examined all ; Difficulties naturally arise'. Besides which many great Obscurities in them owe their Being to enigmatical and proverbial Expresons ; or to Alluþons to local Usages and populare Sentiments. But the chief Perplexities are derived I am persuaded from the Haste and Ignorance of Transcribers, who have not given us true Copies of the original Text. To core ret these Errors, has been my chief Äim; and I fatter myself that not a few Pallages will be found to be restored to their primitite Genuinenessa: To this End, 4. Method is frequently pursued, which seems to carry with it the strongel Conviction, vize the Investigation of the natural Limits of each Word and Sentence. In Confirmation of these new Lections I cannot alledge the Authority of any, MSS. for I have consulted. none. That Trouble I thought might be spared, as Dr. Kennicott was preparing his Collations for the Prefs: but I doubt not but that it will be found. on the Publication of his. Work, that some of bis MSS. efablife fèveral of my various Lections, the fame Tbing baving already happened in regard to The Parallel. Prophecies, as the Dr. bas informed me. Besides, MSS. can, at molt, but give a better. Sense than that which is found in : the Text : but if that Text, wherever it is erroneous, can be fo improved by a new Combination of the very same Letters,, without the leap Addition, Transpoßtion, or Alteration whatevers from which emerge other Words perfectly clear and confiftent ; in that cafe, I fey, MSS. are: not very effential; for..we may rationally conclude that without their Alliances, we have attained to the very. TEXT... on *1 Befides that Poetry is more terse, concise, and less fubject to the Rules of Grammar than Prore, it abounds more in all kinds of Exallages and other Figures of Rhetoric ; more fre .. quently wants a Subject to the Sentence, as well as the Prepositions, the Signs of Cases, and other neceffary Implements. N.Bc In all the 'References here adduced I fhiall confine myself to the XXX frit Chapters that occups Job.X.21, 22 XIII. 14. XV. 19. XVII.6. XXI. 33. XXIV., 18, 19, XXVI.G.: .3.19/01..36. VIII. 177-IXI 3. XIII. 25, 27. xiv. 18. XVI. 4 DL V-4 &XVI.19. Visg. DX337, XV26. XXX. VI 6. 19. XL 6, 42. XIV. 141 XXVII. 21. XXIX. 124.21. jy. : 3. VI. 14. VM. 12.. IX I XYÜk, 16. XXIX20 IXXIX..5,61 1,2 TIK : Ini باران In determining the Signification of the Words, I have made the English Verfion, now in Ufe, the Standard. In the principal Places which I judged to be faulty, I have taken the Liberty to correct it, or to prefer fome of the other, old English Versions. Thote ! bave chiefly used are Arch-Bishop Parker's Bible, generally known bl.the Name of the Bishop's Bible, a Folio, dated 1568 ; and that 4to Edition of the Geneva Trans- lation, printed by Barker in 1599 : which last, it ought to be noted, is meant when I speak of the Old Version, without Specification. These three Versions have doubtless their peculiar Merit and Demerit: fiecare latter ones especially. but which of these claims upon the ference, I shall not presume absolutely to determine One baulid naturally would be entitled to this Diftinétion oben wue Poned that near me on the-most learned Men of this Kingdom were commiffioned to undertake the Works; bads for their Encouragement, Mürances of, Prefermente and took due Time for the Execution " revising," as they say, what, they s had done, by bringing back to the Anvil that which they had hammered, sand, having used as great Helps as were needful, feared no Reproach s for Slowness, nor coveted Praise for Expedition". The chief Excel- version confifis in "being a closer bad preceded s - in using the propereji Language for popular Ufe, wtkout Affectation of Sublimity, nor yet liable to the Charge of Vulgarity of Expression. It has likewije-observed a due Medium between the Genevere and Romish Versions ; equally avoiding on the one Hand the Scrupulofty of the Puritans, who prefer their ner Terms, such as Washing and Congregation to the old ecclefiaffical ones, o Baptifm on the other Hund -the Obscurity of the Papists in not translating such Words as Ázymes, "Holocauit, Prepuce; Pasche, &c. k But, notwith- Handing these Concessions in it's Favour, it tertainly does not exhibit in many Places the sense of the Text To exactly as the Verfion of 1599"} and mifakes it besides in an infinite Number of Instances. Frequently it expresses not the proper Subject of the Sentence and adheres at other Times so closely to the Letter as to translate Idioms". It arbitrarily gives new Senses to Words °; omits' or supplies them without Necesity: thefe laft ore indeeddiftinguished by another Character, but very unfa- k Ibid. m IV.5. * Lewis's Hift, of the Trans. of the Bible, P. 310. Bible. ! VIII. 17, 18. IX.7,357 XV. 26. XXIV. 1,18. XXX. 11 '; VI. 22. VIII., 12, 14. IX. 7, 11. XI. 3.1 :III. 23. IV. 21. VI. 14. XI. 18. XII. 6. XV. 23. XVI. 5. XVIII, 2. XXII. 18. XXIV. 19. XXIX. 12. XXX, 18, 20, 31. vourable ; |