350

THIS

No. VI.

THE REV. VICESSIMUS KNOX, D.D.

HIS popular writer, who has for so many years held a distinguished place in the republic of literature, was born at Newington Green, in Middlesex, December 8, 1752. His father, the Rev. Vicessimus Knox, L. L. B. a fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, and a master of Merchant Taylor's School, was a respectable scholar, a truly amiable man, and, in the exercise of his clerical functions, possessed the high esteem of several large congregations in London, who for many years enjoyed the advantage of his instructions. Mr. Knox died at the age of forty-nine. His only son, the subject of the present memoir, became a member of the college in which his father had preceded him, where he pursued his studies with successful diligence, and was in due time elected to a fellowship. He went through a course of reading which comprehended all the best Greek and Roman classics, and imitated the style of each in verse and prose, with great felicity. His early compositions in Latin, were numerous, and much admired in the college, for wit, humour, taste, and purity of diction. Dr. Dennis, the president of St. John's, and a man of considerable learning, soon discovered in Mr. Knox those indications of superior genius, which were hereafter to shed lustre upon his college. He took every occasion to encourage him in his studious pursuits, and as a mark of honourable distinction, together with the other heads of houses, appointed him a speaker, with Mr. Bragge, the Earl of Dartmouth, Sir George Shuckburgh, Evelyn, and others, at the Enconia; when Lord North first presided in person as chancellor of Oxford. Upon that occasion, it will

be recollected by many, that Mr. Knox met with great applause, as well from the manner in which he delivered a copy of Latin verses, as from the merit of the verses themselves, which (contrary to what usually takes place) were known to have been the speaker's composition. It was here that he gave an early specimen of those elocutionary talents, that have gained him the reputation of one of the first pulpit orators of the age, and of that taste which has placed him among the most celebrated of our belles lettres writers. Before he left the University, and previous to his taking his bachelor's degree, he composed several essays as college exercises, for the sake of improvement; and (as we are informed in the preface) when they accumulated to a number sufficent to make a volume, he debated a moment whether he should commit them to the flames or send them as a present, without a name, to a London publisher. The last deliberation prevailed; the collection was transmitted to Mr. Edward Dilly, by whom the volume was published anonymously under the title of " Essays Moral and Literary," royal octavo. The success of this work was unequivocal. A second edition was soon called for, and the author was induced not only to add another volume, but also to prefix his name. Instead of presenting our readers with a formal criticism on these very pleasant and popular volumes, we shall extract one or two, of what we consider the most interesting essays of the series. The following paper is not inapplicable at the present day.

ON THE IMPROPRIETY OF PUBLICLY ADOPTING A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE BIble.

"The translators of our Bible, it is allowed, had great merit; but, as nothing is begun and perfected at the same time, it is not surprising that the translation is not exempt from the characteristic of all human undertakings. Critics, assisted by the labours of the translators, have prosecuted their enquiries into the Hebrew text, and have detected errors in it which they are willing to magnify into importance. Manuscripts have been collated, and the Hebrew text at last

ascertained, (as far as human ingenuity can ascertain it,) there seems at the completion of the labour, to be a wish among the critics for a new translation.

"For my own part, if I may venture to give an opinion, contrary to that of the profound collators of Hebrew manuscripts, I cannot help thinking a new translation of the Bible an attempt extremely dangerous, and quite unnecessary. Instead of serving the cause of religion, which is the ostensible motive for the wish, I am convinced that nothing would tend more immediately to shake the basis of the establishment.

“Time gives a venerable air to all things, to men, to trees, to buildings, and to books. Sacred things acquire peculiar sanctity by long duration. A new church, with all the embellishments of Grecian architecture, is far less venerable than the gothic tower overgrown with moss. The present translation of the Bible derives an advantage from its antiquity, greatly superior to any which could arise from the correction of its inaccuracies.

"Imagine a Roman senator or warrior, dressed out like a powdered beau of modern times: much more ease is bestowed on him in his present dress. He is nicely and accurately arrayed in every part. But what is the result? He is now pretty, and before he was majestic. Just so, were the Bible corrected and modernized, it would probably become more showy, and, perhaps, quite exact: but it would lose that air of sanctity, which enables it to make an impression which no accuracy could produce.

"We have received the Bible in the words it now stands from our fathers; we have learned many passages of it by heart in our infancy; we find it quoted in sermons from the earliest to the latest times; so that its phrase is become familiar to our ear, and we cease to be startled at apparent difficulties. Let all this be called prejudice; but it is a prejudice which universally prevails in the middle and lower ranks; and we should hardly recognize the Bible were it read in our churches in any other words than our fathers heard before us.

"It is true, indeed, that some very devout and well-meaning

people carry their prejudice too far, when they profess to believe that our translation was written with the finger of the Almighty, and that to alter a tittle of it is to be guilty of blasphemy. But still, as the faith of such persons is strong, and their intentions pious, it would be imprudent to shock their minds by an innovation, which they could not help considering as an insult on Heaven. If the lessons in the church were to be read in different words from those that they have heard from their infancy, their faith might be more endangered than by all the arguments of the deists. And such persons, though the sarcastic may stigmatise them as weak brethren, are too valuable members to be cut off from the body of the church.

"But forbearing to urge the air of veneration acquired by time, or the attachments formed by prejudice to the Bible, I cannot help thinking that the present translation ought to be retained in our churches for its intrinsic beauty and excellence. We have had one specimen of a new translation of the Bible by a very learned and ingenious bishop. It is exact and curious; but I will venture to say it approaches not to the majesty, sublimity, and fire of the old translation. A reader, after going through it, will not, upon the whole, receive so deep and lasting an impression from it, as from the old one with all its imperfections. And it is from the general effect of a work that its excellence must be estimated.

"The poetical passages of Scripture are peculiarly pleasing in the present translation. The language, though it is simple and natural, is rich and expressive. Solomon's Song, difficult as it is to be interpreted, may be read with delight, even if we attend to little else than the brilliancy of the diction; and it is a circumstance which increases its grace, that it appears to be quite unstudied. The Psalms, as well as the whole Bible, are literally translated; and yet that translation abounds with passages exquisitely beautiful, and irresistibly transporting. Even where the sense is not very clear, nor the connexion of ideas obvious at first sight, the mind is soothed, and the ear ravished, with the powerful, yet unaffected, charms of the style. It is not, indeed, necessary to enlarge on the excel

lence of the translation in general; for its beauties are such as are to be recognised by feeling more than by description, and it must be owned, that they have been powerfully felt by the majority of the nation ever since the first edition. In many a cottage and farm-house, where the Bible and Prayer Book constitute the library, the sweet songs of Judah, and the entertaining histories of Joseph and his brethren, Saul and Jonathan, constitute a never-failing source of heartfelt pleasure.

"It is false refinement, vain philosophy, and an immoderate love of dissipation, which causes so little attention to be paid to this venerable book in the gay world. If we do not disclaim all belief in its contents, it is surely a great omission in many gentlemen and ladies who wish to be completely accomplished, or think themselves so already, to be utterly unacquainted with the sacred volume. It is our duty to inspect it; and it is graciously so ordered, that our duty in this instance may be a pleasure; for the Bible is truly pleasing, considered only as a collection of very ancient and curious history and poetry.

"With respect to the impropriety of appointing a new translation to be read in churches, what I have advanced on the subject is only matter of opinion, and may perhaps be found, in the event, erroneous. I shall, However, very confidently say, that innovations of this kind are of the highest importance, and may probably be attended with the most violent concussions. They ought, therefore, to be attempted only where there is an absolute necessity for them, and after the maturest deliberation."

The essay we are about to quote from the same work, are on subjects of interest, and written with considerable smart

ness.

ON MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS.

"It was the early wish of Pope, that, when he died, not a stone might tell where he lay. It is a wish that will be commonly granted with reluctance. The affection of those we leave behind us, is at a loss for methods to display its wonted