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what excufe can be offered for the barrenness of thofe who have confumed much time and labour in picking up fingle words, and piling them in a vaft heap?-What pardon can be expected for Dictionary-makers ?-Milton must be deemed, by our objectors, little better than a dull drudge; and Johnson, with all his genius and learning, muft dwindle into a laborious Idler.It would be endlefs to produce great men among the moderns, who have been ornaments of human nature, as well as of this study; and among the ancients we fhall be contented with the teftimony of Quintilian, who, with more than ufual fire and fpirit, interrogates certain cavillers like ours: "An ideo minor eft Marcus Tullius orator, quod idem artis, hujus diligentiffimus fuit; & in filio (ut in epiftolis apparet) ufquequaque afper quoque exactor? Aut vim Caii Cæfaris fregerunt editi de analogia libri? Aut ideo minus Meffala nitidus," (elegant)" quia quofdam totos libellos non de verbis modo fingulis fed etiam litteris dedit?" Quint. Inftit. Orat. lib. 1. cap. 7.

Let none hereafter call that dull which Tully, Cafar, and Meffala have thought worthy their ftudy and attention. But enough of authorities.

Our objectors ftill cry that it is ufelefs. Need we anfwer, if any learning is useful, that surely cannot be without advantage on which all knowledge is built. What? Are they of no fervice to mankind who have brought to light, refined, and explained, thofe ancient models, from whom genius has caught fire, and patriotism ardour? Is it then of no importance to the world that the thoughts of Tully and Tacitus, the fine poetry of Virgil, the neat elegance of Horace, fhould be exhibited as far as poffible genuine and unmixed? Is it of no advantage that the oracle of heaven fhould be purified from the corruptions of time, and ignorance, and the mifreprefentations of bigotry? The days of infallibility, we thank God, are now over. no more of divine infpirations and fpiritual workings. All know that the New Teftament is delivered down with the fame

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difadvantages as other ancient writings. No miracle has been displayed to preserve it. It depends therefore intirely on a nice and critical knowledge of words to interpret and investigate what Chrift has commanded; and many of thofe monftrous perverfions of fcripture, which fix fo deep a ftain on the history of human nature, derive their origin from the most grofs ignorance in the language and phrafeology of the apoftles, and are nothing but the crude effufions of unlettered fuperftition. Let any Christian but reflect a moment on this, and let him bless the days when Clarke, Wetstein, and Erafmus confidered the New Teftament as critics, not for fyftems but for fenfe. It may be obferved here, that if learned men, in those dark ages, have been abfurd in their opinions, caufes ftill more deplorable than

ignorance

ignorance have influenced them. Thofe caufes are now happily removed. We obey not now the edicts of the Pope. We are allowed to think, and want nothing but manly learning and study to think right. But while we recommend verbal knowledge, we do not mean that all men fhould wafte their ftrength in poring over words and fyllables; for the part of discovery and investigation happens but to few. It will be fufficient for the purposes of general ftudy, if they ftore up what others have delivered; and let them remember that they enjoy, in a few hours, the fruits of many painful days and many fleepless nights; nor refuse the tribute of gratitude and reverence, when they confider (what muft of neceffity happen from the limited faculties of man) that their knowledge can be purchased at no lefs a price than the facrifice of a whole life wafted in their fervice. We have detained our Readers, perhaps, too long on this fubject; yet we would remind them that it is the chief object of our plan to recommend as well as to give an account of what relates to learning.-We therefore were willing to obviate certain objections against a study highly rational, and which deferves the most attentive confideration in the prefent improved state of letters. We were led into these remarks upon a review of the work now before us, in which we have an excellent fpecimen of verbal criticism, for which the learned world is indebted to the labour and accuracy of Mr. Toup, who has given us a full proof of his great erudition, by reftoring the true reading of Longinus. This rhetorician, as every body knows, is full of corruptions and defects; and it is no fmall addition to the glory of Longinus that he has, at laft, met with a critic who will do all for him which learning and fagacity can do: Si Pergama dextra defendi poffent, &c. &c. He has been affifted with new copies and manufcripts, of which his own abilities have made good ufe. He has, very properly, likewife called to his aid writers which Longinus feems to have ftudied with peculiar care, Quintilian-Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus-Plutarch.-We have Pearce's tranflation unaltered; not that Mr. Toup was fully fatisfied with any tranflation, but he complied with the general custom, which, in all cafes, is fupreme. Where Dr. Pearce feems to have gone widely from the fenfe of the Author, he has remarked it in his notes. There is prefixed to this edition a Differtation on the Life and Writings of Longinus, compiled with great care and intelligence by the learned Schardam.-We will not trouble our Readers with any extracts from this part of the work, as the life of Longinus is well known; and our Author has rather confirmed received facts, by many new authorities, than added to the number. To make this work ftill more complete the celebrated Ruhnkenius has adorned it with notes REV. May, 1779.

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and emendations; which difplay that extent of reading in the Greek language for which he is fo juftly famed.

It would be endless, and indeed it is inconfiftent with our plan to produce paffages in which Longinus has either been reftored or elucidated: we cannot, however, refrain from gratifying the learned reader with an inftance or two.-The famous remains of fome old tragedian, in the fecond fection of Longinus, which has been the subject of fo much conjecture, is, at laft, discovered to be a fragment of Æfchylus, from a manufcript of Johannes Siceliota on Hermogenes. It is a fpeech which Boreas is fuppofed to roar out when refufed Orythia. The Reader ought not to wonder if the language of fuch a bluftering lover, painted in rage by Æfchylus, be uncommonly inflated; and if it fhould fwell into what Longinus calls "rapα трαywdα," παρα τραγωδα, or into the abfurd. We think no fingle commentator has given fully the true fense, but that all have supplied useful hints. Take the whole paffage, as, in our opinion, it ought to be read:

Και καμινα σχωσι μακισον σελαρ.

E.

yap

τιν εσίεψον οψομαι μονον,

Μιαν παρειρας πλεκ]ανην χειμάρροου
Στεγην πυρώσω και καλανθρακωσομαι.

Νυν δε κεκραγα πω το γενναιον μελω;

The tranflation of which is: "Let them repress the spiry beams of the chimney: for if I fhould fpy but a fpark, I will wind this fingle curl into a torrent of flame.-I will fire the house, and burn it to afhes! Have not I roar'd out now a lofty ftrain?"

Ridiculous as this may feem to an English ear, it is the fenfe, and, as we think, the very spirit of the original, which perhaps might appear equally abfurd to the Grecian tafte. We read Kai xaμive with Pearce, who follows all the editions and manufcripts. We read μovov, not oλov, as Mufgrave. Estou is applied to fire or fparks, for the reafon which Ruhnkenius gives. Plutarch has" up ov." Mr. Toup indeed understands by it the perfon appointed to watch Orythia; but this fenfe is quite foreign to the fentiment of the paffage. Upon the word μav, Ruhnkenius afks, " Cur unam potius quam plures? Lege Bia." The reafon is plain from our tranflation. It adds much to the spirit to make an interrogation at the laft line. It is highly natural that fuch a character as Boreas fhould exult in his own founding pompous language, and in the wantonnefs of boasting rage demand the applaufes of others. But this we offer to the confideration of the learned, declaring with Mr. Toup, "De his quifquiliis nihil certi."-We fhall propose an emendation of our own on a paffage in the 30th fection, which Mr. Toup,

if he thinks it deferving, may infert in his next edition. Longinus, fpeaking of the great importance of fignificant words, fays, σε Οτι μεν, τοιον Ίων κυρίων και μεγαλοπρεπων ονοματων εκλογη θαυμας ως αγει και κατακηλει τις ακονίας, και ως πασί Tois phlopoi, &c. &c. &c.

The intelligent reader will perceive that it is very difficult, if not abfolutely abfurd, to apply the words μsysŒ, xa&&&', ·εUTTIVELOV, Bap, &c. to ayaλμari. We would, therefore, by a fight tranfpofition, read, “ και διον ει ψυχην τινα τοις πραγμασι, · ώσπερ αγαλμασι καλλιςοις φωνητικην εντιθεισα.” Every one muf fee the propriety of the emendation. Who is ignorant that good poets, like good fculptors, give life and fpeech to their fubjects?-One more remark, and we have done.

Longinus, fpeaking of the force of fublimity, fays beautifully, « Υψω δε πε καιρίως εξενεχθεντα τα πραγματα δικην σκηπίε πανία διεφορησεν και την τε ρηορο ευθυσαθρόαν ενεδείξατο δυναμιν.

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Upon this place Dr. Pearce makes a very ingenious remark, according to the opinion of that "true priest of the Mufes,' Smith. That our Readers may be more fenfible of the ingenuity of the remark, they fhall have it through the improved medium of Smith's tranflation: "It is not easy to determine whether the precepts of Longinus, or his example, be moft to be obferved and followed in the courfe of this work, fince his ftyle is poffeffed of all the fublimity of his fubject. Accordingly, in this paffage, to exprefs the power of the fublime, he has made ufe of his words with all the art and propriety imaginable. Another writer would have faid diapops and endeixular, but this had been too dull and languid. Our Author uses the preterperfect tense, the better to exprefs the power and rapidity with which fublimity of difcourfe ftrikes the minds of its hearers. It is like lightning, fays our Author, because you can no more look upon this, when prefent, than you can upon the flash of that. Befides, the ftructure of the words in the close of the fentence is admirable. They run along, and are hurried in the celerity of fhort vowels: they reprefent to the life the rapid motion either of lightning or the fublime."-To the criticism of Pearce, and commendation of Smith, we shall oppose the opinion of a scholar, and "a ripe and good one" too: it ought to be tranflated, fays Mr. Toup, with Petrus Paganus," Res omnes fulminis inftar disjicere, & univerfam ftatim oratoris vim patefacere folet." Here we fee all the ingenuity of the remark vanishes at once. Can any one who even affects learning, be ignorant that the firft aorift ought frequently to be tranflated by foleo? The fenfe of Pearce is quite foreign from the nature of the Greek language. It is from obfervations of this kind, ignorant and trifling as they are, that a commentator is ranked

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among the number of elegant editors; while the manly criticisms of a fcholar, who endeavours to inform his readers, are despised as the tasteless labours of plodding dulnefs. We would have men elegant, but firft let them be learned.

We cannot difmifs this edition of Longinus, without congra tulating the world on fo valuable an acquifition, recommending, at the fame time, verbal knowledge, as the fureft defence against the incurfions of barbarism, and the abfurdities of priests.

We will conclude this Article with a few remarks on the style and fentiments of Longinus. His diction, like that of other rhetoricians, who flourished in the later ages, is loaded, and confequently obfcure. The Greck language is better adapted than any other to express the ideas of the mind with richness and fulness. This excellence has been abufed by the rhetoricians, and they have laboured, by ftrained and unnatural combinations, to add ftrength to ftrength, and to accumulate abundance on abundance. The confequence is, that all the nerve and natural vigour of the language has been crushed under a weight of incumbrances, as the might of ancient warriors under coats of mail. The language of Longinus is full of metaphors, and those are generally broken and disjointed. But here should be offered an excufe, which may, with peculiar propriety, be applied to the writers in the decline of learning, that metaphors, when they become common, cease to be confidered as metaphors, and that the ftrange confufion of ftyle, which we fo much wonder at in Longinus, is nothing but the ordinary language of his own times, heightened by a ftudied imitation of the fublimity of the more ancient writers. Of the fentiment and matter of Longinus, we may obferve, that he makes but few general remarks, and thofe commonly borrowed from writers before him, as Mr. Toup has fufficiently fhewn. His aim is not to inform the judgment, to lead us into the penetralia, as Quintilian terms it, of his art; neither is it to engage our admiration in favour of his authors, but of himself. He feems to praise many paffages, only because they will admit some quaint fancy of his own, or fome higher improvement, tacitly difplaying, at the fame time, the greatness of his own powers, which are able to paint the lily, and throw a perfume on the violet.' He takes notice that Homer has faid fublimely of Difcord, that her "head is fixed in the heaven, and her feet upon the earth;" only because he himself can, as he imagines, improve the thought, and more fublimely apply it to the genius of Homer...

Longinus is not more reprehenfible for the quaintness of his panegyric than for the severity of his cenfure. Throughout his whole performance the admired name of Euripides is treated

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