of phrase. The style, like that of the original, must be raised in the poetical parts, but not inflated; and plain in the historical parts, but not abject. Let nothing (Dr. Symonds) be admitted into the text, which we cannot read with pleasure as well as with advantage.' "RULE XI.-Dignity should characterize a version of the Bible. 1. "Some terms are degraded by familiar use. Priestley, has, 'customhouse,' for receipt of custom.' Dr. Campbell, in John xxi. 5, has, 'My lads.'! 2. "Some anglicisms appear colloquial and vulgar. As, he held his tongue.' The translation of the Bible should be a classical book to foreigners, who would be perplexed by such language. 3. "Modern phraseology, as such, is undignified in a translation of the Bible, as Dr. Campbell, Luke xix. 11. 4. "Offensive terms should be avoided. Isa. Ixiv. 6, 'filthy rags,' should be, with Lowth, a rejected garment.' Such passages as occur, 1 Kings, xiv. 10, should be read, every male,' or, 'that watereth against the wall.' "RULE XII.-Energy, should be another characteristic of a biblical translation. "This quality is obtained, in a great degree, by simplicity and propriety in the terms selected to represent the peculiar notions, conveyed by the sacred writers; and by expressing the clauses of the original with due conciseness. "Those Hebraisms may be retained which the English language easily admits, or to which an English ear is now accustomed; as 'walked with God,'-' labour of love,'-' children of Israel,' &c. "Dr. Geddes prescribed to himself some canons, which are justly entitled to the approbation of the public; of which the following are two:-in rendering the poetical and sentential parts of Scripture, bolder Hebraisms are allowable, than in the historical and legislative parts: whatever Hebraism has been once adopted, should, in the same sort of style, and in circumstances exactly similar, be uniformly and universally retained. "RULE XIV.-Metaphors are, in general, to be retained; and the substitution, or unnecessary introduction of new ones, should be avoided. "If the original metaphor cannot be transfused, it should be rendered in the margin. The genius of a language, and the nature and customs of a country, will often appear by observing this rule." 66 SECT. IV.-SCIENTIFIC REGULATIONS. RULE XVIII.-The critical sense of passages should be considered; and not the opinions of any denomination of Christians whatever. "The translators should be philologists, and not controversialists. See opinions of Beausobre, and L'Enfant, Dr. Geddes, Macknight, Lewis, &c. "The translators of our English Testament, says Gilpin, give many words a predestinarian sense, which there is no reason for. "RULE XIII.-The old ecclesiastical terms should be continued; as, repentance,' 'elect,' 'mystery,' &c. "Such words are now part of our theological language; and explanations of them perpetually occur. “RULE XVI.—The best known geographical terms should be inserted in the text; and those of the original, in the margin; as Syria,' marg. Aram.' Ethiopia,' marg. 'Cush." Μαθητης. Manchester. [To be continued.] To Religion. THOU sacred light, that right from wrong discerns; Thou disregarder of its joy and mirth; Thou only home the houseless wanderers have; Thou solace of the lonely hermit's cave, That bids him down to rest on fate's sharp thorn; Thou only hope to sorrow's bosom given; Thou voice of mercy when the weary call; JOHN CLARE. A Northamptonshire Peasant. Miscellanea. RELIGIOUS USE OF BELLS. MR. EDITOR. Should the following remarks be sufficiently interesting to be inserted in your Magazine, I shall be obliged by their admission. D. B. That bells were an early invention is evident from their use in the days of Moses, since it was enjoined on the high-priest of the Israelites, that the lower hem of the robe in which he officiated, should be ornamented with pomegranates and gold bells, set alternately, in order that he might minister therein, that his sound might be heard when he went into the holy place before the Lord, and when he came out, that he might not die. It seems to have been ordained as a mark of respect, that the high-priest might give public notice of his entering before the Lord; and, perhaps, to prevent his being put to death by those who watched the temple, that its sacred precincts might not be violated; none but the high-priest being permitted to enter into the holy place. Viewed in this light, there appears nothing extraordinary in the use of bells, simply considered; but as sacred persons gave sanction, in the minds of people prone to wander from the simplicity of truth, to make every thing about them, and even their dress, possess some sacred function, so these ornaments came to be held up to the people as something more than mere bells and pomegranates; and hence, Josephus informs us, that while the latter signified lightning, the former denoted thunder; and long before the days of Josephus, it appears that superstitious notions were attached to bells, which, according to the prophet Zecharias, (ch. xiv. 20,) were used as amulets. In illustration of this remark, accept the following extract from Burder's Oriental Customs, vol. ii. p. 291:-" Among the heathens of the East, the sun was called Baal or Bel, from his supposed dominion over all things, whence the word came at last to denote a lord or master in general. He was considered as the author of vibratory motion, the source of musical sound; and such instruments as emit a sound by percussion, were called bells, from Bell, or Bel, the name by which the sun was denoted among the Druids. For the same reason, a bell seems in very early times to have been made a sign or symbol of victory or dominion. Thus, as horses were employed in war, and are celebrated in the earliest antiquity, for their strength, stately port, and undaunted courage, bells became a part of their martial furniture." There is a striking proof of the antiquity of this custom among the heathen, which may be found in the Travels of Sir R. K. Porter (vol. i. pp. 615, 616.), who, in describing the palace of the forty pillars, which forms part of the ruins of Persepolis, mentions, among the second group of sculptured figures, "an almost gigantic horse, whose ardour his attendant seems to check by the tightness with which he holds the bridle;" as having round his neck a collar and a bell; and in the next page, the figure of a dromedary, so accurately sculptured "as to give an appearance of almost actual movement to the animal," is similarly decorated; and these fine specimens of the art are referred by that enterprising traveller to a period cotemporary with Cyrus. Possibly, bells were also used as music, with equally superstitious notions. They are mentioned 1 Chron. xv. 19; and perhaps the sounding brass, coupled with the tinkling cymbal, was a sort of bell. Among the heathen, the use of bells in their religious ceremonies was common in ancient times. The sounding brass, in some shape or other, was struck in the sacred rites of the dea Syria, and in those of Hecate. It was thought to be good for all kinds of expiation and purification. It had moreover some secret influence over the spirits of the departed.1 The priests of Proserpine at Athens, called Hierophantus, rang a bell to call the people together to sacrifice; and one indispensable ceremony in the Indian Pooja is the ringing of a small bell by the officiating Brahmin. The women of the Idol, or dancing girls of the Pagoda, have little golden bells fastened to their feet, the soft harmonious tinkling of which vibrates in unison with the exquisite melody of their voices 2 Hence it appears probable, that the Jews derived much of their foolish notions respecting bells, as well as other things of more serious moment, from the heathen nations. The rage for amalgamating the superstitions of the Pagan world with the outside of Christianity, through the falsely called liberality of persons pretending to be the abettors of truth, but who were in reality the worst enemies that Christianity ever had to contend with, together with the desire of the heathen themselves to uphold their old customsthose who, like too many of the present day, exerted all their influence in endeavouring to unite principles that must ever remain separated— this rage for mingling truth with error in the early ages of the church, when heathen usages could be made in any degree to correspond, or when coincidence between Pagan gods and goddesses, and Christian saints could, however remotely, be brought to bear, was the means of introducing a great variety of dogmas, in every respect contrary to that simplicity which becometh the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and among these, the adoption of bells was not omitted. Hence appears to have arisen the use of them in churches, now so universal among us; and had their use, without abuse, have served the purpose to which they were, perhaps, originally applied, it would have been well but long before the Reformation in this country, the clergy had found means to delude the minds of themselves and their people with 1 Blunt's Vestiges of the Ancient Manners and Customs of Modern Italy, 1823,p. 115. Maurice. Ind. Antiq. vol. v. pp. 137, 138. 1794. the most superstitious opinions respecting them; and, as if they felt anxious that their follies should be carried to future ages, they thought right to inscribe the bells they erected with those opinions. Of these a few specimens will illustrate the subject. One set of bells in a parish church in Cambridgeshire, was thus inscribed. These specimens shew the influences attributed to Bells, and it is almost incredible, so much had the notion of the sanctity of Bells prevailed, that the ordinance of Baptism was profanely applied to their consecration, by washing them inside and out, with water set apart, in the name of the holy Trinity; the bishop adding holy oil, crosses, and exorcisms, the then usual forms of baptism; and, withal, appointing godfathers and godmothers, who, as they held the ropes, gave them their names, and engaged to answer on their behalf such questions as the Bishop might ask the said Bells; and besides all this, the Bishop, whilst he anointed them, i. e. the Bells "prayed God to give his holy Spirit to them, that they might become sanctified for the expelling of all the power, snares, and illusions of the devil-for the souls of the dead; and especially for the chasing away of storms, thunder, and tempests." 1 In further proof of what is here advanced regarding the superstitious ideas attached to Bells, I beg to submit the accompanying fac 1 History of Popery, vol. ii. p. 22, 23.-1736. |