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matical difficulty" (p. 287;) and that "after publishing the contents of his Appendix, it would be ridiculous to consider this writer as a person qualified to form an opinion, or give a decision on any question of Hebrew literature; and it would be still more absurd, after he has shewn, that habitual vanity and self-conceit have hardened his mind against conviction, whenever he has been proved to be in an error," (p. 294).

After all, says M. "how does the matter stand? Mr. Bellamy selects a portion of Genesis, and says the received version is erroneous, and does not convey the sense of the original; the story of Lot and his daughters for example; and I would say, in passing, that a pious mind would almost wish that Mr. Bellamy might prove right in this instance."

The selection of the instance here quoted, and the wish, that Mr. Bellamy might prove right, can proceed, I think, only from a little want of consideration. Who, indeed, would not wish, that David's adultery, and Peter's denial of his Saviour, as well as the incestuous act, before quoted, had never happened? But recorded as they are, the records of these crimes are awful warnings to the best of men, and to him that "thinketh he standeth, to take heed lest he fall." And if they have this effect, as it may be hoped they have, the end of Scripture is answered, and the record of these crimes will do infinitely more good than all Mr. Bellamy's ungrammatical labour to expunge any one of them from the Bible.

"The Quarterly Review" (says M.) "denies the force of Mr. Bellamy's reasoning, and defends the old text, by bringing into array all who have gone before. Thus it is assertion against assertion; and I see no likelihood of an accommodation." When M. has examined Mr. Bellamy's one hundred and thirty-four errors in grammar, and has compared them with the "inflated arrogance" of his calumnies against all the Latin and English Translators of the Bible, he will, I am inclined to think, decide for himself without waiting for Mr. Bellamy's accommodation.

But still, with all its defects, M. is desirous that Mr. Bellamy's work should be allowed to proceed, that "the whole matter may be before

the publick, and the publick be left to judge for themselves." If it were a work of mere literary ambition, or typographical speculation; if merely the author's, or the printer's, or the bookseller's interest, were to be affected by the experiment; the undertaking might be carried to its ultimate destination, without any apprehension as to its consequences. But here it is quite otherwise; the great truths of Christianity are at stake, and man's eternal interests are involved, where every thing rests on a criterion, "in which," as M. observes, "few dare venture to trust their own judgment," and where the unlearned, that is, the great majority of the publick, have no security against the confident assertions of an imposing and presumptuous charla

tanism.

M. uses rather an amusing threat, as a stimulus to the undertaking. "To nip the work, as it were, in the bud, would, in my opinion, be the most unfair and unjust of all proceedings; and if this is accomplished by any means, I, for one, shall consider Mr. Bellamy's translation_to_be_correct." Resolutely and benevolently settled! but not very critically. Indeed, M. takes a most indulgent view of Mr. Bellamy's work. He says, that "if he has restored the sense of a single verse, he merits our thanks, and that many errors might be overlooked for a discovery of such transcendant importance." M. would have done well to have produced one of these important discoveries. But I should reverse his observation. I contend, that, in such a work, a single error (whether of translation or of remark), which tends to lessen the evidences of any established doctrine (and there are several such errors in Mr. Bellamy's work), is not to be compensated by the restored sense of

many verses.

With M.'s notions of the transcendant importance of Mr. Bellamy's discoveries, it is no wonder that he should call him "a profound and intelligent scholar," of whom Mr. Whittaker says, "it is the extent of Mr. Bellamy's ignorance, and the amazing multitude of his errors, that renders him dangerous; for his attainments are of the very lowest order" (p.293).

Yet M. says, "Let Mr. Bellamy give us the remainder of his work ;

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IN

ANCIENT ANECDOTES. Mr. URBAN, West-square, Sept. 14. N perusing the pages of Valerius Maximus, which lately passed through the press under my inspection as Editor, I frequently felt a wish that the publick were gratified with a good translation of that curious work-a collection of nearly a thousand ancient anecdotes-the major part of them relating to persons whose names stand conspicuous in the records of history. But, as I cannot, upon inquiry, learn that any English translation of that author has yet appeared, I propose (if agreeable to you) to select some of the anecdotes for insertion in the Gentleman's Magazine. I wish it, however, to be previously understood, that it is not my intention to furnish what might, with any degree of propriety, be considered as a translation, either of the narrative part, or, much less, of the comments or remarks accompanying it; but simply to give the bare substance of each anecdote, in as few words as the case will permit. -Neither shall I study to select, from different parts of Valerius's ninetyone chapters, all the most interesting anecdotes in the first instance: but, to save that unnecessary and unprofitable labour, I mean to take them as they present themselves to me, in glancing my eye over the chapters in regular succession.

This being premised, I now send the following few, selected from his first and second chapters on Religion,

(1.) In the reign of Tarquin the Proud (or the Cruel), Marcus Tullius, one of the two guardians entrusted with the custody of the Sibylline books, having clandestinely permitted a copy to be taken of the secret ritual, the king ordered him to be sewed up

alive in a leathern sack, and thus thrown into the sea-(the mode of punishment afterwards ordained by law for the crime of parricide.)

(2.) In the year of Rome 547 (206 before the birth of Christ) the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta having become extinct through the inattention of the virgin who had the charge of watching it, the high priest ordered her to be scourged for her neglect.

(3.) On another occasion, a priest's bonnet having fallen from his head during the performance of sacrifice, that accident deprived him of his priesthood.

(4.) The statue of Jupiter, in his temple at Syracuse, being decorated with a gold mantle, the tyrant Dionysius the elder stripped it off, and substituted a woollen cloak in its stead, observing that the former was too heavy for summer, and too cold for winter; whereas the latter was fit for either season.

(5.) That same Dionysius took off the golden beard from the statue of Esculapius, saying it was quite out of character that he should be seen to wear a beard, while his father, Apollo, was every-where represented beardless.

(6.) He also took away various golden images, crowns, and other articles, placed on the outstretched hands of the statues of gods and goddesses, alleging that he committed no robbery or sacrilege, but simply received them as gifts; and that it were foolish to pray to the gods for good things, and not to accept them, when fairly offered.

(7.) Dionysius again!-Returning by sea from Locri, where he had plundered the temple of Proserpine, and sailing with a favourable wind, "Do you see, my friends," said he, "what a prosperous voyage the gods grant to sacrilegious folk?"

(8.) In the year of Rome 572, near five centuries after the death of Numa Pompilius, two stone chests were discovered, in digging, in the vicinity of the city. One of these (as appeared from a graven inscription) had been the receptacle of that prince's body: in the other were found seven volumes in the Roman, language *, on subjects relating to the

"In Latin," says Valerius; though the Latin language (as we understand the term)

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N all the patents issued from the Heralds' College, the respective arms, crests, and supporters, granted, exemplified and confirmed, are blazoned in the technical terms of the science, which blazon may be considered almost equally important with the depicted arms, &c. in the margin of the grant. A copy of the painted arms, &c. is made for the use of the seal and plate engraver, for the pannels of a carriage, and other purposes; but the blazon should always be written at the bottom, or otherwise affixed, to accompany the pattern copy for the artist. By not having the blazon to refer to, erroneous divisions and positions of the bearings, omissions, and other inaccuracies, frequently occur. Various instances can be named.

Now the intention of these lines, Mr. Urban, is respectfully to call the attention of those in any way connected with armorial bearings (if they wish to be correct), that they are borne and used in conformity to the words and meaning of the grant; and not to rely so much on secondband authorities, such as arms in shade (called by some relief), minute engravings in books of Peerage, aud other works, imperfect seals, sculpture, &c. &c. which in few instances can be depended on. H. C. B.

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tures, as the probable productions of that inimitable Artist *.

Doubtless numerous valuable pictures, that were painted by him in the prime of life, still remain generally unknown, in the hands of private individuals. These it is extremely desirable to authenticate by all proper means, whilst the parties are living who know the private history of the pictures. With this view, Mr. Nichols has very properly given a list of genuine pictures by Hogarth which have never been engraved, with minute particulars of several of the subjects t.

Ishall now, without farther preface, beg to introduce to the publick a picture hitherto unnoticed, now the property of Mr. John White, well known for many years as the respectable bookseller in Fleet-street, which must certainly be generally allowed as a probable production of Hogarth, and which many eminent connoisseurs have not hesitated to ascribe with confidence to his pencil.

The picture is 2 feet high, by 2 feet 5 inches wide. The subject I consider as by no means a pleasing

one;

but it is so managed as not in the least to be offensive to delicacy. It represents a bed-room; in which are a well-dressed lady, in a blue vest, seated on a bed, and a beau of the age, in a scarlet coat, standing by her, in rather an interesting attitude.

The figures are well painted. Ou the left of the picture is a dressingtable; and in the opposite corner is another table covered with a cloth for supper. Here is introduced a little incident, much in Hogarth's manner.A cat is on the table, with its back erect, who seems not to relish the intrusion of a dog, that is staring at her. The picture may be seen at Mr. March's, Fishing-rod and Tackle maker, 56, Fleet-street. N. R. S.

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N.W.VIEW OF ST MARTIN'S, OR CARFAX CHURCH, OXFORD.,

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Gent Mag Sept 1819 Pt 1p 201

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