brew Poely, than thofe Teftimonies of the Targum, Jofephus or any other Authors whatsoever; I have fent you a Specimen of the Firit and Second Pfalms, thrown into their original Poetical Lines, by means of a few Elifions and the Repetitions inveftigated by the Accent Points, that divine Comment upon the Hebrew Text; which Repetitions I find to be exactly preferv'd, and the proper Measure pointed to, by thofe most excellent and useful Stops of Profodia, as well as Mufick, whereby all the smallest Punctums of Senfe are also truly diftinguifh'd. I cannot but efteem Mr Facio's Inveftigation of these two Pfalms, in confiderati on they are but guefs Work in the Dark, to be very well done; efpecially as he imagines that all thofe Repetitions used in finging of 'em to Mufick, are loft, by their not being literally repeated in the Text it felf; which His nevertheless a very great Miftake: And for want of thefe Repetitions it is, that Mr Facio is forced to fean his Lines of fuch unequal lengths, which would otherwise be exactly uniform, the often changing the Measure, as may plainly be seen by compar ing my Specimen, both with the Origi mal Text and with that published by Mr Facio; for which Reason I have herewith fent you his two Pfalms. If Mr Facio would take more Notice, am of Opinion he would discover that as the Poetical parts of Scripttre, are Accented in a quite different Manner from the Profe, fo the Bars of Mufick in the Metre, topped by proper Accents) make the only uifible Difference between Profe and Verfe as the latter now ftands in the facred Text unbroke into Poetical Lines: And therefore that Affertion of Jofephus, that the Hymns in Exod. and Deut. are Hexameters or any other fort of Verfe, in certain Meafure, ought only to be look'd upon as one of bis ufual flights; they are indeed, fine Lofty elegant Profe; and are only Pointed to be chanted as fuch: In like Manner the xxii. Chap. of 2 Sam. tho' pretty near the Jame words with Pfalm xviii. is no other than Profe; whereas the latter is true Verfe of different Measures, as is difcover able by the Mufical Bars it contains; but the former has no Bars at all, fave the fuperior Stops of Senfe, as all other Profe hath; for the Hebrew Code is all Pointed so Mufick either to be chanted as Profe, or fung as Verfe. i I fhall Fay nothing concerning my own Performance in tranflating each Line into English Blank Verfe, fave that I have done the fame both Grammatically, and frittly Verbatim from the Hebrew Text; A alfo as near the Measure of the Hebrew as I conveniently could, and therefore I beg of the Criticks in Poetry, rather to excufe, than cenfare me, I having never made that Art my Study. But to tranflate the divinely Beautifu! and Musical Poly, of the Hebrew Code, is enough to make a mere Raftick tarn Poet. B 1 beg, Sir, you'll publish the Hebrew Text of the first and fecond Pfalms exactly as I have wrote it, with my Verfion, and Mr Facio's; that the Learned may judge whether he or I have fucceeded better. If he fhall continue to be fond of his incltimable Chains, and ball pursue his Method, I heartily wish him good fuccefs; and fhall purfuc my own Scheme, of which I can C give grammatical Demonftration; mean time I freely fubmit it to all Hebraicians, whether is to be prefer'd, as a Chain, whereby to investigate the facred Hebrew Text, the Accent Points annexed to the Text itself, or any antient Testimonies not founded thereon. ·Val-cenfloN-jakum reshayim, bammishpat: Věkamu chattaNim,"bayadattz ||addikim. 6. Ci-joday jehovah., dereck tzaddikim: Vedereck reshayim to bēd. Yours, A. B. Water. Nafhfhku-bar nafbfbku-bar nashsbku-bay! Pen-jenaph., vetonbdu dereck; Ci-j'byar ciymmar aphpho: PSALM II. d: deride : the LORD my Lord heavens doth dwell. Then in his anger unto them he'll fpeak For I, I inaug'rated have my king: I'll publifh, publish publish o' the decree: Today I have begotten thee & I have } begotten thee.' Require of me; and to thine heritage,. And the earth's limits unto thy poffeffion 9. Them an iron fcepter fhalt thou break: 10. Now therefore, well confider-O ye kings: Oye-fear the LORD JEHOVAH ferve. 12. O kifs ye loving lovingly the fon! Mr. FACIO's Tranflation of the above Pfalms, in even Meafure, and according to the Number of Syllables in the Text as inveftigated by him. 8. thee. Ask of me; fo will I give thee Nations for Heritage, And th'utmoft Ends of th'Earth for Pof- Thine Iron Rod fhall break them small #2. MrURBAN, I hope you'll give Place to the following: A B C Differtation on the Hiftory of BALAAM. D HE Ifraelites, after their Departure By the Circumftances of the Story, they were fome Days upon the Road. Now, it's natural for Travellers to dream of the Profecution of their Journey. Accordingly Balaam dreamt, that he was on the Road mounted upon his Afs, which on a fudden stop'd short to go another Way, &c. For 'tis plain, he travell'd by Day in Company with the Princes of Moab; whereas in this Vifion, Afs and two Servants were his whole Retinue But when his Dream is out, we find him again riding in Cavalcade with the Envoys from the King of Moah. This Difference difcovers that his Journey by himself was in Idea only. Befides, 'tis remarkable, God gives him Leave to go, and yet God's Anger was kindled against him. The Reafon is this. Balaam was not upright in his Intentions, but corrupted into a Compliance by Balak's Promises. In a Perplexity of Mind, refulting from the Apprehenfions of his Confcience, he is feiz'd with this Vision of an Angel, with his Sword drawn, ready to destroy him. And by the Sequel it appears, this Vifion was a lively Representation of what happen'd afterwards; for which Reafon perhaps Mofes thought it worth recording. of Mofes, at Length arriv'd and En- In this allegorical Vision, the Afs reprefents Balaam, who is fpurr'd on by Balak, as the Afs by his Mafter. The Afs was like the Prophet; for the faw the Angel oppofing her Mafter's Will, while himself saw nothing of the Matter: In which he reprefents King Balak, who was perfectly ignorant of the Defign and Will of God. The Afs, seeing the Obstruction in her Way, made fome Efforts to avoid the Sight, for which she F was roughly us'd by hor Mafter. In like Manner, Balaam boggles at the Demands of the King, who therefore brow-beats and infults him. The Struggles of the Afs to go out of the Way, for Fear of the Angel's Sword, denoted, that the Prophet, being mindful of the Warning he had receiv'd, would A& quite contrary to Balak's Requeft, and pronounce Bleffings inftead of Curfes. The Ass, to avoid the Prefence of the Angel, crush'd her Master's Foot against the Wall. This prefigured, that the Prophet, not being able any longer to conceal his Mind, would expofe himself to the Displeasure and Refentment of the Prince. At laft, the Afs expoftulated with her Master, and, his Eyes being open'd, he saw the Angel This fignified, that the Prophet in the Conclufion would deal plainly with the King, would reprefent the Ser Patrick', Com: on Num: P.449 whole whole Matter to him without any Colour or Reserve, and would give him to understand, that Imprecations could have no Influence over a People whom God had blefs'd. The Anger of the Lord against Balaam, and the Threatening of the Angel who held the naked Sword, mention'd in his prophetic Dream, were both accomplish'd in the Event. The Angel reprefented Phineas, the Son of Eleazar the High Prieft, who caufed Balaam to be lain. Numb. Chap. 31. 8. A B Balaam was very much out in his Art: He did not divine that he should meet with fuch a Fate. He thought he had fully executed his Commiffion, by subftituting folemn Bleflings in the Room of Curfes, and imagin'd it lawful, to procure the King's Favour, by laying afide the Prophet for the Privy Counfel- C lor, in which laft Character he infus'd fuch Advices into the King, as prov'd more prejudicial to the Ifraelites than his Curfes could have been. Mofes, it feems, look'd upon Balaam as an Adverfary of Figure, and judg'd his Destiny worth tranfmitting to Pofterity; tho' he has taken no Notice of Fambres and Fannes, Egyptian Sorcerers at that Time, whofe Names however have been preferved by other Hiftorians. The Conclufion of Balaam's laft Prophecy is remarkable, and would incline one to believe that he was fometimes in fluenc'd by the divine Spirit, fince he feems to have foretold the Expedition of Alexander the Great into the Eaft, and the Overthrow of the Empire founded by the Affyrians and Perfians. D F G Cum per te Gallia, per te noftræ Academia, duo regni lumina, clarius intuentur, cur non ad urbem Edinburgi, cum totics & ubique Erras, curfum tendis? H nam quædam cæcitas cives illic invafit. Ipfos Magiftratus Gutta Serena occupavit, videntur enim videre, fed nil vident-idcirco tu iftam Scoticam Nebulam ex oculis remove, & quodcunque latet in tenebris, in lucem profer.-Illi violenter cárcerem, tu oculos leniter reclude; illi lucem Porteio ademerunt, tu illis lucem reftitue, & quamvis fingant fe dupliciter videre, fac, ut fimpliciter tantum oculo irretorto confpiciant,-Pera&toque curfu, ad Angliam redi artis tuæ plenus, Toriofq; (ut vulgo vocantur) qui adhuc cœcutiunt & hallucinantur, illuminato. - Ab ipfis Clericis, fiqui fint ceci ductores, nubem difcute; imo ipfo Sole Lunaque, cum laborant eclipfi, quæ, inftar tui ipfius, tranfit per varias regiones obumbrans, iftam mo lem caliginis amoveto.--Sic eris Sol Mundi, fic eris non folum nomine Sartor, fed re Oculorum omnium Refarcitor; fic omnis Charta Publica tuam Claritudinem cclcbrabit, & ubicunque frontem tuam oftendis, nemo non te, Ŏ Vir Spectatiffime, admirabitur.-Ipfe lippus fcriptor hujus epiftole maxime gauderet te Medicum illuftriffimum, cum omnibus tuis oculatis teftibus, Vindforia videre.Vale. Extract of a Letter from Verona, on a Surprizing Accident which befel a Woman at Celena a City of Romagna. THIS HIS Woman was 62 Years of Age, and had been used to wash and rub herself every Day with Spirit of Camphire, to prevent Colds and Coughs. On the 14th of March 1731, in the Evening, the went up to her Room with out any unusual Symptom, only that the feem'd fomewhat melancholy. In the Morning fhe was found near her Bed burnt to Ashes, all but her Shin-bones and Feet, and three Fingers of one Hand: The Ashes were clammy, and ftunk intolerable. The Walls of the Room, the Bed and other Furniture, were covered with a fine but moift Duft, which had penetrated into the Chamber above it. The Cieling was almoft cover'd with a Sort of Moisture of a dark yellow Colour, which gave a very offenfive Smell. Thofe Parts of the Body that remain'd were of a blackish Hue, nothing else in the Room was confum'd; only the Tallow of two Candles quite melted, but the Wick not burnt: The blackifh Hue of the Remains of the Body, the Confumption of the other Parts, and their Reduction to Ashes, were evident Proofs of a Fire: Yet common Fire can hardly reduce fo large a Body to Afhes; for it has often appeared, that in great Conflagrations, the Bodies have been dried, fcorched, and somewhat burnt in the external Parts, but not en tirely confum'a. 'Tis likewife certain, th |