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My work, (says Dr. F.) commences with sonie observations on the opinions maintained by divers learned persons on the continent, that genius being a plant of peculiar delicacy would not thrive on every soil; and consequently art of the best flavour and quality, like good cheese, was the produce only of certain farms or particular districts. To such Opinions nevertheless I express my objections; and intimate a firm belief that, under judicious treatment, genius will flourish in every well governed and prosperous state; even in this our native island, in despite of the fogs and philosophers with which foreigners say it is intested.

I next advert to the favourable disposition which begins to manifest itself for the encouragement of British art, and declare my readiness to become a volunteer in so honourable a service; wherein I am the more eager to engage, from an apprehension that the means resorted to would be found inadequate. The efficacy of these means are then examined; and patronage, on which the chief reliance is commonly placed, is condemned as an engine particularly destructive to fine talents; and after expatiating at some length on the dangerous practice of pampering or cockering hopeful meris with that false kind of fondness, which is pardonale only when applied by elderly maidens to their lap dogs, I have endeavoured to show that honour, approbation, and the different modifications of praise, correctly and judiciously conferred, is the true pabulum of genius: its natural and congenial aliment.

to say, that the judges would be rejudged by their compatriots, be their verdict what it might.

As to the old story of the contention of Apollo and Pan, before Midas, we have seen it better applied, and, as we think, more pleasingly told. Nevertheless, we would not choose to listen to the prattling of the reeds entrusted with our Author's secret, or to repeat after them their mo notonous declaration, "Midas, Midas, has asses' ears."

Juvenile Dramas, in three Volumes, by the Author of Summer Rambles, &c. Price 14s. Longman and Co. London, 1808.

We have no objection to the dramatic form of writing. Dialogue when well conducted has beauties proper to itself. It has also energies; and these may be so directed as to render no inconsiderable service to virtue. The author of these dramas has well understood this advantage. Each of them is calculated to correct some vicious inclination of the youthful mind: the lessons they read are to the purpose, the plots are simple, and the terminations of most of them are sufficiently striking, as well as pleasing. We may even acknowledge that we have derived less gratification from many more laboured dramas intended for men, than from But however wholesome this food, the these intended for juvenile readers. Persalutary effect thereof altogether depends on haps the good young folks are a little too the manner in which it is administered. It good, for every-day life, at least; but this is not patronage, nor honours, nor praise, that we are in need of: British genius, like fault is no disparagement. The author the courage of its heroes, requires no stimu-may have seen more young ladies and genlants, it demands only to be wisely directed to do whatever is possible for man to perform. I am hence led to consider who are the persons qualified to take the direction of art in so critical a situation; and happily I here find no difficulties: nature having made an express arrangement for this purpose. But being convinced that a matter of such consequence should be conducted with all possible decorum and dignity, I deem this to be the proper moment to introduce my proposal for a high and imperial Court of Connoisseurship, or grand national establishment, for the propagation, dissemination, and preservation of good taste; and consequently the improvement of art: an expedient fully proportioned to the great occasion; natural, efficacious, and practicable.

tlemen brought up to the enjoyment and distinction of carriages and servants, whose personal services to the indigent have been exemplary, than we have. Such instances should be commemorated if real, and if too rare, they should so much the rather be held up as objects of emulation.

The first drama is a lesson against thoughtlessness in the laying out of money: the second is against the vanity of attending to fashionable appearance; the third is against dilatoriness and dissipation of time; the fourth is against duplicity, and fibbing; the fifth against peevish discontent and jealousy; the sixth against pride and assumption of merit; the seventh against the affectation of endeavouring to On this proposal we give no opinion: serve every body, thereby serving nobody; the British public is little accustomed to the eighth against attaching too much imvenerate without examination the deci-portance to wealth and state; the ninth sions of such institutions; and we venture against envy and disobedience.

Dr. Middleton, on the Greek Article.

[Concluded from page 465.]

WE resume our consideration of several of the incidents discussed by Dr. M. in his Notes on expressions and phrases used in the N. T. That we sometimes differ from him, will not be thought strange, by those acquainted with the subject: but, in general, our remarks will be found to support the Dr.'s leading principles: and occasionally, where he himseif had been tempted to submit to circumstances that opposed them.

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Luke vi. 12. EV Tй проσεUXй T8 There is a difference of opinion among the learned, whether proseucha in this passage, means a place of prayer, or the act of prayer. Dr. M prefers the act of prayer: observing, 1 That the proseuche of the Jews were always situate near "water," which is true; but when the Dr. restricts this to some river, or the sea," we doubt the correctness of his restriction, They, were probably, near to running waters, for the purpose of ablution; but a rill in a mountain would answer this purpose. 2. He says: "If an oratory had been meant, it is not likely, that of God would have been added, for "all oratories were of God." This, also, in our opinion, may be doubted; considering that the Gentiles had their proseuche, and that, at this northern extremity of the land of Israel, they had established their customs generally: the probability is, that for one Jewish proseucha, out of a town, there would be several Gentile retirements of a like description. This seems to account for the Evangelist's distinguishing addition" of God:

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Capernaum. (vii. 1.) We look therefore to the north west of that town for this mountain, as our Lord's auditory in the adjacent plain, contained people" from "the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon." Something further attaches to this, if it were the scene of the Transfiguration: a conjecture not opposed by the expres sion of the Evangelist, ix. 29; He "went up into THE mountain to pro"seucha-ize,"-and while he was proseucha-izing," i. e. performing those devotions which he purposed, whether prayer, or psalmody, or other that were proper for such a place,-"he was transfigured." On the whole, we do not think Dr. M.'s arguments conclusive in favour of his opinion.

Luke xii. 54. The vegény. A few MSS. (ar (among which are A B.)-TYY. Dr. Owen (ap Bowyer) approves the omission; has its meaning. We read in 1 Kings, xvii. but in this, as in other instances, the article rising out of the sea was regarded as a prog 44. that the appearance of a certain cloud nostic of rain. Now the sea lay westward of Palestine; and, therefore, the cloud, which rose out of the sea, might also be said to rise from the west. If, then, we put these circumstances together, there is good reason to suppose, that the cloud here spoken would naturally and properly be adverted to as of was a well known phenomenon, which H VEEAM Mr. Bruce, in his Travels, has noticed a similar appearance attending the inundation of the Nile. Newcome, in his Revision of the Common Version, has adopted this explanation, and yet he translates a cloud." I cannot help thinking, that a revision would be extremely imperfect, or indeed would be nearly useless, if it were to overlook minute circumstances, such as that before us. It is in niceties of this sort prinof the true God; and it may be asked, improvement: its general fidelity has never cipally, that our English translation admits whether, if he had intended prayer only, been questioned; and its style, notwithstandhe would have inserted this addition: ing the captious objections of Dr. Symonds, since all prayer in the case before us, is incomparably superior to any thing, which must be understood as being addressed to might be expected from the finical and perthe true God, without such explanation.verted taste of our own age. It is simple; it The passages referred to by Dr. M. have not the explanatory words" of God," and we believe no instance of the phrase in that signification can be given. Rom. x. 1. is different.

i. e.

We have already remarked, on Math. v. 1. that the phrase "THE mountain," import a mountain well known. This mountain certainly was in Galilee; and the next town where we find our Lord is VOL. V. [Lit. Pan. Jan. 1809.]

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is harmonious; it is energetic; and, which is of no small importance, use has made it familiar, and time has rendered it sacred. Without the least disposition to decry the labours of the writer, to whom I have alluded, I may express the hope, that whenever our version shall be revised by authority, the points last attended to will be those which respect a pretended inelegance of language. A single instance of the suppression of a local custom or popular opinion, which can

2 A

be shewn to have existed among the Jews in the age of the apostles, appears to me to be of infinitely higher importance; because, by concealing from the notice of the reader, circumstances, which are beyond the reach of fabrication, we withhold from him perhaps the strongest evidence of the authenticity of the Scriptures, and consequently of the credibility of our religion.

In these sentiments we heartily acquiesce; and have therefore preferred attention to localities, to mere verbal criticism, in the present article. Dr. M. might have found an observation in Harmer on the subject of this cloud. His opinion is well founded.

xix. 2. We do not investigate the question on the nature of the office held by Zaccheus yet we believe our Excise might furnish illustrations of it: there being several ranks of officers, superior to that which calculates the duty, as supervisors, &c. and several receivers for districts, before the duty reaches the receiver-general. We should probably place Zaccheus as receiver of a district; he must have acquired wealth by his office. But, our chief reason for distinguishing Dr. M.'s note is, to confirm his notion on the omission of the article, in Acts, xxiii. 5. It would be good English to affirm: "I knew not that he was "Lord Mayor," that office changing hands every year therefore-as St. Paul was but recently arrived in Jerusalem ;-as the high-priesthood was at this time almost annual;-as Ananias wore no distinguishing insignia, (being, perhaps, only high priest elect) there is no improbability that St. Paul was really uninformed of his dignity. One of the most interesting articles in Michaelis, is that in which he accounts for this ignorance of the apostle's.

rather than as a name derived from his father.-We suspect that he was of the party of Judas Gaulonites, who under pretence of maintaining the liberty of the Jewish ation, as the chosen people of God, forbad the payment of tribute to the Romans: and that, this name was given him by his followers as a title of honour. That he had aspired to tempo. ra! greatness and popularity, is certain. He was therefore, for the purpose of manifesting the prevailing temper and dis position of the people by the preference they should declare of one of the criminals, a fit candidate for their voices, in kingdom was not of this world. opposition to Jesus of Nazareth, whose

This idea, if admissible, gives the rea rabbas may correspond to Azazel, as imson for the article here. How far Barporting extraordinary strength; and how far the two goats (in the institution of the scape-goat) might be assimilated to for Jehovah," to be sacrificed; the the two Jesus's, one of whom was drawn other was let go at large, we leave to the meditation of those who delight in types. John v. 27. Dr. M. has a long note, in which he insists that "* a Son of Man,"

is synonimous with "THE Son of Man." We beg leave to observe, that it would be undoubtedly correct, to say "the Father "hath given him (the Son) authority to

execute judgment, because he (the Son) "is a partaker of human nature; "-pure spirit not being properly adapted to flesh, since it cannot be understood by passing judgment on mortals clad in, such persons; it can neither be visible whereas "a Son of Man" like themto them, nor audible by them, &c.selves, in union with Divine Wisdom, may judge them, without any such incongruity. This sense seems to suit the xxiii. 18. Tov Bapaßsav. We have passage: and is distinct from that against been accustomed to infer from the testi- which the Dr. has directed his arguments. mony of Origen and others, such as some Verse 35. ὁ λυχνος ὁ καιόμενος. “ Α MSS, the Armenian, and Syriac ver-borning and shining light "may be gions, that Barrabbas was certainly objectionable: would there be any im called Jesus. For there appears to be propriety in rendering "THE light! THE much greater apparent reason why this ardent!"-expressing by two titles, both name should be taken from this robber in light and heat in this prophet, John the many MSS. than why it should be added Baptist, and his discourses. in one MS. But, we wish it were considered on what grounds this title was given to this person; and whether it may not be understood as importing "THE Son of Greatness," or of Strength,

xx. 28. Not only does the remark of the Evangelist that Thomas spoke to Christ the words "my Lord, and my God," militate against the notion of their being an ejaculation addressed to heaven,

but the intervening and, also opposes that, hypothesis. In ejaculation no copulatives are added: " my Lord! my God!" is the natural language on such occasions. "My Lord, AND my God, has much more the air of being the result of conviction or consideration.

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Acts ii. 36. πας οίκος Ισραήλ. If we take these words, as they ought correctly to be taken, they require no article: "all Israel's descendants."-Would not the article after was have attached the notion of a dwelling house to oixos χεί. 15. ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτῷ ἐσιν. "his angel."-We apprehend there would be no impropriety in taking the word angel in several places of the N. T. for the separate human spirit; and we should quote this passage in support of that idea. Dr. M.'s reading composed from those of MSS. is very expressive of astonishment and exclamation: "his "separate spirit it is! his!"-the speakers concluding that Peter had been executed in prison.

xvii. 23. àyvwsw QE." To the "unknown God." Dr. M.'s long note on this passage evinces an embarrassment on his mind, that we should not be sur prised to see taken advantage of by those who will dislike the general reasoning of his volume.

To set this matter in its true light, we may consider, that God, as the Great Operator throughout nature, is, at the same time, in a sense, well known, and in another sense unknown. "The heavens declare the glory of God," the productions of his power on the earth demonstrate his existence, his greatness, goodness, wisdom, &c. so that any man may know God, by attention to his works: yet no man can know God thoroughly: his operations are profound secrets, and even the most interesting principles that he has call nature, are absolutely unknown to appointed to produce effects which we the most profound philosophers of this enlightened age itself.

Let us exemplify our meaning by anoken as Nature, the Mother of all things. ther thought The Goddess Isis was tain all her operations; she was only one goddess, yet all gods and goddesses in Ione;, and we have an inscription which includes this apparently contradictory

xvi. 6. ́ ́iv tñ “Asia. Mr. Wakefield translates in that part of Asia," and thinks that in the N. T. Asia Minor is meant, whenever the article accompanies the name. How the article can affect the meaning, am not able to conjecture. The fact, howThe fact, how ever, is, as Schleusner remarks, that in the N. T. Asia always signifies either Asia Minor, or else only the part of it adjacent to Ephesus, and of which Ephesus was the capital.

The countries with which we find Asia associated in some passages, induce us to withhold our assent from the opinion of Schleusner. It is ranged, Acts ii. 9. with Cappadocia and Pontus, provinces very distant from Ephesus; and 1 Peter i. 1. with Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bythinia: it cannot in either of these places import the whole of Asia Minor, since it appears to be a district, like those associated with it: yet it cannot be taken for the province of which Ephesus was the capital, since that was on the extremity westward: whereas Cappadocia, &c. were on the extremity eastward; and several provinces intervened. The Asia of this passage is also connected with Galatia, and Bythinia: we infer, therefore, that the article has an especial meaning here and marks a peculiar district. :.

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TE TIBI

VNA QUE ES OMNIA
DEA ISIS

ARRIUS BABINUS V. C.

"To thee Goddess Isis, who art ONE, "thou also art ALL.”—But the inscription on the temple of Isis at Sais, as reported by Plutarch, is still more to our purpose: "" I AM ALL THAT WAS, THAT IS, AND THAT SHALL BE NO MORTAL HAS EVER LIFTED UP MY VEIL." Could the worshippers of Isis in this temple acknowledge entire ignorance of their Goddess?-that was impossible: yet they considered her as unknown; for such is the import of the expression 66 her "veil never having been lifted up.”→→→ Could an altar have been inscribed

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to AN unknown Goddess, Isis?"-since the very mention of her name proves she was known, and so far known, as to require the article, "to THE unknown God"dess, Isis. "But, if any person, in any country wholly absorbed in idolatry, and where, as the satirist says, it was much

easier to find a God than a man, were | Disposer of them: yet Unknown, since minded to erec an altar to the Supreme Spirit, who operated throughout nature, this Supreme, being distinguished by no appellation, by what means should he accomplish his intention? If he inscribed bis implement of worship, "taTHE unknown God," this phrase we say (on the principles supported by Dr. M.) includes an allusion to something of which the readers, his countrymen, have had some information: and had this altar been erected by Epimenides the philosopher, on occasion of a pestilence, as has been supposed, it must have thus been distinguished "to THE unknown God," sulintelligitur, who sent such an affliction-on such an occasion, &c. The

men have sought Him, though uncertain of finding Him, notwithstanding his Omnipresence: q.d." God is every-where always." Amid this uncertainty of finding God, no wonder men have erred, and represented the Godhead in the human form :-but the time during which God remained thus unknown is now over; and he commands repentance and reformation, because he hath appointed a judgment, by a partaker of human nature, yet a divine person, who, even, has triumphed over death itself, as a proof of his appointment. These sentiments are evidently grounded on the inscription, and they accord perfectly with the apostle's professed intention of " declaring to

them, HIM whom they worshipped as "unknown" On the whole, we see no reason for acceding to Dr. M.'s opinion, that "if the altar noticed by St. Paul "had been dedicated to the One True,

article would have fixed an allusion to that circumstance. Whereas, were no allusion to any specific event designed, nor to any particular (idol) deity, but to the Supreme generally; to no God known by his countrymen under any appellation," though unknown God, the inscription any distinctive title, or epithet, derived from time, place, office, or supposed peculiar attribute; in short, to a deity of whose nature and perfections, they had no adequate or even tolerable conception : the writer could not have accomplished his purpose better than by the present inscription, as it stands in the Greek.

Is it too much to infer, that this was a public inscription, from the following words: " Hini, whom YE worship as UN

KNOWN, Him declare I unto you ?" Moreover, that this altar was not hid

den, or concealed, may fairly be inferred from the expressions of Lucian in the Philopatris, that it was customary to swear by the unknown God, at Athens. If we might advance a step farther, and suppose that in the court of the Areopagus, which St. Paul was now addressing, oaths were, or had been administered, in the name of the "unknown God," the propriety of the subject of address chosen by St. Paul would appear with uncommon strength.

If we attend closely to the apostle's reasoning in his discourse, we shall find an uniform coincidence with this view of the subject. He dilates on the nature of God, the Maker of the world, the Lord of heaven, the Supreme, above all services of man, the universal Benefactor, in respect to life, and breath, and all natural donations: the Maker of all men, and

"would have been either TN 'AT « ΝΩΣΤΩ ΘΕΩ, οι ΘΕΩΙ ΑΓ "NOETO." The Dr. adds, "since "it is neither of these, I accede to Mr. "Wakefield's translation "to an un"known God."

1 Cor. xi. 8.-12.. Dr. M. would have understood this passage more clearly, had he rendered amp (a man,) the mate ser, and Thy yuvaina (the woman) the thv female sex.

In desperate cases a conjecture apparently beside the mark may be tolerated: is it impossible that soia, if pounded of and soia, might import formless, shapeless, depriving the person who wore it, of all resemblance to the human figure? If so, it very aptly describes the wrappers, mufflers, or long envelopes, worn by the eastern women whenever they quit their own houses. It dis guises the wearer so effectually, that to recognise her is impossible; even her husband may pass her in perfect ignorance that she is his wife and, in short, it banishes all idea of human proportion or comeliness. This might be a Corinthian term for this most unwieldy garment: and might express this species of veil, then in use; as it is at present. But this is no more than a guess in the dark.

xν. 8. τῷ ἐκτρῳ ματι. A child born out of due time. Eng. Vers. Dr. M.

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