And in a previous part of the hymn, whilst invoking the same celestial power, the poet says, "The whole world's extremities are thine :" which is also in strict accordance with the stanza in Job respecting the day-spring's knowing his place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth. But in justice to the author of the Hebrew or Arabian poem,-whichsoever it originally was,-I should not quit this text, without noticing also, the depth of astronomical knowledge which is contained in it, "Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days? Hast thou caused the day spring to know his place, that it might take hold on the ends of the earth?"-when combined with that other sublime assertion of the power of Jehovah, "His hand incurvated the flying serpent,' "* it shews that the poet and those of his readers whom he immediately addressed, were informed of the spiral path;-that is to say, apparent annual path-of the sun through the heavens. The supposition * Thus rendered by Dr. Good, with whom I have the pleasure to agree as to the astronomical interpretation to be put upon this verse. The immediately preceding words of the context, "By his spirit hath he garnished the heavens," no doubt led him to this conclusion, and can justly lead to no other. that the author and his readers or hearers, were thus informed, gives emphatic and forcible meaning to the question, "Hast thou caused the day-spring to know his place?" because that place varies from day to day. In the vernal season, and at the remote era of the patriarch, the day sprung from the stars of Taurus; but in the summer season from those of Leo. 66 The justness and profundity of observation that is implied in the text; By his spirit hath he garnished the heavens! His hand incurvated the flying serpent" and the creative and presiding power of Jehovah, that is asserted and displayed in it; are not fully manifested, as the passage has commonly been explained.-Not that more is meant than meets the ear, but that what meets the ear cannot also meet the mind, unless it be astronomically regarded: and the generality of annotators have on the contrary, supposed the words flying, or "crooked serpent," (as it is rendered in the common English bibles), to allude literally to the incurvations of the serpent of earth. I wish to impress this consideration, because the existence of the science of astronomy in the advanced state which this text presupposes, in the age and country of Job, is one of the strongest confirmations that could possibly be offered, of the soundness and truth of the principles upon which I shall proceed to attempt the explanation of the Chaldean hieroglyphics. "Upon this rock will I build my church." I shall here beg leave to close my present reflections on the use to which these ancient gems were applied. I have the honour to be, &c. ESSAY II. TO CAPT. ABRAHAM LOCKETT, SEC. TO THE COUNCIL OF THE COLLEGE AT FORT WILLIAM IN BENGAL, M. R. I. A. &c. DEAR SIR,-More than a year ago, I had the pleasure of sending you my printed Letter to Sir Joseph Banks, on those cylindrical gems of Assyria, which you had the honour of bringing from Babylon to England; wherein I have endeavoured to shew that they are the kind of signets which were in use among the Sabæan* nations of remote antiquity, *This word, which signifies worshippers of the stars, has been variously spelled, and by authors of high respectability. Among them are Hottinger, Jones, and Sir William Drummond. The last is probably right in affirming that tz at the beginning gives the true pronunciation yet as this is unusual to English ears and pens, I have preferred Sabaan on the whole, thinking that he who has simplicity and Sir W. Jones on his side, cannot be far from propriety. A better reason may be, I had begun to print "Sabæan" before I thought of writing this note. Sabaan is, by most lexicographers, derived from the Hebrew word for an Host, or from the proper name of the patriarch Saba, the son of Cush; but, by Wilkins, it is derived, with more probability, perhaps, from the Arabic Sabâa, a star, rising or coming forth. See his Arabic and Persic Dictionary, vol. i. p. 586. and which are repeatedly mentioned in the Pentateuch, the book of Job, and other parts of the sacred Scriptures. That paper has subsequently been published in the Archæologia of the Society of Antiquaries; and sufficient time has elapsed since its publication, for me to have witnessed some of its effects, of which you will not, perhaps, be displeased to hear. Indeed, anything relating to these curious antiques, can scarcely fail to be regarded, at least with complacency, by him who, in modern times, has revived in Europe, and throughout Europe and Asia, is expected to gratify, a deep antiquarian interest concerning the remains, the history, the geographical site, and the remote customs, of ancient Babylon. The effects of my Archæological Essay to which I allude, have been handsome and frank testimonials, both oral and written, from some intelligent antiquaries and scholars, amongst whom I have the pleasure to name your friend, Sir William Ouseley; the reverend and learned Secre tary of the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries; and Mr. Frend, who some years ago distinguished himself at Cambridge by the firm stand which he made in favour of religious liberty of opinion. Meanwhile, others have said,-loud enough even for me to hear,-that they always knew the engraved cylinders were seals. Of the gentlemen who have done me the honour to write on the occasion, it cannot but prove agreeable to you that I am authorized to mention the above by name. Sir William (in a letter addressed to me from Crick Howell) says, "It has gratified me much to find that my opinion in some respects, coincides with your's. In others, there may, perhaps, be some little difference." The Reverend Mr. Hodgson, addressing himself to Mr. Bewick, the celebrated artist of Newcastle, has the following passage: "I have seen Mr. Landseer's Essay on the Babylonian gems. He is very right with respect to their use; and his interpretation of Job, chap. xxxviii. ver. 14, is, I think, very natural and ingenious. Their being intaglios, shews that they were intended for sealing with; and clay, instead of wax, has been commonly used in the East.' You will read with at least equal satisfaction, that the cylinders and astronomical explications which I have shewn to Mr. Frend, have so far satisfied the well-known science and discernment of that gentleman, as to call forth those complimentary testimonies which you will find in his |