kind of itinerary school! And this grammar, too, is published, not by a D.D., or even an M.A., but by a plain, untitled, Samuel Ransom ! But it is even so. We have a veritable Hebrew Grammar; and one of which neither Oxford nor Cambridge, nor any other seat of learning, however ancient, or richly endowed, or famous on account of its literary professors, or alumni, or productions, need to be ashamed; nay, one which they might think it an honour to claim; and one, too, which has not been rendered superfluous by the labours, learned, and meritorious, and successful as they have been, of such men as Gesenius, and Robertson, and Lee, and Stuart. It will be reckoned worthy of being associated with the writings of these eminent scholars, and be considered, we have little doubt, by even them, as a valuable accession to Hebrew literature.

It may well be regarded as one of the auspicious signs of the times, that the Hebrew language is arresting more extensive and devoted attention than it has formerly done, and that the study of it is pursued with more ardent and determined perseverance. It merits all these, and will repay them. It is, probably, the most ancient language in the world. There is reason to think that it was spoken in Paradise by the progenitors of the human race, and that it was imparted to them by the great Author of reason and speech; a fact which deserves more attention than it has received from those who have studied its etymology, and endeavoured to ascertain its original elements and formation, and whether it was at first biliteral or triliteral, or whether verbs were formed from nouns, or nouns from verbs. In their speculations they seem to take it for granted that it existed and was spoken, for some time, in a monosyllabic state, by those who were but little raised above the condition of children or savages; and that it was, by degrees, as the children grew up, as the savages became civilised, expanded into the form in which we find it in the Bible. But surely it is evident from the sacred record, that God did not form Adam a kind of fullgrown babe or child,—a man as it regarded his body, and an infant as it regarded his mind,-furnishing him only with an alphabet of language, and a few primal sounds, and leaving him to acquire the rest as he could,―able to stand, and walk, and work, but unable to think or converse. Surely he was capable of understanding the command and the threatening, "Of every tree of the garden," &c. And he must have possessed the power of speech to a considerable extent when he exclaimed, on Eve's being presented to him, "This is now bone of my bone," &c.; and when "he gave names to every beast of the field," &c. Eve could understand the address of the serpent, and reply to him in regularly-formed sentences, which indicated considerable extent of conception and ideas. They both understood the language of God when he interrogated them respecting the sin which they had committed; and were able to form and utter excuses, as ingenious and plausible as

any sinner of the present day could do in similar circumstances. Now, in those passages we have verbs, and nouns, and pronouns, and prepositions, and conjunctions, and regular and irregular verbs, and nouns in regimen, and verbs in conjugation, &c. We have the names of external objects, and the expression of sentiments respecting actions and events, death and life, right and wrong. In short, we have a regularly-formed language of considerable extent, implying no very confined range of ideas, or feeble power of thought and expression. How are any to ascertain, then, whether nouns or verbs were first used, or how the language was gradually formed? or what probability is there that the preformants and afformants, and prefixes of verbs and nouns, were for some time used as distinct parts of speech, and afterwards, for the purpose of rendering language more concise and convenient, abbreviated and joined to the words with which they are now found connected? We readily grant, or rather we would maintain, that the Hebrew language was at first phonetic; that it has its roots, and that its several parts of speech are connected, and that one may be traced to another, and that much skill may be observed in its structure. And it is a very rational and useful employment to trace the connexion and dependence of its several parts of speech, only we must deny that it was formed in the way which etymologists in general seem to take for granted. God created man perfect in knowledge and holiness, to praise and serve him, and to enjoy social intercourse, from the very commencement of his existence, and therefore, doubtless, furnished with every thing necessary for these purposes, and, consequently, with the faculty of speech. The great probability is, that the language of the posterity of Adam degenerated after the fall, rather than improved; and in some respects, and for some purposes, became less, instead of more copious; and it is in this way that we would account for all the poor and barbarous languages that are found in the world. Have we not ample proof in its history, as well as in its present state, that language may degenerate and become less copious, even amongst nations that are in some degree civilised, and where the art of writing is known?

But to return from this digression; a large part of the volume of inspiration exists in Hebrew. This is, doubtless, whatever may be the pretensions of some nations, the most ancient written language in the world. It gives a highly interesting view of the most ancient manners, and customs, and events; and of the religious sentiments and practice of the human race, as well as of the origin of the different nations of the earth. Moreover, the Hebrew, furnished with points and accents, will be found, amidst all its simplicity, a refined and logical language, possessing great beauty, and harmony, and force, far, very far from being a barbarous tongue, or from exhibiting any evidences that it ever was so. We apprehend, that if we had all Solomon's songs, and

proverbs, and dissertations on the productions of nature, and all the other books that were ever written in the Hebrew, we should find that it was a copious language. There are many indications of this in the fragments of it that remain. And further, the study of it in its pointed and accented form, affords as good an exercise to the mind, requires as much attention and nice discrimination, and is as well calculated to improve the intellect, as the study of either Greek or Latin; and all who would avail themselves of every advantage for gaining an accurate and thorough knowledge of Hebrew, must make themselves master of the points, and, in some degree at least, of the accents. We are very far from attributing to them a Divine origin, or from thinking that they infallibly exhibit the sense; but they are a kind of logical commentary, written by men of acute and philosophical minds, imbued with a profound veneration for the language which they studied, and anxious to ascertain and fix both its sense and its most ancient pronunciation. In this important and interesting study, Mr. Ransom's grammar will afford very efficient assistance.

If we are required to substantiate this recommendation by an indication of particulars, we observe

1. That it is written in a very clear and intelligible style. Mr. R. has conveyed his meaning in concise and perspicuous language, and in a way which indicates that he has carefully studied every particular, and formed definite ideas of it for himself. In this respect, it may advantageously be compared with the grammars of Robertson, or Lee, or Stuart, learned and excellent as they are.

2. It is well adapted to the circumstances of both those who are merely commencing the language, and of those who have made considerable progress in it; while it will be found to merit the attention of even the greatest proficients. Students who use this grammar will not find it necessary to have recourse to another, before they can gain a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew tongue.

3. The principles that govern the changes of vowels are more clearly and extensively developed and stated in it than in any grammar that we have seen. The writing of this part of it must have cost the author immense labour, and been the result of long and careful observation. Also there are some nice and discriminating, and, to us, original remarks on converted tenses and words.

4. In the third part, the accents, which have been rejected by many as superfluous, or inexplicable, or a mere incumbrance, are placed in a clearer light, and exhibited in a more intelligible form, than we have ever seen them before. With the grammar of Nordsheimer we must confess ourselves unacquainted; but it appears evident that Mr. Ransom's inversion of the order of the German grammarian, is an improvement, as it secures a more natural and effective arrangement. We are much mistaken if this part of the work does not induce some who

have hitherto disregarded or even vituperated the accents, to make themselves acquainted with them; and we apprehend they will find that, by their being led to pay a more minute and critical attention to the logical relations of words and phrases than they have formerly done, they will study and read the language with greater pleasure and profit. To say the very least, this part of the grammar deserves the careful perusal of every Hebrew scholar. The student will find the paradigms of the verbs all that he could wish. They are exhibited in such a way on opposite pages, that he has the regular and all the irregular verbs in each form of Kal, Niphal, &c., presented to his eye at once, and may, with the greatest ease, compare them with one another. Moreover, he will find examples of verbs with a guttural for the first, second, and third radical. Mr. Ransom's arrangement of the conjugations is amongst the best that we have seen. also beautifully "got up," to use an expression "of the appears to be remarkably free from errata.

The book is

trade," and

Perhaps we might differ from Mr. Ransom on some particulars of not much importance. We should prefer the view given by Yeats and Stuart, and some others, of sheva, as being a short vowel, though often not pronounced. We cannot approve of the word "vowel-less,” as it is often applied by Mr. R. And his arrangement of the parts of speech, from the order in which most of them occur in the word, will be thought by some fanciful, rather than natural.

We cordially recommend the grammar, and hope that its author will be encouraged to publish a volume on syntax and prosody, without any delay.

CURSORY NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

FROM the Derby press there is now issuing, by the Catholic Book Society, a series of Roman Catholic volumes at one shilling each. Thus Dr. Milner's End of Religious Controversy, which originally filled an 8vo. volume, and was published at 12., is now compressed into 494 pages, 18mo., for a twelfth of that price, which, of course, facilitates its circulation twelve-fold. This book enterprise of our Romish neighbours must be watched and counteracted, and we are happy, therefore, to receive M'Gavin on "The End of Controversy," being Strictures on Dr. Milner's work in support of Popish Errors, &c. This work originally formed part of a weekly paper published in Glasgow, in 1822, entitled, The Protestant, by the late William M'Gavin, Esq., in which he devoted twenty-four sections to the examination of the former book. It is now published separately, and it is in size and subject a companion volume to the other. We regret that it is not published at the same price. We cordially recommend it as a shrewd, searching, and successful reply to the apologist of Popery. But we would advise our brethren in the ministry to read both. (Religious Tract Society.)

The shafts of death have recently struck with fatal certainty some of our ablest and most useful men. Funeral Discourses for four of them are now upon our table. We had intended to devote a few pages of review to these publications, which well

deserve something more than a cursory notice; but much of their interest will have passed away before we could find room in that department,-" cursory notices" must therefore suffice.

1. Pastoral Solicitude; A Sermon occasioned by the Death of the Rev. Thomas Jackson, Minister of Stockwell Chapel, addressed to his church and congregation, on Sunday Morning, March 26th, 1843. By George Collison. (8vo. T. Ward & Co.) This is a scriptural and affectionate discourse by an old friend of the deceased, which includes a biographical sketch of his life and ministry.

2. The Final Triumph of God's Faithful Servants; A Sermon preached in Stepney Meeting-House, on Lord's-day, June 18th, 1843, on occasion of the lamented Death of the Rev. Joseph Fletcher, D.D. By Ralph Wardlaw, D.D. To which is prefixed the Funeral Address by Henry Forster Burder, D.D. (8vo. J. Snow.) A discourse which supplies a very characteristic, beautiful, and appropriate illustration of Isa. xxv. 8, and is closed with a comprehensive and graphic account of the character and history of our lamented friend.

3. Piety the best Patriotism; A Sermon occasioned by the Decease of the late Thomas Wilson, Esq., Treasurer of Highbury College, preached at Craven Chapel, on Sunday, June 25th. By the Rev. J. Leifchild, D.D. (8vo. Jackson & Walford.) It was most appropriate that Dr. Leifchild, who, in early life, enjoyed the friendly countenance of Mr. Wilson, should be requested to commemorate his "good deeds" in Craven Chapel, one of the many monuments which exist in town and country of his princely and enlightened munificence. That Piety is the best Patriotism, is briefly illustrated from the history of Nehemiah in about ten pages, and the bulk of the discourse, thirty pages, is occupied with an account of the life and labours of our lamented friend. We think Dr. L. has discharged the difficult and delicate task of portraying the character of the departed with much skill and fidelity. All who knew the venerable original will recognise the likeness.

4. Man's Ignorance of his Time; A Sermon occasioned by the Sudden Death of the Rev. Samuel Kidd, late Missionary and Principal of the Anglo-Chinese College at Malacca, and, subsequently, Professor of Chinese in University College, London. 8vo. (T. Ward & Co.) This discourse contains many solemn and affecting remarks on the uncertainty of life and on our ignorance of the day of our death; and also the leading facts of the late professor's history. It would be an easy matter to enrich our pages with copious biographical extracts, from each of these sermons; but we do not think that practice just to the authors, who can have little hope that their publications will be sold, if their most interesting portions are to be transferred to the pages of the periodicals. This remark particularly applies to the discourse on Mr. Kidd, seeing that any profits that result from its sale will be given to his greatly distressed family.

THE EDITOR'S TABLE.

THE Requirements of the Times urged on the attention of the Rising Ministry. An Address delivered to the Students of Rotherham College, on Wednesday, June 28th, 1843. By the Rev. John Ely, Minister of East Parade Chapel, Leeds. 8vo. London: Jackson & Walford.

Congregationalism, the Defence of the Truth; A Sermon preached before the Annual Meeting of the Staffordshire Congregational Union, at the Tabernacle, Hanley, July 11th, 1843. By J. C. Gallaway, A.M. Published by special request. 8vo. London: Ward & Co.

Reflections after Reading; or, Sketches Biographical, Ecclesiastical, and Historical. By John Cockin. 8vo. London: Ward & Co.