particularly the two latter? and even confining himself to this temporal subject in its two branches? as Origen's Jew (quoted from Origen by Bishop Lowth, Notes on Isaiah, p. 327, ed. 1795), replied, that the Prophecy, chap. liii. 1—12, did not mean one man, but one people, the Jews,' &c. Must then the citations by our Lord and his Apostles be only accommodations of Isaiah's single-viewed prophecies, or must we continue to insist on the double sense? May we say, that Anpów is a Jewish-Greek translation of the Syriac, and signifies, fully to declare, or speak out, by application or accommodation? or, that only a part of the words quoted was fulfilled? as Matthew xii. 17, He charged them not to make him known,' might occasion the citation from Isaiah xlii. 1, for the sake of, Neither shall he cause to be heard in public his voice.' Or that zealous converts from Judaism to Christianity interpolated the Gospels with citations from the LXX. and not even understanding the original, or at least the antemasoretic, text of the Old Testament? "For any communications on these matters to such young Hebrew scholars as my son and self, we shall esteem ourselves much obliged to your Lordship: as without them we may think it our duty to publish to procure discussion and conviction. "A copy of my Metrical Translation, &c. of the Patriarchal Blessings' I will request the favour of your Lordship to accept, at Mr. White's, Fleet-street, when out. "I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient and humble GEO. SOMERS CLARKE." servant, Bishop PERCY to Dr. G. SOMERS CLARKE. "The Bishop of Dromore was duly favoured with Dr. Clarke's obliging letter, but with deep regret he is obliged to inform him that he is prevented from entering into a proper investigation of the important subject of it by a failure of sight, which has long been coming on, and is nearly arrived at total blindness. "If the Bishop rightly understands him, the principal difficulty that has occurred to Dr. Clarke was how to extend what appeared to be the first and perhaps temporary meaning of the Prophet to future and more sublime applications; but it is allowed to have been the general tendency VOL. VIII. 2 C * of the inspired writers to make present local subjects the types and means of conveying the most important revelations of universal concern. Under his present deprivation this is all that the Bishop can say on the subject. Perhaps Dr. C. has not yet seen a new Translation of the Prophecy of Isaiah, lately published in London by Dr. Stock, Bishop of Killala in Ireland, on which a series of strictures in a critical examination of the whole Version appeared in two late numbers of the British Critic.t The Doctor's learned work has not yet reached this remote part of Ireland, and Dromore is too distant from Dublin, where the author resides, to have indulged him with any personal communication relating to it. "The Bishop is much obliged to Dr. Clarke for his kind intended present of his Metrical Version of the Patriarchal Blessings,' and, whenever he can have it brought over, doubts not but he shall receive great pleasure by hearing it read to him, though he fears it will not be soon, and that he shall not then be able fully to appreciate the merit of the work for the reasons above mentioned. "Before he closes this correspondence, he must make one remark on that part of Dr. Clarke's Letter wherein he seems to justify the rejecting vowel points. These are certainly not of the same authority as the text, but they are a most ancient and valuable commentary, of the greatest use for its elucidation, and without them the text becomes a mere nose of wax. Although the Hutchinsonians insinuate that it was intended or applied to obscure the Prophecies of Christ, &c., the contrary is very apparent in that important prediction, Genesis, chap. xlix. verse 10, where the union of the two Hebrew words which express until is only effected by the masoretic points, and without them these would become two disunited independent words. Then, instead of limiting the Prophecy to Christ, it would favour the Jewish opinion that their temporal dominion was to extend to the end of the world, and the literal version would be, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, &c. for ever, for Shiloh shall come,' &c. 66 Although the Bishop cannot desire Dr. Clarke to waste his valuable time in a correspondence which the Bishop from his loss of sight is so unable to support, he entreats the favour of one short billet to give him the titles and dates of the two books he mentions, viz. of the Unitarian Dodson, and of Dr. Blayney, who he says has * See p. 257. † See British Critic, XXVIII. 465, 608; XXIX. 134. mentioned the Translation of the Song of Songs, neither of which at present occur to the Bishop's memory; whose best wishes of health and happiness sincerely attend Dr. Clarke and his very promising little son, who has made so extraordinary a progress at nine years old. "Any letter directed to the Bishop at Dromore, may be inclosed under cover to Sir Richard Musgrave, Bart. at the Custom House, Dublin." Dr. GEORGE SOMERS CLARKE to Bishop PERCY. "Waltham, Chelmsford, March 6, 1807. "Dr. Clarke returns his respectful compliments with many thanks to the Bishop of Dromore, for his Lordship's most obliging communications; but is unable to express sufficiently his concern for the Bishop's affliction. "It was in Dr. Blayney's Preface to his Dissertation on Daniel's Seventy Weeks, that Dr. Clarke read the mention of the Bishop of Dromore; and also in the 'Song of Songs, translated, with Notes critical and explanatory, by John Mason Good,* 1803,' who expresses great respect to his Lordship, and quotes in ancient and modern languages, particularly the Oriental, as Syriac, Arabic, Persian, and Ethiopic; to which also his printers (Wilks and Taylor, Chancery Lane,) have furnished appropriate types. "The Bishop of Killala's + translation of Isaiah Dr. Clarke has only seen reviewed in the Monthly Review; but he did not think that his own plan was superseded by it. "Dr. Clarke has only Bythner's 'Lyre' and Buxtorf's eighth edition of Lex. Hebr. and Chald. small 8vo.: but having, in Dr. Blayney, or Mr. Peters, or somewhere, read, that the word which closes the fifth verse of the ninth Psalm (e.g.) signifies and unto, implying the omitted repetition of hidden time, which preceded, he could not readily be induced to render the same word, in any place, and without its connecting particles, eternity or for ever, neither in Gen. xlix. 10, nor in Isaiah ix. 5; in which last passage he humbly conceives, because he knows not his predecessor in the opinion, that the word refers to the first and third in the original of ch. viii. ver. 2, and the second of both ver. 16 and ver. 20. "When Dr. Clarke presumed, ten years ago, to intro*Dr. John Mason Good. He died Jan. 2, 1827, aged 62. See memoir of him in Gent. Mag. XCVII. i. 276. Also, "Memoirs of his Life, Writings, and Character; by Dr. Olinthus Gregory," 1828; reviewed in Gent. Mag. XCVIII. ii. 435. + Dr. Stock; see p. 386. duce himself to the Bishop of Dromore upon the shore of Parkgate, he had then only learned Hebrew with points. in Bythner, twenty-five years before, at Merchant Taylors' School in London; but, not finding the study in much request in the University, he had not pursued it. But Dr. Clarke possessed, and had derived great pleasure from, some early work of his Lordship, and is now sensible of further obligation. "It may possibly as yet be news, and not unacceptable to the Bishop, to be informed, that the Unitarian Society at a general meeting, Jan. 8th last, subscribed nearly 400i. to put to press an improved version of the New Testa ment,' on the basis of Abp. Newcome's version,' with no other variations than such as may appear to be necessary. Their impression is to be 5000 copies, calculated expense 7007.; but they had resolved to go to press as soon as 3007. only had been raised. This therefore was done; by Lindsey, 501.; Duke of Grafton, 50 guineas; S. Prime, 50 guineas; Dr. Disney, 20 guineas; London Unitarian Society, 1007.; Southern ditto, 50l. "Dr. Clarke wishes he could return further gratification to the Bishop of Dromore, to whom he prays God to grant all the health and all the consolation which he sincerely desires his Lordship may enjoy during the unhappy deprivation." Bp. BARRINGTON to Bishop PERCY. "MY DEAR LORD, Cavendish Square, Feb. 9, 1807. "The accompanying inclosure comes from a Dr. Clarke, with a request that I would forward it to your Lordship. "Though a long period has elapsed since we met, yet I can with truth assure you it has not obliterated the remembrance of those days when we lived in the happy society of my two most valuable friends, Tyrwhitt and Cracherode. I continue to feel an interest in your Lordship's welfare. "I am, my dear Lord, with true regard, your faithful servant, S. DUNELM." "Cavendish Square, May 19, 1808. "The Bishop of Durham feels much satisfaction in acquainting his old and valuable friend, the Bishop of Dromore, that the error of which he justly complains in the 30th Report,* in the edition which had been commu * Report of the Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor. nicated to him, has been corrected in a subsequent one. The written account which accompanied the printed paper to which the Bishop of Dromore alludes, is, as the Bishop of Durham apprehends, at his house in Oxfordshire, where he hopes to be by the beginning of next month. If he be as successful as he hopes to be in his search, the Bishop of Dromore may depend on having the paper restored. Of Dr. Milner's inclination to do as much mischief as he can, no person acquainted with his character and writings can entertain a doubt. If Lord G.* and his political friends would leave the Irish Roman Catholics to themselves, and not urge them to demand what they know Parliament will not and should not grant, we should be more at ease on both sides of St. George's Channel. What the ministers mean to do when the subject is agitated, I profess myself ignorant; but I trust they will get rid of it, not as they did before by a previous question, but by a decided negative. By such a measure the hopes of that body will be extinguished; by the other they will be kept alive. "The Bishop of Durham assures the Bishop of Dromore that he has not, and shall not forget the pleasant days which they passed together in the society of their two common and excellent friends, Tyrwhitt and Cracherode; and shall be truly happy in any circumstance which may induce the Bishop of Dromore to revisit his native land." Bishop TOMLINE to Bishop PERCY. "MY LORD, Lymington, May 21, 1807. "I waited to recover my right of franking before I answered your Lordship's letter, and I now take the earliest opportunity in my power of informing you that I signed the Thurmaston Memorial before I left town about a month since, and that my secretary gave proper directions respecting it. I hope, therefore, that the business is in a fair way to be completed to your satisfaction. "I was very glad to have Dr. Percy one of my clergy, and had great pleasure in showing civility to a person so nearly connected with your Lordship. "I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient servant, G. LINCOLN.". *Lord Grenville. He died Jan. 12, 1834, aged 74. See a memoir of him in Gent. Mag. N. S. vol. I. p. 327. |