To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HA AVING the honour to be entrusted with the superintendance of the textpart of Mr. Hewlett's Bible, in its progress through the press, an anxious desire that its character, in point of accuracy, should not disgrace its other recommendations, has led me to such an inspection of different English editions and translations of the scriptures, as confirms a suspicion I had long entertained, of the incorrect state in which the sacred volume generally appears among us. Every body, acquainted with the business of printing, knows that it is almost impossible, except by the most extreme caution, that a book should pass through a multitude of successive impressions without an accumulation of errors; the ordinary copies of the classics shew this in a striking manner: but surely the Bible is an e treme case: and though we cannot expect the university presses, more than any others, to have angels for their correctors, (for those who are engaged in correcting, know there is nothing heavenly in the employment,) yet the exclusive privilege, which enables them to make their editions so very large, imposes on them the duty, and at the same time makes it very well worth the while, to bestow an extraordinary degree of care in that respect. With no invidious view, therefore, but in the hope of rousing the University editors to an active attention to this subject (which appears the more desirable at a time when a stereotype edition of the Scriptures is said to be. ia contemplation), and of supplying a detail, which perhaps some of your readers may peruse with interest, I offer you, even in this early stage, the results of my examination, as far as it has as yet extended, being however (except incidcutally) but little beyond thebook of Genesis., The authorities which I have used in the execution of my task, are as follow: 1. A Quarto University Bible (Oxford, 1802); 2. An Octavo University Bible (Oxford, 1801); 3. A Duodecimo University Bible (Oxford, 1789); 4, The Bible which passes under the name of Bishop Wilson; 5. Dr. Geddes's Translation; 6. Cruden's Concordance (Edin burgh, 1804). The text and marginal I suppose it is impossible to ascertain what edition of the Bible Cruden used in making his compilation. It seems to have been matter of Mr. Hewlett's Bible are cofeditions, and Bishop Wilson's, and the lated with both the University Quarto Geddes's: the other three authorities are text is compared strictly with Dr. only consulted occasionally. confine my lists of errors to the UniverI shall not sity editions: as Bishop Wilson's has a high reputation for accuracy, in conse quence of having been edited by the indefatigable Cruttwell; and the character of Dr. Geddes is far beyond my power of appreciation. With respect to Cruden's Concordance, however, I shall merely observe here, once for all, that though a work of vast utility, yet any body who may unfortunately have occasion to inspect it with minuteness, even strictly according say it with confidence, perpetual feelings to the author's plan, will experience, Ï of disappointment and disgust :-I do not now speak of typographical errors but of omissions. The corrections in each of the following lists are made on the authority of all the rest of the six sources above mentioned (or without the opposition of any of them) except where otherwise expressed. chap. iii. ver. 19, out it for out of it; v. Quarto University Bible.-Genesis, 22, margin, Mac. (Maccabees) for Mic (Micah); vii. 11, foundations for fountains; xv. 18, the first the should be. that ; xix. contents, the second is should he becomes; xxx. 25,§ take for taken; xxxi. 33, his for the; xxxvi. 4, Adar for Adah; xxxviii. 23, send for sent; xxxix. contents, mistresses's for mistress's; xxxix. 14; him for them; xlii. 2, ye for we; xivi. 24, Gezer for Jezer; xlix. 6, thou not for not thou; xlix. 26, the second thy should, a pretty old one, as he has the spelling "Yce alone (and not Ice) in his alphabetical ar rangement. Perhaps he employed more than сле сору. * Girgashite in x. 16, is supported also by Cruden, but my other authorities have it here site. In every other passage of Scripture, where I find the name, they all have the sh except Geddes, who constantly writes-site.. + The Octavo also has the. As in the Cambridge Quarto edition 3 after s. or else something (as turned into) is omitted § Endued in verse 20 of this chapter is given also by the Octavo edition and by Cru should certainly at present call a woman have den: the other three have endowed. We ing a large marriage portion, richly endorved, rather than endued. be be my;* Exodus ii. 3, no for not ; iv. 10, 1 Samuel ix. 23, Sit it for Set it. In Gethe second my should be thy; vi. 14, nesis xxv. 28, there is venision for venifather's for fathers' (see verse 25.)‡ A son; Exodus iii. 22, neighbour for neighperiodical journal of last month, in bour; and ii. 21, a note of interrogation an article of biblical criticism, mentions for a colon.-In the Duodecimo, Genesis it, as "not generally known, that in the x. 22, there is Edom for Elam. successive editions of the bible, the number of supplementary words printed in Italics has been unwarrantably and surreptitiously increased to a large amount." Something, I know, has been done toward reducing this amount, in the stereotype edition of the New Testament, lately executed at Cambridge; but as neither of my complete Bibles pretends to any innovation in this respect,the few variations among them concern my present purpose. In the edition which I am now examining, the following words should be in Italic: Genesis xviii. 31, it; xxiii. 17. the first was; and xxx. 33, is. The enumeration of errors merely literal and of an inferior description will serve only to shew what degree of general care has been exercised in the business of correction. Thus there is at Genesis iv. 23, in the margin, hut for hurt; x. 10, kingdon for kingdom; xix, the sixth verse is nnmbered 5; xxv. 2, margin Chrin. for Chron.; xxxvii. 2, the first comma should be a full point: Exodus i. 19, midwive for midwives; ii. 7, a note of admiration for an interrogation; iv. 4, Lord should be printed LORD: vi. 28, the full point should be a comma; ix. 13, Phoraoh for Pharaoh; ix. 29, as for As (being the beginning of a speech), and a like mistake xiii. 3, in remember for Re Bishop Wilson's Bible (as it is called). Genesis vi. 21, for is omitted before food; ix. 4, you for ye;t xix. 21, also omitted after thing; xxii. 7, the omitted before wood; xxii. 23, bare for bear; xxiv. 6, thou omitted after Beware §; xxv, 13, 14, these verses are wrong divided (the sign of separation should have followed Mibsam instead of Adbeel); xxv, 33, the second to should be unto; xxxi. 39, longest for longedst; xxxi. 34, camels' for camel's; xxxv. to omitted before stink; xxxvi. 22, Hemam for He man;|| xxxi. into for in to; Exodus ii. 6, Hebrew's for Hebrews';¶ iii. 22, the latter clause (after raiment) is erroneously made a separate verse, numbered 23; viii. 24 end, swarms for swarm; ix. 6, beasts for beast; ix. 11, the first boil should be boils; x. 14. coast for coasts (sce ver. 19). The following errors occur in the use or omission of the Italic distinction: Genesis vii. 25, land should' be in Italic;** so likewise is in xxxv. 19ft and xxxvi. 1, are in xxxvi. 20, art member. The University Octavo, and Duodecimo, copies as I mentioned before, I have only consulted occasionally, in matters of suspicion or doubt. The list of errors, therefore which, I have found in these exclusively is but small.-In the Octavo, Genesis xxxi. 5, he should be omitted; *The Octavo also has thy, which however appears clearly to be wrong from the Duodecimo, Wilson's (with all the six various renderings collected in this latter), and Cruden. Geddes has ne ther. + Cruden has not under "Hide," and no under" Longer." The Octavo also has this error. In xliv. 9, both is given by Wilson in italics, which seems countenanced by Geddes, (compare his 16th verse). Haggai, in xlvi. 16, is supported also by Wilson, Cruden, and Geddes; but the Quarto and Duodecimo have Haggi: and when the name is mentioned again of the same person (Numbers xxvi. 15) all my authorities have Haggi, except Geddes, who constantly writes ai; and Cruden, who (as is not at all uncommon) totally omits this text. Geddes's omission of for, seems a mere matter of style. +Cruden also has you under "Eat not" and Blood," but ye under " Life." Crudeu has not this text under "Also ;" but his omissions of text decide nothing. § Cruden has not the thou under "Beware," but he often omits inferior words for the sake of compression: he has it under "Bring again." Geddes's omission seems a matter of style. Hemam is also given in the Various Renderings; Geddes has adopted that reading into în xlvi. 18, and if in xliv. 22—in xviii 32, this should not be in Italic:* so likewise which in xxxiv. 1. The next are of a merely literal and inferior kind: as in Genesis xxiv. 66, one for done; xxv. 4, a full point for a comma; xlvii. 15, Greus for Give us; xlix. 29, a full point for a semicolon; and Exodus ii. 18, a full point for a note of interrogation. Dr. Geddes's Translation must be taken up cautiously in alleging errors, as it is often so widely different, from our common Bible; but a few things of this sort, which appeared evident to me, I have noted, and there were some, of which I did not make any memorandum. Thus in Genesis ix. 28, and fifty seems omitted (see viii. 13, and ix. 29) Exodus ix. 29, rain for hailt; xxiii. 18, unleavened for leavened; and xxxviii. 25, sixty for seventy-five; (see ver. 28).‡ Without achieving the task of verifying every reference in the immense mass of Parallel Texts given in Bishop Wilson's Bible, my examination has enabled me already to detect a great number of errors, involving every sort of confusion, both in that and the University Quarto edition. A detail of them would be very uninteresting and repulsive to your readers: it is sufficient to say that these will be all corrected in Mr. Hewlett's catalogue; and any person who may be in possession of either of these two editions, who will do me the honor of applying to me privately, shall be very welcome to such remarks as I have made upon the subject. I shall only mention here as a specimen, that in Bishop Wilson, at Genesis xxv. 18. the texts of two references (p and q) are entirely omitted; chap. xli. the references of the last paragraph are wrong See the parallel text (Judges vi. 39, twice). + According to all my other authorities. See Gerides ver, 22 to 26, and 28; but like. wise 33, 34, The following instances may be classed as oversights; as the Doctor has not (according to his plan) marked either of them as authorized by a variety in the original text, or distinguished the first by Italics as supplied by himself; Genesis xxvii. 28, and of oil added at the end, and xlv. 10, and thy children's bildren (which occurs in our common Bibles) is omitted after children. It is from this that the list in Mr. Hewlett's Bible is taken. Crutwell (as I understand him) states the number in the Preface, at above unty-ax thousand, all together; the same with those in the text of chap. xlvi, from verse 26 to the end; and the same at the bottom in Exodus ir. 21, to the end. In the University Quarto errors of this latter description occur at Genesis xxx. 2 to 4, and some other places. Even the laborious Crutwell shrunk from a minute scrutiny of this the editors from whoin he copied, andepartment of his compilation, and makes swerable for its correctness: and I have been handed down implicitly from geneno doubt that many of its inistakes have ration to generation. Having occasion to inspect a reference to the ninth chapter of Deuteronomy, that occurs (in all my Bibles which have any Parallel Texts) at Genesis xli. 57, I perceived it to be chanical process of printing, leading me wrong; and some knowledge of the meiatended, I turned to that, and found to suspect that the second chapter was indeed is rather fantastical, but that is my suspicion confirmed (the resemblance nothing uncommon):-but the curious part of the circumstance is this; that the corresponding (or, as I may call it, returning) reference has been blindly placed at the ninth chapter! Now this can originally assigned the former reference. never have been done by the hand that So much for the necessity of a thorough revision of the Parallel Texts; a task which the University editors alone can be expected, and ought to be required, to perform.§ better condition, but I am afraid my The marginal Dates are not in a much letter has already become tedious. After just therefore mentioning the absurdity (which appears in all my Bible that have any chronology(of continuing a single date occupied many years(as in Genesis xxxviii. through a series of events, that must have 4, to the end), I shall only give an example peculiarly ridiculous, which I find in * The easiest way of rectifying them is to incorporate the texts at bottom given under u and w, to omit the letter w entirely, and ward (that is x, y, &c. instead of w, x, &c. then put the letters in the text one step for + The / should be omitted; and the rest, instead of m, n, &c be made l, m, &c. tu, x, y, &c. should be t, u, x, &c. At Genesis xxxvi. 39, in the margin of words Hadad Pai stand confusedly: they, my Quarto and Octavo University Bibles, the ought to be referred to separately Hadar and Paw, in different parts of the verse. my my Octavo University edition, at the fourteenth chapter of Genesis. The date 1913, it seems has been ascertained to belong to the event related in the fifth verse, and the editor has sagaciously taken advantage of the words "fourteenth year" occurring in that verse, to give the date of 1926 to the beginning of the chapter. I refer your readers to the passage itself as the quotation would be too long: I cannot better illustrate the case, than by giving an historical narrative dated as follows; 1799. Buonaparte had now been nine years in possession of the Sovereign power of France, when 1808. his immeasurable ambition led him to seize treacherously on that of Spain. Here the second date is proper, and the first may be supposed to have been added by an University editor. In the particulars of Punctuation editor seems and Paragraph-marks every to have followed his own fancy. I have done the best I could with them. I do not give the above detail as a complete list of the errors which I have found even in the two editions which I have principally consulted. Several things of this sort I corrected without taking any account of them. What I have now troubled you with, however, may perhaps be of some utility. The Clarendon Press has done itself honour by its editions of the classics let it give I am, Sir, Yours, &c. Weybridge, Surry. us a correct Bible. M. SMART. their proceedings since Capt. Wilson's Voyage was published? Mr. Lancaster's improved plan for educating youth is a matter of immense importance to parents, as well as to the rising generation; but as his method has not been generally explained; a short account of its principles would be highly gratifying to numbers of your readers. In your 24th volume, page 316, I inserted a query respecting the cause and prevention of ropiness in bread, beer, perry, &c, to which a correspondent has obligingly sent an answer, in vol. 25, page 313, mentioning a method to prevent that disease in beer, but the chemical cause has not been explained. Yours, &c. Eastham, Worcestershire, In THOS. DAVIS. For the Monthly Magazine. THE DILLETANTI TOURIST, a SERIES of LETTERS, from an AMA TEUR in LONDON, to a FRIEND neur MANCHESTER.-No. II. [With a Plate.] pocha of the civilized world, ET us hope, that the fifth great may be derived and denominated from the splendours of British genius; that it is reserved for Great Britain to prove that the purest system of civil freedom, is creative of the noblest powers of intellectual excellence.-Let us hope, that the liberal policy of our princes and our statesmen will excite and second the genius of their country; and that we may shortly see the arts and sciences revolv ing in planetary splendour round the enlivening sun of British liberty; refined to a degree of perfection unattained in former periods; deriving vigour from its heat, and lustre from its beams." So says the unassuming and accomplished author of the Rhymes on Art, and what British heart does not sincerely join in the patriotic wish. If any doubt then existed in the mind of Mr. Shee as to the accom plishment of his wishes, I think the present noble collections now under consideration (being mostly brought together since the publication of the above,) will go, in a great measure, to remove them; at least, in my humble opinion, if it does not, the blame cannot attach to their proprietors. According to the arrangement made in my last, I shall now commence with the first room in the department of antiqui ties ties at the British Museum, which is devoted to the terra cottas. All the articles in this department, (antiquities,) unless where it is otherwise specified, formerly belonged to the collection of the late Charles Townley, esq. prefacing my observations, as I there promised, with a few remarks on basso relievos and terra cottas. Earth or clay is generally the first matter used by sculptors in forming their designs, and, when rendered solid by evaporation and burning, is called terra cotta. That modelling, or sculpture in terra cotta, was known and practised by the ancients, besides the undoubted specimens in this and other collections, we have the authority of Pausanias, who in the second chapter of the first book of his Description of Greece, mentions a temple of Bacchus, in which were several works in terra cotta, one of them representing Amphictyon, king of Athens, entertaining Bacchus, and other deities of the Grecian mythology. In the following chapter he says, that in the Ceramicus, there were several fine works of this material, and, among others, mentions two very celebrated specimens, one of them representing Theseus throw ing the robber Scyron into the sea, and the story of Aurora and Cephalus. The ancients sometimes painted or coloured their statues and bas-reliefs. Pliny and Pausanias both mention several examples; and though in the infancy of art, they coloured both their sculptures and terra cottas, yet they did not disdain to employ the latter, even after they had abandoned the barbarous practice of colouring them. Basso-rilievos were also employed as frizes to their temples, and to omament tablets and other plain spaces; they also used them as we do for models for their artists, for many of them have been discovered with holes through them big enough for a small cord, as if they had been suspended in their studies. Several of these ornamental pieces of modelling have been found in the tombs • The Ceramicus was one of the most beautiful quarters of Athens; Pausanias says, that it derived its name from Ceramus, the son of Bacchus and Ariadne; but Pliny says, that it was called Ceramicus, because Chalestenis, a celebrated sculptor and modeller in clay, had his workshop in this place. It was probably so, or from other artists and modelless of clay or fictile vases, statues, and bas-reliefs, residing there; as the Greek words Kagapes, terra figularis, vas fictile, or Rap amphora, urceus fictilis, from Kia Bro and iga tetra, imply. MONTHLY MAG. No. 181. that have been discovered in the Appianway, and in the Campagna di Roma; the little temple at Rome dedicated to Honour and Virtue, has also its ornaments modelled in terra cotta. The ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeia were full of basso-relievos, foliages, festoons, ta blets, and other architectural and sculptural ornaments of this composition,which, adorn the cabinets of almost every antiquary on the continent; that of the im perial library at Paris has several, the boast of the French coguoscenti, though I have doubts as to their superiority over our museum: but the modern ravagers of Europe, who, as in the days of Attila and the Goths, war even against the arts, prevent an English artist from feasting is mind, and indulging his fancy, in seeing and enjoying these much vaunted collections of ancient art. Although most subjects in sculpture that are not isolated statues are called bas-reliefs, yet there are three distinct species of reliefs; the alt relief, (in Italian, alto rilievo,) the half relief, (mezzo rilievo,) and the bas relief, (basso rilievo.) In alt-relief the figures are entire, or nearly so, the legs, arms, head, and other principal parts, being relieved and perforated behind, as in the charming collections of frizes from Athens in Lord Elgin's museum, and similar works. The half relief is that in which the ground appears at half the depth of the figures, or to speak perhaps more intelligibly, the figures and other subjects appear sunk half in the ground and half raised. This kind of relief is the most common, though it is usually called bas-relief. And basrelief, properly so called, is that species in which the figures are scarcely raised above the ground, as in coins, some medals, some of the frizes from the remains of the temples at Athens, &c. and other examples of the first style of Greek sculp ture. The two last species being by usage or consent amalgamated into one, I shall not venture to separate them, but in this and our future correspondence class them both under the head of bas-reliefs. scriptions of ancient monuments, you will In almost every work that contains defind delineations of antique bas reliefs; and in the following works, which I beleve are the principal, you will find enough to gratify your curiosity and your pencil; many of then, if not all, I dare say you will find in the college library at Manchester, viz. The various descriptions of the triumphal arcbes; the description of the "Columna Trajani," by Fabrettig G those |