English still continuing a living one. In a German book, which we wish to explain, we find the word "flinte;" but a doubt arises as to its exact meaning. Then, I say, in the English, we have the word "flint," signifying a stone; and how wonderfully this at once determines our difficulty, and settles the meaning of the word "flinte," signifying a gun.-Take another instance. "Bank," in German frequently a bench; in English, a mound of earth. Suppose we find it said in a German book, that the "bank," that is the bench, had six legs, and was covered with green baize. What is this, we ask, (German, as we supposed, being a dead language, and the root uncertain); what is this that had six legs, and was covered with green baize? What is it? Why, who, knowing the English language, need be at a loss for one moment? Bank, a mound of earth. Don't you see, aunt, how beautifully this leads one to the true sense of the original? One may almost see the mound arising, in all its earthy majesty, and walking off upon its three pair of legs, with a beautiful train of green baize trailing after it, and gradually lengthening till it drops off.-Now apply all this to Arabic. In passing to the Arabic from the Hebrew, a word, now disputed in the original, may have experienced this partial change of sense. Yet, in Arabic, we still have the word, we still have a meaning to it. What a help to the study of Hebrew! Who ought to presume to know a word of his Bible, till he has studied Arabic for twenty years at least? When any root in the Bible is doubtful, how wisely do critics, by referring to the Arabic, determine and fix its meaning! I hope I have made myself clear. Miss Bradford. Not exactly, I must in this instance confess, Charles. No doubt you are right. But if you could say, that the words in Hebrew and Arabic always mean exactly the same, and that this is in every case certain, I confess, then, I should see far more force in the argument. According to your statement, I think it very possible that the Hebrew, as the parent stock, might occasionally be of very great service in illustrating the Arabic; but how the Arabic can throw much light upon the Hebrew, I own it lies beyond me to discover. Rev. Dr. Bradford. We must not despise Arabic. The truth is, however, that Charles, besides the trifling impropriety of twice interrupting his uncle, which is not worth dwelling upon, has, since you have returned, Flora, again begun to utter absolute absurdities; whether by design or not, I hardly know. Miss Bradford. Yonder, in the garden, I see Betty walking with baby. I think I had better join them. Pretty little fellow, in his little hat, that I chose for him. Every body must love him, I am sure. [Exit.] Rev. Dr. Bradford. Now, Charles, we have no time to lose. Come, take the Koran. I must have a little construing in Arabic at any rate.... But how now? I observe that you are positively turning over the leaves, with the book inadvertently placed the wrong side upwards: therefore I need not try you further in Arabic.-There, put up the Koran, and take down Xenophon. Begin where you open. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. Οι δε στρατ...στρατιωται τότε μεν δει ....δει...δειπνησαντες, και φυλάκας κατα...κατα...καταστασμενοι Rev. Dr. Bradford. No. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. Karaoтnoμevol. Rev. Dr. Bradford. No. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. Κατακατα...καταστησάμενοι και συκ...συκ...συκσ.....συσκευασμενοι, that is, συσκευασάμενοι παντα α εδει, εξοιμηθησαν, that is, εκοι...εκοι... εξοιμήθησαν. εξοιμηθησαν. Dear me, no ; εκοιμη θησαν. Rev. Dr. Bradford. Now construe. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. But the generals then.... Rev. Dr. Bradford. Do you not render it, Greek and English, word for word? C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. No, sir; that has not been my usual practice. Indeed I think it brings out the sense better, and in a much more connected way, to give the English alone. Rev. Dr. Bradford. Really. Come then, let us hear how you bring out the sense. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. But the generals, or soldiers that is στρατιωτος, any military person, from στρατη οι στρατης οι OrpаTOV, I forget which, an army; then indeed devηoavtes, being thirsty, from deuw, I think, to thirst, and having arranged in order the drinking vessels, puλākas vials or flagons, the word is the same in Greek and English; and having prepared (σKEvos probably the origin of the English word skewer, unless it be from the Latin securus, that is skewer, securus, something that makes all secure) ;...και σκευραμενοι παντα α εδει, having prepared plenty of meat as well as drink, (that is the general meaning of the passage); became heated, εкoчμɛ0ŋσav, from кoμos, heat; that is, I suppose, began to quarrel among themselves. Rev. Dr. Bradford. So; this then is what you call bringing out the sense. The derivation of skewer, however, is worth considering. Next, Virgil. Come, begin at the beginning. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. Tityre, tu patulæ recubans sub tegmine fagi, : Thou, O Tityrius, reclining under the shade of the conspicuous beech, having very little corn, meditatest to publish a rural poem : or rather, meditatest to publish a rural poem, in the long and narrow avenue (of the beech trees). Rev. Dr. Bradford. It now only remains to try a little HeBrew, and we shall have done. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. To say the truth, sir, my studies, in regard to this language, have hitherto been for the most part preparatory. Rev. Dr. Bradford. Explain yourself. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. There are so many cognate dialects to be learned, that I thought it advisable, in the first instance, to direct my attention to these, rather than to the Hebrew language itself. sir. Rev. Dr. Bradford. Very well, you can read a verse or two. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. I have not yet begun Hebrew, Rev. Dr. Bradford. Surprising. Not yet begun? C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. Not yet, sir. Rev. Dr. Bradford. You a profound Orientalist and Biblical scholar, intended for holy orders, too, and have not yet begun Hebrew? Hebrew, the proper basis of a learned education? C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. I thought the best way was to begin at the beginning; and therefore the plan which I adopted, sir, was this. My design was, to endeavour to perfect myself in those dialects, with which I am already more or less acquainted; to study a few of the most requisite languages besides, such as Turkish, Samaritan, Teutonic, Phoenician, and Burmese; and then, at the end of about three years and a half, or four years more, after having taken my degree, when I commenced reading for orders, I proposed, sir, to begin to think of entering upon the study of Hebrew. Rev. Dr. Bradford. To this comes the fashionable doctrine of the cognate dialects. The Bible, to be sure, is to be understood, better than it was ever understood before; yes, better than the Sacred Writers understood it themselves: to effect this object, languages are to be studied by the score, which perhaps those Sacred Writers themselves never knew or heard of: and, lo, the ONE language; the oldest language in the world; the sacred language; yes, I love to call it so, the holy tongue; the language of the Book itself; is positively left out and excluded, for years, if not for ever, from the arrangement. C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. My father bade me say, sir, that he should be much obliged to you to give me a certificate of my examination, previous to his entering me at Cambridge. VOL. III.NO. 1. in his little hat, that I chose for him. Every bod him, I am sure. [Exit.] Rev. Dr. Bradford. Now, Charles, we have Come, take the Koran. I must have a lit Arabic at any rate.... But how now? I c positively turning over the leaves, with placed the wrong side upwards: theref further in Arabic.-There, put up thr Xenophon. Begin where you open C. Bradford Brereton, Esq. Ôi ˆ ....δει...δειπνησαντες, και φυλάκας κα Rev. Dr. Bradford. No. C. Bradford Brereton, Es Rev. Dr. Bradford. No C. Bradford Brereton συκ...συκ συσ... συσκευ EtounOnoar, that is, Er Rev. Dr. Brad glish, word I write. indow, n over? I ound.) I shall aps he is thinking Charles, we begin.nen. (Reads.) ate, sir, is written. And as erest in your literary pursuits, mess to read it to you. "I have examined Mr. C. BradGerman, Arabic, Greek, Latin, and out to be a literary impostor. In the course I have several times felt strongly disposed horse-whipping, which he richly deserves. of flogging is discontinued at the Universities, practice of at present recommend his admission at Trinity ColCambridge." (Signed) Per, that is, Dr. Bradford; I am perfectly overwhelmed with "P. Bradford, D. D."-Why, usual pr and in R brir t' astonishment. Bradford Brereton, Esq. And I, sir ;—give me leave to sir-I came here to be examined, sir; and not to be in sulted, sir. The term impostor, sir,— alled Dr. Bradford. No nonsense here, Charles. tongue, Hold your and sit down. It is now my duty to tell you a few. plain truths. Sit down, sir, I say, and hear me. You have all characters, a literary impostor. There are many such, and fully proved yourself, this morning, to be that most despised of belong to the number. you Miss Bradford. Poor fellow! You should shew him a little mercy, Dr. Bradford. Rev. Dr. Bradford. Flora, hold your tongue. Your conduct, sir, has been most disgraceful. Self-conceit, presumption, and impudence, like yours, I have seldom met with. Sit down, sir. How contemptible would you appear in the sight of the world, were it generally known what an imposture you been keeping up. You have had the meanness to make young ladies think, (aye, and some ladies, too, of riper years,) that you were a profound linguist: and have talked to them, I understand, about philology, across the table, at dinner parties. have 'I call it shocking! Lay down that book, sir. I have st painful suspicions that you were a cheat: you long in the room, ere my suspicions were greatly nd I am now fully satisfied and convinced, that sions were well grounded. Perhaps you have tried him only in those yourself happen to know, Dr. Bradford. orst is, that you are one of a set. A 1 scholars is springing up, of which The cause is this: There are two wledge or ignorance of which, in stitutes the difference between a scholar son, That is the fact. These two lanand Latin. And, I repeat it, every person These em not, let him know what he will besides, is an person; and feels himself, and is felt, to be so. anguages are to be acquired, not without labour and perseverance; and labour and perseverance are things which few persons, in these days, like. Consequently, when learners arrive at the threshold of these two languages, and begin to discover the difficulty of proceeding further, they do as the freshmen do at Cambridge, when they come to the Ass's Bridge; that is, they begin to try different expedients, or to diverge in different directions, very few going right on. Many at once turn lazy: nor can seven years of flogging at school, followed by three or four of disgrace at the university, conquer their antipathy to the acquisition of these two languages. As they enter school, so they depart from college, ignorant of Latin and Greek. This is the history of a very considerable portion of those, who pass through Oxford and Cambridge.-Others, again, shrinking, like the former, from these two languages, endeavour to satisfy themselves with attainments in other departments of knowledge. They study heraldry; botany; entomology; chemistry; the names of the stars, miscalled astronomy; practical mechanics, and the history of the steam-engine, which makes them conceited; or physiology (with its horrid train of stale experiments on live frogs and rabbits), which makes them cruel. They pass themselves off for very clever persons with their female acquaintance; but try them with the two languages, once get them on that ground;-there lies their conscious weakness. Fluently can they talk, indeed, within their own circle of knowledge, or upon their own point. But, if a scholar be present, they talk with horrors of conscience, and with contortions of face: mumbling, with many grimaces, the terms of their own science as they utter them; pronouncing them, either in broken arti |