most profound philological investigation, applied principally to Isaiah, is undoubtedly to be found in SCHRÖDER'S monographie on Is. 1. 16, ss.; the next in MARTINI'S work on chap. LI., with whom also SCHNURRER and AURIVILLIUS must be mentioned, as accurate and able interpreters of particular places. The latest specimen of a translation, accompanied by a historical exposition of a popular kind,'" may indeed contain much that is original both in respect to language and history, but proportionably less that is well founded and worthy of the present advanced state of interpretation.137 135 Besides the Programs to be mentioned on xv. we may notice also the brief significations which are contained in some academical theses: Thesium inauguralium pars philologico-critica, praef. SCHNURREK, 1783, 1788. 4to. 136 Reden und Lieder aus dem Iesaias, theils ganz, theils nach ihren schwersten Stellen übersetzt und erklärt, alle aber nach ihren geschichtlichen Beziehungen dargestellt. Nebst einem Anhange aus dem Buche der Weisheit. Freyberg, 1815 8. 137 A large and very minute list of old writings and dissertations on particular places, for the most part small and of little value, may be found in CALMET'S Bibl. Biblioth. S. 414 ff. TREATISE ON THE USE OF THE SYRIAC LANGUAGE. BY JOHN DAVID MICHAELIS. Translated from the German, by JOHN FREDERICK SCHROEDER, A. M. PREFACE. THE following pages are extracted from the Preface to MICHAELIS' SYRIAC CHRESTOMATHY. This Preface was first published with the Chrestomathy in the year 1768; but it appeared at Göttingen in the year 1786, corrected, and enlarged by the addition of the author's valuable notes. It is entitled: "Johann David Michaelis Abhandlung von der Syrischen Sprache, und ihrem Gebrauch: nebst dem ersten Theil einer Syrischen Chrestomathie ;" John David Michaelis' Treatise on the Syriac Language and its use; together with the first part of a Syriac Chrestomathy. The first seven sections of the work are devoted to the following subjects: §. 1. View of the Syriac Language in general; §. 3. Syriac and Chaldee differ chiefly in the alphabet; §. 5. The Syriac is the easiest among the Oriental Languages, and the Hebrew the most difficult. The causes of this. §. 6. The Arabic is more difficult than the Syriac. The causes of this. §. 7. Is it easier to learn the Syriac or the Chaldee ? The next seven sections, from the eighth to the fourteenth inclusive, are devoted to the use of the Syriac Language. In the §. 15th, the author shows, that " Models of Poetry or Taste are not to be sought for in Syriac;" in the §. 16th and §. 17th, he gives a "View of the Chrestomathy," and the "Contents of the first part" of it; and in the §. 18th, he concludes with a very favourable Account of Castell's Syriac Lexicon. The accompanying pages are a translation of the seven sections, which relate to the Use of the Syriac Language. New-York, June 29, 1829. THE TRANSLATOR |