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THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE,

For JULY, 1819.

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr. URBAN,

M

Norton Vicarage.

Y relation, the Rev. W. Green, Rector of Hardingham, Norfolk, of whom you have given a short account in your Magazine for Nov. 1794, was well skilled in the Hebrew language. This appears from his translation of various parts of the Old Testament, and from several complimentary letters written to him by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Dr. Thos. Newton, and those eminent Hebrew Scholars, the Bishop of Waterford, Dr. Grey, and Dr. Blayney, now in my possession; and some of which I will forward to you, for insertion in your valuable Magazine. Mr. Green was an exemplary Parish Priest, respected and beloved by his parishioners and neighbours. might have had more preferment, but he was not ambitious of it. He declined the offer of the living of Barnham Broom, handsomely made to him by Sir John Wodehouse, though he was afterwards induced to accept it by the persuasion of the exemplary Bishop of Norwich.

He

As Dr. Bagot's Letter places in an amiable view the pious, learned, and disinterested Rector, and shows the great esteem in which he was held, both by the Bishop and Sir John, I am induced to send it. I hope it will not be thought uninteresting.

Yours, &c.

"Rev. Sir,

HENRY PEARSON. Waterford, Sept. 4, 1786.

"I WAS very happy at receiving so very candid and so very instructive a Letter from a Brother Clergyman, and a Brother Commentator on the Hebrew Scriptures. Immediately after transcribing your remarks into the margin of my own copy, or into the blank leaves prefixed, that I might preserve them from the accidents to which loose papers are subject, I sit

down to make you my best acknowledgments for them. They show the hand of a master throughout; and, if God continues to me the present state of my health and of my eyes, the publick, through me, may receive the benefit of them, after I have dispatched my present task, which is no less than an Exposition of Ezekiel, on the plan of the work which I have ventured to publish. I have already transcribed for the press as far as the xxxvith chapter. Allow me the liberty of saying, that any observations which you may have made on that Prophet will be highly acceptable

to me.

"I am happy to hear that your Poetical Parts of Scripture are to be translated into Dutch. All your publications are very deserving of reputation at home and abroad.

"I used Tyrus, Amos i. 9, because But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre' would have offended my ear very much. Though Tyrus occurs as often as Tyre in our version, I wish with you that the latter was used every where.

"Your conjecture, that Soah,שואה should be admitted into the second hemistick, Amos v. 9, pleases me very much. In examining your word I made a curious discovery. Looking into Trommius, I found that שואה was translated ταλαιπωρία, Zeph. i. 15, the very word which the LXX use Amos v. 9; and I was delighted with this confirmation of your criticism. But on examining the London Polyglott, Zeph. i. 15, I found ἀωρίας, which is also the reading in the editions of Grabe and Breitinger. But ταλαιπωρίας is confirmed by Trommius's copy, the Aldine edition, the Antwerp Polyglot, and Sixtus Quintus's edition; in which latter curious book the note is, ' In pleris

que

que libris est ταλαιπωρίας.' Hence we learn the expediency of collating the manuscripts and editions of the LXX.

"Hab. i. 12. Oh, let us not perish!' makes by far the best sense of the present reading, which is very well illustrated by you. But the learned Mr. Hugh Farmer lately communicated to me a well-supported various reading which had escaped me : לא תמות ; thou shalt not die, or, thou diest not; a continuation of the contrast between the false gods and Jehovah. See Chald. Bibl. Kenn. Pol. syn. Glassii phil. sacr. p. 52. The perfections of God are expressed negatively, Numb. xxiii. 19. 1 Sam. xv. 29. Mal. iii. 6.

"Your ingenious emendation of Hab. iii. 16. did not escape my notice; and I ought to have inserted it in my notes. But the nupera emendandi rabies, mentioned by Archbishop Secker, in his Oratio Synodalis, was always in my mind, though the corrupt state of the text has compelled his Grace, throughout his annotations, to propose as many corrections as the boldest critic among us. Whenever, therefore, a sense which seems worthy of the sacred writers arises from the present text, I thought it the more eligible way to admit it; though in my study I might give a secret preference to a conjectural emendation.

"You are the only person that has spoken out to me on the subject of Bishop Lowth's neoteric style of translation, and unnatural arrangement of words. Mr. Blayney followed him too closely in this. I have the honour of being well acquainted

with both Authors. What I said was very painful to me. But I thought that their manner of rendering was likely to furnish a serious argument against undertaking a new version.

"Translating a single book of the Hebrew Scriptures is not the work of one man. He cannot attend to every thing. Friendly communications, like your's to me, are necessary. I sent

Bishop Lowth such material observations as occurred to me on a diligent reading of his Isaiah; and his Lordship was so good as to say that he

would have admitted them into an Appendix, if they had come to him early enough for his second edition. Mr. Blayney's work will be veryuseful to better Hebreans, who may

hereafter translate Jeremiah. But, in my opinion, his deviations from the true sense of the text are endless; and therefore I did not attempt pointing them out to him.

"I offered some of my friends on the English Bench a hundred guineas, as a subscription towards procuring a transcript ot of the Ambrosian MS. mentioned in my preface, p. x. and printing it. This is a favourite object with me.

"A year after the publication of my last work, 172 copies were sold in England, and six in this country.

"As to translating the same Hebrew word by the same English one, I readily allow the latitude contended for by you. Whenever the version is made bald by it, let a more elegant word be substituted. But let unnecessary variety be avoided. In the Ν. Τ. κόπος is thrice joined with μόψθος. Why should we render in one place by weariness and painfulness, and in two other, by labour and travel?'

"With the highest respect, and with the warmest thanks for your very friendly and useful communicatious, I am, Rev. Sir, your very faithful and much obliged humble servant,

WILLIAM WATERFORD *."

" Dear Sir,

Norwich, Νου. 1, 1789. "From a conversation with our

worthy friend Sir John Wodehouse, I collected that he had offered you the living of Barnham Brome, which Mr. Wodehouse is about soon to vacate. The disinterested principles on which you declined the offer, certainly do you honour: at the same time I cannot help wishing you to re-consider the matter. To solicit and to accept are two very different things. The situation of the cure is such as renders it perfectly compatible with what you hold at present; and tho you may reasonably object to undertake the laborious part of the duty in your own person, yet whoever you should employ as a curate would act immediately under your own eye and direction. The offer, I am satisfied, was made on the part of Sir John, purely from the esteem and regard he has for you, without the smallest

* Dr. Wm. Newcome. In 1795 he was translated to the Archbishopric of Armagh, and died in 1800.

idea even of an implied condition of any kind. Your tenure, therefore, would be perfectly free, as it ought to be. Should you find on the experiment that the possession of the living subjected you to any inconvenience, either in body or mind, you cannot, I trust, have a doubt of my readiness to comply with your wishes in accepting your resignation. It is equally certain that Sir John would not desire you to hold it under those circumstances. But, if no such in. convenience should arise, it would be a satisfaction to him to have discharged his trust in the most reputable manner for himself, and expres. sive of his esteem for you: and you will yourself readily admit that it can be no discredit to any man to be understood to have received a token of Sir John Wodehouse's friendship. Having said thus much as the common friend of both, I beg to be considered as by no means aiming to control your determination, but only to bring it again under your review; that you may not seem hastily to reject a proposal so kindly and handsomely made. In such a question I am well aware there may be considerations very proper to fix your resolution, of the full weight of which no man can judge so well as yourself.

"I am, dear Sir, with the most
assured regard,

your very faithful servant,

L. NORWICH *. "P. S. As I took the liberty (on perceiving Sir John's concern at the idea of your not having accepted the living) to request he would not dispose of it 'till I had written to you, I should be much obliged to you to let Sir John know as soon as you have completely made up your mind on the subject; which I much wish may be in the manner most satisfactory both to him and yourself."

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ception of the business) might not improperly be considered as Juries, though not exactly similar to ours. In one respect, indeed, they materially differed, as they were not individually appointed by any one man, or body of men, but chosen by lot from those classes who were qualified to sit in judgement: and the lots (previously examined by the accuser and the accused) were drawn in open court, under the immediate inspection of the Quæsitor, or presiding Judge, selected for that particular occasion; though it appears that the consuls were allowed to propose a considerable number of names, from which the Jury might be thus chosen.

The Quæsitor seems to me to have been the only individual in the Court whose official character (for the time being) bore any resemblance to that of our British Judges; to whom, however, he appears to have been, in one important part of his functions, evidently inferior: for I cannot find that he had any right to charge the Jury; and, on the whole, I conceive that we cannot properly consider him in any other light, than that of Chairman, Speaker, or Foreman, of the Jury; as he gave no vote himself, and only announced the result of the concluding ballot.

Asconius Pedianus, in different parts of his Comments on Cicero, notices the lots, the challenges, &c. But I shall here confine myself to the description given in his Argument to the oration for Milo, which conveys a pretty clear and satisfactory idea of the Jury that sat on the memorable trial, to which we are indebted for that celebrated master-piece of Roman eloquence.

But, first, it may be proper to recollect, who were the persons qualified to act as Judges on such ocсаsions. From history, then, we learn, that, after various changes and transfers, the judicial power-or (more properly speaking) the qualification to sit on the bench-was, at the time of that trial, vested in the Senate, the Equestrian Order, and the Tribunes of the treasury.

To return to Milo-the Quæsitor being chosen for his trial-(and, pursuant to a special Act passed on that particular occasion, he was chosen by the suffrages of the people, from the number of those who had filled the office of consul)-the proceedings began.-First, a number of Judges (not yet chosen by lot) attended to hear the evidence on both sides; which be ing concluded, the choice of the Jury was made, in the manner above described; and eighty-one names were drawn by lot, viz. twenty-seven from each of the three orders before mentioned.

In presence of these eighty-one, the pleadings took place; two hours being allowed to the accuser, and three to the defendant.

The pleadings being closed, the accuser rejected five names of each order, and the defendant as many; which reduced the whole number to fiftyone; and these fifty-one, immediately proceeding to judgement, decided the cause by a majority of votes, which were given by ballot.

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

A

JOHN CAREY.

July 1.

VERY eminent Traveller *, in describing the Antiquities of the Greek Islands, has noticed two Inscriptions in the walls of the Castle of Stanchio, upon marble tablets; the one imports that

"The Senate and People have honoured Suetonia, the daughter of Caius, who has lived chastely and with decorum; both on account of her own Virtue and the Benevolence she has shewn towards her Father."

The other,

"The People erect Anaxinœa, daughter of Euceon, wife of Charmylus, on account of her Virtue, and Chastity,

and Benevolence towards her Husband."

Upon these Inscriptions he observes: "What an exalted idea do these records convey of the state of Society, in a Country where the private virtues of the inhabitants were considered as public benefits, and were gratefully and publicly rewarded by the Senate and the People. Were the filial Piety and the Chastity of its Women thus honoured and rewarded even amidst the depraved State of Public Morals, in the modern Cities of Europe-were these Virtues estimated at a high price, each nation might boast of an Anaxinea and a Suetonia."

Now, Mr. Urban, without wishing to detract from the abovementioned

* Dr. Clarke, Part II. Section II. pp. 324, 325.

Ladies any part of their claim to the distinction so honourably conferred upon them, and without impeaching the candour of the very learned Traveller who has favoured us with the narrative, and without endeavouring to raise the reputation of my own countrywomen, even in this depraved age, by lowering that of the Greek Ladies, who flourished eighteen hundred years ago; I cannot help drawing an inference quite contrary to that above quoted. It appears to me, rather, that instances of virtue were then of so rare occurrence as to excite general admiration, and be deemed worthy of the highest distinction; but was every Englishwoman, now, possessing filial piety and domestic virtue, to be in like manner honoured, the very walls of our houses must be inscribed from the ground to the attics, and our streets would be paved with their tablets.

Being a bachelor, Mr. Urban, 1 feel some interest in the subject, because I hope, should it be my fortune to enter connubial life, that I have not hitherto been in a dream; but that experience will confirm the observation, that, with few exceptions, all my countrywomen might claim honorary distinctions upon the same grounds as those ladies of Stanchio; but that the practice of such virtues is of too common occurrence to excite any extraordinary feeling, while the want of them is so seldom observed, that every woman deficient in filial piety or connubial virtue, is universally reprobated, even though of the highest possible rank in society; and it would seem an affront to the

fair sex to offer extraordinary rewards for a line of conduct, which is considered as absolutely necessary to be observed in order to obtain the countenance of the world.

Mr. URBAN,

D

H. W.

July 2.

R. Adam Clarke, in the 4th volume of the last edition of "Harmer's Observations on various passages of Scripture," has, in a note to page 175, mentioned a custom as prevalent in the Fenny counties in England, which I shall be much obliged by any of your intelligent Correspondents if they will have the goodness to point out with more precision. "Fine Nets," says the learned Editor, "are hung round beds in some of the Fenny counties

counties in England, as a defence against the gnats, which in those places are exceedingly troublesome, so as wholly to prevent a person from sleeping." Having had occasion to travel at different times through Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Essex, which I presume may be reckoned amongst the description of counties above alluded to, without noticing any thing of the kind, either at the inns or private houses, I have some doubts respecting the accuracy of the above statement, which I shall be glad to have removed.

In the same volume of the abovementioned work, the Author, speaking of the Persian needle-work, and attempting to illustrate the expression made use of by the mother of Sisera, in the 5th chap. of Judges, " Of diverse colours of needle-work on both sides," seems not to have known that however " our common embroidery" could not be accurately described on account of its beauty on both sides, the Persian needle-work so far differs from it, that the embroidered handkerchiefs and napkins which are made in the Harams, and by the Turkish and Persian females, are exquisitely finished on both sides; so that the figures, leaves, and flowers wrought upon them, appear equally perfect, whether viewed on one side or the other. Those delicate fabrics which Lady Mary Wortley Montague and other travellers have described, and of which many beautiful specimens have been at different times brought to England of late years, confirm this account which I have introduced. Mr. Harmer seems to have been unacquainted with it, and Dr. Clarke has, at least, omitted to allude to it in his illustrations of the text. S. T. B.

T

Mr. URBAN, R- Hants, July 10. HE word Dandipart, or Dandiprat, has, we believe, not been well defined by any author, otherwise than by way of contempt and ridicule; and the term Dandy, on the same principle, at the present day, is applied to a certain set of men not unlike

those formerly denominated Fribbles, who, instead of supporting the dignity and manliness of their own sex, incline to the delicacy and manners of a female. But from what source the word Dandy is derived seems hitherto uncertain.

That Dandy and Dandiprat meant a term of reproach and ridicule, as above-said, we have sufficient authority for. In Cotgrave's Dictionary (1650), it is defined by Manche d'Estille, handle of a currycomb, slender little fellow, or dwarf. Torriano, in his Italian Dictionary, construes Dandipart by Nano, or Homiccuolo, a dwarf, pretty little man, or mannikin. Johnson merely says that Dandipart means a little fellow, urchin; a word sometimes used in fondness, sometimes contempt; and derives it from Dandin, a noddy, or ninny.

That the word means something diminutive is clear, from a, child's book of nonsensical verses, out of date many years since; one of which begins, "Little Jack Dandiprat was my first suitor," &c. And again, "Spicky spandy, Jacky Dandy," &c. But, independent of size, the word appears to define something very slender; for, in Bulwer's "Artificial Changeling" (1653), in one of the complimentary sets of verses to the author, after noticing various distortions of the human figure, he mentions one having "Eares of so huge a compasse, and broad eyes, [bies." As men were swine, and turn'd to owleAnd, in contrast"Sometimes with lacings and with For want of space we have a Dandiprat." And again

swaiths so strait,

"Sir Jeffries Babil, dilling petite A peccadillo of Barnabie's night, Things so pucil and small, the statute wise

Exempt from coupling, being under size." And further, we find the word used for something of little or no value, in a dialogue between Comen Secretary and Jelowsy (see Beloe's Anecdotes, vol. I. p. 890), where Secretary says: "Yes, but take heede by the pryce ye

have no losse. (marke for a goose. A mode merchaunt, that wyll gyve v Beware a rolling ey, which waverynge thought make that, [Pratt." And for such stuffe passe not a Dandy But to the purport of this Letter, which is principally to enquire whence the word Dandiprat or Dandipart has origin. We are told, in Camden's Remains, concerning Great Britain (1636), p. 188, that "King Henry the Seventh

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