On the Extent of the Historic Relation in discovering and marshalling the Subjects of Human Knowledge. (Continued from p. 507.) N every historic act, all the rela category; Creator, or first causewhole and parts,-origin or SECONDARY causes and effects-eud or motive-means - resemblance-contiguity in time and place-modes, intrinsic, and adventitious, &c. &c. The thread that combines these in one - connected term, is the historic relation. It is an abridged transcript of existences, an abstract of life, that is, of the world. It selects the striking points and characteristic features of truth. And a fact is as much truth as auy theorem in geometry. Legitimate poetry expresses this in a livelier and more impressive manner, with unexpected coincidences of proportions-unison and harmony of measured thought and rythmical articulation. The analogy of the fact to the laws of the creation is common to both poetry and narrative. And when facts are thus reduced and passed through the first historical process, they are capable of still further separation and reduction-leaving out some other particular, individual circumstance of person, time, and place, still connected by some common ele. mentary principle: and even separating what cannot be separated in the real existence, classifying, and naming each degree, division, and subdivision. Thus the history of mind may be considered apart from the living body (which cannot happen naturally in this state of being): In like manner. the history of thought may be separated from the history of the moral sense of this again from the history of taste-all these from the history of speech. Number, and extent, and gravity, may be historised apart from the bodies in which they are inherent: and bodies from each other, as in the three kingdoms of Natural History. Thus we have the History of ETHICKS, LOGICKS, PHONICKS, PHYSICKS, the pure and mixed, MATHEMATICKS, POLITICKS, and CRITICKS (la Critique): which last presides over the liberal arts: and thus do we adjust the seven strings, or chords, of human knowledge. But let us, once for all, enumerate the categories without survilely adhering to any system, or affecting too great simplicity.-The Categories are: The Creator, or FIRST cause: finite matter, historised or brought out of chaos: man intelligence, or the endued ing and of what is within: faith, of things divine: belief of external experiences: consciousness of having, or power-with the free will to exercise it intellectually, morally, physically, as by our bodies: speech, the register of thought, feeling, or suffering, and of action: nomenclature of things internal and external: the system of kinds and classes: whole and parts: the conditions, modes, and accidents: quantity discrete and continued: duration and space: properties, and HAVING again: SECONDARY causes and effects (observe that secondary causes are not homogeneous with the FIRST CAUSE; for this is creative, and sui generis-and it is omitted by Hume in his category): lastly, resemblance and difference, contiguity and distance, both in time and place-analogy, taste. These are the categories; and every one of these is historical. This conception of history is justified by the terms used in all languages to denote history: lorwp-iorogia-and iotopuy-have in the autient and modern languages been used in the following senses-which have been held pure: 1. Study: curiosity: an en. quirer: investigator: inquisition: interrogation: argument: proof: a witness: fidelity: conusant of a fact, with all its circumstances, and relations, origin, progress, dissolution, &c. 2. To put together, to build a system, to frame, to try, to put into the balance, to estimate, analysis, synthesis, to distinguish, to generalise, to taste, to savor, to feel, to smell; sagacity, skill, science, philosophy, authority, a commentary, geography, chronology, a naturalist, arbiter, judge. 3. To commit to memory: to notice, note, signify, record, narrate, report; to give an account of; to write lives, transactions, experiments, observations, negociations, progress of men and things, manners, and languages, discoveries, &c. 4. To place before the eyes, to exhibit, to personify, to represent, to recite to apologise, to write apologues or circuitous and varnished explanations planations-and thus even to invent a fable. 5. Knowledge of things human and divine. The compositions συνιστωρand συνιστ Topia, mean conscious and consciousness. Nor is there any history so in teresting, so intimate, and accessible, or so instructive, certain, and authentic as that of one's own mind. The expressions of a "sound recollection," ," "sane memory," the derivative in Latin of mens from memento: the aλua of the Greek language, signifying truth, and compounded from a the privative particle, and anon oblivion-show further that memory and mind are convertible terms. But it must be an historic memory, not a mere technical one, confined to one or two of the cate gories only: History unites them all. Historic memory comprehends, 1. The existence of every thing that is happenable. 2. Our noticing it: and 3. Our expressing or fixing it, whether by language, or by any other memorial sign. Every thing Life, Revelation, kaowledge, the first articulate speech, are derivative and communicated, They are linked together in a grand historical chain-a golden one that descends from Heaven, not the iron or leaden one of the Materialists. The lives of illustrious individuals, and the story of nations, signal inventions and discoveries, a single notable action of an individual, a character, an art, a science, a language -every one of these are only a collection, or constellation, of historical notices-gathering knowledge into new terms or distinct FASCES: and may be viewed as Signs, in the historical Zodiack of Time. Hypothetical history, in default of documents and records, is nothing but history supplied by analogythat is, by the proportious it bears to all other, or similar, history. The analogies of the Divine will, power, wisdom, goodness, as they appear to us within and without; but above all, the truths disclosed by the divine utterance, as in Scripture, are at once the pole-star, the map, and the compass in all our inquiries. The categories are the analysis of real existences, relation being had to the state of man, and human intelligence. And this intelligence employed upon real existences under the above guidance is in one aspect, judgment or reason: in another, imagination: in a third, the moral sense; in matters of divine communication, faith; of human, belief: in a sixth aspect, it is the social sense; and in a seventh, taste. The union of these (one or other of the above categories predominating only, according to the subject), is the bistoric Relation. One essential condition is common to all these modes of intelligence (though they are commonly termed distinct reflex senses), that they be conformable to truth. And all that genius with its inventions can do, in science, in the mechanical, and the fine arts -or in calculation-is only to observe to remember, and to record. The creation-the fall of man-his redemption-and the future resurrection, together with the existing face of the world, are truths, or FACTSthe production of divine energy, and which when we philosophise, we only consider in detail, and reduce to synthetical order, to comprehend it historically. It is this high relation that enables us to give simplicity and unity to number-uniformity to variety-to understand things, in their utmost comprehension and extent; it excites and informs our curiosity, sagacity, and ingenuity: this alone studies profoundly, and records the course of things in lasting memorials, whether articulate, symbolical, or monumental. The singleness of its view enables it, with a sovereign discretion, to marshal every thing in its place— and in its due point of depression or elevation. It penetrates equally the vast and the minute. It forms the high road or canal of communication between all the parts of knowledge. Facts that extend over a long succession of climes and ages it calls upby the FIAT of a word—and that instantaneously-at once :-It fixes the indiscriminate and fleeting existence of a crowding and tumultuous rush of existences, that roll through the channel of time. By its electric virtue, the human intelligence is transmuted into judgment, science, skill, conscience to a semblance (a mere imperfect semblance indeed of the remotest analogy) of the divine omaiscience, omnipresence, and creative power. "Dear Sir, Vicar's-hill, March 9, 1793. "I RECEIVED your kind letter; and, as you do not mention your health, I hope you have recovered from your late disorder; and are as well as people of our age have reason to expect to be. My contemporaries are almost gone: I number my friends now chiefly among my juniors. One of my oldest friends I have just now lost a near relative also and among the best, the most benevolent, and most learned men 1 ever was acquainted with. He As had long been wearing away apace; but without sickness and without pain. In his parlour he had an easy pallat brought down, on which be used occasionally to rest, for he was never confined to his bed. he was one day sitting above with his wife, not worse in appearance than he had been for some time before, he lay down; and, taking hold of her hand, said, he wished he could fall asleep. In two minutes he drew his last breath without the least emotion. He was a Clergyman at Carlisle, and of the name of Farish. About 18 or 20 years ago, I called upon him there, and travelled with him through the Highlands of Scotland. Since that time, I have never seen him. I know not whether his life, or his death, made the more pleasing picture. About the time I suppose that you were at St. John's, Dr. Brown, the author of the "Estimale," was a student there. Mr. Farish and he were extremely intimate, and though they were both about some 10 or 12 years older than 1, we were all on a very friendly footing. You have heard probably the history of poor Dr. Brown. He was a very ingenious man; but of an unhappy temper. The notice which Dr. Warburton took of him filled his head with ambitious thoughts: and the disappointment he received from the Empress of Russia overset him. While he lived among his early friends, he was as happy a man as a very irritable temper allowed him to be: but, after ambitious thoughts got possession of him, and he began to court the favour of the great, I believe he hardly enjoyed one happy day. But his history, and melancholy catastrophe, as he was a fellowstudent of the College, you have probably heard. My amiable friend Mr. Farish (though to me, at the distance, he had been lost many years) was never of any University. He was called, like Matthew, from the Customhouse: one of the late Archbishops of Canterbury (I know not which) conferred on him the degree of Batchelor of Divinity: he bad learning enough. to be a Regius Professor. He was a quiet man, totally void of ambition; but I could never well digest, that his intimate friend Bp. Law, whom he had known from a youth, did so little for him. The truth I always suspected was, that, as they were both great disputants, he never spared the Bishop in debate, and I believe was generally too many for him: and such services, you know, people do not like to remember. His son is as amiable a man as he was, and is now one of the Proctors in the University of Cambridge. With our best respects to Mrs. Green, believe me, dear Sir, your very sincere friend, "Dear Sir, WILL. GILPIN." Vicar's-hill, Aug. 31, 1793. "Though writing, I know, is troublesome to you, and I should not wish to put you on it but when it is quite agreeable to you-yet I cannot suffer a letter of yours to lie by me unanswered. hold myself much indebted to you for the many excellent remarks you sent me for the uew edi. tion of my "Exposition;" of every one of which (except perhaps one or two, in which I rather thought differently) I have availed myself. The Sermon I have printed at the end, I thought a good conclusion to the whole. I am sorry to hear you have been so much troubled with the old complaint since Christmas. I believe you as little as any body want these remembrances remembrances of mortality: but we all need them more or less. I am now in my 70th year; but God has given me so many blessings, that I fear I enjoy them too much. And yet I find the infirmities of age pressing upon me. A walk, which ten years ago was scarce exercise to me, is now a fatigue. I am generally cheerful, however, and generally hap py; and if these be the signs of a conscience void of offence, I have one. I cannot say I am so pleased with Dr. Geddes, nor expect so much from his New Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, as you seem to do. I am not fond of his character, as it has been represented to me; for I know him not myself. And I have heard those who have seen a part of his Translation speak of it as containing more wantonness of interpre tation, than they thought the Hebrew text could warrant. His Prospectus, I think, was generally admired. I am glad to hear of your writing to Sir William Jones about such Hebrew MSS. as may probably be found in India. If any one can investigate them, I think he is the man: and I should suppose that MSS. found in India might have many various readings, and elucidate many passages, which our European MSS. that have been hunted over and over, cannot do. I have lately had two or three visits from a gentleman (unknown indeed to me before), Mr. Wilmot*, who has done himself great credit by the generous part he has undertaken of collecting money for the French Clergy. He entertained me with many curious anecdotes: particularly on my asking him how the Committee could manage a business of such intricacy, as to make a proper distribution among 7000 people; he told me that their most useful as sistant was the Bp. of Leon, whom he represents as a most valuable man. He, from knowing his own Clergy, picked out such to assist the Conmittee in their distributions as were very capable. Mr. Wilmot tells me, he has collected on the King's Letter 38,0001. and expects it will rise to 40,000l. But he says, at the most moderate calculation, this will not last many months, distributed among 7000 people. There are schemes on *See vol. LXXXVII. Part i. p. 614. foot to make some of them provide for themselves, in which the Marchicness of Buckingham has been very active. With our joint respects to you and yours, believe me, dear Sir, your very sincere friend, WILL. GILPIN." "Dear Sir, Vicar's-hill, June 7, 1794. "You desire me occasionally to write to you. lu return, I beg you will never take the trouble of answering my letters: for, though I have profited much by your letters, I know that writing, under the infirmities with which it hath pleased God to afflict you, must be a painful task. "I am much obliged to you for what you say in your last, about Nazareth. I think there is much force in it; and I shall review my note on Matt. ii. 23. with great care. What satisfied me more about it was, that the late Bp. of Rochester †, who saw it in MS. was particularly pleased with it. You have made me, however, very doubtful about the sense I have assigned. I wonder how 1 came to leave so many Eliases unaltered. I have now, however, altered them all. I have been lately not a little perplexed about the famous prophecy of Isaiah, vii. 14. I have a note upon it (p. xli.) (the Life of Christ), to which I thought of adding the following passage, from reading Lowth (in loc.), who appears to me now to have more force in what he says than when I read him førmerly. "But Bp. Lowth, on the authority of Harmer, gives a different interpretation to the passage. He considers the phrase, butter and honey shall he eut, as denoting a time of plenty; and gives convincing reasons for it: and the word till he would change into when, which the original, he says, will warrant. So that the meaning of the expression is, a time of plenty shall happen (that is, peace shall be restored) within the time that a child from its birth would distinguish good from bad. In the explication, however, no mention is made of the prophet's child, though it seems to add great life to the prophecy. The Bishop probably thought it belonged only to the first part of Dr. John Thomas. the the prophecy, which ends with verse 9: though in fact I think it has little connexion with that part. The prophecy, however, that a virgin should bear a son, and call his name Immanuel, or God with man, stands clear of all difficulty; however, the context, or temporary prophecy, with which it is connected, may be involved in obscurity.' "I am hurt (with you) at the unquietness of the country, in the midst of these foreign disturbances. But I hope the Parliamentary inquiry, nOW going on, will put a stop to them. With our sincerest good wishes to you and yours, believe me, dear Sir, with much esteem and regard, your very sincere and obliged humble servant, WILL. GILFIN." Norwich, Aug. 19, 1818. Mr. URBAN, INM Valy's Classica, Journal, account of a valuable Greek Psaltery. If the Marquis of Douglas would allow a page or two to be printed in your Magazine, it would afford your Readers much pleasure. I have not the honour to be acquainted with the Marquis, or would make the request. "Psalterium Græco-Latinum," A Manuscript of the Ninth Century upon Vellum, of the first curiosity and importance; written in a very fair and legible hand, with this peculiarity, the Greek is written in Roman characters, by which means we elicit the curious and interesting knowledge of the exact pronunciation of the Greek language, as spoken at that period when the Byzantine Empire was in its literary glory. A very learned Antiquary has given the following illustration of the writing of the first page, tending to fix the period when the Manuscript must have been written. &. Kyrie Boeithi tou doulou sou Cymeon Monachous Presbiterou, &c. &c." (1107. 5s. Marquis of Douglas). Yours, &c. C. J. SMYTH. veral parts of the kingdom, a garden or orchard but was robbed by these juvenile depredators. Several friends of mine came under that description, by having lost an immense quantity of apples, grapes, &c.; and fowls from their hen-roosts. Several were detected; but the punishment is of so slight a nature that of whipping, and performed by the constables of the parish, who are generally upon friendly terms with the poorer classes belonging to the same parish, and always favour them as much as possible. I think these depraved morals of the younger class of society in country villages arise principally on account of thère not being regular services in the Churches there, both morning * and evening, upon Sundays; for it is always remarked those depredations are committed by them on those days. The other days in the week, when fruit, &c. is ripe, boys are generally employed in the field, driving carts, or at harvest. I do not mean to cast the least reflection upon the Established Clergy, but only submit some regulations should be made in that respect; and particularly as to a resident Clergyman in every parish. But I am sorry it may justly be observed, that in very many parishes in the country, although there is a parish church, yet there is not a decent vicarage house for a Clergyman to reside in. I hope soon to see some good regulation by our Government in that respect; namely, that in building Churches, they will build good vicarage houses also; and if a regula tion could be made for the improvement of the interior of our Churches already built, by making them more commodious, reducing the large pews, &c. it would, I am sure, tend to promote our established worship, for which I am a sincere friend. Yours, &c. MENTOR. |
