1825.] 
and a rare-dessert for the Lord Mayor’s 
city-feast into the bargain. 
That the Society, in their corporate 
capacity, will be disposed to do ample 
justice to the vicar, cannot be doubted ; 
but it may be doubtful whether certain 
individuals would not deprive him of 
the tenth cabbage. On such characters, 
the following tragical tale may have a 
proper effect :— 
“ About, they say, DC., dugustine, com- 
ming to preach #t Camerton, the priest of 
the place makes complaint to him, that. the 
lord of the mannor, having been often ad- 
monished. by him, would not yet pay him 
his tithes. -dwgustine, questioning the lord 
about that default in devotion, he stoutly 
answered, That the tenth sheaf, doubtless, 
was his that had interest in the nine; and, 
therefore, would pay none. Presently, 
Augustine denounces him excommunicate ; 
and turning to the alter to say masse, pub- 
liquely forbad that any excommunicat per- 
son should be present at it,—when, sud- 
denly, a dead corps, that had been buried 
at the chureh-doore, arose, and departed 
out of the limits of the church-yard, stand- 
ing still without, while the masse con- 
tinued ;—which ended, dugustine comes to 
the living-dead, and charges him, in the 
name of the Lord God, to declare who hee 
was. Hee tells him, that, in the time of 
the Brilish state, he was huius ville patro- 
nus,—and although he had been often urged, 
by the doctrine of the priest, to pay his 
tithes, yet he never could be brought to it ; 
for which he died, he sayes, excommunicat, 
and was carried to hell. dugustine desired 
to know where the priest that excommuni- 
cated him was buried. This dead sinner 
shewed him the place,—where he makes 
invocation of the dead priest, and bids him 
arise also, because they wanted his help. 
The priest rises. Augustine askes him, if 
he knew that other that was risen? He 
tells him, yes; but wishes he had never 
known him,—for (saith hee) he was, in all 
things, ever adverse to the church, a de- 
tainer of his tithes, and a great sinner to 
his death ; and therefore I excommunicated 
him. But Augustine publiquely declares, 
that it was fit that mercy should be used 
towards him, and that he had suffered long 
in hell for his offence (you must suppose, 
I thinke the author meant) purgatorie) :— 
wherefore, he gives him absolution, and 
sends him to his grave, where he fell again 
into dust and ashes. Hee gone, the priest 
new-risen tells that his corps had lien there 
above cLxx yeeres; and Augustine would 
gladly have had him continue upon earth 
againe, for instruction of soules, but could 
not thereto entreat him :—so he, also, re- 
turns to his former lodging. 
“The lord of the town standing by all 
this while, and trembling, was now de- 
manded if hee would: pay his tithes; but 
he presently fell down at Augustine’s feet, 
¥x 
z 
New Translation ofthe Scriptures. 
215 
weeping, and confessing his offence ; and 
receiving pardon, became, all his lifetime, 
a follower of Augustine’s.”’ 
Tue Hermit. 
Under Ham-hill. 
——=—=E____— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
I FULLY agree in your opinion, as. 
explained in page 8 of your last 
number, that the design of a new trans- 
lation of the Scriptures into English: 
ought to be to give a faithful representa- 
tion of the original, and not to support 
the doctrines either of the church of 
England, or of any religious sect or party 
whatsoever. 
To your queries, suggested by an 
expression in my former letter, I wish 
to reply as briefly as possible. 
lst. You ask, Whether, if the trans- 
lation be faithful, any accompanying ob- 
servations can be necessary to make it 
intelligible to English readers ?—I an- 
swer, that they are necessary ; because, 
without them, English readers will 
either. annex to many expressions no 
idea at all, or ideas not designed _or 
contemplated by the. original writers. 
T shall take, as an example, the men- 
tion of the crowing of the cock, in the 
account of Peter’s fall. The readers of 
the ‘common translation, which is; in 
this particular, correct and literal, natu- 
rally conclude that the evangelists speak 
of the familiar sound of a well-known 
bird; and, accordingly, every picture 
and print upon the subject exhibits a 
cock, with its neck at full stretch, in 
the act of crowing. Nevertheless, the 
allusion probably is to the practice 
of blowing a trumpet at Jerusalem, to 
mark the third and fourth watches :— 
“ the cock crew; signifying, “ the 
trumpet sounded.’(@) 
2dly. You inquire, Whether it is poss 
sible that such accompanying observations, 
supposing them necessary, can be impar- 
tial? —To be absolutely impartial, the 
comment upon eyery disputed expres- 
sion must contain a just account of all 
the interpretations given by different 
critics, and of the facts and arguments 
by which those interpretations are sup- 
ported. Although the execution of 
such a task would require a remarkable 
union of industry, skill, and candour, 
it does not appear to be beyond the 
bounds of possibility. (4) For examples 
of impartiality thus exercised, I might 
refer to many of the explanatory notes 
in the translation which I have pointed 
out to your readers in my former letter, 
aa 
