66 subservient to the advancement of Christianity, and to the spiritual and temporal good of his parishioners. He became, indeed, their earthly guide, their pastor, and friend. His ear was never shut to their complaints, nor his hands closed to their wants. Instead of hiding his face from the poor, he sought out distress; he made it a rule, from which no circumstances induced him to swerve, to give to all who asked," however trifling the sum; and wherever he had an opportunity, he never failed to inquire into, and more effectually to relieve their distress. He could not pass a sick person, or a child crying, without endeavouring to soothe and help them, and the kindness of his manner always rendered his gifts doubly valuable. A poor Clergyman, near Hodnet, had written a poem, from which he expected great emolument. Mr. Reginald Heber, to whom the MS. was sent, with a request that he would assist in getting it through the press, saw that its sale would never repay the expenses of publishing it; he, therefore, sent the Clergyman some money, and while recommending him not to risk so great a sum as the printing would cost, spoke so delicately on its deficiencies (having, as he said, a feeling for a brother poet), that the poor man could not be hurt at the manner in which the advice was given. Mr. Reginald Heber possessed, in its fullest acceptation, that " charity which hopeth all things." He not only discountenanced every tendency to illiberal or ill-natured remarks, but had always a kind and charitable construction to put upon actions which might, perhaps, more readily admit of a different interpretation; and when the misconduct of others allowed of no defence, he would leave judgment to that Being, who alone "knoweth what is in the heart of man." In his charities he was prodigal; on himself alone he bestowed little. To those whose modesty or rank in life made secrecy an object, he gave with delicacy, and in private; and, to use the words of one who had been for some years his companion and assistant, and whose pastoral care the people of Hodnet feel as a blessing, " many a good deed, done by him in secret, only came to light when he had been removed far away, and, but for that removal, would have been for ever hid; many an instance of benevolent interference, where it was least suspected, and of delicate attention towards those whose humble rank in life is too often thought to exempt their superiors from all need of mingling courtesy with kindness." The same feeling prevented his keeping any person waiting who came to speak with him. When summoned from his favourite studies, he left them unreluctantly to attend to the business of others; and his alacrity increased if he were told that a poor person wanted him, for he said that not only is their time valuable, but the indigent are very sensible to every appearance of neglect. His charities would, of themselves, have prevented his being rich in worldly goods; but he had another impediment to the acquisition of riches, an indifference as to his just dues, and a facility in resigning them, too often taken advantage of by the unworthy. If a man who owed him money could plead inability to pay, he was sure to be excused half, and sometimes all his debt. In the words of the writer just quoted, "the wisdom of the serpent was almost the only wisdom in which he did not abound." When money was not wanting, he advised and conversed with his parishioners with such cheerful kindness, and took so much interest in their concerns, that they always rejoiced to meet him, and hailed with joy his visits to their houses. He had so much pleasure in conferring kindness, that he often declared it was an exceeding indulgence of God to promise a reward for what carried with it its own recompense. He considered himself as the mere steward of God's bounty, and felt that, in sharing his fortune with the poor, he was only making the proper use of the talents committed to him, without any consciousness of merit. Once, when a poor woman, to whom he had given three shillings, exclaimed, "The Lord reward you, and give you fourfold," he said, "How unreasonable are the expectations of men! This good woman's wish for me, which sounds so noble, amounts but to twelve shillings; and we, when we give such a pittance, are apt to expect heaven as our reward, without considering how miserable a proportion our best-meant actions bear to the eternal recompense we are vain enough to think we deserve!" Thus, surrounded by his family, with a neighbourhood containing men capable of appreciating his talents, beloved by his parishioners, and loving all about him, silently, but beneficially, flowed on the first years of his ministry, only varied by occasional visits among his friends. His letters during this period will best pourtray his feelings, his pursuits, and his wishes.-Pp. 355-358. Heber was a Nathanael, in whom was no guile; and he fell into the most common error of generous natures, that of believing all other men as pure and guileless as himself. Hence may be explained many parts of his conduct, which have been distorted with party views. It is evident, as we shall have occasion to notice, that this disposition in his nature was sedulously improved by those whose object it was to obtain currency for their opinions, and indemnity for their acts, from the warrant of his name. Things were represented to him rather as they ought to be, than as they were, and Heber never questioned the singleness and sincerity of the representation. We shall have an opportunity, in the last division of our subject, of illustrating this position by actual instances. But this interesting subject, we must reserve for our next number. ART. II. A New Translation of the Book of Psalms, from the Original Hebrew; with Explanatory Notes. By WILLIAM FRENCH, D. D. Master of Jesus College; and George Skinner, M. A. Fellow and Tutor of Jesus College. London: Murray. 1830. pp. 253. Price 8s. (Continued from p. 153.) In resuming our remarks on this volume, we shall first lay before our readers a few miscellaneous passages, which appear to us to deserve notice, and then proceed to the more important subject of prophetical interpretation. The beginning of Ps. iv. gives us the following translation and note : When I call, answer me, O God of mine innocency. Of mine innocency.-i, e. of me innocent. Compare Ps. vii. 8. Ps. xvii. 1. and Ps. xxxv. 27. Now we conceive that the words, are nothing but an instance of a very common Hebraism, with which our authors are, on most occasions, perfectly familiar. If the expression in Ps. cxix. 7, be properly rendered "thy righteous judgments," the version which our authors have given, why is not this phrase, which is a complete parallel to it, translated, "O my righteous God?" The passages referred to in the note, though expressing something like the sentiment which our authors have extracted from these words, are not similar in point of construction; and therefore are nothing to the purpose. The oversight is the more remarkable, because, in verse 5 of this very Psalm, we meet with the words which they have rendered exactly according to the idiom we propose, "Offer righteous sacrifices."* Again, the opening of Ps. vii. seems to call for some observation. PSALM VII. 1 JEHOVAH, my God, with Thee do I take refuge. Save me from all my persecutors and deliver me; 2 Lest they, like a lion, tear me in pieces, While there is no one to rescue, no one to deliver. 3 JEHOVAH, my God, if I have done this If there be iniquity in my hands 4 If I have requited with evil him who was at peace with me- 5 Let the enemy pursue and overtake me; Let him cast me alive to the ground and trample upon me, Yea let him bring down my glory to the dust, to dwell there. 3 this-with which my persecutors charge me. · in my hands—i. e. if I have taken any wicked thing in hand. 4 to utter destitution-so as to expose him to nakedness and extreme want. 5 cast me, &c.-Heb. trample upon my life to the ground. So, in Ps. lxxxix. 39. "Thou hast profaned his crown to the ground" means "Thou hast cast his crown to the ground and profaned it." The expression, in its complete form, "he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him," occurs Dan. viii. 7. - bring down, &c.-The construction of this line is precisely similar to that of the preceding. —my glory-Compare Ps. lxxxix. 39. The original of the third and fourth lines is this: which the Chaldee paraphrast and Jerome translate in the same manner as our authorized English versions: Lest he tear my soul, like a lion, Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. But the Septuagint translates the passage thus: μήποτε ἁρπάσῃ ὡς λέων τὴν ψυχήν μου, μὴ ὄντος λυτρουμένου, μηδὲ σώζοντος. which is followed by the Old Latin, Nequando rapiat ut leo animam meam, Dum non est qui redimat, neque qui salvum faciat. by the other versions derived from the Septuagint, and also by the Syriac. It is supposed, therefore, that the Hebrew copies used by these translators, read the passage differently from the modern manuscripts; viz. * See Professor LEE'S Hebrew Grammar, p. 318, line 6. 66 Hence some critics propose to correct the Hebrew text, by the insertion of this negative, at the beginning of the second line. But, as there is no one Hebrew manuscript yet discovered, which sanctions the alteration, it is confessedly a conjectural emendation, suggested by the ancient Versions. This conjecture has not been universally adopted by modern critics; for Rosenmüller argues against it at considerable length, and the Lexicons, both of Simonis and Gesenius, under the word, produce the passage before us as an example of the sense, "to lacerate," or 'tear to pieces." Yet this conjecture is adopted by our authors. Now we earnestly request our readers to turn to the paragraph, which we have extracted from the preface of this book, (p. 146, last No.) and ask themselves, whether the principle there assumed, about the general integrity of the Hebrew text, be not robbed of one of its main pillars; nay, whether it be not utterly overthrown, when these gentlemen, who declare that "they have not paid any regard to the unwarranted alterations which have been but too often rashly hazarded" by preceding interpreters, have advanced no further in their work than the beginning of the Seventh Psalm, before they are compelled absolutely to abandon their own theory as untenable, and to adopt a very bold conjectural emendation, which completely alters the meaning of the clause in which it is introduced? Houbigant himself has gone no further; he has only applied the principle, which our authors have here admitted, viz. that of conjectural emendation, suggested by the ancient versions, to a greater number of instances. And notwithstanding the censure which the Preface to this volume pronounces on rash and unwarranted alterations, we may fairly say, that as far as the present Translators are concerned, the motion for a radical reform in the Hebrew text is carried; and the bill has only to be sent to a committee of the whole house, in order that they may settle its details. We shall therefore henceforward propose freely such clauses, as in our judgment ought to be introduced, and shall expect that each clause is to be separately argued upon its own merits, and not to be again negatived by a recurrence to that Jewish dotage, the integrity of the Hebrew text. But we must proceed to another passage in this Psalm. The eighth line has been a stumbling-block in the way of commentators and translators, from time immemorial; and, as we mean to suggest a new translation of it, we beg leave, in order to save our readers the trouble of reference, to insert the whole passage, in the Hebrew, the Greek, and the Old Latin. The line which creates all the difficulty is marked by an asterisk. Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, εἰ ἐποίησα τοῦτο, εἰ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν χερσί μου, εἰ ἀνταπέδωκα τοῖς ἀνταποδιδοῦσί μοι κακά· καταδιώξαι [ἄρα] ὁ ἐχθρὸς τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ καταλάβοι, καὶ τὴν δόξαν μου εἰς χοῦν κατασκηνώσαι. Domine, Deus meus, Si feci istud, Si est iniquitas in manibus meis, Si reddidi retribuentibus mihi mala; *Decidam merito ab inimicis meis inanis, Persequatur inimicus animam meam, et comprehendat, Et conculcet in terrâ vitam meam, Et gloriam meam in pulverem deducat. This Latin translation of the line in question, agrees with the version of the Arabic and Æthiopic; but the other versions, ancient and modern, exhibit very extraordinary varieties. Chaldee, Syriac, Aquila, Jerome, Et afflixi eos qui me angebant frustra :— Sique oppressi adversarios meos absque causâ :— Et nudum excutiam inimicum meum: Houbigant, Aut inimicum meum sine causâ oppressi :- Opto, ut inimicis meis succumbam, spe frustratus :— Street, Durell, Horsley, (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy) :— When I was set free from those that were mine enemies without reason: If I have taken up arms without cause against my enemy :- French & Or if I have stripped mine adversary to utter destitution. Skinner, Our readers may be a little amused at this charming variety; yet we hope they will pardon our temerity in attempting to add to the list. They will perceive, then, that the whole passage forms Let them also one long sentence, divided into two members. mark the change in the construction which takes place at this line; in the Hebrew, from D, with a perfect tense, to 1, with an optative, and the same in the Greek and Latin; and they will at once perceive |