concerning the Scripture- Animals. 79 



upon us. For it was eafy, by the plain and obvious Ghara- ^ 

 (Sterifticks of chewing the Cud and dividing the Hoof, to diftin- 

 guifh the clean Quadrupeds from thofe that were unclean. But 

 we find no fuch general and infallible Diftin6lion to have been 

 applied to Birds. For to be granivorous, alone, could not be 

 the fpecific Mark of thofe that were clean ; inafmuch as the 

 Oflrich and feveral others would then have appertained to this 

 Tribe ; which, on the contrary, were intirely excluded. Or, 

 if we underftand ( "^no ) tohowr^ which we tranflate clean, to 

 intimate the Chafiity of them, in Oppofition to fuch as were 

 Salacious ; what Birds agree more with the latter of thefe Cha- 

 racters, than the Voiie and the Tigeon ? Which, notwithftand- 

 ing, were univerfally allowed, both for Food and Sacrifice. 

 Or, if a*gain tohowr denote a clean Eater, in Contradiltindion 

 to thofe that live upon Rapine, Carrion and Naftinefs ; (which 

 may probably be the beft Conftrudion,) yet even this cannot 

 be univerfally received ; becaufe the tamer Species of the Gal- 

 linaceous Kind, are as fond of Carrion and Naftinefs, wherever 

 they find it, as fome of the Birds of Prey. In th^ Rabbinical 

 Learning, among other vague non-identifying Charadlerifticks, 

 the clean Birds have afligned to each of them, a fi^/oln Neck, 

 and a hinder-Toe extraordinary : expreflive perhaps of the 

 Crops and Spurs, as we call them, of the gallinaceous Kind. But 

 then, feveral of thofe that are web-footed and clean, fuch as 

 the Goofe, and the Duck, would be excluded ; inafmuch as 

 they are deficient, at leaft, in the latter of thefe Tokens. 



Or, if we fuppofe, that all Birds, in general, were clean. The original 

 except it were thofe which are particularly recited by their S"f tfe 

 Names, Lev. 11. and Deut. 14,. — yet ftill we fhall be at a Lofs, noc'weif '£ 

 unlefswe could be fure, that a right Interpretation hath been ^^'^'"^'^' 

 put upon Thefe Names. But, on the Contrary, how little 

 Truth and Certainty we are likely to obtain in this Point, will 

 appear from the great Variety and Difagreement, which we 

 find in their refpeftive Interpretations; every Tranflator, it 

 may be prelumed, for want of being acquainted with the Ani- 

 mals peculiar to thefe Ea/iern Countries, having accommodated 

 the Hebrew Names, as well as he could, to thofe of his own. 

 Thus (mnn) Haddayoh {Veut.i^. 13.) is rendred the Pultur, 

 and defcribed to be after his Kind. But as we are hitherto 



U z acquainted 



