before to an eclairciffement. In confirmation of all that I have faid, lady Ifabel has in her poffeffion, at prefent, a diamond ring, which lord Sommers once prefented to his brother, and which he gave to the late Mrs. Gower. When this is produced, no farther doubt can furely remain of this matter. I would to heaven, indeed, that it were otherwife; but we must all fubmit to our destiny." • All proved exactly as he had faid, to the unspeakable grief of the lady, who lies dangerously ill. Every thing here is in the greateft confufion : - "Heavens! (exclaims the afflicted Gower) and muft I then lofe iny new-found fifter, by those very means through which Providence has been pleased to reveal her to me! Unhappy creature! what do I not fuffer on thy account!" Mifs Carleton was at this time in the country, where a freth attempt was made to carry her off; but she was rescued by Mr. : Ramble, one of the confederates, who had been touched with remorse at his wickedness. Every thing would now go smoothly on, were it not neceffary to difpatch lady Ifabella, who dies of a broken heart. Her death leaves a clear stage to Mifs Carleton, who is united in marriage to Gower, who becomes lord Gower by his uncle's and his coufin's death, as Mifs Hale is with Selwin. Such are the outlines of this publication, divefted of its epifodes and under-plots. As to its merit, we must refer our reader to the character we have given of the preceding work. V. Syntagma Differtationum quas olim Auctor doctiffimus Thomas Hyde, S. T. P. feparatim edidit. Accefferunt nonnulla ejufdem opufcula hactenus inedita, cum Appendice de Lingua Sinenfi, aliifque Linguis Orientalibus, una cum quamplurimis Tabulis aneis, quibus earum Characteres exhibentur. A Gregorio Sharpe, LL.D. In Two Volumes. Pr. 1. 11 s. 6d. in Boards. T. Payne. T HE learned author of thefe tracts was the fon of Mr. Ralph Hyde, rector of Billingfley in Shropshire. He was born in 1636; and when he was very young, began to Atudy the Oriental languages, under the direction of his father. In 1652 he was fent to King's College, Cambridge, where he became acquainted with Mr. Abraham Wheelock, profeffor of Arabic in that university. By the affiftance and encouragement of this eminent linguift he foon made an extraordinary progrefs in Eaftern learning; and, before he was twenty years of age, was of fingular fervice to Dr. Walton, in the publication of the Polyglot Bible. In 1658 he went to Oxford, and was was admitted a ftudent of Queen's College, Here he was appointed Hebrew lecturer; and, in 1659, created master of arts. Soon after, upon the ejectment of Mr. Henry Stubbe, he was made fecond keeper of the Bodleian library, and headkeeper in 1665, in the room of Dr. Lockey. In the following year he was collated to the prebend of Yatminfter Inferior, in the church of Salisbury; and in 1678 was preferred to the archdeaconry of Gloucester *. In 1682 he commenced doctor of divinity. In 1691 he was elected Arabic profeffor, and regius profeffor of Hebrew in 1697. In 1700 he published his Opus palmarium, entitled, "Hiftoria Religionis Veterum Perfarum; a work of immenfe erudition, and of itself fufficient to denominate him one of the most learned writers of the age, and render his name immortal. He died at Chrift-Church, on the 18th day of February, 1702-3, and lies buried at Hanborough, in the fame county. These are fome of the most memorable events in the life of Dr. Hyde. For farther information, we refer the learned reader to the editor's Prolegomena, in which there are feveral anecdotes and obfervations that will give him pleasure in the perufal, The tracts in the firft volume are, I. Tabula long, ac lat. ftellarum fixarum, ex obfervatione Ulugb Beigbi. Ulugh Beigh [magnus princeps] was the grandson of the famous Tamerline, and began this work about the year 1437. In 1665 Dr. Hyde published the original with a Latin translation, and a commentary, in which he has shewn his own abilities, not only as a linguift, but as an aftronomer, a philofopher, and a critic. Of thefe tables Dr. Hyde collated three Perfian manufcripts. H. Mohammedis Tizini tabula declinationum, & re&arum afcenfionum additur elenchus nominum ftellarum. Tizinus mentions the afcenfion and declension of 300 stars. His table is constructed for the year 1533; and was published by Dr. Hyde at the end of Ulagh Beigh's, with a Latin tranflation. III. Itinera Mundi, autore Abrabamo Peritfol. * In the editor's Prolegomena we are informed, that Hyde was preferred to the archdeaconry of Gloucester in 1673. But this is (probably) a typographical error. We are very certain, that he was not inftalled archdeacon 'till January 12, 1678. Ff3 Peritfol Peritfol was a Jew, and wrote his book at Ferrara, fome time before the middle of the fixteenth century. Dr. Hyde published the Hebrew text with a translation and notes in 1691. IV. Tractatus Alberti Bobovii, Turcarum Imperatoris Moham medis quarti olim interpretis primarii, de Turcarum liturgia, peregrinatione Meccana, circumcifione, ægrotorum vifitatione, &c. 1690. Dr. Hyde's notes on these two preceding tracts contain many curious, hiftorical, geographical, and etymological obfervations. The editor has intersperfed fome new remarks, and fubjoined a copious and useful index. V. Caftigatio in Angelum à fando Jofepho, aliàs di&um De-laBroffe, Carmelitarum difcalceatorum in Perfide præfectum olim generalem, 1690. This piece relates to a difpute between Dr. Hyde and De-laBroffe, concerning fome Perfic words in the Polyglot Bible. In 1691 these three articles were published by Dr. Hyde, in one volume. The fecond volume contains. I. Hiftoria Shabiludii. Shabiludium, or chefs, is derived from the Perfic word shab, rex. According to Dr. Hyde, this game was invented in India, and introduced into Perfia in the fixth century. II. Hifloria Nerdiludii, &c. Thefe tracts, De ludis Orientalibus, contain an amazing fund of curious learning; and throw a light upon feveral paffages in the Greek and Roman claffics. They were published by Dr. Hyde in 1694. III. Epiftola de Menfuris & Ponderibus Sinenfium. This epiftle was originally printed at the end of Dr. Bernard's book De Menfuris & Ponderibus Antiquis, in 1688. But the author foon after published a fecond impreffion, with corrections and emendations; and this copy is followed by the prefent editor. IV. Specimen Maimonidis MORE NEVOCHIM Arabicè et Latinè cum notis. This treatise, entitled More Nevochim, that is, Doctor perplexcrum, was written in Arabic, and tranflated into Hebrew by R. Abben-Tibbon, a Spanish Jew; afterwards into Latin. by Buxtorf. The defign of it is to explain the meaning of feveral obfcure words, phrafes, metaphors, parables, and allegories, in the Jewish fcriptures. It is a valuable tract; but the fpecimen in this Collection is included in three pages. Dr. Hyde, in his new edition, intended to purfue the following plan 1. Textus Originalis Arabicus ex Hebraicis characteribus, quibus à Maimonide fcriptus ef; in proprios Arabicos tranfcribatur, Typis Arabicis evulgetur. 2. Apponatur Textus Arabici jufta Tranflatio Latina. 3. Ad calcem cujufque paginæ adjiciantur Note quædem neceffaria, tam ad Textum Arabicum, quam ad Verfionem Hebraicam pro natá occafione fpectantes. V. Specimen hiftoriæ Timuri, Arabicè, Perficè, Latinè. VI. Specimen cantici primi divini poeta Haphiz, Perficè ac Latinè. This canticle confifts of fourteen verses. VII. Oratio de linguæ Arabicæ antiquitate, præftantiâ, et utilitate, babita 18 Martii 1691-2. The following extract from this discourse cannot fail of being agreeable to the learned reader. : Linguæ Arabicæ Antiquitas ab ipfo Diluvio & generali Linguarum divisione arceffenda eft. Quâ autem ratione facta est dicta divifio feu confufio, inter viros doctos de hac re difquirentes, haud prorfus convenit. Omninò perparàm, me judice, exiftimant, qui imaginantur Linguarum confufionem factam fuiffe uno quafi momento, unoque Dei actu fubitaneo. Fuit autem opus temporis res lentè & gradatim proceffit, & tándem 100 aut pluribus poft diluvium annis completa eft. Imo, talis Linguarum Confufio fpontè fecutura erat, quamvis non fuiffet à Deo judicialiter inflista. Deus autem omnia prævi. dens, & mentis humanæ pravitatem perpendens, rem acceleravit, & fuo tempore fuâque methodo facilè perficiendam curavit ; idque initio ætatis Patriarchæ Phalegh, cujus nativitas, juxta Textum Hebræum, fuit centefimo primo anno poft Diluvium, at, fecundum Verfionem Græcam, quingentefimo primo. Quarum quidem Computationem prior videtur effe verior, propter tres rationes. Primò enim, cum in Hebræo Patriarchæ dicantur vixiffe circa 30 annos, in Græco autem 130 annos priufquam habuerint filium; five divinam Providentiam five humanam curam in hac parte perpenderimus, non poffumus imaginari dictos Patriarchas tam diu in cælibatu vixiffe. Nam cum Deus mundum incolis citò replendum decreverat, & homines multiplicari jufferat, & eadem effet hominum cura ne Beftiæ agri contra eos infurgerent, haud confultum videbatur ultra centefimum annum differre matrimonium, cùm nemo illorum poffet præfcire quamdiu victurus effet. Prætereà, in calidioribus illis regionibus appétitu et naturâ duce, imaginandum eft eos circa 30 annum uxores duxiffe, potiùs quàm illud ultra centefimum diftuliffe & prorogafle, cum hodierna praxis in Oriente vix fit ad vigefimum annum differre. Secundo, cùm nuper ex diluvio evafiffent, cum ratione debemus fentire eos contra fecundum Diluvium per turrim fibi profpexifle Ff4 introduced to a lord and lady Hampstead, their fon lord Halfum, and their two daughters; one of whom captivates Mr. Molefworth; and lord Hallum falls in love with Mifs Delves, a fprightly black-eyed girl, daughter to the banker. Here the curtain drops, to be drawn up, perhaps, in a third volume. We cannot help making an exception of this novel from the common run of fuch publications. Few or none of the incidents are, indeed, new; but they are well wrought up. There is great delicacy in all the characters, except that of Smith; which we wish had not been introduced, because the part he acts might have been fupplied with more propriety and probability. IV. The Force of Nature; or, the Hiftory of Charles Lord Sommers. In 2 Vols. By the Editor of the Wanderer. 12mo. Pr. 5 s. Noble. NOTHER foundling! and far from being deftitute of merit. The story is carried on, like the preceding novel, in the epiftolary manner; the advantages of which for novel-writing, we have more than once pointed out. The hero and the heroine of this piece are two faultless monsters. The former goes under the name of Gower, and, for aught that appears to the contrary, was never guilty of a weak, imprudent, or wicked action, except that of debauching a young woman, to whom he gave a pecuniary fatisfaction, which procured her a husband. This lady, who is known by the name of Mrs. Arden, acts the part of a fury incarnate, and is Gower's implacable enemy on all occafions. The name of the heroine is Mifs Charlotte Carleton, who is one of thofe notable bits of all-perfection ftuff, whom we have fo often defcribed. She is the ward of Sir John Gretton and Sir George Arnold, and conceives an early affection for Mr. Gower. She refides with Sir George and his amiable fifter Harriet, and her correfpondent is Mifs Arabella Hale. This admirable young lady's ruin is refolved upon by a knot of villains, at the head of whom is an earl of M-, who profeffes a mortal antipathy to Gower, and one Mr. Leland, who pretends to make honourable love to Mifs Carleton. We muft be excufed from entering into a detail of all the diabolical improbable traps which are laid by this club of wretches, for the ruin of Gower and his mistress. Sometimes a footman or a low retainer is dreft up to court her; fometimes Gower is traduced and mifreprefented. Other machinations are employed at the fame time, and even an affaffination is talked of, if every 1 |