them was governed by any code of print ed regulations, but merely submitted to the Lex non scripta of convenience. I soon found that from my connection with such society I derived much pleasure as well as instruction, and became considerably interested in its success. Things however remained in this state till about fifteen months ago, when our secretary quit ting the town, to prevent the annihilation of the society, I was requested by som● of our most respectable inhabitants to accept the vacant office; and having by, this time become tolerably well acquaint ral rectitude, since we know that at the To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, Word to the promulgation of every circumstance which is at all likely to Considering that of all the means hi About four years ago, on my settling in this town, I found there were several small book societies, which appeared to afford each within its sphere considerable amusement to its members: the oldest of these had been established many years by an ingenious and respected gentleman of the town, Mr. Cooper, and another had just been formed on a small, but most respectable, scale, (consisting of about eight members at a guinea subscription) by a friend and inmate in the same house with myself, and to this I attached my name as a subscriber; but neither of occurred to me the practicability there was (if suitable regulations were drawn up) of very considerably enlarging the list of our subscribers, and, from the increased funds and books, of ultimately establish ing a public library. But things at this time did not promise either so speedy or successful an issue; for the society was at that time without either books or funds, and the nursling of brain had to labour against publie my opinion. Finding however that the list of subcreased, at scribers to my society very rapidly inour general meeting, the commencement of this year, from the great increase in the price of paper and print, and consequently on books of every description, I found it expedient to recommend our annual subscription should be in future one guinea and a half, a measure which was adopted; and I took the opportunity of pretty generally circu lating the printed rules which I had laid down for the government of the society, and immediately advanced a considerable sum of money in aid of its funds; well aware that if I made the society desirable from its stock of good books, people's in terest would powerfully operate in prevailing on them to encourage it. Soon after this I drew up a second series of rules, as more particularly suited to the establishment of a library and news. room, and which were, by a meeting I called for the purpose, unanimously adopted, and have been carried into effect; and so generally approved of is the esta blishment, that it is supported by about 70 subscribers, comprizing nearly all the most respectable inhabitants of this town and neighbourhood, and possesses a library of upwards of two hundred volumes, a catalogue of which is printed. I now consider the society to be esta blished on a permanent basis; and when I review its origin and progress, the small 252 scale upon which it was commenced, the short space of time it has been established, and the easy rate of subscription by which it is supported and raised to its present reputable rank, I think I am warranted in entertaining the pleasing hope, that it will in a few years become an institution of considerable public importance and general utility, and be in. ferior to few in the west of England. JOHN THRELLAYNE. Troubridge, Aug. 20, 1813. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. Y SIR, OUR correspondent W. G. in his enquiry relative to apprenticeships, has qbserved, "William Casion served his ti ne to the engraving of gun-barrels, but, from hisingenuity, was made letter founder to the king." In this statement he confounds. the grandfather with the grandson. The former, the most celebrated letter founder this country has produced, served his apprenticeship to an engraver of gunbarrels, but was never letter founder to the king. That distinction was first conferred upon his grandson, Mr. William Caslon, who is still living. I am induced to trouble you with this correction from the consideration that accuracy, even in minutiæ, is desirable. ΤΥΡΕ. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, ERMIT me in a brief manner to Pake a few observations on the Bib lical criticism of Theophilus Bauzet, minister of the Church of Geneva, relating to a passage in the Book of Deuteronomy. He acknowledges that "the Bible Society wish of course that nothing should appear In their new versions contrary to the high veneration due to the Son of God." This is unquestionably correct. But he adduces a passage from their French stereotype Bible published in 1813, which it seems is at variance with a passage in the French Bible, printed under the direction of the Pastors and Professors of Geneva, six years earlier, and which he thinks must convey strange notions of the justice and mercy of God. I have recently exa. mined a French Bible (par les Pasteurs et Docteurs de l'Eglise de Geneve) printed at Rochelle in the year 1616, and find the text in complete unison with our own authorized version, and with the version published by the British and Foreign Bibie Society, to which he so pointedly objects. The passage stands thus, Le gorps mort d'icelui ne demeurera point la nuict sur le bois, ains tu ne faudras point de l'ensevelir le mesme jour : car celui qui est pendu est malediction de Dieu; parquoi tu ne souilleras point la terre, que l'Eternel ton Dien te donne en heritage."-Deut. xxi. 23. I have likewise examined Walton's Polyglot Bible (the republican copy, 1662) and to avoid the printing of characters which I do not profess to understand, and which can be only of service to those. who are skilled in Oriental learning, shall present at one view the Latin translations of the disputed passage as they stand in connection with the original text. "Pernoctabit non › ligno super eum suspenderis et, fuerit interficiend' et quia, ipsa die in eum sepelies sepeliendo quia, ligno super ei, cadaver quam, tuam humum contaminabis non et: suspensus Dei maledictio, hæreditatem tibi dans tuus Deus Dominus."-Interlineary version of the original Hebrew, ad hee baicum examinatâ per Ben Ariam Montanum et alios. Non permanebit cadaver' ei in ligno; sed eadem die sepelietur: Quia maledictus a deo est qui pendet in ligno.-Vulgate Version. Quia maledictio dei est suspensus.—Hebrew Samuritan. Quia pro eo peccavit coram dno, suspens est.-Chaldee. Targum Onkelos. Quoniam maledictus a deo omnis qui pendet in ligno.-Septuagint. Nam qui blasphemaverit deum, suspende tur.-Syriac. At ne pernoctet cadaver ejus super ipsam, sed omnino sepeli eum in eadem die, cum cruDeum.-Arabic Version. cifixus fuerit: eo quod blasphemaverit contra It will be here observed that in four languages, the Hebrew, the Hebrew Samaritan, the Latin, and the Greek, the passage receives a sense exactly corre sponding with the one objected to by Theoph. Bauzet, in the French version published by the Bible Society; and that in the remaining three, the Syriac, the Arabic, and Chaldee, the translation, although different in terms and significa tion, is equally remote from the sense he contends for, “parcequ'un cadavre pendu est un objet d'horreur." I have neither ability nor inclination to pursue the subject in a manner learnedly critical, or to examine with Jerome, or Drs. Kennicott and Gerard, how far the original Hebrew may have been corrupt. ed by the Jews out of hatred to the Christians. I believe the passage to be correct and genuine, nor do I see any ad vantage to be gained by Christianity in proving proving it otherwise. Before I produce To construe the curse as implying an eternal separation of the soul from God, and consequently exhibiting the Creator as unmerciful and unjust, is forced, harsh, and unwarrantable. The term applies only to the bodies of convicted criminals, who having broken the known law of their God, are made an afflicting and ignominious spectacle to men; and in or der that justice might be blended with mercy, and the feelings of the living not barbarously outraged by a perpetual exhibition,the command was added "Thou shalt in any wise bury him that day." The thief on the cross endured the Curse of the law, but received the promise of a seat in Paradise. How awfully condescending appears the conduct of the great Saviour of mankind! He not only took upon himself the nature of man, subjected himself to our infirmities, bare our sicknesses, and became oppressed and afflicted; but he endured for us an ignominious death on the Mount of Calvary. He was made a spectacle to angels and to men, He was made a curse for us, that we might receive redemption and glory at his hands. "Christ, (says the apostle) hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, be ing made a curse for us, as it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."-Galatians iii. 18. Chelmsford. English Bibles circulated by the Britis over the consciences of men." To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, N the 19th chapter of that sublime IN and philosophic work, "A Survey of the Revolutions of Empires, by M. Volney," the author has ideally assembled every individual species of the human race, to propose and discuss their rights and duties, “in a vast amphitheatre encircling a standard with three colours, on which is inscribed Equality, Liberty, and Justice." At these words, on which so many volumes have been written, and on whose altar so many victims have been immolated, I beg your readers will not feel startled, as I assure them I am no friend to levelling distinctions. As it is almost next to an impossibility that this philanthropic idea of a congress of individuals, from all nations and of every race of men on the globe, meeting together for the rational purpose of adopting fresh laws for their better order and government,will ever be realized; yet such an event may be witnessed on canvass, and would, I presume, be an undertaking calculated to call forth the most pleasing emotions; in the elegant and pathetic language of its author, " A scene most truly of a new and astonishing nature would present itself to our view. The motley appearance of such an innumera ble crowd, occasioned by their diversity of dress, of features, and complexion, would not only exhibit a most extraordinary and attractive spectacle," but afford to the scholar and the man of reflection at all times a rich opportunity of consulting the costume and habits of nations; it would tend to generalize and soften our ideas one to another; it would teach us to be mild, just, tolerant, and tree, by exhibiting to us our fellow-creatures (under whatsoever disguise they may appear) "infinitely varied, of one understanding thus modified with extravagance, of one organization assuming such contrary appearances; it would not only give us very complicated sensations," but excite in its spectators a thousand new thoughts and emotions, and, as was judiciously observed in another work, be of infinite infinite" importance as a source of commercial improvement and wealth to nations." "On one side," we should observe "the European with his short hair and close habit, his triangular hat, smooth chin, and powdered hair; and on the opposite side, the Asiatic with a flowing robe, a long beard, a shaved head, and a circular turban. Here the inhabitants of Africa, their skin of the colour of ebony, their hair woolly, their body girt with white and blue fish-skins, and adorned with bracelets and collars of corals, shells, and glass beads there the Northern tribes enveloped in bags of skin; the Laplander, with his peaked bonnet and snow-shoes; the Samojede, with glowing limbs and a strong odour; the Tongonese, with his bonnet shaped like an horn, and his idols pendant from his neck; the Yakoute, with his freckled skin; the Calmuc, with his flattened nose and little eyes, forced as it were to have no correspondence with each other :-farther on, the Chinese, attired in silk, and their hair hanging in tresses; the Japanese, of mingled race; the Malayans, with spreading ears, a ring in the Bose, and a vast hat of the leaves of the palm tree; the tattoued inhabitant of the islands of the ocean and the contipent of the antipodes." We should contemplate with astonishment the gradation of colour, from a" white" and bright carnation to a brown scarcely less bright, a dark brown, a muddy brown, bronze, olive, leaden, copper, as far as to the black of ebony and jet." We should "observe the Cassimerean, with his rose-coloured cheek, next in vicinity to the sun-burnt Hindoo; the Georgian standing by the side of the Tartar." We should "reflect upon the effect of climate, hot or cold; of soil, mountainous or deep, marshy or dry, woody or open." We should "compare the dwarf of the pole with the giant of the temperate zone; the lank Arab with the pot-bellied Hollander; the squat figure of the Samoiede with the tall and slender form of the Sclavonian and Greek; the greasy woolly head of the Negro with the shining locks of the Dane; the flat-faced Calmuc, with his eyes angle-wise to each other, and his nose crushed, to the oval and swelling visage, to the large blue eyes, and the aquiline nose of the Circassian and the Abyssin." We should "contrast the painted lincus of India with the works manlike cloths of Europe; the rich furs of Siberia" with " various clothing of savage nations,-skins of fishes, plaiting of reeds, interweaving of leaves and feathers, together with the blue-stained figures of serpents, stars, and flowers, with which other skins are varied." I beg leave, therefore, to recommend to the amateur and professor of painting the propriety of forming themselves into a committee to solicit subscriptions, and other necessary information, to complete a grand national painting (perhaps upon the principle of a panorama) to be placed in a situation that would be most condu cive to public utility. W. GOODMAN. Warwick, Sept. 23, 1813. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine., SIR, is a subject often brought on the HE degeneracy of the human race carpet, and those who are ready to admit a progressive improvement in intellect are sometimes not backward in admitting a deterioration as to magnitude and per sonal prowess. Yet it may be fairly ask ed, do we find man, when nearest to the state of nature, larger or stronger than in a state of civilization, or do we find wild animals stronger or larger than many of the same species in a state of domesti cation. Under the protection of a well regulated society we may indeed easily conceive that individuals born with feeble powers may be preserved, who in a more savage state would fall an early sacrifice to the wants, or to the uncertain condition, of their parents. These, however, are only few in number, and some of them even grow up larger and stronger than those whose appearance in early life was more promising. We are often told of gigantic bones found in coffins, with swords which in these days men would find it difficult to wield. There is reason to believe many of these accounts are exaggerated. However some of them stand on sufficient authority, and it may not be very difficult to account for them perhaps by the very care with which such remains have been preserved. We might presume, if we had not sufficient evidence to prove it, that the early commanders acquired their authority principally by their personal prowess; and if we could trace accurately the genealogy of families who rose to distinction in the first formation of socie ty, we should probably find most of them my of a larger stature. This would be best shewn where the generality of the inhabitants are often below, or rarely exceeding, the middle size: and if limited observation may be depended on, such will be found the case in Wales, and in In these the highlands of Scotland. mountainous regions, the inhabitants, however brave and muscular, are gene. rally short, yet their principal families are many of them large. In Wales this is the most remarkable. In the only authentic history on which we can depend we find that the first king was higher than any of the people, from his shoulder upwards. It may be urged that Saul, though appointed by divine authority, was not the king destined to raise the glory of Israel. The same history however informs us, that David, who was particularly consecrated for this purpose, and who, whatever may have been his personal faults, fulfilled every promise which was expected of him, was, At a very early age, able to wear Saul's armour, and also to carry the sword of Goliah, This champion of the Philistines was also of enormous height, and though he could not, in the then more settled state of their government, be made a king, yet had he succeeded in his challenge, we may suppose, at some future period, that he would have been buried at least with a part of his arms, and that his family would have been ennobled. The heroes of Homer are often brought as a proof of the supposed traditionary strength of the heroic ages. On this occasion I cannot help hazarding a few remarks, which I hope will induce some of your better informed readers to instruct us farther on so interesting a subject, for whatever relates to Homer must be interesting. The only instances that I recollect, in which Homer speaks of the superior powers of the men of those days, is in recounting the exploits of his heroes. By beroes I would not be supposed to mean merely valiant men, in the languages in which we now use the term, and in which Pope, among his many mistakes, uses it also: For much the goddess mourn'd her heroes slain,' H. Book I. v. 76. is a very improper translation of 46 Κηδετο γας Δαναών, οτι ῥα θνασκολίας ορατο A. 56. It does not appear that any of the chieftains died by the pestilence to which the sorrow of Juno aliudes, but only the common soldiers, an event not at all un common in a camp fever of short continuance. The term hero was therefore improper only used by Pope. In Homer it is, I believe, never applied but to the descendants of the gods, or to princes whose genealogy was supposed remotely to reach as high; and in the passage above cited, we find no mention but of Greeks, in the general term. pursue the examination of those parts of the Iliad, in which this degeneracy is supposed to be alluded to. But let us The first passage is in the 5th book, verse 370, et seq. of Pope's Transla tion. Here Diomed is described "from the fields, Heaved with vast force, a rocky fragment wields; Not two strong men the enormous weight could raise, Such men as live in these degenerate days; In this translation, the term wield, at the beginning, is too much like the bran dishing attitude described towards the conclusion; but the principal error is that, whilst Homer describes the power of Diomed equal to lifting and brandishing with ease and with one hand what two men could not carry, Pope uses the term raise, which much weakens the force, as we know that one man can easily carry what requires the force of several to raise, so as to enable him tọ carry it. But what is most to our present point, Homer does not speak of degeneracy in mankind at large, when he tells us, that a hero in those days took up more than two men could carry, es νῦν βρωτοι εισ', such as men now are that is, since the race of heroes has gradually become like the common race. Virgil probably had the opinion of degeneracy in view, when he requires twelve men for what Homer assigned to two. He was however careful not to lessen the magnificence of his figure, as Pope has done, by supposing that any two men, or twelve men, could lift what was thought worthy to be used as a weapon by a hero. He therefore tells us, that twelve picked men, of his days, could scarcely stand under such a stone, if it were raised so as to be lodged on their necks. "Viz illud lecti bis sex cervice subirent." |