THE GENERA OF MOSSES. 
49 
may be a wand, or slender branch of any kind, so v<r<r<i^oi is 
the bush or tree from which the twig was taken ; but which- 
ever be the reading, the hyssop of St John can neither be the 
herb known at this day under that name, nor any of the 
Musci. In interpreting rigorously the passage in 1. Kings, 
ch. iv. V. S3, we do not find any thing dissonant to this : 
" And he spake of trees (lignis in the Vulgate, and |yA^v in 
the Septuagint), from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even 
unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall." But might 
not hyssop have been the name for an^/ small plant, in con- 
tradistinction to the magnificent cedar * ? 
Hab. Gymnostomum is a genus widely distributed in 
every quarter of the globe, each claiming a greater or less 
number of species; temperate climates are, however, the 
most favourable to their production. Most of the species are 
found on the ground, some on rocksj and one only, that we 
are aware of, on trees {G. viridissimum). Those most rare 
• As this subject has excited no small interest with many speculators, 
we shall add here the literal translations in Latin of the passage, taken 
from different Versions^ 
1. Hebrew — " Et locutus est super lignis a cedro quae in Lebanon, et 
usque ad k7/ssopum quae egrediens in pariete.'* 
2. Syriac — " Disseruit etiam de arboribusy a cedris Lebani usque ad 
aempervivum quod prodit in pariete." 
3. Arabic — '* Locutus est de arboribus^ et ixposuit virtutes earum ; dis- 
seruit autem de quibuscunque arboribus, a cedro Libani iisque ad 
herbam quae nascitur in pariete." 
4. Greek — *• Et locutus est de lignis, a cedro quae est in Libano, et us- 
que ad kyssopum egredientem per parietem." 
5. Vulgate—" Et disputavit super lignis, a cedro quae est in Libano, 
usque ad hyssopum quae egreditur de pariete." 
It will be remarked, that the Syriac and Arabic use a different phras6 
from hyssop. The Chaldee Version has not this passage at all, but a totally 
different one in its place. 
VOL. V. D 
