The following extract will give the learned reader a general view of the interpretation, which our author deduced from a critical examination of the original.

Jam ut uno oculorum conjectu luftrare poffis, quae mihi poft longas dubitationes vifa funt de Lxx hebdomadibus Danielis verifimiliora, paucis verbis complectar fententias, oraculo caelefti mihi ineffe vifas: idque ita, ut in verbis verfus 271

fequar lectionem codicis Parifienfis, ubi ובהיכל יהיה שקוץ

autem nihil adhuc ftatuere potui, omittam dubia verba, pro que iis punca ponem.

6

Septuaginta tibi hebdomades promittuntur, urbi gentique tuae felices et profperae, quibus ab idololatriae crimine purum je praeftabit populus, facrificia offerentur, antiqua redibit pietas morumque probitas, vaticinia Jeremiae implebuntur, eventuque obfignabuntur dicla prophetarum, reditum populi promittentium, templumque inaugurabitur et ungetur. [Hi ergo 490 lunares anni funt, 474 aut 475 folares, qui ab edito oraculo ufque ad annum 3941 fluxerunt, femper in melius euntibus rebus Judæorum, urbe temploque inftauratis, populoque, fub Perfis benigne habiro, idololatriam plane deponente et perhorrefcente; gratiofo deinde apud Alexandrum ejufque fucceffores plerofque, ac tandem, cum infefti ei effe Syri inciperent, feliciffime res gerente, poftque infignes victorias fui juris facto: cujus felicitatis finis annus 394', quo Hierofolyma a Pompeio capta, populufque duris et aeternis dominis, Romanis, subjectus eft.] Haec autem ut plenius etiam atque adcuratius fcias, numera tibi et bene diftingue tres temporum periodos, ab hujus ipfius de reaedificanda Hierofolyma oraculi promulgatione, ufque ad Meffiam et imperatorem [Titum Vefpafianum] fluxurcrum.

1. Primam, feptuaginta hebdomadum. [i. e. 490 annorum, lunarium, feu 475 folarium, anno 3941, quo capta eft a Pompeio Hierofolyma, populufque Judaicus, jam ad fequiora vergentibus fatis, in ditionem Romanorum venit, definentium.}

2. Secundam, Septuaginta annorum [i. e. 67 aut 68 annorum folarium, ufque ad annum Ufferii 4009, quo Judæa in formam provinciae redacta, primufque fub Quirinio cenfus actus eft.]

3. Tertium LXII. annorum [i. e. fexaginta annorum folarium, ufque ad annum 4069, feu Chrifti 66, quo anno finito ftatim bellum Judaicum coortum eft.]

Aedificabitur autem Hierofolyma, primo in vici morem, deinde et urbs munita moenibufque cinéta. Succedent autem iterum calamitofa tempora, fub quorum finem, nempe poft illos, quos dixi, LXII. annos, Meffias interitum rebus adferet, judiciumque habebit, atque ipfe, cum imperatore venturo, urbem ac fan&tuarium evertet. Statim post annum 4069 orietur ultimum illud et exitiale bellum, quo Meffias, armis ufus Vefpafiani et Romanorum, urbi, templo,

facris

facris, rei publicae Judaeorum interitum adferet.] Feftinabitur autem hujus belli finis, [Hierofolyma incredibili vi oppugnata, er fpe quoque Titi Vefpafiani citius expugnata] et...... Septennium. [Septennium duravit bellum Judaicum.] Hujus feptennii medio definent facrificia, [anno Chrifti 73 Julio menfe, juge facrificium intermitti coeptum, quod obfeffis vićtimae jam non fuppeterent,] et fuper templum veniet vaflator..... et ....

Haec puncta non aegre feres, malefque verecundum audire philologum, dubitando ad vera adnitentem, quam nimis confidentem, nihilque fe ignorare profeffum ex tripode interpretem. Vides, quid adhuc ipfe anquiram, ac quibus in rebus codicum manufcriptorum opem, verfionifque feptuagintavira lis, diutius in officina typographica morantis, defiderem. Sunt plura in Daniele, in numeris quoque, vix fatis ad liqui dum perducenda, donec Kennicotianam codicum collationen habeamus.'

It was objected by Porphyry* against the Jews and Christians, that from the plainnefs and perfpicuity of some of Da. niel's prophecies, there was reafon to fufpect, that the book was the work of an impoftor, who lived after the events to which he alludes. This objection can have no foundation in the paffage, which is the subject of this letter. For, notwithRanding the united labours of the learned, the prophecy is fill imperfectly underftocd. Mr. Michaelis, though he has difcuffed it with more critical nicety than any of his predeceffors, yet in feveral places ingenuously acknowledges the great uncertainty of his conjectures.

FOREIGN ARTICLES.

XIII. A fecret Journal of an Obferver of Himself. 8vo. Leipzig. (German.)

THE

HE anonymous but refpectable writer of this Journal endea vours to reduce his theory of moral and religious duties to practice; every day to commune with his own heart; to ftate his account with his confcience; to mark his progrefs in moral life; and to obferve how far and often he has been driven from his courfe towards integrity and happiness, by the impetuofity of paf fons, the currents of examples, or becalmed in it by indolence and inattention.

For this purpofe he lays down fome general directions for his conduct, refolves by repeated meditations deeply to imprefs them on his mind, and attempts to trace his actions through their circumftances to their fecret motives, and their effects on others and himself; to judge them with falutary severity; and from the wafte and, mistakes of his days, as they are gliding away, to fecure, at leaft, a more intimate acquaintance with himfelf, and a more vigilant attention to his condust for the future.

Vide Hieronymi Procem, in Danielem.

The

The Journal itself appears to contain not a pious novel, but realfacts. Yet, as it has been publifhed without the knowledge and previous confent of its author, it is a matter of regret that its editor has ventured to infert some additions of his own, notwithftanding his proteftations to the contrary in his preface, which cannot but make the whole lefs authentic, and confequently lefs useful and interefting than it might otherwife have proved.

As far, however, as may ftill be collected from its contents, the writer appears to be a phenomenon; a fenfible and fincere Chrif tian, of an ardent, impetuous, eccentric character, and an uncommon fenfibility of temper; which, on any occafion for difcontent, fwells into violent anger; at the perception of any fault, bursts in a moft painful repentance; at the occurrence of moral ideas, fometimes finks to fuperftitious fcrupulofity; and often, at the rife of religious fentiments, foars with them nearly to enthufiafm. And this character became happy by marriage! for his confort forms a most amiable contraft, composed of mildness, sense, and piety.

To this short account it will not be entirely useless to add some reflections on the usefulness of such a Journal, and the fittest means for promoting it.

In order to take a comparative review of ones past and prefent intellectual and moral character, we conceive it not only expedient, but neceffary, accurately to record with comprehenfive concifenefs, every evening, only the most remarkable tranfactions of the pres ceding day, while their occafions, circumftances, motives, and ef fects are not yet obfcured by time, and the intervention of other incidents; and to judge them with that impartiality and attention › due to concerns great and eternal.

In chufing maxims of conduct, care ought to be taken never to erect the obfervation of mere external, indifferent formalities into effential duties; in judging of moral actions, to endeavour always to keep clear of too minute and fuperftitions fcrupulofity, by which life would be embittered; and of Jefuitical cafuiftry, by which the moral character would be endangered.

Were the attention to extend over actions indifferent in themfelves, it would perceive the most effential objects, indiftinctly, as in a crowd: when the intellectual eye is kept inceffantly ftrained; it must often faint and fail on the most important occafions.

There is, perhaps, hardly a human character but who is often fenfible of its defects and their dangerous tendency, often defirous of amendment, and fometimes even willing to try the experiment. Now, fince the beginning is confeffedly the most difficult part of a task; was too great a variety of difficulties to be encountered on all fides, at once, and in the beginning, the mind would shrink from the unequal conteft, and give it over.

To propofe the most perfect model for imitation, is indeed the intereft as well as the duty of every man. But no man will ever approach perfection at once. Thofe who can fpeak from their own experience, will agree that all the powers of the human mind, how ever vigorous and refolute, will not be too many in order to oppofe, and gradually to fubdue, one or a few vicious habits at a time. And fince a moral and Chriftian life has, by the highest aus thority, been compared to a warfare; let thofe who are willing to engage in it, remember the maxim fo feelingly inculcated and exemplified by the Roman general Sertorius.

For a daily account, one hour in twenty-four would be abundantly sufficient. Even to thefe days which would otherwife have been entirely loft, or mifapplied, this hour of attention would fecure one merit at least, that of acknowledging and repenting the dreary wafte, and of refolving on a better economy of life for the future.

The mere confcioufness of the approaching hour of felf-examination will strengthen and fupport the attention on our conduct during the day. In proportion as a man will become more fevere to himself, and more fenfible of his own defects and frailties, he will become lefs cenforious to thofe of other men.

In attending to the courfe and refult of his paffions, he will perceive that of the numerous evils of human life, for which Providence is fo often and fo prefumptuously arraigned, a very fmall portion are indeed phyfical and inevitable, but partial, tranfient, and often only apparent evils productive of greater, more durable, and more general good; that another much greater share of human fufferings is the refult of inceffant mutual hoftilities and treacheries in focial life; but that by far the greatest part of every man's fufferings is produced by himself.

That fuch a habit of continual attention may be acquired, appears from many infinitely lefs interefting inftances, and even from the minute and continual accuracy of the journalists of meteorological obfervations.

The firft attempts will foon be fupported and encouraged by the evidence of their usefulness. A man will then perceive the prac tice of his duty; at firft indeed difficult, yet poffible-then useful, then delightful, when he obferves that every day he becomes a wifer and better man, a better citizen, a better Chriftian-more and more respected and beloved by all his acquaintance, lefs liable to internal uneafinefs and difcontent, and more fufceptible of plea fure, genuine as the approbation of his God and his confcience, and lafting as eternity.

XIV. Hiftoire Naturelle de Pline traduite en François, avec le Texte Latin rétabli d'après les meilleures Leçons manufcrites; accompagnée de Notes Critiques pour l'Eclairciffement du Texte, et d'Obfervations fur les Connoifances des Anciens comparées avec les Découvertes des Modernes. Tome I,-IV. Quarto, Paris, (continued).

אן

our Review for October laft, we have already attempted fome reflections on the characteristical merits of the Natural History of Pliny, and on the views propofed by Mr. Poinfinet in his tranflation, and commentary on that interefting work. We will now review the means by which this learned commentator has hitherto endeavoured to answer the wishes and expectations of the public.

Thefe we will collect from the general preface which he has prefixed to vol. I. and the contents of which may be reduced to three diltinet heads; &ince I. from fome general strictures on the character of Pliny as a writer and a man, on the contents and method of his work, and the fingular viciffitude of his literary fame, he proceeds, H. to a critical enumeration of his various editors, tranflators, and commentators, in different ages and countries, and the respective merits of their labours; and, III. concludes with a particular account of the affiftance which he has derived from the Jabours of his predeceffors, and of the difficulties which he had still fingly to encounter in his own progrefs.

After

After having complimented the work of his author with the name of the Encyclopedy of the Ancients, and preferred it to the works of Ariftotle, both for fuperior richness of materials and concifeness of diction, he traces its method, which he proves to be at once ftrict and natural.

Pliny's History is very methodical. He begins with contemplating the world at large; ftars, conftellations, comets, elements and meteors, all the phenomena, both celeftial and terrestrial, are by him fketched with a rapid concifenefs. Then he gives a de fcription of the earth, or of Europe, Africa, and Alia, and this part contains notions and particularities interefting for geography and hiftory. Then follows the hiftory of man, fucceeded by that of terrestrial and aquatic animals, of birds, infects, &c. the vegetable kingdom, where he treats of exotics and fruit trees, of gums, and retinous fubftances; of grains ferving for the nurture of man, and occafionally of hufbandry; of vines and their culture; of flax; of kitchen plants, and their medicinal ufe; of flowers, bees, honey, wax; of the various ufe of plants in cofmetic and dying arts; of phyfical remedies drawn from the fame plants, and from trees both cultivated and such as grow wild ; of herbs growing fpontaneously, their virtues, and the difeafes for which they are proper; of remedies drawn from animals and fithes. Here the whole materia medica of the ancients, interfperfed with many hiftorical and fingular remarks, is comprised in nine books, and much more completely than in the works of Diofcorides, Galenus, and others. From thefe fubjects Pliny proceeds to metals, and minerals, fubjects perhaps never treated of before him, or of which few traces are left in the remains of ancient writers on this occafion he alfo treats of medicinal waters, of falts, &c. The materials employed by the arts, fuch as colours, earths, marbles, freeftones, pebbles, precious ftones of all kinds, lead him to the history of painting, fculpture, architecture, and curious digreffions on the luxury of the Romans, on navigation, commerce, &c. fo that we may affert that the thirty-fix books of Pliny contain an inventory of all the riches of nature and of arts; except, perhaps, fhells, butterflies, &c.

And amidit this multitude of accounts, defcriptions enumerations, details, how many historical anecdotes, and curiofities sown even on the very heaths and moors, to which one is fometimes borne away! What philofophy, what luminous profound, pregnant obfervations, and ingenious remarks! What a happy variety of diction! What warmth and fentiment throughout! What a colouring and precition! Though Pliny can never be properly relifhed by cold minds, it is not for an attempt to express what taste. alone make thefe much better feel who read him in his own language, that one may be fufpected of enthusiasm. Who was more able to appreciate the hiftorian of nature, than his fucceffor and rival Him we must listen to when he speaks of Pliny. • What is aftonishing, (lays M. de Buffon in his firft Difcourie on Natural Hiftory) is that Pliny is alike great on every fide. His profound learning is ftill raised by the fublimity of his ideas, and his noble diction. He not only knew whatever was known in his times, but aifo was endowed with that facility of thinking at large, by which fcience is multiplied; that delicacy of reflexion on which elegance and taite depend, and he communicates to his readers a certain freedom of mind, a boldness of thought, that are the germs of philofophy. His work, varied as nature, always paints her beauiful. It is, if you will, a compilation of all that had been written

L 2

before