thefe Gloglolitick Letters, which are particularly in ufe among the Inhabitants of Croatia, Carinthia, and Carniol.

HAVING given this thort Account of the Sclavonians, we proceed now to extract what is moft material in our Author. He divides his Book into two Parts: In the firft, he treats of Sclavonian Verfions of the Bible; in the fecond, of the Works of Ephrem Syrus. After having obferved, that all the Accounts given by Father Simon in his Critic, Le Long in his Bibliotheca Sacra, Kortholt in his Book de variis Bib liorum Editionibus, Fabricius, Ufferius, and Saubertus, of the Sclavonian Bibles, are very defective, he tell us there are two principal Editions of this Work. The first printed in Poland in theCity of Oftrogow, in the Dutchy of Volbinia, in the Year 1581; the fecond in the City of Mofcow, in the Year 1663. The chief Promoter of the first was Conftantine Prince of Oftrogow, Palatine of Kiow, and Duke of Volbinia: though he profeffed the Greek Religion, he fent Deputies to the General Synod held at Thorn in the Year 1595, to offer the Proteftants his Friendship and Protection. In the Year 1599, he had feveral Conferences with the Duke of Ratzevil, and others, to bring to pass a happy Union between the Proteftants and the Greeks. Being told there were but few Copies of the Sclavonian Bible in Poland, he refolved to have it printed at his own Coft, and that it might be more correct than any till then extant, he had it revis'd and compared with the Greek Verfion of the Septuagint by learned Men, skill'd in both Languages. Tho' the number of Copies he had printed was very confiderable, yet they

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were foon difpofed of, and became fo fcarce, that our Author, during his ftay at Petersburg, could never be so happy as to fee any; only he was told, Count Bruce, Mafter of the Ordinance, had one of these Bibles in his Library. He therefore contents himself to quote out of Le Long's Bibliotheca Sacra the Admonition of Prince Conftantine, and the Thanksgiving of the Printer annexed to this Work. But having perufed afterwards the Copy of this Bible, which is in Mr. Fabricius's Library, he gives a more particular Account of it, the Title of the Work runs thus:!

The Bible, viz. The Books of the Old and New Teftament tranflated out of the Hebrew into Greek, by Seventy two Interpreters,inftructed by God,in the Year three hundred and eight before the Birth of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, by order of Ptolemæus Philadelphus King of Egypt, and now tranflated and corrected with all poffible Care, in the Year after the Birth of our Lord and Sa viour Jefus Chrift 1581. There are three Prefaces the first is a Prayer and Thanksgiving compofed by Prince Conftantine; it begins with thefe Words: God Father Almighty, Ever"lafting, without beginning, and of infinite "Power, who art alone immortal:" And ends thus, I, Conftantine, call'd in my holy Bap: "tifm Bafilius, by the Grace of God our Sa+ "viour, Duke of Oftrogow, Waiwode of Kiów, "and Palatine of Volbinia, recommend zea"loufly to all elect and beloved Brethren in "Chrift, not only according to the Flesh, but "in the holy Spirit, who understand the Sclavo "nian Language, and live in the Apoftolick "Catholick Church, to read this Verfion of "the Bible and I give thanks to God, that by

his Bleffing and Mercy, and his Love to "Mankind he vouchfafed to let me begin and fee the end of this prefent Work, which you fee now every where, viz. the Old and New Teftament printed in the City, by God pre"ferv'd, and our chief Refidence Ostrogow in Volbinia, in the Year after the Creation of "the World feven thousand and eighty nine, "aud after the Birth of Chrift One thoufand "five hundred and eighty one, in the Month of Auguft."

IN the fecond Preface, Prince Conftantine tells us, when he firft refolved upon this Work, he could not find one fingle Copy of the Sclavonian Bible in all his Dominions; but foon after had one fent him from John Bafilowiz Great Duke of Ruffia, which was five hundred Years old, and written in the time of Wolodimir: he adds, that he was very much difcouraged when in the various Copies and Editions of this Bible in feveral Languages and Letters, which he collected for his purpose, he found fo many dif ferent Expreffions, dubious Paffages, and Errata of the Writers or Printers; but hoping to get over all thefe Difficulties, he fent learned Men into all parts of the World, Italy, Candia, Bulgary, to learch the Libraries of the Greek Monafteries, and laftly to Jeremiah Patriarch of Conftantinople, to demand of him a correct Copy of the Bible, and fome learned Men skilled in both the Greek and Selavenian Language, which this worthy Prelate readily granted.

THE third Preface begins with the Paffage of John 5. Read the Scriptures, and treats of the Ufefulness, Authority and Divinity of the holy Wri tings. This Preface was made by Gerafimus, who calls himfelfa great Sinner. The Books of the

Old

Old Teftament are put in this Order The five Books of Mofes, Joshua, the Judges, the four Books of Kings, Nehemiah, the fecond and third Book of Efdras, Ezra, Tobit, Judith, Job, the Pfalms, the Proverbs Ecclefiaftes, the Song of Solomon, the Book of Wisdom, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, &c. In the New Teftament the fame Order is observed, as in our Bible, except that the feven Catholick Epiftles are put before thofe of St. Paul's: at the end of every Book you find the number of the Chapters, and before thofe of the New Teftament fhort Prefaces and Summaries. To this Work is annexed a Greek Almanack, and this Conclufion of the Printer;

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This prefent holy, and Soul-refreshing Bible "of the Old and New Teftament has been printed by me the greateft Sinner, John Son of Theodore of great Ruffia, in the City of Of "trogow by God preferved, in the Year of the "World 6089, and of our Lord God and Sa "viour Jefus Chrift 1581, the 12th Day of Au"guft?" "When this Edition was become scarce, Alexius Michaelowitz Grand Duke of Russia, with the Approbation of the Metropolitans, Archbishops, and Bishops, had it reprinted at Moscow in the Year of the World 7102, of Chrift 1663. The Editors in the Preface after having treated at large of the Dignity, Authority, and Ufefulness of the holy Scriptures, tell us how they corrected many Errors, which had crept into the Oftragovian Edition; but confefs ingenuously, that for want of old, authentick Manufcripts, and of Men skill'd both in the Greek and Sclavonian Language, as well as by reafon of the continual Wars and Cavils of ill. minded Perfons, they were obliged to leave

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many

many others uncorrected. The Books of the Old and New Teftament are in the fame order as in the Oftrogobian Edition, and to each of them is prefixed a fhort Preface, andSummary. In that before the Gospel according to Luke, they fay, this Evangelift was born at Antiochia, a Man skilful in Phyfick, and in the Hebrew Language, a Fellow-traveller of St. Paul, and his Companion in all his dangers; and they add, that he wrote his Gospel in the fifteenth Year after the Afcenfion of our Lord: but in that before the Acts, they make him a Painter. To the Work are annexed two fmall Treatifes; the firft, an Order for the Leffons appointed to be read at the Festivals; the fecond, an Order for the Morning Leffons throughout the whole Year. After having given this Account of the Sclavonian Editions of the Bible, our Author inquires who were the Authors of this Tranf lation: almost all the Roman Catholicks, and amongst the Proteftants, Frentzelius and Bergius afcribe it to St. Jerom; their chief Argument is taken from a Paffage in St. Jerom's Letter to Sophronius, where he fays, that be gave a very correct Tranflation of the Bible Hominibus fuæ linguæ, to thofe of his own language. And as he was born at Scridonium, a City of Dalmatia or Illyricum, they pretend he was a Sclavonian by birth, and his Tranflation by confequence in the Sclavonian Language: but our Author obferves, 1. That St. Jerom was no Sclavonian, for he was born in Dalmatia, a long time before the Sclavonians fettled in that Country. 2. That he did not understand the Sclavonian Language; he calls himfelf Homo trilinguis, a Man that understands three LanNo. XXI. 1733. U guages, VOL. IV.