A Call upon the Commentator on Domesday Bock. their former courfe of nature, as to produce a double bloom, compofed altogether of a multiplied corolla without feed, and increase in beauty and variety of colours, unlefs to delight the eye of the cultivator. It were to be wifhed that Linnæus had made pyrus and malus different genera; for, however they may agree in the outward appearance of their bloom, yet fcience ought to pay fome refpe&t to generally-received and established opinion; and botany in particular, as it is an amufive ftudy, and not confined to any profethon or fex, should relax, and keep itfelf as free as poffible from such technical terms as may deter: many would be difgufted, on their entrance into the outlines of the Linnæan fyftem, by being told that an apple-tree is a pear-tree. Befide, if it is true as Miller afferts, and there is no reafon to fufpect his veracity, that repeated trials to graft one of thefe trees on the other were always unfuccefsful, there is, no doubt, fome latent distinction fufficient to place them as different genera, tho' the parts of fructification may not fhow it. But the celebrated Swede thought himself compelled to clafs as many plants together as he poffibly could, to counteract former botanists, who had affected to make genera from fpecies, and fpecies from varieties. 357 Ariking appearance of fome of the parafitical plants, which are plentiful in warm climates, gave birth to this invention. But it was long before mankind, when once they had fucceeded, would be confined to the bounds that mature prescribed. Virgil probably took his memorable defeription of monftrous grafting (Geor, II. v. 69), in his ufual manner, from fome more antient writer; and it is pleasant to fee what a contrivance Columella (lib. v. cap. 11) hath to defend this favourite poet's manner of grafting difcordant trees against fome incredulous contemporâries, who denied that a feion or bud would fucceed on any tree that was not congenerous, which modern gardeners find to be true, and that Virgil and Columella were miftaken. Pliny indeed fays, that he himfelf had feen a tree which had every kind of fruit grafted on it; but, as he confeffes that it was fhort-lived, let the reader judge whether he faw any thing more than the mere grafts. "Tot modis infitam arborem vidimus juxta Tiburtes Tullias, omni genere pomorum onuftam, alio ramo nucibus, alio baccis, aliunde vite, ficis, piris, Punicis, malorumque generibus. Sed huic brevis fuit vita." 26. Onuftam is an expreffive word; Hift. Nat. lib. xvii. cap. but Pliny delighted in feeing a great deal. He alfo faw a ferpent who chose to run through fire rather than through fome branches of the afh-tree *. Skilful gardeners recommend the true crab as a much more preferable stock to graft on than the wild, or any other fort of apple. Grafting was an happy effort of the human mind, without which our northern climate would have been deftitute of most of the fruits of warmer latitudes; for fuch forts as muft have been raifed from feed would with us have continually degenerated. The difcovery feems not to have been of a very early date. If the Jews had known this great improvement in culti vation, it would have been mentioned in the allufive writings of their prophets, fomewhat in the manner of St. Paul (Romans, chap. xi. v. 17). Theophraftus is, we believe, the earliest author who takes notice of this art, with which it does not appear that Homer was acquainted. We cannot agree with Lucretius (lib. v. v. 1360), who gives this practice the fame origin as planting, which was fo obvious, that it must have been in ufe much fooner. Neither is the fuppofition of Pliny, or rather of Theophraftus, very probable, that the manner of the growth of ivy furnished the first hint; it is more likely that the we If we had language that could at once exprefs reproof and veneration, would call on thee, illuftrious fhade, to fay why thou putteft the following fpeech into, the mouth of thy fimple fquire: "Nay, you fhall fee mine orchard, where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of my own graffing." Thy comprehenfive Shakspeare, muft have told thee, that genius, cultivation is the great and peculiar bufinefs of man t. Thou hadst a right to expofe the garrulity, the oftentation, and the folly of the object of thy ridicule, but his orchard should have been facred. T. II. W. 368 Authentic Account of the Ebbing and Flowing of Loch Tay. the original as Mr. Nichols could project, and Mr. Jackfon execute (fee Life of Bowyer, p. 319.) The plan was worthy the Senate of Great-Britain. But as it is hardly to be conceived that the contrivers and promoters of this va luable work meant to leave it without any illuftration of notes *, gloffary, or introduction, or even a title-page, and 122 l have a right to expect all this inence, I beg leave to inform them through your extenfive Mifcellany, that a title-page has been drawn up by feme members of the Antiquary Sciety, to whom it was referred, and actually been compofed, but waits for an order of the higher powers to be worked off, and delivered to the poffelors of the feveral copies. The delay of the commentary on this record fhould raife a blush on the cheeks of the appointed commentator, and awaken the refentment of the public, did they know the fate of the cafe. I will content myself with blushing for the one, and murmuring for the other, if haply any good effect may be p:o luced; and will leave it to others to cry out louder if none enfuc. Mr. URBAN, A May 3. ing authentic particulars to the account "In return to your query about the ebbing and flowing of Loch Tay, a friend, at my request, wrote to Mr. M'Lagan, furgeon in ordinary in the neighbours to look at so strange an ap pearance. "Loch Tay ebbed at the east end of it about an hundred yards, and left the channel dry at that part where the water is ufually three feet deep, and gathering together in the form of a wave, rolled on about an hundred yards further to the weftward, until it met a fimilar wave rolling in a contrary direction, and, when these dashed together, they rofe to the perpendicular height of about five feet, emitting a white foam on the top. It then returned, and gained upon the land four yards beyond the high-water mark of the Loch at that time, and continued to ebb and flow every feven minutes for two hours: the wave gradually diminishing in fize every time it reached the fhore, until it wholly difappeared. The river Tay, which runs out at the north end of the loch, was observed to run back during the time of the ebbing, and to be left almoft dry. Many people faid that they obferved the ebbing and flowing of the loch at different places befides at Kenmore; but, as they did not mention this till they heard of the Kenmore one, it was not much credited. "During the whole of that week the ebbing and flowing continued, but at a degree as at first. The day was perfectly calm. I faw it before it was quite over. I obferve by the papers that there was an earthquake felt on that day in Calabria. I am, &c. G. P. April 14. 7OUR correfpondent, Academicus, Mr. URBAN, family of Breadalbane (commonly filed who dates from Oxford (p. 220), in the country doctor), who made the following anfwer: "It happened on the 12th day of September, 1784, about nine in the morning. A man, who lives within 20 yards from the end of the Loch, coming out accidentally to the end of his houfe, firft obferved it, and then brought his has done me the honour to notice my very infignificant labours in orthography, by calling upon me to cenfure the common mode of ipelling the name Nathaniel, In anfwer to his obfervation, I muft fay, that that word has not efcaped my attention; but not thinking myfelf competent to speak with certain ty upon the fubject, I faid nothing about it. My knowledge of the Hebrew tongue is very trifling; and, in refpect alfo to Greek, I do not doubt but having for feveral years ftudied the but Academicus is much my fuperior: Scriptures, at leaft with an attentive, if I may not be allowed to say with a scientific eye, I have been naturally led to make fome obfervations upon them, and in particular upon our tranflation of them. Having Interesting Remarks on the English Translation of the Bible. Having faid thus much, I prefume your correfpondent will believe me, when I fay, that I am fully difpofed to admit their divine authority, and the infpiration of their authors, though, at the fame time, I conceive that nobody, whofe opinion is worth liftening to, will blame me for criticifing upon our tranflation, which I confider as the work of mere fallible men, not favoured with any fpecial infpiration, and therefore having no more claim to infallibility than myself. On the other hand, I very highly efteem and venerate "the tranflators of the Bible," and have been often inclined to think it owing to the fpecial interpofition of Providence that the language of it is, after 170 or 180 years, in general fo intelligible: for, except, "efthewed evil, fpeak leafing, they wift not, I wot not," and a very few other fuch inftances, all the words made ufe of in it are still very well understood. Yet there are fpots in the fun : and perhaps thefe very fpots might be defigned by Providence to answer the fame ends that the commands to "let nothing of the pafchal lamb remain, and to leave no manna till the morning," were defigned to anfwer, namely, to guard mankind from either fuperftitioufly idolizing, or resting in, and satisfying themselves with, the mere litera fcripta, the outward and visible fign. Your correfpondent, I dare fay, will agree with me in admiring fimplicity and uniformity, efpecially in the tranflation of a book defigned, like the Bible, for the ufe and benefit of men in general, learned and unlearned that idea has led me to find fome fault with the tranflators, for what appears to me a vant of judgement in their tranflation of proper names. They have in many inftances tranflated, from the Greck, Hebrew names with Greek termina tions, and thofe names, thus Grecized, they have given in our tranflation, ftill cloathed with their Greck drefs, with out Hebraizing them again (if I may be allowed the expreffions); infomuch, that I do not at all doubt there are many unlearned readers, who do not know that fome of the perfons fpoken of by one name in the Apocrypha, or New Teftament, are the fame with thofe fpoken of by another in the Old Teftament (with refpect to the Apocrypha, indeed, it is of much lefs confequence). This appears to me as abfurd as if an Erghman fhould tranflate Livy into 369 English from a French translation, and inftead of calling him Titus Livius. fhould call him Tite Live; or, as if a German tranflating a French history of an Englishman of the name of Brown, should, in his translation, style him Le Brun, as the Frenchman had done. Sec the following examples: Abacuc, for Habakkuk-Abdias, for ObadiahAgar, for Hagar-Aggeus, for Haggai Afer, for Alher-Azotus, for Ashdod Charran, for Haran-Cis, for KifhElias, for Elijah-Elifeus, for ElishaEfaias, for Ifaiah-Efdras, for EzraEzekias, for Hezekiah-Jechonias, for Jeconiah-Jeremias, for JeremiahJefus, for Joshua, Acts vii. 45, Heb. iv. 8-Jonas, for Jonah-Joram, for Jehoram-Jofaphat, for JehoshaphatJofias, for Jofiah—Judas, for JudahMaleleel, for Mahalaleel-Manaffes, for Manaffeh-Mardocheus, for Mordecai-Meffias, for Meffiah-Micheas, for Micah-Noe, for Noah-Ofee, or Ofeas, for Hofea-Phalec, for PelegRebecca, for Rebekah-Roboam, for Rehoboam-Salathiel, for ShealtielSem, for Shem-Sophonias, for Zephaniah-Sorobabel, for ZerubbabelThara, for Terah-Tyrus, for TyreUrias, for Uriah-Zacharias, for Zechariah. Where a word ends in iab, I think it peculiarly wrong thus to mangle it, because I apprehend all those names have a reference to the word jab, and are compounded with it. With refpect to the words Salomon and Nathaniel, I fhould never be fanguine in a controverfy about Hebrew words, where vowels are the matter in question; becaufe in that language vowels are not used, and should be very much inclined to agree with your correfpondent in taking the vowels, used in the Hebrew word Grecized, to fill up their vacuum in the original word; but, till we can totally annihilate the word, Salem, or Selam, 1 muft think an a fitter than an o to make the word SLMN legible and as to Nathaniel (or Elnathan, for the words are the fame, and fignify God's gift), I confefs myself not a fufficient Hebraician to decide whether the i may not be in that manner introduced at the end of the word Nathan as a mark of the genitive cafe; and if fo, away with Greek information about the orthography of Hebrew words, when the original language will furnith us with jufficient. I with only to refer the tubjeft to your correspondent's fecond thoughts, who very pro bably 2 370 Confufion occafioned by Grecifing Hebrew Names. Upon the fame principles of fimplicity, uniformity, and general information, I perfuade myfelf your correfpondent will agree with me in the following remarks. The words Thomas Didymas, Lucas, Marcus, and Timotheus, would be more intelligible to a common English reader, and tend more to the identifying of the perfons fpoken of, if they were tranflated The Twin, Luke, Mark, Timothy. The word Calvary is very abfurdly introduced, Luke xxiii. 33, as the English of Keavior, which fignifies nothing more than a fcull, and is the Greek tranflation of the original Hebrew or Syriac name, Golgotha, the place of a fcull, fuppofed to be fo called from the bones of malefactors who were executed there. The name of the good woman at Joppa, Acts ix. 36, was no other than Tabitha, a Syriac word, which fignifies a roe, in Greek dogxas: and though the is fpoken of very improperly, ver. 39, as Dorcas, it is obfervable, that when St. Peter addreffes her, in the next verfe, in those powerful words, which were to recall her departed fpirit, he does it by her true name. There is a ftill more grofs abfurdity, chap. xii. 4, where, in fpeaking of Herod's intention, μilà tò Taxa, after the feaft of the Paffover, to bring St. Peter forth to the people, the tranflator informs us, that he intended to do it, "after Eafter," i. e. after a feftival, inftituted at a future time, to commemorate the refurrection of a perfon, whom Herod did not acknowledge, and never troubled himself about. This is like Holben's painting Holofernes with drums, fifes, and cannon. Thus, chap. xiii. 8, a certain forcerer is fpoken of, whofe name was Bar-Jefus, i. e. as I conceive, in rcality, the fon of Joshua, who is here defcribed as Ehuuas ó payos, “ neither of which words is a proper name, that having before been fet down to be BarJefus, but both, in feveral languages, the title of their wife men, fkilled in the fecret learning, whom we ordinarily call magicians;" v. Dr. Hammond's annotations on this verfe, to whofe merit I am happy to offer my feeble teftimony of applaufe and veneration, at the diftance of 126 years fince his death The place which we find tranflated the "three taverns," chap. xxviii. 15, was a town or city 33 miles from Rome (as Appii Forum was 51), and ought to retain its true name of Tres Tabernæ (as the other retains its name). This the tranflators might have learnt from the rgtis rabieras of the original, which, as the learned annotator juft mentioned very judiciously obferves, "is the retaining, not tranflating, nor interpreting the Latin." In Rom. xvi. where the word donácadde frequently occurs, why is it tranflated in fome verfes greet, and in others falute? is Why is St. Paul's companion, who fpoken of every where in the Acts under the name of Silas, mentioned in four other places under the name of Silvanus That he was the fame perfon, is proved by Dr. Hammond, in his "Annotations on the Title of Theffalonians," and acknowledged by the other annotators. What is the proper mode of fpelling the name Samjon? It is fpelt in that manner in the Old Teftament, and I am inclined to believe that the Sampfon of Heb. ii. 32, which we feem in general difpofed to imitate, is nothing more than a Greek corruption. Will your correspondent do me the favour to inform me what is the true way of fpelling the words Sion and Sidon? with what letter do they begin? with zain, or famech, or fchin, or do they not rather begin with tfaddi? What can have led our ladies into the abfurd mode of fpelling the name Efther, as they too often do, Hefter? I cannot find any way of accounting for it. I hope your correfpondent has never heard any reverend gentleman, in the feat of learning from whence he dates, talking of cherubims, and feraphims, inftead of cherubs and feraphs, not knowing that im is the plural termination of the Hebrew. I think I have heard it from those who ought to have known better. Indeed the confufion of tongues has made fad confufion in the world in point of language. Who, that did not understand fomething of both French and German, would ever dream that Zweybruggen was Deux Ponts, and Hertogenbolch, Bois-le-Duc? And fo great is the rage for introducing newfangled words into our language, that, what with the tattooing and merais of Otaheite, and efpecially that inunda tion A gentle Reproof.-Tranflation of a Letter from Martinelli. tion of Indian words with which we are now deluged, a man had need to have fome knowledge of almost all the languages in the world, to read with propriety," and with the understanding alfo." I will not intrude apon you any longer, Mr. Urban, than to request you to permit me to return my thanks to your correfpondent Fidus (p. 190), for his information refpecting Dr. Ellis, all of which I have no doubt may be very true, and I may have been in one inftance mifinformed. Yours, &c. E. MR. URBAN, May 5. PE ERMIT me to return my thanks to your correspondent P. Q. for the obliging attention he has fhewn, vol. LV. p. 496, to the queftion put by me concerning the family of Colville of Preston. I cannot account for the title of Earl of Flint, attributed to Lord Chancellor Jefferies (v. p. 510.) I am very well fatisfied of the partiality that James II. had to him, as the inftrument of his cruel and unrelenting difpofition; yet I can hardly think that the king would, go fo far as to confer upon him a title, which, ever fince K. Edward II. fummoned his eldeft fon (afterwards Edward III.) to parliament, by the titles of Earl of Chester and Flint, has been confidered as an appendage to the Prince of Wales. I fhould rather be inclined to think with you, Mr. Editor, that it was farcaftically inferted, though, perhaps, a farcafm better deferved by his mafter than himself: but the confi deration of the time, and other circumftances of the publication of the print, might perhaps throw fome light upon the question. I am forry for the fevere reflections your agreeable correfpondent, Ariftarchus, has made upon the language which a truly honourable and learned gentleman has held concerning the late Mr. Hallett (ibid), and which will, upon the firft blush, recall to the remembrance of every reader the mention made by a certain honourable general of "one Arnold:" I could have withed they had been omitted. Undoubt edly Mr. H. was a perfon by no means deferving of contempt; yet it cannot be denied that Mr. Walpole has faid nothing but the truth; and when it is confidered how much his family, and the British nation, have fuffered by the lofs of that incomparable collection 371 (efpecially as it is embittered by the circumftances mentioned in your note), furely it was a pity thus to "6 perfecute him whom thou haft fmitten, and add to the grief of thofe whom thou haft wounded." Yours, &c. E. Mr. URBAN, April 13. I WAS much pleafed to find in your Magazine of December laft a letter, tranflated from one of Martinelli's in Italian. I venture to put another of them into English, as it commemorates a worthy and facetious divine, the father of the truly refpectable reprefentative of Hants. It is directed to his uncle Francis Whithead, efq. then member for the fame county. He was the fecond of three brothers of the Thistlethwaytes, and, in conformity to the directions of his uncle's will, affuined the name of Whithead, and acceded to the eftates of that, and of the Nortons, two of the most ancient families in Hampshire. There is a tradi❤ tion, that the name of Norman Court was given to the feat of the Whitheads, from being firft of all erected in the times of the Normans. Thoresby, in his "Ducatus Leodienfis," obferves, "the family of Thistlewait, of Winterflow, com. Wilts, extracted from Thistlewait, of Thi'tlewayt, in the county of York, bear the arms of Bland. This manour of Winterflow, after being near three centuries the patrimony of the family, who, in that long face of time, married with the Hungreford, Penruddocke, Chaldecote, Pelham, and Whithed families, was fold by the elder brother of the three." A further account of these may be feen in Hutchins's "Hiftory of Dorfet," V. i. 348. THE LETTER. To Francis Whithead, Efq. London. Giving an Account of his flaying at Bratton-Broughton in Hampshire, where he was going to pass a Fortnight with bis Brother. "My much refpected Sir, "SIX perfons in one coach, the fun in Leo, ficuti non invenere tyranni majus tormentum. But why do I mention fix perfons? That from Salisbury, which carried me into thefe parts, had three men and three women, all of the latter with child, and the men fo corpulent, that every one of them made three of me. In a word, to be itived up four. teen hours with all this tranfpiring fatnefs, and with a fun that would have roafted an ox in three hours with the heat |