6thly. Among the versions without notes, I must contend that the versions of our Missal into the vulgar tongue should have a place. Our Missal, which in this instance has been followed by the Common Prayer Book, contains so much of the Gospels as gives the heads of the history and doctrine of Christ. The versions of it are numerous, and many of them bave no notes.

7thly. I must add, that no Syriac, no Armenian, no Ethiopic, no Arabic version of the Bible has any notes; yet those are the vulgar tongues of large portions of the world.

I beg, however, not to be misunderstood. While I mention the multitude of Roman Catholic Bibles and versions of Bibles without notes, I admit, most unequivocally, that it is the acknowledged right of our Church and her Pastors to direct when, where, and what notes should accompany them. But I must think that the various instances in which I shew that they have been published without notes, prove incontrovertibly how unjustly we are charged with admitting it, as a principle of our religion, that the versions of the Bible into a vulgar tongue should not be published without them.

VI. I shall now cite a few miscellaneous facts, to shew how much the Church of Rome has at all times desired to promote the general circulation and perusal of the Sacred Writings, both in the original language, and in Translations from it.

1. To begin with the Practice of the Church in the Middle Ages, I refer you to the second part of Dr. Hody's Historia Scholastica Textûs Versionumque Græcæ et Vulgatæ." It is impossible to peruse it, without acknowledging it to prove beyond controversy, that there never was a time, even in the darkest ages, when the study of the Scriptures, and that, too, in their original languages, was not cultivated and encouraged by the Roman-Catholic Clergy. In our own country, the works of the Venerable Bede, of Holy Robert of Lincoln, and of Roger Bacon, shew how much Biblical learning was cultivated and encouraged in those days.

2. Every candid scholar must sure ly own it to be principally owing to the labours of the Monks of the Middle Ages, that we are now in pos

session of the Sacred Writings. This will appear clear to every one who peruses the Tenth Chapter of Mr. Lingard's invaluable "Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church," and the Fourth Chapter of the Third Book of Dr. Henry's History of Britain. Gerhardus Tyschen, Professor of Philosophy and Oriental Literature in the United Universities of Butzow and Rostock, in his "Tentamen de variis Codicum Hebræorum Veteris Testamenti MSS. Rostochii, 1772,” expresses himself in terms of astonishment at the labours of the Monks in the transcription of the Sacred Writings, and the singular felicity of their execution. "I am sensible (he says) that it is the general opinion that the study of the fine arts was buried during the middle ages. It is, however, certain, that while Literature was crushed every where else, she found a refuge in Monasteries." He particularly mentions how much the inhabitants of those pious abodes studied the Hebrew language; and how many of them were employed in transcrib ing Hebrew manuscripts. He says, that Calligraphy arrived in them at its summit of excellence; the beauty of their transcriptions, he remarks, is such as could not have been attained, unless they possessed some art of fixing the forms of written letters, to which we are strangers.

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3. The typographic art was sooner discovered, than the Catholic presses were employed in printing, in every size, from the folio to the twenty-fourth, the Old and New Testament, or particular parts of them, in the Hebrew and Greek originals, and the Latin Translations.

4. Every Catholic acknowledges with readiness the transcendant merit of the Loudon Polyglott; and every candid Protestant should admit with equal readiness, that the London Polyglott was preceded by the Catholic Polyglotts of Complutum, Antwerp, and Paris; and that without them the London Polyglott would not have existed.

5. Many examples shew, that when any Nation has been converted or recalled to the Catholic religion, the Church of Rome has been careful to supply it with a Translation of the Scriptures in its vernacular language. The numberless Translations of the whole Scriptures, or of different parts of

of them, into the Latin, which was once the language of the whole Western Empire, are well known. So early as the fourth century, St. Augustin observed, that "the number of those who had translated the Scriptures from the Hebrew into the Greek might be computed; but that the number of those who had translated the Greek into the Latin could not for that, immediately on the introduction of Christianity, if a person got possession of a Greek manuscript, and thought he had any knowledge of the two o languages, he set about translating the Scriptures."

6. The Peshito, or Sincere version of the Four Gospels into Syriac, was certainly made before the Fourth; and there are circumstances which render it probable that it was made at the end of the First, or the beginning of the Second, Century. In 1552, the Maronite Christians having, under the direction of Ignatius their Patriarch, sent Moses of Marden to Pope Julius the Third, to acknowledge the supremacy of the See of Rome, and to be received into his communion; the Emperor Ferdinand caused a new edition of this version to be printed at his own expence at Vienna, and transmitted to Syria.

7. In 1548, there appearing to be an opening for the introduction of Christianity into Ethiopia, Pope Paul the Third caused ao Ethiopic version of the New Testament to be published at Rome for the use of the new Ethiopic Christians.

8. An Arabic version of the whole Bible was published at Rome iu 1591; and in 1671, the Congregation at Rome de Propagandů fide, published, for the use of the Arabic Christians in communion with her, an Arabic version of the whole Bible, in three volumes folio, under the direction of Sergius Risius, Bishop of Damascus. We are informed by Abbas Nazarias, in his Diarium Eruditum, that it was the labour of 46 years. With the same beneficent view, an Arabic version of the Four Gospels was printed in 1591, at the Medicæan press in Rome.

9. The extreme difficulty of acquir. ing even a slight knowledge of the Chinese language; the small number of those who can but imperfectly read it, and the immense expense attend ing the printing of the smallest work

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in it, prevented the Catholic missionaries from publishing' any version of the Scripture in that language. It was, however, their wish to do it when such a version should be generally useful; and when the means of printing and publishing it should be in their power.

With this view the Jesuits prepared a Harmony of the Four Gospels in the Chinese language; it is preserved in the British Museum. The British and Foreign Bible Society mention this circumstance in the First Report of their proceedings, and commend the elegance of the version.

VII. I shall now notice a charge often brought against the Catholicsthat they were forced against their will to print versions, in vernacular languages, of the Sacred Text, in consequence of the effects produced by the versions made in those languages by the Protestunts.

For this charge there is no foundation.

1. The earliest printed Protestant version is that, in the German langnage, by Martin Luther. The New Testament of that version was printed in 1522; the Old in 1530.

It had been preceded, first, by Fust's celebrated Bible, printed at Mentz in 1462; secondly, by Bemler's, printed at Augsburgh in 1467, and, thirdly, by the four versions mentioned by Beausobre (Hist. de la Reformation, Liv. 4).

2. The earliest printed French Protestant version is that of Olivetan, assisted by Calvin. It contains the whole Bible, and was finished in 1537; the year 1535 (which is the date inentioned in the title-page) being the year in which it was first committed to the press.

This version had been preceded, first, by the French version of the New Testament, by Julian, an Augustinian monk, printed in 1477; secondly, by the French version of the whole Bible, by Guyards des Moulins, printed in 1490; and, thirdly, by that of Estaples, the New Testament of whose version was printed in 1523, and the Old in 1528. The last of these editions was particularly used by Olivetan.

3. The earliest printed Italian Protestant version appeared in 1562.

It had been preceded,, first, by Malermi's, printed in 1471; and, secondly, by Bruccioli's, in 1532, which last

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system of our domestic society will long feel the effects! Many of the arrangements, and even some of what are called the prejudices of civil life, are but aids to the human understanding, which the combined experience of ages has formed. There is a little too much presumption in any man who trusts too much to his own unassisted judgment on first appearances in the human character. To take the fittest man for your purpose," is right; but the question is," who is fittest" A cunning man, without education, who is practised in the world, may often appear fitter for some important business than an educated man of talent, because he is readier; but cunning and readiness are not wisdom, as Mr. Pitt often found out in his instruments, alas!

too late.

The advantages of Commerce are great; but Mr. Pitt over-estimated them, and consequently the importance of that class who are engaged in it. He came into power on the shoulders of the East India Company, who always retained too great an influence over his mind. He was the god of the City; and the City and Stock Exchange were his gods in return. He considered a Coronet a feather, which was light payment for any favour, without caring on whose head it fell. The House of Lords he nearly, if not quite, doubled; taking out of the other House almost all the large landed property.

When a Coronet became thus cheap, a Baronetage sunk into perfect insignificance. Then it fell in profusion on Citizens, East-Indians, Placemen, and small Country-gentlemen, of new families, or sudden fortunes. Society was turned upside-down; and the mud came uppermost! Superficial thinkers laughed at these things; more especially while they heard the roar of the great game which was playing on the Continent. They were comparative trifles; but, if we should survive the shock of that great game, they were not likely to continue trifles hereafter. Why, so plentiful has been this work, that men as new as the revolutionists of France are considered here as already grey in their honours! They have taken place of the old Country Gentlemen in almost every County in England, aud shoved them into insignificance. A. F. A.

(To be continued.)

Mr. URBAN, East Retford, Nov. 3. IN your last Volume, Part II. p. 308, is given, from a book printed in 1599, "A Licence for a Mun to kepe on his Cuppe." The same form of licence occurs in a volume in my possession, printed by Tottell in 1576, intituled, "A Booke of Presidens exactly wrytten in Maner of a Register, newlye corrected, with addicions of diuers necessary Presidents, meete for al suche as desire to learn the Fourme und Maner howe to make al Maner of Euidences and Instrumentes, as in the Table of this Booke more playnlye appeareth." The person licensed is designated by the same initials [T. M.], and the date is the same [20th May, in the 36th year of our Reign]; but the spelling is more antient, and there is a slight transposition of the words. I take it for granted, by this Form of Licence being inserted in this Book of Presidents, that it was a licence in common use, and not specially granted to any favourite or sect. But the reason of my thus addressing you is not to make comments on the above instrument; but to ask any of your Correspondents, skilled in the games and sports of our ancestors, what they understand by the "Game of Closing," for I am at a loss to know the import of a Royal Licence to use that game which is contained in Tottell's Book, p. 121, in these words— "A Licence to use the Game of Closing.

"Henry the Eight, &c. To the Maior, Shiriffes, and Aldermen of our City of Londo' yt now be, and yt hereafter for ye time shal be, and to al other our officers, ministers, and subjects, these our Letters hearing or seeing, greeting. We let you wit yt wee of our special grace haue lice'ced, and by these presents do lice'ce our wel-beleued R. P. and hys deputy or assignes, to kepe in any place w'in oure City of Londo' and ye suburbs. of the same fro' henceforth from time to time during his life onely for Ale and Bere, and no Money, ye game of Closing, for ye disporte and recreatio' of honest p'so's resorting thither, all maner pre'tices and vacabo'ds only except, without any damage, penalty, da'ger, losse, or forfeiture to ensue, either of the said R. his said deputy or assigne, or to the said p'sons, or any of the' in this behalfe, Any Act, Statut, or Ordinance heretofore had or made to ye contrary hereof notw'sta'ding. Wherefore we wil and co'mau'd you and euerye of you to p'mit and suffer the said R. his said deputy or as

signe,