Babel did the people of that place (6). Nor is this the only place in fcripture where Shepbab, lip, fignifies language, pronunciation, and dialects; and where there is reference to the confufion of tongues at Babel: Ifaiab fpeaking of the privileges of the godly, fays, Thou shalt not fee a fierce people, of a deeper Speech than thou canst perceive, (of a

(6) To this ftammering or uncouth pronunciation of barbarous dialects the prophet Ezekiel refers, xxxvi. 3. Ye are made to come upon the lip of the tongues: that is, Ye are become a by-auord even in the brathen gab. ble, among the bubling nations where ye are in captivity. The author of Letter and Spirit fays, the word barbarous, ufed in fo meny languages (with only their refpective different determinations) for perfons of frange or foreign tongues, is a monument of the great confufion at Babel; this word being a corruption of the reduplicate Chaldee word Baibel, by changing the 1 in each place into r.-Some fay, the word in the other languages, is derived from the Arabic Barbar, to murmur like fome beaft.- -Scaliger defines it, Pronunciatio vitiofa & infuavis, literafque male exprimens, blæforum balborumque more: which was hitting upon the truth as to part of the original manner of the confufion. Indeed Blafus and Balbus, in Latin, are both derived, in like manner, from Bal, and Balbel.-The Welsh has preferved a noble word for this barbarifm of confufed language in their compounded term Baldwridd; which is a plain compound of the Hebrew Bal, and Dahar; without any other deflection from the original Hebrew, than that of changing the in the latter member of the word (Dabar) into the Welch w, a letter of the fame organ. More

deeper lip than thou canst hear, Heb.) of a Stammering or ridiculous tongue, that thou canft not understand. This is enough in anfwer to Mr. Hutchinfon and his fautors, in respect to what they say on the confufion at Babel. This proves that the word Shephah, lip, fignifies language, utterance, dialect, as well as confeffion, or difcourfe: and therefore Mofes, in his account of the miracle at Babel, might have meant a confufion of languages. That he did mean this, is plain not only from a tradition gone out into all the earth, which is a matter of greater regard

over from their faid Baldwridd, and Das, we again derive our Balderdash; which therefore fignifies ftrictly-A heap of confufed, or barbarous words, like thofe of the gabble of dialects, originally gendered at Babel. See Letter and Spirit (ch. 11.) by Mr. Hollorway, a Hutchinfonian. It is very remarkable, that this learned gentleman fays, he had been long of Mr. Hutchinson's mind, as to a confufion of confeffions, and not of tongues; but on weighing the matter, is now of another opinion: p. 115. Therefore, Hutchinson not infallible: out for once: and, as Dr. Sharp well obferves, this may be an earnest of deferting Hutchinfon in other points of his, new hypothefis. See Dr. Sharp's two difcourfes on the Hebrew tongue and character against Mr. Holloway.-His two difcourfes on Elohim, and defence.-And his three difcourfes on Cherubim. -The Hutchinfonians lay the ftrefs of their hypothefis on the Biblical Hebrew being the language of Adam in Paradife: And if this be taken from them, they are left in a poor way.

than

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than Mr. Hutchinson's fancy; but because the facred oracles allude to this event. Befides St. Paul afore-mentioned, the royal prophet in pfalm lv. ver. 9. refers to the means of the divifion of tongues, and denounces a curse in terms taken from that inflicted at Babel. Swallow up, O Lord, and divide their tongues. This feems to defcribe the manner of that confufion;--that the fubftance of the one language was funk or fwallowed up in a vaft chaos of univerfal babble; and that out of that jargon, it was again (by another act) divided or broken into many particular diffonant dialects, or tongues.

All this (I faid) is very juft, and gives me delight and fatisfaction. I am now convinced, not only that Hebrew was not the language of Paradife, or that Adam did not speak the tongue the old world ufed immediately before the confufion at Babel; but likewife, that the divifion there was a divifion and confufion of the one language then fpoken; and not a confufion of confeffions, as Mr. Hutchinfon affirms. Inform me, however, if you please, what you mean by that tradition you mentioned, which declared the miracle of Babel was a confufion of languages.

The

The Jews tradition (replied Mifs Noel) is preserved in their Targum, and tells us, that the whole earth after the flood was of one fpeech, or fort of words; and when at their firft remove from Ararat, they came to Shinar, they confulted to build them a city, and a tower for an houfe of adoration, whose head might reach to, or be towards the Hea vens, and to place an image of the host of Heaven, for an object of worship, on the top of it; and to put a fword in his hand, that he might make war for them against the divine armies, to prevent their difperfion over the whole earth. Whereupon the word of the Lord was revealed from Heaven, to execute vengeance upon them, and the Lord corrupted their tongue, broke their speech into feventy languages, and fcattered them over the face of the whole earth. No one knew what his fellow faid; and they flew one another, and ceafed from building the city. Therefore he called the name of it Babel; because there the Lord mingled together the tongues of all the inhabitants of the other. This you read in the Targum, that was written before the days of Jefus Christ, as the Jews affirm: or, if not fo early, yet it is a very ancient book, and the doctor who compofed it must certainly know the meaning of the word Shephah better than Mr. HutchinJon. It appears upon the whole, that the

argument

argument of this famous modern is without foundation.

It is indeed (I anfwered): But then I am not able to conceive how Abraham and his fons conversed with fo many nations-or how the Hebrew that Mofes writ in was preferved. Illuminate me in these things, illuftrious Harriot, and from your fine understanding let me have the honour and happinefs of receiving true Hebrew leffons. Proceed, I beseech you, and ftop not till you have expounded to my understanding the true nature of Cherubim? What do you think of Mr. Hutchinson's Rub and Rubbim, and of his notions of Ezekiel's cherubic form?

To talk of Cherubim and Elohim (refumed Mifs Noel), and fay all that ought to be faid, (to speak to any purpose) of the three heads and four vifages, the bull, the man, the lion, and the eagle, mentioned in the pro phet, requires more knowledge in Hebrew learning than I pretend to be mistress of, and must take up more time than there is now to spare. I may hereafter, however, if you should chance to come again to our house, let you know my fancies upon thefe grand fubjects, and why I cannot accord with Mr. Hutchinson and my father, in their