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written; at least, if any think themselves equal to rival Xeno phon, I am afraid that they will sink much below the level of the style of St. Paul, who is far from being an indifferent writer of Greek. To banish the Testament from our schools, because it is not classical Greek, is a very lame reason for its disuse. But again, would it not be equally valuable as an initiatory book with the Græcæ Sententiæ, or other books adopted for this purpose? It contains the greatest number of the words to be found in the best writers: why then banish it? Boys will parse their words equally well from this as from any other book; and besides this, they will acquire that valuable knowledge, which no other book can communicate. Another argument to induce teachers to use the Greek Testament, is the assistance which may be derived from the learned Lexicons, which have been composed for it. We have Schleusner, superior to any thing of the kind, and learned and judicious commentaries without number. To those young men, who are destined for the Church, an early acquaintance with the Sacred volume is of great advantage. To acquire this, no labor ought to be esteemed too hard, since the utility of the acquisition will amply appear in the success with which they will discharge the great and important duties of their high situations. Some of our schools have of late paid considerable attention to the good old custom of reading the Greek Testament weekly, and sometimes more frequently. On this subject, I have one wish only, that the practice may become universal.

16th November, 1812.

D.

I A

BIBLICAL CRITICISM.

Aм induced to trouble you with this, in order to return my thanks to M. S. M. for his answer to my query respecting Gen. xxxvi. 24. Allow me, however, to inquire, does not the interpretation of the Septuagint seem to insinuate, that they were ignorant of the signification of ? Or if not, why did they render it by ròv 'Ieμ, and not by o ovov, in the Greek language? One more question, and I have done. Cannot this word be supposed to be the same with that in Deut. ii. 10 and 11. which would clear up all the difficulty at once? I am aware that M. S. M. has written that it cannot be so read, but I would wish to see this discussed.

I should be truly happy to have the apparently contradictory statements of Chronology, (No. vII. p. 126.) clearly reconciled by some defender of "the absolute integrity of the Hebrew text." I can scarcely expect that Mr. Bellamy will answer such a trivial question; but surely some one of his disciples might. In this hope I subscribe myself,

J. H. M. S.

LATIN INSCRIPTION.

As I find that you afford a small space to Latin Inscriptions, I here

with send you one, which should you think worthy, you will dignify with a place in your collection.

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PERMIT

CLASSICAL CRITICISM.

ERMIT me to return you my thanks for the very obliging manner in which you received Professor Porson's Notes on Sallust. I now request your acceptance of an Emendation of a passage in the Agamemnon of Eschylus, which I received from a friend of the late Dr. Raine, who had it from Porson himself; and which, as far as I am able to find, has never yet been given to the public.

The second chorus of the Agamemnon is preceded by a series of anapestic verses, of which the following passage is the conclusion.

Διά τοι ξένιον μέγαν αἰδοῦμαι,
Τὸν τάδε πράξαντ ̓ ἐπ ̓ ̓Αλεξάνδρῳ,
Τείνοντα πάλαι τόξον, ὅπως ἂν
Μήτε πρὸ καιροῦ μήθ' ὑπὲρ ἄντρων
Βέλος ἠλίθιον σκήψειεν.

It is evident at once, that the last line must be corrupted, although it makes tolerable good sense; for every one who studies the Greek Tragedies, well knows that the third foot of the paramiac must be an anapest. The following is the beautiful emendation of the illustrious Porson.

σκήψη βέλος ἠλιθιωσαν.

We shall still more admire this correction, if we attend to the following considerations. In the first place, as a requires the subjunctive mood after it rather than the optative. In the second place, the first aorist participle of the verb adó gives more force and vigor to the sentence, than the mere adjective is. In the third place, Porson's verse has precisely the same number of letters as the verse in the Edd. When we take all these circumstances together, we may consider it as highly probable, that Porson hath restored the identical words of the Athenian Poet.

II. A. MATHEW.

ON THE LANGUAGE OF ACTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CLASSICAL JOUrnal.

If you approve the following additional remarks on the Language of Action, on which subject I have, in a former No., supplied you with an article, they are at your service.

Hatton, Oct. 24. 1812.

E. H. BARKER.

J. CASAUBON says in his Exercitationes ad Cardinales Baronii Annales p. 608. "Observat Nicolaus Cabasilas in expositione Liturgia fuisse veteribus in more positum, ut sensa animi non verbis solum, sed etiam factis declararent; qua de re et Plutarchus alicubi disserit, et nos in Commentariis Polybiani, multis exemplis hunc morem ex historia Græca et Latina illustramus, quæ nunc omittinus: illustre exemplum Act. xxI. 2. in Agabo pedes ac manus sibi vinciente: quemadmodum autem communis hic mos fuit olim omnibus gentibus; sic facta, quæ adjiciebantur ad verba, erant sæpe communia : quare Pilatus morem lavandi ad declarandam suam innocentiam, non magis sumsit a Judæis, quam formulam, qua utitur, cum protestatur de sua innocentia, Innocens ego sum a sanguine justi hujus, sumsit ex historia Susannæ, ubi non dissimilem usurpat Daniel, Mundus ego sum a sanguine hujus, in Historia Susannæ v. 46.”

A very remarkable instance of this Language of Action occurs în the Travels of Denon (vol. I. p. 115.): I shall cite the whole passage, as it is very interesting, and describes feelings honorable to human nature: "Whilst I was looking at our people, whose necessities were as ingenious in bringing to light, as the care of the natives had been te

conceal, a soldier comes out of a cave, dragging after him a she-goat, which he had forced out; he is followed by an old man, carrying two young infants, who sets them down on the ground, falls on his knees, and without speaking a word, points, with tears in his eyes, to the young children, who must perish if the goat is taken away from them: but want, which is deaf, and blind to others' distress, does not stay his murderous hand for any intreaty, and the goat is killed: at the same moment, another soldier comes up, holding in his arms another child, whose mother doubtless had been obliged to desert it in her flight from us; this brave fellow, notwithstanding the weight of his subject, his cartridges, his knapsack, and the fatigue of 4 days of forced marches, had picked up this little forsaken creature, had carried it carefully for 2 leagues in his arms, and, not knowing what to do with it in this deserted village, seeing one inhabitant left behind, with two children, he gently lays down his little charge beside them, and departs with the delightful expression of one, who has performed a benevolent action."

This eloquent and accomplished Traveller says, in the 212th page of his 1st volume: "On our taking possession of Rosetta, at an enter tainment, which was given, a young Greek came up to me, kissed my shoulder, and with his finger on his lips, without uttering a single syllable, slipped privately into my hand a nosegay, which he had brought me this simple demonstration completely unfolded all his sensations, and was expressive of his political situation, his fears, and his hopes."

The curious reader will find many very striking instances of the language of action, which are all selected from the bible, in Dr. Harwood's Introduction to the Study and Knowledge of the New Testament. In the explanation of the Scriptures too little attention has been paid by commentators to circumstances of this kind.

Account of the Extraordinary Sect called Yezidis; from the Italian of Father Garzoni, who resided eighteen years in Kurdistan as a Missionary. This account was originally published by the Abbate Domenico Sestini, at Berlin in the year 1807, among a collection of Italian Works, entitled, "Viaggi e opusculi diversi &c."

Of the various Sects which have appeared in Mesopotamia since the death of Mohammed, none are held in such abhorrence by all true Mussulmans as the Yezidis; who derive their name from Sheikh Yezid, the declared enemy of Ali's race. The Yezidis' religious doctrine is a mixture of the ancient Persian faith, of Manicheism and of Mussulmanism, and is preserved traditionally, for they are

neither permitted to read nor write. As they are thus without books, it is difficult to obtain any further information concerning this extraordinary people than what may be collected from observations made actually among them, whence it is evident that their first object is to secure the devil as a friend, and in honor or defence of him they are ready and willing to draw the sword. They not only refrain from ever uttering his name, but even use circumlocution to avoid any word which may resemble it in sound. Before these Sectaries it is extremely dangerous for a stranger to pronounce the devil's name, especially to curse him as the Turks frequently do when any of the Yezidis visit a town belonging to those true believers. Such an affront would probably endanger the imprudent foreigner's life. It has often happened that a Yezidi, condemned by the Turkish laws to suffer death for some offence, has submitted to his sentence rather than curse the devil, although by such an execration he might have obtained his pardon.

If the Yezidis wish to designate the devil, Sheikh Mazen or Great Sheikh, is the expression which they use. All the prophets and saints revered by Christians are honored by them also; and they are of opinion that those holy personages whilst living on earth were distinguished from other mortals, in proportion as the devil resided within them, more or less-and that above all, Moses, Jesus Christ, and Mohammed were in this respect the most highly favored ;-they believe that God ordains, but intrusts the execution of his commands to Satan.

Every morning, on the sun's first appearance, they retire as much as possible, from the sight of man, and kneeling, with their foreheads on the ground, they offer adoration to that luminary. They neither fast nor pray, but are persuaded that Sheikh Yezid has sufficiently atoned for all his Sect's omission of these duties till the end of the world. Without fastings, prayers, or sacrifices, they are likewise without religious festivals. Yet on the tenth day of the moon in August, they assemble near the tomb of Sheikh Adi, and for some days before and after this, the small caravans in the plains of Mousul and Kurdistan are liable to attacks from the Yezidis, who flock to this meeting, as pilgrims, from distant places. It is said that great numbers of their women also, from the neighbouring villages, attend on this occasion, and that at night, having freely indulged in eating and drinking, they extinguish all the lights and observe a profound silence until the dawn of day, when every one retires. This assemblage of men and women, with the darkness, the silence, and other circumstances, have given room for scandalous suspicions. Unmarried females are not admitted to this love feast.

Every kind of food is allowed among the Yezidis, except lettuces, and gourds or pompions; their bread is always made of barley; in swearing they use the same forms as Turks, Jews or Christians; but their strongest oath is, " by the Standard of Yezid that is, “by their Religion."

They entertain great respect for the Christian Monasteries situated in their neighbourhood: before they enter one of these edifices they take off their shoes or slippers, and proceed barefooted, kissing the

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