he had recourse to one of the alphabetical pfalms, viz. the 114th; for here, as he obferves, the boundaries of the lines are afcertained, as each begins with a new letter, according to the order of the Hebrew alphabet: and from a careful obfervation of the number of feet in each line, the quantity of the fyllables, &c. he made the following remarks, to which his whole hypothefis may be reduced. 1. That the ftanzas, or verses, in the pfalms, and confequently in all the other poetical parts of the Hebrew fcriptures, confift of verficuli, either of an even or odd number of fyllables; or, in other words, either trochaicks, or iambicks.-2. That the verficuli of the fame stanza are of one kind: either trochaicks or iambicks; but do not always contain the fame number of fyllables respectively.-3. That it is not neceflary that the ftanzas fhould contain two verficuli only, but that they confift of two or more, as both the fenfe and metre will fhew. And, 4. That in the Hebrew poetry the quantities of fyllables are not attended to; and that confequently the feet confift only of two fyllables. Befides the arguments in favour of this scheme, drawn from thefe alphabetical pfalms, which, when wrote in the form of an acroftic, (as he fuppofes they originally were) plainly fhew, that they were compofed in metre, our author pleads the authority of the antient verfions; and obferves, that wherever this metre requires a departure from the present reading, they for the moft part juftify the alteration.-The truth of the hypothefis, he apprehends, is farther confirmed from a comparison of fimilar paffages; for where any thing is wanting to complete the metre, it may be fupplied from the correfpondent paffage. To enable the reader to judge of the force of this argument, he has added a lift of fuch texts as anfwer to one another at the end of the book.-In the conclufion of the diflertation, he confiders an objection, that has been made to the bishop's hypothefis, viz. That as the true pronunciation of the Hebrew is loft, it must be extremely difficult, if not impoffible, to fix the nature of the measures. To this he anfwers, that the difcovery of the Hebrew metre does not depend upon knowing the quantity of the fyllables; and endeavours to prove, from several inftances, that no regard at all is paid to the quantities, but that the fame fyllables, in different places, are made both long and fhort.-But it might juflly have been expected, that one who appears in vindication of an hypothefis, whofe credit is not as yet fully established, fhould be more particular than this author has been, in his enumeration of objections, and his anfwers to them.—It might perhaps have been worth our author's while, to have confidered that critical examination of this hypothefis in the Univerfal

Hiftory,

Hiftery, before the publication of his work, which he seems not to have done; many objections are there urged, of which he has taken no notice; nor has he made any use of the hints there given, for afcertaining the Hebrew metre with more accuracy, by proceeding nearly in the fame method with the bishop.

As to the tranflation, the reader may form fome judgment of its merit, by the fpecimen, with which we fhall conclude this article.

The notes, which take up more than one-third of the book, chiefly contain emendations of the Hebrew text, pointed out by the metre, and illuftrations of fome paffages, drawn from the claffics, together with an explanation of the most difficult places. He has made great ufe of Hare and Mudge, as he acknowledges; but fhews he is no dupe to authorities, by frequently departing from them.

PSALM I.

1. How happy the man, who followeth not the council of the wicked, nor perfifteth in the way of finners, nor fitteth in the affembly of fcoffers;

2. But whofe delight is in the law of Jehovah, and who is • meditating upon his law day and night!

3. For he is like a tree planted by ftreams of water, which yieldeth its fruit in its feason, and whose leaf withers not; and he is profperous in all his undertakings.

< 4. It is not fo with the wicked; but they are like the chaff which the wind scatters: therefore *

< 5. The wicked will not stand in judgment; nor finners in the affembly of the righteous.

6. For Jehovah approves the way of the righteous; but the way of the wicked will come to nothing.'

PSALM XXIII.

1. Jehovah is my fhepherd, therefore I fhall want nothing: he makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me to foft-flowing streams:

2. He reftoreth my foul; he conducteth me in the paths of righteoufnefs for his name's fake.

6

3. Even tho' I walked through a vale overfpread with a deadly fhade, I fhould not fear; for thou wouldst be with thy crook and thy staff would comfort me.

me;

4. Thou furnishest out a table before me in the fight of my enemies; thou anointest my head with unguents; and my cup overflows.

* N. B. This word is joined to the 4th verfe, on account of the metre.

Kk 2

5. Doubtlefs thy goodness and favour will follow me all the days of my life; and I fhall dwell in the houfe of Je→ hovah for ever.'

PSALM CX.

1. An oracle of Jehovah unto my lord: (in our verfion, The Lord faid unto my lord) fit thou at my right hand, until I fhall have made thy enemies thy footstool.

2. Jehovah will fend thy powerful fceptre (the rod of thy ftrength) from out of Sion; reign thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3. A voluntary multitude of people will be with thee upon the holy mountains, in the day of thy armament; thy young converts will be as numerous as the drops of morning-dew. [In our verfion, Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou haft the dew of thy youth.]

4. Jehovah hath fworn irreverfibly, Thou art a prieft for ever, after the order of Melchifedeck.

6

5. The Lord at thy right hand will crush kings in the day of his wrath.

6. He will execute judgment among the heathen; he will

• fill them with dead bodies; he will crush the heads of his < enemies in great numbers against the earth. [In our verfion, he fhall wound the heads over many countries.]

7. He will drink of the brooks in the way; therefore he will lift up his head.'

As the author's verfion of the third verfe of this pfalm is fo different from the common tranflation, we shall add his note upon the paffage, which is as follows:

1,

Ver. 3. A voluntary, &c. In the Hebrew text, 1) TAY which fome_render, populus tuus erit fummè voluntarius: others, populus tuus numerofus erit, &c. But both the fenfe and metre fhew, that am is wanting, and that for yammeca, fhould be read yimmeca, [LXX. pela σe.] It is evident likewife from the metre, that fhould be inferted before as in pfalm lx. ver. 8. and that for the being expunged, we fhould read, and place it before . Laftly, for . Bishop Hare would read with St. feram, 3. With thefe alterations and emendations (no lefs warranted by the fenfe than the metre) the verfe will ftand

• thus:

immeca Vam nedabot Jehi, bejom treleca Bebarre kodif; cetal

Meretiem mifhtrar jalduteca.

And

And the meaning of it seems plainly this, that when Christ fhould fend forth his army to conquer and fubdue the world, namely, the apostles, who by means of this Spiritual armour, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, were to convert both Jews and Gentiles to the Chriftian faith; that then, (the infpired prophet foretells) a volunta y multitude of people would be with him upon the holy mountains; (i. e. in Jerufalem) or, in other words, great numbers would most willingly embrace his religion there: in fhort, that the converts to it in Jerufalem and other places, where his apofties would publish and propagate his doctrines, would be as numerous as the drops of the morning-dew.

• The expreffion ver. 7. He will drink, &c. he fupposes is taken from foldiers, who, upon a hafty march, or in purfuit of the enemy, quench their thirst at any water they meet with in the road, and will not go out of their way for better refreshment; but purfue their march with unwearied diligence, and defpife all hardships and difficulties, in order to get an advantage over their adverfaries.'

We fhall conclude this article with obferving, that it is certain, from the particular formation of the Hebrew language, that it naturally runs into Trochaics and Jambics. From this mechanical caufe, the whole book of Genefis, and the chapters of proper names in the Chronicles, are as much metrical as the Song of Mofes, or any part of the book of Pfalms. A late excellent author has drawn directly oppofite conclufions from the very data on which Bifhop Hare grounds his demonftration; intending thereby to evince the great uncertainty of such reafoning, and its inadequatenefs for the purposes of correcting the Hebrew fcriptures.

I.

ART. LXI. The Modern Hiftory, by way of fequel to Mr. Rollin's ancient history. Vol. I. Containing the history of China. A general idea of their history.-2. A defcription of their * country.-3. An account of their government.-4. Of their commerce, arts, and fciences.-5. Of their religion, manners, and particular customs.-6. A juccinct defcription of fome kingdoms that are tributary to China. - Aifo the natural history of China. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. 5s. Knapton.

A

Ccording to the model of the ingenious original, profeliedly followed in this fpecimen of modern hiftory, its compiler declares his defign of confining himteit chiefly to the following particulars: In the firft place, to give as clear an

* We would recommend it to the tranflator to avoid this inaccuracy in his future volumes.

Kk 3

Sac

• account as poffible of the original and progrefs of every people and nation, and alfo to point out the particular epocha, and most remarkable circumstances of their efta⚫blishment, the order of their dynasties, their most renowned princes, and most confiderable revolutions.'-Next, to exhibit an accurate description of the fituation, extent, and limits of their country, of their principal towns, and the curiofities they contain, together with their monuments of art, and productions of nature.-And lastly, to give an account ⚫ of the particular genius of each people, their form of government, arts, fciences, religious worship, manners and cuf'toms.' Thus far our author accords in his plan, (tho' he he has inverted his method) with Mr. Rollin, who confiders these as the most important and instructive objects of hiftory, and, confequently, more immediately deferving the ftricteft attention of the historian.

Long recitals of military exploits are freely, and not injudicioufly, condemned by our compiler; whereas,' fays he, to reprefent to the mind, as it were, by review, in a moving picture, every thing that is moft remarkable in the origin and advancement, the profperity and declenfion, of a people; < to unfold the fyftems of their politics, and religion, and to give a juft idea of their power and induftry; and to add to thefe different views, a faithful defcription of their manners and ufages, together with a particular account of their several occupations and entertainments, and their economy in private life: this is what few writers of hiftory have undertaken, and still fewer executed to the fatisfaction of the 'public.'

After fo liberal a cenfure of other hiftorians, we conceived the hope of feeing their defects, in a great measure, fupplied by this work; but greatly has the perufal of it disappointed us: It were much to have been wifhed, that our author had as carefully attended to Mr. Rollin's example, in avoiding the dry fterility of epitomes, as in retrenching the fuperfluous luxuriance of long hiftorics: the latter, indeed, often prove a fevere exercife of the reader's patience; neverthelefs, it ought to have been remembered, that the former feldom convey fufficiently diftinét ideas to inquifitive minds.

The remaining records of antient hiftory, particularly of the Egyptians and Babylonians, (which are the confeffed objects of our compiler's imitation) are but few, and those few perplexed and uncertain; wherefore Mr. Rollin's concifenefs may be confidered as the confequence of real judgment, efpecially as he profeffes to have wrote principally for the inftruc