MR

R. LEVI was born in London in the year 1742. After receiving the rudiments of an Hebrew education, his parents intended to fend him to Poland (the great feminary of Jewish literature), to study under his great grandfather, who was Rabbi (or, as improperly called by Chriftians, High Prieft) of a Synagogue in that kingdom; but just as he was on the point of commencing his journey, his friends received intelligence that the old Gentleman had left the priesthood, and fet out for the Holy Land. This put an end to that defign, and he was bound apprentice to a fhoemaker. After ferving his regular time, and working afterwards as a journeyman to gain experience, he fet up in bufinefs for himself; but experiencing great loffes and difappointments in trade, he fettled with his creditors, and paid them as far as he could twenty fhillings in the pound, and left himself nothing but the book and other debts. He then turned his hand to bat-dreffing, as being able to carry it on with a small capital.

It must here be observed, that during the time of his apprenticeship, as well as when he worked journeywork, or was in bufinefs for himself, he never loft fight of the one great point he had in view almoft from his childhood, viz. a thorough knowledge of the facred language; fo as to be able clearly to comprehend, and fully understand, the word of God; efpecially the prophetic part: that he might thereby be able to judge fairly of the

difpute between Jews and Christians; and thus come at truth, which he was determined to embrace at all events, without any regard to his worldly in tereft: for, as he obferves in his first Letters to Dr. Priestley (page 91), "I am not ashamed to tell you that I am a Jew by choice, and not because I was born a Jew: far from it; for I am clearly of opinion, that every perfon endowed with ratiocination ought to have a clear idea of the truth of revelation, and a jutt ground of his faith, as far as human wifdom can go." He therefore took every opportunity to improve himself in the pure Hebrew, as well as in the writings of the Rabbins; fo that thofe hours of relaxation, which others fpend in idlenels and diffipation, he employed in ufe ful study.

In his new profeffion of hat-dreffing, and furrounded with domeftic cares, he ftill found time for study; and actually produced a Volume in 8vo. on the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews. Lond. 1783. In this book, the religious principles and tenets of the Jewish Nation are clearly explained; and the opinion of Doctor Prideaux concerning their doctrine of the Refurre&tion, Predestination, and Freewill, in the Author's opinion, confuted.

He next published Lingua Sacra, in three large volumes octavo, which contains an Hebrew Grammar with points, clearly explained in English, and a complete Hebrew-English Dictionary.

The difficulties, both pecuniary and

literary, that he laboured under during the compilation and publication of that Work (which came out in numbers from the year 1785 to 1789), are fully fhewn in his addrefs to the public at the end of the third Volume: they are a proof of his patience, induftry, perfeverance, and fortitude; a perfect refignation to the will of the Supreme Being, and a firm reliance on his protection.

In 1787 he published his first Letters to Dr. Priestley, in anfwer to his Letters addreffed to the Jews, inviting them to an amicable difcuffion of the evidences of Chriftianity. Thefe Letters placed his character in a very confpicuous point of view as a divine, and able controverfialist. In 1789 he published his fecond Letters to Dr. Pricftley, in anfwer to his Letters to the Jews, Part II. And also Letters, rt, To Dr. Cooper (of Great Yarmouth), in anfwer to his one great argument in favour of Chriftianity from a fingle Prophecy. 2d, To Mr. Bicheno. 3d, To Dr. Krauter. 4th, To Mr. Swain. 5th, To Anti-Socinus, alias Anfelm Bailey, occafioned by their remarks on his first Letters to Dr. Priestley. This publication put an end to the controverfy, as none of Mr. Levi's opponents took up the pen to anfwer it.

In the fame year he also published the Pentateuch in Hebrew and English, with a Translation of the Notes of Lion Soefmans, and the fix hundred and thirteen precepts contained in the Law, according to Maimonides.

Towards the latter end of the fame year, at the earnest request of the most refpectable of the Portuguese Jews, he undertook to tranflate their prayers from Hebrew into English: a moft arduous task indeed! But which he accomplished in four years (although he was confined to his bed and room upwards of twentyfeven weeks of the time, fo that his life was despaired of); the laft Volume being published towards the latter end of the year 1793. The whole makes fix large volumes in octavo.

During the time that he tranflated thofe prayers, he was engaged on his Differtations on the Prophecies; the first Volume of which he also published at the clofe of the fame year 1793. This publication may properly be accounted a continuation of the controverfy (on his part) between him and Dr. Priestley, &c. For in his first Letters to Dr. Priestley, he obferves (page 90), But if you are really in earnest, and wish to convert the Jews to what you call Chriftianity, I

think you must produce more substantial proofs in fupport of your hypothefis than what you have yet done. And, if I might prefume to offer my opinion in fo weighty a caufe, I think that the faireft method, and that which is the likelieft to lead to conviction on either fide, is to take a review of all the prophecies concerning the Meffiah, from Mofes to Malachi, and compare them with the acts recorded of Jefus in the New Testament; to fee whether or no they have been fulfilled in his perfon. This is the method I took myself to fearch for truth," &c. In his fecond Letters to Dr. Priestley, he fpeaks (page 29) to the fame purpose. And in his Preface to the Differtations, he purfues the fame fubject, and farther obferves (Pref. page 8.), "This fair, candid, and equitable scheme, I was in hopes (confidering the importance of the fubject, as being fo highly interefting to all mankind) would have been eagerly einbraced by Dr. Priestley; but what was my furprife, when I perceived that neither the Doctor, nor any of my other opponents, feemed inclined to adopt it. But, as I find that Chriftians of all denominations highly approve of the at tempt, and earnestly defire a publication of the faid Differtations, I now venture to lay the fame before the impartial pub lic," &c. &c.

In 1794 he published a tranflation of the fervice for the two first nights of the Palover, as obferved by all the Jews at this prefent time, in Hebrew and English,

In 1795 he published Letters to Na. thaniel Braffey Halhed, M. P. in Answer to his Teftimony of the Authenticity of the Prophecies of Richard Brothers, and his pretended Miffion to recall the Jews.

In 1796 he published the second Volume of his Differtations on the Prophecies. This he propofes to complete in fix Volumes.

In the beginning of 1797 he published a Defence of the Old Teftament in a Series of Letters, addreffed to Thomas Paine, in answer to his Age of Reafon, Part II. In this publication he brings ftrong arguments against the infidels; indeed they are fuch as cannot easily be overthrown. On the prefent ftate of the Jews, and the prophecies relating to them by Moles, he deferves particular attention: he has fhewn that the great proof of the divine miffion of Moies is fully established by the prefent difperfed ftate of the Jews, and their prefervation as a diftinét people amidit all their fufferings. It therefore hath been justly observed by

the

the Reviewers (vide Critical Review for September 1797), "To us, this is an argument that the Deifts and Infidels can never get over,"

But thefe are not all the labours of this learned and ingenious Hebrew; for no fooner had he completed the translation of the Portugue'e Jews' Prayers, than he was folicited by the most refpectable of the German Jews to tranflate their Festival Prayers from Hebrew into English. This task, which was beyond comparifon far more difficult than that of the Portuguele Pravers, he neverthelefs chearfully undertook; and, notwithstand ing the many other works that he was then engaged in, happily completed it in about four years. This alfo contains fix volumes in octavo.

Befides all thofe, it must be obferved, that when any of the Synagogues in London want any Prayer tranflated, that is compofed for a particular occation, fuch as the Prayer for the restoration of his Majesty's health, the fucceis of his arms, &c. he is always employed as the tranflator. Thus, during his Majesty's illness, he tranflated the Prayers that were used in the Synagogues in London.

In 1789 he tranflated the Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving that was ufed in the great Synagogue, Duke's Place: and compofed one in Hebrew, and tranf lated it for the use of the Hambro' Synagogue in Church Row, Fenchurch treet. In 1790 he tranflated a Form of Song and Praife, ufed at the dedication of the Great Synagogue, St. James's Duke's Place. In 1793 he tranflated a Form of Prayer for the Portuguese Synagogue in Bevis Marks, for the Faft Day, on the 19th of April of that year. He alfo at the fame time tranflated another Form, for the fame purpole, for the Great Synagogue, St. James's, Duke's Place, the Hambro Synagogue, Fenchurchtreet, and the New Synagogue, Leadenhall Street.

In 1795 he compofed a facred Ode in Hebrew, on the happy escape of our Sovereign Lord the King on the 29th day of October 1795. This he alfo trandated into English. It is in the hands of a few of his friends, and is highly admired for the purity of the Hebrew diction, the force and beauty of the images, and the juftnels of the fentiments; all in the Eastern style.

In 1796 he tranflated another Form of a Faft Prayer, for the use of the three Synagogues above mentioned.

In 1797 he tranflated the Form of Thanksgiving at the dedication of the New Synagogue in Denmark Court, in the Strand.

But the intense ftudy and application neceflary for the compilation of fuch a number of publications in fo few years, without the affittance of any one friend to correct even a fingle line, either before the work went to prets or at the prefs, has been the caufe of bringing on a violent afhma, with which Mr. Levi is now afflicted; and which has delayed the publication of his Third Volume of the Diflertations on the Prophecies: yet. during the intervals of the diforder, he is affiduously employed on that Work; and fome time back, he informed the writer of this, that the third Volume was above half worked off, and he hoped with God's bleffing to bring it out in about three months: but unfortunately Mr. Levi has fince that (viz. on the 14th of November laft) been ftruck with a violent ftroke of the pally, which has in a great mealure deprived him of the ufe of his right hand, to that he is fcarcely able to hold the pen in his hand for five minutes together: but amidst all his fufferings, he still looks forward with confidence to the completion of that great Work; firmly relying on the goodness of the God of Ifrael (as he fays) for the restoration of his health; frequently alluding to the words of Moles (Deut. 32, 39.), I wound, and I heal.”

But the moft curious circumftance in Mr. Levi's life is, that, with all his labours for the fervice of Jewish theology, he has no living whatever in the Jewish Church: he is, as he tells Thomas Paine in his introductory letter, but a poor fimple Levite, without any living in the Jewish Church; confequently he has no interest in preaching up tithes."-This, indeed, is a ftrong proof that Mr. Levi writes in behalf of Revelation from a thorough conviction of its being the word of God, and not from any mer 1 cenary views.

As Mr. Levi's labours have been directed to Jewish Literature and Jewish Theology in general, without entering into any of the questions that have unhappily caused divifions amongt that nation; and as he has done a fervice. equally to the two great claffes of Jews,, the German and Portuguese, by tranflating their books of prayers; it is to be hoped he will not be overlooked by them in the prefent decline of his health. All

I

through

through life he has struggled with circumftances that were unfavourable to Rudy and literary purfuits; thefe, how ever, he overcame, because they could be furmounted by fortitude and perfeverance; but difabilities from health, at least fuch as he now labours under, take away the powers of action. Deafnefs, afthma, and pally, are a combination that have reduced poor Mr. Levi to a real captivity, in which he can no longer ute his harp,

or add to the fongs of Sion. It is the fervent hope of a Chriftian, who has become acquainted with Mr. Levi from a regard to his ufeful labours, that the only Jew in this kingdom, who has endeavoured by his writings to do honour to the Chair of Mofes, will not be fuffered by the Jewish Nation to spend the remainder of his worn-out life, without a competent provifion.

SIR,

ERHAPS the hiftory of the punish

ment

meet with the approbation of most readers, efpecially fuch as are ftudents in the profeffion of the law; and more particularly at this time, from the punishment in queftion having lately been agitated in Weftminster Hall. It has been faid (but it feems erroneously) in the public prints of the day, that the dreadful amputation alluded to may be inflicted by law on criminals convicted of having refued prifoners from the bar of Courts of Justice; but no convids are liable thereto but fuch as have been found guilty of drawing a weapon † on one of the Judges, or of having ftruck one of the King's fubjects in his Courts of Juftice, or in his palaces 1.

*

The original French runs thus :

"Fift il couper le poigne Haulf, pur ceo que il falva Armock le poigne que fuit attaint devant lui que il AVOIT COUPA LE POIGNE Richbold felonioulement."

The English Tranflation is as follows: "He cut off the hand of Haulf, becaufe e faved Armock's hand, who was attainted before him, of having felonioufly WOUNDED Richbold."

We contend, that WOUNDED should have been rendered cut off the band. We are the rather furprized it was not fo tranflated, because of Hughs's following paffage "To the Reader," towards the end, viz. "I have endeavoured (as all tranflators of bocks, efpecially of books of the law, ought) to keep myself clofe to the words and meaning of the Author, and of the law then in ufe and practice, well knowing, that laws many times have their interpretation according to the Brict letter, and not according to fuch flourishes of rhetoric and oratory as may be put upon them."

This cafe of Hhulf feems to contradi& the following obfervation made on the fubject by the learned Commentator of

Hargr. St. Tr. xi. 16. Knevet's cafe.

* MIRROIR," Fr. Edit. MDCXL. II.

Harne's "MIRROIR," 300, fame Edit,

the