1802.] 
and with what uncommon ability and fuc- 
cefs.- It every where difplays the fkilful 
hand of a matter. Some few exception- 
able paffages might perhaps be pointed 
out. But, is it not matter to be wonder- 
ed at, that a greater number has not oc- | 
curred? Had no defeéts appeared, then 
indeed the world might have feen; what it 
has no right to expect—what is not the 
privilege of human nature to produce; 
and what the tranflator never had the ar- 
rogance to propofe—a perfect work. Some 
verbal alterations might, even in the opi- 
nion.of Dr. Geddes’s moft ardent friends | 
have been made with advantage.* -But, 
here, fo pertinent and juftis the fentimen;, 
* The conceflion-which the tranflator him- 
felf ‘has made upon this fubject, reflects great 
honour in the candour and liberality of his 
mind. .Thofe therefore, who obje&t, fhould 
do him the juftice to examine his note on 
Exod. 12. 11. After a learned and curious 
difquifition on the meaning of the term Pa/s- 
ever, and remarking that it does not exprefs 
the meaning of the original word, he adds, 
*¢{¢ would have been better, perhaps, to re- 
tain the Hebrew word, as moft of the an- 
cients, and feveral moderns, have done :” 
and afterwards, ‘*’To put a fhort end to this 
controverfy, let Phafab be reftored in my. 
Verfion throughout the firft volume,as it has 
been done throughout the fecond; and let 
the reader affix to it what meaning he 
pleafes.** See Critical Remarks, p. 210. 
Literary and Philofophical Intelligence. 
963 
of that great mafter of the art of criti- 
cifm, whofe works he always read with 
delight and enthufiafm, that the applica- 
tion cannot be refitted : 
Ubi plurima nitent non ego paucis 
_Offendar maculis, quas aut incuria fudit, ’ i 
Aut humana parum cavit natura. 
Had this great work been brought to a 
conclufion, with the fame ability with 
which the venerable tranflator had begun 
ity it might jaftly have been confidered as. 
an honor to the country, and the glory of 
the age in which he livedy . However it | 
may be regarded oy the narrow-minded 
and the illiterate, it will be the fubject of 
jafting and fincere regret to all the enlight- 
ened friends of free inquiry—of biblical 
learning and facred criticifm, that the 
work is now left in an unfiniflied and im- 
perfect ftate, by the death of the incompa- 
rable author. And this event muft cone 
tinue to be ftill more deeply regretted if, 
as there is reafon to fear, the lo{s be irre- 
parable; if there be no poffibility of find- 
ing another perfon capable of carrying on 
the fame defign, and of following with 
equal fteps in the fame virtuous and ho- 
norable career, fo generally competent, - 
fo highly accomplifhed, fo varioufly and 
fo amply furnifhed, for executing this 
grand defideratum of the learned and the 
Chriftian world.”’ 
VARIETIES, Litzrary anp PHILOSOPHICAL, 
Including Notices of Works in Hand, Domeftic and Foreign. ze 
** Authentic Communications for this Article will always be inferted Sree of Expence. 
ae 
HE public will obferve, by the de- 
tails inferted in various parts of this 
Magazine, that the exiftence of the new 
Planet, P1azzi, is now completely veri 
fied. 
We have the fatisfagtion to inform our- 
readers that the book(fellers’ petition has been 
favourablyreceived in the houfeof commons. 
Tt reprefentedin a perfpicuous and ableman- 
ner the embarrafiments which Englith lite- 
rature has lately laboured under, in .confe- 
guence of the doubleduty upon paper, and 
all its allegations have been fatisfactorily 
proved before a committee of the Houle. 
‘There is confequentlyttrong reafoa to hope, 
that this impolitic duty will be repealed, 
and the Englifh prefs. and our national 
- Genius be reftored to their former ftate of 
‘activity... 
The uniform edition of the moft fa- 
vourite periodical eflays in the Englifh 
language, fometimes called the Englith 
Claffics, will be ready for publication in 
the courfe of April, The edition will be 
w 
-entiched with biographical and critical 
prefaces, and with illuftrative notes, by 
Mr. ALEXANDER CHALMERS. 
Dr. Aikin’s edition of Spenfer, being 
the firft of a feries of the works of the 
Britith Poets, will alfo appear im April. 
The public are already apprifed that this 
edition will be enriched. with the mafterly 
engravings of Mr. HEATH, who is one of 
its proprietors. 
Mr. Nicuoxson has, with due regard 
to the convenience of the public,~com- 
menced a new feries of his valuable fournal 
of Natural Philofophy, im the ofave fixe. 
it therefore unites at thiis time every 
circumitance which can recommend it to 
the patronage of the public: This Journal, 
the Repertory of Arts, Mr. ‘Tilloch's 
Philofophical Magazine, and the Medical 
and Phyfical Journal by Drs. Bradley 
and Batty, give a {cientific charaéter to 
the periodical literature of the prefent day, 
which it never before poflefied in this 
country: 
Mm 2 On 
