Verses 13, 14, 15.-The poetess now goes on with the narration which had been broken off at the 8th verse, describes the battle, and recounts the tribes which took a part in it. Then a remnant descended against the mighty, The people of the Lord descended against the powerful. Out of Ephraim those whose dwelling was with Amalek, After thee, 0, Ephraim, was Benjamin, among thy people, Out of Machir came down leaders; And out of Zebulon, those who hold the staff of the officer. in modern times, kings in India give the preference to white elephants. is rendered as above by Schnurner, Hollman, and Gesenius, some of the ablest judges. Those that sit on tapestry are also a more honourable class. Those that walk in the way, are the comnon people. The word rendered archers in our common version, in verse 11, occurs only in two other places, Job xxi, 21. Prov. xxx. 27. To divide is a sense which suits them all. The word prey is understood. The ancient custom, especially in the East, among shepherds and Nomades, of collecting round wells and fountains for public consultations, and on occasions of public joy, is explained, as well as the habits of the Nomades generally, in Christian Spectator, Vol. 1. p. 237-241. The same custom is also alluded to in verses 15 and 16 of this song. Further, that the division of the spoil was a joyous occasion, see Is. ix, 2. xxxiii, 23, 24. Ps. lxviii, 14. nipy frequently denotes blessings or benefits. See 1 Sam. xii, 7. Mic. vi. 5. It may also be rendered deliverance or victoTy See Isa. xlv, 8. xlviii, 18. li. 6, 8. Concerning 1, see verse 7. To their gates, that is, to their own cit And the chief men of Issachar were with Deborah, And Issachar himself was the guard of Barak; They descended behind him into the valley. Verses 16, 17.-But such was not the conduct of all the tribes. Some of them preferred their private to the public good, and took no part in the glorious contest. Their cowardice deserves severe reproof. By the rivers of Reuben, There were great deliberations of mind. Verses 18, 19.-The prophetess now returns to the commendation of the tribes, which had defended their country, and describes the approach of the enemy. Zebulon was a people that jeoparded their lives unto death, And Naphtali also on the high places of the field. The kings came, they fought, Then fought the kings of Canaan, Verses 13, 14, 15.-A remnant, that is, a small number. 7 yerad is probably a Chaldaism for yarad. The descent was into the valley, as mentioned, Judg. iv. 14. Concerning the might and power of the enemy, see Judg. iv. 3, 13. That Ephraim dwelt near Amalek, is evident from Judg. xii, 15. By Machir, is probably intended that part of Manasseh which was on the west of the Jordan. The Hebrew word rendered scribe in our common version, is evidently a military officer, 2 Kings, xxv, 19. 2 Chron. xxvi, 11. and ought to be so interpreted here. is supposed by many to be a substantive, and denoting a guard. Verses 16, 17.-The rivers and streams were places for holding public consultation, as mentioned on verse 11. All the exertions of Reuben ended in mere deliberation. By Gilead is perhaps meant the tribe of Gad. Verses 20, 21, 22.-But all nature seemed to conspire against these deadly foes: They fought from heaven The river Kishon carried them away. For the baste, the haste of their riders. Verses 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.—After the description of the battle, follows an imprecation against the faithless inhabitants of Meroz, and an encomium on Jael. She put her hand to the nail, And she smote Sisera and bruised his head, She wounded and struck through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down, Verses 28, 29-The scene now changes, and the mother of Sisera is introduced, anxiously expecting the return of her son. The mother of Sisera looked out of the window, And cried through the lattice, To every man a damsel or two, sides, Meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? Verse 31.-The poetess closes with a very fine apostrophe, predicting that all the enemies of God shall perish like Sisera, but that his pious worshippers shall shine like the morning And her right hand to the workman's sun, chasing away the shades of night hammer, Verses 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.--The situation of Meroz is not known. The inhabitants probably had refused to take any part aagainst the enemy. The curse appears to have been pronounced by the command of God. Sour milk, is a common drink in the East. and illuminating the world by his splendour. So shall all thine enemies perish, O Lord, But those that love thee shall be As the sun when he riseth in his strength. At the close of this triumphal song, the historian adds And the land had rest forty years. It has long been supposed that the quantity of iron ore in the Isle of Elba, and especially mount Calamita, which is believed to be a mass of load stone, had a sensible effect on the mariner's compass. Recent experiments show the opinion to be without foundation. Sugar has been made from saw dust, linen, paper, and other substances, by the action of sulphuric acid. This discovery was made by Mr. Braconnot of Nancy, aud the experiments have been successfully repeated by Dr. Vogel in the Academy of Munich. The Secretary of General Boyer, President of Hayti, has by the direction of the President addressed a letter to a gentleman of New-York, and offers to receive such of his American brethren as are willing to cultivate the ground either on shares or for wages; and he states that a "Society is now forming to encourage the emigration of our brethren from the United States, by ensuring to the emigrants the necessaries of life, and distributing them in such a manner as shall be nost for their advantage, and that of the proprietors of the soil which they shall cultivate." Gothic version of St. Paul's Epistles, -The only remnant of the Gothic language which, till lately, was known to exist, was a considerable part of the four Gospels,and a few fragments of the Epistle to the Romans, of the version of Bishop Ulphilas for the use of the Goths of Mesia. These Goths, as is well known, obtained from the Emperor Valens permission to retire into his dominions, for shelter from the violence of the Huns. Not less than two hundred thousand men able to bear arms passed the Danube, and established themselves in Mosia, whence they obtained the name of MasoGoths. For the use of this people, their Bishop, Ulphilas, in the fourth century, translated a large part of the scriptures, perhaps the whole, into the Maso-Gothic tongue. A copy almost entire of the Gospels of this translation was discovered, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, in the library of a Benedictine Abbey in Westphalia. As this copy was executed in silver letters, it was denominated the Codex Argenteus. This manuscript is now preserved in the li brary of the University of Upsal, in Sweden. The learned Knittel discovered in the library of Wolfenbuttel, a small part of the Epistle to the Romans of the same translation, which he published in 1762. With these exceptions, the whole version was supposed to be irrecoverably lost. Within a short time, Sig. Angelo Maio of Milan, one of the librarians of the Ambrosian library has discovered two manuscripts containing the Meso-Gothic translation of the thirteen Epistles of St. Paul. They are not of the same hand writing, but are apparently of the fifth or sixth century. What is wanting in one of these manuscripts, is supplied by the other; though it is said they will not form one whole. The letters are large and handsome; the titles of the Epistles are written on the tops of the manuscripts, and notes in the same language on the margin. Besides this discovery, the same indefatigable inquirer has had the good fortune to retrieve about twenty pages of the same language from several other manuscripts. tional passages, are parts of the GosAmong these addipels, which will contribute to perfect the Upsal copy: also part of a Homily or Commentary; and fragments of a version of Ezra and Nehemiah. This discovery opens an extensive field of inquiry, as well on the subject of the scriptures, as on that of the northern languages and antiquities. The connexion of the Gothic with the languages of the North, including the Saxon, on which modern English is founded, enhances the philological value and interest of this discovery. An individual of Milan has ordered an extensive font of these Ulphilan letters to be cast by an expert workman, as well for the text as the notes. The learned world may therefore expect copies of this truly ancient translation; of which Sig. Maio intends to give a complete view, in a preliminary disser tation. Modern Greece.-Exertions for the restoration of learning in Greece, it appears from the latest information are not intermitted, and the most important consequences it is expected will result from them. Mr. Coray, a learned Greek of the island of Scio, in the year 1813 inserted in the Prolegomina of the fifth volume of his edition of Plutarch, an invitation to the learned of Europe, to contribute books to the library of the flourishing Seminary in his native island. This invitation has not proved ineffectual. Many scholars from Germany, France, and England, and other parts of Europe, have taken this opportunity of exonerating themselves in part, of the obligations they are under to the ancients, by testifying their benevolence to their descendants. Not only scholars by profession, but other learned men. have sent large gifts to the public library of Scio. The Scians, however, have received much more valuable presents from their own countrymen. One or two examples are sufficient to show that the desire of the Scians and of the other Greeks to recover the wisdom of their ancestors, is not the result of a temporary fancy, but the offspring of a firm and truly Hellenic resolution. John Barbakes, an illustrious merchant of Toganrogh, sent in 1818, to the public school of Scio 50,000 piasters, and in 1819, 20,000 piasters to the Hospital of the same city, holding out at the same time, hopes of still further supplies. Another illustrious person in Moldavia, named Stamatius Pharnarakes, a Scian by birth, has lately become a yearly contributor of 1000 piasters to the public school of his country. Scio has always been considered, even by the Greeks themselves as the cradle of the Belles Let ters. It may not be uninteresting to mention that Scio is one among the number of those Greek islands, which have preserved the Greek language almost in its original purity, so as to approach very near to the language of Plutarch and of the later Greek writers. Etymological French Dictionary.-Charles Pougens, a member of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Letters, has published the plat of a work, which if executed with a bility equal to the vigour of the concep tion, will be of considerable importance not only to scholars of his own coun try, but in every other. The design must at least be well matured, as it ap pears to have been not only in contem plation but in progress of execution since 1771. It is to be entitled, “Di tionnaire des Origines de la Langue Francois," forming six folio volumes; comprising, 1st. The opinions of all preceding Etymologists, with a com parison of the principal, and a discussion of their merits;-2nd. The au thour's own decision;-Sd. researches on the origin and history of wordsnot applying to European languages exclusively, but to others from which he derives those existing in French.Subjoined to this Dictionary is to be placed a Polyglott Vocabulary o words of the first necessity, amounting in number to about three hundred. Of this Thesaurus an abridgemen is also in contemplation, forming s vols. 4to.-containing, 1st. The grammatical classification of each word with its original application. 2nd. A sum mary extract of its etymology; but fuller than in Dr. Johnson's of our own tongue. 3d. The definitions. On this part, as being the most difficult and of the most direct utility, the authour appears to have bestowed the greatest pains. Ten years of his life have been occupied in an attentive perusal of the principal classical authors in his own language,whom he reckons about sixty five. From these he has culled a series of detached phrases, giving the particular acceptations of every word These extracts exceed in number three hundred thousand. List of New Publications. A Journal of Travels in England, Holland and Scotland, and of two passages over the Atlantic in the years 1805 and 1806, with considerable additions, principally from the original manuscripts of the author: By Ben jamin Silliman. Third edition, 3 vols. 12mo. New-Haven. A compendium of Physiological and Systematic Botany, with plates. By George Sumner, M. D. 12mo. Hartford. An index to the Geology of the Northern States, with transverse sections extending from Susquehannah River to the Atlantic, crossing Catskill mountains, to which is prefixed a Geological Grammar. By Amos Eaton, A. M. Second edition. 12mo. Troy The True Masonic Chart or Hieroglyphic Monitor; by R. W. Jeremy L. Cross, G. L. 12mo. Second edition. Rules and regulations for the field exercise and manœuvres of Infantry, compiled and adapted to the organization of the army of the United States, agreeably to a Resolve of Congress; to which is added a system for Light Infantry and Riflemen. 8vo. NewYork. Fourth edition corrected. Keligious Intelligence. [It may not be improper to state that the Journals of the Missionaries of the American Board, and all letters addressed to their Secretary or Treasurer, are first printed in the Missionary Herald.] PALESTINE MISSION. Letter of the Rev. Messrs. Fisk and Parsons to the Corresponding Secretary of the A. B. C. F. M. SMYRNA, Feb. 8, 1820. Rev. and Dear Sir, Our first letter, which was sent from Malta by the brig Frances of Boston, Capt. Thompson, contained an acCount of our voyage to that place, and of our peculiarly gratifying and profitable interview with Messrs. Jowett and Wilson, and Dr. Naudi. Our second letter was sent from this place by the brig Washington of Boston, Capt. Gerry. That will inform you of our passage from Malta to this port, of our first visit here, and of the kind reception we met with from the Rev. Mr. Williamson, Mr. Lee, and others. Capt. Edes very politely invited us to live on board the ship, where we had excellent accommodations, while he should remain in the harbour. We accordingly remained on board till Jan. 26, and then took rooms in the house of a Swiss gentleman, Mr. Rosset. We board with his family, have good accommodations, and in the most pleasant part of the city. The family speak French, Italian, Modern Greek, and a little Turkish, but no English. This is all in our favour, as we wish to acquire a more thorough knowledge of these languages. And now in respect to temporal comforts, if the question be asked, "Lacked ye any thing?" we are constrained to answer, "Nothing." ters whenever we may wish to travel. He has twice invited us to dine with him, and in several hours of familiar conversation has given many useful hints, valuable anecdotes, and important remarks, relative to the field and the work before us. Having been 24 years consul here, and had constant intercourse with all sorts of people, he is well qualified to answer many inquiries which we wished to propose. The Messrs. Perkins' received us very politely and assured us of their friendship and assistance. The Messrs. Van Lenneps Dutch Merchants, to whom Capt. Edes introduced us, have been particularly attentive and friendly. We have formed a slight acquaintance with one family of French Catholics, who manifest much respect and friendship. All with whom we have become ac quainted seem kind. How they will treat our message, when that comes to be laid before them, must yet be ascertained. We are, however, disappointed in finding all classes of people, except the Turks, so easy of access. The information we have gained at Malta and at this place is, on the whole, more favourable to our plans, than we had anticipated. There are no doubt, many adversaries. Yet we trust a great and effectual door is opening. Our plans for the year are hardly matured. On the voyage some time was spent in studying Italian. With the help of a master one hour in the day, Not long after our arrival we called we are now pursuing it. The next on Mr. Werry, the British Consul.- object, as it respects languages, will After looking at our papers, he wel- be the Modern Greek, then probably comed us to Smyrna, and voluntarily the Arabic, or possibly the Turkish. offered us his protection and assis- It is one thing to learn a language so tance while we remain here, and let- as to sit down, and with the help of Vol. 2-No. VI. 40 |