ARTICLE LII. REPONSE aux Objections contre le Projet d'unc nouvelle Grammaire, pour apprendre l'Hebreu & les autres Langues Orientales fans Points. Par M. MASCLEF Chanoine d'Amiens, That is, AN ANSWER to the Objections that may be raised against the Project † of a new Grammar, to learn Hebrew and other Oriental Languages without Points. By M. MASCLEF, Canon of Amiens. I SHALL neither tranflate this Difcourfe, nor make a full Extract of it; being of Opinion, that it will be fufficient to enlarge upon that Part, whereing the Author undertakes to fhew, that the Truth of his New Method has been fully proved by his own Experience. About I have inferted the First Part of that Project, ai bove in Art. XIII, and the Second Part in Art XXX. About the latter End of the Year 1694. M. Mafelef being difcouraged a Third Time from learning Hebrew, by Reafon of the Difficulties he met with in the very beginning of the common Grammars, and because he knew the greateft Proficients in that Language cannot eafily read and tranflate it without Points; it came into his Thoughts to enquire, whether Hebrew might be learned without the help of Points. He knew those Vowels are a new Invention, and that Hebrew was formerly read and learn'd withour them ; from whence he inferr'd, that it was not impoffible to read and learn it still in the fame manner. He saw that the Want of Vowels was the only Reason why Hebrew could not be read without Points; but he perceived at the fame time, that Vowels were to be found in a great many Places, (for he could not believe that were Confonants,) and thaf they might be uuderstood in thofe Places where they are wanting; that the Senfe of the Words lying in the Characters, he might fupply any Vowels; it being an indifferent thing whether he pronounced Hebrew as the Ancients did, or according to the Method of the Mafforets, or in a new way, provided he understood himself, and had fome fhort and eafy Rules to know conftantly in what place he was to fupply Vowels, and what Voweis were to be fupplied. Having examined feveral ways of fupplying those Vowels, and duly confidered the Advantages and Inconveniencies arifing from each of them, at last the Method mentioned in his Project came into his Mind. It appeared to him very eafy: He tried to read according to that Method; and in a Quarter of an Hour he read with great Facility. Being well pleased with this Difcovery, he enquired whether the Grammar would agree with that Method, and whether the Characters without Points would enable him to diftinguifh all the Parts of Speech one from another, and their feveral Modifications. He immediately perceived, that there was no Difficulty Difficulty in his Method, as to thofe Parts of Speech that are undeclinable; and that Dictionaries would teach the Nature of thofe Words, and their Significations, in the fame Manner, and with the fame Facility, as they are learned by the ufual Methods. He made the Experiment. It answered his Expe ctation. Our Author proceeded to thofe Parts of Speech, that are declined and conjugated; and obferved, that it was generally an eafy thing to diftinguifh the Genders, the Numbers, and fome Cafes of Nouns and Paticiples by the Characters without the Help of Points. Afterwards he perceived, that it was much the fame thing with the Verbs, the more because the Hebrew Verbs have few Tenfes and Moods: that one might eafily diftinguifh the Preter-Tense and the Future, their figurative Characters being wholly dif ferent; that the Perfons and Numbers of thofe Two Tenfes are alfo fufficiently diftinguished by their Characters; that it was likewife an eafy thing to diftinguifh a confiderable part of the Conjugation Kal from Niphal, Hiphil, Hophal and Hithphael; and that the Four laft Conjugations having different figurative Letters, he might alfo generally distinguish them one from another. 'Tis true he perceived that the Conjugations Piel, Pual, and even Poel could not be diftinguifhed from Kal without the Help of Points. But far from looking upon it as an Inconveniency, he took it to be an Advantage of his New Method; being of Opinion, that fince thofe Three Conjugations feem to be a mere Invention of the Mafforets, because their Difference from Kal lies only in the Points, they might very well be left out; by which Means fome Difficulties of the Hebrew Grammar would vanifh away. M. Mafclef adds, that the only Difficulty he met with, concerns fome Modifications, which cannot be diftinguifhed by the Characters, and fome ambiguous Words, the Sense whereof is only determined by the Points. Points. But, fays he, all those who read the Bible without Points, find themselves engaged in the fame Difficulty. Befides, it is a Question whether certain Words ought to have the Modification and the Senfe beftowed upon them by the Pointing of the Mafforets. Laftly, he was apt to believe that the Senfe and Modification of thofe ambiguous Words might be generally determined by the Exigency of the Place, as it frequently happens in all other Languages, either dead or living. Thus, perceiving no other Difficulty but what he thought he might eafily overcome, he began to tran late. He knew it was not neceffary to understand the Grammar thoroughly in order to go about fuch a Work. The Rules he had obferved in the common Grammars, to know the different Modifications of Nouns and Verbs, with the help of the Letters, appeared to him fufficient for a beginning, being of Opinion that he might learn the reft by Ufe and Exercise. The firft Effays of his Tranflation fucceeded beyond his Hopes: He went on, and made a new Progress every Day. Hitherto he had read but few critical Books upon the Holy Scripture, having turned his Studies another way. He read fome then, and among others the critical Hiftory of the Old Teftament, wherein he found many things, that convinced him of the Solidity of his Defign, and how neceffary it was to put it in Execution. The Author having found out the Secret of reading Hebrew without Points, went on, and with the help of the common Grammars, leaving out every thing that concerns the Points, he happily read all the Hebrew Bible. He made the fame Experiment uponthe Chaldaick Text of Daniel and Ezra, upon all the Chaldaick Paraphrafes, and a great Part of the Syriack Verfion, both of the Old and New Teftament, and upon fome Pieces of the Samaritan; wherein he had the the hard Words which Servetus had given him. He added, That he had endeavoured for the Space of Sixteen Years to reclaim him from his Errors; that he had writ to him with great Mildness, and continued to use him like a Friend, till he faw that Servetus inveighed against him, becaufe he had freely reproved him. He exhorted the Prifoner to pray God that he would forgive him, for having attempted to pluck out three Hypoftafes out of his Effence, &c. When Calvin perceived that his Exhortations made no Impreffion upon the Pri foner, He did not prefume to be wiser than his Mafter, and according to St. Paul's Command, went away from that Heretick, who was condemned by his dwn Confcience. Calvin tells us, That when Servetus heard he was condemned to Death, fometimes he appeared Speechlefs and without any Motion, fometimes he fetched deep Sighs, and fometimes he made great Lamentations like a Madman, and that he cried out, Mercy, Mercy, after the Spanish way. Here follow fome Verfes, which are a Parody of a Poem written by the French Poet Theophile. That Parody was made by an Admirer of Servetus, or rather by an Enemy to Perfecution. It has been prefixed to my Manufcript of Servetus's Book intituled Chriftianifmi Reftitutio. MOY, qui dans la Cité des gehennes, Et qui vids le bruflant tifon De le voir peint dans cet ouvrage, Qu'en |