Icofandria of Linnæus. The laft letter is on the method of preparing a hortus ficcus.

be

Mr. Martyn, in the fame familiar manner, examines the different claffes and orders of Linnæus; so that a person must very dull who, with this book only in his hand, cannot conquer a science, whofe afpect is at first rugged and deformed, but whofe very deformities will be found of the greatest use, and contribute to the pleasure which it is fo capable of affording.

We fhall take a fpecimen of our author's manner, with little choice, for there is little reafon for a preference. We open at the Hexandria Monogynia, chiefly compofed of the lily tribe; and we shall take that part.of it which relates to fome well-known flowers. We need fcarcely obferve, fince it will be fufficiently obvious, that in our author's familiar, we had almost faid carelefs, manner, there is a precifion, which would add a credit to the moft diftinguished botanist. We have formerly remarked that a man of real fcience is feldom found loose and incorrect, in his lightest moments.

The tulip and fome others which I fhall now prefent to you, agree with the lily in having naked, unprotected corols. The tulip, unbounded in the variety of colour, in the cultivated ftate of its gaudy flowers, has an inferior bell-shaped corol of fix petals; and no ftyle, but only a triangular ftigma, fitting clofe to a long, prifmatic germ. The fpecies is distinguished by its fhort lance-fhaped leaves, and its upright flowers, from the Italian tulip, whofe flowers nod a little, have longer and narrower lance-fhaped leaves, yellow corols never varying in colour, ending in acute points, and having a fweet fcent. The common colour of the eaftern tulip, in a state of nature, is red. This, when broken into ftripes by culture, has obtained the imaginary value of a hundred ducats for a single root, - among the Dutch florifts.

How different is the fweet, the elegantly-modeft lily of the valey, from the flaunting beauty of the tulip! the pure, bellfhaped corol, is divided at top into fix fegments, which are bent back a little: and the feed-veffel is not a capfule, as in most of this class, but a berry, divided however into three cells, in each of which is lodged one feed: this berry, before it ripens, is fpotted. I doubt not but that you have often searched for it in vain, because this plant feldom produces its fruit: the reason is, that it runs very much at the root, and increases fo much that way, as almost entirely to forget the other. I have feen large tracts covered with it, in the remote receffes of woods, without a fingle berry; and the way to obtain them, is to imprison the plant within the narrow circuit of a pot, when by preventing it from running at the root, it will take to increafing by the red berry. This species is diflinguished from

Solo

Solomon's-feal, and others of the genus, by the flowers growing on a scape or naked ftalk; it has only two leaves, which take their rise immediately from the root.

The hyacinth is one of the most favoured plants of the florifts. In the natural state, wherein you seldom fee it, the corol is fingle, and cut into fix fegments; and there are three pores or glands, at the top of the germ, exuding honey. The fpecies from whence all the fine varieties take their rife, has the corols funnel-shaped, divided half-way into fix fegments, and fwelling out at bottom. This muft not be confounded with the wild hyacinth or blue-bells of the European woods, which has longer, narrower flowers, not fwelling at bottom, but rolled back at their tips; the bunch of flowers is alfo longer, and the top of it bends downwards. This is frequently found with white corols.'

We congratulate the English botanift on this valuable guide, which, with the Litchfield tranflation of Linnæus' Syftem, will facilitate his accefs to this delightful kingdom. But we proteft, with our author, against thefe Letters being read inan eafy chair at home; they can be of no ufe but to those who have a plant in their hands.

Botany is not to be learnt in the clofet; you muft go forth into the garden or the fields, and there become familiar with Nature herfelf; with that beauty, order, regularity, and inexhaustible variety which is to be found in the ftructure of vegetables; and that wonderful fitnefs to its end, which we perceive in every work of creation, when our limited understandings, and partial obfervations, give us a juft view of it.'.

An Attempt towards an improved Verfion, a Metrical Arrangement, and an Explanation of the Twelve Minor Prophets. By William Newcome, D. D. Bishop of Waterford. 410. 10s. bd. fered. Robinson.

AN endeavour to elucidate the twelve minor prophets is no lefs arduous than commendable, as they are generally allowed to be the moft obfcure part of the Hebrew Scriptures. The learned author briefly ftates the nature of those difficulties, and then enumerates the peculiar advantages which now offer themselves to the patient investigator towards afcertaining their fenfe, and understanding their allufions. He particularly mentions Dr. Kennicott's Collation of Hebrew MSS. as eminently useful, and forming an invaluable acceffion to all external helps.' Like bishop Lowth, in his translation of Isaiah, he has given a metrical form to his version on the fuppofition of its concordance with the poetical arrangement of the original. Like him, he feldom enters into any laboured VOL. LX. Aug. 1785. I

dif

His

difquifitions concerning the scope and tendency of particular predictions, but chiefly confines himself to the faithful reprefentation of the prophet's words-that most neceffary basis for the illuftrations and expofitions of future commentators. purport, likewise, after that judicious divine's example, feems to be, not only to render the meaning in a literal manner, but to preferve the form of construction, the peculiar turn and caft of the original, as far as the nature of our language will allow. And, in general, as Addifon has obferved, the Hebrew idioms run into the English tongue with a particular grace and beauty, and give force and energy to our expreffions.'

One defign, fays the author, of engaging in the present arduous province was to recommend, and, in a fmall degree, to facilitate, an improved English verfion of the fcriptures; than which nothing could be more beneficial to the caufe of religion, or more honourable to the reign and age in which it was patronifed and executed. The reafons for its expediency are, the mistakes, imperfections, and many invincible obfcurities of our prefent verfion; the acceffion of various helps fince the execution of that work; the advanced ftate of learning; and our emancipation from flavery to the Maforetic points, and to the Hebrew text as abfolutely uncorrupt.'

He then fubjoins fome directions how the plan for a uniform tranflation fhould be adjusted, and lays down various rules, to the number of fifteen, as neceffary to be adopted in fuch an undertaking thefe rules are elucidated by explanatory obfervations; and we do not apprehend that any exceptions can be poffibly made against them. The accomplishment of the twelfth indeed, is, we believe, in the opinion of many, more to be wished than expected, The critical fenfe of paffages. fhould be confidered, and not the opinions of any denomination of Chriftians whatever. The tranflators fhould be philologifts, and not controverfialifts.' We will, however, hope the best, and gladly fubfcribe our teftimony to the author's candour in this paffage, as we do to his ingenuity and foundnefs of judgment in others. In thefe rules he obviates fome objections that might be made against the undertaking; and fhews, as indeed the prefent performance fufficiently evinces, that if they are properly adhered to,

A new verfion would be as fimple, natural, and majestic, as beautiful, affecting, and fublime, as that in prefent ufe; with the additional recommendation of being more pure, exact, and intelligible. It is true, that nothing of this kind can be undertaken without temporary offence to the prejudiced and ignorant. But the opinion of thefe will foon be outweighed by the judgment of the reafonable and well-informed. The real

7

question

question amounts to this; whether we shall supply Chriftian feaders and Chriftian congregations, with new means of inftruction and pleasure, by enabling them to understand their bible better and let all who can promote a work of fuch moment, confider this question with due ferioufnefs and attention.'

To give fome general idea of the manner in which the author has executed his.undertaking, we shall felect the third chapter of Habakkuk, with notes on the fix first verfes annexed. The noble and animated addrefs to the Almighty, which it contains, is fcarcely inferior, in point of fublimity, to any paffage in the royal pfalmift: it is conceived, indeed, much in his manner; and a German commentator thus roundly afferts it to have been written in imitation of him. * Hec oratio fcripta fuit ad imitationem odarum Davidicarum: quod teftantur voces in ea reperta, odis illis peculiares; ut funt + Sigionoth, v. 1. Selah, v. 3. Lamenajea, v. 19. Neginoth in

eodem verfa.

i [A Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet upon Shigionoth.] O Jehovah, I have heard thy fpeech;

I have

1. A prayer The title feemis a Jewish annotation of a later age: and the insertion of it interrupts the connection.

-Shigionoth] The word is probably derived from the Syr. 10, mutavit, variavit: and thus may denote a mufical inftrument of great compafs, with which the Jews accompanied this piece of poetry.

2thy fpeech] Which thou haft communicated to me: c. i. 5II. ii. 4-20 See Obad. i. I.

-thy work] I have been ftruck with fear, because of the judgments denounced against, Judah and Jerufalem: c. i. 5-11. ii. 4, 5, 8, 17. One MS. reads, because of thy work.

"Jehovah, I have seen thy work." Dr. Wheeler.

He places over feen. 6. have aтevónsa: and in MS. Pachom. and ed. Ald. we find Kugie, natɛvónja.

-approach] Cappellus prefers the reading of 6. and Aquila: iv rộ ἐγγίζειν, ἐν τῷ παρείναι: 1199.

-thou haft fhewn it] Cappellus ingeniously conjectures, heav it. I prefer, thou haft fhewn it. 6. have (wow, which word reprefents. One MS. has at prefent 1, another perhaps 11, another 13", which reading Jerom alfo found. Kenn. diff. gen. 84. 13.

thou makeft it known] One MS. reads, notum facies id. -thou remembereftj Obferve the topics of confolation, c. ii. 4. 14: and the feveral woes denounced against Babylon.

Hebr. bearing.

*Crit. Sac. tom. iv. p. 6815.

+ He tranflates the firft verfe, oratio Habaccuci canenda fecundum odas quas figionoth vocant; which he fuppofes derived from a word that fignifies errare. It may, however, be obferved, that the tranfitions in this chapter are lefs abrupt than in most other poetical paffages of the prophetic writings.

I 2

3. God

3

I have feared, O Jehovah, thy work.

As the years approach, thou haft fhewn it;
As the years approach, thou makeft it known.
In wrath thou rememberest mercy.

God came from Teman,

And the Holy One from mount Paran: [Selah.]
His glory covered the heavens ;

And the earth was full of his praise.

4

His brightness was as the light:

5

Rays ftreamed † from his hand:

And there was the hiding-place of his power.
Before him went the peftilence:

And

3. God came- -] Bifhop Lowth obferves that this is a fudden burst of poetry, in the true fpirit of the ode; the concealed connection being, that God, who had formerly difplayed fuch power in delivering the Ifraelites from Egyptian flavery, might fuccour their pofterity in a like wonderful manner; and the enthufiafm of the poet leading him to neglect all obvious ways of entering on his fubject. Præl. Hebr. xxviii. V. 3-7 contain a fublime defcription of God, when he conducted his people to the land of Canaan. The grandeft circumstances are selected and the diction is as fplendid as the subjects.

-Teman] Firft perhaps the name of an encampment, and afterwards of an Idumean city. Numb. xx. 21. Jer. xlix. 7. Job ii. II. -Paran] See Deut. xxxiii. 2. A part of Arabia Petrea: Gen. xxi. 21. Selah] See Pol. fyn. Pf. iii. 6. render the word diáfanμa, which, fays Suidas, is méhus évaλλayn, cantus immutatio.

-glory] On mount Sinai, and in the pillar of fire.

-praife] On account of his majefty and power. Bishop Lowth, ubi fupr. renders the word fplendour; and Green's verfion is, "And his glory filled the earth.

The verb, in Hiphil, fignifies to shine.

et

"And his praife filled the earth." Dr. Wheeler. 4. His brightness] Ar. Syr. Chald. Houbigant, read Splendor ejus. V. has fplendor ejus. The vau may be confidered as converfive of, and may be omitted in an English translation.

Rays] The verb, fignifies to fhine: Ex. xxxiv. 29, 30, 35and a pencil, or cone, of rays, iffuing from a point, diverges in the shape of a horn. See Deut. xxxiii. 2:

"From his right hand issued streams of light:"

the original word being, from in Syr. and Chald. to pour forth. See the learned Dr. Durell's note on the place. Twenty MSS. and one ed. read, and rays.

And there-] In the place whence the light proceeded he gloriously concealed his prefence. Three MSS. originally, and V. Chald. read DW, there.

of his power] Keri, many MSS. and fome editions, read ¡y, or y, ixúos abla. 6.

Capellus understands the verfe of the lightning on mount Sinai; but I rather refer it to the brightnefs which occafionally iffued from the Shechinah. Ex. xvi. 7, 10.

5. the peftilence] See Numb. xi. 33. xiv. 37. xvi. 46. It was occafionally inflicted on the Ifraelites for their guilt.

† Hebr. to him from his hand.

-flashes