inclines us to attribute it to the most advanced period of Saxon poetry. "In its first topic," fays Mr. Turner, "the fall of the an gels,' it exhibits much of a Miltonic fpirit; and if it were clear that our illuftrious bard had been familiar with Saxon, we should be induced to think that he owed fomething to the paraphrafe of Cadmon. No one at least can read Cædmon without feeling the idea intruding upon his mind." P. 385. Cadmon's defcription of the Creation is well entitled to perufal. "There was not yet then here, But the wide ground Stood deep and dim On this with his eyes he glanced, Perpetually press Black under the fky, Till that this world's creation, Thro' the word was done, Of the King of Glory. "Here firft made The patron of all creatures, He reared the sky, And this roomy land established With strong powers, Almighty Ruler! "The earth was then yet With grafs not green, With the ocean covered, Perpetually black; Far and wide, The defert ways. "Then was the glory bright Spirit of the Warder of heaven, With great abundance. The The Creator of angels commanded, Light to come forth, "Quickly was fulfilled As the Artift ordered. Then feparated The Governor of victory Over the water-flood, Light from darkness, Shade from fhine; He made them both be named, Lord of life! Light was firft Thro' the Lord's word, Called day, Creation of bright fplendor. P. 389, Other fpecimens of Anglo-Saxon poetry, equally ftriking, are given from the fragment which remains to us of the Hiflory of Judith; and from a curious unpublished Poem among the Cotton Manufcripts in the Britith Museum. The latter of which well deferves to be fubmitted to the world entire. To follow Mr. Turner through the lives of thofe to whom Anglo-Saxon literature was fo much indebted would be needlefs. The three greateft luminaries among our countrymen, in the century preceding Alfred, were Aldhelm, Bede, and Alcuin; thefe, with Boniface, Eddius, and Elfric have their appropriate niches; but, in prefenting a fhort hiftory of the latter, Mr. Turner feems not to have been aware of the treatife by Mr. Rowe Mores, in which the three Elfrics are confidered, and their works appropriated. Yet here we cannot but lament, that Mr. Turner has neglected to give fomething like a catalogue of Anglo Saxon Literature. The curious flores, which are yet remaining in our public libraries, are known to few; and while the general reader would have had an opportunity of forming a true eftimate of Saxon fcience, from its exifting monuments, the enquiries of the ftudent might have gained adyantage. In treating of the ftructure and mechanifm of the Anglo. Saxon language, the Diverfions of Purley have been principally followed. "Nouns and verbs," fays Mr. Turner, "are the parents of all the reft of language; and it can be proved in the Anglo-Saxon, as in other tongues, that of thefe, the nouns are the ancient and primitive flock from which all other words have branched and vegetated." Having in this manner exhibited the Anglo-Saxon language in a flate of decompofition, he proceeds to ftate his own notions of its mechanifm and progrefs; and, as a fpecimen. how the language has been formed from the multiplication of fimple words, he felects four inftances in illuftration of preceding obfervations. On the originality of the AngloSaxon tongue, this author's obfervations are too few; and in the notion that the verb beo feems to have been derived from the Cimmerian or Celtic language, because the Welsh, which has retained moft of this tongue, has the infinitive bod, and fome of its inflexions, we by no means agree, Whoever would write on Saxon with propriety, mufi carefully keep the Celtic out of fight. If the opinions to which Mr. Turner alludes, on the affinities of the Anglo-Saxon tongue, are of this kind, we are not very forry that he withheld them. Taken however in the aggregate, Mr. Turner's work is truly valuable and we may fafely clafs it among the best books of English historical refearch. ART. VIII. A Help to the Unlearned, in the Study of the Holy Scriptures; being an Attempt to explain the Bible in a familiar way. Adapted to common Apprehenfions, and according to the Opinions of approved Commentators. By Mrs. Trimmer; Author of Sacred Hiftory, felected from the Scriptures, with Annotations and Reflections; and other Works; and Editor of the Guardian of Education. 8vo. 822 pp. 12s. Rivingtons, &c. 1805. THAT we eftimate very highly the fervices rendered by this truly charitable author to the public, particularly to the poor; and that we have good ground for making froh an eftimate; has appeared on feveral occations, in our Review, Vol. V. 81; XIX. 22; XXII. 451. With great pleasure, therefore, we take up another book from the fame hand; and with confidence, that the fresh benefit to the public will be equal to our own fatisfaction. The Preface fays, "The following book was compofed with the hope of rendering the study of THE BIBLE eafy and profitable to thofe who have but little leifure, or who may not be able to understand expofitions of Scripture in which more learning is difplayed. The endeavour of the compiler has been to explain what is difficult, as far as is neceffary for Chriftians in general to understand it; and to direct the attention of the Bible student to fuch paffages and texts, as require particular confideration, in order to produce a rational faith, and a right practice, founded immediately upon the WORD OF GOD." P. i. A few extracts will make our readers acquainted with the manner in which this very useful defign is executed. We had marked, in perufing the work, a multitude of paffages for that purpofe; any of which may be exhibited, without the care of felection. First then refpecting Hagar and Ihmael. "Obferve that Hagar's faith failed when the faw her child ready to perish. She had forgotten the promife which GoD had given her concerning Ishmael before he was born, chap. xvi. and thofe which had been made to Abraham, chap. xvii. which, in this chapter, no doubt, he told her of. But the Lord fhowed that he had not forfaken Ihmael though he had fent him away from his father's houfe: let us from this learn never to despair. Young people, in particular, who are obliged to leave their parents in order to get a livelihood, may take comfort from this part of Ishmael's hiftory, as it proves that they may be under the protection and care of their heavenly Father in every place, and that GOD is ever ready to hear the prayer of those who call upon him in the time of their diftrcfs, and to help their neceffities." P. 25. Respecting Judah and Jofeph : "Read with attention Judah's addrefs to Jofeph when he talked of detaining Benjamin, and obferve what tenderness of heart and what dutiful regard he had for the happiness of his aged father. This behaviour of Judah affords an excellent leffon to all who have either parents, or brothers and fifters. It is a dreadful thing indeed for either a fon or daughter, by unkindness to their aged parents, to bring down their grey hairs with forrow to the grave." P. 42. The author generally adds practical adinonitions to her explanations. Thus on Genef. xlvii. ver. 13—17. "Obferve with what prudence and equity Jofeph divided the land of Egypt among the people, giving them back four fifths of the land when their diftreffes had occafioned them to give all into the King's hands; and what an advantage it was to the people themselves that they fubmitted their concerns to his management, inftead of wafting the corn, as they moft probably would have done done in the years of plenty, and been clamorous for a fupply in the years of fcarcity. It is certainly a great trial to poor people when bread is fearce and dear, but they never mend their condi tion by impatience; whereas when they behave, with respect to their fuperiors, and fubmit quietly to their governors, they are fure to meet with friends to help them in the time of neceffity. What a fad state thousands would have been in, if the Egyptians had gone and burnt the granaries in which the corn was laid up, inftead of complying with Jofeph's good rules and regulations." P. 44. Again on Exodus xxix. 38. &c. "Obferve that the facrifice of the LAMB, which the LORD commanded, was to be offered every morning and evening. This was called the daily facrifice, and it was offered for the fins of the people. It was a type, or fhadow, of the great facrifice which the Redeemer was to offer at GoD's appointed time for the fins of the whole world. Thofe who offered it with faith in God's promifes, were pardoned for the fake of the Redeemer, who was to come into the world to offer himself as a facrifice for the fins of the world. The LAMB OF GOD, the Saviour of the world, having offered himself once for all, the facrifice of the lamb, by which his facrifice was prefigured, has ceased; and in the room of it chriftians are required to offer up to God, every morning and evening, praifes and prayer, which, if offered in Spirit and in truth, and in the name of the Redeemer, will be accepted as their daily facrifice." P. 71. On chap. xxvii. of Deuteronomy, the author takes Occafion to defend the Commination fervice of our church. "This chapter fhows, that thofe only who keep God's com mandments are reckoned his peculiar people, and that those who wilfully break them are accurfed, or cut off, from being his people. There is an office for the Chriftian church in the Common Prayer Book, which answers to the ceremonies at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, the COMMINATION, or denouncing of GOD's judgments against finners, to be used on the first day of Lent commonly called ASH WEDNESDAY. Obferve that the people of Ifrael were required to fay amen, as an acknowledgment that the curfe of God was due; and Chriftians certainly ought to do the fame when the minifter reads the Commination; but fome people entertain an abfurd notion that by doing fo they curfe their neighbours, whereas they do nothing more than confefs that those who commit the fins named in the Commination bring the curfe of God upon themfelves, which may be clearly proved from the Scriptures. P. 116. On |