He reprobates, however, in the strongest terms, the character of the Translations hitherto made into the Oriental Languages; and maintains that they are so very imperfect, that they cannot be understood. If that be the fact, he may dissipate his apprehensions of the evil they will do; for it will certainly go far to neutralize his objection, that they will do more harm to Christianity than good. He knows, as well as I do, that the Natives are not so industrious, as to toil through a volume which they find it difficult to comprehend. In the event, then, of a stray copy finding its way to a man as unprepared for it as he may suppose him to be, and not familiar with the style in which it is rendered, it cannot do the harm which he pretends to fear.

However, I much question the Abbé Dubois' competency to judge of the Translations, against which he has passed so sweeping a sentence of condemnation*. "On Twenty of the Versions which had been wholly or in part executed," at the time the " Ninth Memoir on the Translations" was issued, “the Testimonies of Learned Natives had been obtained before the Report went to press,

For a full exhibition of his incompetency to this task, see the Eclectic Review, November 1823.

and are printed therein. In all the cases, the approbation is explicit; and in nearly all it is declared, that the respective Versions will be universally intelligible to the people for whom they are designed *.

But I shall leave the defence of the Northern Versions to persons who may be conversant with those Languages; and confine myself to Three Southern Translations, upon which he has animadverted.

With respect to the Translation of the First Four Chapters of the Book of Genesis in "Canada" (Canara, or Canarese)-were it even as inaccurate as the Abbé Dubois would make it appear, the very circumstances relating to it speak in favour of the Bible Society. I happened to be on the Sub-Committee for Translations at Madras, when the indefatigable Translator, the Rev. W. Reeve, Missionary at Bellary, offered his Canarese Version of the Pentateuch to the Madras Auxiliary Bible Society. After much deliberation, and the detention of Mr. R. at the Presidency for several months, it was resolved to print, if my memory does not fail me, only three chapters, and to send a copy to every Canarese Scholar whom they knew (and the Abbé Dubois was named among the Missionary Register, November 1823, p. 493.

rest), inviting criticism. Mr. R. remained at Madras until their answers were returned; the greater part of which were highly favourable to the Translator and his performance. When the Abbé's Criticisms were read, Mr. R. replied to many of his objections, in a manner that convinced me, at least, and I believe the other Members of the Committee, that he was as conversant as M. Dubois with the Canara Language. So favourable was the impression made upon the Committee by the careful examination of all the opinions received upon this Specimen, that it was resolved to proceed with the remainder in the same way; and a Committee of Canarese Scholars was appointed at Bellary, to revise the whole, prior to its being submitted to the Sub-Committee at Madras.

Whatever opinion, then, the Abbé may form to the prejudice of this Version, it is most uncandid to hold it up to ridicule, as a Specimen of the Translations circulated by the Bible Society in the East. It was not yet adopted, much less published, by that Society; and the care taken to collect the judgment of the most-approved Scholars upon it, previous to its being received, would, to an ingenuous mind, have suggested a very different conclusion, in reference to the Bible Society, from that which he has drawn.

But the very Specimen which he has published of this Translation (p. 213, &c.) speaks much more in favour of Mr. R. as a Translator, than of the Abbé Dubois as a Philologist.

I had prepared a Criticism, to shew that the Abbé, in his Critique upon the First Chapter, has erred, apparently through ignorance of the Hebrew Language. Had Mr. Reeve translated from the Vulgate, he would, probably, have adopted some of the expressions suggested by M. Dubois. But that Gentleman made use of the Original; and, before the SubCommittee, constantly referred to the Hebrew Text. I find myself, however, so ably anticipated by the Eclectic Review *, that I shall transcribe the major part of the Criticisms given in that Work.

After fully exposing the inaccuracy of the Abbé's Criticism upon the compound word Dewer-attma, employed by Mr. Reeve to express the Spirit of God,' in Gen. i. 2. the writer proceeds :

"Among the expressions marked as mere interpolations,' or as words whose meaning

*(For November 1823.) With the exception of one or two very immaterial inaccuracies, arising from the want of sufficient local information, the whole of the circumstances relating to this Translation are fully stated in the same Work. I shall, notwithstanding, let what I have written remain, as the Testimony of a Witness to the truth of the facts recorded.

materially differs from that of the Text,' in the Abbé's Literal Translation, are several of a very extraordinary description. For instance: To govern the day and to govern the night' (ver. 16), are printed in italics, as instances of mistranslation; the word in the English Bible being, To rule.' . ' And be in great numbers in the water of (the) sea: all birds multiply on the earth'-are marked in the same manner. Our Readers will perceive, on turning to Gen. i. 22. that this reading is identical in meaning with the Common Version, but better expressed. Overcome' the earth, another word printed in italic, as materially differing from the Text: our Text has, subdue:' (ver. 28.) He created him having the figure of God' (ver. 27), is stigmatized as a 'blasphemous expression.' The Reader will recollect that the expression is the Abbé's own. The word in the English Text is, In the image of God.' Now, if the Canarese afforded a word more specifically signifying image, than that which the Abbé has been pleased to render figure, it would clearly have been less eligible, because it would have suggested more strongly the idea of a material likeness. But here again he does not hint at there being any more proper word, which could be substituted for the one

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