ter of Genesis. Our other priests and two or three deacons, who spend their evenings in my study, listened to the recitations; and they were all so enraptured with the beauty and sublimity of the Hebrew sounds, and with their resemblance to the Syriac-their own book language-that, with one accord, they also soon requested permission to spend their evenings in the study of the Hebrew.

A fine Hebrew class of Nestorian ecclesiastics was thus readily formed; and they entered, with an enthusiastic ardor, upon the study of the language.

Now I hardly need inform you, that the half hour, each evening -the Sabbath excepted-which I devoted to the instruction of this class, is among my most delightful seasons. The exercise quite transports me to Andover, and to your lecture room. I often seem to myself to be listening, again, to the accents of your voice, and to be engaged in the sacred pursuits of by-gone days, on your hallowed hill of Zion; and I quite forget, for the time, that I am an exile in distant Persia.

The success of our Hebrew class is truly surprising; and I feel confident, that their acquisition of the language will prove unspeakably important to them and their people, in their better understanding of the Scriptures, and invaluable in the qualifications of those who are now, or may hereafter be, engaged in translating.

The near resemblance which the Hebrew bears to the Syriac, renders it an easy task for a Nestorian ecclesiastic to acquire the former language. Besides, rude orientals do certainly possess a power of acquiring languages, unequalled in the best instructed Europeans or Americans. They do not, indeed, know so well how to make, or to use, dictionaries and grammars; but they possess a wonderful versatility in mastering a language so as to understand and speak it. Nestorian ecclesiastics, with but the most imperfect and limited opportunities, acquire the ancient Syriac, which is a dead language in Asia, as well as in America, so as to converse in it familiarly with each other.

The spoken language of the Nestorians is a corrupt dialect of the ancient Syriac; differing widely from it, however, by the introduction of innumerable words from the Persian, Turkish, and Kurdish languages. There are many Jews, in Ooroomiah, who speak a similarly corrupted dialect of the Hebrew. And these spoken dialects of the Nestorians and Jews are so similar, that the two nations can very well understand and converse with each other.

Permit me, dear Sir, in closing, to bear my testimony, to the inestimable aid, which you render to the cause of Christian Missions, by your very commendable and indefatigable efforts to encourage the study of the Hebrew language in the literary and theological institutions of America. Would that candidates for missions knew much better how to appreciate your example, your precepts, and your la

bors, in this department of sacred learning! In my opinion, next to ardent piety and sound common sense, a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew is of the first importance, in the qualifications of a missionary. If he is destined to western or central Asia, he is sure to recognize a great resemblance between the Hebrew and the languages of all the nations among whom he may labor or travel. And if he is destined to southern or eastern Asia, a previous knowledge of the Hebrew is also of great importance to him, as it fairly introduces him to the genius of Asiatic tongues, and lays a noble foundation, on which to rear his future structures.

That your toils may be cheered, by witnessing the interest in sacred literature increased many fold, in your hallowed Seminary and throughout our land, and that your life and health may long continue to be precious in the sight of our blessed Lord, is the fervent prayer of

Yours, very respectfully and gratefully,

JUSTIN PERKINS. 9.-Biblisches Realwörterbuch zum Handgebrauch für Studirende, Kandidaten, Gymnasiallehrer und Prediger ausgearbeitet von Dr. Georg Benedikt Winer, Königl. Kirchenrath und ordentlichem Professor der Theologie an der Universität zu Leipzig. Zweiter Band, erste Abtheilung: L— R. Leipzig, 1836, pp. 403.

The first volume of this Bible Dictionary was published in 1833. In the preface, the author states the following as the general principles on which he should prepare his work. First, all which is properly included under the term, Introductions to the Bible and biblical theology will be excluded. The plan is limited to what is appropriately biblical history, geography, archaeology and natural history. Second, all proper names of persons or places, to the clearing up of which nothing can be borrowed either from the Bible itself directly or by an historico-critical investigation, nor from other sources, must be passed by. Third, all the things which are known in relation to the subjects introduced cannot be given, but merely such as are necessary for the actual illustration of the Bible. Fourth, in the historical articles, as Moses, David, etc. it would be superfluous to relate every thing which the Bible narrates. All, which the plan of this work will admit, will be a connected, and where necessary, a chronological survey of the principal facts, historical, antiquarian or physical.

We have made considerable use, for some time, of the first volume of this dictionary. It is well-condensed, accurate, and abundant in references to sources of information. It is accurately printed, in good type, in the Roman character. The author needs no recommendation from us.

10.-Cours de Littérature Grecque Moderne, donné a Genève par Jacovaky Rizo Héroulos, ancien premier ministre des Hospodars Grecs de Valachie et de Moldavie; publié par Jean Humbert. Geneve, pp. 204.

Jacovaky Rizo was born in Constantinople in 1778. He received his early education at Ephesus. At the age of twenty, he went to Moldavia to reside with the Hospodar, Upsilanti, father of the illustrious men of that name. Rizo employed himself in the study of French and of the oriental languages. He was named in 1801, by the successor of Upsilanti, his agent at Constantinople. A six years' war followed between Russia and the Porte, which Rizo passed in his studies. On the return of peace, he was named prime minister of the Hospodar of Wallachia. He devoted himself to the good of the people, improved various branches of public instruction, and established at Bucharest a flourishing lyceum. In 1818, he was translator to the minister of foreign affairs of the Porte. In 1819, he returned to his former business in Moldavia. The college of Jassy and the establishment of many schools of mutual instruction were now the objects of his attention. In 1821, the Greek revolution commenced, and Rizo retired to Odessa. In 1823, he came, with his family, to Geneva. In 1826, he delivered by request a course of lectures on modern Greek literature. A second edition of these lectures is now before us. They treat of the following subjects: Introduction to the history of the Greek language, origin and progress of the modern Greek language and literature, the patriarchs, Greek schools, Panajotaky, Alexander and Nicolas Mavrocordato, Samuel patriarch of Constantinople, Eugène Bulgaris, Riga, Greek schools, an account of nine Greek scholars, political situation of Greece, Greek commerce, Coray, system of Doukas, system of Christopoulo, system of Coray, Ionian Isles, critical review of the principal works in modern Greek literature, notes, fragment of an elegy of Rizo. The author writes in a spirited style, and apparently with candor and accuracy.

11.-Illustrations of the Holy Scriptures, derived principally from

the manners, customs, rites, traditions, forms of speech, antiquities, climate, and works of art and literature of the eastern nations; embodying all that is valuable in Harmer, Burder, Paxton and Roberts, and the most celebrated oriental travellers; embracing also the subject of the fulfilment of prophecy, as exhibited by Keith and others. Edited by the Rev. George Bush, professor of Hebrew and oriental Lit erature in the New York City University. Brattleboro', Vt. : Fessenden & Co. 1836, pp. 656.

About fifty years since, the biblical illustrations of Harmer were given to the public. His principal authorities were Chardin, Pococke,

Shaw, Maundrell, Pitts, Tournefort, D'Arvieux and Russell's Natural History of Aleppo. Since his time, an immense accession has been made to the department of oriental travels. We have the names of Volney, Niebuhr, Burckhardt, Mariti, Clarke, Chateaubriand, Jowett, Porter, Buckingham, Morier, Smith and Dwight, Rich, Seetzen, De Lamartine, Laborde, Stephens, and others, including many important missionary journals. Mr. Bush expresses his very deep obligations to Roberts's Oriental Illustrations of the Sacred Scriptures, collected during a residence of fourteen years among the Hindoos. This volume, replete with interesting matter, and expressed in pertinent and graphic language, is incorporated nearly entire into Mr. Bush's work. Valuable details are furnished in relation to the ruins found in Babylon, Nineveh, Tyre, Moab, Edom, etc. The numerous highly finished engravings, executed by distinguished artists, from sketches taken on the spot, and accompanied for the most part, with letter-press descriptions by the Rev. T. H. Horne, originally published in Finden's Landscape Illustrations, greatly enhance the value of this portion of the Illustrations. The number of engravings, maps, profiles, etc. is forty-five.

The whole work is well executed. The texts illustrated are printed in a larger type than the illustrations, and with considerable space intervening. The arrangement is orderly, commencing with the first verse in Genesis and proceeding to the Apocalypse. Professor Bush had excellent opportunities by his previous studies to execute the undertaking to great advantage; and he has performed the labor accordingly. He will have the grateful acknowledgements of all lovers of the Bible. The book is adapted to be a companion to the Comprehensive Commentary; it may, however, be used, with advantage, separately. We commend it with entire confidence to our readers.

12.-The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By William Tyndale, the martyr. The original edition, 1526, being the first vernacular translation from the Greek. With a memoir of his life and writings. To which are annexed, the essential variations of Coverdale's, Thomas Matthew's, Cranmer's, the Genevan, and the Bishops' Bibles, as marginal readings. By J. P. Dabney. Andover and NewYork: Gould and Newman, 1837.

This is one of the most interesting books, we say it without misgiving, ever issued from the American press. It is the first translation of the New Testament made from the original Greek into the English language. It is the model and prototype of all the subsequent versions, which, indeed, with the exception of our authorized version, were mere revisions of Tyndale. James's translators did, doubtless, investigate the original Greek and Hebrew, (some of them

were excellent scholars for their times), yet their labors, in a great part, so far as the New Testament is concerned, consisted in transcribing Tyndale. This fact argues nothing against their honesty or ability, or the excellence of the authorized version. The translators of this version in their preface, (the work of bishop Smith, a translator and reviser), testify, that their own version "is, in no part, a new translation. We never thought," say they, "that we should need to make a new translation, but to make a good one, better; or out of many good ones, one principal good one. We think great injustice has been done to Tyndale. Efforts have been made to prove that he copied from Luther's German version, because forsooth he translates xxinoia congregation, instead of church, just as Luther translates it by gemeine rather than by kirche. The truth is, that Tyndale was familiar with Greek from his youth, while there is no evidence that he ever had a thorough knowledge of German. He writes like one at home in the original tongues. "The Greek," says he, agreeth more with the English than with the Latin, and the properties of the Hebrew tongue agreeth a thousand times more with the English than with the Latin." A minute comparison of Tyndale's text with the Greek, with the Latin Vulgate, and with Luther's German will demonstrate that Tyndale was no copier.

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The publication of this volume will increase our respect for the authorized version, while it will teach us to render honor to whom honor is due. Tyndale suffered unto death for the crime of translating the Bible, but rich fruit sprung up at once from the seed which he sowed in blood. His voice was scarcely silent in death, before seven or eight editions of his Testament were published in England, in accordance with the king's injunction. The volume, which Mr. Dabney has edited with so much industry and taste, contains, first, a reprint of Tyndale from Bagster's London edition; second, the essential variations of Coverdale's, Matthew's, Cranmer's, the Genevan, and the Bishops' Bibles, as marginal readings, producing a complete variorum, edition of the early vernacular versions; third, 105 pages of introductory matter, containing a preface, a very interesting memoir of Tyndale,-recast from Mr. Offor's memoir in Bagster's edition, list of Tyndale's writings, an account of the early vernacular versions, select collations of the first and second editions of Tyndale, and a tabular list of the most common distinctive expressions of Tyndale. A noble portrait of the martyr, and some other illustrations are added.