which were consulted previous to its publication, there can be no doubt, that were this edition carefully collated, it would yield a rich harvest of various readings, some of which might prove of essential service to some future editor of the Septuagint.'

Griesbach was well aware of the critical use of the Sclavonic version, and on the authority of Dobrovsky, has classed its several parts under those Greek MSS., to which they more particularly appear to belong. It is a subject of regret, that in the present day, there is not sufficient public spirit to edite an enlarged Polyglott, in which the whole of those essential versions might be embodied. We want a great part of the Ethiopic, the Coptic and Sahidic, the Meso-Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, Armenian, and Sclavonic:-those now lie, for the most part, beyond the reach of collators, and must continue to lie beyond it, until some such undertaking be accomplished. The Ostrog and the current editions in 1 John v. 6., have this singular reading, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι ̓ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνεύματος, which from the context assumes the probability of having been the original and correct reading. The controverted passage in the next verse is omitted.

The version of Skorina was formed from the Vulgate, although readings of the LXX, and of the Sclavonic occasionally occur in it, and occasionally, it differed from all three. The next attempt towards a Russian edition of the SS, was that of Ernst Glück, Dean of the Lutheran church in Livonia. This interesting chapter is closed with an account of the modern Russian version. At Kaluga, Mr. Henderson found some churches occupied by the STAROBRIADSI," or old Ceremonialists, whose priests receive regular ordination in the national church, although the sect obstinately refuses to comply with its received forms." At Tula a school established on Lancaster's plan, containing nearly a hundred children, was discovered, and a spiritual academy, affording instruction to nearly six hundred students;" of what nature this last is, we are not informed, whether it be simply elementary, or whether it be devoted to higher Theological objects. The term "spiritual" is now of such indefinite use, that we should have wished to have known the precise idea included in it, in the present instance.

66

The Russian roads are of an enormous size, and curiously made.

66

They are formed by digging six ditches, that run parallel to each other, and leave intermediate spaces, the middle one of which is about forty feet in breadth, and is appropriated for the use of the military, the posts, and travellers. On either side of this is a fine walk, lined

on both sides with a row of young trees, which, when grown, will afford an excellent shelter from the rays of the sun, and without the walks are two ordinary sized roads for the boors, carriers, &c."

Little as we are inclined to notice the object of this work, we cannot refrain from expressing our surprize at Bishop Eugenius's plan of celebrating "a biblical festival at the annual fair of Korennaia Pustin," and at his "intention to open shops for the sale of copies, in different parts of the fair.” For, however the great continental fairs, as public marts, may differ from our own, still the vast assemblage of people induces much the same immorality, as in this kingdom; and when we recollect the attempts at home to dissuade people, by means of pamphlets, from attending these marts, it is strange that a religious society abroad, in connexion with many of the distributors of these pamphlets, should actually countenance that which the others have reprobated :-we know only one equal anomaly, which is in the conduct of the Cambridge BibleSociety, who hold their public meetings in the theatre at Barnwell, although the majority of its members consider every thing attached to a theatre to be a pollution.

The account of the Petcherskoi monastery, its cathedral and its catacombs is wonderfully curious and interesting, and as the writer has sensibly remarked, they reflect much light on scriptural expressions. We will, however, cite his own words.

"Our visit to these dark places' in 'the nether parts of the earth,' where we literally were among those, that be dead of old,' tended in no small degree to furnish us with lively recollections of those passages in Scripture, which represent the grave, as a pit or cavern, into which a descent is necessary, Ps. xxviii. 1. exliii. 7. Prov. i. 12., where there are deep recesses, containing dormitories or separate burying places, Isa, xiv. 5. Ezek. xxxii. 23. So that each dead body may be said to lie in its own house,' Isa. xiv. 18. and rest in its own bed' c. lvii. 2. The idea also of a vast subterraneous abode necessarily presented itself to our minds, an idea frequently to be met with in the sacred and other oriental writings. Hence, Solomon, when treating of the end of man's mortal existence, calls the grave his long home,' Eccl. xii. 8., to which, as the family-residence, descendants are said to 'go' or be gathered' at death, Gen. xv. 15. 2 Kings xxii. 20., and in one of the ancient Phoenician inscriptions, found in the island of Malta, the same idea of the grave, as a place of residence, is evidently conveyed, pay, which, if properly divided is, n ap Dythe chamber of the long abode the grave.'

At Jitomir, several Jews reside, who expressed a considerable eagerness to receive the Hebrew New Testament, and

a detailed description of the Jewish worship is subjoined. At Dubno, the author inquired after Hebrew MSS. and was conducted to the house of a Sopher or Scribe, who was occupied in multiplying copies of the law. A Sopher is rigidly excluded from improvement: he must conform undeviatingly to the laws prescribed in the Talmud. The skins to be converted into parchment must be those of clean animals, and prepared by Jews alone. The ink used consists of pitch, charcoal, and honey, a composition which having some time remained in a state of induration, is dissolved in water with an infusion of galls. AH letters are, however faultily or absurdly written, to be copied after the ancient examplar, and to these anomalies the puerile Rabbin have attached many wild interpretations. For instance, in Ps. lxxx. 14. the word 'from the wood' is written and

ע

printed with the letter ain suspended, because it is the initial of the word tree," &c. Faults not occurring in the exemplar but during transcription may be corrected within thirty days, otherwise, the copy is posel or forbidden. In the church of the Dominican monastery near Kamenetz, over the door of the staircase, the Mohammedan formulary,

و محمد رسور There is no God but God, and ، لا اله الا الله ومحمد

الله

Mohammed is the apostle of God," was discerned. The church had formerly been a Mohammedan mosque.

After this he proceeds to treat of the Jews established in Russian Poland, whom he estimates to amount to little short of two millions. Their attachment to Palestine is unconquerable, and they believe, that wherever their bodies may be, they shall arise in the holy land, at the end of the world. Those, however, who die in foreign lands, are bound to perform the "or the trundling passage through subterraneous caverns," until they reach the place of "their fathers' sepulchre," for the sake of sparing themselves which process many proceed to Palestine in their life-time. Hence, some embalm the bodies of the dead, and send them there, and others procure some of Judea's consecrated earth, to hallow the ground, in which the corpses of their relatives are interred. Their children are taught to read Hebrew, at an early age, and having completed the study of the Torah, at ten years of age, they are admitted to that of the Talmud. They wear amulets, and affix them on the doors of their houses:

"These latter are generally inserted in an encasement, covered with glass, and are kissed by the Jews on entering and leaving the house."

They believe,

"That, when they touch the small piece of glass, inclosing the Divine Name, with the tip of their finger, and then stroke their eyes

שדי ישמרני שדי יצילני שדי יעורני,with it thrice, repeating the prayer

,שדי The name

the Almighty preserve me! the Almighty deliver me! the Almighty assist me!-no harm of any kind can befal them. Shaddai, or its initial W, the Jews use as a talisman almost on every occasion. Even the butcher, when he kills an ox, cuts this letter with his knife, in all the principal parts of the animal, to prevent any infernal influence from being exerted upon them, before the purchasers have conveyed them to their houses."

Besides the Rabbinists and Karaites, two sects of Jews exist in Poland, called Chasidim and Zoharites or followers of Sabbathai Tzevi. The Polish Chasidim, owe their origin to Israel Baalshem, an enthusiastic impostor, who broached his novel doctrines in the year 1740. They are grossly immoral, and during their religious services work themselves into extacies, clasp their hands, jump, and run frantickly about the synagogue, and turn their faces to heaven with their fists clenched &c. &c. There is a subdivision of these called the Habadim, who reject all external forms, and abandon themselves to mental abstraction and contemplation.

The Zoharites take their title from the book Zohar, and may be regarded as a continuation of Sabbathai Tzevi's sect. They are mystics, and their opinions are pretty generally known.

Mr. Henderson supplies us with many curious particulars concerning the Moldavian territory, and carefully narrates the various circumstances, which occurred at Kishenef. The most remarkable antiquities of this province are "the Trajan walls, of which one crosses the country from Reni on the Prut to Tiraspol, a second runs from the north of Reni, till it joins one of the salt-lakes connected with the Black Sea, and a third runs in a serpentine direction from the Black Sea to Tiraspol."

Precise and accurate as Mr. H. is in his local researches, wherever he explains the Scriptures, he is equally felicitous; we only regret, that he has not been more diffuse in his illustrations: thus, in his elucidation of Isaiah, xxxv. 7. from the mirage, which he noticed on his journey to Kherson, he gives a force to the prophet's words, which escapes the common reader. The Arabic, however, quoted in his observations is very incorrectly printed.

An interesting account of Howard's grave and character is given; to whose memory the late emperor caused a monu

ment, of which a plate is annexed, to be erected in the vicinity of Kherson. There is much entertaining matter in the tour to "Baghtchisarai" which is also replete with information on existing Mohammedan customs; yet, the Eastern terms appear to us barbarously expressed in our characters.

At the distance of a few versts from Baghtchisarai was an ancient fortress, called Dujut-Kalè, inhabited by Karaite Jews, who possessed the books of the Old Testament in a peculiar dialect of the Tatar language. The ascent to this is described as precipitous. Here the Talmud, Bomberg's Rabbinical Bible, several Karaite commentaries in Hebrew, and a vast collection of books in this language were found. The synagogues in this fortress are two in number; and several ancient MSS. of the law, in rolls of parchment, were deposited in the ark of the covenant. "The Karaite burying ground, consisting of a deep recess, covered with lofty trees," is called the Valley of Jehoshaphat. "The tombstones, mostly of white marble, are regularly arranged in rows, somewhat after the manner of the Moravian graves; and the more modern have an additional monument at either end, consisting likewise of a marble slab, some with, and some without Hebrew inscriptions." On the oldest grave the following inscription was discovered,

שמעט קבורת געז יוסף בן דויד

בשנת חמש

אלפים רד ות

The last letter of the first line is considerably effaced, and is supposed by Mr. Henderson to be the final ..

"The rest of the letters, y, I take to form the initial word of the sacred motto of the Jews, xw you, &c. This inscription is also defective at the close, something having been effaced after the Daleth, which the sculptor, not versed in the laws of Massorethic Calligraphy, has divided, and placed the plural feminine termination at the beginning of the following line. The word has most probably been the poetical form, so that the whole inscription will read thus-Hear, O Israel, &c. the grave of Geez, Joseph Ben David. In the year five thousand and four. That is, according to the Christian era, the year 1364."

They have no written documents relative to the period of their occupation of this fort; a tradition states their ancestors