Codex Alexandrinus to be of the highest antiquity; for there is no perceptible difference between it and them, though the letters of Codex Bezæ have very little refemblance to either.

To the arguments of Grabe and Woide for the high antiquity of the Codex Alexandrinus, which arguments are not here contuted, Michaelis opposes the following as determining his judgment.

"I confess that there is a circumftance which excites a suspicion, that the Alexandrine manufcript was written after Arabic was become the native language of the Egyptians, that is, one, or rather two centuries after Alexand ia was taken by the Saracens, which happened in the year 640. The tranfcriber confounds, and that, if I am not mistaken in many infiances, the two letters M. and B. an exchange which frequently takes place in Arabic." (P. 207.)

But does fuch an exchange as this take place in no language but Arabic? We have seen a Greek manufcript written where Arabic was never the native language, in which the letters MP were frequently fubftituted for B; and who knows that fome fuch confufion of letters was not frequent in Egypt before the taking of Alexandria by the Saracens? It seems likewife to be very little probable, that after Ma hommedanism had become the dominant religion of Egypt, and when there is reason to believe that the Chriftians of that country were deeply infected with the herefies of the age, the writer of the Alexandrine manufcript would have prefixed to the pfalms the epiftie of Athanafius on their value and excellence. No doubt, this might have been done by fome good Catholic, who, amidst the apoftacy of the age, ftill revered the memory of the orthodox father; but how many chances are there against the individual Codex Alexandrinus being, in the eighth or ninth century, written by fuch a Catholic?

In our author's account of this manufcript we have a wonderful inftance of German prolixity in the compofition of books. He had published, in the third edition of his introduction to the New Testament, a defcription of the Codex Alexandrinus, which he afterwards difcovered to be defective, and, in fome particulars, erroneous; and he was defirous, as became a lover of truth, to corre his errors in the fourth edition. In fuch circumftances, an Englishman would either have written a new defcription of the codex, or have altered and enlarged the defcription which he had formerly publithed; but Michaelis adopted a method of correction different from both thefe, He published his former defcription without the flightest alteration or improvement of any kind; but prefixed to it a new defcription fupplying its defects, and correcting its errors; by which means he directly contradicts himself, oftener than once, when treating of the fame fubject, in the fame fection of the eighth chapter of his work! This clumfy contrivance is noticed by Mr. Marth, though he felt not himself at liberty, in performing the duties of a tranflator, to improve the plan of his author.

Since the fects of modern miffionaries and true churchmen arofe, we

have repeatedly had occafion to exhort our national clergy to pay more attention, than feems generally to be paid, to the works of antient Chriftian writers, whether deemed orthodox or heretical. In the ninth chapter of the work before us the reader will find fume very cogent arguments to enforce our exhortations. Michaelis, who values the fathers, as we do, not for their opinions, which are often erroneous, but for the testimony which they bear to important matters of fact, has proved, with complete evidence, that the true reading of a particular text of fcripture may often be afcertained, with greater confidence, from the writings of an Origen, a Clemens Alexandrinus, or an Ephrem, than from the most antient manufcript of the New Testament, which is now in exiftençe. To this excellent chapter we have nothing to object: it is learned, rational, and candid.

To the tenth chapter the fame character cannot be allowed. The fubject under difcuffion is conjectural emendation of the Greek Teftament; a defperate remedy, to which, as the learned tranflator well oblerves, recourfe ought never to be had, but when the difeafe is otherwife incurable. Such was the cafe of the very few manufcripts which the editors of the first printed Bibles had an opportunity to collate; but it is far otherwife now; and no reading ought to be admitted which is not authorized by fome antient manufcript, fome antient verfion, or the testimony of fome ecclefiaftical writer of established character. It is true that our author reprobates in the fevereft terms theological conjecture, or proteffed emendations according to what is called the analogy of faith; but between theological and critical conjecture the boundary is not diftinctly marked, and it is not poffible fo to mark it. Every fcriptural critic is likewife a divine, and every divine favours a particular fyftem.

In the eleventh chapter there is nothing worthy of particular notice; but the twelfth is a valuable morfel of criticifm. The reader will find in it a very fatisfactory review of the principal editions of the Greek Teftament which have been published fince the revival of learning and the invention of printing. Among these the Complutenfian edition, the various editions by Erafmus, by Stephens, and by Beza; the editions of Colinæus, of Bishop Fell, of Mill, of Bengel, of Wetftein, of Griefbach, of Matthei, and of Birch, claim moft attention both from our author and from his excellent tranflator. In the course of their difquifitions, they have made it very apparent that Erafmus tranflated occafionally from the Latin verfion; that Stephens fometimes applied conjectural criticifm to the facred text; and that Beza, with the good faith of modern Calvinifts, introduced, at leaft, into his first edition, fuch readings as favoured his peculiar notions; though different readings were authorifed by ten times the number of antient manufcripts. Of all the editions which have yet been published, the text of Griefbach's feems most worthy of confidence; for it app ars from this review, that the learned editor admitted not into it a single word or phrafe, for which he had not fome antient and unquestionable authority. It is indeed an edition of the Christian fcriptures, which,

as.

t

as it may be republished at no great expence, ought to have a place in the library of every clergyman; whilft the more voluminous editions of Mill and Wetftein are calculated only for those who have leisure and inclination to devote their time to facred critic fm. In comparing the merits of those two celebrated editions, Michaelis, with the learned world in general, gives the preference to that of Wetstein; though he convicts the editor of many inaccuracies, and more than infinuates that his judgment is occafionally warped towards the Socinian mode of criticifm. Mr. Marfh, without inquiring into Wetstein's theological opinions, very ably defends his critical integrity, and convicts Michaelis of inaccuracy himself in almost every objection which he has made to the accuracy of Wetstein.

In the thirteenth chapter, which concludes the first part of this elaborate and valuable work, the lefs learned reader will receive much curious information concerning the marks of diftinction, and divisions of the Greek Teftament. The various points, which have a place in the printed editions, are all modern; and our author gives concife, and, with the aid of his tranflator, a fatisfactory hiftory of them; fhewing that difficulties may often be removed from the fcriptures, merely by a change of the punctuation, which is of no authority as being no part of the original text. The Iota fubfcriptum, and the Spiritus afper, are likewife fufpicious in manuscripts profeffing to be antient; and all the accents of the New Teftament are clearly proved to be spurious. Both Michaelis and Marsh, however, are of opinion that the antient as well as modern Greeks read and fpake by accent; and many authorities are quoted to prove that the antients attended to 'accent without violating quantity; but this is a queftion, which learning alone cannot decide. Is it poffible to place an accent on a fhort vowel without lengthening the found of that vowel? Thofe, who have the best musical ear, and who have paid particular attention to the structure of the larynx, and the modulation of the human voice, feem to be agreed that it is not; and what is in itself impoffible was certainly not performed by the antient Greeks. When profeffor Reiz declared that he heard a Greek priest "raife the tone of his voice without lengthening the found when he pronounced a fhort fyllable which had an accute accent," he doubtlefs faid what he believed to be true. We question not his authority, but the delicacy of his ear; for we know, by experience, that the priest would tell him that he had not lengthened the fyllable; and if the profeffor was not accustomed to measure musical or vocal founds, or had not an ear capable of fuch an operation, he would naturally give credit to his informer. The writer of this article has heard a Greek ecclefiaftic and a very learned Hungarian read Homer; and they both affirmed that they had not lengthened the short fyllables, on which they placed the accute accent; but he took the liberty not to believe them, because his own ear and the ears of other people more accuftomed to the measuring of founds, affured him that the affirmation was falfe. The cafe is far otherwise with respect to what is called the English accent. By it the tone is

neither

neither raised nor lowered; and when the ftroke is given to a confonant, the ftres may be very diftinctly marked, and yet the fyilable be pronounced in the fhortest time poffible.

(To be continued.)

An Account of the Travels into the interior of Southern Africa. In which is confidered the importance of the Cape of Good Hope to the different European Powers, as a Naval Military Station; as a Point of Security to our Indian Trade and Settlements during a War, and as a Territorial Acquifition and Commercial Emporium in time of Peace: with a Statistical Sketch of the whole Colony. Compiled from authentic Documents by John Barrow, Efq. 4to. Vol. II. p. 452. Cadell and Davies. 1804.

HE eftimation in which the author's former volume has been, and is held, encouraged him to add the prefent performance, which he confiders as an attempt to finish an incomplete work. In a preliminary chapter our author presents his conception of the first and fecond fubjects of his production.

"The natural history" (he fays) "of a country little known; the general defcription of its urface and appearance; the manners, cufioms, and ftate of fociety, of the feveral claffes of inhabitants, furnith a vaft fund of ufeful and agreeable information; but they do not confiitute a whole."

After this outline of the objects of his firft volume, he proceeds to the second.

"A number of other fubjects must be difcuffed and described before our knowledge of that country can be laid to be complete. Among the e are, not the least important, the local advantages it may command in a political, military, and commercial point of view, either with refpect to itfeif, or in its relations with other countries; its refources, and their application; its revenues, jurisprudence, population, and a variety of other points which, when attentively taken, form a topographical and statistical account, from whence both the fatefman and the philofopher may be inftructed and amuied."

A great variety of opinions were entertained refpecting the importance of the Cape of Good Hope, most of them, Mr. Barrow thinks, founded on a very limited view of the fubject, and on an imperfect knowledge of the country. This writer deems the Cape very impottant to Britain, and by no means approves the policy which ceded fuch a valuable poffeffion. He notices the affiduity of the French in extending their knowledge of India, and the parts of Africa that have an intercourfe with that country. He gives a fhort account of the va-rious authors who have written concerning the fouth of Africa, and alfo the charts which illuftrate thofe coafts. He calls in queftion the authenticity of a very great portion of Vaillant's travels. The preli

minary

minary chapter closes with enlarging on the value of the Cape of Good Hope to Britain.

The second chapter defcribes a military expedition to the Kaffer frontier. On the departure of Lord Macartney for England, the natives, inftigated by malignant perfons in the Cape Town, became unruly and rebellious, and were guilty of various acts of disorder and infurrection. The activity of government having fuppreffed the dif turbances, Mr. Barrow offered to vifit the interior country, to conciliate the inhabitants, and fend to the Cape those whom he should find inftigating fedition. The offer was accepted, the journey was undertaken, and afforded the materials for defcribing the physical and moral ftate of Caffraria.

On the 8th of March 1799, Mr. Barrow joined a Serjeant's party of Dragoons, at a pafs that leads over the mountains near Cape Town, and croffing the ridge penetrated into the country of the Hottentots and the Dutch colony. The first circumftance which struck our traveller in contemplating thefe people was their cruelty to animals. In that part of Africa the pafturage is good, but there is not much agriculture. Trees are as rare (fays Mr. Barrow) as Dr. Johnfon found them in Scotland. On the fecond day of their journey they could find no place of entertainment but a fhoe maker's hovel, which alfo ferved the neighbours as a kind of a tavern; but victuals and liquors were prefented in fuch a difgufting ftile as Britons could not bear. As they advanced, they met with various Miffionaries, whole manners and habits affimilated more with their own. Leaving the diftricts which thefe occupied thev proceeded in their journey, and loft two foldiers in croffing a river. For feveral pages our author fufpends the narrative, and exhibits a differtation on the probable advances and receffes of the fea in those parts. His reafoning being merely conjectural upon this fubject, it would anfwer no purpose to repeat it to our readers. On the tenth day of their journey they reached a country which was very beautiful and fertile, abounding in tobacco, fruit, and vines; the vineyards are extremely good, but there is very little skill employed in making the wine. Our travellers kept near the Eaftern coaft, and by the time they had reached Moffe! Bay, about three hundred miles from the Cape, they found a tract compofed of large and beautiful plains inte ected by numerous rivers, and abounding in lakes full of excellent fifh. The boors, of Dutch extraction, work very little, but make the Hottentots labour for them; and Mr. Barrow thinks that thefe colonists are better fed, more indolent, more ig‣ norant, and more brutal, than any set of men bearing the reputation of being civilized, upon the face of the whole earth. We are not indeed surprized that an Englishman fhould find an amalgamation of Dutchmen and Hottentots, a compofition very little to his tafte; but we think him too liberal in allowing to Dutch boors the reputation of being civilized.

Hitherto our traveller had chiefly contemplated the general afpect of the country, and the manners of the inhabitants. Arrived in Platten

berg's