12 On certain Medioeval ApoJogues. [No. 1, 



I/chicán-us-Safá, of the Hebrew translation of vvbich tbere are no less 

 than three editions, — printed respectively in 1557, 1703 and 1713.* 



The next of these legends to be noticed occurs in the 237tb num- 

 ber of the Spectator, in a paper by Hughes, wbo gives it as an oíd 

 Jewish tratlition. I cannot bowever find any trace of Hughes' pro- 

 ficiency in Hebrew or Rabbinical lore, tbough he was a good classical 

 scholar, and I am quite at a loss to trace the source from which ho 

 derived it. The story, as be relates it, describes an interview between 

 Moses and the Supreme Being, respecting tbe apparent anomalies of 

 Providence, and the discourse turns on an incident which takes place 

 beside a stream at tbe mountain's íbot. A soldier comes to drink, 

 and, as be leaves, drops bis purse, which is soon after picked up by a 

 boy wbo passes by. An oíd man next tofcters up to the íbuntain and 

 si t s down to rest, when the soldier suddenly returns and accuses hiña 

 of having his purse. An altercation ensues, and the soldier in bis 

 passion kills him. " Moses fell on bis face witb horror and amaze- 

 ment, when the divine voice thus prevented bis expostulation : 'Be 

 not surprised, Moses, ñor ask why the Judge of the whole eartb has 

 suffered this thing to come to pass. The child is the occasion that 

 the blood of tbe oíd man is spilt ; but, know, that tbe oíd man, 

 whom thou sawest, was the murderer of that child's fatber.' " 



The story is particularly interesting to an English reader, as tbere 

 can be no doubt that it must bave given tbe first idea of \ the Her- 

 mit' to Parnell. Whether it occurs in any Hebrew work, I cannot 

 say, — but the story wears on its face an oriental aspect. The only 

 oriental book, bowever, where I remember to bave seen it, is tbe 

 Subhat ul Abrár of Jámi ; and I subjoin the original witb a trans- 

 lation. Tbere are one or two singular variations between tbe two 

 versicns, and tbe oriental has the advantage in compactness of nar- 

 rative. 





t 



M 





c-s 



óJj l¿á. jliXJl^, ^^ 



+\lí Í&1&. l±+) 



ÍSJJJ *** 



^ 



*J pJ-ü tíítjyc j¿ J<^ 



^.LúXj O^a*. 



fjjj f*á JÍ 



* De Sacy, Notices des MSS. vol. ix. p. 406. 

 f Metre, — v/ — - — ^ ^ v¿v •— 



