Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

teach the Hebrew Bible, if he teaches Hebrew at all. Not so, the Professor of Greek. There is no special call on him to interpret the sayings of the Greek New Testament; and, in point of fact, we believe little of the Greek New Testament is read in any of the Greek classes of our Universities. Greek literature is one of prodigious extent in all the departments of history, poetry, and philosophy; nay, one which furnishes the recognized models to the scholars of modern nations in all these departments. The Professor of this language accordingly may most efficiently discharge the duties of his office, without any special allusion to theological subjects; at any rate, his proper field is wide enough to occupy all his energies without this. There can be no parallel, therefore, betwixt a Hebrew and a Greek Professor. The only way in which a parallel could be established, would be, in the case of a Professor appointed to teach specifically the language and criticism of the New Testament. Such a Professorship would, in the strictest meaning of the term, be a Theological one; he could not teach his pupils to read, far less to expound the New Testament, without adverting, at every step, to the doctrines and precepts of Theology. And this is the concrete fact with respect to every Hebrew Professorship. Theological it must of necessity be; it cannot possibly be any thing else. The world may be defied to produce a man to teach the Hebrew language and literature, without at the same time teaching the facts, the doctrines, and the precepts of religion.

We have thus disposed in a few sentences of the claim of the Hebrew Professorship to be divorced from Theology. The Author of the pamphlet whose title we have given above, enters upon the question at much greater length. It contains a piece of elaborate argumentation far more than sufficient to confute the rash and hasty dictum against which it is pointed; and an amount of critical disquisition which places in a very favourable light the learning of its author. He is manifestly not only acquainted with the Hebrew language and literature, but has made it the subject of profound thought and laborious investigation. Impertinent Town Councillors, and a few others who ought to have known better, have been indulging of late in an occasional sneer at the expense of the learning of the Church, grounded on the fact, that few of her ministers thought proper to become candidates for the Hebrew Chair in Edinburgh, when it became vacant. But what was to be expected? Is it so pleasant a thing for high-minded and honourable men to subject themselves to the censures of a body of Edinburgh shopkeepers, unfortunately possessed of too much patronage both literary and ecclesiastical, and in whose presence the name of a minister of the Gospel, especially if he belongs to the Established Church, can scarce be mentioned without calling forth from some one or other the unfounded taunt or the vulgar sneer? And what was the great inducement to submit to such an ordeal? The chance of appointment to an office, possessed of the munificent endowment of some forty pounds a-year! The Town Council of Edinburgh may rest assured, that other causes than the want of qualification withheld the ministers of the Church from applying for the Hebrew Chair. But if there are few or none of our ministers who thought of applying for the office, or even are qualified to hold it, the pamphlet on our table contains abundant evidence that some of our Licentiates, at least, are fully competent to discharge its functions with efficiency and success: and we happen to know that the author of this pamphlet is not the only one of our licentiates who is similarly qualified.

The first part of the letter before us is occupied with the main discus. sion of the subject in hand. The Author shows, by a lengthened deduction of particulars, the intimate connection subsisting betwixt the Hebrew and every department of Theology. Thus he alludes to the sacred names

in Theology-Jehovah, Messiah, God or Elohim, &c., and proves that, apart from a knowledge of Hebrew, it is impossible to form even an approximate conception of the meaning of these. Again, he refers to the fundamental doctrines of Theology, atonement by sacrifice, justification by faith, the divinity of Christ, the Covenants, the Ten Commandments, and so on, and shows that, without allusion to the Hebrew, it is impossible adequately to comprehend these doctrines. Once more, having affirmed that "the Jewish dispensation is Christianity in types, figures, emblems, and shadows;” and that the" Christian dispensation is Christianity in the fulfilment of these types, figures, emblems, and shadows;" he suggests the inference, sufficiently obvious, that the Hebrew signification of the one is indispensable to the Christian meaning of the other. Over and above all this, the Hebrew is the language of the Almighty," the language of primitive inspiration, the parent not only of other Oriental tongues, but even of the Greek itself. We might have quoted some sentences of our Author, but we forbear. These observations may suffice to show the nature and drift of his argument in this part of the letter.

66

The second section is occupied with a discussion more curious in itself than directly relevant to the matter in hand. It is an attempt to prove that a knowledge of Hebrew is indispensably "necessary to render a sound divine a sound philosopher; and to disarm a crude and illiterate theology of its hostility to the progress of science and of human inventions, of which divines in past ages, from their ignorance of the language, or from knowing it only imperfectly, have been almost morbidly jealous; thus proving that true religion allows free scope to the human intellect in every department of literature and sound philosophy." Accordingly, in subsequent pages we have discussions on the Mazzaroth of Job, the Sheol, Teom, Thohu vavohu, and other notable expressions of the Hebrew writers, with a view to show that many, if not all of the modern discoveries in Astronomy, Geology, &c., may be found lurking among the obscurities of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Now, this may or may not be the case. It is not the first time such an opinion has been stated and advocated; on the contrary, it is the prevailing sentiment of Rabbinical interpreters, that the Bible is at once the repository of true religion and of every kind of sound philosophy and learning. But we suspect our author will not so easily prevail upon the reading public to acquiesce in this opinion, even in the particulars specified in the production before us. They will as readily believe that some hitherto unnoticed text describes the properties of chloroform or the performances of railway locomotives. But, however this may be, our author has unquestionably indicated in this section, no inconsiderable ingenuity and aptness for critico-philosophical disquisition; and although we do not consider that he has thereby materially strengthened the general argument of his work, he has done enough to show what he is capable of performing, and were some of the points to which he has adverted, more fully handled, we should be glad to meet with him again. We are sure he is capable of producing a work fitted at once to do honour to himself, and demonstrate that erudition is very far indeed from being uncongenial to the taste and habits of even the Licentiates of the Church of Scotland.

Before concluding this article we must animadvert, in a sentence or two, on the disposition of some of the most prominent individuals among the Patrons of the Edinburgh Hebrew Chair-a disposition scarcely concealed, to sink the study of Hebrew altogether, in the performance of the duties of that Professorship. They have loved to call it the Professorship of Oriental Languages; and with ludicrous grandiloquence the Provost has talked about the ability and purpose of their nominee, to lecture this year upon Persic, the next upon Sanscrit, and the third upon Hindustani.

Now, we have no objection that the Town Council find a man to lecture upon these tongues in the University or anywhere else; we would not even object though the Professor so appointed were to lecture also upon the dialects of the Esquimaux or the gibberish of the savages of New Holland. But we do most decidedly object to this being done to the detriment of the Chair of Hebrew, or the thrusting of that language into a place of even secondary importance. This Chair is not, and never was a Chair of Oriental Languages, in the sense of an institution for the teaching of Hindustani and Sanscrit. It was instituted for the purpose of teaching the exposition of the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament-involving of course a reference to the cognate dialects of Chaldee, Syriac, and perhaps Arabic. This was unquestionably the purpose for which it was originally instituted and up to the present hour, no other purpose whatever has it served. What right, then, in the name of justice and common sense, have the Town Council-patrons of the Chair though they be-to alter its very constitution? What would be said, if on the next occasion of a vacancy in the Chair of Music, it were attempted to fill it with a Professor of Dancing, or for the Professorship of Agriculture to substitute one of Cookery? and yet we have no hesitation in affirming that dancing has as much to do with the one, and cookery with the other, as Sanscrit and Hindustani and the readings of the impure Vedas of the East, have to do with the exposition of the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament, for the sake of which alone this Hebrew Chair was instituted.

With respect to the now famous Mr. Charles M.Douall, the Town Council's nomince, we would not willingly give utterance to one single harsh observation. We are free to confess that the worst thing we know of him is the fact of his allowing himself to become the tool of an unscrupulous and malignant faction; nay, we think so well of him as to believe that the blush of shame did glow on his countenance as, on that memorable day when blustering Provost and Baillies ushered him, their dumb and contemptible puppet, into the presence of an indignant Senatus, he felt himself encountering the gaze of some who in other days were his benefactors and friends. At the same time we do not estimate his qualifications for the professorial office, so very highly as his Town Council supporters have been in the habit of doing. He may have some notion of Oriental vocables, not by any means, however, we suspect--so extensive as to justify the boastful jubilations we have heard from the lips of those who know singularly little about either Persic or Hindustani; but, we also suspect, that had he been permitted actually to occupy the Professor's Chair, and give forth some of his much lauded prelections, the public would not have been long of discovering that there are other qualifications requisite to the formation of a useful professor, besides a knowledge of mere vocables and the parade of erudition. We are not aware that by means of published writings, Mr. Charles M'Douall has furnished any satisfactory evidence of profound and varied scholarship. The only "work" of his of which we know any thing is an uncommonly thin volume of " Poems" bearing the not inappropriate designation of Winter Leaves," and published by Adam Black some years ago. Had we space or inclination, we could easily amuse our readers with some exquisite specimens of the lyrical muse culled from this volume. But we forbear. Like some other poetical works, this volume has also "notes," and these are garnished with a few Oriental allusions and quotations. This, for ought we know, is the only public exhibition the author has made of Oriental sholarship; but if we except the proposal to substitute the word "Qoran" for Koran, Rock of Horev" for Rock of Horeb," Yethro" for Jethro," Aharon" for Aaron, and a few other critical petit maitre-isms, we cannot discover much indications of scholar

66

ship even here. Assuredly if the "notes" thus contain satisfactory evidence of his fitness for a Professorship of Oriental Languages, the rest of the volume, will most sufficiently prove that he is qualified to add to that appointment the office of Poet Laureate to the Town Council of Edinburgh.

The Pictorial Gift Book; or Lays and Lithographs. The Illustrations by F. SCHENCK, the Poetry by D. VEDDER. Edinburgh: John Menzies. London: W. S. Orr & Co. 1847.

These are the days of medleys, There for instance, has Alfred Tennyson been issuing his “Medley” of Failure, Success, and Half-Success. And here has been put into our hands a very curious, beautiful, and richly adorned book, constituting a medley of Chromo-lithographs, and Poems-the Lithographs by the Son-in-law, and the verses by his Father-in-law. We hail it not only for its own merits, but for the amiable spectacle it presents of family concord, and mutual sympathies.

David Vedder is a robust, strong-minded Orcadian-with much of the Norland blood of poetry beating in his veins. His verses are never namby pamby, but always clear, terse and energetic. He generally goes off at the gallop and keeps up at this generous break-neck pace to the end. He is never hampered or at a loss, his freedom is quite commensurate with his force. At times he has risen into regions of very high poetry indeed. He is the author for instance of "Nature's Worship"-a poem which thrilled us to the bone when we first met with it—and which we know Dr. Chalmers once read to his divinity class with much enthusiasm, and overpowering effect. Many other of his sweet or strong, Scotch or English, funny or sentimental strains, have found their way into the periodicals of the day, and are familiar to hundreds of readers. Some of the poems in the collection before us, are among his best. Take for example the following on Frederick the Second, which is full of nerve, point, and martial spirit—

"Thy cradle was of hostile cannon made,

And captured banners propp'd thy infant head;
Instead of soothing song, and sugar-plums,
Thou hadst the clash of swords, the roll of drums!
Dismounted troopers rock'd thee with their spears-
Hands cased in gauntlets wiped away thy tears;-
Thy nursery was a fortress-turret-crowned,
Where fulminating ordnance bristled round!
Thy childish hymns were tuned to martial airs;
Thy playthings-mimic files, and hollow squares;
Thy pedagogue-his errrors to atone-
Erased "retreat" from out thy lexicon-
Gazed on the firmament's serene expanse,
And, pointing to an eagle, cried-"advance !"
Thou saw'st the bird-imperial sunward fly,
And thy young heart responded to the cry!
Clomb to the loftiest pinnacle of fame,
While allied despots trembled at thy name;
Career'd triumphant through each battle-broil,
Effaced the invader's hoof-prints from thy soil;
Then in a verdant arbour took'st thy seat,
And woo'd the muses in their green retreat!

"The diadem upon thy living head,

;

Received more lustre from thee than it shed;-
The Victor's chaplet, and the Poet's wreath,
Are interwoven round thy brow in death!"

"Waterloo" too, and Shakespeare, make the most of themes long nearly ex

hausted. The" Aurora Borealis," and "my Ain Fireside" are sweet copies of verses. A few others are rather slight and common-place. But as a whole, the poems are exceedingly creditable to Mr. Vedder's abilities, taste and heart, and equally with the lithographs deserve the name of "Illustrations. The translations are not the least interesting part of the work. Of their accuracy we cannot speak, but they read freely and forcibly. "The Glove" if not so strong and picturesque as Bulwer's version, is very flowing and elegant one or two of them have appeared in Tait's Magazine.

Mr. Schenck too, has done his share of the work admirably, and approved himself one of our most rising artists in his proper line. Shakespeare, the Aurora Borealis, and Loch-Eil are the most remarkable. Shakespeare is certainly the noblest head of the Poet we ever saw. The tall, deep forehead, the keen, sidelong piercing eyes, the firm mild mouth, the swarthy complexion, the mingled shrewdness, and rapt imaginativeness of the expression, are all worthy of the myriad-minded. The other two are exquisite scenes, beautifully given.

Altogether, we know no book of the season, more worthy of being pre. sented by parents to their children, husbands to their wives, and young gentlemen to their sweet-hearts, than the "Pictorial Gift Book.”

Tullis' Guide to the Edinburgh and Northern Railway. Cupar Fife: E. S. Tullis. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.

This little and extremely cheap work is a useful and interesting pocket companion to all who may have occasion to travel along the well-frequented line of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway. The trade and manufactures of the towns and villages which the line passes, as well as the most remarkable features in the scenery and the antiquities of the beautiful county of Fife are pointed out, with much minuteness, to the traveller. This work, from its nature, cannot, we should think, fail of meeting with a very extensive sale.

Guesses at Truth, by two Brothers. Third Edition, First Series. London: Taylor & Walton, 1847.

Archdeacon Hare, the intimate friend of Coleridge and Wordsworth, is, along with a beloved brother, who died in the very spring-time of his genius, the author of this precious volume. The title is by far too modest, for instead of "Guesses at Truth," we find clear intuitions of truth, over the range of the most diversified subjects. The book is like a body made up of eyes altogether; and the proverbs and aphorisms are merely the brief notes which this Argus makes of the sights which have laid themselves open to this keen and universal gaze. He has the most subtle perception of moral and spiritual laws and relations, and the most penetrating insight into human nature and its manifold developments; and he gathers up his wisdom into flower-baskets, for all his sentences are pervaded by a finely poetic spirit. They read like the table-oracles of Coleridge, free from all paradox; whilst they indicate a closer and a tenderer intimacy with the moral and emotional nature of man, than Coleridge possessed. In this last respect, the author much more resembles Wordsworth. A vein of gentle and delicate satire runs through the volume, and indicates a mind observant and genial as that of Charles Lamb. Instead of farther characterizing the Archdeacon's production, we shall present various specimens, and commend these to the meditations of our readers

« ElőzőTovább »