think should not be changed at all, but the latter part of the verse be understood as a repetition of what preceded, by way of confirmation; specifying at the same time more explicitly what was the profanation principally meant. The phrase may be cut off, may everywhere mean, either being excluded from the congre gation, or put to death by the magistrate, or brought to an untime ly end by God; which last is the sense where God saith he will cut off a person. It implies removing or separating a man from the state, place, or company in which he was before; and death without regard to what should follow; cut off a Jew from Israel, from the congregation, from his people, from among his people, from the land or the earth, which are the terms used on this occasion. It is said Joshua 7. 9. the Canaanites shall cut off our name from the earth-and Joshua 11. 21. that Joshua cut off the Anakims from all the mountains of Israel and Judges 21. 6. that one tribe was cut off from Israel-and 1 Sam. 28. 9. that Saul cut off the wizards out of the land . These expressions which NO ID. are in effect the same with the preceding, have no reference to a future life. And it is never said that the offender shall be cut off from God's people; though if it had, no conclusive argument could be drawn from thence. But the words my people cited, are either a false print or a slip of your pen for my presence. Nor is any one said to be gathered to God's people but to his own people. And this phrase may possibly signify no more than that their bodies returned to the earth as those of their ancestors had done. See Gen. 3. 19. Eccl. 12. 7. And it favors this sense that the word translated to be gathered, signifies to be buried. Ezek. 29. 5. comp. Jer. 8. 2. And as being unburied is a punishment threatened to a wicked king Jer. 22. 19. so in Job 27. 19. shall lie down and not be gathered, may signify may die and not be buried. At least, it is remarkable that this word is used for the burial of Josiah immediately after it is said, that he should be gathered to his fathers. Still I take the expression of being gathered to their people, to mean being added to the world of spirits. For it is put before dying, Numb. 20. 26. which burial could not so properly. But I do not see that it comprehends a declaration of their happiness in that world. It is used only in the law, and there only of six persons. No wonder that five of them were good: for the death of bad persons, unless remarkably judicial, is not so often mentioned there. But the blessing of Ishmael Gen. 17. 20. expresses only temporal good things, and his character Gen. 16. 12. is a bad one. And Abraham's being * gathered to his people seems to be the same thing with his going to his fathers Gen. 15. 15. And a wicked man is said to go to the generation of his fathers Ps. 49. 19.; and the worst of the Hebrew kings as well as the best to sleep with their fathers: in which general sense it seems to be also that the generation' which lived with Joshua were gathered to their fathers 2. 10.; though it' must be owned that they were in general a religious generation. .. Yet after all, I am fully convinced that the Patriarchs and Jews had many successive notices of a life after death and of recompenses in it, from the promise of the seed of the woman downwards. But they were such, from some good reasons undoubtedly, whether assignable or not, as left room for Christ to bring life and immortality, not from absolute but comparative darkness, into light. In this belief I am persuaded, we agree; and we may allow each other to differ about the interpretation of particular phrases and texts. If there be any thing material in my observations on those which you have alleged, it will induce you to re-examine the other Hebrew expressions on which you intend to publish your thoughts, that the world may receive completer satisfaction from them. For that is my intention, and by no means to discourage you, in writing these remarks. Were I to see your treatise in manuscript, I could not proceed to consider it thus minutely; when it comes out I will endeavour, as other occupations allow me time, to learn what I can from it. In the mean time I pray God to bless your very laudable endeavours for promoting the knowledge and esteem of his word and am with much regard, Your loving Brother and Servt. NOTICE OF SOPHOCLIS quæ extant omnia cum veterum Grammaticorum Scholiis, ex Editione Richardi BRUNCK. Accedunt Varia Lectiones Caroli ERFURDT, et Nota inedite Caroli BURNEY, 3 Vol. 8vo. Priestley. THIS edition is published in a very neat and correct manner. It is chiefly a reprint of Brunck's latest Edition, with the Scholia, Lexicon Sophocleum, &c. The new matter consists of the various readings contained in Erfurdt's Edition, and some hitherto unpublished notes of Dr. Burney on the plays and fragments of Sophocles, on the Lexicon Sophocleum of Brunck, on the Greek Scholia, and on Brunck's notes. In the third volume the metrical Scholia of Demetrius Triclinius, which were though unfit for publication by Brunck, "ut inepta, quippe quæ partim mutilia sunt, res manifestas, cujusvis lectoris in oculos incurrentes, nugatorie enarrantia, partim etiam erroris et inscitiæ plena,” are mntroduced : and in the Editor's preface are defended. We are sorry that we have not a greater number of emendations from the pen of that celebrated scholar, Dr. Burney. His anno tations contain little else than references to the emendations of other celebrated critics, to Scholia, &c. Some of his corrections, however, we shall here introduce; judging that any emendations which proceed from him will be thought interesting. C. Burneii Emendationes in Sophoclem. ΑΙΑΣ ΛΟΚΡΟΣ. ii. "Ανθρωπός ἐστι. f. ἴσθι. ΑΙΓΕΥΣ. vi. κινήσετ' αὔραις καναχουφιεί. ΑΚΡΙΣΙΟΣ. 1. οὐκ ἀκούετ'; In Lexicon Sophocleum. ΜΟΛΙΒΟΣ. Μολυβδις ώστε]ος 1101. Leg. ήγεν. Phil. 22. f. leg. "Α σημανῶν πρόσελθέ μοι συγ Electr. edit. prim. 62. εἶτα Ερμότιμος] ὁ 1242. Pns; 236. ΣΥΝοικοιην] ΞΥΝ. Σάμιος. We should have seen also with pleasure the notes of Erfurdt, a man, in the opinion of the editor, & sane eruditissimus, et quamvis Brunckio acutus atque acer minus ex naturâ, at certe non judicio minus subacto." But probably these are reserved for a future volume. The Editor has adhered too closely to Brunck's accentuation. Thus we observe καγω, καν, &c. and του ποτε φύλλον τι μου ; δις. in one case neglecting the ancient practice recommended by Por son, in the other placing the accents in a manner contrary to the nature of the Greek language. Brunck's accentuation is not very consistent, for there are many cases, where words occupying the position, which obtains in the two last instances, are correctly accented. But the Editor of this elegant edition ought to have corrected him. We are sorry to observe in the Preface an inaccuracy, which our readers will recollect that we have noticed on another occasion. "Utrum distincte ac nitide excudit typographus, judicent peri tiores," for excuderit. GREEK PASTORAL POETRY. In the Essay on the Greek Pastoral Poetry, there is an air of originality, which has an imposing effect. Yet the leading hypothesis, where it is aimed to prove that Theocritus was not a mere pastoral poet, but a poet of various character, heroic, elegiac, and humorous, is the hypothesis of Mr. Polwhele, published many years in the Introduction to his Translations of Theocritus, Bion, and Moschus, and Tyrtæus. There, too, Mr. P. maintains that "Theocritus observed the slighter and more imperceptible shades of nature" [the subject of Sect. viii. of the Essay]; that "the shepherds of Theocritus have characters very different from what are generally supposed" [Sect. ix.]; that "Theocritus is often pathetic" [Sect. xi.]; and that "his language has peculiar felicities" [Sect. xiv.]. The poetry of Theocritus (says Mr. P.) is of all others the most untranslateable. So says the Essayist. But the Essayist has given us translations from Fawkes; though Fawkes was altogether a stranger to the discriminating manner of Theocritus. Fawkes had no perception of those lighter shades" which appear in epithets and peculiar terms of expression. instance : " ἐντί γε πικρός, Καὶ οἱ ἀεὶ δριμεῖα χολὰ ποτὶ ῥινὶ κάθηται : For "Ana he is of bitter temper, and sharp anger always sits on his nostrils." So doth the Essayist render it: for his favourite Fawkes, from whom he so often quotes, has not translated it at all. *Bat in Polwhele, Pan "reposes 'mid the woodland scene, Whilst on his nostrils sits a bitter spleen." Ex pede Herculem. I shall not trouble you with any more instances; as I am aware that to introduce translations from the Classics into your Journal, is not exactly accordant with its plan. I remain, your constant reader, TIONE FREQUENTATO, VALEDICIT POETA. SANCLODOALDEOS Fauni Dryadesque recessus Intonsum ferro dum petit astra caput: Ni sedem, hospitium vos date dulce mihi. Montroliique vocat parva, sed apta, domus.. Hic media inter lætifici vineta Lyai Delicias, patulo quâ tumet uva jugo; Vivere cum gnavis me juvet agricolis; Vir Rev. Consistorio Calvinistarum, quod Parisiis est, plurimis abhinc annis, summa cum laude præest. ED. 2 Vernaculo Francogallorum sermone, Saint-Cloud. ED. |