Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

1

controverfy between M. Croufaz and Mr. Warburton, concerning Pope's Effay on Man; first published in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1743, p. 152.-Preliminary difcourfe to the London Chronicle. -Introduction to the World Difplayed. The World Difplayed was a collection of voyages and travels, from writers of several nations, in four volumes, publifhed by Newbery, to oblige whom, fays Sir John Hawkins, it is conjectured that Johnfon drew up this curious and learned paper. It contains, in a pleafing ftyle, the hiftory of navigation, and the discovery of America and the iflands of the Weft Indies.-The preface to the Preceptor. The preface to Rolt's Dictionary; fee an account of this work in our Review, vol. xvi. p. 243.-Preface to the tranflation of Father Lobo's voyage.-An effay on epitaphs.

The roth volume contains, the False alarm; fee Rev. vol. xlii. p. 62.-Thoughts on the tranfactions refpecting Falkland's ifland; fee Rev. vol. xliv. p. 330.-The Patriot; fee Rev. vol. li. p. 298. -Taxation no tyranny; fee Rev. vol. ii. p. 253.-Obfervations on the fate of affairs in 1756.—Introduction to the political ftate of Great Britain. Then follow, fome reviews of books and original eflays from the Literary Magazine, and other periodical papers, in which Johnfon was known to have been engaged; and the volume concludes with The journey to the Western Islands of Scotland; fee Rev. vol. lii. p. 57.

The 11th, and laft volume, contains, Raffelas; of which fee our account in Rev. vol. xx. p. 428.-The vision of Theodore; first published in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1748, p. 159. and afterward in the Preceptor.-The apotheofis of Milton, from the Gentleman's Magazine for 1738, p. 232. and feq. This was not Johnfon's, as we have already faid in our laft month's Review, p. 69. Then follow fome prayers and devotional exercifes. Thefe are fucceeded by a collection of apophthegms, fentiments, opinions, and occafional reflections. From Mrs. Piozzi, and others, Sir John Hawkins has given the public a number of maxims, obfervations, and ftories; but divefted of time, place, and the occafion that produced them, for which reafon they are, in a great degree, flat and infipid, many of them coarse, and fome of them leffen the character they were meant to heighten.

The remainder of the volume confifts of Johnson's poetical works of thefe, the first is Irene. See p. 135.

The next is London, a poem, the merits of which we mentioned when we gave Johnton's life, in our Rev. for April laft, p. 282. & feq. In this edition, we difcover a moft material typographical error.

* These are not all Johnfon's. See our last month's Rev. p. 70, &c.

• Let

Let fuch raife palaces, and manors buy,
Collect a tax, or farm a lottery;

With warbling eunuchs fill our filenc'd stage,
And lull to fervitude a thoughtless age.'

The fenfe requires that it fhould be licenfed ftage.
The vanity of human wishes is the next in order.

Thefe three larger poems are followed by prologues, odes, epitaphs, Latin poetical tranflations, imitations, impromptus, &c. chiefly collected from the Gentleman's Magazine for the years between 1747 and 1750, inclufive. By looking at the magazines, about that period, we obferved many poems, which from analogy we think were Johnson's productions: we again repeat the obfervation, that it is an indifpenfable part of an editor's duty, especially in collecting fmall and fugitive pieces, to fhew their authenticity. If Sir John thought feveral effays, reviews of books, odes, &c. which Dr. Johnfon, in the earlier part of his life, furnished for periodical publications, worthy of a place in this edition of his works, why did he not felect the debates in the fenate of Lilliput? they are excellent, both in ftyle and fentiment, and ought by all means to have been preferved. This omiffion, however, is not much to be lamented, as thefe debates have been collected into two volumes, publifhed as a fupplement to Johnfon's works, by Mr. Stockdale.

- Such is the collection given to the Public by Sir John Hawkins. Befide fome infertions, which did not belong to Johnson, we imagine there are fome omiffions. The table of Cebes, in the Preceptor, we have been told, was the work of Johnfon. The tranflation of P. Brumov's effay on the Greek comedy, published in Mr. Lenox's Greek Theatre, was also his; and we recollect befide, Remarks upon the tragedy of Macbeth, published about 1746, as a fpecimen of an intended edition of Shakespeare. Why thefe pieces are not reprinted in this edition, we do not know. They ought at least to have been mentioned in a catalogue of Johnfon's works. Of the Latin poetry, we have given no critical account, having run already into great length. That fubject may be refumed upon fome. future occafion.

We have only to add, that in what we have faid of Lobo's voyage to Abyffinia, we were obliged to truft to the abstract which we found in the hiftory of the works of the learned. We have fince been able to obtain the entire volume, published by Bettefworth and Hitch, 1735. The preface agrees with that reprinted in this edition. In the ftyle there are evident marks of Johnson's manner. We fee the infant Hercules: the tranflation has numberlefs inaccuracies, but if it be true that Johnson, in his diary, claims it as his own, we think, if no better evidence fhould throw new light on the matter, that it must be confidered

L 2

confidered as the firft work of an eminent writer. How it came into the hands of Bettefworth and Hitch cannot, perhaps, now be known. It might be through the means of a Birmingham bookfeller.

To conclude; the works before us will remain a lafting monument of the genius and the learning of Dr. Samuel Johnfon. Had he written nothing elfe, there is here a quantity that marks a life fpent in ftudy and meditation. When to this we add the labours that attended his Dictionary, we may allow, as he was used to fay of himself, that he has written his fhare. From the volumes now published, great improvement may be derived. With due precautions, men may learn to give to their ftyle precifion and energy; they may be taught to think with depth and perfpicuity; and all by thefe books may advance in virtue. M--y.

ART. VIII. The Sixth and Eleven following Chapters of Genefis, tranflated from the original Hebrew; with marginal Illuftrations and Notes. By Abraham Dawson, M. A. Rector of Ringsfield, Suffolk. 4to. 35. 6d. fewed. Baldwin. 1786.

VERY confiderable interval has paffed fince this Author

A prefented to last

We must direct our readers back to the Review for July 1772, p. 1. where they will find an account of his remarks and criticifms on the fourth and fifth chapters of Genefis. The title of the prefent performance is given according to Mr. Dawson's own divifion of the chapters, for it begins, he obferves, with the ninth verfe of the fixth, and ends with the fourteenth chapter of our English translation.

in and without with
Smear it with-
lime, pitch, or fome
glutinous matter, to
fecure the veffel from
leaking.

This Author proceeds on the plan he had before laid down; and we are inclined to credit him when he tells us, I can truly fay that I have given all the attention to my fubject, and taken all the pains in my power.' As fome little fpecimen of the work, the Reader will accept the few following extracts: Chap. vi. 4. Make thee an ark of bulrufhes; of reeds fhalt thou make the ark, and halt pitch it within and without with pitch and thus fhalt thou make it; three hundred cubits the length of the ark, AND fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its high: Sloping fhalt thou make the ark, even to a cubit fhalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark in its fide fhalt thou fet, with lower, fecond, and third ftories fhalt thou make it.' In fupport of the firft difference from our common tranflation, viz. of bulrushes; of reeds,'-Mr. Dawlon, among other things,

2

2 A floping roof
shalt thou make to the
ark, &c. the better to
Carry off the waters.
3 A door-doors.

remarks,

[ocr errors]

remarks, that Syr. hath translated atfi gphr in the fame manner as gma in Exod. ii. 3. 'Will not this,' he afks, in fome meafure juftify our fuppofing the original reading to have beenatfi gma knim-and rendering them-of bulrufhes; of reeds-?' He obferves, that the word knim is never ufed to denote rooms that he knows of, except by a strong poetical figure: he might have added, that though the word kn fignifies properly a neft, the word knh fignifies arundo, a reed; and to this our Author certainly refers, though, for fome readers, it would have been yet better to have expreffed it more explicitly. But our limits forbid the inferting all he fays in his notes:-To thofe who object that bulrushes and reeds must be very improper materials for conftructing fo bulky a veffel, he replies, that boats and fhips were anciently built of these materials; and farther, that the hiftory of the deluge cannot be fupported without having recourfe to miracles.

'Sloping,'-' tfer-Engl. and commentators-a window-but tfer never denotes this; and the word fo rendered (chap. viii. 2.) is not tfer, but loun "Poffibly (faith Bp. Kidder) of fome diaphanous ftone, to give light into the ark." How fanciful and unauthorized is this? Sept. much better 15vxywv-tfour, fer,-colligo, coar&to, to narrow, ftraiten, flope, &c.-tfer for four, tfr, tfre, by changing, inferting, or merely transposing the letter e. This feems to be the true fenfe.-Narrowing or floping fhalt thou make the ark, even to a cubit, &c. that fo the cover of it might better carry off the waters falling on it; Syr. ouzouidna aba-tranflated, Et fpeculas fac.-But doth this word ever denote fpecula? I find in Schindler, Ziade, an Arabic word, denoting Additio, Incrementum, &c. Might not the idea of Syr. be, that when the ark was built up to the bigth of thirty cubits, an Addition was to be made of a roof or covering, which was to be floped to a cubit, &c.? If fo, it falls in exactly with Sept.'

Chap. ix. 3. And every thing that moveth on the ground, and all the fifhes of the fea, into your hands have I given: Even every moving thing that liveth fhall be to you for food; as the green herb have I given to you all things: except that 3 flesh in its life's blood ye fhall not eat ;'

I The ground produceth.

2 Viz. all liv

ing things.

3 Raw, live flesh.

Some of the variations in the above verfes from the English verfion in general ufe may appear doubtful. Mr. Dawson contends with the commentators, who fuppofe the grant of animal food to have been first made to Noah: This paffage, fays he, is plainly no more than a recital and confirmation to Noah and his fons of the original grant to Adam, with a view to introduce the exception immediately fubjoined: this exception he refers to raw

L 3

flesh;

L

flesh; and farther remarks, on the expreffion-ouach—" except that"-Engl. and furely there doth not feem to be any neceffity for varying the tranflation of ach from that just above,except that the claufe may perhaps denote a prohibition from killing and eating human fefh.'

Chap. xii. 1. Come on, let us build for ourfelves a city and a tower, and let its top be in heaven, and let us make to ourselves a high confpicuous monument, left we be fcattered abroad on the face of the whole earth.'

2 A city with a high tower-a city with a number of high towers.

"A high confpicuous monument"- fm, according to Schultens, denotes a mark, a fign, raifed up and confpicuous; and the Arab. word ma me mi fignifies-to be high, elevated, eminent, &c.-Thefe builders were for erecting a city with a lofty tower, or, it may be, with a number of such towers, which might be feen at a great distance, whenever for the fake of pafurage, or from other caufes, they might find themselves oblized or difpofed to remove to a confiderable diftance, and be feparated a while from each other; and which would be a mark and tign for them to refort to, and bring them together again, and to prevent their wandering too far and being difperfed over the earth.-Engl. let us make us a name, left we be scattered, &c. Can we fuppofe the hiftorian to reprefent the whole earth as inftigated to this attempt merely by a principle of vanity? or how would making themselves a name prevent their being feattered abroad?I fhall only add, that one fenfe of m is well known to be-There-and it is not impoffible but it may have this meaning here-Let us build a city with a lofty, magnificent tower, and let us make it-There;-fetting out, and pointing to, as we may fuppofe, the particular fpot of ground on which to erect it. I own myself inclined to this interpretation, preferably to that of Engl.-making a name.'

2

Chap. xiv. 1. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will blefs thee, and I will make great thy name, and it fhall be bleffed; and I will bless them that blefs thee, and them that curie thee I will curfe; and 3 in thee fhall be bieffed all the families of the earth.'

A blefling-thy name fhall be ufed proverbially in bleffing.

4 Thou shalt be proclaimed bleffed by all nations arcund thee all the families of the earth fhall blefs themfelves in thee-fhall with themselves and their friends like prosperity with thee.

We have inferted the above extract, on account of the explication which Mr. Dawfon propofes of the laft paffage, and in thee fhall be bleffed all the families of the earth. His tranflation agrees with our common verfion; but the meaning which he

affigns

« ПредишнаНапред »