1798.) 
trivance.”” The proper term, I appre- 
hend, is edge; fo that the diftich would 
be correctly written thus : 
«¢ Whoe’er offends, at fome unlucky time, 
Slides into verfe, and edges into rhyme.” 
Hitch has rifen, I fhould think, from 
a gradual corruption by pronunciation. 
An intermediate depravation of the werd 
I obferve in “ Ray’s Creatwn,” p. 273. 
of the fitth edition : 
«© We being notable to reft one quarter of 
an hour in the fame pofture, without fhift- 
ing of fides, or at leait etching this way and 
that way, more or lefs.” 
There is a great propenfity in the vul- 
gar to change the ¢ into ¢ in converfation: 
as they fay vitch for vetch, and pin-fold 
for pen-fold, where cattle are penued, is 
of commonufe. Eventhe zw, in fome in- 
ftances, is thus transformed: as in Lan- 
cafhire they fay, micb for much; and pil- 
pit for pulpit. 
I prefume alfo, that the verb egg, to 
pur on, to excite, 1s a depravation from 
the fame word edge, to whet or sharpen. 
Chaucer fays thus, at ver. 587 of his 
<© Merry Adventure of the Pardonere and 
Tapflere :” 
‘< For the egg of the fann met with his 
fhynne.”” 
I beg leave further to remark inciden- 
tally, in behalf of emendatory criticifm, 
as rationally and difcreetly employed on 
the remaining writers of antiquity. If 
fuch a proficient in his own language as 
Dr. Johnfon, could leave sin his Dicti- 
onary no lefs than f2vo errors of quota- 
tion in afingle verfe of Pope, what cor- 
ruptions may we not prefume to conta- 
minate the Greek and Roman authors 
after the tran{miffions.of fo many copies 
through fuch a period of time ? 
GILBERT WAKEFIELD. 
Hackney, Nov. 3.1798. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T is generally underftood among us, 
I belicve, that papifts attend fo little 
to that advice of the founder of Chrif- 
tianity, ( fearch the fcriptures, Johnv. 39.) 
that they never read them, and are even 
forbidden by théir church to perule thote 
facred volumes. I was therefore agree- 
ably furprifed, when, calling lait Sunday 
evening on a neighbouring tradetinan, 
who is of the number of thofe, whom we 
* In many parts of England it is cuftomary 
to fay, that ‘* one fubftance ditches om an- 
other; meaning, I underftand, that it 
catches on the edges, or protuberances of an- 
other.” 


Roman Catholic Tranflation of the Bible. 
347° 
commonly nick-name Papifts, I found 
him reading the New T'eltament, which, 
on enquiry, I learned had been lately re- 
printed, together with the Cid Teftament, 
at Edinburgh, of which place my friend 
was himfelf a native. But what added 
greatly to my furprife was a letter, that 
is prefixed to the Ceftament, and whicla 
is there faid to be written by bis Holinefsy. 
Pius the 6th, to the mof# Reverend Anthony 
Martini, now Archbifoop of Florence, on 
bis tranflation of the Holy Bible into Ita~ 
lian!!! The letter is as follows : 
Pope Pius the Sixth. 
<¢ Beloved Son,: health and apoftolical be- 
nedi€tion. Atatime that a vaft number of 
bad books, which moft grofsly attack the 
Chriftian Religion, are circulated even amony 
the unlearned, to the great defruction of 
fouls, you judge exceedingly well, that the 
faithiul fhould be excited to the reading of 
the Holy Scriptures: for thefe are the moft 
abundant fources, which ought to be left 
open to every one, to draw from them purity 
of morais and of Do€trine, to eradicate the 
errors which are widely difleminated in thefe 
corrupt times: This you have feafonably 
effected, as you declare, by publifhing the 
facred writings in the language of your 
country, fuitable to every one’s capacity 3 
efpecially when you fhew and fet forth that 
you have added explanatory notes, which, 
being extracted trom the Holy Fathers, pre- 
clude every pofible danger of abufe: Thus 
you have not fwerved either from the laws 
of the Congregation of the Index, or from 
the Conftitution publifhed on this fubjeét bh 
Benedict XIVth that immortal Pope, our 
predecefior in the Pontificate, and formerly 
when we held a place near his perfon, our 
excellent matter in ecclefiaftical learning, 
circumftances which we mention as honour- 
able to us. 
“¢ We therefore applaud your eminent 
learning, joined with your extraordinary’. 
picty, and we return you our due acknow- 
ledgements for the books which you have 
tran{mitted to us, and which, when conve- 
nient, we will read over. In the mean time, 
as a token of our pontifical benevolence, re- 
ceive our apoftolical benediction, which to. 
you, beloved fou, we very affectionately im- 
patt:. Given at Rome, on‘the calends of 
April 17738, the fourth year of our pontifi- 
t Leibine? y p 
cate. 
’ Puoitre BUONAMICIy 
Latin Secretary. 
To our beloved Son, 
Anthony Martini, at Turin. 
(A tranflation from the Latin Original.) 
This letter, Mr. Editor, if inferted in 
your valuable Magazine,-would, I think, 
produce the fame fenfations in many of 
your readers as it did on me; and if you 
are of the fame opinion, and think “it 
worth inferting, it is much at your fer- 
Vice. 
