In the year 1748, Mr. Romaine, the learned editor of Calasio's Hebrew Dictionary, was meditating a voyage to India, for the sole purpose of consulting these manuscripts.

The latest information respecting them is contained in a letter lately received from a learned missionary in the south of the pen. insula, who had resided for some time in the vicinity of Cochin. He states, that he "had constantly been informed that the Jews at "Cochin had those books only of the Old Testament which were "written before the Babylonian captivity; and that thence it is "generally believed by the Christians of the Deccan, that they "had come to India soon after that event. He adds, that the MSS. "were on a material resembling paper, in the form of a roll, and "that the character had a strong resemblance to Hebrew, if not "Hebrew."

By the inspection of these MSS. some light might be thrown on the controversy respecting (1.) the Hebrew and Samaritan letters; (2.) the antiquity of the vowel points; (3.) the Scripture chronology; and (4) the correctness of the European copies of the Old Testament. Dr. Kennicott complains of a practice among the Western Jews of altering many copies to a conformity with some particular manuscript. He also accuses them of wilful corruption; as in expunging the word "35" in Deut. xxvii. 26. Bishop Louth suspects them of leaving out words in certain places, to invalidate the argument of the Christians; as for example," ". Isaiah liii. 8.; where the Septuagint read "us JavaToy." But Jews pices of the Marquis Wellesley; and it appears, that the black Jews colonized on the coasts of India long before the Christian æra; that the very imperfect resemblance of their countenance to the Jews of Europe indicates that they have been detached from the parent stock in Judea, many ages be fore the race of Jews in the West; and that they are descendants from those ancient dispersions recorded in the Sacred History; that corrobative of this is the fact, that certain of these tribes do not call themselves Jews, but Beni-Israel, or Israelites; that in the record chests of the synagogues of the Black Jews of Cochin have been discovered old copies of the Law, some of which are complete, and for the most part legible; that at the remote syn. agogues of the same description of Jews, situated at Tritooa, Paroor, Chenotta, and Maleh, have been found many old writings, among which are some of great length in Rabbinical Hebrew, but in so ancient and uncommon a character, as to require much time and labour to ascertain their contents; that they have, in most places, the book of the Law, the book of Job, and the Psalms, but know little of the Prophets; that some of them have even lost the book of the Law, and only know that they are Israelites from tradition, and from their observance of peculiar rites; and that in a coffer of a synagogue of the Black Jews, in the interior of Malayala, there has been found an old copy of the Law, written on a roll of leather, about 50 feet long, composed of skins sewed together, so worn out, in some places, as to be patched with pieces of parchment. Dr. Buchanan brought from India a collection of Oriental Manuscripts, chiefly Biblical, written in the Hebrew, Syriac, and Ethiopic languages; and presented them to the University of Cambridge in England. The Hebrew manuscripts were obtained from the Black Jews; and among them, it is presumed, is the old copy of the Law above described; for the person employed in arranging and collating the Oriental Manuscripts for the Library, to which they are presented, observes: "A copy of the Hebrew Pentateuch, written on goat skins, and found in "one of their synagogues, is in the Buchanan collection." Amer. Edit.]

in the East, remote from the learned controversy of Christians, would have no motive for such corruptions.

It is in contemplation of the Author of this Memoir to visit Cochin, previously to his return from India, for the express purpose of investigating these ancient Jewish records; and also of examining the books of the Nestorian Christians, who are said to possess some MSS. in the Chaldaic character, of a high antiquity.* L.

Shanscrit Testimonies of Christ.

THE learned Wilford, who has resided for many years at Benares, the fountain of Shanscrit literature, and has devoted himself entirely to researches into Hindoo mythology and Oriental history, has just finished a work which will be received with much satisfaction by the public. It is a record of the testimonies contained in the Shanscrit writings of the truth of the Christian religion.

This work which is yet in manuscript, is now in circulation (January, 1805) with the members of the Asiatic Society, previ

[Dr. Buchanan fulfilled his intention In 1806, he travelled from Calcutta to Cape Comorin by land; and proceeded from the sea coast into the interior of the country, north east from Quilon. In this sequestered region of Hindoostan he found churches, where, the inhabitants informed him, no European bad, to their knowledge, visited before. It appears, that the number of Syrian churches is greater than had been supposed; that there are, at this time, 55 churches in Malayala, acknowledging the Patriarch of Antioch, and estimated to contain 23,000 people; that their doctrines are not at variance in essentials with the church of England; that their bishops, and the metropolitan, after conferring with his clergy on the subject, delivered the following opinion: "That an union with the English church, or at least such a "connexion as should appear to both churches practicable and expedient, "would be an happy event, and favourable to the advancement of religion;" that it is in contemplation to send to England some of the Syrian youth, for education and ordination; that the old Syrians have continued, till lately, to receive their bishops from Antioch, but that ancient patriarchate being now nearly extinct, and incompetent to the appointment of learned men, "the Christian church in Malayala looks henceforth to Britain for the con"tinuance of that light which has shone so long in this dark region of the "world;" that Dr. Buchanan was about to commence the Malayalam translation of the Scriptures, and that there are 200,000 Christians in Malaya lam, who are ready to receive it; that there are various ancient Syrio-Chaldaic manuscripts in Malayala; that a volume has been found in a remote church of the mountains, containing the Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong vellum in large folio, having three columns in the page, writ ten with beautiful accuracy, in the Estrangelo Syriac (the character in which the oldest Syrian manuscripts are written), and illuminated; that the Syrian church assigns to this manuscript a high antiquity; and that it has been handed down to the present time under circumstances so peculiarly favourable to accurate preservation, as may justly entitle it to respect, in the collation of doubtful readings in the sacred text. This volume was presented to Dr. Buchanan by Mar Dionysius, the archbishop of the Indian church, and is now deposited among the Oriental Manuscripts in the public library of the University of Cambridge. Amer. Edit.]

In this estimate are included with the old Syrian (commonly called St. Thome, or Jacobite) Christians, the Syrian Roman Catholics, and the Latin Roman Catholics. In some American Editions of the Star in the East it incorrectly printed 20,000.

ously to its publication in the Asiatic Researches. It is entitled, "Salivahana; the Son of the Jacshaca, or Carpenter; or Intro"duction of the Christian Religion into India; its Progress and "Dechine."

From these evidences it appears, that the prophecies of the Old Testament were recorded in the Shanscrit Puranas of India, as in the Sibylline books of Rome; that the rumour of the universal dominion of the Messiah had alarmed the emperors of the East as well as the emperors of Rome; and that holy men journeyed from the East, directed by a miraculous star, to see the heavenly child. It further appears, that many of the Shanscrit writings to which had been attributed a vast antiquity, were not only composed after the Christian æra, but contain particulars of the advent, birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Saviour.

To establish fully the authenticity of these important records, and to invite investigation, Captain Wilford has deposited his authorities and vouchers in the library of the College of Fort William, and among the archives of the Asiatic Society.

At the conclusion of the work the learned author thus expresses himself; "I have written this account of the Christian religion "with the impartiality of an historian; fully persuaded that our "holy religion cannot possibly receive any additional lustre from " it."

M.

Chinese Version of the Scriptures; and Chinese Literature.

i.THE projected translation of the Scriptures into the Chinese

language in England, which, we understand, has already obtained the most respectable patronage, is considered here as an undertaking, which will be attended with extreme difficulty, if it be not found altogether impracticable. Before any commencement be made, the subject ought certainly to be maturely considered, both in regard to the expense and the execution. The estimate is stated to be thirty thousand pounds sterling, and doubtless the expense of executing the work in the proposed form, by types, (or even by copperplate, which would be the cheapest and perhaps the only practicable mode in England,) is not over-rated at that

sum.

2. But who is to translate the work? Dr. Montucci's Dictionary, now in the press, must indeed be a valuable performance, (judging from the genuineness of the materials and the erudition of the compiler,) and it will be of considerable use to any translator, whether in China or in England. But will the united labours of Dr. Montucci and Dr. Hager ever produce a chapter of the Bible which will be intelligible to a native of China? Without the aid of learned natives of the country to write their own language, or to hear it read by the translator, no work of this kind can be prosecuted with any confidence of its utility. This has been sufficiently proved to us in the versions in other Oriental languages (much more simple than the Chinese) which have been undertaken at the College of Fort William. Even the Arabic Bible, which

is now republishing in England, can never be useful as a popular work in Arabia, it being composed in the classic, and not in the vernacular dialect of that country. For a similar reason the old Persian translation is of no use in Persia.

3. But even supposing a Chinese version of the Scriptures to have been executed in England, how is it to be printed? or in what form presented to the Chinese? Has it been seriously proposed to print it in a moveable type, and on English paper! It ought to be printed, not in the moveable type, nor in the stereotype, but in the mode commonly used in China. The characters are by the Chinese engraved on a tablet of wood the size of the page, and the impression is thrown off, as by copperplates in England. At Canton, the dispatches from Pekin which arrive in the morning, are put into the hands of the engraver, and the newspaper is thrown off in the afternoon of the same day. We have Chinese artists now in Calcutta, who engrave on wood with neatness and accuracy; and who are competent to engrave the whole of the Scriptures in the Chinese manner; and to print them on China paper, and in such a form, that the book shall appear to have been published in China.

If in this projected translation at home, the real object be utility to the Chinese people, by affording to them a faithful record of the revealed word of God in their vernacular tongue, we have no hes itation in affirming that that object will be attained with more certain advantage, by remitting one-fourth of the sum, which it has been proposed to embark in the undertaking in England, to the College of Fort William in Bengal: which institution, it may be observed, (independently of this particular object, and considered merely as the fountain of Christian knowledge to the Oriental world,) is well entitled to the ample support of every Christian church and religious society in Europe.

4. Since the College Report of Literature, published in September last, (1804,) a commencement has been made in translating the Scriptures in the Chinese language. The book of Genesis and the Gospel of St. Matthew are in course of translation; and some chapters of each have already been printed off.

The translator is Johannes Lassar, a native of China, and professor of the Chinese language, assisted by a Chinese moonshee. He was lately employed by the Portuguese government at Macao, in conducting a correspondence with the court at Pekin. Being an Armenian Christian, he translates from the Armenian Bible.

It must be known to some of the learned in Europe, that the Armenian version of the Scriptures is one of the most accurate extant. It is also remarkable for its antiquity; being among the first translations after the Septuagint; and is styled by the learned Orientalists, Golius and La Croze, the "queen of versions." Though the Armenian language have no affinity to the Hebrew, or to any other language in the world, it abounds in the Oriental idiom; and this Bible is therefore considered by us as eminently useful in collating new versions in the Oriental tongues. The

translators of the Armenian Bible (called the Interpreters) were famed for their piety and learning; their lives are recorded in Armenian history in the fifth century of our æra, and their translation is reverenced by their nation as an inspired work. From this Armenian original, our translator (who is ignorant of the Greek and Hebrew languages) is enabled to render a faithful version into the language of China.

We expect soon to be in possession of those portions of the Scriptures which have been translated into the Chinese language by the Romish missionaries; and which are interspersed in their missals, and catechetical books. These specimens will be of use in the general collation of the text, and particularly in translating proper names; since it would be improper to deviate unnecessarily from the expressions already familiar in China.

The mode which has been adopted for editing the Chinese Bible, is the following:

Each verse is printed in English, in columns of one or two lines, from the top to the bottom of the page, and the Chinese version is printed in the usual manner, in a corresponding column. The English is introduced with a view to render the work a good class book for students in the Chinese language. The whole is translated in the Mandarine dialect; but wherever there appears a danger of the sense being misunderstood, there are marginal readings in the familiar dialects.

5. On the expediency of publishing the Scriptures in China, we shall offer a few observations.

It is the solemn duty of our imperial nation to diffuse Christian knowledge throughout the world at all times; but more particularly at those periods, when the providence of God shall point out to her the means of doing it, and at the same time, offer to her advantage, by the execution. To the East and West of peaceful Hindoostan, there is a "shaking of the nations." This seems to be favourable not only to our own stability, but to the extension of our civilizing influence in Asia. The Wahabians to the West are extinguishing Mahomedanism. And the enemies of the Tartar dynasty in China threaten the overthrow of that ancient government. After a slumber of many ages, that mighty empire seems to be on the eve of a terrible convulsion. The spirit of insurrection which broke forth about five years ago in the western provinces, is now diffusing itself towards the eastern parts of the empire; and a prophecy is spread abroad that the end of the Tartar dominion is at hand. The Chinese are permitted by existing law, to choose what religion they please; the present emperor and his court profess one faith, and the people another. They are a curious and inquisitive race, and would most certainly read any new book which should be put into their hands. "The press in China," says Mr. Barrow, "is as free as in England, and the profession of printing open to "every one. It was the press in Europe that opened a free access "to the doctrines of that religion, which of all others, is best cal"culated for the promotion of individual happiness and public