Bible Society, a copy of the entire Bible in the Chinese language, was laid upon the table, by the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. Marshman. During the year now past, another version of the entire Bible in the same language has been added to the former, by the labours of the Rev. Dr. Morrison, at Canton, and his late valuable colleague, the Rev. Dr. Milne. The extent of the vast empire of China and its dependencies, together with the prospect of the great benefit to be derived from a comparison of the two works, forbids the thought of its being a superfluous labour and expense, thus to have provided two versions in the same language. The distribution of the Chinese New Testament, by Dr. Morrison and his friends, has been already so rapid that another new edition has been called for; a large part of which, as well as the whole of the former impressions, are already in circulation. The Anglo-Chinese College, is about to be removed from Malacca to Sincapore, a situation which will afford several facilities for the distribution of the Scriptures: for, by the many native vessels which visit that port, copies may be sent to Cochin-China; and, perhaps, to Japan itself. Materials are collecting for making subsequent editions more correct; and as the present blocks will not suffice for the number of copies which will be required, Dr. Morrison has again solicited the assistance of the Bible Society. His request has been met, by a further grant of one thousand pounds. SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. Biblical Translations.-An impression of 3,500 copies of the four Gospels in Otaheitian has been taken off at Huahine, one of the Society Islands in the South Seas. They have been received with avidity by the natives Several other parts of the New Testament, as well as of the Old, were ready for the press. At Borobora the Epistles have been completed, and every practical care is used to ensure fidelity in the translation. Large editions are called for, in consequence of several other islands having embraced Christianity; and 200 reams of paper have therefore been presented by the Bible Society for the use of the Missionaries in printing the Holy Scriptures. NORTH AMERICA. Bible Society.-The Report of the American Bible Society is of the most satisfactory nature: its operations have become so extensive that it has erected a building for conducting its business. There have been printed at the Depository, during the seventh year, 23,500 Bibles, 21,500 New Testaments in English, and 7000 in Spanish, which added to those purchased, &c., make a total of 323,777 Bibles and Testaments, or parts of the latter, printed from the stereotype plates of the Society in New York, and at Lexington, Kentucky, or otherwise obtained for circulation, during the seven years of its existence. At Labrador the work of translating the Scriptures into the Esquimaux language is actively prosecuted. Sixty of the Psalms of David are already completed. SOUTH AMERICA. Biblical Translations.-A correspondent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, at Lima, gives a pleasing account of the desire evinced at that place, for obtaining the Sacred volume. There is, it appears, a probability of obtaining a translation of the New Testament, or part of it, in the ancient language of Peru. A gentleman well acquainted with the language, is actually engaged in the work. As soon as one of the Evangelists is finished it is intended to print 1000 copies of it, and to get these circulated as soon as possible, in order to have the corrections of various individuals well acquainted with the language, that the second edition may be thereby improved as much as possible. It is to be printed at the expence of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Another correspondent, at La Guayra, writes, that the desire evinced by the people, young and old, priests and laity, to procure a copy of the Scriptures exceeds his ability to meet their demands. Biblical Ellustrations. THE WATER OF JEALOUSY. Numbers v. 17. THE water of jealousy drank by an Israelitish woman, suspected of infidelity to her husband, but denying that crime, has been a subject of great difficulty; more especially as we do not read of this rite ever having been put in practice in any subsequent age. Was this rite now first instituted? Was it now first instituted in reference to jealousy? What was its import ? We presume that it contained the essence of an oath, varied for the purpose of peculiar solemnity; so that a woman would naturally hesitate to take such an oath, understood to be an appeal to heaven of the most solemn kind; understood, also, to be accompanied, in case of perjury, by most painful and fatal effects. The Jews say, that the woman was led in a disgraceful manner to the place appointed for judgment, and was otherwise perplexed, shamed, and fatigued; but of this Scripture says nothing: neither indeed is it credible, as the hardship of the case seems to be quite enough, without addition, on a woman who might be perfectly innocent. As something of the same nature still obtains in Africa, we shall give an instance or two from Mungo Park. "At Baniserile, one of our Slatees, (slave merchants,) returning to his native town, as soon as he had seated himself on a mat, by the threshold of his door, a young woman, (his intended bride,) brought a little water in a calabash, and kneeling down before him, desired him to wash his hands; when he had done this, the girl, with a tear of joy sparkling in her eyes, drank the water: this being considered as the greatest proof she could possibly give him of her fidelity and attachment." M. Park, 347. This action of the woman we understand to be a kind of oath; q.d." May this water prove poison to me if I have been unfaithful to my absent husband." This the innocent might drink "with a tear of joy," while a guilty woman would probably have avoided such a trial with the utmost solicitude. Another instance is still more applicable. "At Koolkorro, my landlord brought out his writing-board, or walha, that I might write him a saphie, to protect him from wicked men. I wrote the board full, from top to bottom, on both sides; and my landlord, to be certain of having the whole force of the charm, washed the writing from the board into a calabash, with a little water, and having said a few prayers over it, drank VOL. II. 2 E this powerful draught; after which, lest a single word should escape, he licked the board until it was quite dry." Mungo Park, 286. Here we find the sentiments expressed in writing are supposed to be communicated to water; and that water, being drank, is supposed to communicate the effect of those sentiments to him who drank it. This drinking then is a symbolical action. In like manner, we suppose, when the priest of Israel wrote the curses in a sepher (letter), and washed those curses into the water that was to be drank, the water was understood to be impregnated, as it were, to be tinctured with the curse, the acrimony of which it received; so that now it was metaphorically bitter, containing the curse in it. The drinking of this curse, though conditionally effective or non-effective, could not but have a great effect on the woman's mind; and an answerable effect on the husband's jealousy; which it was designed to cure and to dissipate. Query, As the girl drank the water from her husband just returned home after a long absence, was this the case with the Israelitish husband, who had, if he pleased, this mode of swearing his wife to her fidelity during his absence? On what other occasion is it equally likely his jealousy would burst forth to this excess? N. B. If a husband loved his wife too well to part with her, on suspicion; if a woman loved her husband so well as to risque this exposure, to satisfy him, then this rite might take place; but if either did not chuse to hazard this experiment, the way of divorce was open, was much easier, much less hazardous, more private, more honourable, and perhaps more satisfactory. may account why we have no recorded instance of the use of the water of jealousy. This That ordeals of other kinds were practised among the Gentiles is well known; they were used to detect perjury. (Vide Vit. Apollon. lib. i. cap. 6; lib. iii. cap. 15.) Pausanias mentions others (lib. vii.), and the custom is still maintained among the Hindoos.* THE ANT. Go to the ant, thou sluggard, Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest. Prov. vi. 6-8. This passage is a text for a long discourse, but a long discourse would be misplaced here. The same character of foresight is given to the ant (apparently by a different writer from Solomon) in chap. xxx. 25. "The ants are a people not strong; yet they prepare their meat in the summer." From these testimonies, and from many others among the ancients, we conclude, that in warmer climates, the ants do not sleep during winter; but continue more or less in activity, and during this season enjoy the advantages Scripture Illustrated by Nat. Science, p. 67. arising from their summer stores: which does not invalidate the remark of our naturalists, that in this colder climate ants are torpid during winter. In our hot-houses, we speak from observation, ants are not torpid. We may appeal (as Scheuchzer does) to Aristotle, Pliny, Plutarch, Virgil, and St. Jerom (Life of Malchus), but we only quote Horace, who says, Sat. 1. Parvula nam exemplo est magni Formica laboris: "The ant, small as she is, sets us an example; she is very laborious, she carries in her little mouth whatever she can, and adds it to her constructed store heap, providing against a future period, with great precaution." frigusque, famemque, Formica tandem quidam expavere magistrâ. "After the example of the ant, some have learned to provide against cold and hunger;" says Juvenal (Sat. 6.). These testimonies may convince us that the ant in warmer climates provides against a day of want. As this insect is such a favourite with both naturalists and moralists, we shall quote Barbut's account of the ant in his work on British insects, p. 277. "The outward shape of this insect is singular and curious, when seen through the microscope. With good reason, it is quoted as a pattern of industry. A nest of ants, is a small, well regulated republic: their peace, union, good understanding, and mutual assistance, deserve the notice of an observer. The males and females, provided with wings, enjoy all the pleasures of a wandering life; while the species of neuters, without wings or sex, labour unremittingly. Follow with your eye, a colony that begins to settle, which is always in a stiff soil, at the foot of a wall or tree, exposed to the sun; you will perceive one, and sometimes several cavities, in form of an arched vault, which lead into a cave contrived by their removing the mould with their jaws. Great policy in their little labours, prevents disorder and confusion: each has its task; whilst one casts out the particle of mould that it has loosened, another is returning home to work. All of them employed, in forming themselves a retreat of the depth of one foot, or more; they think not of eating, till they have nothing farther left to do. Within this hollow den, supported by the roots of trees and plants, the ants come together, live in society, shelter themselves from summer storms, from winter frosts, and take care of the eggs, which they have in their trust. The wood-ants are larger than the garden ones, and also more formidable. Armed with a small sting, concealed in the hinder part of their abdomen, they wound whoever offends them. Their puncture occasions hot, painful itching. They are carnivorous; for they dissect with the utmost neatness and delicacy, frogs, lizards, and birds, that are delivered over to them. The preservation of the species, is in all animated beings the most important care. Behold, with what concern and caution the ants at the beginning of the spring, load themselves between their two jaws with the new hatched larva, in order to expose them to the early rays of the beneficent sun. The milder weather being come, the ants now take the field. Fresh cares new labours, great bustling, and laying up of provisions. Corn, fruits, dead insects, carrion, all is lawful prize. An ant meeting another, accosts it with a salute worthy of notice. The aut overloaded with booty, is helped by her fellow ant. One chances to make a discovery of a valuable capture, she gives information of it to another, and in a short time a legion of ants come and take possession of the new conquests. No general engagement with the inhabitants of the neighbouring nest, only sometimes a few private skirmishes, soon determined by the conqueror. All those stores, collected with so much eagerness during the day, are immediately consumed. The subterraneous receptacle is the hall, where the feast is kept; every one repairs thither to take his repast; all is in common throughout the little republic, and at its expence are the larvæ fed. Too weak and helpless to go a foraging, it is chiefly in their behalf the rest go to and fro, bring home and lay up. They shortly turn to chrysalids, in which state they take no food, but give occasion to new cares and solicitudes. All human precautions have not hitherto been able to supply that degree of warmth and minute attention, which the ants put in practice to forward the instant of their last metamorphosis. The insect issuing forth to a new life, tears its white transparant veil; it is then a real ant, destitute of wings, if it has no sex; winged, if it be male or female, always to be known by a small erect scale placed on the thread, which connects the body and thorax. The males, who are much smaller, seldom frequent the common habitation; but the females much larger, repair to it to deposit their eggs, which is all the labour they undergo. The winter's cold destroys them. The fate which attends the male is not well ascertained; do they fall victims to the severity of winter? or are they made over to the rage of the neighbouring ants? These latter pass the winter in a torpid state, as some other insects do, till spring restores them to their wonted activity: they have, therefore, no stores for winter, no consumption of provisions. What are commonly sold in markets for ant's eggs, are grubs newly hatched, of which, pheasants, nightingales and partridges, are very fond. "In Switzerland, they are made subservient to the destruction of caterpillars: which is done by hanging a pouch filled with ants upon a tree; and they making their escape through an aperture contrived on purpose, run over the tree, without being able to reach down to the ground, because care has been previously taken, to besmear the foot of the tree with wet clay or soft pitch; in consequence of which, compelled by hunger, they fall upon the caterpillars and devour them."* * Script. Illust. p. 146. |