68 Oriental Literature. 



Dr. Kunze; but few availed themselves of the op- 

 portunity thus afforded for gaining a knowledge of 

 this ancient tongue; and the professorship was 

 continued only for a short time. In 1784 Pro- 

 fessor Kunze removed to the city of New-York, 

 and was soon appointed to a station in Columbia 

 College, similar to that which he had held in the 

 University of Pennsylvania." This professorship 

 had a slender support afforded to it, by an annual 

 allowance from the legislature of New- York, for 

 five years; but at the end of this time, the allow- 

 ance being withdrawn, the department of oriental 

 instruction was discontinued. This is one among 

 the several instances of disreputable literary retro- 

 cession, by which the United States were distin- 

 guished at the close of the eighteenth century. 



Some small publications for promoting Hebrew 

 literature were made in America during the cen- 

 tury under review. Among these a Hebrew 

 Grammar, by Judah Monis, many years ago a 

 teacher of this language in the University of Cam- 

 bridge, in Massachusetts; a grammar, by Stephen 

 Sewall, also some time since an Hebrew in- 

 structor in the same institution; and a work of a si- 

 milar nature by Dr. Johnson, formerly President 

 of King's College, in the city of New-York, may 

 be reckoned the most considerable." They are 



v Professor Kunze, soon after receiving this appointment in Columbia 

 College, entered on the duties of his office with an enlightened and ardent 

 zeal. That he might be more extensively useful, he took the earliest op- 

 portunity of sending to Europe for a number of curious and voluminous 

 works, in oriental literature ; and resolved by this means not only to fur- 

 nish himself with the best publications for teaching the Hebrew language 

 in the most profitable manner, but also for initiating his pupils into the 

 knowledge of the Arabic and Syriac dialects, for which he was abundantly 

 qualified. But all his exertions were rendered abortive by the unreasonable 

 and misplaced economy of our Legislators, who have not infrequently acted 

 as if they considered the interests of literature among the most unimpor- 

 tant objects of their attention. 



« Professor Kunze also composed a Hebrew grammar on an improved 

 plan, for the use of his pupils, which he designs to publish as seon as a 

 yrospect of sufficient encouragement appears. 



