2.52 Oriental Literature, [Chap. XIV. 



could be procured *. These publications, toge- 

 ther With a conviction of its utility and import- 

 ance, animated Dr. Benjamin Kcnnicot, of the 

 university of Oxford, to engage in a similar un- 

 dertaking with respect to the Hebrew text of the 

 Old Testament. As early as 17^53, by a disserta- 

 tion on the state of the common printed text, he 

 called the attention of the religious world to his 

 design, and laid the foundation of his great work. 

 His plan was no sooner announced than he found 

 ample support both of a pecuniary and literary 

 kindf. He collated more than 700 manuscripts, 

 obtained from different countries t, beside many 

 printed copies ; and was enabled from these 

 sources to present a xtry curious and instructive 

 amount of various readings. In 1776 the first 

 A'olume of his work appeared : and in 17^0 the 

 second, which completed his plan, was laid before 



* The collations and various readings of Mill, Kuster, Wet- 

 stein^ Greisbach, Malthst^i, and others, will be noticed more par- 

 ticularly when the Literature of the Chyistian Church shall come 

 under consideration, in the fourth and last part of this work. 



t The Uferarij aid rendered to Dr. Kennicot was received from 

 almost every part of the Christian world, particularly from his 

 own country, Germany, and France. The pecuniary aid with 

 which he was favoured for the prosecution of his plan was derived 

 chiefly from Great Britain, in which there was raised by subscrip- 

 tion, for this purpose, the sum of 'ddOOOl. sterling. A degree 

 t)f liberality which reflects the highest honour on the age. 



X Among the great number of manuscripts examined by Dr. 

 Kennicot, there was one from America, 1 his belonged to the 

 family of the late Mr. Solomon Simson, of the city of New York, 

 who sent it to the learned collator iji 1 771, and had it returned in 

 1772. Thjs manuscript is the J 44th in Dr. Kennicot's list, undef 

 the title of '' Codex /Imericanus Neo-EivraccnmJ' 



