JDTOING LIST OCT

1 1928

. T <> ,

TEN ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

O F

THE COLLATION OF HEBREW MSS OF THE

OLD TESTAMENT; Begun in 1760, and compleated in 1769 :

' %

B E N J. KENNICOTT, D* D. F. R. S.

Member of

The Royal Society of Sciences, at GT. ''TIN GEN; The Theodore - Palatine Academy, at MANHEiMi The Royal Academy of Infcriptions &c. at PA K i s $ Keeper of The RADCLIFFE Library,

f\ /t\, v

Arid Fellow of EXETER College, in t, yti\

O X F G R

Sold by Mr Fletcher & Prinw, in Oxford-, Mr Woodyer, in Cambridge ; Mr Rivingtcn^ Payne, Dodfley, and , in London. M DCC LXX,

T O

ALL THE MUNIFICENT PATRONS

OF THIS WORK

THE PRESENT COLLECTION

OF THE SEVERAL ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

OF ITS PROGRESS IS

MOST GRATEFULLY

INSCRIBED.

THE

INTRODUCTION.

THE Collation of the Hebrew MSS of the Old Teftament being now finiQied, I think it my duty to exprefs myfelf moft truly thankful — firft, to DIVINE PROVIDENCE; for that fhare of Health, which I have enjoyed ( tho' of late frequently interrupted) in perhaps too clofe an attention, during Ten Years, to a Work of fiich peculiar labour and fatigue — and fecondly, to all thofe Illuftrious and Learned PERSONS; who, with a public fpirit which has no parallel in the fupport of any literary under taking, and with a piety which exceeds all praife, have thus liberally fupported a Work, not expe dient only, but neceffary, for the Honour of RE VE LAT ION.

As I entered upon this important Work, re- folved to profecute it with all the expedition, and all the care, in my power , the proper advances made in it, from year to year, gave me fmcere pleafure. At the end of the firfl, and every fuc- ceeding year •, I thought it necefTary, for my own ' credit in the difcharge of my Truft, as well as the fatisfa&ion of my Subfcribers, to prefent Them with a printed Account, both of the Prbgrefs

made,

6 INTRODUCTION.

made, and the Encouragement granted. And one of the mod agreeable rewards, which I could pof- fibly receive during this hard labour, has been the Approbation, with which thefe annual Accounts have been honoured by my Patrons : efpecially, as their Approbation has been followed by the Ap- plaufe of the Learned in almoft every part of Europe.

Being now to conclude the feveral fhort hiftories of this Collation, with an Account of the laft year; I have been perfuaded to republifh, and prefix, the Accounts of the nine years preceding. It is no wonder, that fome of thofe Gentlemen, whofe zeal for my Work led them to fubfcribe to it, fhould think the annual Accounts worthy of prefervation : and yet it would have been flrange, if feveral of thofe little pamphlets had not been loft, thro* different accidents. This has been the cafe ; and I have frequently been applied to, with fome earneflnefs, for other copies of thefe Ac counts, in order to make Sets compleat : which requefls I have fometimes been unable to comply with, as all the copies for a few of the years had been before given away. A defire therefore to oblige all my Subfcribers, to the utmoft of my ability, is the apology I have to offer for this Re- publication •, and I (hall beg leave to introduce it with a few hiftorical particulars.

Soon

INTRODUCTION. 7

Soon after my entrance in this Univerfity, when I learnt the Hebrew language from the celebrated Dr Hu NT, Regius Profeffor of the Oriental lan guages ; I then was, and continued for fome years, ilrongly prejudiced in favour of the Integrity of our Hebrew Text : taking it for granted ( as men of learning far fuperior to mine did, almoft univer- fally, thro' Europe ) that, if the printed copies of the Hebrew Bible at all differed from the Originals of Mofes and the Prophets, the variations were very few and quite inconfiderable.

But, in defiance of thefe prejudices, I became convinced in the year 1748, that our Hebrew Text had fuffered from tranfcribers, at lead as much as the copies of other antient writings ; and that there are now fuch corruptions in this facred volume, as affect the Senfe greatly in many inftan- ces. The particular Chapter, which extorted from me this conviction, and which was benevolently recommended to my perufal ( for this very pur- pofe) by the Reverend Dr LOWTH, now Lord Bifiiop of Oxford, is the 23d Chapter of the 2d Book of Samuel.

Having been thus convinced of my own mif- take, in a matter of fo much moment ; I thought it my duty to endeavour to convince others. And accordingly, in 1753, I publifhed a Differtation on the latter part of that Chapter, beginning at the 8th verfe; which verfe feems to contain more and greater miftakes than are perhaps to be found elfe-

where,

8 INTRODUCTION.

where, among the fame number of words. To the remarks on this chapter I added ( by way of Second Part) an account of SEVENTY Hebrew MSS, which I had then difcovered ; and I fpeci- fied feveral inflances of their Various Readings, which indeed I found to be both numerous and important.

This difcovery of fo many written copies, hither to entirely unknown or unattended to, differing fo effentially in many inftances from the printed copies of the Old Teftament, ftruck every reader with furprife. Whilft the more learned, and the more candid, of thefe readers were led to exprefs their warm wifhes — that no farther time might be loft, than had been loft already, in delaying the perfecl examination of MSS, which were found to be capable of fuch public advantage.

In the year 1758, when the Delegates of the Prefs at Oxford, with very laudable intentions, requefted the feveral ProfefTors to recommend to them fuch Works, as they thought would be moft acceptable to the Public, and which it would be moft honourable for Them to encourage the pub lication of; our Hebrew Profeflbr recommended various particulars, the firft of which was A Colla- ' tion of all thofe Hebrew MSS of the Old feftamcnt, which were preferred in the Bodleian Library.

The Right Reverend Dr S E c K E R, then Lord Bifhop of Oxford, and late Arch-Bilhop of Canter bury

INTRODUCTION. 9

bury ( by whofe death this Work has been de prived of its firft Patron, and has loft His Grace's farther Recommendation, as well as the ufefulnefs of His Advice ) was fo thoroughly convinced of the great importance of fuch a Collation, that He prefled me ftrongly to undertake it. And indeed He was the Perfon, not only who firft endeavoured to perfuade me (in 1757,) but allb who chiefly prevailed witrfme ( in 1760) to give up my life to this laborious Undertaking. In the year 1758, His Lordftiip honoured me with a Letter, from which the following is an extract.

Sir, Deanery of St Paul's ; Mar. 10, 1758;

I have long wifhed, that the Hebrew MSS of the Old Teftament at Oxford were collated — if you are willing to undertake it, I think you the fitteft ; and am glad the Delegates have pitched on you. I prefume you would have been glad, if they would have made propofals to you, rather than have defired you to make propofals to them : but what Advice would be proper in either cafe, I am unable to fay — If an annual Salary be propofed ; it will probably be expected, that the number of Years for compleating the Work (hall be fixed — I hope, whatever Doubts or Difficulties may arife, the Defign will not be foon abandoned, from de- fpair of getting thro' them — This is all that occurs at prefent to

Your loving brother and fervant,

THO. OXFORD, B

io INTRODUCTION;

Soon after the receipt of this letter, His Lord-' {hip v;as advanced to the See of Canterbury , and His Grace then wrote to me, as follows.

gjj- Deanery of St Paul's j Apr. 15, 1758.

I am very willing to take the part, which I thought was proper for the late Arch-Bifhop, of confulting with the other Bifhops, concerning fome proper method of encouraging the Undertaking propofed to you — What their opinion may be, I cannot fay beforehand — when I am able, I will give you farther information. In the mean while preparing for the prefs the Work, which you men tion, 1 think will be a very proper employment. I wiih you good Succefs in it, and am &c.

The Work, mentioned by His Grace, was A Second Dijjertation on the printed Hebrew fext, which I publiihed in the beginning of the year 1760; having then feen no MSS of the whole, or parts, of the Hebrew Bible. And in confe- quence cf the additional difcoveries therein made, I was ilill more ftrenuoufly exhorted by feveral Great Perfons, and in particular by the Arch- Bifhop of Canterbury, to enter upon the Collation of thefe MSS. I confented ; and publifhed Pro- pofals. And, after His GRACE had begun an Annual Subfcription, for the fupport of this Work j I applied to the Delegates at O x F o R D, who readily patronized it likevvife : as did alfo feveral learned Individuals, and forae Colleges, in this Univerfity.

Thefe

INTRODUCTION. n

Thefe examples were foon followed by the Uni- verfities of CAMBRIDGE and DUBLIN ; and by many other learned Men, with fome other re- fpedlable Societies. And that the Public may not be at a lofs to know, Who were the Perfons, to whom they are indebted for fetting on foot this Undertaking ; it will be confulting the fatisfaction of the Public, and my own gratitude, to give here an exact Lift of thefe Subfcribers, during the firft year 1760.

The Univerfity of OXFORD. .£40 o o The Univerfity of CAMBRIDGE 30 o o The Univerfity of DUBLIN . . 30 o o

His Grace, Dr Seeker, A-Bp Canterbury 10 10 o His Grace, Dr Gilbert, A-Bp York . 10 10 o His Grace, DrCox, A-Bp of Cafhel . 10 10 o

Rt Honourable, The Earl Granville . 550 Rt Honourable, The Earl of Macclesfield 550 Rt Honourable, The Earl of Bath ..550

Rt Rev. Dr Sherlock, Ld Bp of London 10 10 o Hon. &RtR. Dr Trevor, LdBp Durham 10 10 o Rt Rev. Dr Hoadly, Ld Bp Winchefler 10 10 o Rt Rev. Dr Mawfon, Ld Bp Ely ..550 Rt Rev. Dr Willes, LdBp Bath and Wells 550 Rt Rev. Dr Thomas, Ld Bp Lincoln . 550 Rt Rev. Dr Ofbaldifton, Ld Bp Carlifle 550 Rt Rev. Dr Thomas, Ld Bp Salifbury .550 Hon.&RtR.DrDrummond,L,B. St Afaph 5 5 6

B 2

12 INTRODUCTION.

Rt Rev. Dr Pearce, Ld Bp' Rochefter .550 Rt Rev. Dr Hayter, Ld Bp Norwich . 660 Hon. & Rt R. Dr Cornwaliis, L.B. Litchfieid 550 Rt Rev. Dr Keene, Ld Bp Chefter ..550 Rt Rev. Dr Johnfon, Ld Bp \Vorcefter 550 Rt Rev. Dr Ellis, Ld Bp St David's . 550 Rt Rev. DrHume, Ld Bp Oxford ..550 Rt Rev. Dr Egerton, Ld Bp Bangor . 5 5 o Rt Rev. Dr Terrick, Ld Bp Peterborough 550 Rt Rev. Dr Young, Ld Bp Briftol ..550 Rt Rev. Dr Chenevix, Ld Bp Waterford 330

Rt Honourable, Ld Ty rawly ....220 Lord Chief Baron Parker 550

Rev. Dr Gregory, Dean Chrift- Church 550 Rev. Sir Philip Hoby, Dean Ardfcrt . 330 Rev. Dr Squire, Dean Briftol ....220 Rev. Dr Webber, Dean Hereford ..220

Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Briftol . 550 Rev. the Dean and' Chapter of Durham 10 10 o Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Exeter 550 Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Gloucefter 550 Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Wells .550 Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Worcefter 550

All Souls College 5 5 o

Eton College 55O

Exeter College 550

Jefus College, in Oxford 5 5 O

Merton College 5 5 o

INTRODUCTION. 13

Rev. Dr Afhton 3 3 o

Rev. Mr Atherton 220

Rev. Dr Acweil 440

Dr Avery 2 2 o

Hon. and Rev. Mr Aylmer ....220

Rev. Dr Barnard 440

Hon. and Rev. Mr Barrington ...220

Thomas Bafket, Efq; 660

Rev. Dr Bentham i I o

Rev. Dr Blackett 220

William Blackttone, Efq; i j o

Rev. Dr Butler 220

Rev. Dr Chandler i i o

Mr John Channing 220

Rev. Dr Chapman I i o

Dr Collet ! r o

Rev. Mr Cracherode ......220

Peter Delme, Efq; 5 5 o

Rev. Dr Dickens 220

Rev. Dr Eyre . i i o

Rev. Dr Fanfhaw ........220

Richard Fuller, Efq$ . . . . . . 550

Rev. Dr Golding ..440

Charles Gray, Efq; ..'....220 Rev. Mr Greet i i o

Dr Heberden 5 5 o

Frafer Honeywood, Efq; 550

John Howard, Efq-, .... 220

14 INTRODUCTION.

Rev. Dr Jennings . ; 220

Rev. Dr Jubb 220

James Lambe, Efq; .... . / 5 5 o

Matthew Lee, Efq; 220

Rev. Dr Legh ( Halifax ) 3 3 o

Thomas Llewelin, Efq; 220

John Loveday, Efq; i i o

Rev. Dr Lowth 4 4 o

Rev. Dr Markham 4 4 o

Rev. Dr Milles 220

Rev. Mr Moore i i o

Rev. Dr Mofs 220

Jofeph Mufgrave, Efq; 220

Rev. Dr Plumptre 5 5 o

Rev. Mr Prieft i i o

Rev. Dr Pyle , . . i i o

Rev. Dr Randolph i i o

Rev. Dr Salter ' • • 3 3 °

Rev. Mr Sanford .......220

Rev. Dr Sannders 220

Hon. and Rev. Dr Talbot 5 5 o

Rev, Dr Taylor ( Chancellor ) ...220 John Thornton, Efq-, .:.... 5 5 o Hon. Thomas Townfhend, Efq; ..550 Rev. Mr Twynihoe i i o

Richard Warner, Efq; i i o

Philip Carteret Webb, Efq; ....220 Samuel Wegg, Efq; 2 2 Q

INTRODUCTION. 15

Thus honourably countenanced and fupported, I entered upon my Work : chearfully devoting the active part of my life to this important Un dertaking ; determining to exert the utmofl of my endeavours to ferve the Public ; and not at all doubting of the generofity of the Public, for the reward of my Labours. But here ; that no more may be inferred from this Undertaking, than was really intended ; and that the author may not be fuppofed to have promifed what was out of his power to perform, (/'. e. to collate all the MSS of the Hebrew Bible in Europe ) it may be neceflary to ftate, that the Undertaking was precifely this

to collate all the MSS of the Hebrew Bible in

Great Britain and Ireland ( all fuch as fhould be difcovered, and the ufe of which could be obtain ed, -if de fired ;) and, whilft this Work was carrying on ( which it was fuppofed might require at leaft Ten Tears ) that Collations of as many of the befl Foreign MSS fiould be procured, as Time and Ex- fence would allow.

Such was my Undertaking. And now, as to the manner in which it has been conducted ; how far properly, or the contrary — this has been al ready ( as far as Nine Years ) fubmitted to TH E SUBSCRIBERS : and the Whole is here pre- fented to THEM, and fubmitted alfo to all others, who mall perufe The Ten Annual Accounts^ which now follow in their order, and exactly as they were before printed.

( 16 )

ACCOUNT I. At the End of the Year 1760.

PROPOSALS having been publiflied laft January^ relative to a Collation of the MSS of the facred Hebrew Text ; and fuch an Under taking having been honoured with great En couragement from the Univerfities of OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE, and DUBLIN ; from the ARCH BISHOPS, and moft of the BISHOPS in England ; from ibme DEANS and CHAPTERS, and fome COLLEGES; and alfo from feveral PERSONS, eminently diftinguJftted by their Rank and Station, as well as by their Zeal for Religion and Learning : Mr Kennicott, who has been employed to undertake a Work of fo public a nature, thinks himfelf ob liged ( at the clofe of the firft year ) to offer fome particulars to the confideration of the Public. And he apprehends, that the Method moft conducive to the Satisfaction of the prefent, and the En couragement of future Subfcribers to this extenfive and laborious Undertaking, will be — to ftate the Expediency of fuch a Collation, as in the former Propofals •, and then, to mention fuch Circum- ftances as have occurred, worthy of notice, during the prefent Year.

I. The

YEAR 1 760. 17

I. The beft, if not the only way, to print a good Edition of any antient Book, is to examine with Care the 'written Copies of it. And the Text of antient Books is allowed by the Learned to be more or lefs perfect, as more or fewer MSS have been collated for that Purpofe. For this reafon, almoft all the Greek MSS of the New Teflament^ which are now extant, have been examined, and their Variations publifhed -, greatly to the fatisfaction of all thofe, who are Friends to Religion and Learning.

II. The fame Advantage, ariflng from a Colla tion of MSS, to which antient Books are naturally entitled, has been readily granted to them all; except, perhaps, in the fmgle cafe of the Hebrew Bible : which however, on many accounts, may require it more than any other book of Antiquity. For the older any Writings are, and the oftner they have been tranfcribed ; the more Miftakes have probably been made by the Tranfcribers. And it is certain, that the Books of the Old Teflament are, at leaft fome of them, the oldefl in the world ; and, that they have all been tranfcribed very fre quently. As feveral of the Hebrew Letters are very fimilar ; it muft have been the more eafy for Tranfcribers to make Miftakes. And the Miftake of any one Hebrew Letter will often occafion a very wide difference in the Senfe.

III. The Hebrew Copies, which have been hitherto printed, are found to agree with the lateft and the worft MSS, And the older the MSS are,

C the

j8 ACCOUNT I.

the more they differ from the printed Text ; for they generally read more agreeably to the Context, and alfo to the antient Verfions. But farther ; the Hebrew MSS will not only furnifti many Various Readings, which make the Senfe clear and con fident, where the printed copies are unintelligible or contradictory •, but they will alfo vindicate the Apvftolical Quotations. For fome of the pafTages in the New Teftament, quoted from the Old, which do not agree with the printed Hebrew Text, per fectly agree with the prefent MSS — particularly, in one important Prophecy, no lefs than 28 out of 32 MSS confirm a Quotation made by St Peter and St Paul \ and this in a cafe, where the Reading, as printed in the Heb. Text by Maforetic Authority, invalidates the Reafoning of both theie Apoftles.

IV. The Hebrew MSS will not only correct many of the Miftakes, which have been introduced for 800 or 1000 years kft pail; but they will alib confirm the Authorities of the Greek , Syriac^ and the other antient and venerable Verfions ; which ( under proper reftrictions ) will difcover other Miftakes, made as early as the time of CHRIST.

V. There are already known between 400 and 500 Hebrew MSS, now extant in different Parts of the World : of which number ENGLAND contains more than any other Country ; there being preferved at leaft One Hundred and Ten ( contain ing the Whole or Parts of the Hebrew Bible ) in the Univerfities of OXFORD and CAM B R IDGE, and in THE BRITISH: MUSEUM. And fince our

YEAR 1760. 19

own Country is fo particularly happy in the Trea- fure of its MSS, collected and brought hither at an immenfe Expence ; it muft be honourable to fet the Example here, in firft publifhing a Work — which, tho' greatly defired by the Learned in all Nations, has not yet been performed in any.

VI. In the CX MSS beforementioned are in cluded 7 Copies of the Samaritan Pentateuch. And as the only Copy of this Pentateuch hitherto pub- lifhed ( which was printed from a MS preferved in France) has many very valuable Readings, where the Hebrew Text is corrupted ; fo the 7 Samaritan MSS, preferved in England, will correct fome con- fiderable Corruptions in the Samaritan Text, as it is now printed from the French MS.

VII. Since thefe Hebrew and Samaritan MSS are found to contain a great number of Various Readings, though they have as yet been very im perfectly examined ; the Queftion, humbly pro- pofed, is — Whether it muft not be the ardent Wiih of every true Friend to Divine Revelation, that the Hebrew Text may no longer be deprived of an Advantage, granted to all other antient Booh ; but, that its MSS may be examined, and their Various Readings publifhed : that fo the Miftakes, intro duced by Tranfcribers, may be removed ; at leaft, that nothing in our power may be wanting to ren der that Sacred Volume as nearly perfect, as Care and Criticifm can now render it.

VIII. It muft be added : that, as many parts of the prefent MSS are already obliterated by Age,

20 ACCOUNT I.

and others are conftantly decaying; the Various Readings in the parts yet legible ought to be col- lefted without farther delay. And when the Va rious Readings fhall be publifhed; they will form a fafe and authentic Record ; which ( tho' the MSS fhould entirely perifh ) will be always ready, either to reform the Hebrew Text, or correct our own Verfion.

IX. The Reafonablenefs therefore, or rather the Necefllty, of collating MSS being readily allowed, in order to procure an authentic Text of all other antient Writings ; and a Collation of the Greek MSS of the New Teftament having been made, and juftly approved of: 'tis prefumed, that a Collation of the Hebrew MSS of the Old Teflament has been hitherto negleded, chiefly, on thefe two accounts — becauie it was fuppofed, that there were few Hebrew MSS now extant ; and, that thefe few MSS contained very few if any Various Readings, and none of real Importance.

X. To the number of above Four Hundred Hebrew MSS, before enumerated, there may be now added many others. For, tho' one only has lately been added to thole found in England, which MS is prelcrved in the Cathedral Library at Wells ^ yet luch has been the Zeal of feveral Englifh Pro- teilant Gentlemen in other Countries, particularly in It ay, that many Hebrew MSS (not publicly known ) have already been difcovered, and more ivill probably be difcovered foon, thro5 the indefa tigable Endeavours of the Gentlemen beforemeri-

tioned ;

YEAR 1760. 21

tioned : in which Enquiries they have been mod readily and zealoufly afiifted by feveral Perfons of great Character and Diftinction in the Cburch of Rome. The chief Places, where fuch Enquiries have been, and are dill making, are Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan, Genoa, Venice, and Conftantinople.

XL At ROME ( not to particularize the Cata logues there obtained from other Libraries ) a Catalogue has been lately publifhed of the Hebrew MSS in the THE VATICAN; in which grand Repofitory are preferved Forty One MSS of the Whole, or Parts, of the Hebrew Bible. And as Leave for collating any or all of thefe MSS, for the benefit of this Work, has been offered in the moft obliging manner by His Eminence CARDI NAL PASSIONEJ, who fo honourably prefides over The Vatican Library ; the Offer has been thankfully accepted : and a Collation is now ma king of fome of the mofl valuable, at the Expence of Mr Kennicott. And he has reafon to prefume, that his Work will be greatly enriched by the Va rious Readings of thefe excellent MSS ; collated with great Accuracy, in the very Palace, and under the immediate Infpeftion, of His Eminence Himfelf. This Undertaking is alfo highly honoured by the Patronage of his Eminence CARDINAL SPINELLI ; who has been pleafed to exert his Influence in fa vour of it at Naples, and alfo in other places.

XII. It has already been obferved, that the Va rious Readings in the Hebrew MSS are numerous;

and

22 ACCOUNT I.

and particular Proofs have been fele&ed. But abundant Demonftration of this point may now be given ; in confequence of a regular and minute Examination made in Three of the oldeft Hebrew MSS in England. As for inftance : the Variations from the printed Text, which have been found in One MS of the Pentateuch ( one of the oldeft and beft MSS now known) exceed Two THOUSAND ; many of which confiderably affedt the Senfe, and are confonant to the antient Verfions : and (which furnifhes a new and ftrong argument in favour of the Samaritan Text ) there are in this one Hebrew MS not lefs than SEVEN HUNDRED Words, which differ from the printed Hebrew, but agree with the printed Samaritan Pentateuch.

XIII. Should it be enquired, Whether there be in any other antient MS a number of Variations at all proportionable, in other parts of the Old Tef- tament ; it may be anfwered, that in another MS ( alfo one of the moft antient and valuable now known) there are, in the Evangelical Prophet Ifaieb, above ONE THOUSAND Readings diffe rent from the printed Text : and of thefe feveral have a confiderable influence upon the Senfe. So that the fubjoining Thefe, and all other Various Readings which may be found, at the bottom of every Page, in a new Edition of the Hebrew Bible, printed ( not with a new Text, but ) from one of the belt Editions already publifhed, muft be a thing greatly defireable to all thofe, who would judge pro- pcrly of the genuine Senfe of the Old Teftament.

YEAR 1760. 23

XIV. If therefore Hebrew MSS, efpecially the more antient, do in fact contain numerous and important Variations from the Text, as it has hitherto been printed agreeably to the latefl MSS ; and if the Various Readings, collected, will cer tainly be more numerous, and may alfo be more important, in proportion as more Hebrew MSS Ihall be collated : it is humbly fubmitted, and muft be left to all thofe Societies, and to all thofe par ticular Perfons, who approve this Undertaking, to determine — Whether this Workjhall be more, or Iefs9 perfeft j by their enabling the perfon, undertaking it, to procure Collations of a greater or lefs num ber of the MSS abroad j and alfo by enabling him to employ more or fewer Afliftants, for expediting the Work at home.

XV. Laftly : All thofe, who may incline to fa vour and patronize the prefent Undertaking, will pleafe to confider — that no Obligation is laid upon Subfcribers for the Continuance of their Subfcrip- tions — that the Subfcriptions will be defired no longer than a proper Progrefs fhall be made in the Work — and that, if fuch a Progrefs be made, there will be then ( according to the method pro- pofed by The Delegates of the Prefs in the Univer- fity ofOxFORD)a Certificate given, at the end of every future year, as there is at the end of the prefent, by The Royal ProfeJJbr of Hebrew.

O x F o R D j December 1 8, 1 760.

( 24 )

ACCOUNT II. At the End of the Year 1761

THIS Work being of a public nature, and having been honoured with very uncommon Encouragement ; it feems necefiary, at the clofe of every year, to lay before the SUBSCRIBERS fome account of the Progrefs made in the Work^ and alfo the State of the Subfcription. The proper no tices, relative to both thefe particulars, are here communicated to my Patrons, at the conclufion of the fecond Year : and I beg leave to exprefs my warmefl gratitude, for the extraordinary Favour vouchfafed to my Undertaking by fo many SO CIETIES, and fo many PERSONS, who are themfelves eminently diftinguiihed, as well by their zeal for Religion and Learning, as by their Rank and Station. In particular, I think myfelf indif- penfably bound to make the mod dutiful, and mofl humble, acknowledgment of A PATRONAGE, too important to be concealed, and too great to be fufficiently celebrated -, which, to the extreme Honour of this Work, has been mofl gracioufly extended to it by the Piety and Munificence of HIS MAJESTY.

The

YEAR 1761. 25

The Expediency of fuch an Undertaking muft be evident to all thofe, who will attend to the fol lowing particulars that the defign of it is to

do the fame juftice to the Text of the Old Tefta- ment, which has been done ( with univerfal ap- plaufe ) to the Text of the New Teftament, and to that of almoft all other antient writings — — > that the Hebrew Text, tho' of fuch great import ance, has been hitherto printed agreeably to the

lateft and worft MSS that there are as yet

happily preferved multitudes of older MSS ; free from many of thofe later Corruptions, which dif- grace that extenfive part of Divine Revelation : and MSS, which contain readings more agreeable to the Contexf, to the Antient Ferfions, and alfo to

the New Teftament and therefore, that it muft

be exceedingly defireable, that as many as pofiible of the Various Readings in thefe valuable MSS ( now perifhing by age ) be fpeedily collected ; and afterwards accurately publifhed together ( at the bottom of every page, in a new edition of the pre- fent Hebrew Text ) for the information of the Learned, and the benefit of the Public. Thus much may "be fufficient to be obferved here, as to the Expediency of this Undertaking; efpecially, after the fanction it has received from the united fuffrages of Learned Men thro' Europe.

As to the Hebrew MSS in England-, the account,

printed at the end of laft year, fet forth, that One

Hundred and fen had been then difcovered in this

D Country,

26 ACCOUNT II.

Country. Two more have been fmce found in the public Libraries of Oxford. There is One, belong ing to Edward Worthy Montague Efq; who has obligingly permitted it to be collated. One valuable MS has been purchafed by myfelf. But the moil confiderable acquifition, during this year in England* confifts in Two MSS, preferved in the Library of the Collegiate Church of Weftminfter. One Hebrew MS has been alfo difcovered in the Library of Marifcbal College^ Aberdeen : and Two, in that of Trinity College, Dublin -, which were brought a few

years fmce from Africa as appears from the

account moil obligingly procured by The Right Honourable Lord Vifcount BEAUCHAMP.

The Collation of the MSS, in England^ has been hitherto appropriated to the MSS in Oxford -, in which Univerfity are preferved the greateft num ber, and fome very antient and valuable. And the Work has been here carried on, with all the expe dition confident with health and exactnefs : the perfon undertaking it having been affifted in it conftantly by three Gentlemen, and during part of the year by four.

The Various Readings, which have been difco vered in this year's examination, are furprizingly numerous. Many of them are plainly of moment : but the merit of far the greateft part cannot be properly judged of, without much critical Exami nation ; for which there is no leifure, during the progrefs of the Collation itfelf.

Ten

YEAR 1761. 27

Ten MSS, containing parts of the Hebrew Bible, have been compleatly collated this year ; and alfo parts of Two other MSS. And as the Collations of thefe Twelve MSS have been fairly tranfcribed, and thofe Tranfcripts have been carefully examin ed ; the Original Collations are now depofited in the Bodleian Library, under the Librarian's Seal and my own : agreeably to the method prefcribed by The Delegates of the Prefs, in their Order for a Subfcription to this Work. It muft be obferved upon this article, that to the preceding MSS may be added (as being collated likewife in the prefent year ) all fuch, as have been collated for this Work in foreign Countries.

For, whilft diligent attention has been employed on this Work at home ; conftant endeavours have been ufed to procure afTiflance from abroad : and indeed thefe endeavours have been attended with fuch Succefs, as cannot perhaps be paralleled on any other literary occafion. Great zeal has been fhewn in favour of it, in many Countries very dif- tant from England, and from one another ; and by Learned Men of very different perfuafions in Reli gion, who have united in their opinions of the tendency of this Work to promote ( the common caufe ) the Honour of Revelation ; and who have been very obliging by the affiftance already granted, and by the kind offers of farther fervices.

As many valuable Hebrew MSS are preferved in the Vatican Library -, leave for collating any, or

D 2 ' all,

28 ACCOUNT II.

all, of them was voluntarily offered by the late learned Librarian, the juftly- eminent Cardinal PA s s i o N E i : who conferred on the undertaker of this Work fignal obligations, by the honour both of his Patronage and his Correfpondence. The lofs of fo great a Friend has been very bene volently compenfated by the Patronage and Cor refpondence of his Eminence Cardinal SPINE LLI, Dean and Superior of the College of Cardinals -, who has condefcended to exert his extenfive influence, in favour of this Work •, and was lately pleafed to offer his Letters in recommendation of it to any fart cf the World. It muft alfo be gratefully obferved, that his Eminence Cardinal ALBANI, the prefent Librarian, protects and countenances this Work at the Vatican ; and has kindly favoured it with feveral recommendatory Letters •, particularly, to Marjhal BOTTA ADORN o, Governor of Tufcany, and to Count F i R M i A N, the Imperial Secretary of State at Milan.

The Collation of the Hebrew MSS, agreed for at the Vatican, at the expence of 200 £, is now finifhed by the learned Profeffor Conftanzi -, and the Various Readings of the MSS there collated (which have been found numerous and in feveral inflances important ) are expected foon in England. But flill, "there are many other curious MSS in Rome: and the Collation of fome of thefe alfo will ( at my requeft and expence ) be foon undertaken.

I have alfo obtained leave, at Florence, to feled feveral Hebrew MSS, in the Imperial Library -9

YEAR 1761. 29

and thefe are now collating by the learned Signior Bartoli, and 11 Padre Berretta Vallombrcfano. This Collation is carrying on, by the favour of Marjhal B o T T A, under the Patronage of Sir HORATIO MANN, His Majefty's Refident there ; who has honoured this Work with his Recommendation, particularly to Count FIRM IAN. Great acknow ledgments are alfo due to Count FIRMIAN himfelf, for the zeal he has exprefied in favour of this Work ; which will probably receive great aflift- ance from the learned Imperial ProfefTor Henrico a Porta, to whofe care his Excellency has parti cularly recommended it.

At Hamburgh i there are many Hebrew MSS, preferved in the public Library. And an agree ment has lately been made with the learned Pro- /eflbr Reimar ; who is now employed in collating Seven of the moil antient and valuable.

Several very valuable MSS being preferved in the Royal Library at Turin-, application for leave to collate them was made fome time fince to the Sardinian Ambaflador at this Court by Tbe Right Honourable the Earl of BUTE, One of His Majcfifs Principal Secretaries of State : whofe Patronage of this Work is moft gratefully acknowledged. And I think myfelf obliged to exprefs my moft humble thankfulnefs for the great Honour done this Work by His Majefty THE KING OF SARDINIA, and His. Royal Highnefs the D u K E of SAVOY, who have gracioufly declared Themfelves Patrons of it. His Majefty hath condefcended to order,

30 ACCOUNT II.

that all the Hebrew MSS in his States fhall be ex amined upon this occafion ; and hath been pleafed to appoint Two Hebrew Profeflbrs to collate the rnoft valuable. Thefe notices I have received in a moil obliging Letter from Mr DUTENS, the Britifh Refident at 'Turin.

In Spain ( whilfl enquiries are making as to the Efcurial, and other public Libraries ) it mufl be obferved, that about Twenty Hebrew MSS are pre- ferved in the Library of the learned and reverend Francifco Perez Bayer, Canon and Treafurer of the great Church at Toledo: who has exprefied his rea- dinefs to permit a Collation of them to be made, for the advantage of this Work.

Two valuable MSS have been very lately fent to Oxford^ from Rotterdam, by Mr Penjionary< Meer- man ; to whom this Work will probably be much indebted for the affiftance derived from thefe MSS, thus obligingly lent for its benefit. The fame great Favour has alfo been granted, with the utmofl rea- dinefs, by the Univerfity of Aberdeen, at the re- queft of their Noble Chancellor ; and they have lately fent to Oxford the very elegant and valuable MS, preferved in their public Library.

As to the parts of Europe not before- mentioned, in which there have been alfo enquiries made after Hebrew MSS, during the prefent year; it may be proper to mention Conftantinople, Warfaw, Venice^ Naples, Bologna, Mantua, Pavia, Genoa, Lijbon^ Geneva, Utrecht, Erfurth, Berlin, and Stockholm. And amongft thofe Gentlemen, who have very

YEAR 1761. 31

obligingly afiifted in thefe feveral enquiries, parti cular Thanks are due to their Excellencies Lord Vifcount STORMONT, Sir JAMES GR AY, the Hon. EDWARD HAY Efq\ and JAMES PORTER Efq-9 His Majefty's Ambafladors and Envoys at Warfaw, Naples, Liflon, and Conflantinople.

To thefe various inflances of extraordinary Ser vice fo zealoufly granted to this Work, and of Honour thus unexpectedly conferred upon the un dertaker of it, muft be added the great Favour already fhewn, and the extenfive Affiflance likely to be granted, by the Learned at Paris. In parti cular, the moft grateful acknowledgments muft be here made to Monfieur UAbbe LADVOCAT, the very worthy Librarian and Hebrew Profdlbr at the Sorbonne -, who propofes to employ himfelf? together with fome able Affiftants, in collating for this Work feveral very valuable MSS.

Such is the State, at prefent, of this Collation. And from the preceding account of the Work, compared with the fubfequent lift of the SubfcrL-

bers, the Reader will be led to confider that

the Subfcription is fully fufficient to fupport and encourage a diligent Collation of the MSS in England, and to procure confiderable Afflftance

from other Countries but that this Work will

certainly be the more perfect, in proportion as a greater number of valuable MSS fhall be collated abroad : of which there are happily found fo very many, and leave is with fo much public fpirit

32 ACCOUNT IL

granted for the ufe of them, in the various parts of Europe. The Public may be affured, that I fhall continue to exert my utmoft endeavours, in proportion to the encouragement I receive, towards perfecting of the Work, in which I have the honour to be thus employed. And I beg leave to hope, that neither the preceding narrative, nor the fol lowing lift, will by any means be interpreted as matter of oftentation. I have only given a plain enumeration of the great Favours in fact conferred by others, adding fome expreffions of my own gra titude. And it may be prefumed, that fuch an Account will be agreeable to all the Jincere Friends of this Work — — and TH E s E are the Readers, whom I am ftudious and ambitious to pleafe.

Laftly : All thofe, who may be inclined to favour and patronize the prcfent Undertaking, will pleafe

to confider that no Obligation is laid upon

Subfcribers for the continuance of their Subfcrip-

tions that the Subfcriptions will be defired,

no longer than a proper Progrefs {hall be made in

the Work and that, if fuch a Progrefs be

made, there will be then ( according to the method propofed by The Delegates of the Prefs in the Uni- verfity of OXFORD ) a Certificate given at the end of every future Year, as there is at the end of the prefent, by 'The Royal Profejfor of Hebrew.

OXFORD^ Dec. 1 6, 1761.

YEAR 1761. 33

THE CERTIFICATE.

'T* H E Delegates of the Prefs, in the Univerfity of -*- Oxford, having in January 1760 fubfcribed to Mr Kennicott's Collation of the Hebrew MSS ; and having inferted in an Order then made the following words [ 'That their Subfcription be continued at the beginning of every Tear, upon Mr Kennicott1 s producing a Certificate from the Royal Pr of ejfir of Hebrew > that in his Judgment Mr Kennicott hath made a competent Progrefs in the faid Work during the Tear preceding ; ] and Mr Kennicott having applied to me for fuch a Certificate : I do hereby accordingly Certify, for the Satisfaction of the faid Delegates, and of fuch other Perfons as have encouraged this Work by their Subfcrip- tions, that the feveral Parts of the Collation ( made during this Second Year ) have been laid before me. And my Opinion is, that Mr Kennicott hath made a very compe tent Progrefs in the faid Collation, and indeed advanced farther in it than could have been reafonably expected ^ confidering the extenfive Correfpondence he has eftablifh- ed, in feveral Parts of Europe, for the greater Perfection of this Undertaking. And, upon confidering feveral of the Various Readings, which he has already difcovered in the Hebrew MSS ; I think this Work will be of very confi- derable Service to Sacred Literature.

T H O. HUN T,

Cbrift-Cburcbi

7, 1761. Regius Profejfor of Helrew.

E

34

THE METHOD OF

THOUGH I have finiflied the Account of the Second Year ; excepting the Lift of the SUBSCRIBERS, who are referved for one com- pleat enumeration, at the conclufion of the whole Narrative : I (hall not begin the Account of the <fhird Year, till I have previoufly inferted one ma terial particular, which feems to be here neceffary,

The Work having been defcribed, as going on both at home and abroad ; it is probable, that the curious Reader has already wifhed to know — — Upon what Plan the Collation itfelf was conduced. I (hall therefore (late here the mode of proceed ing •, fo as to convey forne idea, both of the Labour which was requifite, and of the Exaftnefs which was aimed at.

As to the LABOUR : tho' every work, which demands clofe attention for many hours in a day, mud be thought laborious ; yet what an idea would the Reader form of the pity due to himfelf, were he to repeat, over and over, the Letters of the Alphabet, only varied in their order and con nexion, for no longer a time than three hours in a day, during one month ! I fay, were he to repeat the Letters ; becaufe this was of necefllty the rule to be followed in the cafe before us. For, accord ing to the general pronunciation of Hebrew words, fome Letters are not founded ; and if, upon fuch a plan, the reading had been by whole words, very numerous would have been the miftakes. And if

a fyftem

THE COLLATION. 35

a fyftem of pronunciation had been invented, which could exprefs distinctly every Letter in every Word ; yet even then reading letter after letter was certainly a more lure method, tho' more flow and more laborious. When the Reader has rumi nated, for a few minutes, on the fatigue of naming in a printed copy, and examining in a MS, letter after letter, thro' a fingle chapter containing but 20 or 30 verles j he is only requefted to add to the former idea that of the number of verfes in the whole Old Teflament : which amount to twenty Tbree Thoufand, One Hundred, Eighty Five. As to the other article, that of E x A c T N E s s -, which indeed is of the utmoft moment in Such an Undertaking : that the learned Reader may judge, how far this grand point was likely to be fecurecl by the feveral rules formed for this purpofe, I fhall infert here a copy of The Method, which I eflabliflied at home, and which I fent to thole who collated for me in other parts of Europe.

METHODUS

VARIAS LECTIONES notandi, et res fcitu neceflarias defcribendi, a fingulis Hebraicorurn Codicum MStorum Veteris Teftamenti Collato- ribus, (a. LECTORE fcilicet atque SCRIPTORE ) obfervanda.

COLLATOR quifque, qui hanc fufcipit et ornare vult provinciam, fibi accerfet fidum laboris focium ; et, focio legente codicem impref- fum, ipfe infpiciet codicem MStum3 defcribetque

E 2 difcre-

36 THE METHOD OF

difcrepantias. Editio impreffa, quas eligitur, eft ilia a Van der Hooght edita, AmfteL 2 torn. 8°. 1705, Et modus, quo legitur codex hie impreffus, non eft, fmgula recitando verba, vel ( ut aiunt) verbatim, fed ( prout res hsec omnino poftulat ) literatim, feu fingulas recitando literas.

In codice MSto perlegendo notandas funt om- nigenas, quotquot funt, Verborum et Literarum ( non pundorum vel accentuum ) a codice impreflb diverfitates : five fin t i°. Additiones-, 2°. Omiffiones; 3°. Vranfpofitiones ; 4°. Variationes -, 5°. Correftiones ; 6°. RafitTcc. Hre fex diverfuatum fpecies notandae funt ( non quod harum fmgula fit per fe colligenda, et feorfim a csteris notanda, fed notandse funt diverfitates promifcue, atque eo quo inter confe- rendum occurrunt ordine ) fuper charts paginam duas in columnas divifam •, quarum finiftra coriti- net verba codicis impreffi, cum libroBiblico fupra- pofito ; dextera vero continet diverfitates codicis MSii, fuprapofito MSti titulo : fequuntur exempla.

ADDITIONES.

2 Samuel.

•?-3> 17 - nin>

4

Deuteron.

28 -, 27,28 - r^y

Pfalm.

25, 17 tot. comma (verfus)

MS. Bodleian. N°.

mn»

MS.

C

c

TJ/1

MS.

bis fcriptum, w/ repetitum

Si plurima addantur verba, non repetita, fed diverfa a precedent! bus 5 ea defcribantur omnia.

THE COLLATION.

37

OMISSIONES.

Genef. MS.

49> I0

Zachar. MS.

14, 18 -

Ezek.

1 6, 6 »n 70*73 17

Mal'ac.

-, 15, 1 6 : TO>

MS.

7011

MS.

omifTa.

7*W 7

Si fuerint omifTain uno loco verba quamplurima, fc. 20, 30 vel 40 ; exprimatur verbum primum et ultimum fie omiflum, atque fie fiat notatio :

MS.

7 ab 77^(1°) in com. 4,1 ad'l'y inclufivein com. 9 J

Ubicunque verba, vel ob vetuftntem, vel ob paginam dilaceratam, legi non poiTunt ; notandum eft hoc modo : verba a — ad — hgi non pojjunt ; vel verba h#c — , pagind dilaceratd, defunt.

TRANSPOSITIONES.

omilik.

ii 8 '	Ezek.	MS. ^.
31,0 8, i	Amos. _ _ . pp;-j> >^K	MS. &c.
18. A.	Job. .	MS. 6^.
» <j, ^	Num.	MS. &c.V

mn>

23, i p7n 7^

Job. MS,

215 8 et 9 commata - tranfpoiita.

Si Scriptor, in defcribenda variation^ aliqua, hoc erret modo verbum imprefilim in column!

38 THE METHOD OF

dextera, et MSturn in columna fmiftra, perperam fcribendo ; errorem citius corriget et meiius, non verba delendo, fed lineam hujufmodi formando :

VARIATIONES.

2 Sam.

23, 18 - - -

'Jerem.

50, 38 - CDWNin

Ezek.

13 ; n, 12 - ,mm typsn i &z;#.

20, 2 - - -

MS.

MS. - - MS.

mn

MS.

Ubicunque initium verbi fcribitur in fine linese, et aliter fcribitur initium ejufdem verbi in linea fequenti ; notandum, hoc niodo :

i Chron.

MS. &C.

I

Hie quoque obfervare licet rem momenti haud levis, et a Collatoribus ( prascipue a Le&ore ) perpetuo curandam : fi bis, vel ter, vel quater, occurrat in eodem commate verbum aliquod de- fcribendum •, fedulo notandum, an fit verbum id, quod i°, vel 2% vel 3°, vel 4°, occurrit ; hoc modo :' Pfal.

39, 6

52, 9

27

40, 21

I/at. - - Jud.

30. 40. —

MS. £#f.

- - i°. MS. &C.

- - - - MS. &ff.

- - - - MS. fcfr.

omifT.

THE COLLATION,

39

CORRECTIONES.

IfaL

MS.

30,4 - - - - ton D primo ( a prima manu ) CD

Deuteron. MS. &c.

25, 1 8 - CD'n^K CD primo *]

i Reg. MS. GV,

14, 31 - - - - CDOX CD primo n

15, 2 - - • rn rn primo j

Si verba vel literse in MSto ita corrigantur, ut prima fcriptio clara adhuc fit et certa ; notandum eft — primo fie. Si non certum fir, fed tantum probabile, quid primo fcriptum fuit ; notandum eft, quod talis litera h#c vel ilia fuiffe videtitr^ vel defcribendum per particulam fortafse : ut, 3 fortafse primo D — T fortafse n — n fortafse n vel n — i fortafse > — n fortafse i &c.

R A S U R

- - cm

-16, 57 23> 5

4» X3

1,24

41, i

12

2

- - Jud.

nn»

Pfal.

9; 5

primp

primo

MS. MS?

;i

MS.

una litera erafa.

MS. 0?r.

'/|D3 2 li^eris erafis.

MS. t?f.

— 3 lit. erafis. [cripta fupra rafuram.

MS. 6fr.

^D ^y • ^y fere eras.

MS. &c.

3 vel 4 literac,primo inter hxc verba fcriptae, e media linea nunc funt fcalpello

0*

icrip

40 THE'METHOD OF

Si fmt fupra rafuram pauca verba vel literal, ufitata magnitudinis et diftantias ; notandum eft, quas fmt base verba vel literas : et fi dentur fupra rafuram verba in uno loco quamplurima $ ita no-

tentur :

Levif.

8 a lan'l i°. in com. 7, ad

ad, •9->

MS.

hsec 41 verba funt fupra DN 2°. inclufive in com. 9. J rafuram.

Nota etiam adhibenda eft, ubi fupra rafuram verba vel literas inufitate conftipantur ; ibi etenim fcripta fuerunt primo pauciora verba vel literas, quam nunc fcribuntur. Et notandum denique, ubi fupra rafuram verba vel literas a fe invicem inufi tate diftant ; ibi etenim fcripta fuerunt primo plura verba vel literas, quam nunc fcribuntur.

ALIA QJJ MD AM IN

CODICIBUS HEBRAICIS V. T. CONFERENDIS O B S E RVA N D A.

1. In literis a Left ore recitandis, fiat paufula quasdam poft quodque verbum, vel faltem vocis variatio in ultima verbi litera pronuncianda ; ut fciat Scriptor^ an ex tot literis conftet verbum in MSto, quot habet codex imprefTus ; an non : e. g. an m&'K (Deut. 33, 2 ) vel n»nanV^ (Cant. 8, 6) vel ^Nfia &c : ( plurimis in locis ) fcriptum fit quafi verbum unum, vel duo.

2. Ledor caute notum faciat, quotiefcunque fibi occurrit aliqua litera,

THE COLLATION, 41

cula, fufpenfa vel inverfa &c : ut caveat Scriptor, de hifce recte admonitus. Caveat denique Lector, quando monet Scriptorem ad quod comma perti- net hoc vel illud verbum, ne erret hac de caufa, quod datur.aliquando triplex, faepius duplex, com- matum numerus in margine ejufdem linear: ex. gr. figure, quas indicant commata i, 2, 3, funt in margine ejufdem lineas, ad i Chron. i, i. Et quum in fingulis capitibus editionis impreflas commata 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, &c. numerantur, nonfguris arithmeticis ( ut castera commata) fed literis He- brasis alphabeticis ; eo major erit Lefforis cura in numeris horum commatum afllgnandis, quo faci- liiis errare poteft ob conjundlionem literarum in margine cum fignris.

3. Si verba ullibi, evanida pras state, atramen- turn de novo acceperint ; cautiiTime difquirendum eft Scriptori, in verbis faltem majoris momenti, et in literis fimilibus, an non fecunda manus intulit lecliones a primis diverfas. Quod fi fiat ; notanda eft prima lectio, ubicunque ab imprefli codicis lee- tione dirFert. Addere licet : quod Collator literas fere deletas, et minimos literarum apices, capiet melius et difcernet •, fi vitro microfcopico, pro re nata, utatur.

4. Notandas funt, fi modo occurrant in MSto infignes difcrepanti^, quoad totos Libros : ex. gr. fi tres libri Poetici (Pfalm. Job. zt Proverb.) fcripti fmt more Poetico, in Hemiftichiis ^ adeo ut dex- tera columna feriatim habeat primas commatum partes, finiftra columna ultimas.

F 5. Notancte

42 THE METHOD OF

5. Notandse funt infignes difcrepantise, quoad Capitum vel Pfalmorum initia : ex. gr. fi Pfalmus

43 ( >riDD£' &c. ) non quafi Pfalmus nbvus exordia- tur, fed fequatur quafi pars Pfalmi 42 ; abfque fpatio vacuo, vel literis folito majoribus.

6. Notandas funt voces, quse ( casteris pun&atis ) nfianent »o» punftat**9 et voces, quas ##0 punfta habent fuperne pofita : nee non et voces imperfeft*9 vel vocum partes^ qnas verarum leftionum faspe funt veftigia : notandum quoque fpatium aliquod infigne, quod in medio verfuum alicubi invenitur.

7. Notandas infuper variae lectiones, quaa in raargine MSti occurrunt ; fi modo non fint easdem^ quas nomine Keri jam funt fatis notae : fi fint Km vulgata^, poflunt negligi. In vocibus, quas habent Keri in margine, caute videndum an non liters in textu funt mutate ; et an non ipfum Ken fuit in textu a prima manu.

8. Bene aget Scriptor, fi, inter codicem aliquem conferendum, initia capitum, et commata iom. 2Om. 3Om. &c,penicillo in margine notaverit: nam, hoc facto, facillime invenientur loci, ad quos re- currendum erit Collatoribus, quum ad examen re- vocanda vel tranfcribenda fuerit MSti collatio.

9. In omni MSto conferendo, notandum quas habeat partes Veteris Teftamenti, et qualis fit ordo librorum — Si codex habeat punffa ; et fi punfta videantur literis coaeva — Si habeat, inter libros Pentateuchi, fpatium 3 vel 4 linearum, vel amplius fpatium — Si habeat Maforam, in fumma et ima

pagina,

THE COLLATION. 43

pagina, ct in margine ; an non — Si voces libro- rum initiates fint majores et ornate, vel fimplices et casteris literis magnitudine prorfus asquales - Notandum prsecipue, fi alicubi detur tempus five annuSy quo fcriptus fuit codex MStus ; quse asra faepius occurrit in fine codicis, aliquando tamen huic vel illi Jibro in medio codicis fubnexa eft : et in verbis, quae asram hanc exprimunt, defcriben- dis, accurate obfervandum, an non inter literas numerates a fecunda quadam manu indufla fuit mutatio. Si vero nullibi occurrat, in codice fcrip tus, aetatis fuse annus ; eruditus tamen Collator notabit, quod codex vatde antiquus, vel non valde antiquus9 effe videatur -, et quod feculo decimo^ undecimo, duodecimo, decimo tertio^ vel decimo quarto &c : haud immerito fit adfcribendus.

Liceat denique exoptare, atque fpem fovere, quod Viri Eruditi, qui in variis Europas partibus Collationi huic operam vel dant, vel funt daturi, facrum Opus fuum, non modo cura fumma, fed et fide religiofiffima profequentur ; femper memores hujus apud Rabbinos celeberrimse fententias :

rnira v» ann r^^

NON EST IN LEGE VEL UNA LITER A, A QJJA NON PENDENT MAGNI MONTHS.

• ?*.ni ( 44 ) ,T-/

ACCOUNT III. At the End of the Year 1762

THIS Work &c. The Introduction to the Account, for this Year, is not given here ; lecaufe it is nearly the fame, as for the laft Tear : fee pages 24 and 25.

As to the Hebrew MSS in our own Country : the Account, printed at the end of the year 1761, fpecified Nine, which had not been before publicly taken notice of; and, by the addition of thefe to fuch as were before known, the whole number preferved in Great Britain and Ireland amounted to One Hundred and Nineteen. This ample and facred Treafure, imported from various parts of the world, has lately been encreafed by the arrival of another Hebrew MS, purchafed at Conftantinople : a MS, which was ( with great difficulty ) procured by JAMES PORTER Efqr, His Majefly's late Ambaf- fador. And as His Excellency has been pleaied, in the mod obliging manner, to make me a Prefent of it ; I think myfelf happy in this public oppor tunity of exprefTmg my thanks for fo great a favour. The whole number of thefe MSS is now become One Hundred and 'Twenty One, by the notice lately

received

YEAR 1762. 45

received of a MS Bible, in the hands of Mr Chal mers, of Auld-bar in Scotland ; who brought it, fome years fmce, from Gibraltar.

During the firft two years of this Work, the Collation (in England) was confined to the He- brew MSS in OXFORD ; in which Univerfity are preferved the greateft number, and fome very antient and valuable. But the laft year, which was the Tbird^ was almoft entirely employed in collating the Hebrew MSS preferved in CAM BRIDGE; and thefe, tho' making Nine large volumes, have been completely collated within the year. And here I beg leave to exprefs my grateful acknowledgments to that Illuftrious Uni verfity, for the fignal honour done me, in granting leave ( by an unanimous Vote of their Senate ) that I fliould take their MSS with me to Oxford : a favour, which has greatly contributed to the con venience, and flill more to the expedition, with which they have been all collated. And yet, large as this Ihare of the Work is -, there were alfo col lated in the laft year Two Folio MSS, obligingly fent me from Rotterdam by the learned Mr Pen- fionary M E E R M A N.

To the preceding MSS muft be added, as col lated likewife in the laft year, all fuch as have been collated, on this occafion, in foreign Countries. For, whilft diligent attention has been employed on this Work at home, and Five or Six Affiftants have been engaged in it, for the fake of greater

expe-

46 ACCOUNT III.

expedition ; endeavours have been ufed to procure afTiftance from abroad : and indeed thefe endea vours have been attended with fuch fucceis, as cannot perhaps be paralleled on any other literary occafion. Great Zeal has been fhewn in favour of it, in many countries very diftant from England, and from one another j and by Learned Men of very different perfuafions i-n Religion j who have united in their opinions of the tendency of this Work to promote ( the common caufe ) the Honour of Revelation : and who have been very obliging by the Afliftance already granted, and by the kind offers of farther Services.

And here, as the many and great Patrons of this Work have a right to be fully acquainted with the Favour fhewn to it abroad ; and as a few, who may not be kindly affecled towards it, might other- wife fugged their doubts of the extraordinary Ap probation of it amongft Learned Foreigners ; I hope to confult the fatisfaction of the former, by inferting the two following articles. The firft is a copy of the Certificate, which was voluntarily fent me from R o M E by ( my late honoured Patron there ) Cardinal PA s s i o N E i, figned and fealed by his Eminence Himfelf : a Certificate, which is to be confidered as coming, not from a private perfon, but from One acting in fo high and public a character, as that of Cardinal Librarian to the Roman Church. The fecond is a copy of the Extract from the Public Regifter of the Univerfity of

GE NEVA 5

YEAR 1762. 47

GENEVA; which copy was mofl obligingly pror- cured, and fent to England, by The Right Honour able Lord MOUNT-STUART.

The Certificate from ROME.

V Entreprife d'une nouvelle Edition de la Bible, qui doit fe faire a Oxford fur tous hs Manufcrits He- bra'iques, qui peuvent fe trouver dans les plus celebrts Biblioteques., a trouwe id autant d'approbateurs, que de perfonnes qui en ont entendu farler. Et pour favorifer les Auteurs d'mji important Ouvrage, fai per mis awe plaifir la Collation des anciens Manufcrits Hebraiques, qui fe trouvent dans la Biblioteque Vatic ane ; et je I9 at accordte en qualite de Bibliotequaire de la SH. Eglife Ro- maine. A Rome -, ce feize May^ mil feft cent foixanje un. D. Card1, PASSIONS i,

Bibliot. de la S. E. R.

The Certificate from GENEVA. Extrait des Regitres de la Vemrable Compagnie de$ Pafteurs et des ProfeJJeurs de /' Eglife de Geneve. DuVendredi, 4. Decembre, 1761. Monf>\ k Refteur et Meffis. ks Bibliothtcaires onl raporte, qu'on leur a fait, part ffun Projet forme en Angleterre^ pour la Collation des Manufcrits Htbreux de I'Ancien Teftament, & qu'on leur a demand? la commu- nication de ceux que nous pourions avoir dans notre Bib~ liotbeque ; qifil paroit par un Imprimt Latin^ que le principal executeur de ce Projet eft Monfr. Benjamin Kennicott Maitre es Arts a Oxford -, Projet, far /' ex- du %uel on fe frofofe d' eclair cir % bien des

48 ACCOUNT III.

egards le T'exte Sacre, et d'en aplanir les difficultez ; que four parvenir a ce but FAutheur avoit deja pris des mefures our puifer dans les principales Ribliotheques de r Europe^ et qtfilavoit des aJJ'urancesqu'elles lui feroient cuvertes. Sur quoi opine, la V. Compagnie a reconnu una- nimement toute futilite, qui peut refulter de I* execution de ce Projet, et combien il importe de faire par raport aux Livres de /' Ancien 'Teftament ce qtfon a deja fait avec fuccez a regard de ceux du Nouveau. Rile n'a pu qu'aplaudir aux louaUes intentions du I'Autheur, et de ceux qui s' inter ejjent a la perfection d'un Ouvrage, dont en a lieu d'efperer de grands advantages pour une plus parfaite intelligence des Livres Sacrez, et par cela meme pour la Religion ; et elle eft perfuadee que cette Entreprife^ qui fait beaucoup d'honneur au zele de fon Autheur, fera gentralement aprouvee. En confluence Meff1*. lesBibliotbecaires ont ete chargez de communiquer ce quilpouroit y avoir dans notre Bibliotheque de relatif a cct objett. DuFendredi, xi. Decembre, 1761.

Monfr. le Reft ear a demands la permffion de com- mimiqucr Copie de le 'Deliberation ci-deffus a Milord Mount Stuart, qui Pa defir'e. Accords.

B u i s s o N, Secretaire.

In the laft Annual Account of this Work, no tice was given, that the Collation of the Hebrew MSS, agreed for at the Vatican at the expence of 200 £, was then rlniftied. The Box, containing this Collation, arrived fafe about the middle of laft year ; and was delivered into my hand, without the leail expence for carriage : which I mention,

in

YEAR 176 2. 49

in grateful remembrance of the generofity of Mr PAUL GAUSSEN, Banker at Geneva. The care, with which this Collation feems to have been exe cuted by Profefibr Conftanzi, has encouraged me to fend a CommiiTion for feveral other MSS ; the Collation of which will amount to nearly the fame large Sum with 'the former.

There can be no doubt, but the Profeflbr will readily be admitted to this fecond Work ; in con- fequence of the very honourable Patronage granted me by His Eminence Cardinal SPINELLI, Dean and Superior of tbe College of Cardinals : to whom I am fignally obliged, for His application to the N u N T i o at Madrid, and alfo to the Minifter from His CATHOLIC MAJESTY at Rome., in order to procure catalogues of the Hebrew MSS, pre- ferved in the Efcurial and other public Libraries in SPAIN. It is alfo gratefully acknowledged, that the prefent Cardinal Librarian, His Eminence Cardinal A L B A N i, has condefcended to afTure me by Letter, that the Work mall receive from Him all the Encouragement in his power : His Eminence has been alfo pleafed to fend me a cata logue of all the MSS of the Bible, in the Pontifical Univerfity of BOLOGNA. The Work has the honour likewife to be favoured by His Eminence Cardinal T o R R E G i A N i, the Cardinal Secretary of State ; who has very gracioufly offered His Af- fiflance, wherever it may be wanted. And laftly : the two very learned Vatican Librarians, Monfign"

G ASSE-

50 ACCOUNT III.

ASSEMANI, who were fo obliging as to examine the lail Collation, and fend a Certificate ( figned with both their Names ) as to its authenticity and cxaRnefS) will be pleafed to accommodate the Col lators as benevolently as they did before.

Notice was likewife given, that His MAJESTY THE KING OF SARDINIA had moft gracioufly appointed Two ProfefTors, who were to collate ( for the benefit of this Work ) the valuable Heb. MSS preferved in the Royal Library at TURIN. An excellent fpecimen of this Collation I received, laft September, from ProfefTor Pafini ; together with a moil obliging Letter. And I have juft been favoured with a fecond Letter -, which gives an account, that the Profeflbrs have proceeded in this Work fo diligently, that they are now examining the Sixtb of thefe Royal MSS.

At FLORENCE, Signior Ear toll and // Padre Berretta Vallombrofano, having finifhed the MSS at firft agreed for there \ I have fent a fecond Com- rnifllon, for collating other MSS in the fame Im perial Library. The Various Readings of the firft Collation are expecled daily ; as they were deli vered, lail November, to the care of a Friend by His Excellency Sir H o R AT i o MANN, His Ma- jeily's Refident there : to whofe Goodnefs I am under many and great obligations. It mufl alfo be obferved, that this Work was recommended by Sir Horatio Mann to His Excellency Count Fi R- M j A N, Governor of the Milanese j and that the

learned

YEAR 1762. 51

learned Henrico A Porta^ the Imperial Hebrew ProfeiTor ztPavta, who was commiflioned by Count Firmian, has drawn up an account of the Hebrew MSS in the Ambrofian Library at MILAN, and of every other MS in that Dutchy, which may be of any fervice : and that the papers, containing thefe particulars, having been fent fome time fince by Sir Horatio Mann, are every day expected. *

From Geneva I have been favoured, by Profefibr Vernet^ with an account of two valuable Hebrew MSS in the Library at ZURICH. ProfefTor Brd- tinger, who drew up that account, has made an offer of collating them ; which offer I have readily accepted, on the fame proportion of Expence as at other places.

The Collation, which was faid in the lad Ac count, to have been begun at HAMBURGH, has been carried on with diligence by ProfefTor Reima- rus ; from whom I have received two parcels of the Various Readings, which he has colle&ed : and this very worthy ProfefTor is now engaged in profecuting the remainder of the Collation, which is to be made in that city.

* . De tali tantoque Opere, laloricfrjjlmo utique ac fump- tuojijfimo, ad exltum perducendo, tr a ft antes Angllee Proceres, et Literati, laudem profiflo eximiam promerentur : plurimumque commendandi etiam fapt quotquot, ut idem perfciatur. Ami cam manum et opem adjungunt.

Prof. A Portci) to Count Firmian •, Sept. 18.1761. G 2

sjz ACCOUNT III.

From Magdeburgh I have been informed by my valuable Friend Mr Sack, firft Chaplain to H i s MAJESTY THE KING OF PRUSSIA, that an examination of feme of the BERLIN MSS has been undertaken by ProfeiTor SckultZ) and Mr Hei- nius fon of the celebrated Re6lor of the Royal Gymnafium ; and that Profeflbr Murfinna is colla ting one MS, called the Codex Seidelianus. I am alfo highly obliged to Mr Sack, for procuring me the ufe of a large parcel of MS Papers, containing Various Readings and Remarks on the Hebrew Text, drawn up by the late Dr Jablonjki ; whofe name declares the value of his Papers.

As to PA R i s : I am informed by my zealous Friend and Affiftant Monf. L'Abbe LADVOCAT, that there are about 'Thirty Biblical Hebrew MSS in the Library of the Sorbonne^ of which he is Hebrew Profeflbr and Librarian. This jufily-cele- brated Profeffor has already collated feveral of thefe MSS, and propofes to collate feveral others, for the advantage of this Work. In the Royal Library, at Paris, are preierved near Forty Pie brew MSS ; fome of which are very valuable. And here I gratefully acknowledge my great obligation to His Excellency The Duke De N i v E R N o i s ; who, as He is a celebrated Patron of Literature, has been pleafed to apply to The Count de St. FLORENTIN, Secretary to His MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, in favour of this Work, with regard to thefe Royal

MSS:

YEAR 1762.^

MSS : a circumftance, which I have the honour to mention, by His Excellency's permifiion.

To thefe various particulars it may be added, that enquiries have been made, and are (till making, after Hebrew MSS, in other parts of Europe, and alfo in other parts of the World -, in order to give to this Work as great a degree of perfection, as the nature of the Subfcription fhall admit. For, large as the Subfcription is, it will by no means be thought fo large, as to employ Learned Men, in all parts, to collate all the MSS that are worth collating. In proportion to the encouragement will be the completenefs of the Work ; more or kfs perfect, as more or fewer Various Readings fhall be collected from antient MSS ; and a greater or lefs number of thefe MSS will be confulted abroad, as there fhall be more or fewer Subfcribers to the Work. I fhall only add here, that no Per- fon, who pleafes to fubfcribe, is at all obliged to continue his Subfcription ; but he may withdraw his favour, as he grants it, at his pleafure.

Laftly : the Patrons of this Work may be afiured, that, extenfive and laborious as it is, it will cer tainly be carried on with all the expedition pofllble. And, as Thofc, who have a right to enquire, may be naturally defirous of knowing, WHEN this Work will be completed ; I think it my duty to ac quaint them that, tho' it be impoffible, as

yet, to fix this period with any certainty, yet ( if

it

54 ACCOUNT III.

it fhall pleafe G o D to continue my prefent Health ) the Collations in England will probably be finifhed

in Seven years from the prefent time and that,

when the MSS at home are collated ( without wait ing for any farther affiftance from abroad ) the great Work will be then begun of preparing the whole for the Prefs ; collecting from the many feparate parcels the Various Readings relative to each Chapter and Verfe ; referring, in every quo tation of each MS, to that MS, by its proper number ; and prefixing to the whole fuch Prolego mena^ as may explain the nature of the Work, defcribe the MSS made life of, and record with gratitude the Names of All Thofe, who have pa tronized the prefent Undertaking.

OXFORD; January 15, 1763.

fbe CERTIFICATE

from *£he Royal Profe/or of Hebrew

nearly the fame as before : fee page 33.

( 55 )

ACCOUNT IV.

At the End of the Year 1763.

THE Introductory Acknowledgment^ with tie Remarks on the Expediency of this Work^ being nearly the fame as before in 'pages 24 and 25, are not here repeated.

As to the Hebrew MSS, belonging to our own Country ; their number was, in the lafl annual account, One Hundred and Twenty One. To thefe I am now to add a compleat MS of the Old Tefta- ment, written in Syria 657 years fince ; which has been kindly purchafed for me, by the Rev. Mr Mor daunt) Chaplain to the late Earl of NOR THAMPTON, His Majefty's AmbafTador, at Ver nice. This, with two Bodleian MSS not before mentioned, ( one containing the Pentateuch and the other the book of Job ) make the number of Biblical Hebrew MSS, at prefent known in Great Britain and Ireland, One Hundred and Twenty Four. Of thefe there have been now collated Thirty Two. And the original Collations of Eighteen, having been fairly tranfcribed, are depofited in the Bod leian Library ; agreeably to the method prefcribed by the Delegates of the Prefs, in their Order for

a Subfcription to this Work.

Amongft

56 ACCOUNT IV.

Amongft other MSS, collated in this year, are Six, which belong to The Britijh Mufeum. And here, the moft grateful acknowledgments are made of the fignal Honour done to this Work, and the undertaker of it, by the TRUSTEES of that Mufeum. For at their general Meeting in February laft, They were pleafed to order, in confequence of a Petition from me, moft obligingly prefented by His Grace the Lord Arch-Bifhop of CANTERBURY — that all their Hebrew MSS Jhould be taken with me to Oxford, and collated there. And, out of their 26 MSS, 6 were accordingly delivered to me foon after •, which will be rafurned, with care and fide lity, within the year.

One of theie 6 MSS was the Samaritan Penta teuch, given by Arch-Bifhop Ufher to Sir Robert Cotton •> a copy, which is exceedingly valuable, being almoft the only compleat one in Europe, uniformly written by the fame hand : and it is above 400 years old. This, and a Bodleian MS of the fame kind, have been collated with the Sama ritan Text in the London Polyglott : and from this collation it appears, that the Samaritan Text in that Polyglott ( in other refpects worthy of great commendation ) is very inaccurately printed •, but that thefe 2 MSS will correct many of the Errors there found, and likewife feveral Errors found in the Paris Polyglott. And this is a point too im portant to be pa(Ted over, without particular atten tion, in juftice to the Samaritan Pentateuch itfelf :

for

.YEAR 1 763. 57

for it can be no wonder, that fome very learned Men have judged it to be very erroneous ; when that printed copy, on which fuch judgment has been ( at leaft in England ) generally formed, is found to be printed ib incorrectly. But then, thofe MSS are defervedly to be held precious ; which will greatly correct the printed Text of that Pen tateuch, without the affiftance of which the Hebrew Pentateuch (it is prefumed ) will never be reftored to its original purity. In favour of this Pentateuch may be here added the remarkable teflimony of Dr CUDWORTH, that Ornament to Learning and to our Country •, who ( in a treatife entitled The Union of Chrift and the Church, tranilated by Mo- fheim ) commenting on a Text, which is exprefTed in the printed Hebrew differently from the quota tions of it in the New Teftament, obferves thus : But laftly, that which is moft of all confJerable -, altho* thefe Hebrew copies, which now we have, received from the Jews, read it otherwife ; yet that incompara ble antiquity of the SAMARITAN Pentateuch, which feems to, be TRUER IN MANY PLACES than our copies are, hath it as it is four fever al times quoted in the New 'Teftament. To this authority may be added that of Sir ISAAC NEWTON ; which is very favourable to a Collation of the Hebrew MSS, by afierting the corrupt ftate of the Text as printed : for. I have lately feen, in that Great Man's hand writing, feveral Corrections of the printed Hebrew; fome of which exactly coincide with the Corrections made by the learned Father Houbigant,

H With

58 ACCOUNT IV.

With thefe Six MSS, from the Britifh Mufeum, have been collated in this year Four, belonging to the Bodleian ; Two, lent from the library of the Dean and Chapter of Weftminfter -, One, very ele gant and containing the whole Bible, fent me by the Univerfity of Aberdeen -, Two, from Trinity College, Dublin, which were obligingly brought and delivered to me by the Provoft himfelf ; and One, belonging to the Reverend Hieronymus de Wilbem^ very kindly tranfmitted from Lekkerkirk near Rotterdam. For the ufe of all which MSS, I here exprefs my thanks, in the warmeft and mofl grateful manner. In thefe 16 MSS have been found a great number of Various Readings, and feveral of confiderabie confequence ; particularly, in the magnificent MS fent from Lekkerkirk. And in the Text of this MS is found the very word (fignifying ALL ) in Deuteron. 27, 26 ( printed in the Samaritan Text ) which makes fo material a part of St Paul's quotation ( Galat. 3, 10) and is fo neceflary to the Apoitle's argument, that our Englim Tranflators have thought themfelves obliged to infert it, tho* it is not in the printed Hebrew. To this Lift of MSS, fome lent to me at home, and others fent to me from abroad, is to be added a very antient MS of the Hebrew Pentateuch, belonging to the learned ProfefTor Scbultens at Leyden -, which he has kindly promifed to fend me : and the ProfeiTor has alfo employed perfons, who are collating, under his own infpe&ion ( for the benefit of this Work ) the MS of the Samaritan Pentateuch in the library at Leyden.

"YEAR 1763. 59

And here it is necefTary, that the PAT RO N s of this Work mould be informed ; that, to the MSS already enumerated, as collated during this year in England, muft be added many MSS collated in other Countries. For whilft diligent attention has been employed at home, all the endeavours pofilble have been ufed to procure afllftance from abroad ; and indeed thefe endeavours have been attended with fuch fuccefs, as cannot perhaps be paralleled on any other literary occafion. Great Zeal has been ihewn in favour of it, in many countries very dif- tant from England, and from one another; and by Learned Men of very different perfuafions in Re ligion ; who have united in their opinions of the tendency of this Work to promote ( the common caufe ) The Honour of Revelation : and who have been very obliging by the Afllftance already grant ed, and by the kind offers of farther Services.

Honourable Certificates from ROME and GENEVA, originally repeated in this Tear's Account ',

are here omitted ;

not being here again neceffary.

See pages 47, 48.

In order that the feveral Collations, making abroad, may be carried on upon the fame plan, and with the fame attention to all the necefiary circum-

H 2 ftances>

6o ACCOUNT IV.

fiances, which are obferved at home; a large Sheet, defcribing the whole Method, has lately been printed, and is fent to the Foreign Collators. See 35 — 43-

At R o M E : the great lofs, fuftained by the deaths of their Eminences the Cardinals PAS si o- NEI and SPIN ELL i, is made up by the Patronage of their Eminences the Cardinals ALB AN i and To R R E G i A N i : the latter, The Cardinal Secretary cf State ; the former, The Cardinal Librarian - and from Him I have had the Honour of being allured ( in a mod obliging Letter fent me laft Ja nuary ) that every ^ Vatican MS ', which I had mentioned, Jhould be at the ferric e of this Work. With my grateful acknowledgments to their Eminences, I muft exprefs my thanks to the worthy Prelate Movftgr. MAREFOSC H j, Secretary to the College De Propaganda Fide, for his countenance of this Work, and his many fervices to the Collator Pro- feffor Conftawzi : and alfo to the Reverend Fathers Xarier Vafauex and Anguftino Giorgi, of the Auguf- tinian. Con vent; to the College of the Maronites ; and to Sig. Abbate Ballarini, librarian to Prince Barbarini: who have readily granted the ufe of their MSS, on this occafion. The 2d Commiffion, which I fent to Rome, was for the Collation of Seventeen MSS ; Twelve in the Vatican, and Five in the other libraries before-mentioned : and the Pro- feflbr, who has already collated fome of thefe MSS, has fent me the following notice - In codici&us

mox

YEAR 1763. 6r

mox laudatis, plures atque eas quidem magni momenti variant es leftiones me invenijfe Lctaberis ; ef, quod tili gratiffimum fore confido, in codice bibliothec<e Angelica ea Danielis et Efdr<e capita, qu<* Chaldaice tantum fcripta vulgo reperiuntur, turn Cbaldaice turn etiam Ebraice fcripta deprehendi. I cannot conclude this article, without expreiling the very grateful fenfe, which I have, of the many and great Obligations conferred upon me by Daniel Crefpin Efq\ my kind Correfpondent at Rome.

In S p A i N : a catalogue of the MSS of the Hebrew Bible, in the Efcurial, was procured Jby the N u N T i o at Madrid, follicited by Cardinal Spinelli ; and was fent me, a little before his Emi nence's death. He had condefcended to inform me, that he had earneftly requefted his Friend the Nuntio to procure catalogues of the Hebrew MSS, quotquct vel in Regiis vet in publicis Eifpaniarum bib- Hotbeds ajftrvantur: and, as the Efcurial catalogue was accompanied with a promife, that catalogues of the MSS in the other public libraries of Spain mould foon after be lent likewife ; I mail itill hope to be favoured with fuch other catalogues. I am alfo highly obliged to the learned and reverend FRANCISCO PEREZ BAYER, Canon and Trea- furer of the great Church at Toledo ; who has fa voured me with a very kind Letter, and an account of the feveral valuable Hebrew MSS in his own library : together with exad fpecimens of the cha racter, in which each, MS is written : which fpeci mens

62 ACCOUNT IV.

mens are exceedingly elegant and curious. The oldeft of his MSS was written in 1 144.

Whether any of the MSS in Spain can be col lated there •, or whether the Favour will be granted of fending a few of them at a time to England ( as hath been done from Holland &c : ) is not yet cer tain. But confidering — that His Majefty THE KING OF SPAIN has fhewn himfelf a Patron of Learning, in feveral inftances — that I have been honoured with afiurances of the intention of His Excellency the Earl of Roc H FORD, His Majefty's AmbafTador, to apply to the Court of Spain upon this occafion — and that application will be like- wife made there, in favour of this Work, by Gene ral CR AUFU RD, to whom I am already under great obligations — there is reafon to hope for very confiderable afiiftance from that Country. And it is particularly to be wifhed, that afliflance may be derived from that Country ; which was fo remark ably inhabited by Jews, but a few centuries ago.

At Tu R i N : the Hebrew Profefibrs, whom His Majefty THE KING OF SARDINIA was pleafed to appoint to collate the Royal MSS, having finifhed the examination of Six ( which were thought the mod valuable ) and having fairly tranfcribed their Collations, will foon deliver them to the Britifh Refident there, L. D u T E N s Efq; from whom I have juft been favoured with an obliging Letter, afTuring me of his readinefs to tranfmit them care fully to England.

At

YEAR 1763. 63

At FLORENCE : a fecond Collation is carrying on by // Padre Berretta Vallombrofano & Signior Bartoli -, which confifts of Six MSS : the former Collation, which was of Four^ was finifhed, and very elegantly tranfcribed, lad year ; and it was carefully fent by His Majefty's Refident there, his Excellency Sir HORATIO MANN; whofe Name I cannot mention, without exprefiing my warmefl thanks for His Patronage of this Work, fhewn upon all occafions : particularly, for recommend ing this Undertaking to his Excellency Count FIR- M i AN, Governor of the Milaneie — for applying to Him for a catalogue of the Hebrew MSS in the Ambrojian library at MILAN — for obtaining leave to have them collated — and procuring the learned Hcnrico A Port a to undertake the Collation of them. By this ProfefTor an excellent account of thefe MSS was drawn up, at the dcfire of Count Firmian, and by Him fent to Sir Horatio Mann ; at whofe requeft it was brought to England by His Grace the Duke of GR A FT ON, who condefcended to take the charge of it. This Milan catalogue contains an account of Fourteen MSS, feveral of which feem very valuable ; and one of them is the antient Samaritan Pentateuch, which Montfaucon wifhed to have collated. I have been favoured with a Letter from Profeflbr A Porta, dated laft September ; and he was then preparing to be gin the Collation, which comprehends the whole Fourteen MSS.

At

64 A c c o UN T IV.

At ZURICH : the collation of the two MSS in the public library, which Profeflbr Rreittivger had offered to undertake, has been deferred \ leave to ufe thefe MSS not having been obtained from the Magiftrates of that Town. But it is hoped, that fuch leave is now obtained ; application having been made to the Englilh Minifler refident at Berne, Tequefting him to defire it. And at BERNE there is an Hebrew MS, containing part of the Bible ; which is foon to be collated, under the direction of Monfr. Sinner, the public librarian.

At H A M B u R G H : the collation of the MSS has been fo far carried on by ProfefTor Reimarus, that three antient MSS ( containing together one whole Bible ) have been examined ; and their Va rious Readings are tranfmitted to me.

At BERLIN: the Reverend Mr Sack, firfl Chaplain to His Majefty THE KING OF PRUSSIA, has fent me the Various Readings of the Seidel MS of the Pentateuch ( preferved in the public library at Halle in Saxony ) which has been collated by Profeflbr Murfinna. And, amongft other obliga tions, which I am under to Mr Sack, for fervices done and notices fent, in relation to my Work, I am to thank him for the correfpondence of the learned Dr Semler at Halle.

At DRESDEN, in the Electoral library, is pre ferved a MS of the whole Hebrew Bible -, the Col lation

YEAR 1763. 65

lation of which is carrying on, under the direction of Mr Clodius the librarian ; for whole favour I am indebted to Mr Rafpe His Majefly's librarian ac Hanover. And at HESSE-CASSEL is an Hebrew MS, the merit of which is thought fo confiderable, that it has been the fubjedt of a learned and ufeful DifTertation, publifhed by Mr Scbeide, in 1748 : and I have therefore applied to my friend the cele brated Profefibr Michaelis at Coettingen -9 requeuing his advice, as to the belt method of procuring a good Collation of it.

The laft place I have here to mention, in which MSS have been collated, and in which Collations are dill making, for this Work, is PARIS : and it is no wonder there mould be preferved in PARIS very many and very valuable MSS of the Hebrew Bible. I cannot but think myfelf therefore parti cularly happy, in finding there fo able and fo zea lous a Friend to the Work, as M. I9 Abbe LADVO- CAT, Librarian and Hebrew Profeflbr at the Sor- bonne : a Gentleman, who has engaged to give up to this Collation part of his own time, as well as that of feveral of his Pupils, whom he has formed to this very bufmefs. In February laft he fent me ( elegantly tranfcribed ) the Various Readings of Seven MSS of the Pfalms. He has fince collated Nine other Pfalters ; and fome of their Variations ( he acquaints me ) are very important. In this undertaking of Profeflbr Ladvocat there is one cir- cumftance, which I think myfelf obliged to men-

I tion ;

66 ACCOUNT IV.

tion •, and I do ic with particular gratitude — that, tho' he propofes to take to himftlf and his Pupils a great deal of Labour ; neither He, nor They, will accept any pecuniary gratification. In the lad Letter, with which I was honoured by the ProfefTor, he was pleafed to fay — We have no fuch cuftom, in the Sorbonne •, and <&e think ourfelves extremely happy , both my young people and myfeif, in being able to con tribute to a Work fo ufefuL and even Jo neceffary, to the Jlndy of the Sacred Scriptures.

Upon a review of the preceding particulars, I flatter myfelf that the PATRONS of this Work will be well fatisfied both at the progrefs which is made at home, and at the endeavours ftrenuoufly exerted to procure afTi fiance and information from abroad. As almoft every MS furnifhes fome ma terial Variations ; it muft be evident ( at leafl to Men verfed in Criticilm and ClafTic Literature ) that in proportion, as more MSS, efpecially MSS of antiquity, are collated, the more ufeful muft this Work prove. There is not therefore any quar ter of the World, from which I have not been, and am, ardently defirous to procure the knowledge and the ufe of Hebrew MSS : and accordingly think myfelf highly obliged for the difcovery of every MS of this kind. For this reafon I muft exprefs my thanks here to the learned ProfefTor Ra^ at Utrecht, and others ; who have fent me notices of fuch MSS : and alfo to the Reverend Mr Lind ( Chaplain to His Majefty's Ambaffador

at

YEAR 1 763. 67

at Conftantinople ) and to every other Perfon, who is kindly making enquiries of the fame nature.

But however ( large as the Subfcription is, and ample as the Edition of this Work will really be ) it is not vainly pretended, that it will be poffible to procure collations of Half the Hebrew MSS, al ready known in Europe only. For even 'That will foon be pronounced impoffible -, when it is confi- dered, that the MSS of the whole or parts of the Hebrew Bible, which are already known ( excluiive of- thofe in our own Three Kingdoms ) are — in Italy, 117 — Germany, 87 — France, 70 — Holland, 32 — Spain, 20 — SwiJJerland, Denmark, and Sweden^ 10 — Total, already known abroad, 336. This fum, added to that of the MSS at home, amounts to 460 •, which will probably be extended to 500. And, how very defirable would it be ; if it were poffible to comprife in this Work the Various Readings of the whole Five Hundred MSS ! — if it were poffible to make it at once ( excepting Errors in the Execution ) perfeft in its kind — without leaving The Old Teftament, after fo extenfive a Sub fcription, ilill fubjefl to Appendix after Appendix, and Addition upon Addition ; as hath been the cafe with The New Teftament, and is the cafe at this very day. For 'there are yet many ( perhaps an Hundred ) MSS uncollated of this Second Part of Holy Scripture •, notwithftanding the 30 years la bour of Dr Mill, who publiihed the Various Read ings of near One Hundred MSS — tho* Kufter and I 2 Bengelius

68 ACCOUNT IV.

"Bengelius have each added the Various Readings of Twelve other MSS — and tho* Wetflein has made ample additions to all the former Editors.

In fhort : all, that can be reafonably expefted, I may venture to allure the Public, mail be done. My beft endeavours mall continue to be exerted for procuring Collations of as many MSS, and giving as great a degree of Perfedtion to this Work, as the nature of the Subfcription mall admit : and this, not only from a conviction of the Expediency and Importance of the Work itfelf ( which is to me more and more clear, the farther the Work ad vances ) but alfo from a juft fenfe of Honour, and under the due influence of Gratitude to TH o s E, who have with fo.much Public Spirit patronized the prefent Undertaking.

OXFORD ; December 12, 1 763.

The CERTIFICATE

from

"The Royal Profeffor of Hebrew nearly the fame as before : fee page 33.

ACCOUNT V. At the End of the Year 1764,

WHENEVER a Work, that is extenfive and laborious in its nature, is undertaken in confequence of a Public Subfcription ; it muft give pleafure to the Patrons, as well as to the Un dertaker of every fuch Work, if it be found to ad vance with proper expedition, and likely to be compleated in a proper manner. The Collation of the Hebrew MSS of the Old Teftament, as being attended with uncommon labour, and likely to prove of par ticular importance, has been diftinguifhed by a more ample Subfcription, and a more uniform Ap probation thro' the feveral parts of Europe, than perhaps any other Literary Undertaking. And therefore, upon the prefent Occafion of addreffing myfelf to the many Learned and Illuftrious PA TRONS of it, at the conclufion of this Year, which is The Fifth from the beginning ; I cannot conceal the Pleafure, which I feel in acquainting them, that the Work is now about HALF -FINISH ED.

From the laft Annual Account it appeared, that out of CXXIV MSS preferved in Great Britain and Ireland, there had been then collated XXXII ;

and

70 ACCOUNT V.

and that the original Collations of XVIII, havino- been fairly tranfcribed, were then depofited in The Bodleian Library. During the prefent year there have been collated XVIII Hebrew MSS, and One MS of the Samar. Pentateuch : concerning which number, compared with other numbers, it may be proper to obferve, that a few MSS may contain larger parts of the Bible than many MSS ; and yet, that the XIX MSS, collated in this year, contain above 116,000 Veries. But this has by no means been the whole of the Work -, for the Collations of XXVI MSS have been, in this year, fairly tranf cribed : the Originals of which are depofited, with thole of the XVIII tranfcribed before, in The Bodleian Library.

Of the XIX MSS, thus collated, VI were lent me ( as the fame number had been laft year ) from The Erltijh Mufeum* in confequence of an Order moft obligingly made at a general Meeting of Tbg Truftees : and thefe MSS are carefully returned. For the Ufe of III others I am highly obliged to Oriel and Jefus Colleges, in this Univerfity. And my thanks are due likewife to the very learned Pro- fefibr Schultens ; who fcnt me a curious MS, be longing to his own Library at Ley den.

But, with refpect to Foreign Countries j my moft grateful Acknowledgments are to be made for the Honour of a Letter, which, at the command of His Majefty THE KING OF DENMARK, hath

been

YEAR 1764. 71

been fent me by His Principal Secretary of State^ His Excellency The Baron De BERNSTORFF. As this Letter furnifhes a very flriking inftance of Royal Attention to Sacred Literature ; as it ex- preffes the Will and Pleafure of a Sovereign, who is celebrated through the World for having fent learned Men into Africa and Afia, for the noblefl purpofes ; and as His Majefty's Pleafure has been fignified in that Letter, in a manner exceedingly ho nourable to my Work ; I here infert an exacl: copy of it, And I cannot doubt, but my Readers will fee with great fatisfaction this Royal Teftimony, in favour of my Work, added to thofe other Tefti- monies which have been already communicated, and which are of too much confequence not to be Hill continued, in this Annual Narrative.

Reverend Sir,

The King being informed of the learned Work) which Ton are fparing no fains to accompli/I^ viz. that of reftoring by the help of Ancient Manu- fcripts the Original Text of the Divine Writings of the Old Teftament •, His Majefty thinks ft to aflift Tou by all pojjible means, in order to promote a Defign fo truly ufefui to Religion and Learning, and consequently fo much deferring the great eft Encomiums.

In this view I am honoured with His Royal Com mands, to acquaint Tou, Sir, with the Arrival of feme Ancient Copies of the Hebrew Bible lately pur- chafed in Egyft for the Royal Library -, and fent

hither

72 ACCOUNT V.

father by fome Gentlemen, who are attually making a Voyage in Arabia Felix, by His Majeftys Orders. Ton receive here inclofed a jhort account of the Condition of thefe valuable Remains of Antiquity. 'The King intends with Pleafure to give Tou leave to make Ufe of them. It depends only of Tou, Rev. Sir, to appoint fome able Perfon here ; who may examine, and, if Tou think it proper, collate thefe Manufcripts with printed Copies : in order to gather out of the former fuch Various Read ings, as may occur therein. I hope, Tou will be per- fuaded beforehand, that the Perfon, employed by Tou to this pttrpofe, will meet with all imaginable Readinefs to facilitate his Tajk. And I beg, Tou will be fure of my beft Wifbes for the Succefs of your arduous Undertaking, that cannot fail to immortalize your Name-, and, what to a Man of your religious way of thinking muft be of infinitely more Value, will draw down upon Tou God Almighty's BleJJing.

I am, with great Efteem and Sincerity,

Reverend Sir, Tour mofl obedient humble Servant,

COPENHAGEN;

March the 3ift, 1764. BE R N S T O R F F.

Next to the preceding, the greateft Favour to my Work, in this year, has been granted by His Excellency T'be Count De Fi R M i A N Governor of

the

YEAR 1764. 73

the Milanefc, and by fbe Marquis O L i v E R A, Prefident of the Senate at Milan ; in which city are preferved ( in the Ambrofian Library) XII very valuable Hebrew MSS. An excellent Cata logue of thefe MSS having been taken for me by Henrico A Porta^ Oriental Profeflbr in the Univer- fity of Pavia ; I was very defirous, that thefe MSS might ( if poffible ) be collated by that learned Gentleman. And he has lately been enabled to en ter upon this Work, in confequencc of the two following Orders, obligingly pafTed by the Gover nor of the Milanefe and by the Senate at Milan — that the Refidence of the Profeffor at Pavia be dif- penfed with; and, that he be allowed to read his Leftures at Milan : on purpoie that he might refide at MILAN, to collate thefe Ambrofian MSS. The Collation of the firil of thefe MSS has been already fent me •, and I am indebted, for the conveyance of it, to the Rev. Dr Chambers ; to whom it was delivered in Italy by Sir HORATIO MANN. For which, and many other proofs of his Goodnefs, I am. fignally obliged to His Excellency ; particularly for tranfmitting alfo, in this year, the Collations of III MSS, belonging to the Imperial Library, at FLORENCE : where other MSS are now under examination.

As to the Imperial Library, at Vi ENNA \ I have lately been favoured with an account of the Hebrew MSS there, procured of the celebrated Librarian and Phyfician Baron Van Swieten, at the obliging

K requeft

74 ACCOUNT V.

requeft of His Excellency Lord Vifcount S TOR- MO NT, His Majefty's Ambaffador Extraordinary at that Court. And I have defired, that a Colla tion may be undertaken there, particularly of one MS ( containing the whole Bible ) which is not de- fcribed in the printed Catalogues.

At ROME; out of the XVII MSS ordered to be there collated, thofe in the other Libraries ( ex cept The Vatican) have been examined ; and the Volume, containing their Various Readings, has been fafely conveyed to England, and kindly fent me by Walter Rawlinfow, Efq. And as to the parts of Daniel and Ezra, printed only in Chaldee, but which in the Auguftinian-Angelica MS, now col lated, are found alfo in Hebrew ; every learned Reader will hear with pleafure, that the Hebrew of thefe large parts ( of The Bible ) now firfl difco- Vered, feems very pure, and therefore may be very antient •, and if fo, muft be very valuable. Prefixed to this collection is an ample teftimony to the care and accuracy of the Collator, ProfefTor Conftanzi ; figned by Auguftino Georgi, Domini co Tbeoli^ Gabriel Falricy^ and Simon Ballerini : which learned Libra rians and ProfeiTors will, I hope, accept my Thanks for their Trouble upon this occafion. There have been alfo collated, in this year, VI MSS belonging to The Vatican.

From the Royal Library at TURI N I have now received the Various Readings of the VI bed MSS

preferved

YEAR 1764. 75

preferred there, which were collated by Profeflbr Pafmi ; for the fafe conveyance of which to Eng land I am obliged to the very learned The Count De Carburi : to whofe care they were delivered by L. Dutens Efq, the Britilh Refident at tha*t Court.

The Various Readings of the MS at BERNE, collated under the direction of Mr Sinner^ the learned Librarian there, have been received. And at ZURICH, the Burgo-mafter Regnant Mr Landolt has politely granted the Ufe of the II Hebrew MSS, in their public Library, upon an application from Robert Colebroke Efq, His Majefty's Refident in Swiflerland : to whom I am alfo obliged for other marks of his Favour.

In other Foreign Parts ( whilfl fome of the beft MSS in PARIS are collating under the care of the celebrated Profeflbr LADVO CAT, at the Sorbonne ; and a Collation is alfo making of the Hebrew MS in DRESDEN ) enquiries have been made this year, after other MSS ; and endeavours have been ufed to procure the Ufe of fuch, as are thought the mod valuable. In particular, I mult acknow ledge my great Obligations to His Excellency The Earl of ROCHFORD, His Majefty's Ambaflador Extraordinary to the Court of SPAIN, for his en deavours to procure the Collation of fome MSS in that country. My Thanks are due likewife to my Friend Mr Devifme, Chaplain to His Excellency, and alfo to Mr Pluer, Chaplain there to the Danilh

K 2 Envoy -,

76 ACCOUNT V.

Envoy ; who have been very kind in their enqui ries after MSS, for the benefit of this Work.

Whilft EUROPE has thus liberally offered the Treafures of her numerous MSS ; and whilft AF RICA has likewife contributed, in furnifhing fome MSS before, and now in offering feveral others, imported through the Munificence and Public- Spirit of His DA N i s H MAJESTY from Egypt ; it mufl be obferved, that, as enquiries have been making in the Eaft upom this fame occafion, ASIA alfo is found to contain what may be of confider- able fervice. For the Lord Bifhop of CARLISLE having, in the beginning of this year, mofl oblig ingly communicated to me a Letter from ALEPPO, containing an account of a very curious MS pre- ferved there ; I wrote to the Chaplain to the Britifli Factory, Mr Dawes ( from whom that Letter to His Lordfhip came ) requeuing a more particular information. And I have lately been favoured with his Anfwer ; which reprefents the MS, as contain ing the whole Old Teftament, and as being of very high Antiquity : and he gives me reafon to hope, that an Examination of it there may be granted, in fome particular paffages ; notwithflanding the very extraordinary Veneration paid to it by the Jews. Enquiries have alfo been made in AMERICA : and though hitherto without fuccefs, as to MSS of proper Antiquity ^ yet ( I am told ) fome fuch He brew MSS may poflibly be found, amongft the Jews, even in that Quarter of the World.

YEAR 1764. 77

I cannot conclude this Narrative, without ex- prefimg the fenfe I have of the diftinguifhed Ho nour done to my Work, by 'The Learned Academy at MAN H E i M •, Theirs being the Firft Subfcrip- tion, with which this Work has been favoured, in any Foreign Country.

At Home ; the Encouragement given to it has been SUCH, as requires that the utmoft diligence and expedition, together with the greateft care and exaclnefs, be continued thro' the remainder of this Work; which have ( I hope) thus far been applied faithfully : SUCH ENCOURAGEMENT, as demands from me the warmeft and moil grateful acknow ledgments to the PATRONS of the Work, now living ; and the moil honourable expreffions of duty to the Memory of thofe PATRONS, who during thefe five years have died — amongft whom were the following Great PERSONS, from whofe Patronage this Work has received fignal Advantage and Honour, and with whofe Illuftrious NAMES I (hall clofe this Annual Account.

His Grace, The Duke of DEVONSHIRE.

The Right Honourable, The Earls of GRANVJLLE, MACCLESFIELD, BATH, HARDWICKE.

The Right Honourable HENRY BILSON LEGGE.

fbe Right Reverend, The Bijhops, HOADLY, SHERLOCK, HAYTBR.

78 ACCOUNT V.

The Certificates from Rome and Geneva,

originally repeated in this Tear's Account^

fee in pages 47, 48.

The Certificate from

*fbe Royal Profeffbr of Hebrew,

nearly the fame as before^

fee in fage 33.

ACCOUNT VI. At the End of the Year 1765.

THE SIXTH Year, from the beginning of the Collation of the facred Hebrew MSS, being nearly concluded ; I think it my duty, mofl gratefully to acknowledge the great Encourage ment, with which my Work hath thus far been honourably diftinguifhed. And at the fame time that I endeavour to exprefs the deep Senfe I have of my uncommon Obligations, firil of all to H i s SACRED MAJESTY, and next to the Iliuftrious SOCIETIES and Learned PERSONS, who patronize my Undertaking >, I lhall (as ufual ) fpecify the Progrefs therein made, for the Satisfaction of Thofe, who with fo much Public -Spirit are pleafed to fubfcribe to it.

YEAR 1765. 79

After the Experience of one or two Years, in this extenfive and laborious Work ; it was highly proper that the Patrons of it fhould be informed, how much time might be neceffary for the com pletion of it. And, after the moil careful compu tation, I acquainted them that the Collation of our own Hebrew MSS, together with fome of the befl Foreign MSS, to be collated at the fame time, would probably be finifhed in the fpace of TEN YE A R s.

It is with great Pleafure, that I now confirm this computation ; and think, that in the next Four Years ( if but my prefent State of Health conti nues ) will be collated, not only the reft of the Hebrew MSS before known in Great Britain and Ireland, but alfo Five others — one, in the library of The Royal Society — one (a com pleat Bible ) lately purchafed by Solomon Da Cofla Efq\ — two, in Dublin •, one belonging to That Univerjity^ the other to the dr c hi epif copal library of St Sepulchre : the knowledge of both which MSS was obligingly communicated to me by Mr ProfefTor Sullivan — and the other is a valuable MS of the whole Bible, written in Syria, and purchafed for me at Venice by the Rev. Mr Mordaunt ; through whofe Care it was fafely conveyed to me near twelve months fince.

The chief bufinefs of the prefent year has been the Collation of Seven MSS, making Eleven Vo lumes;

8o ACCOUNT VL

lumes ; which number becomes Thirteen by the addition of Two Folio Volumes, which are part of another MS. And thefe Seven ( omitting the un- fmiflied MS ) make the whole number of our own MSS hitherto collated FIFTY SEVEN. Of thefe MSS, already collated, Seven contain each the whole Bible -, which Seven therefore may contain more Verfes than Twenty other MSS. And it may be added, that the number of Verfes in the MSS, thus far collated, bear a greater proportion to the remainder, than Six years now pare bear to the re maining Four. My Patrons may however be af- fured, that, without any improper attention to this computation, and without the lead inclination to protract this Work unnecelfarily ( for no one pt-r- ibn in the world can more ardently defire to have it finilhed than I do, partly from long experience of the Fatigue attending it, and partly from a firm conviction of the Utility to be derived from it ) the Remainder of the Work mall be difpatched with the greateft Expedition, confident with proper Care : my time being almoft entirely devoted to the difcharge of my duty in the conduct of this Work ; to the employment of as many Affiflants as can well be fuperintended at home, and to an extenfivc Correfpondence for procuring ( at a very large Ex- pence) collations of the beft MSS abroad.

When this Work had been carried on, for fome years •, it was found, not only that many of the Variations in the MSS were of confiderable impor tance,

YEAR 1765. Si

tance, but alfo that the Whole, when collected, would be fo very numerous, that there was a ne- cefiity for inventing fome method fingular in its kind, to anfwer fo fingular an occafion, as the re gular and uncrouded arrangement of all thefc va riations under their refpedtive chapters and verfes. In the lad year therefore was begun, and in this year has been finifhed, and is now bound up in 30 Folio Volumes ( interleaved ) a copy of the printed Hebrew Bible, pafted upon writing paper, with only two verfes in each page ; the vacant fpace under each verfe being left for all the variations of the MSS in that verfe, to be there inferted : and this, according to the numerical order of the MSS, when catalogued and numbered in the Prolegomena to be prefixed to the whole Work. But the Reader is not to infer the number of volumes, which this Work will make hereafter, from the account of this preparatory Bible. For, tho' the Work fhoukl at lafl be comprifed in two or three Folio Volumes; and thoj half the Space allowed in this interleaved Bible fhould prove more than fufficient in general for the variations, together with room for the cor rection of fome miftakes : yet, as fome few verfes will require the full fpace here allowed, and it can not yet be known what thofe verfes may be, it was necefTary to prepare a fpace fufficient for every fuch exigency.

As to the Tranfcripts made during the prefent year, and now depofited in the Bodleian library, in

L obedience

8 a ACCOUNT VI.

obedience to the Order of our Univerfity Delegates ; to the number 44, before given in, are now added 17, from the collations of our own MSS. Among the preceding 44 were 4, taken from fuch Foreign MSS as have been fent hither to be collated : fo that, 1 7 being added to 40, it appears — that all the Collations of our own MSS, as yet made, are now transcribed. For the greater fafety likewife of thofe Collations, which ( for the Benefit of this Work ) have been made in various parts of Europe; tranf- cripts of thefe alfo, to the number of 17, are now depofitcd in the Bodleian library. And the MSS, which have been already collated, and now are under collation for me abroad, amount to between SIXTY and SEVENTY.

Whilft the collation of the MSS was thus ad vancing; it was apprehended, that it would be very defireable, if fome uie could likewife be made of the bed Editions already printed. And though it would be evidently impofiible for me to collate all ihefe editions, unlefs in felect paflages ; yet it feemed necelTary, that the editions of Van der Hoogbt ( here made the Standard ) fnould be collated with that of Michaelis, printed at Hall, in 1720 : becaufe in this Lift edition, the Variations are already collected from the printed Bibles of Bomberg. Buxtorf, Stephens, the Antwerp and London Polyglotts, and feveral other editions : as is fet forth in Michaelis Pr<ef. p. 4 & 5. That the. advantage of at lead this printed colla tion might be derived to the prefent Work -, a

collation

YEAR 1 765. 83

collation has been made of the whole text of Micha- elis* and that of V. Hooght : and a tranfcript of this collation is now depofited in the Bodleian library.

The only remaining article, which fhall be here mentioned, as to the State of my Work at home, is this. Every learned Reader muft have been fen- fible, that the different Beginnings of feveral Chap ters in different Editions have occafioned much trouble in referring to particular Verfes in the He brew Bible. And to prevent fuch inconvenience, a collation has alfo been made of the Beginnings of all the Chapters, in the three editions of V. Hooght, MichaelJS) and the London Polyglott : and a tranfcript of this collation alfo is now depofited with the others already mentioned.

As to the Collations made, and making, for this Work, during the prefent year, in other Countries ; I mall firfb mention the great honour done me by a fecond Letter from his Excellency The Baron de BERNSTORFF, Principal Secretary of State to His Majeity THE KING OF DENMARK. And as the chief Ornament of my lafb Account was the Letter fent me by his Excellency ; I {hall give frefh pleafure to all the Patrons of my Work by infert- ing an exact Copy of this fecond Letter.

Reverend Sir,

Having received laft September your Letter of Augujl the 14^, and fome while after, about the end

L 2 of

84 ACCOUNT VI. *

of Oftober, the Parcel mentioned therein, containing thofe Books and Pamphlets Tou bad been fo kind as to fend hither, and for which I beg Tou will accept of my ftncere Acknowledgments ; the Seafon was then too far advanced, andthejhort Winter-Days were thought too inconvenient for making, conformably, to your Wijhes, Sir, a Beginning with the intended Collation of our Manufcripts. The nece/ary Meafures were taken however, even during that Interval, in order to proceed to the fame this Spring, without any further Lofs of Time ; and it is now that, with the Almighty's Help, the Work is taking in hand. It will be care fully conduced under the Infpettion of the Rev. D. D. Holm, Rofenftand-Goifce, and Cramer, Profe/ors of Divinity here, and more particularly under that of Mr Kail, Profe/or of the Oriental Languages. All the abovtfaid MSS have actually hen delivered laft Week by the King's Orders to thefe Gentlemen, who, each of them employing feveral Jkilful and diligent Subjefts, are in hopes to fee a great deal of the Collation finified this Tear >, and when the whole is compleated, Tou may depend upon its being tranfmitted to Tou without the leaft Delay. I cannot doubt but the Collators will en deavour, by applying themfelves to their Ta/k with the utmofi Care and Fidelity, to flew themfelves worthy of the Truft repcfed in them. Meanwhile I have been honoured by your feccnd Letter of February the \^th. Tour Annual Accounts of 1763 and 1764 have been duly laid before His Majefty. It affords me a real Pleafure to be able to acquaint Tou, Rev*. Sir, with their having met with a very gracious Reception.

IVifiin*

YEAR 1765. 85

Wiftnng Tou with all my Heart the left of Succeffes to your moft laudable Undertaking, I am with great Truth and diftinguijhed Efteem, Reverend Sir,

Tcur mojl obedient humble Servant,

COPENHAGEN ; March the BERNSTORFF.

At BERLIN, in the Royal library, a collation is making of a celebrated MS in 4 Folio Volumes •, part of which collation I have received from Pro- fefibr Murfmna. In the fame Royal library is pre- ferved an Hebrew Bible, in Svo printed ; an edi tion, older by above 20 years than any printed Hebrew Bible known here in England. This, which was the Copy from whence the famous Luther made his Verfion, contains feveral hundred Varia tions from the Hebrew Bibles, fince printed ; and I have therefore defired a compleat collation of it to be made by ProfefTor Schulze, to whom I am much obliged for an account of this curious Book : and the world will be foon favoured with a DifTer- tation upon it by this learned ProfefTor. But for the advantages at Berlin, I am particularly indebted to the very reverend Mr Sack, iirft Chaplain to His Majefty THE KING OF PRUSSIA: and this zealous Friend, who has furnifhed me with many ufeful notices, has been alfo at confiderable Ex- pence, which he generoufly prefents to my Work as His Sitbfcription.

At

86 ACCOUNT VI.

At ERFURT arc fomc Hebrew MSS, which were collated for the edition of Michaelis before - rrientioned ; and concerning their Various Readings, the following Remarks feem necefifary. Having often obierved with furprize, that the Variations, which in this Bible are publilhed from thcfe Erfurt MSS, are very trifling as well as few, in compan ion of thofe in moft other Hebrew MSS ; I ftrongly fufpeded, that the Erfurt Variations were not properly reprefented in the Notes to that printed Bible, but that many Variations, particularly thofe of greater Moment, were omitted. My Friend, the juilly celebrated Profeffor Michaelis, of Got- tingen, hearing of my fufpicion, and being told that I had fixed upon two inftances, found upon examination that thefe MSS contained many Va riations not printed, and in particular the very Headings I had fpecified : in teftimony of which he mod obligingly fent me two Certificates figned and fealed at Erfurt. I have therefore requefted, that thefe MSS may be more fairly and fully repre fented to the Public, by an entire re-collation of them at my expence. And I doubt not, but fuch future collation will be as ferviceable to my Work, as the laft might have been urged to the difcredit of collating Hebrew MSS in general.

In the Imperial library at VIENNA is a compleat MS of the Bible, not mentioned in any printed Catalogue ; which has been collated for me by the learned Aloyfius dc Sonnenfels : and the Collation has

YEAR I7^5. 87

been moft carefully fent me by His Excellency Lord Vifcount STORMONT, His Majefty's Am- bafTador Extraordinary at that Court.

At COLOGNE there is alfo a MS of the whole Bible, which is now collating at my requeft : and for this permiffion I am highly obliged to the Rev, Dr Hillefbeim, Rector of the College, who has fa voured me with an account of this MS, and a Fae Simile of its character.

At FLORENCE has been lately finifhed, by the learned Fathers Berretta and Bartoli^ a compleat MS of the Bible •, the Collation of which has been very obligingly brought to England, at the Requeft of His Excellency Sir HORATIO MANN, by the Rev. Mr Hamilton : who alfo brought the Various Read ings of the fecond and third Hebrew MSS, collated by the learned ProfefTor A Porta^ in the Ambrofian Library at MILAN.

At ROM E, the learned Conftanzi has now exe cuted my fecond commiffion there ; which was for collating 17 MSS, 12 of which are preferved in the Vatican. For the Ufe of the MSS in this ce- ^lebrated Library, I gratefully acknowledge myfelf indebted to the Goodnefs and Patronage of His Eminence Cardinal ALBANI. And, as all my Patrons will be pleafed with knowing, that the prefent Protector of the Vatican fucceeded Cardinal PA s s i o N E i, not only in Office, but alfo in Zeal for my Work ; I (hall acquaint them with my Ob ligations.

88 . ACCOUNT VI.

ligations. In the firit Letter, with which His Emi nence honoured me. He was pleafed to lay — Et vojant jufqu'ou vous avez en fi peu dc terns avarice un Ouvrage fi fraieux et penible, je m puis ft non 'vous f elicit er de tout mon cceur de /' beureux fucces d* une entreprife, qui rendra votre nom immortel a la pof- terite plus reculce^ et dont la Republique des Lettres tirera tant de profit et de lumieres. And lome time after, in anfwer to my application for a fecond Col lation in theVatican, His Eminence ( then Cardinal- Librarian ) condefcended to write the following Letter; which I here inferr, inflead of that hitherto inferted from Cardinal PA s s i o N E i.

Quas ad me dedifti bumanijjimas Literas cakndis Decembris^ accepi Vir clar. et quam molcfte ab Us in- tellexi te gravi correptum morbo in difcrimine fuij/e^ tantimdem ex animo gratulor te plene convaluifle. Me- dicorum auten\ quorum opera ercptus es, con/ilium am- pleftaris velim^ temperando nimirum a literariis labo- ribus, m nimius in Hit's ardor valetudini tu<e offidat -, quantum enim literarij Reipublic<e ut injigne Opus tuum vulgetur, tantundsm mea inter eft ut dm vivas incclumis. Jus erit ProfeJJ'ori Conflantio tot codicum collationem inftituere, quot Vatic ana Eibliotheca com- pleftitur ; illique tradam codicum indicem, quern mififti^ ut illos quantocius fcrutetur. Quod me jujjis honeftes tuts, idque equidem ut crelro facias^ oro : Deumque 0. M. enixe rogo, Te ad feros annos fervet incolumem.

*CaL Febr. 1763. ALEXANDER Card* AlBANUS,

TEAR 1765. 89

What has been lately done at PA R i s, I have jlrtt yet been informed particularly; on account of the Death of that eminent Promoter of this Work and my zealous Friend, the learned and worthy Librarian of the Sorbonnc? Profeflbr LADVOCAT. But, notwithstanding this affefting Lofs ; I cannot doubt of confiderable Afliftance from that City. For, being very defirous, that fome of the belt MSS in the Royal Library there might be collated for my Work, I this year applied to His Excellency The Earl cf HERTFORD, His Majefty's late Am- baflador Extraordinary at the Court of France ; who immediately obtained Leave, and in the moil ob liging manner honoured me with the notice of it, and with the Letter of T'be Count de St FLORENTIN. My grateful Thanks are alfo due to His Excellency The Duke de NIVERNOIS; who applied likewife for the Royal MSS, and prefented to His MA- JESTY the laft Annual Account of my Work. The fecond Letter, which his Excellency condef- cended to write to me, will acquaint my Patrons with the Honour thus done me by this Ornament and Patron of Literature The Duke de NIVERNOIS, 2nd the gracious acceptance of my Annual Account by fo great a Monarch as His SOVEREIGN.

A Paris, le 3 Mar. 1765. Je day pas mtnque de remettre adjourd'htty au Roy, Monfieur^ un Exemplaire du compte que <vous aves rendu cttte annte des pr ogres dt votre otrurage* S, Majefte a

M

go ACCOUNT VL

re$u ce prefent avec plaifir^ et m'a charge de vous le temoigmr. J'ay remis aujji a M. de S. Florentin I'ex- emplaire que vous m' aves adrefse four luy. Ce Miniftre cone our era bien volontiers a tout ce qui pourra accelerer la confection d'un fi important ouvrage. Je foubaite^ Monjleur^ avoir reujfi par mon Zele a executer vos crdres a vous donner une nouvelle preuve de mon devoile- ment fincere, et de tous les fentiments avec les queh f ay r bonneur d'etre tres parfaitement, Mon/ieur, liotre tres bumble et tres obeijjant Serviteur,

LE Due I>E NIVERNOIS.

The laft State of my Work mentioned my par ticular Obligation to 1'be Learned Academy at MAN- s« E i M ; and I now gratefully acknowledge the Favour of TH E ELECTOR PALATINE: for, at the Recommendation of His Serene Highnefs, I have lately obtained an account of an Hebrew MS at Mentz* which was drawn up by the learned Mr Goldbagen. This account has been fent me by my friend Mr D'Harold^ at the Court of Manheim ; to whom I am alfo indebted for a very obliging Letter from Mr Scbmidtz^ Counfellor to the MAR- CRAVE of Baden-DurlaCi relative to two curious MSS in His Highnefs's Library.

Laftly : in the enumeration of Services and En quiries for the Benefit of this Work, during the prefent year ; very grateful mention muft be made of the Favour of His Excellency, The Honourable Sir JOSEPH YORKE, His Majelty's AmbafTador

Extra-

YEAR 1 765. 91

Extraordinary at the Hague, in relation to fome valuable MSS at Utrecht.

In confequence of fnch numerous and fingular Obligations, it is certainly my duty to exert my utmoft endeavours for the perfection of my Work, and the fatisfa&ion of all the Patrons of it : and as fome of them have, in the laft year, mentioned to me two circumftances, I will take notice of both in this place. It has been faid — that it would be agreeable to the prefent, and might procure more, Subfcribers ; if fome Specimen were to be printed, now and then, to prove the Importance of the Work by the Various Readings collected from the MSS. But I muft obferve, that a regular Specimen of any part of the Bible is at prefent impoffible ; becaufe Accefllons are making to every part continually. And let be obferved farther, that I have already communicated to the Public, at different times, above 300 inflances of fuch Various Readings ; many of which are fo important, that thofe Perfons, who cannot be convinced by them^ will certainly not be convinced by 300 more. And as to thofe, who were at all convinced, that this Work was proper to be undertaken ; fuch, it is prefumed, muft ftill think it worth fimfoing and fublijbing.

The other circumftance, mentioned in this year, is — - that, a particular account of the Expence not being annually printed, it has been infmuated, that this Work is perhaps carried on with very little or

M 2 no

92 ACCOUNT VI.

no Expence; at leaft, not with an Expence at all proportioned to the Subfcription. To this I fay, firft, that I do by no means defire any one Perfon to entrufl me with his Money, who doubts my proper Application of it. And I beg leave to add, for the perfect Satisfaction of all my Subfcribers, that ( exclufive of the Collations of many other MSS already engaged for in different Parts of Europe ) my Expences, in this one Year, on ac count of this Work, amount to above Six HUN DRED Pounds •, the greater part of which is ftand- ing and confbant Expence, in every Year.

I mall now conclude this Annual Account with part of an Elogium upon my Work and it's PA- TRONS, delivered in a Public Oration, at Hall in Saxony , by the reverend and learned Dr SE MLE R7 ProfefTor of Divinity in that Univerflty.

Cum ampliffima ilia exornandi Hebraici codicis pro- k)inci<iy quam Celeb. Kennicotum apud Anglos^ primum rite^ mclioribus certe aufpiciis quam ante ipfum quen- quam, Jufcepiffe fchnus^ non folum eorum omnium ex- cipiatur publicis plaufibus, qui in Romana Rcclefia //- far ali eruditioni non obfcure favere videntur, fed etiam deditiffimis fludiis ultro promoveatur : dulitari non po - teft, nee inter nos defuturos, qUi tante et tarn pr<eclar<z rei fuccejjiis profperos, votis ominibujque l<etis^ public? frivatimque adjutum eant. — Jam vel infer eos, quibus litter arum facrarum difciplina traditur^ gratulari fibi quotus quifque eft erettioris ingenii -, quod h<ec vi-

vcnd*

YEAR 1765. 93

*utndo temp or a at tiger it, quibus PuHlcum quafi Signum ereftum eft^ ad bene fperandum de amplificanda He- Irc.ici codicis dignitate. — Equidem vari* affici foleoy cum luculenttffiaia ilia ftudia co^ito, qu<z in Anglia, leata pluribus nominibus L:fula^ publice privatimque ingenti contentione c.d hanc. caufam promovendam con- feruntur. REGIS ittlus Auguftijfimi fplendidijfimam munificentuim facile nobis fingimus : fcimus enim An- gliae Kegem effe. ACADEMIARUM Britannia utriufque illujlrem ac venuftum confenfum, in adjimando Kennicoti propofito, quis non admiretur? TRES Aca demic omnes lubentiffime votis ejus occurrunt. Ibi Reverendiffimi ARCHIEPISCOPI liber alijfime condicunt fumtus. Nobiliffimi PRI N c i p E s. Honor at ijfimi CO- MITES, ultra conferunt. Reverendorum E P i s c OPO- RUM ^^DECANORUM exiftit faujla cancer dia. BARONES, ARMIGERI^ privati adeo Religionis A D M i N i s T R i , numcro longo in Societatem hanc coeunt.

Fortunatos, felices ibi eruditos !

fie CERTIFICATE from

*fbe Royal Profeffbr of Hebrew,

nearly the fame as before^

fee in page 33.

( 94 )

ACCOUNT VII. At the End of the Year 1766.

INTRO DUCTIO N,

nearly the fame as before, fee in page 78.

TO the number of FIFTY SEVEN MSS, collated in the Six Years preceding, are ta be now added, as having been collated in the pre- fent Year, THIRTEEN-, fo that the whole num ber of M.SS at home, now collated, amounts to SEVENTY. And, as to thofe MSS at home, which remain unexamined ; I hope, and believe, they will be all collated during the Three next Tears.

Of the Thirteen MSS, examined during this Year, Six belong to The Britifb Mufeum ; lent me ;-n confequence of an Order at a General Meeting of The Curators of that invaluable Repofitory, where only Four now remain to be collated : One MS has been lent me by the Dean and Chapter of Wells: and One Copy, which, tho' printed, is really more valuable than feveral of our prefent MSS, has been this Year lent by the Provoft and Fellows of Eton College, out of their elegant and valuable

Library*

YEAR 1766. 95

Library. And for the Ufe of all thefe Books, com municated in the mod obliging manner, I pub- lickly exprefs my Thanks.

But amongft all the Obligations of this nature, conferred during the prefent Year, there is One, which demands my particular and moft grateful Acknowledgments. And thefe I here make, in the moft dutiful and moft humble manner, to H I S MAJESTY, for the Ufe of a very antient and curious printed Hebrew Pentateuch-, which HIS MAJESTY has moft gracioufly commanded to be lent me from His Royal Library. The Colla tion of this Pentateuch is begun j and this Edition, together with a few others likewife very antient, will be particularly defcribed near the conclufion ©f this Account.

The laft annual Account mentioned, that Tranf- cripts of the Collations of Fifty Seven of our own MSS were then depofited in- the Bodleian Library ; together with thofe of Four foreign MSS collated here, and of Seventeen collated in other parts of Europe. To the preceding Fifty Seven are now added Eleven^ and to the Twenty One are added Nineteen ; fo that the whole number of Tranfcripts, which I have now depofited in the Bodleian Library, amounts to ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT.

The MSS at home and abroad, now collated for this Work, amount to ONE HUNDRED AND

THIRTy -

96 ACCOUNT VIL

THIRTY ; and even thefe, it is prefumed, are more than ever were made ufe of, to afcertain the true Text of any other book in the world. But yet, that this Work may as far exceed all others in the Quantity of its Materials, as it does in the Great- nels of that Patronage by which it is fupported ; not only the remaining MSS will be rimmed at home, but alfo many other valuable MSS will be collated in other countries : and as to thefe, the Collation of between Twenty and Thirty is at pre- fent engaged for.

An examination of the MSS, very fortunately procured from the Eaft, at the Command of His Majefty The late K i N G OF DENMARK, is now making at COPENHAGEN by fome learned Pro- feflbrs, who were appointed by His Excellency The Baron de BERNSTORFF, an Illuftrious Patron of this Work. The celebrated Able Hooke> who fuccecds the late Profeflbr Ladvocat in Zeal for this Work, as well as in the Hebrew Chair at the Sor- bonne, has informed me that the two MSS, which I have feleded as being probably the moft valuable at PA R i s, one in the Royal library, and the other at the Oratory, are both under examination ; in con- fequence of an order from His MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY as to the former ; and by the favour of the learned Fathers of the Oratory, as to the latter. A collation of the MS at CA s s E L, diftinguifhed by Mr Scheide's DifTertation upon it, is in part made ; and that part has been received from Goet-

tingen :

YEAR 1766. 97

tingen: for, upon leave given by His Serene High- nels The LANDGRAVE of HESSE, that MS has been removed by my very learned Friend Profeflbr Michaelis, who kindly took a journey to CafTel, for the more fecure conveyance of it to Goettingen. And ( not to enlarge, by fpecifying more at pre- fent ) the two famous MSS, formerly belonging to Reuchlin, now in the library of the MARGRAVE ofBADEN-DuRLAc, at the Palace of Carlfruhe, have been this year committed to the care of Mr Bruns, by the Honourable Mr Schtnidtz Privy- Counfellor to His Serene Highnefs.

I muft here exprefs my acknowledgments to Monf. VAbbc le Blond, for his great care in tranf- cribing and fending me from Caen the collations of Six MSS of the Pfalms, examined at PARIS under the direction of the late Profeflbr Ladvocat. The celebrated Profeflbr Ereitinger, at ZURICH, has alfo been very obliging by his zeal and fervice j not only in freely collating for me great part of a MS at Zurich, but alfo in procuring me the Va rious Readings of a MS ( not before known to the Public ) preferved in the Monaftery of St Blafe in the Black Forefi ; the collation of which was very politely ordered by the illuftrious Prince and Pre late MARTINI, who is therefore entitled to my gratitude : the fame is due like wife to William Norton Efq; His Majefty's Minifler to the Swifs Cantons, for fending me both thefe collations. And I muft alfo exprefs my thanks to Sir Horace Mann*

N Bart.

98 ACCOUNT VII.

Barf. His Majefty's Refident at Florence, for tranf- mitting the collations of fome MSS finifhed at MILAN, by Profefibr A Porta and Dr Baptifla Branca ; which collations were brought me, in a very obliging manner, by the Honourable Sir William Stanhope.

In return for the very generous Subfcription, by which this Work has been eminently diilinguifhed ; one part of my duty certainly is, to acquaint the PATRONS of it with any fignal marks of Appro bation fhewn to it by the Learned World. And I fhall therefore, for the Satisfaction of my SUB* SCRIBERS, infert copies of two Inftruments I have lately been favoured with ; and which I have been favoured with on account of that Work, in which, through THEIR Encouragement, I have the Ho nour to be employed.

In the prefent year a Difcovery has been made, which is of great importance in itfelf, and moil nearly conne&ed with the nature of this Work ; and as it unfolds a new, yet decifive argument, in proof of the Expediency, or rather the NeceJJity of fuch an Undertaking, particular notice mufl be here taken of it : and it may be rendered more generally intelligible, in confequence of the fol lowing introduction.

The Learned thro' Europe have been long di vided into two general clalTes, as to their opinions of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Tejiament \

fome

YEAR 1766. 99

ibme infilling upon the abfolute Integrity of that Text, others holding it to be in fome inftances corrupted. The men of this latter clafs were fub- divided in their fentiments •, for while fome thought the corruptions few and of little moment, others thought them many and of great confequence. In this however they almoft all agreed, that, whatever was the real number, or nature, of the corruptions in the printed Text, that 'fext could receive little or no correction from Hebrew MSS -, becaufe the He brew MSS, now extant, were but few ; and thefe few were modern ; and all of them entirely, or nearly, the fame with one another and with the Text as printed. But this opinion, however pre valent till within a few years pafl, has been fo ef fectually confuted by the evidence produced from thefe MSS, that the common opinion ( it is pre- fumed ) now is — that the Hebrew MSS, yet ex tant, are very many -9 and that fome differ greatly from others, and from the printed Text.

Now amongft all thefe variations of opinion, it has been taken for granted by all parties, that the Text of the Hebrew Bible , as now PRINTED, is one and uniform -, entirely, or nearly, the fame in all the editions of it ; wherever, and by whomibever, it has hitherto been publifhed. And upon this ima ginary Samenefs of all the printed copies has been founded the famous notion, formerly afferted by many, and even now by a few, that the printed Hebrew 'Text is perfeff and uncorrupted. Whereas,

N 2 on

ioo ACCOUNT VII.

on the contrary -, if that very Text, as it is now printed, be at laft found to vary much from itfelf, and fome copies differ greatly from others ; then can there be nothing more abfurd, than the notion of all the printed copies being pure and genuine : then can nothing be more clear, than that, when- ever one printed copy differs from another, this or that copy muft be corrupted : and laftly, nothing can be more certain, than that, in cafe thefe diffe rences be many and confiderable, // muft be cur duty to examine ( or caufe to be examined ) as many as pqffible of the oldeft and beft MSS ; in order to determine, with a degree of exactnefs proportioned to the Importance of the Subject, which of the printed editions are wrong, and which right, where they are found to differ. And, in order to fuch determination, the beft method (which indeed is propofed to be here taken ) feems to be — to re- publifh the Hebrew Text, exactly as it now flands in one of the beft amongft the common Editions; and to fubjoin at the bottom of each page ( fo far as relates to each page ) all the Various Readings, which {hall have been collected either from the MSS, or the printed Copies.

The many and confiderable Differences here meant, as found in the printed Copies themfclves, are ( not typographical errors, or variations amongft the feveral modern editions, but) fuch as remark ably diftihguiih the modern Copies from the moft ancient. It had been before difcovered, in the

courfe

YEAR 1766. 101

courfe of this Work, that the older the MSS are, the more they differ from the modern printed Text, and the more they agree with the Antient Verfions and the Quotations in the New Teftament. And it is now found, that the oldeft -printed copies differ greatly from the latefl ; and agree mod with the oldeft and beft MSS. It is to the enquiries of the prefent Year, that the Learned are indebted for this difcovery, as to the Merit and Value of the OLDEST PRINTED copies •, and the proof arifes from the joint authorities of the Four following Editions.

The firft is the ETON copy, mentioned before as collated in the prefent year ; and indeed it has, for greater exactnefs, been collated twice. It was printed as early as 1487, and is probably the only copy in the world of this edition ; the Various Readings in this from Vander Hooght's edition are very numerous, and feveral of real confequence. But, as a fingle evidence in fuch a caufe would not be furHciently fatisfadlory, the fecond old edition, which I mall mention, was printed in 1494*, and that copy of it, which belonged to LUTHER, is now in the Royal Library at BERLIN : and at my requeft a collation of it is nearly finifhed by the celebrated Profeflbr Schulze, who has publimed a curious Volume concerning it, in the German lan guage •, to which is prefixed an Englifh Dedication, for which I publickly exprefs my thanks. The German Volume has been mofl obligingly tranflated

for

102 ACCOUNT VII.

for me, into Latin, by the reverend and learned Mr Woide \ and by the help of this verfion I find, that this Berlin Bible differs exceedingly from the modern copies : near 500 variations in whole Words or Letters being fpecified in this Differtation, and above 200 inltances of difference in the Maforetical Points. Many of the verbal and literal differences agree with the readings of the Eton copy ; and fe- veral are of confiderable moment. The third and fourth copies, which I (hall mention, are the FIRST edition that ever was printed of the whole Hebrew Bible, being printed in 1488 ; and a Pentateuch, in 1492: which books are happily preierved in the library of His Serene Highnefs The MARGRAVE of BADEN-DURLAC. This very acceptable intelli gence I have lately received from Mr Bruns before- mentioned, together with ipecirnens of the Varia tions of thefe two Editions : and I find, that thefe Editions concur with the two former, in differing greatly from the modern Editions, and are more agreeable to the oldeft and beft MSS. Thefe two copies alfo will be collated, for the greater perfec tion of this Work ; and from thefe, with the two former, will be collected a multitude of material Various Readings. And it is obfervable ; that, though thefe four copies fo much agree, yet they (till vary enough to fnew, that they were not print ed from one another, but from different MSS.

I lhall clofe this article with earneflly requeuing the Learned, in foreign countries as well as in our

own,

YEAR 1 766. 103

own, that they will favour me with arty fuch noti ces as are yet wanting, in order to a more compleat difcovery of the State of the Oldeft Editions. And, as I fhall be greatly obliged to Them for acquaint ing me, either with fuch of thofe Editions as I have not heard of, or with the Places where any of thofe Editions are preferved of which I do not at prefent know the Places ; I fhall lay before Them the fol lowing Table — not of all the Editions of either the Whole or Parts of the Hebrew Bible, which preceded the firft Maforetical Bible in 1528 (all which amount to near FIFTY) but of fuch only, as were printed before the famous Editions of Car dinal Ximenes at Complutum in 1517, and of Felix Pratenfis at Venice in 1518.

1486 — PROPHETS — in folio, printed at Soncino, no points ; did belong to the late famous Rabbi Offenbeim, at Hanover : but the place, where it is now preferved, is not known to me.

1487 — HAGIOGR APHA — 2 Vol. folio, at Naples, on Vellum, pointed aim oft throughout; pre ferved in Eton College library.

1488 — BIBLE — folio, at Soncino, with points ; in the library of His Serene Highnefs the Margrave of Baden-Durlac.

— BIBLE — dated this year, catalogued as printed at Bologna, is faid to be preferved in the Barberini library at Rome.

— BIBLE

104 ACCOUNT VII.

— - B i B L E — dated this year, is faid to be preferved in the IMPERIAL Laurentian library at Florence.

1491 — PENTATEUCH — 2 Vol. folio, at Liflon9 on Vellum, pointed ; having the Chaldee Pa- raphrafe and Jarchi's Commentary : belongs to the library of His Majefty TH E Ki N c OF GREAT BRITAIN.

— PE N TAT E u c H — folio, with the Chaldee Paraphrafc and Jarchi's Commentary, belongs to the Royal library at Paris -, and, tho' cata logued as printed in 1490 (which perhaps is the date at the end of the firft volume ) feems another copy of the edition of 1491 : which is the date at the end of the fecond volume. And in His MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY'S library is preferved another copy; the defcrip- tion of which more exactly agrees with .that of the preceding edition, belonging to His BRITANNIC MAJESTY.

1492 — PENTATEUCH, MEGILLOTH & HAPH.

- 8°, at Brefcia -, in the library of The Mar grave of Baden -Durlac.

1 493 — PRIOR PROPHETS — folio, at Naples ^ place, where now preferved, unknown.

1 494 — BIBLE — 8°, at Brefcia ; in the library of His Majefty THE KING OF PRUSSIA.

— BIBLE — dated this year, reprefented as printed at Pefaro, unpointed, is faid to be in the Caroline library at Zurich.

YEAR 1766. 105

*— KINGS — folio, atLetria-, in the Royal library at Paris.

1497 — ISAIAH & JEREMIAH — folio, at Lijlon ; place, where now preferved, unknown.

— PROVERBS — folio; did belong to Op- fenheim: place, where now preferved, unknown;

1511 — PR IOR PROPHETS — ( and Pofterior, according to Le Long ) — folio, at Pefaro ; in the Royal library at Paris.

1513 — ISAIAH 6f JEREMIAH — folio, at Con- ftantinople ; place, where now preferved, un known.

1515 — PENTATEUCH & MEGILLOTH — place, where now preferved, unknown.

— PSALMS, PROVERBS, JOB, & DANIEL — folio, at fbejfalonica •, preferved in The Bod leian.

1516 — POSTERIOR PROPHETS — folio, 2d edit. at Pefaro -, in the library of the Reverend Mr Sanford.

— PSALMS — folio, at Genoa ; one of FIFT Y different printed editions of the Whole or Parts of the Hebrew Bible, which have been purchafed by myfelf.

— PSALMS — folio, at Eafil\ in vol. 8 of St Jerom's Works.

— PSALMS — 18°, at Bq/il ; in the library

at Dantzic.

O —JOB

io6 ACCOUNT VIL

— JOB — 4% at Paris \ place, where ferved, unknown.

1517 — B i B L E — folio, 2 columns, by one of the dominates •, did belong to Oppenheim : place, where now preferved, unknown.

Then follow, as finifhed in 1517 and' 151 8, the Two Editions of

The COMPLUTENSIAN POLYGLOTT BlBLE

And The VINICE ( Bomberg ) BIBLE by FELIX P& ATENSIS.

NOTE. The Date, in the oldcft editions, is generally at the End of the volumes, and inferted after the word ruii' year of\ and, tho* it be fome- times given in words at length, is oftner exprefied in the numeral letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. The Jews reckon, from the Creation, 240 years lefs than are ufually reckoned by Chriftians : and therefore, if a book be dated from the Creation 5246 -, by deducting 3760, the Turn left is the year of Chrift 1486, which is the time of the firft printed edition. But if, as is generally the cafe, the Printer gives tie leffer computation by leaving out the thou- lands, and exp re fifes only 246; then by adding 1000, with 240 the difference of reckoning, the year of Chrift is found 1486, as before. Thus: the Date of the oldeft edition being 1486, a copy of it will probably be known by the letters ID n i.e. 246, or by other letters making the fame number : a copy, printed in 1494, may be known by in 254, or other numerals of the fame amount : one, in 1500, by D-> 260 : and one, in 1517, by rjn 277;

YEAR 1766. 107

DIPLOMA from GOETTINGEN.

immortaliter promeritus eft de critica textus Hebraici Benjamin Kennicott, fheologi* Doftor in Univerfitate Oxonienji^ Sodetatis Regime Britannic* Socius, Sodufque Collegii Exonienfis ; conquifitis per ommm Europam, quin immo ex Africa Afi<eque oris, coditibus librorum prifci fcederis, nondum in huncfnem adhibit is, iifdemque vel ipfo profpiciente domi, vel blando ejus impulfu apud exteros, diligentiffime collatis : eas ob res SOCIETAS REGIA SCIENTIARUM GOETTI NGENSIS Benjaminum Kennicott, *fheo- logi<e Do ft or em in Univerfitate Oxonienft, COLLE G i s CLASS is PHILOLOGIC^: adfcrifftt, adfcriptum boc documento declarat; petens ab eo^ ut criticos in codicem Hebraicum labores, felicijjimo aufu fufceptos^ pari Jludio ad finem per -ducat ^ editiommque aliquando exhibcat illis copiis inftruftam, quibus nullus unquam liber inftruttus prodiit. Ex quo fuccejju permagnam certe tetitiam fentiet, eundemque Sodali impenfe gra- tulabitur Societas -9 ipfius vici/im erga fe voluntatem urgent^ et demonflratam offidis mutuis compenfatura. iNG/Ei 2jjanuar. 1766.

Sigill.

JOANNES DAVID S.R.S. JOAN. PHIL. MURRAY,

MICHAELIS, So- Goett. Phil Prof. Ord. Societa-

cietatis Regi* Di- tifo Reg. Scientiar. Se-

reftor. ere f anus.

O 2 DIPLOMA

io8 ACCOUNT VII.

DIPLOMA from MANNHEIM.

ELECTORALIS Stientiarum & Elegant. Liter arum THEODORO- PA LATINS Pr<efes, Director ac Socii, LtRuris S.

Cum eadem omnium fit Feritas, eaque in rerum na- tura mhil pr^ftantius -, commune ejfe debet Veritatis ftudium, et communis inveftigationis honos. Centrum quafi hvjus turn ftudii, turn honoris, rette habentur So- cietales literari^^ a Principibus viris folenni quodam modo conftitut^ membrifque compofa<e variis^ quorum alia tegendis et promovendis laboribus Academicis, alia propius Us fubeundis, alia remotius, funt dejtinata. Legibus bine noftris tres Sociorum ordinal* funt Cla/es ; qu<*>^ quo inter fe erunt conjunftiores, eo facilius me- tam Veritatis propofttam attingent. Prima claffis eft Ordinariorum^ qidndecim numero^ Societatis anima ; cui ornamento accedit fecunda Honorariorum, et amilio claffis Extraor dinar iorum tertia. Inter Extraordina- rios bos^ annuente SERENISSIMO CAROLO THEO DORO, Principe Eleftore, ccoptatus a nobis eft Vir antiquarum literarum dottiffimus, Benjaminus Kenni- cott, S. T. P. Regixque Societatis Anglican* ut et Collegii Exonienjis Socius per Celebris, Academic noftr* ab incunabulis inde fids amici/mus : unde hoc Socii Extracrdinarii Diploma^ Sigillo Academico noftro mu- mtum, fcribi et tradi ei lubenti/me curavimits. Da.t*

M A N N H E M I I ; VI Cal Mail, I 766,

LEOPOLDUS L.B. SigilL STENGEL.

DE HOHENHAUSEN. • Acad. Mann. LAMEY.

YEAR 1766. 109

fbe CERTIFICATE:

Which is here given, as containing the Second Renewal of our Univerfity Subicription.

THE Delegates of the Prefs, in the Univerfity of Oxford, having in January 1760 fubfcribed to Dr Kennicott's Collation of the Hebrew MSS ; and having inferted in an Order then made the following words [ That their Subfcription be continued at the beginning of every Tear, upon Dr Kennicott's producing a Certificate from the Royal Prtfejfir of Hebrew, that in his Judgment Dr Kennicott hath made a competent Progrefs in the faid Work during -the Tear preceding ; ] and the faid Delegates, as well as the Uni- vefity of Cambridge, having in the beginning of the prefent Year again renewed their Subfcription to this Work on condition of a Certificate from me, as before-mentioned ; and Dr Kennicott having applied to me for fuch a Cer tificate : 1 .do hereby accordingly Certify, for the Satis faction of both thefe Univerfities, and of fuch Perfons as have encouraged this Work by their Subfcriptions, that the feveral Parts of the Collation, made during this Seventh Year, have been laid before me ; and my Opinion is, that Dr Kennicott hath made a very competent Progrefs in the faid Collation. And, upon coniidering feveral of the Various Readings, which he has already difcovered in the Hebrew MSS ; I think this Work will be of v.ery confi- derable Service to Sacred Literature.

T H O. HUNT,

Chrift - Church ;

Decemb. 30, 1766. Regius ProfeJJor of Hebrew.

ACCOUNT VI II. At the End of the Year 1767,

IT is with great pleafure, that I now wait upon the Illuftrious and Learned PATR o N s of my Collation of the Hebrew MSS of the Old Tefta- mcnt j in order to lay before Them the Progrefs made in the Work, and the Encouragement with which it has been honoured, in the prefent year, which is the EIGHTH from the beginning of this Undertaking.

To the number of Seventy MSS, collated in the 7 years preceding, are to be now added FIFTE EN ; fo that the whole number of MSS at home, now collated, amounts to EIGHTY FIVE. And as to the MSS at home, yet unexamined ; I hope, and believe, they will be all collated during the two next years. And, if fo *, then will this Collation have been fmgularly fortunate : as being complea- ted in the very time, which, upon a Calculation at firft made, I declared to be neceflary, namely

TEN YEARS.

Of the 15 MSS, now collated, Four belong to <?bc Britifh Mufeum, and are the whole ( out of

the

YEAR

the 28 in that invaluable Repofitory ) which re mained uncollated : Three other MSS belong to the Library of The Royal Society ; and Six to the Library of Corpus Chrifti College ', in Oxford. And for the ufe of all thefe MSS, communicated in ths mod obliging manner, I publickly expreis my thanks. I mufl here alfo make my acknowledg ments to The Matter and Fellows of St Johrfs College^ in Cambridge ; who have lately lent me Two valuable MSS : which, not being yet col lated, are not included in the number before fpe- cified.

During the laft year it was happily difcovered, that the printed Hebrew Bibles differed greatly from each other , and that the moft early editions had many and important Variations, agreeably to the more antient MSS ; whilfl the modern editions agree only with the I at eft MSS. The oldeft editions therefore being very valuable, and abfolutely ne- cefTary to be collated likewife ; I beg leave to ex- prefs my gratitude in the moft dutiful manner, to HIS MAJESTY, The Royal and Munificent Patron of this Work, for the Ufe of an antienc and very curious Pentateuch^ upon fine vellum, one of the moft elegant Books that ever came from thePrefs (for there are proofs of its being printed, tho* it has frequently been taken for a MS ) which HISMAJESTY graciouQy commanded to be lent me at the end of the laft year, and which was collated in the beginning of the prefent.

Three

Ii2 ACCOUNT VIlJ.

Three years before this Royal Pentateuch, which is dated in 1491, there was printed thefirft edition of the whole Hebrew Bible •, and of this Bible only 3 copies were known in Europe, till a fourth was fortunately purchafed, this year, by my very learned Friend Mr SANFORD, of Balliol College. The Collation of this printed Bible is already ib far ad vanced as to (hew, that it is exceedingly valuable; and it certainly contains fome thoufands of Varia tions, feveral of which are of confiderable confe- quence : a decifive confutation this of the opinion, which, till within a year or two pail, obtained uni- verfally among the Learned, that all the printed Hebrew Bibles were entirely or nearly the fame. On this very interefting article of the oldeft printed editions, I mail obferve farther, that to the cata logue of them given in my laft Account are to be now added, not only this firft whole Bible dated in 1488, but allb another copy of the ETON Hagio- grapha, of 1487, preferved in the Cafanatenfian library at Rome ; and allb 2 others ( both older than that of the Prophets in 1486) — one, containing Jqfh. Judg. & Sam. in 1484, which I have myfelf feen in The Royal Library at Paris — and the other a Pentateuch, in 1482, which Maffti fays (Veron. Illuftrat. 3, 7 ) is preferved at Verona : and there is another copy of this Pentateuch in the curious Li brary of His Serene Highnefs The Margrave of BADEN-DURLAC, at the palace of Carlf-

ruhe.

Y E A R 1767. 113

rzhe. * Hence then it appears, that the method, which feems to have been originally obferved in printing the Hebrew Bible, was juft what might have been expected ; firft, the Pentateuch, in 1482 ; fecondly, the- Prior Prophets, in 1484-, thirdly, the Pofler'wr Prophets, in 1486^ and fourthly, the Hagiogrvpha, in 1487 : and, after the 4 great parts had been thus printed feparately ( each with a com ment ) I'he whole Text ( without a comment) was printed in one volume, in 1488. And the Text continued to be printed, as in thefe firft editions, fo in feveral others for 20 or 30 years, without marginal Keri or 'Ma-fora, and with greater agree ment to the more antient MSS ; till, about the year 1520, fome of the Jews adopted later MSS, and the Mafora: which abfurd preference has ob tained ever fmce.

f j

In the laft Account I afTured the Reader, that 108 Tranfcrifts of Collations were then depofited in the Bodleian Library ; and a Catalogue, fpe- cifying the Collations fo tranfcribed and depofited, was figned by the Principal Librarian, on May 2*.

* The place, where the latter of thefe 2 copies is pre- ferved, was made known to me by my learned Friend Mr Bruns't whom I have defired to collate this firft-printed Penta teuch. And I was favoured with the notice of the former by the learned Monf. Mercier, the very worthy Librarian of the St Gewvtft library at Paris ; who has lately been prefented ,fey His Moft Chriftian Majefty to a Mitred Abbey.

p 1767:

H4 ACCOUNT V.I 1 1.

1 767 : which Catalogue is too large to be inferted in this Account. And to the Tranfcripts before depofited have been lately added 21 ; fo that the number, now in the Bodleian, amounts to ONE

HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE.

The only articles at home, which I (hall here add, are — that I have been highly obliged by the reverend and learned Dr Gill -, who has extracted andfent me the Variations from the modern Bibles in the paffages quoted in the Talmuds both of Jeru- falem and Babylon, and alfo in ihtRallotb: which Variations, in thefe antient books of the Jews* affect the Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament, as the Variations in the antient Cbriftian Fathers affect the Greek Text of the New. And laftly : the Hebrew MSS in England have been this year in- creafed by Two, now my own ; which did belong to the late Dr De Wilbetn, of Lekkerkirk near Rot terdam : and one of thefe is the magnificent and curious MS, which was celebrated in the Account of my Work for the year 1 763. Thefe MSS have been kindly purchafed, at my requeft, by the Re verend Dr Ricbardfon, Chaplain to His Excellency Sir JOSEPH YORKE, His Majefly's Ambaffador at the Hague.

As to Collations procured, in the prefent year, from abroad ; I mall begin with thofe, which I have juft received from DENMARK: very obligingly rranfmitted to me by His Excellency the Baron DE

BERN-

YEAR 1767. 115

BERNSTORFF, Principal Secretary of State. The Various Readings of Seven MSS, lately purchafed in Egypt, muft be thought very defirable. And therefore, when the ufe of thefe MSS was volun tarily offered me, by order of His late DANISH MAJESTY; I gratefully accepted it. And I now exprefs my Thanks in this public manner to His Majefty the prefent KING OF DENMARK, not only for the ufe of thefe 7 MSS, but alfo of one other, long prelerved in the Royal Library. Thefe 8 MSS have been collated by the Oriental Profef- for Mr Kail, together with other learned Gentle men at Copenhagen, the ProfefTors Cramer, Holmes, Rofenftand Goifke &c.

I have likewife received a Collation of the whole Hebrew Bible, printed in 1494; which did belong to LUTHER, and is now preierved in the Royal Library at BERLIN. This curious edition was collated by the learned Profeflbr Schulze, afllfted by his learned Wife ; and the Variations in this from the modern editions are very numerous and valu able. This Collation was very obligingly tranfmit- ted to me by His Excellency Sir ANDREW MIT CH E LL, His Majeily's AmbafTador at Berlin.

From FLORENCE I have received this year the Collation of a MS in the Library of Duke STROZZI, collated by the learned Fathers Berretta and Barloli ; which Collation was kindly brought me by Mr

P 2 Warftly*

n6 ACCOUNT VIII.

t

Worfely, at the requeft of Sir Ho R A c E M A N tf, His Majefty's Refident in that City.

The 2 MSS, formerly belonging to RcuMin9 now preferved in the Library of The Margrave of BADE-N-DURLAC (together with a 3d MS con taining the book of Pfalms ) have been examined, and their Variations fent me, in the prefent year, by Mr Bruns. Thefe are the 2 MSS, from which, on account of their ( fuppofed ) very high antiquity and extraordinary merit, a new edition of the He brew Bible was propofed to have been made about ten years ago. Their Various Readings are really of confiderable value : and it is particularly obfer- vable, that in one of thefe MSS, after the pro phecy of Malady the next book is Daniel j placed in that order by the Tranfcriber himfelf.

Among the learned Foreigners, by whom I have been favoured with Letters during this year, par ticular mention muft be made of ProfefTor Nagel^ of Altdorff near Nuremberg. From this Gentleman I have learnt, that an Hebrew Bible, in 7 folio volumes, which was lately to be fold, is purchafed for the public Library at Nuremberg. And this valuable MS, together with 3 others, is very for tunately preferved in a Country, where there are Men fo munificent, and animated with fo much Public Spirit, as to order Collations of thefe MSS to be made for me AT THEIR OWN EX PENCE. The generous Perfons, who thus demonftrate their

Zeal

YEAR 1767- 1 17

Zeal for the honour of Revelation, and the com mon benefit cf Europe, are .ttc Illujlrious CHRIS TOPHER CHARLES KRESS DE KRESSENSTEIN, and The Illuftrious P.AUL CHARLES WELSER DE NEUNHOF ; both Knights of the holy Roman Empire. To thefe Patrons the warmeft Thanks, which I can exprefs, are juftly due; and their Examples, if followed, would render this Work compleat, by enabling it to appear at once, with the Various Readings of all the MSS in Europe. An Event this — which, though impolTible upon the prefent Subfcription, might very eaiily be obtained •, if the RICH and the G R E A T in the feveral parts of Europe would, at their own Expence likewife, order Collations to be made of the MSS in their refpec- tive Countries.

With the notice of this munificent offer from Nuremberg, muft be again mentioned the liberal Subfcription, with which my Work has been dif- tinguifhed by THE ACADEMY OF MANNHEIM-, a favour, already taken notice of with proper gra titude : and the Continuance of This Subfcription is here acknowledged with great thankfulnefs.

Due mention has been alfo made of the favour ©f Monf. U Abbe Ladvocat^ late Hebrew Profefibr at The Sorbonne ; who collated, without reward^ fe veral of the Paris MSS : and whofe great zeal for the promotion of this Work appears farther from a Letter of his lately printed, in which are thefe

words

ii8 ACCOUNT VIII.

words — mats nous tfaurons une edition pure et cor- rette du Texte Hebreu, que quant paroitra cells que M. Kennicott Sfavant Anglois nous prepare. Je con- tribuerai de mon cote a /' aider dans cette importante entreprife^ foit en lid communiquant mes remarques^ foit en collationnant tous les Manufcrits Htireux qui font a Paris., et en lui en envoyant les Variantes. * Some of thefe Collations were fent me by the Pro- fefibr himfelf ; and others, made under his care, have been ( fmce his death ) kindly tranfmitted by Monf. Udbbe Le Blond: from whom I have lately received the laft fruits of that Profefibr's benevo lent affiftance. But my advantages from the Sor- lonne by no means ended with that Profeflbr's life ; as he was fucceeded in the Hebrew Chair by my very learned Countryman Monf. UAbbe Hooke, to whom I am under flill greater obligations. For thro' his favour, and the kindnefs of Monf. UAbbe Affeline^ I have received feveral other Collations, partly from the Sorbonne, and partly from the

* A learned Proteftant alfo, Profeflbr Verfcbuir, of Fwic- quer, in his Diflertation lately printed, has honoured my Work with the following approbation. De eo mils et unlverfo erbi Cbr'tjJiano gratulamury quod tot manu exarati codices remanfe- Tintt ex quorum collations genuine left tones a per it is et veri aman- tibus criticis magnam partem facile indagari poffint -, et quod iflum^ iaborem in fe fufceperit B. Kennicottis, vir — a quo optima qu&vis

de hoc opere fperamus public* pro fufcepto hoc utilijpmo cpere

maxima* ago grttias ; nt que ut id ad fnem perducerc conetur, emxe rtgo.

Royal

YEAR 1767. 119

Royal Library at Paris ; and the afiiftance of thefc Gentlemen is obligingly offered, and gratefully accepted, as to fome other MSS.

My thanks however are not due to thefe two Friends, merely for fome Collations ; but alfo, for a thotifand Obligations which they conferred upon me, in perfon, whilfb I was at PA R i s, vifiting the MSS, during the laft fummer. For, convinced of its being my duty to do every thing in my power towards the perfection of my Work, and convinced likewife that many advantages would refult from my own examinations, in a City, which may boaft of near One Hundred Hebrew and Samaritan MSS ; I went, and examined accordingly : and I have the pleafure to acquaint the Reader, that the Vifit has been productive of very great utility to my Work, in various ways. And I here acknowledge, with the warmefl gratitude, the many Favours (hewn to me at Paris, in the moil honourable manner •, particularly, by His Grace THE DUKE DE NIVER- NOIS, and His Excellency THE EARL OF ROCH- FORD. To which Illuftrious Names I muft add that of His Grace The Lord ARCH-BISHOP OF PARIS; who very obligingly ordered feveral Li braries to be examined, where there might poftibly be Hebrew MSS not publickly known : and has fmce condefcended to favour me with a Letter, exprefiive of His great Goodwill to me and to my Work,

The

i2o ACCOUNT VIII.

The ufe of the 37 Hebrew MSS, and 2 Sama ritan, preferved in the very magnificent Library of His MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, was granted me, in the mod obliging manner, by the Royal Librarians Monf. Caperonier and Monf. Bejot. One of the oldeft and beft of thefe Royal MSS, con taining the whole Bible^ has been examined ; and the Various Readings, extracted from it, are nu merous and of great confequence. The treafures of the SORBONNE were freely opened to me like- wife; in which ample library are 29 Hebrew MSS. The fame favour was obtained from the learned Fathers of the ORATORY, as to their 8 Hebrew MSS, and 2 Samaritan j one of thefe is the copy from which Morinus printed, and is the only Sama ritan MS ( out of 1 6 now in Europe) which has yet been made proper ufe of: though the other 4 copies in Paris have the true readings in feveral places, where the MS of Morinus is wrong. The Librarians alfo of St GENOVEFE, St GERMAIN DES PRES, StVicToiRE-, and the MINIM Fathers, very readily communicated their MSS : in the 3d and 4th of which libraries are 2 Hebrew MSS ; in the 2d library are 3 Hebrew MSS and 4 of the Greek Verfion, one of which is above a thoufand years old ; and in the ift library is one Hebrew MS, with a MS of the Samaritan Penta teuch : and, as I found the Samaritan MS to con tain many and valuable Various Readings, it has been fmce collated for me by my learned Friend

Mr

Y E AR 1767.

Mr Lobftein-of Strajlurg. From this fame excellent library was lent me alfo a written Collation ( made by Morinus} of the Samaritan and Hebrew Penta- teuchs ; noting their differences, and frequently adding the authorities of the antient Verfions : which curious MS was tranfcribed for me, while at Paris, by Mr Bruns, who kindly came to me thither from Carlfrube. As the MSS beforemenr tioned were, out of fingular Veneration for my Work, lent me at my own Hotel ; and as I had therefore all the Samaritan MSS at Pans open before me at the fame time: I not only was honoured with a Sight, which perhaps no other perfon ever faw ; but I alfo felt a peculiar pleafure, at beholding thefe precious remains of facred Antiquity, which I hoped to render very ferviceable to the correction of the Hebrew Pentateuch.

Among the many learned and worthy Perfons, who contributed to render my flay at Paris uieful and agreeable •, my Thanks are particularly due to Monf. DE BREQJJIGNY, Monf. DE BEAUMONT, Father BERTIER, and Colonel DROMGOLD. And laitly : I muft make my public acknowledgments to The Prefident and Members of THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF INSCRIPTIONS AND BELLES L E T T R E s, for the great Honour done rne by admitting me a Member of their Illuflrious Socie ty-, which Admiflion is exprefled in the following Diploma.

Extrait

122 ACCOUNT VIII.

Extrait des Regijlres de /' ACADEMIE ROYALE de$ INSCRIPTIONS fc? BELLES LETTRES.

DuFendredi, Sept Aout, 1767. Sur la proportion faite a la Compagnie par M. Le Prefidqnt de donner un temoignage public a" eftime & de confideration a M. Le ~Dotteur Kennicot, qui s'eft fait un nom dans la Republique des Lettres par des outrages ou /' erudition et la critique fe font egalement remarquer^ La Compagnie perfuadee qtfil eft de fon de voir et de fon inter et^ d* entretenir avec les fcavants Grangers un commerce utile au pr ogres des Lettres^ a^ par une deliberation unanimey mis Monjieur Le Dofleur Kennicot au nombre de fes correfpondants, et a charge M. Le Beau, fon Secretaire perpetuel^ de lui expedier des Lettres de Correfpondance fuivant /' ufage $t dans J& forme ordinaire.

En foi de quoi J 'aifigne les prefentes Lettres fcelUes dit fceau de F Academe. Fait a Paris an Louvre k dit jour fept Acut^ 1767.

LE BEAU, Secretaire Perpetuel.

As this Year has been diftinguiflied by two. Events, not already mentioned ; I cannot clofe this Account, without making the mod grateful men tion of Both. The one is — the Honour done me by His Grace The Lord ARCH-BISHOP OF CANTERBURY, and The other GREAT OFFICERS.

YEAR 1767. 123

OF STATE &c. who are Electors of The RAD- CLIFFE Librarian, in appointing me lately to that Office. And the other article, with which I mall conclude this Account, is — my great Obligation to a Lady lately deceafed, whom I had never feen ; Mrs ELIZABETH GRIFFEN, of Wokingham^ Berks : who, from the opinion She had formed of the Ufe- fulnefs of my Work, and of the Labour with which it is attended, has bequeathed to me by Her Will a Legacy of TWO HUNDRED POUNDS ; to be paid by Her Executors, asfoon as I Jh all have compleated the Collation of the Holy Bible, which I have now undertaken.

THE CERTIFICATE

from

*fbe Royal Profeffbr of Hebrew,

nearly the fame as before,

fee in page 109.

ACCOUNT IX. At the End of the Year 1768,

IN the profecution of a Work fo very laborious, as that of collating all the MSS of the Hebrew Bible in our own country, and procuring collations of the beft MSS abroad ( which was at firft thought to require Ten Tears to perfect it) I am truly thankful to DIVINE PROVIDENCE, that I have been fo far blefTed with Health, as to fee the Work advance to the end of the Ninth year, with a fair profpect of its being compleated in the year fol lowing.

Before I enter into the particulars of this year's Progrefs, I muft exprefs myfelf moft gratefully for the Illuftrious Patronage, with which it is flill ho noured ; and for the Public -fpirited Subfcription, by which it has been> for fo many years, fingularly fupported : an acknowledgment, which is the more necefiary at this time, becanfe the Subfcription in this Ninth year is greater than in any year prece ding. And I am very happy in feeing, that the opinion of the Learned is more and more favour able to a Work -y which indeed I find to be of

greater

YEAR 1768. 125

greater and greater confequence, in proportion as more MSS, and alfo more printed Editions, are examined for the Benefit of it.

To the number of 85 MSS at home, before collated, are to be now added 15; fo that the whole number of our own MSS, thus far cpllated, amounts to ONE HUNDRED. Of thefe 1 5 MSS, 2 belong to 'The Mafler and Fellows of St John's Col lege, in Cambridge ; i to the Rev. Dr Barton, War den of Merton College ; and i to the Rev. Mr Price, the Bodley Librarian : and for the ufe of thefe 4 MSS, I defire thefe Gentlemen to accept my public thanks. Another of thefe MSS was pre- fented to me by the Rev. Dr Hunt, our celebrated Hebrew Profeflbr ; whofe Favour to this Work, and its author, cannot be fufficiently acknowledged.

But what has added fuperior luflre to the Work, in the prefent year, is a MS, which I have lately had the honour to purchafe for the Royal Library, by the command of HIS MAJESTY, the Supreme and Munificent Patron of this Work. This curious MS, which contains the whole He brew Bible, has alfo been collated ; and it has one pre-eminence above every other MS I have feen — that it belonged, not only to a SYNAGOGUE ( tho' even that circumftance would have been im portant, as it contains, a multitude of Variations ) but to a Synagogue in JERUSALEM itfelf. For a very celebrated Rabbi, who was born in Spain

in

ia6 ACCOUNT IX.

in 1 194, built a Synagogue at Jerufalem ; and in this Synagogue, ( which was built about 500 years fince ) was this MS (which was written about 400 years fince) preferved with the utmoft veneration, till Jerufalem was taken by the Emperor Setim in 1517. The MS was then feized by a Turkilh Officer, who carried it to Aleppo; where, in 1683, it came into the hands of the celebrated D'Arvieux: and it was afterwards purchafed by an Englifh Gentleman, who brought it home to enrich his own country. In this MS the Pfalms9 Job, and Proverbs., are written in Hemiftics ; as the Hebrew Poetry certainly fliould be. And, tho' it has fuffered by rafures, it has ftill many various Readings, and feveral of confequence : in particular, it has Two Verfes in one place, which are clearly genuine, tho* the Mafora has pronounced them fpurious.

In the lad Annual Account it was mentioned, that 129 Tranfcripts were then depofited in the Bodleian ; and this number is now made 143, by 14 other Tranfcripts, added lately : for which the Principal Librarian has given his Receipt, as ufual.

As to Foreign MSS, I fhall firft mention thofe, which are preferved in the Royal Library at Copen hagen: of which MSS 8 have been collated, and the collations of them received, as mentioned in the account of laft year. And here I acknowledge, with the warmeft gratitude, the Honour of a Pro- mife from His Majefly THE KING OF DENMARK, ( at the recommendation of my Friend His Excel-

YEAR 1768. '127

lency fbe Count de Bernflorff) that not only thefe 8 MSS, but alfo every other in the RoyaJ Library, containing any part of the Hebrew Bible, fhall be fent to England, for my own perfonal infpedtion.

To the collation of 7 MSS, before received from the Ambrofian Library at Milan, are to be now added 5 more ; finiflied by the care of Hsnrico A Porta, the celebrated Profefibr of the Oriental Languages at Pavia ; and the learned Dr Baptifta Branca, the Ambrofian Librarian : which Colla tions were very obligingly brought to England lately by Mr Stewart, at the requeft cf His Ex cellency Sir Horatio Mann, His Majefty's Refident at Florence.

Thro' the care of William Norton Efq\ His Ma- jetty's Minifter at Berne, I have lately received, from the celebrated ProfeiTor Brei linger, the colla tion of a valuable MS of the Hebrew Bible pre- ierved at Zuric.

From Berlin I have this year received a collation of the third part of that MS, which is the moil conficlerable in the Royal Library of His Majefly THE KING OF PRUSSIA. And there being at

o

Brieg in Silejia an Hebrew MS, reprefented by WolfiiiSj as having very many Variations j I have engaged for a complete collation of it.

^1 have lately been favoured with a Letter from M, Qbelin> Public Librarian at Str a/burg; who has,

in

128 ACCOUNT

in a very obliging manner, offered to fend me the Variations of the MSS preferved in that valuable Library : of which MSS he has given me a very particular account, together with a curious fpecimen of their various readings. The other Libraries at Strafburg are now under examination, as to their Hebrew MSS, by my worthy friend Mr Lobftcin ; in confequence of Letters recommendatory from The Lord ARCH-BISHOP of PARIS: and I am fignally obliged to His Grace for frefli afTurances of His Zeal for this Work, exprefled in a Letter which I have not long fmce had the Honour to receive from Him.

As it has been repeatedly proved, that the MSS at Erfurt, which were made ufe of for Michaelis's edition of the Hebrew Bible at Hall^ in 1720, contain Variations much more numerous and im portant than are inferted in that edition ; I have lately defired, that a new and compleat collation may be made of the oldeft and befl of thefe MSS.

While thefe feveral collations are making for this Work, with other collations not before-mentioned ; particularly at Nuremberg by ProfefTor Nagel, at the Expence of the Illuftrious C. C. KRESS de Kreffenftein, and the Illuftrious P. C. WE L s E R de Nennkofi and at Paris, by the free fervices of my very learned Friend Monf. UAbbe AJfeline, Dr and Profeflbr of the Sorbonne ; and while every othar attempt in my power has been made, towards en riching

YEAR 1768. 129

Hching this Work from the various Countries of EUROPE : other parts of the World ( how great foever the difficulties of enquiry there, and how ever unpromising the profpect ) have not been unattended to.

My Friend General Melvill, whom I had re- quefted to examine in AMERICA, has lately allured me, that, after many enquiries, he could hear of no Hebrew MSS there, but what were very modern. AFRICA has largely contributed to wards the prefent Work ; particularly, by the MSS purchafed in Cairo at the command of His Majefly The late KING OF DEN MARK. At Conftantinopk a curious MS was purchafed, and has been kindly prefented to me, by His Excellency Sir James Porter. And if we pafs from thence into ASIA; there even Jertifalem itfelf has furnifhed a compleat MS, which has been already celebrated, and be longs now to The Royal Library in Great Britain.

Much has been reported, concerning Hebrew MSS preferved in China-, particularly, at Cai-fong~ fa. And as the leaft poffibility of procuring fome- thing, either MS itfelf, or Collation of a MS, from that very diftant part of the Globe, was fufficient to engage my earned attention ; I have been lately enabled to lend thither a CommifTion, either for purchafmg a MS, or procuring fomc Collation : for which latter purpofe I have aifo fent to Canton a printed Hebrew Bible. And for the

R

130 ACCOUNT IX*

opportunity of making this attempt I am exceed ingly obliged to Frederick Pigou^ Efq; whom I de- fire to accept my public acknowledgments for his very benevolent affidance.

I mall clofe this Annual Account with one arti cle of intelligence •, which I have referved for the la(l, becaule it is the moil important. The very firft edition of the Hebrew Bible, printed in 1488, and fortunately purchafed by my Friend Mr Sanford (as mentioned in the lad Annual Account) has been now compleatly collated with the edition of Van. Hooght, in 1705 ; and the Variations between thefe editions ( the former printed more agreeably to the oldefl and bell MSS, and the latter to the latefl and word ) have been carefully computed. And now, to the great Surprize of the Learned through Europe — of thofe, who acknowledged Jbme differences and corruptions in the printed copies — as well as of thofe, who infided on their abfolute agreement and integrity — I fay, to the Surprize of the Learned univerlally, I acquaint them, that the Words, which here vary either in the Whole or in fome Part, amount to above

TWELVE THOUSAND!

Now from this Difcovery arife the following very intereding Quedions. How are we to determine between thefe 2. Editions, in thefe 12000 in- ilances ? Are we, without any reafon, to prefer either Edition unwerfally -, or to prefer fometimes

the

YEAR 1768. 131

the one, fometimes the other? If neither, without a reafon ; what reafon can there be fo good, as fbe Concurrence of MSS ? And if the Authority of MSS ( together with that of the antient Verfions, Context &c.) is to determine ; does not this de- monftrate— I will not fay, the great Expediency, but — the abfolute NECESSITY of collating fuch MSS, that fo the Learned may judge, the more fafely, between thefe printed Editions of a Book, which is of fuch vaft Importance ? If, then, the NECESSITY of this Work be certain ; how grateful ought the Public to be, and Pofterity will be for ages to come, to ALL THOSE, who have patronized a Work fo very beneficial to Mankind !

If the Work, thus in every year confirmed by more and flronger Authorities, and thus fupported with encreafing Zeal by the Generofity of the Pub- lie, lhall be publiflied by the perfon, who has thus far conduced it ; if be jhall live to introduce to the World the refult of all thefe Sacred Enquiries : the grateful Dedication of his Work to ALL ITS PATRONS will form a very pleafmg part of his Duty, in that Publication. At prefent; the whole in his power is, to publifh annually, with his warmed Thanks, the Names of THE SUBSCRIBERS: and the Catalogue of Them for this Year is given, as ufual, after the following Certificate.

R 2

132 ACCOUNT IX-

?HE CERTIFICATE.

TH E Delegates of the Prefs , in the Univerfity of Oxford, having in January 1760 fubfcribed to Dr Kennicott's Collation of the Hebrew MSS ; and having inferted in an Order then made the following words [ Thai their Subjcription be continued at the beginning of every Tear, upon Dr Kennicott's producing a Certificate from the Royal ProfeJJor of Hebrew ', that in his 'Judgment Dr Kennicott hatb mads a competent Progrefs in the faid Work during the Tear preceding ; ] and the faid Delegates, as well as the Uni- vefity of Cambridge, having in the beginning of the prefent Year again renewed their Subfcription to this Work on condition of a Certificate from me, as before-mentioned ; and Dr Kennicott having applied to me for fuch a Cer tificate : I do hereby accordingly Certify, for the Satis faction of both thefe Univerfities, and of fuch Perfons as have encouraged this Work by their Subfcriptions, that the feveral Parts of the Collation, made during this Ninth Year, have been laid before me ; and my Opinion is, that Dr Kennicott hath made a very competent Progrefs in the faid Collation. Upon confidering fevera] of the Various Readings, which he has already difcovered in the Hebrew MSS ; I think this Work will be of very confi- derable Service to Sacred Literature. And as the Work appears to be of greater and greater confequence, in proportion as more MSS are collated ; I cannot but take this opportunity of congratulating the Patrons of it, on jts being now fo far advanced, and brought fo near to a Conclufion.

T H O. HUNT,

CIriJ?- Churcb;

. 30, 176^. Regius Profejfor of Hebrew*

( '33 )

ACCOUNT X; At the End of the Year 1769

Concluding THE WHOLE WORK,

WH E N I undertook the Collation of the Hebrew MSS of the Old Teftament, my mind was greatly affedted with very different con- fiderations ; fome of which it may not be improper to ftate here, when I am about to acquaint the Public with the CONCLUSION of this Undertaking.

The certain Importance of this Work to The Public — the poffible confequences of it to myfelf* in various ways ; particularly, as to the Injury which my Conftitution would probably fuffer, from the Labour and very clofe Application neceflary for many Years — the Exhortations of thofe, who zealoufly recommended it — and the Difpofition of others to cenfure both the Work itfelf, and the Me thod of condu&ing it, be that Method whatever it would — furnifhed out a multitude of refledtions, and topics of very difagree^ble as well as agreeable

poflibility.

134 ACCOUNT X.

poflibility. Some of thefe circumftances would perhaps have induced any man, not blefled with uncommon Health ( as I then was ) to tremble and decline the Tafk ; and yet other confederations, particularly that of devoting the moft ufeful part of life to the nobleft purpofe, prevailed with me at laft to undertake it.

TH E BIBLE had ever appeared to me a Book of infinite confequence to myielf and the reft of Mankind ; and I confidered it as a Gift worthy of GOD, and worthy of all human acceptation. The many Difficulties, formerly occurring in the per- vifal of it, I had ufually attributed to my own Ig norance, particularly of the Original Text, and to the' Want of Exactnefs in our Englifli Tranflation.

When I learnt the Hebrew language, and for fome years afterwards ; I was of the fame opinion with moft Divines, that every Word and Letter in the printed Hebrew Text was pure and genuine. I therefore concluded, that neither the real Obfcu- rities, nor the apparent Inconfiftencies, were at all chargeable to the Inaccuracy of Tranfcribers ; and of courfe, that a Remedy was not to be fought, or would be fought to no good purpofe, in any attempt to correct the printed Hebrew Text.

However, being difpofed to give up even this opinion, if it was found wrong, I became after wards convinced of my Miftake ; and when con vinced

Y EAR 1769. 13$

vinced upon evidence, which feemed abundantly fatisfaftory, I thought it my duty to endeavour to convince others. I ventured accordingly to publifh my Reafons. And, in order to awaken others to a juft fenfe of the true State of the Old Teftament ; I produced fuch parts of it, as were either not to be explained by themfelves, or not to be rendered

confident with other parts, without allowing

that tbe prefent Text is much corrupted. And at the fame time, that the Diforder was pointed out, a Remedy was prefcribed ; or rather, was difcovered. For I found upon enquiry, that there were in Eng land very many facred Hebrew MSS, at that time quite undiflurbed, at lead not at all made ufe of. And in thefe MSS I found more than fufficient proofs of the Fallibility of Jewifh Tranfcribers, in general ; and alfo fome of thofe particular readings, which, tho' different from the printed Text, I had before fet down as true.

Such a Difcovery as this — of MSS, containing the whole or parts of a Book moil juftly venerable — and thefe MSS, very many in number — and MSS, which had never been attended to, though they contained Thoufands of Variations ; many of which were of real confequence to the Honour of REVELATION — fuch a Difcovery could not but engage the attention of thofe, who were at all friends to Learning and to Religion. This was in deed the confequence. But then, while the Learned ivere thankful, and much pleafed with the happy

confe-

t$6 ACCOUNT X.

confequences likely to refult from corredling the miftakes in our printed Heb. Bible ; fome thought it right to vilify the man, who thus offered his Difcovery •, reflecting on him illiberally and very abfurdly, for writing ( as they called it ) againfl the word of God.

Now, though Abufe, from men of zeal without knowledge, is the reverfe of difgrace ; it was ftill more honourable to receive Approbation from Men eminent for Literature and Piety, and diflinguifhed alfo by their Rank in Life. And, being animated by fuch Friends as Thefe to purfue the fame en quiries, after publifhing One Differ tation on this fubjedb, I fpent Six Years in preparing and pub lifhing a Second ; which, at the fame time that it proved more fully the Expediency of examining Hebrew MSS, gave notice of many other fuch MSS, worthy of examination.

But, though I endeavoured as much as poflible to recommend a Collation of thefe MSS, yet I did not mean to recommend myfelf for the Collator ; or indeed as any of thofe, who poffibly might be prevailed upon to undertake a Work of fuch vaft fatigue. Having, however, been applied to by the Delegates of our Univerfity - Prefs, to whom the Royal Profeffbr of Hebrew had recommended me ; and having been repeatedly and earneftly exhorted to it by fo Great a Perfon as The late ARCH BISHOP of CANTERBURY: I, at laft, in the

begin-

YEAR 1769, 137

beginning of the year 1760, told His Grace, that I confented j and that I was refolved to apply my- fclf wholly to this Employment — provided, // was made prudent for me in point of Circumfiances. And as I forefaw, that great Encouragement would be granted to the l¥orky which indeed has fince proved much greater than I expected ; ib I made no doubt, but a generous Attention would be fhewn to the perfon undertaking it : who thus neglected every other purfuit, for the fake of this one ; and who was thus deftined to grow old, in the Service of the Public.

That the Work, thus entered upon, might no^ appear romantic and impracticable ; and be deemed either impoflible, or unlikely, to be brought to a conclufion, at lead during the lives of thofe who fo much wifhed the performance of it; it feemed right to confine the Work to fuch MSS> as were preferred, and the ufe of which could be obtained, in our own Country : with the declared intention of procuring ( during that interval ) Collations of as many of the beft Foreign MSS, as Time and £#- pence would allow.

After the moft exact calculation I was capabje of making, I publifhed my opinion — that the Colla tion, thus undertaken, would probably be finifhed in TEN YEARS. And how long foever fuch a Time might then, and may ftill, appear to men, not much acquainted with the nature of this Work;

S yet

138 ACCOUNT X.

yet thofe, who can eitimate the comparing of a printed copy, Letter after Letter^ with every Word of every Chapter^ in ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY Hebrew MSS, will perhaps be aftonifhed, that 'Twenty Years were not found necefTary, inftead of fen. Efpccially, when it is added — that every fuch Collation, containing its whole catalogue of QmiffionSy Additions^ Tranfpofitions &c, with all its marks vi-Rafures &c, ( fee pag. 35 — 43 ) was to be tranfcribed -, and cither the original Collation, or its TranicrJpt, depofited in the Bodleian library. And this confiderable addition of labour was flill further increafed, at my own choice ; becaufe I thought it right ( though this was not required ) that Copies of all the Foreign Collations mould be taken, and depofited, likewife.

The Account, publifhed at the end of the year 1768, mentioned, that One Hundred of our own Hebrew MSS were then collated. And I have now the pleafure to acquaint the Public, that the Whole Remainder of our own MSS ( i. e. all, which I, could difcover, and obtain the uie of) are now collated likewife. So that, on Hating this Account, which concludes the TE N.T H Year, I find myfelf intitled to one comfortable reflection, feldom if ever due to Public Undertakers of any kind, that of having ftriffly kept my word, and finiihing exactly -at the time which I had named near Ten Tears ago. And this circumftance is, I confefs, not the lefs agreeable, becaufe it will mortify fome men of

little

YEAR 176-9. 139

little minds ; who ( whether from envy, or malice, or whatever other evil principle ) have been known to infinuate — that, no doubt ^ the Undertaker cf 'this Work^ having it in his -power to be fecret in the Ma nagement of his Collation, would take care to protraul

O J -L

it fo prudently ', as to make it a good Settlement for Life. How far this benevolent intimation may have been juftly grounded, will appear more clearly at the conclufion of this Account. For from thence

the Reader will be better qualified to judge

Whether the Undertaker of this Work has, or has not, afted in the profecution of it, with as much Difintereflednefs^ or at lead with as much Zeal for his Work and the Public^ as the Public, however generous, have mewn for his Work and him.

As to the preceding calculation of Ten Years, it fhould be obferved, that fo much time was fup- pofed necefTary for examining only the Mamftripts of the Hebrew Bible ; and fuch only of thofe MSS, as were then difcovered: feveral others having been fmce found, and collated, likcwife. And as to the printed Editions ; a collation of fbem was not at firft judged to be at all neceflary. So very nearly, or rather fo exactly, had thefe been all thought to agree, excepting the fingle edition of the Hagiographa in 1487 •, that the collation of no printed Edition, excepting that one, was at firft intended.

S 2 But,

140 ACCOUNT X.

But, how greatly has this Work been extended, beyond the firft idea of it ! — not only by the ad dition of feveral other MSS — but alfo, by the addition of Six printed Editions of the Whole Old Teflament ; and of Six printed Editions of very large Parts of it : for in thefe Twelve Editions arc contained near ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY six THOUSAND Verfes. And here, if any one Ihould be difpofed to look back upon the term of fen Tears -9 and pleafantly remark the wonderful Exaftnefs of that Calculation, which required juft fo much time merely for the MSS, or rather for a part of them ; and yet could find room alfo for fuch very large Additions : I would fuggeft to fuch remarker — that my Expedition did in part depend on the Number of my Afiiftants — that as the

Work increafcd, fo did the Subfcription to it

and therefore, being enabled to employ more Af- fiftants, I chofe to do fo ; in order, that not one fingle Year's Subfcription fhould be occafioned by the Collation, beyond what was computed ori- ginally.

The very numerous and interefting Variations in fo many printed Editions, efpecially the oldcft, as it was a kind of evidence totally unexpected, fo was it the more welcome, for -appearing when a Collation of the MSS was far advanced. The Work had before, while refting on the many differences in the MSS, been recommended only on the point

of

YEAR 1769. 141

of EXPEDIENCY; but, when fupported alfo by the many differences in the printed copies, was, as it demanded to be, urged and prefled more ftrongly, as a matter of NECESSITY. And indeed thofe, who have marked with careful attention the rife and progrefs of this Work, muft have feen with perhaps fingular furprize — how, new light and frefh evidence have arifen, in the feveral ftages of it ! As if certain parts of the compleat Difcovery had been referved, occafionally to anfwer thefe two purpofes ; to re-invigorate the Mind, when almoft finking under the labours of enquiry : and to in- fpire the Patrons of the Work ( as it did the far greater part of them ) with fuch an increafing con viction of it's moment, that, fo far from being weary with well - doing^ they feemed to contribute with the more zeal, the longer they contributed.

It may here be ufeful, and not unentertaining, to bring together the feveral points in queftion, relative to this Work ; with a Confutation of each Objection, made to it : as fuch a Juxta-pofition will render the whole Matter much more clear, and carry with it more full Conviction.

Cafe the FIRST. About 20 years fince I at tempted a correction of fome errors in the printed Hebrew Text, by comparing 2 parallel Chapters ; in doing which, the only helps, befides the great advantages of that Parallelism^ were the Context and the Antient Verftons, But here it was eafy to

objed,

ACCOUNT 3t.

object, that a fcheme of correction, formed upon theft principles, would have been much more fatisfaftory, bad there been any Hebrew MSS, which confirmed any of thefe emendations. The force of this objection is granted ; and it was aftually forefeen. MSS there fore were fought after, and found ; by which fe- veral of thefe corrections, before made,, were ac tually confirmed.

Objection 2. BUT, how could the Antient Ver-

fions fupport any alteration of the Hebrew Text ?

ivhen they are bad Paraphrases rather than good Ver- fions : becaufe none of their numerous and great diffe rences from our Hebrew Text are at all countenanced by^ Hebrew MSS. Thus had men long affirmed, without the lead proof; indeed, in a matter totally unexamined : and in defiance of the ftrongeft proofs to the contrary, at that very time extant in the MSS themfelves. For in thofe MSS, which I at firfl difcovered, I foon met with feveral readings, entirely different from the printed Hebrew copies ; and exactly agreeing with the Greek, Syriac, and other Antient Verfions.

3. BUT, as the MSS, thus difcovered, were not many ; perhaps thefe would have been contradicted, or invalidated, by other MSS in England, or by MSS in Foreign countries. The very contrary was expected, as the reful t of further enquiry. Further enquiry was made, and other MSS were found at home ; and upon enquiries alfo abroad, many MSS were

found

YEAR 1769- 143

found there likewife : almoft every one of them proving the Fallibility of its Tranfcriber, and many of them confirming flill more amply the authority of the Antient Verfions.

4. BUT, whatever be the condition of thefe MSS ; yet are they, when taken all together, but very few, compared with the printed Editions. So far from thefe MSS being few, they amount to about 500. My firft DifTertation fpecified 70, in our own Country •> where I have fmce difcovered as many more. And if I fhould add about 90, which I have feen in France, together with thofe fent to me at Oxford from other Foreign parts ; the whole number, which I myfelf have feen, and in part examined, amounts to about 250 — half the number of the whole, known at prefent in Europe. In the fcale, oppofite to all thefe MSS, are to be now put our modern printed editions ; which, as they are almofl all taken from the edition of Ben Chalm, in 1525, are reducible in point of authority nearly to that one edition. The oldefl editions, which were printed on a very different plan ( /. e. not from MSS the moft perfeflly Maforetical, which were the latefl^ but from MSS the leafl Maforetical, which were the oldefl) are now very fcarce and uncommon; and indeed thefe fall not within the force of this ob- jedion.

5. BUT, however numerous the MSS, now extant, way be -3 they are all late and modern : therefore not

to

144 ACCOUNT X,

to be compared with thofe ufed by the Maforetic Doc tor -j, above 1000 years ago ; and from thefe MSS was our Text taken. MSS, of 600, 700 and 800 years of age, are certainly not modern ; and to this antiquity may feveral of thefe MSS fairly pre tend. A MS, not more than 600 years old, is of refpedable antiquity ; efpecially, when compared with one of 400 or 300 : and it is from MSS of thefe later dates, that our common printed Editions have been derived. The Editions muft agree with the MSS, from which they have been taken. The modern Editions agree, and they agree only, with the lateft and worft MSS ; whereas the older the MSS are, the more they vary from the modern Editions, and vary almoft univerfally for the better.

6. BUT, as the Chaldee Paraphrafe was taken from MSS near the time of Chrift ; and as that Para- fhrafe agrees with the modern Hebrew Bibles, in many of the places charged with late corruption : fuch places are certainly uncorrupted. This objection, which has a plaufible appearance at firft, will im mediately vanifh ; when it is obferved, that the modern Chaldee Paraphrafe is ( for it has been proved from Chaldee MSS — fee my Second Dif- fertation, pag. 177 &c : ) wilfully altered, in feve ral places, to make it agree with the modern He brew Text.

7. BUT, as the Samaritan Pentateuch is fo noto- rioufly corrupted ^ the Hebrew Text muft be preferred^

wherever

YEAR 1769* 145

wherever it differs from the Samaritan. There are indeed many grofs errors in the Samaritan Penta teuch, as it is printed in the London Polyglott ( an edition in general highly excellent and meritorious) but then the Samaritan MSS are free from, and will therefore correct, thefe errors. And indeed the Samaritan Pentateuch mould, in my opinion, be held very precious ; becaufe I apprehend, that fome places in the Hebrew Pentateuch will never be intelligible, nor others ever become defenfible, till corrected agreeably to the Samaritan. And it is very material to obferve, that the older even the Hebrew MSS are, the more they agree with the Samaritan. Of the Samaritan Pentateuch I have feen TWE LVE MSS : only Sixteen are now known in Europe -, and, of thefe, Eight are collated for my Work already. As to this Pentateuch, fee alfo the preceding pages 56 and 57.

8. BUT, any fond hopes of great matters from Hebrew MSS muft be ill-grounded : the trial has been made, and publ'Jhed •, for 5 MSS, at Erfurt , were feletted to adorn the Hebrew Bible printed by Michae- Its, at Hall, in 1720 ; and the various readings, therein exhibited from thefe MSS, are fo few, and thefe few fo trifling, that it is a wonder hew the Col lators could fo weary themf elves for very vanity ! This would indeed be a little difcouraging, if it were really fact. But the truth is, that thefe MSS have been ftrangely mifreprefented, in that edition-, and that they contain important Variations, which were

T not

146 ACCOUNT X.

not fuffered to appear in that Bible. For the learned Editor, being a devotee to the Mafora, publifhcd fuch Variations only, as would not difgrace the Text Maforetically now eftablifhed. The proof of this important article has been already mentioned, in page 86. But I cannot again mention this Dif- covery, without celebrating that very ingenuous candour, and that ardent love of truth ( fuperior to every Family confideration ) which rendered my very learned Friend Profefibr M i c H A E L i s, not only zealous to find out the real fact, but allb ready to communicate it.

9. BUT, all thefe Hebrew MSS, now fo pompoufly recommended, are fpurious, and full of Faults -, and were fold by Jews to Chriftiam, becaitfe not worthy of admiffion into the Synagogues. — So eafy a thing it is, to affirm roundly, without the leaft fhaddw of proof ! If indeed it be a crime to differ from the printed copies, in having readings more agree able to the Context, more agreeable to the Antient VerfionS) and more agreeable to the New Teftament; then muil thefe MSS, efpecially the older of them, plead Guilty : otherwife, every fuch Variation ex alts their Honour, and encreafes our Obligation. Some of thefe MSS were written by renowned Rabbles ; and others, for the ufe, or at the com mand, of their Princes and Great Men. There is one, above 550 years old, written in the days of Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, and therefore probably by that famous Rabbi bimfelf, becaufe it contains his

Commentary 5

Y E. A R I 769. 147

Commentary, in which MS are many and valuable Variations. And I have found many and valuable Variations, in another MS ; which did belong to a Syvagogue, and to a Synagogue in Jerufalem itfelf ; which was preferved there, as very precious and very venerable : but it now belongs to the mag nificent Library of His Majefty TH E KING OF GREAT BRITAIN. . See a further account of this curious MS, already given in page 125.

i O. BUT, as all the Printed topics , in whatever fart of the World printed, have very nearly , if not abfolutely, the fame Text ; that Text^ thus uniformly eftablifoed, muft have been taken from MSS better, and more to be depended on^ than thofe now produced with, fuch very Jlrange Variations. What is here fuppofed, or rather taken for granted, has lately been found, not only to be without foundation, but alfo to be the very reverfe of the truth ; becaufe fame of the printed Editions differ from other -j, as much as the MSS do from the printed Editions, and from one another. One only, which is the very firft edition of the whole Hebrew Bible, printed in 1488, has more than 12000 Variations from the Text, as now commonly printed ; very many of which Variations greatly affect the Senfe. See this Edition further celebrated, in the prece ding pages 112 and 130.

Laftly. BUT, as this one may be the only printed Edition^ which has many and great Variations , // may

T 2 have

148 ACCOUNT X.

have been taken from a 'very bad MS. The perad- ventures, in this laft objection, can prove nothing. And how feeble and vain are Conjectures, when confronted by real Facts ! The edition of the Ha- giograpba, printed in 1487, and that of the whole Bible i printed in 1494, having alfo been collated for this Work, are found to contain Thoufands of Variations ; many of which are of indifputable im portance. And yet, thefe two Editions differ fo much from each other, and from that of 1488, as to prove, that they were not printed from one an other. See thefe editions of 1487, and 1494, mentioned before, in pages 101- — 104.

In confequence of the Difcovery Jaft mentioned, and of the feveral other Difcoveries fpecified in the articles preceding, it follows, with the force of Demonftration — that a careful Collation of the befl Hebrew MSS, and of the oldeft printed Editions^ is THE METHOD abfolutely neceffary to be taken^ in order to the forming of a proper judgment \ concerning the Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament. And there fore, fmce we have now feen the various Objec tions, attended with their feveral Confutations ; fmce we have been witnefles to the lafl breathings of a dying Opinion, concerning the Integrity of what is greatly corrupted ; and fmce the abfolute Neceffity of fuch a Collation, as I have undertaken, is at lafl proved to univerfal Satisfaction : I cannot but congratulate the Public, on this Collation being now completed,

But

YEAR 1769. 149

But it is by no means my prefent intention to wait upon The SUBSCRIBERS to this Work, only with this general notice, that The Collation is now JimJ/jed. They will receive pleafure from fome particulars, which have diftinguifhcd this conclu ding Year ; and thefe therefore I think it my duty to lay before Them.

The firft article, which I mall fpecify, becaufe it is an article of fingular Honour to my Work, is this — that the Snlfcriftion, fo far from finking to wards the clofe of this long Work, was in the year 1768 larger than at any time before, and in this the concluding year it has rifen above the year preceding.

The Augmentation, in this lad year, is princi pally owing to the Munificence of His Mofl Serene Higbnefsi THE PRINCE OF ORANGE, Stallholder, Captain General &c. of The United Provinces ; the great Honour of whofe Patronage is here acknow ledged with the utmofl gratitude. The addition of this exalted Name, a Name juftiy dear to every true Englifhman, gives the chief Luftre to this Undertaking — next to The Auguft Name of The Sovereign of thefe Kingdoms, His BRITANNIC MAJESTY. The Patronage of His Mod Serene Highnefs, unfollicited from hence, was benevo lently obtained by the application of that Macenas of Literature Greffier FA GEL-, and to Him the State of this Work had been made known by the learned and very celebrated Mr Cbcis at the Hague.

I..50. A C G D U N T X.

This reverend and worthy Gentleman ( who has obliged the World with an excellent Illuftratiori of the Old Teflament, as.far as the end. of Samuel) furprized me by the notice of this Patronage \ in a Letter fo exceedingly obliging, and-fo very honour able both to my Work and to -myfelf, that I can not deny my Friends the pleafure of perufing it.

Monfieur

Quoique je n'aie pas Phonneur d'etre connu de Vous je ri*ai pas laiffe de prendre une part fincere au louable deffcin, dont I 'execution Vous occupe^ et a la gloire dont Vous Vous couvrez par la conftance de vos efforts, pour rendre autant qidl fera pojffible au Texte Sacre du V. jf. fa purete originate \ en collationnant une multitude de Manufcripts Hebreux, jufquici negliges^ ou inconnus.

Uexpofition que Vous avez faite Vous meme de votre projety le compte que Vous avez rendu annuellement de vcs premieres decouvertes, et plus encore vos favantes Differ tations^ ont fuffifamment inftruit le Public^ de ce que r Eglife peut attendre, de votre zele, de votre habilefe, et de votre patience ', dans la conduit e d J une entreprife, dont le but fait r eloge^ et dont le fucces inter -effe Ji dire clement /' honneur de la Religion et de fes Miniftres.

Votre dernier ecrit en particulier (je parle^ Mon fieur , de vos doftes Observations fur le celebre pajfage du i . Livre de Samuel Chap. VI. 1 9 ) a acbeve de rendre la chofe fenfible^ aux perfonnes memes^ en qui V amour de la verite tfeftaccompagne d'aucun des fee ours

de

YEAR' 1769. 151

de I* erudition. Et fi, four donner un native au relief a vos travaux, aux yetix des Savant, que leur gout on leur vocation attachent a I' etude de la literature orien- tale, il ne falloit plus, que munir vos recbercbes, du Sceau d'une approbation generalement r effect ee, qu'eft ce qu'on peut y defirer, apres V approbation diftingme du Prelat illuftre, a qui le Public eft redevable de /' in comparable Traite fur la Poefie des Plebreux ?

.J'aurois cru, Monfieur, qu' apres le fuffrage d'un fi grand Juge, fans comptcr les afflaudijfemens, de tant d'autres Savans dont .les Royaumes Eritanniques abbondent, et Paccueil unanime que ceux des pays d'en deca la mer ont fait a vos demarches et a vos produc tions, tout auroit concouru a applanir fous vos pas les difficult es qui ret ardent rentier accompliJJ'ement d9 un Ouvrage, dont I' importance eft fi tiniverfellement re- connue. Ce n'a ete qu'avec une fiirprife extreme, que j'ai vu par votre Lettre a Milord Eveque a19 Oxford, que les fecours manquent encore a vos vceux ; et'cela meme, Monfieur^ m?a fait prefumer, qtfaffuriment votre modeftie dejjervoit votre zele, contre vcs propres defirs.

J ' ai une preuve a Vous en donner, qui ne fauroit Fous deplaire. 'Tout recemment une Perfonne, que fon rang et fa piete rendent doublement refpettable, a bien voulu fe prefer a entrctenir Monfeigneur le Prince a1' Orange, de I'utilite de vos Travaux, et du point cit Vous avez deja amene le grand Ouvrage, dont Feus Vous etes charge. Ce Prince, digne beritier des Vertus de fes glorieux Ancetres, aime la Religion parce qu'il la connoit. On le trouve toujours pret a fe porter avec

ardeur^

152 ACCOUNT X.

ardeur, a tout ce qui pent en etendre I9 empire, par des moyens dignes d 'elle, par ce qu'il en fent I' excellence et qu'une piet'e eclair ee anime en lid un penchant genereux a procurer le bonbeur du genre humain. Des qtfil a ets lien injlruit tie vos vues et de leur importance, il a te- moigni, qu'il fe feroit un ptaifir d'en encourager r exe cution. Tout de fuite, il y a deftim Cinquante Limes Sterling par an, pour le temps ccnvenable ; fi je ne me trompe pour cinq ans : et j'ai ordre, Monfieur, de Vous le faire f avoir, afin que Vous puiffiez prendre des me- furcs, pour jouir des que Vous le trouverez a propos^ des commencemens d'une faveur, qui fans doute Vous paroitra d'autant plus precieufe, que Vous ne Vous y attendiez pas.

Si me 3 foins peiwent Vous etre de qitelque utilite foit pour faire parvenir vos fentimens a Monfeigneur k Prince Stadbcuder, foit pour recevoir du nreforier de S. A. S. la fomme qui Vcus eft aftuellement affignee ; Vcus n'avez, Monfieur, qu9 a difpofer de moL C 'eft avec les fentimens d'une confederation diftingu'ee, et au milieu des voeux les plus purs, pour votre confervation et pour le fucces de <vos pieux travaux^ quej'ai Vhon-

neur d'etre,

• i

Monfieur, Votre tres humble

& tres olei/ant Serviteur

A la Haye, le 22 Man 1769. C. CHAIS

Pafteur Emerite de I'Eglife Wahnne de la Haye.

YEAR 1769. 153

The Eight MSS, belonging to His Majefty THE KING OF DENMARK, which had been collated for me at Copenhagen, have been in this year fent to England, and brought to Oxford, for my own perfonal infpedion of thecn : as I was particularly defirous of feeing the CharaRers, and Modes of Writing, together with the Ages^ of thofe MSS, which had been, with a Liberality fo truly Royal, collected out of Africa and Afia. And I beo- leave, in this public manner like wife, to exprefs my warmefl Thanks to The Royal Proprietor of thefe valuable MSS ; for having, in a very con- defcending manner, both promifed them, and caufed them to be fent hither. The time, when I applied for a fight of thefe MSS, was foon after His Danifh Majefty had honoured our Univerfity with His Prefence ; and with His gracious Accep tance of that profound Refpect, which we were proud of mewing to fo Amiable a Monarch. And as this fignal Favour, of commanding all thefe MSS to be fent hither, was in a great meafure granted by way of Compliment to this Univerfity •, it is neceflary, that fuch a Compliment mould be af- certained. The following is therefore the Letter, with which I was then honoured, and I acknow ledge myfelf honoured exceedingly, by my II- luftrious Friend His Excellency The Count DE BERNSTORFF.

U Rev.

154 ACCOUNT X,1

Rev*. Sir,

I acknowledge moft gratefully your kino* Remembrance, and the Proofs of the fame with which Ton have been pleafed to honour me in your much ef- teem'd Letter of the 2 ifi. inftant. I beg You will be fully perfuaded, Revd. Sir, of my conftant and ardent Defire to foew Ton upon every occajion, how great a Value I put upon your Friend/hip, how glad I am to have had the Pleafure of making your perfonal Ac quaintance, and how fincerely I wi/h to do Tou any Service in my Power. It is in conference a real Satis faction to me to be able to inform Tou, Revd. Sir., that your Defires having been laid before the King, His Majefty, out of a true Regard for the Univerfity of Oxford, and particularly in order to ajfift Tou in your laudable Undertaking, has been pleafed to grant your Requeft without any difficulty. I am forry to fee the Seafon of the Tear jo far advanced, and the Rifks of the Sea in the approaching Wint er -Month s fo confider- able, that the immediate Conveyance of the MSS from Copenhagen to Baron Diede will not be thought fafe under thefe circumftances. But I jhall not be wanting, in obedience to His Majefty* s Orders, to take due Care, after my return to Denmark, to fee them tranfmitted hither, for your Ufe and Examination, by the very fa "ft Opportunity. I beg, Tou will depend upon it, RevJ. Sir ; and be ajfured of the fentiments of great Truth and diftinguifid Efteem, with which I have the Honour to be, Revd. Siry

Tour moft obedient bumble Servant^

London^ Sept. 29, 1 768. B E R N S T O R F F.'

YEAR 1769

Another article, in the courfe of this year, highly honourable to this Work, is — that one MS, be longing to the Archiepifcopal library of St Sepulchre in Dublin, has been obligingly collated for me by my Friend The Right Reverend The Lord Bijhop of D ROM ORE ; aflifted by the learned and worthy Dr Forfayeth, Hebrew Profefibr in Trinity College, Dublin. And a greater Honour could not have been done to any part of the Work, than to have it performed by a Prelate of fuch diflinguifhed Abilities in general ; and whofe uncommon Know ledge of the Original Languages of the Bible is well known to thofe, who are happy in His Lord- fhip's Acquaintance.

The next article, which demands my prefent Thanks, is the Favour fhewn to my Work by the learned ProfefTor Lilienthal^ Head -Librarian at Koenigfljerg ; where, in the Royal library, are 2 Hebrew MSS. Thefe has the worthy Profeflbr been fo good as to collate, unfollicited by me, and unrewarded — excepting by my grateful Acknow ledgment of the Services he has done to the Pub lic, by promoting the perfection of this Work. In the very accurate Collations, which I have re ceived of thefe MSS, are found many and valuable Various Readings : the firft MS contains the Pen- tateuch, Megilloth, Haphtaroth^ Job, and part of Jeremiah •, the fecond contains the Prophets and Hagiograpba*

U 2 In

15$ ACCOUNT X.

In the Accounts for 1767 and 1768 (fee pages 116 and 128 ) mention was made of Profeflbr Na~ gel, at Altdorff', and of his being generoufly em ployed to collate, for this Work, 4 Hebrew MSS, preferved at Nuremberg : the firft of which is a magnificent MS, in 7 Folio volumes, containing the whole Hebrew Bible. The collations of thefe MSS, fo far as they contain from the beginning of Gene/is to the end of Kings > have been tranfmitted to me, and received, in the prefent year ; together with many Variations, out of the Talmuds both of Jerufalem and Babylon, and out of other books of Rabbinical Antiquity. And for this very accept able Prefent, though but a part of the intended Benefadtion, I here exprefs my beft Thanks to the Illullrious Perfons, who have ordered the Collations to be made, and to the learned Profeflbr for his Care in making them. The remainder of that Col lection, when finifhed, will be received with equal thankfulnefs,

But here, a doubt may arife with fome of my Readers ; who may not readily reconcile what was faid before, concerning this Work being now conclu ded^ with what is laid in the laft paragraph, con cerning further addition to be ftill made to it. And this circumftance leads me to enlarge here, on what will conftitute a very material part of the prefent Account ; namely, an Aniwer to this Queftion — What is to be now done ivith this Collation of the MSS ? And, in order to the forming of an

YEAR 1769. 157

Anfwer properly, it is neceflary to confider

What ibis Collation was to be — and What it is.

Let it then be recollefted here, that the Work engaged for was — to collate all the MSS of the Hebrew Bible, in our own Country ^ and, during the progrefs of fuch Collation at home, to procure the Various Readings of fome of the bed MSS abroad.

Now the number of Hebrew MSS, preferved in our own Kingdoms, which have been collated on this occafion, amounts to 140. The number of Foreign Collations, received already, and likely to be received foon, amounts to 113. And the Col lations of the whole, or parts, of the printed He brew Bible, are 12. Confequently, the Total of Collations, for the benefit of this Work, is 265 : probably more, by above 100, than have as yet been made of any other antient Book, even of the New Teftament — though the Old Teftament is nearly three times larger than the New ; the Verfes in the former being 23185, and in the latter being only 7959. Arid it will not perhaps be forgotten, that notwithstanding this great difference in the fize of thefe volumes of the Old and New Tefta ment, and the ftill greater difference in collating the Greek MSS by whole Words, and the Hebrew MSS by Jingle Letters ; yet did the New Teftament employ the very learned and very laborious Dr Mill ( here at O x F o R D likewife ) not Ten years

only, but Thirty.

But,

158 ACCOUNT X,

But, though the Collation, thus undertaken, be now finifhed \ there muft be an interval of fpme Tears, before this Work can be prepared for the Prefs ; and of fome more Tears, before it can be publifhed. During the laft of thefe periods, it will not be eafy to infert regularly any new Colla tions ; but during the firft period, and efpecially in the earlier parts of it, it will be very practicable to add, and regularly to infert, all fuch Collations as may hereafter arrive from abroad.

If therefore it mall be thought advifeable, ( as I have not the leaft doubt but it will) that this Work fhould be ^prepared for the Prefs •, that is, that all the Various Readings, now contained in

TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE diftind

and feparate Parcels, fhould be feleded, forted, connected regularly, and difpofed uniformly, in the mofl concife yet moil intelligible and clear method, at one view, under the proper Verfe of every Chapter through the Old Teftament : while this extenfive Operation (hall be preparing and carrying on, there will be opportunity for inferring the Various Readings of other Foreign Collations, efpecially all fuch as may arrive within the next Two Years.

The firft among the Collations not yet received, but the foonefl expected, are thofe placed foremoft in the following Catalogue,

I. Collations

Y EAR 1769*

1. Collations of 2 MSS, in the public library at STRASBURG, are every day expected ; and thefe are to be followed by Collations of 7 other MSS in the fame library : all which are very generoufly prefented to me, for this Work, by the learned and worthy Librarian Mr Qberlin.

2. This Work will be further enriched foon by the kindnefs of the learned Mr Schnurrer of Wir- temberg -, who has obligingly acquainted me with his having collated for me a valuable MS in the public library at JENA.

3. The Remainder of the Collations of the 4 MSS &c: at NUREMBERG, now carrying on by Profefibr NageL

4. My learned Friend Monf. L'Abbe Affeline* ProfefTor at the Sorbonne, having mod obligingly offered me his afiiftance, in fome further Collations at PA R i s ; I have no doubt, but I mall be foon favoured with fome frelh proofs of his benevolence to my Work and me.

5. The MS at BRIEG in Silefia, which has been faid to contain very many Variations, has been collated at my requeft. This Collation has been kindly forwarded to Berlin, by the Reverend Mr Loos, Chaplain to His Majefty THE KING OF PRUSSIA ; and it has been lately fent from Berlin

to London.

6. The

160 ACCOUNT X.

6. The Collation of the oldeft and beft of the Hebrew MSS, in the Royal Library at BERLIN, is, I make no doubt, nearly completed : and I expect as much Satisfaction from the laft part, as I have received from the former parts, already fent me by the Collator, the learned ProfefTor Murfmna.

7. A Collation of a MS of the whole Hebrew Bible at COLOGNE having been agreed on, for fome years fince, in confequence of Letters with which I was honoured by the learned Dr Hillejheim^ Rector of the Univerfity in that city -, there is great reafon to expect the fpeedy arrival of its Various Readings.

8. The oldeft and beft of the MSS at ERFURT, which were beforementioned, has been for fome time under the examination of the learned Profef- for and Librarian Mr Bahrdt , in confequence of whofe care and fidelity, I make no doubt of recei ving a very valuable Collation of that MS. The laft Letter, with which he favoured me, not only gave me reafon to expect, that this Collation will be foon in England ; but alib promifed me, in a very obliging manner, fome Various Readings from 3 MSS at L E i p s i c and from i at DRESDEN.

9. At MILAN there ftill remains to be collated the MS of the Samaritan Pentateuch, which Mont- faucon has recommended, as very worthy of exa mination.

YEAR 1769. 161

mination. And I have no doubt of receiving Toon a good Collation of it, from the learned ProfefTor Henrico A Pcrta, or the learned Librarian Dr Baptijla Branca -, who have now collated for me all the Hebrew MSS in the Amlrcfian library.

10. In the public library at L E Y D E N is pre- ferved another MS of the Samaritan Pentateuch *, of which I am ilill in hopes of receiving a Colla tion, through the favour of the learned Profefibr Schultens, who has kindly entertained thoughts of it : and, if not from himfelf, yet from fome other perfon feledted by him, and acting under his di rection. See page 58.

11. But, as my wifhes have extended themfelves to every Quarter of the World ; and as my hopes have been more than anfwered by the MSS in EUROPE and from AFRICA: fo I now con gratulate the Public, on the information lately fent me by the Reverend Dr Cooper, President of King's College, New York, in A M E R i c A. This information is, that Mr Sampfon Simfon, a very worthy and benevolent old Gentleman^ of the Jewifij perfuafion, living in that city^ is in pojjejjicn of a MS of very great antiquity , containing the whole Hebrew Bible ; which he probably would fend to England for my life, if I properly requefted it. This I have done accordingly •, and I do here exprefs my thanks as heartily to the Prefident for his notice, as 1 (hall to the Pojfeffor of the MS, if he obligingly favours me with the fight of it.

W 12. In

162 ACCOUNT X.

12. In A s i A like wife have been made feveral enquiries after Hebrew MSS •, in the countries near Madrafs^ by the late Governor Robert Palke Efq; a liberal Patron of this Work ; and in the countries near Aleppo ^ by the late Mr Daiues, Chaplain there to the Britifh Faclory. And as there was, even fo late as about 30 years ago, preferved at Naploufe ( antiently Sichem, near mount Gerizim ) a very old MS of the Samaritan Penta teuch, belonging to the fmall remant of the Sama ritans in that place ; I fome time fince earneiily entreated two Friends to try, whether the pofiefibrs of this MS might not be prevailed on, by a hand- fome Sum of Money, to accept a printed copy, in exchange for it.

Laftly : that nothing might be left unattempted. where iucceis was but barely poffible, I fome time lince, by means of the reverend and very learned Dr Jubb, folicited his friend Frederick Pigou^ Efq; ( a Gentleman, as perfectly able, as he was found perfectly willing) to make the befl enquiry after Hebrew MSS in CHINA. By this Gentleman's benevolent affiftance, I fent a CommifTion, for pur- chafing ( if pofilble ) fuch a MS from the Jews in the province of 'Ho -nan: or elfe, to reward fome perfon for collating at leaft part of their written Pentateuch with our printed copy ; in order to which I fent, at the fame time, Van der Hooghf* edition, And notice is juft arrived from China,

that

YEAR 1769. 163

that this enquiry is in a fair train j a Friend at Canton having promifed to procure, if pofilble, a MS from thofe Jews in Ho -nan, by the afiiftancc of the Bifhop of that Province.

Thus have I attempted to lay before the Reader a hiflory of my Collation •, and of my endeavours to execute the great Truft repofed in me by the Patrons of my Undertaking. What the Collation 'was to be, has been fet forth ; and What it is, has been fet forth likewife. But whether, in the pro- fecution of it, during the pail Ten Years, I have, or have not, attended to it with all the Care pof- fible — can be certain only to thofe, who know that my general rule has been, to devote to it 10 or 12 hours in a day, and frequently 14 ; at lead, that this was my praftice, till fuch fevere applica tion became no longer poffible, through the Inju ries done to my Conftitution.

But here it may be faid — that, even admitting the truth of the preceding paragraph, yet, as the Care taken by any one perfon, how great foever, is but the Care taken by One •, how can that One anfwer for the Carefulneis of Others: of thofe, whom he has employed as his Affiftants, and whole parts of the Work he cannot have entirely re-ex amined ? My anfwer is this. The Patrons of this Work are too prudent, to have expecled what was plainly impoffible. A Work, which cannot be done by one man, mud, if done at all, be done by more

W 2

164 ACCOUNT X.

than one. And that Collation, which could not be made by one man, could not be revifed by one ; becaufe entirely to revife the whole is to examine each Collation, as to every thing either noted or omitted: which certainly amounts to a Recollation.

All therefore, which could reafonably be ex- pefted, was — that the Conductor of the Work, thus neceflarily affifted by others, fhould felect the fitted and mod careful among fuch as would fub- mit to the Employment; and direct, fuperintend, and in many particulars revife their feveral labours, as far as was practicable. No perfons have been employed to collate MSS, who were not properly inftru&ed, and well qualified to defcribe all the common Variations : and the fixed rule has been, that every Variation, which was uncommon and difficult, was marked for my own examination. In general ; before a perfon was admitted to collate any MS, he was firft of all exercifed in tranfcribing Collations before made; then was tried in collating part of a MS well collated before : and, when thus proved to be careful and exact, has been then entrufted with an uncollated MS, under the reftric- tion fpecified in the preceding fentence. And, after all, that every degree of fatisfaction may be given, which can be given, to my own mind as well as to the minds of others ; it is my fixed intention ( if I Jive, and am fufficiently encouraged to prepare this Work for the Prefs ) to re-examine, with my own eyes, all the MSS in England, in many of the

moil

YEAR I7&<)* 165

moft important pafiages : that fo this Work may appear with as much Perfection^ as my care can give to it.

The word Perfection is here limited, becaufe I am fenfible of my own fallibility ; and becaufe the profecution of this Work has furnilhed out nume rous proofs — how very eafy it is to err, or rather, how impofiible it is not to err fometimes, in read ing and writing Letters, which are fo exceedingly fimilar to each other. So that, among all the Works ever fet on foot in the world, this is that, which has the ftrongeft apology to offer, I will hot fay for the few, but for the many^ Miftakes ;

quas aut incuria

Aut bumana parum cavit natitra -

As to the general perfection of this Work, it may be objected — that it cannot with any propriety claim that title ; becaufe there remain fo many other MSS, in Europe, at prefent uncollated. This is very readily acknowledged. However, I would afk — Whether the New Teftament by Dr Mill was not received with very high and juft Applaufe by the Learned •, when yet, that illuftrious Work was only fo far perfeff, as to contain ( perhaps re gular and entire ) Collations of about 112 MSS ? -f And when, after the additional Collations made by Kufter, Bengelius, Wetfiein &c : there are

f The Velefian and Wecbelian Variations are here excepted; fc>£ caufe I have feen no fatisfadory account of them.

at

1 66 ACCOUNT X.

at leaft 100 MSS, containing the whole or parts of tbe New Teftament , the Various Readings of which have not yet been collected at all ; at leaft, have never yet been made public. What then would the World have faid, ftill more juftly, in praife of Dr Mill's Edition j had he been previoufly enabled, either in perfon, or by fome other Man of learning fe- lefted for that Comroiflion, to examine almoft all the uncollated Greek MSS, in at leaft fome hundreds of the moft important faffages ?

Now that, which would have derived fo much additional dignity, and given a Perfection much more properly fo called, to that Oxford edition of the New Teftament, that very Plan ( and let not my Patrons be furprifed, if I venture to attempt every thing for Their greater Honour ) that very Plan I have prepared to carry into execution, as to this Oxford edition of the Old Teftament.

By way of trial, how far Improvements might be derived to my Work j if fuch of the Foreign MSS, as were not collated, fhould be examined only in particular paflages : in the year 1767, I made a vifit to the Hebrew MSS in PA R i s. And I found, that even a partial examination, when limited to the paflages of greater importance, would be attended with very happy confequences ; as it would, if extended through Europe, enrich the Work with the Variations of almoft all the known MSS, in fuch paffagcs cf the Old Teftament as

arc

YEAR 1769. 167

are of particular moment ; and efpecially in thofe, which, though quoted in the New Teftament, do not now perfectly agree with fuch Quotations.

The further profecution of this Plan, thus re commended by my own perfonal experience, is now to be carried into execution, through Europe : not indeed by myfelf, whom I confider as referved for the continuance of Labour at home -, but by Mr PAUL JACOB BRUNS, tf Lubec — on whofe Fitnefs for fuch a CommifTion, in point of Ability and of Fidelity, I think the Patrons of this Work may fecurely depend. This learned Gentleman has been frequently mentioned in the preceding Ac counts (fee pages 97, 102, 113, 116, 121 ) as having collated for me at Carlfruhe, and as having come to me and afllflcd me at Paris. And, after many proofs of his Zeal for this Work abroad ; he has been for feveral Months, and is Hill, with me at Oxford : in order to furnifh himfelf, as perfectly as pofiible, with the various particulars of his future Enquiries.

Thus have I endeavoured, and I hope not with out fuccefs, to give that Satisfaction to my PA- T R o N s, which They have the utmoft Right to expect ; as to the Commencement , the Conduit^ and the Conclufion^ of my Collation.

With regard to the Preparation of this Work for the Prefs •, as feme may be defirous of know ing,

168 ACCOUNT X.

ing, how many Years that Preparation will require : all that I can fay at prefent is, that I am certain only of thefe two things — Firft ; that ( when the difficulty of fixing upon 'The mojl proper Method ihall have been got over ) the felecting, connecting, adapting, tranfcribing, and re-tranfcribing fuch an infinity of Materials, will ( if poffible ) exceed in fatigue even the pad Collation — Secondly •, that, if I fhould fix a period ( which indeed is not in my power ) even that would fubject me to as rigid a Slavery, as I have already experienced from fixing a former Term : and this, at an advanced Time of Life, and under a broken State of Health -, both which require much more Exercife, and lefs intenfive Application, than I have for the laft Twenty Years allowed myfelf.

But, as my PATRONS may in fome meafure judge, from the preceding State of things, what Expence ftill attends my Work abroad, in the way of Collation ; and what Expence may be necefTary for the purchafe of fome MSS in Afia, where they cannot be collated : fince they fee alfo the volun tary but expenfive Engagement I have entered into, for the further Examination of the European MSS ; and fince they will certainly conclude, that this Work cannot be prepared by me for the Prefs, without feveral .Afliftants : it muft be, and is here, humbly fubmitted to The Greater and More Illuf- trious among my PA T R o N s, upon what Plan of Support and Encouragement I am now to proceed.

YEAR 1769. 169

The paft Subfcription was formed ; in order to enable me to difcharge the vaft Expence of the Collation, as at firft undertaken ; and it has more than anfwered its original purpofe, becaufe it has enabled me to make that Work more complete,, by procuring the examinations of more MSS, than I at firft thought poflible.

I do not fuppofe, that any perfons can be found, who will declare it as their fober opinion — that / ought to be condemned to hard Labour for the reft of my Life, merely, as a Reward for paft Services. But I do know, that there are men ; who, from a conviction that THEY would have made Such a Subfcription very lucrative to Tbemfehes, have been mighty ready to intimate — that, no doubt, the Collator of the Hebrew MSS has done the fame. And, as I have not forgot the promife, which I made in page 139; I mail here proceed to fatisfy fome perfons, and to filence others, by the fol lowing explicit declarations.

The feveral Subfcriptions, which have appeared in the Annual Accounts for the paft Nine Years, when reduced by fome articles not paid at all, and enlarged by other articles paid afterwards, have ( upon the molt exact computation which I can make) amounted in each Year to the Total Sums here following,

X Year

ACCOUNT X.

Year i, being 1760 £ 506 7 O

2 1761 910 7 6

3 1762 902 15 6

4 1763 979 8 6

5 . 1764 958 8 o

6 1765 937 8 o

y 1766 • 961 ii o

8 1767 976 5 o

9 1768 980 ii o

8113 i 6

In' this Tenth and concluding Year, 1769, my Work has been honoured with the following addi tional Benefactors.

His Moft Serene Highnefs . i The PRINCE of ORANGE 3	£ 5° 2O	0 0	0 O
	. IO	10	0
Rev. Dr Domvile .... *	3 2	3 2	0 'o
Sir Henry Hoghton, Bart . . Henry Hunt, Efq-, Tipperary Rev Mr Jofeph Jane . . •	• 5 i 2	5 i 2	o o o
Rev. Dr Markham, Whitechapel Robert Palke, Efq;	I £	I	o o
Rev Dr John Scrope ....	I	I	o

IOI IO O

YEAR 1 769. 171

Which Sum, added to i 66 6 already received j

and to what probably will i

• j c u £ . 242 10 o

be received farther . 3

amounts to . 1004 6 o

Nine Years 8113 i 6

Tenth Year 1004 6 o

TOT A L £ 9117 7 6

Reader ! What a Sum is here ! Let Foreign Nations read, with aftonifhment, this ilory of Britons and Their KING; joined by One Foreign Prince and One Foreign Academy : voluntarily con tributing, for Ten Years, their feveral Bounties, with a degree of Public Spirit beyond all Exam ple, for the Accompliihment of a Work purely fubfervient to The Honour of Revelation ; a Work, facred to The Glory of G O D and The Good of MANKIND ! And under the powerful influence of this view of my Work, it is impofiible for me

to be fufficiently thankful either to THOSE,

who have honoured with their Patronage mey as the humble Inftrument in beginning and com- pleating it — or to Di vi N E PROVI D E NCE, for granting me Life to finifh it, as well as Reiblution to undertake it.

X 2 But

172 ACCOUNT X.

But — I hear the Whifper of Detraction ; re- prefenting all this, as an empty parade of words : and intimating what a comfortable thing a Trufl of Nine Thoufand Pounds muft be, in the hands of any man, who had in a great meafure the fecret Difpofal of it. Intimations of this nature are not new ; they have long attended the proiperous State of my Subfcription. But His late Grace of Can terbury, and fome other of my Principal Patrons, after perilling ( about three years fince ) fome ac count of the Subfcription, of the Expence attend ing the Work, and of the Emolument of it to myfelf, agreed in exprefling their highefl Satisfac tion ; and indeed wondered at the Difmtereftednefsy with which I had managed fo ample a Subfcription.

I do not mean, however, to offer merely an ap peal to His Grace, now dead ; or to fome of the Higheft Perlbns in the Church, now living, who knew His Grace's fentiments, and honoured me with their own, upon that occafion. I would wil lingly declare to every Subfcriber every thing he would be glad to know, as to every part of my conduct:, in this great Affair — fo far, I mean, as is poflible. But, a particular detail of all the va rious articles of Expence, in fo very involved and fo very perplexing a Tranfaction, cannot be ex pected ; and, if expected, cannot be granted to others, becaufe I have it not myfelf. And yet, that this may not be conftmed into a fubterfuge ;

I will

YEAR 1769, 173

I will do, what perhaps few of my Subfcribers look for, and what mod of Them will be furprifed and concerned at. I will now endeavour to furnifh out fome general notion, concerning my Management; which notion, though general, will perhaps enable every Reader to eflimate — What a great Fortune I have made from my Subfcription !

There is one point, in which all men will agree at once ; and it is this — that / ought , at leafl^ to have lived upon my Subfcription.

From this fmgle and fimple principle, fuppofed to be univerfally granted, it follows — that / ought to have laid by? un/pent, whatever Income I had^ ex- clufive of this Subfcription.

But the other articles of my Income, during thefe Ten Years, added to fome Money ( clear of Debt) antecedent to this Undertaking, amount to the whole Sum I am now poffefled of — excepting about 500 £.

Confequently -, inftead of near 5000 £ — which, in the opinion of fome of my Chief Patrons, ought to have been referved to myfelf — and which, if I had meant to be my own Pay -Mailer, and not confuked the Honour of my Work, I might have fecured — I find myfelf poffefled of about 500 £ in virtue of This Subfcription : after 'Ten Tears fpent in recommending fuch a Work to others, and another Ten Tears fpent by myfelf in the

execution of it.

The

174 ACCOUNT X.

The Reader will probably be furprifed, at find ing that 500 /. is the utmoft I pofiefs, as arifing out of this Subfcription. And perhaps he will be fur prifed, flill more, at the following notices — that in this Sum is included the whole confequence of this Year's Subfcription, and therefore of the whole Subfcription — but, that even this Sum, fo refer- ved, is only referved at grefent^ and by no means referved for myfelf \ becaufe it is already devoted to the further Expences of my Work : and the further Expences, already engaged for, are thefe.

1. For the Collations of 4 MSS, and a large part of a 5th, not yet received, nor paid for -, the firft, at Brieg, in Silefia ; the fecond, at Cologne ; the third, at Erfurt -9 the fourth, at Milan ; and the fifth, at Berlin. See pages 159 and 160.

2. Poflibly, for purchafing MSS in Afta ; at Napleufe and Ho -nan. See page 162.

3. Probably, for employing perfons, to collate the MS, which may reafonably be expected from America. See page 161.

4. Certainly, for employing perfons, to tranf- cribe the remainder of the feveral Collations made lately.

5. And laftly, for the Examinations to be made of MSS, throughout Europe j which may take up

near 'Two Tears time.

Now

YEAR 1769. 175

Now if this 5th and laft particular (hall, as per haps it will, require the Sum of 500 /; if this one article only fliall require this fmall remainder of the Subfcription : how are to be discharged the Expences of the other 4 articles ? It is not impofiible, but fome of my Readers may demand an Anfwer •, and perhaps expect me to fay. Whether I will difcover my own folly, ilill further, by laying out upon my Work part of my private Income, as well as the Subfcription ? The reply is, that / cannot now help it: and indeed, even the Sum of 200 £, which may be necefTary for the 4 other articles of Expence before fpecified, is by no means the largeft Donation^ made to my Work^ cut of my private Income.

But, I will fpecify no further ; at lead, thus publickly. Nor would I have inferted here the moft diilant allufion to the preceding circumftan- ces i had not the fuppofed Gain from my Work been fo very often, and fo very ftudioufly, magni fied. And a man mud have much lefs Spirit, than the conductor of this Work has ftill left ; who would not fignify his Contempt of fuch Mifrepre- fentation, at the time when it was become his in- difpeniable duty to undeceive his PRINCIPAL PATRONS. In fhort : as to the fum of 200 £, juft before mentioned 5 the difcharge of that Ex- pence will be the more eafy to me, on account of the Legacy of 200 £, mentioned in page 123. This Legacy, the Executor has obligingly aflurcd

me

176 ACCOUNT X.

me, fhall be paid, as devifed ; that is, upon my finishing the Collation , which I had undertaken. And from this circumftance it appears, that the idea of the LADY, my PATRONESS, in this generous Bequeft, was not — Her afiifting to defray the Expence of my Work, but — Her contributing to the Reward for completing it.

I mall now conclude this long Account of the Work, and of my own Conduct in it, with the Name of every Perfon ( whom I am at liberty to name ) that has at all fubfcribed towards it. And I fhall only add — that, whenever this Collation fhall be publifhed, for the common Advantage of all Europe ; and when, in confequence of this Colla tion, there Ihall be, for our own particular Benefit, a Rcvifal of our Engli/b Tranjlation -, when The Holy Scripture fhall be hereby rendered more in telligible and more inftruclive to thofe, who believe its Divine Authority, as well as more confident and more convincing to thofe, who doubt or difbelieve : then will every juft Encomium be gratefully be-

ftowed on

THE ROYAL,

The ILLUSTRIOUS, and The LEARNED,

who have patronized this Work •, and whofe Names will not only be prefixed to this Work hereafter, but alfo are at prefent collected together, and adorn the following CATALOGUE.

PATRONS.

THE

KING.

His Moft Serene Highnefs The PRINCE of ORANGE.

The UNIVERSITIES of

OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE,

DUBLIN.

The Theodore -Palatine Academy at

MANNHEIM,

P A t R O N S. 179

dffleck, Rev. Mr

Aguilar, Honourable Baron

Allen ( late ) Ralph, Efq;

All Souls College

Amy at t, James, Efq;

Andrew, Rev. Dr, Preb. Rochefter

AJhton, Rev. Dr, Fell. Eton College

Atherton, Rev. Mr

Atwell ( late ) Rev. Dr, Preb. Gloucefter

Avery (late) Dr Benjamin

Aylmer, Hon. and Rev. Mr, Preb. Briftol

Harford, Rev. Mr

Barker, Thomas, Efq;

Barnard, Rev. Dr, Provoft Eton College

Barrington, Hon. and Rt Rev. Lord Bp Landaff

Bajket, Thomas, Efq^

Bate, Rev. Mr Chambers

Bate, Rev. Mr James, Deptford

Bath ( late ) Right Honourable, Earl

Bearcroft ( late ) Rev. Dr

Bell, Rev. Dr, Preb. Weftminfter

Benfon (late) Rev. Dr

Bentham, Rev. Dr, Reg. Prof. Divinity, Oxford

Blacket, Rev. Dr

Blackftone, William, Efq;

Y 2

i8o PATRONS.

Bland ( late ) Rev. Dr, Preb. Durham

Ballon ( late ) Rev. Dr, Dean Carlifle

Bouchery, Rev. Mr

Brafen-Nofe College

Briftol, Dean and Chapter

Bryant, Jacob, •Efq;

Burrow, James, Efq->

Burton, Rev. Dr Daniel, Chancellor Oxford

Burton ( late ) Rev. Dr Thomas, Preb. Durham

Bute, Right Honourable, Earl

Butler, Rev. Dr

Campbell, John, Efq;

Canterbury, Dean and Chapter

Chamberlayne, Rev. Mr

Chambers, Rev. Dr

Chandler ( late ) Rev. Dr Samuel

Channing, Mr John

Chapman, Rev. Dr John

Chenevix, Right Rev. Lord Bilhop Waterford

Cholwich, Rev. Dr, Preb. Exeter

Clark, Mr William

Collet, Dr

Conant, Rev. Mr

Cornwallis, His Grace, Lord Arch-Bp Canterbury

Corpus -Chrifti College

PATRONS. 181

Cowper, Hon. and Rev. Dr, Dean Durham

Cox, His Grace, Lord Arch-Bifhop Calhell

Cracker ode i Rev. Mr

Craufurd ( late ) Honourable General

Cuft, Right Honourable Sir John, Speaker H. C.

Cufl, Rev. Dr, Canon Chrift- Church

Cufl, Peregrine, Efq;

Cofla ( late ) Solomon, Efq; Daddo ( late ) Rev. Mr Darner, Honourable John, Efq; Delmc, Peter, Efq; Delme, John, Efq; Devon/hire ( late ) His Grace, Duke Dickens, Rev. Archdeacon, D. D* Dodfon, Michael, Efq; Domville, Rev. Dr, Dublin Douglas, Rev. Dr James, Preb. Durham Douglas, Rev. Dr John, Can. Windfor Drummond, His Grace, Lord Arch - Bifhop York Duane, Matthew, Efq; Durell, Rev. Dr, Principal Hertford College Durell ( late ) Rev. Mr Durham, Dean and Chapter

Edwards^

i8a PATRON S.

Edwards, Rev. Dr, Coventry

Egerton, Right Rev. Ld Bp Litchfield & Coventry

Ellis ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bifhop St David's

Eton College

Exeter, Right Honourable, Earl

Exeter, Dean and Chapter

Exeter College

Eyre, Rev. Dr

Fan/haw ( late ) Rev. Dr, Reg. Prof. Div. Oxford

Farmer, Rev. Mr

Flower, Freeman, Efq;

Fordyce, Rev. Dr

Fothergill, Rev. Dr, Provoft Queen's College

Freind ( late ) Rev. Dr, Dean Canterbury

Fuller, Richard, Efq;

Furneaux, Rev. Dr

\jrabriel, Rev. Dr

Gadfden, Chr. Efq; Charles -Town, South Carolina

Garnet, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Clogher

Gawfett ( late ) Rev. Mr

Geacb, Mr Francis

Gibbons, Rev. Dr

Gifford, Rev. Dr

Gilbert ( late ) His Grace, Lord Arch-Bp York

Gill,

PATRONS. ,83

Gill, Rev. Dr

Gloucefter, Dean and Chapter

Go/ding ( late ) Rev. Dr, Warden Wincheftcr

Gould, Rev. Mr, Clare -Hall

Granville ( late ) Right Honourable, Earl

Gray, Charles, Efq;

Green, Right Rev. Lord Biihop Lincoln

Greet, Rev. Mr

Gregory (late) Rev. Dr, Dean Chrift- Church

Grenville, Right Honourable George

ffallifax, Right Honourable Earl

Hanbury ( late ) William, Efq;

Hardwicke ( late ) Right Honourable Earl

Hardwicke, Right Honourable Earl

Harris, Rev. Mr

Hawkins, John, Efqj

fiayter ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bifhop London

Heberden, Dr William

Henley ( late ) Rev. Mr

Hejfe, John Adam Frederick, Efq;

Hetherington, Rev. Mr, Fellow Eton

Hill, Rev. Dr, Treafurer Armagh

Hoadly ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Biihop Winchefter

tfoadly, Rev. Dr, Chancellor Winchefter

Holy ( late ) Rev. Sir Philip, Dean Ardfert

Hodge,

PATRONS.

Hodge ( late ) Rev. Dr

Hoghton, Sir Henry, Bart

Home, Right Honourable and Rev. Earl

Honywood ( late ) Frafer, Efq;

Howard, John, Efq;

Hume, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Salifbury

Hunt, Rev. Dr, Regius Profefibr Hebrew, Oxford

Hunt, Henry, Efq; Tipperary

Hunter, Dr William

Hutchinfon, Francis, Efq; Dublin

jane, Rev. Mr Jofeph Jenkinfon, Charles, Efq; Jennings ( late ) Rev. Dr Jefus College, Oxford Innys, John, Efq;

Johnfon, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Worcefter Jones, Mrs Mary Jubb, Rev. Dr

, Rev. Mr, Sub -Almoner Keene, Right Rev. Lord Bilhop Chefter Kings College Kippis, Rev. Dr Kynajlon, Thomas, Efq;

Lamle

P At R O N S. 185

Lambe ( late ) James, Efq;

Laugher ( late ) Rev. Mr

Lawfon, Rev. Mr

Lee, Matthew, Efq;

Legge ( late ) Right Honourable Henry Bilfoii

Legby Rev. Dr, Halifax

Ligonier, Right Honourable Earl

Litehfield, Right Honourable Earl

Llewelin, Thomas, Efq;

Long, Rev. Dr, Matter Pembroke Hall

Loveday, John, Efq-,

Love Jay, John, Efq-, Jun.

Lowth, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Oxford

Lowther, Robert, Efq&

Lucas, Thomas, Efq;

Lyndon, William, Efq; Dublin

Lyttelton ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Carliflc

( late ) Right Honourable Earl Madan, Rev. Mr Martin Mallet, Rev. Mr, Preb. Gloucefter Markbam, Rev. Dr, Dean Chrift - Church Markham, Rev. Dr, Whitechapel Mar thorough, His Grace, Duke Martyn, Rev. Mr, Profeflbr Botany, Cambridge Mawfon, Right Rev. Lord Biihop Ely

Z Maxwell^

186 PATRONS.

Maxwell, Hon, & Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Meath

Meech ( late ) Thomas, Elq;

McMH) Honourable General, Governor Granada

Merton College

Miles ( late ) Rev. Dr

Milks, Rev. Dr, Dean Exeter

Moore, Rev. Mr

Morton ( late ) Right Honourable Earl

Mofs, Right Rev. Lord Biftiop St David's

Mufgrave, Jofcph, Efq;

A*A Rev- Mr

Ne-wcome ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bifhop St Afaph Newcome, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Dromore New come ( late ) Rev. Dr, Dean Rochefter Newton, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Briftol Nicols, Rev. Dr Norwich, Dean and Chapter

Ogle, Rev. Dr, Dean Winchefler

-Oliver ( late ) Dr William

Onflow ( late ) Right Honourable Arthur

OJlaldifton ( late ) Rt Rev. Lord Bifhop London

Paice, J9feph, Efq; Palke, Robert, Efq;

Parker,

PATRONS. 187

Parker, Sir Thomas, Lord Chief Baron

Parker, Rev. Dr William

Parry, Rev. Mr

Pearce, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Rochefter

Peck, Randyll, Efq;

Peploe, Rev. Dr, Warden Manchefter

Peter Houfe

Peters, Rev. Mr Charles

Pilkington ( late ) Rev. Mr

Plumptre, Rev. Archdeacon, D. D.

Pococke ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Biftiop OfTory

Portall, Rev. Mr

Portland, His Grace, Duke

Potter, Rev. Dr, Dean Canterbury

Price ( late ) Robert, Efq-,

Price, Rev. Mr Richard

Priejt, Rev. Mr

Prime, Sir Samuel, Kt

Pringle, Sir John, Bart

Prior, Rev. Mr

Pyle, Rev. Dr, Preb. Winchefter

Queen's College, Cambridge

Radnor, Right Honourable Earl Randolph, Rev. Archdeacon, D. D.

Z 2 RatcKfe,

i-88 PATRONS.

\

Ratdi/e, Rev. Dr, Matter Pembroke College Rey nelly Rev. Mr

Richards ', Mr Samuel

Robinfon^ His Grace, Lord Primate Ireland

Rockingham^ Moft Noble Marquis

Rofe, Mr, Chifwick

Ryder •, His Grace, Lord Arch -Bifhop Tuam

O/ Aubyn, Sir John, Bart

Salter, Rev. Dr, Matter Charter Houfe

Salvador e, Jofeph, Efq-,

Sanford, Rev. Mr Jofeph

Savage, Rev, Dr

Saundcrs, Rev. Dr Erafmus

Scrope, Rev. Dr

Seeker ( late ) His Grace, Lord A-Bp Canterbury

Sbaftefiury, Right Honourable Earl

Sherlock ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bifhop London

Smallroke^ Rev. Mr Samuel

Smith i Rev. Mr

Spry, Dr Edward

Squire ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bilhop St David's

Stallard, Mr, Clapham

Stanley, Honourable and Rev. Dr

Stennet, Rev. Dr

Sfoneboufe, Rev. Dr, Briftol

Suffield,

PATRONS. 189

Suffield, Thomas, Efq;

Suffolk and Berkjhire, Right Honourable Earl

Swinney^ Rev. Dr

Swinton, Archibald, Efq;

JL albot> Right Honourable Earl

Talbot, Hon. and Rev. Dr George

fatoot, Rev. Mr William, Clare -Hall

Talbot, Rev. Mr William, Reading

Tayler^ Rev. Mr

Baylor ( late ) Rev. Dr, Chancellor Lincoln

Taylor ( late ) Charles, Efq;

Taylor •, Rev. Mr George

Terrick^ Right Rev. Lord Bifhop London

ferrit. Rev. Mr

Thomas^ Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Winchefter

Thomas ( late ) Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Salifbury

Tbomas^ Rev. Dr, Dean Weftminfter

Thompfon, Rev. Mr

Thornton^ John, Efq;

Thorold, Sir John, Bart

Toller^ Rev. Mr

Tomkins^ Benjamin, Efq;

TomkinS) Jofeph, Efq-,

Temkins, William, Efq;

, Honourable Thomas, Efq;

Trail,

190 PATRONS.

frail, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Down and Connor

Trevor, Hon. & Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Durham

Turner ( late ) Sir Edward, Bart

Turner, Sir Gregory, Bart

Turner, Rev. Mr

Twyniboe, Rev. Mr

Tyrawly, Right Honourable Lord

raugban, Samuel, Efq;

Walker, Rev. Dr

Warner, Richard, Efq;

Warren ( late ) Rev. Mr

Wajlfield, Mr Robert

Webb, Philip Carteret, Efq;

Webber, Rev. Dr, Dean Hereford

Wegg, George, Efq;

Wegg, Samuel, Efq;

Wells, Dean and Chapter

Weflmmfler, Dean and Chapter

Weflon, Right Honourable Edward

Weflon, Rev. Mr, Preb. Durham

Wheeler, Rev. Mr, Profeflbr Poetry, Oxford

Whit church, James, Efq;

Whitchurch, Rev. Mr Samuel

Wilberfofs, John, Efq;

Wills,

PATRONS. 191

Wills, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Bath and Wells

Wincbefter, Dean and Chapter

Windfor> Dean and Chapter

Wollaflon, Rev. Mr George

Wombwell^ George, Efq;

Wood, Robert, Efq;

Worcefttr, Dean and Chapter

Daniel, Efq3

Sir Bouchier, Bart

, Rev. Dr, Principal Brafe-Nofe Coll. Tarborougb, Rev. Dr, Tewing Tonge, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Norwich Torke, Honourable Charles, Efq; Toung, Right Rev. Lord Bifhop Leighlin & Ferns Toung ( late ) Rev. Dr Edward

192 PATRONS.

Anonymous , C*

Anonymous . F,

Anonymous . P.

Anonymous . P.

Anonymous . S.

Anonymous . T.

Anonymous . W.

PATRONESS

Mrs ELIZABETH G R I F F E N By A LEGACY

200

***#*##***#*

( '93 )

OXFORD, Cbrift- Church ; Dec. 30 , 1 769.

HP HE Delegates of the Prefs, in the Univerfity of A Oxford, and alfo the Univerfity of Cambridge, having ordered, that the Continuance of their Subfcription to Dr Kennicott's Work fhould depend on a Certificate from me, as to a proper Progrefs annually made therein ; and the Teftimony, which I have with great pleafure be- caufe with great juftice granted, in the Nine former Years, having given me a public Connexion with this Work : I apprehend, that my Name cannot at this time be at all improper.

My former Atteftations, together with the occafion of them, are now at an end. And there can be no neceflity for me to confirm what Dr Kennicott himfelf hath fet forth, in the Tenth and laft Account, as to his Underta king being now completed. All that I intend therefore, after expreflmg my entire convi&ion of the Truth and Exaclnefs, with which the laft Account hath been ftated, is publickly to congratulate, as I do moft heartily, all the Patrons of this Work, together with the Conductor of it, on its being brought to a Conclufion. And I cannot but add my fmcere Wiflies, that the very great Importance of It, of which I am myfelf fully convinced, may be proved as foon as poflible to the World, by the publication of a Work, which does fo much Honour to our Country in general, and to this Univerfity in particular.

T II O. HUNT,

Regius ProfeJJor of Hebrew.

I N D E X.

195

Aberdeen Univerfiry ; page 30.

Acad. Infcrip. & Belles Lettres; pag. 124.

Africa ; pag. 76, 120, 153, 161.

Albani, Cardinal ; pagk 28, 49, 60, 87, 88.

America ; pag. 76, 129, 161.

Annual Account of the Collation ; pag. 5, 6 &c.

Antient Verfions ; pag. 18, 22, 25, 142, 146.

A Porta, Prof. pag. 29, 51, 63, 73, 98, 127, 161.

Afia; pag. 76, 153, 162.

AfTeline, Abbe, Sorbonne ; pag. 1 18, 128, 159,

Aflemani, Monfgr, Rome ; pag. 49, 50.

Afiiftants j pag. 26, 45, 80, 163, 164.

Baden - Durlac, Margrave; pag. 97, 102, nl.

Bahrdt, Profeflbr, Erfurt; pag. 1 60.

Ballarini, Librarian, Rome ; pag. 60, 74.

Bartoli, Signr, Flor. pag. 29, 50, 63, 87, 115,

Barton, Dr ; pag. 125.

Bayer, Don F. Toledo ; pag. 30, 61.

Beauchamp, Lord Vifcount ; pag. 26,

Bejot, Libr. R. Paris; pag, 120*

Bengelius ; pag. 68, 165.

BernftorrT, Count-, pag. 71, 83,96, 115, 127, 153,

Berretta, Padr. Flor. pag. 29, 50, 63, 87, 115.

Bertier, Pere, Orat. Paris ; pag. 121.

Bible, interleaved, 30 vol. pag. 81.

Bibles, Hebrew, printed; pag. 25, 82> 85, 95,

99 — 106, in, 113, 130, 140, 143,147. Bibles, Hebrew, corrupted ; pag. 7, 25, 99. Botta, Marfhal ; pag. 28.

A a Branca,

196 INDEX.

Branca, Dr, Flor. pag. 98, 127, 161. Breitinger, Prof. Zuric •, pag. 51, 64, 97, 127. Britiih Mufcum ; pag. 94.

Truflees ; pag.> 56, 70.

Brims, Mr-, pag. 97, 102, 113, 116, 121,167,175. Bute, Earl ; pag. 29, 30.

Cambridge, Univerfity; pag. 11,45. Caperonier, Libr. R. Paris; pag. 120. Carburi, Count ; pag. 75. Carliruhe, Library ; pag. 97, 102, 112. Certificate, from Rome ; pag. 47. .. . . . . Geneva; pag. 47. v

Chais, Mr, Hague ; pag. 149.

Chaldce Paraphrafe ; pag. 144.

China; pag. 129, 162.

Clodius, Libr. Drefden; pag. 65.

Colebrooke, Rob. Elq; pag. 75.

Collation, Expediency; pag. 8, 17, 25, 27, 68, 131.

- Neceffity; pag.i 7, 19,20, 131,141,148.

- Undertaken, in what manner; pag. 10,

15, 19,22,23, 34> 54*81,137..

- Subfcription to it; pag. 170, 171.

- Method of it; pag. 22, 34 — 43, 157.

- Perfection of it ; pag. 1 63 — 1 67.

- - Years for it; pag. 54, 69, 79, 124, 137.

- Expence, attending it ; p. 91,92,172. Confequence of it, to the Public ; pag.

22, 25, 54, ico, 156, 158, 167, 176.

- Profit from it ; pag. 139, 169 — 175. Conftanzi, Prof. Rome ; pag, 28, 49, 74, 87.

Cooper,

INDEX. 197

Cooper, Dr, New -York-, pag 161. Craufurd, General •, pag. 62. Crefpin, Dan. Efq; pag. 61. Cudworth, Dr ; pag. 57.

Daniel, Book, its Chald. in Heb. pag. 61, 74. . . . ... after Malachi ; pag. 116.

Dates of Hebrew Bibles; pag. 106.

Dawes, Mr, Aleppo; pag. 76, 162.

De Beaumont, El. Paris ; pag, 121.

De Brequigny, Monf. Paris ; pag. 121.

Delegates Prefs, Oxford ; pag. 8, 10, 23, 27, 136.

De Schmidtz, Mr ; pag. 90, 97.

De Sonnenfels, Mr ; pag. 86.

De St Florentin, C. pag. 52, 89,

Devifme, Mr ; pag. 75.

De Wilhem ; pag. 58, 114.

D' Harold, Mr, Mannheim ; pag. 90.

DifTertation Firft ; pag. 7, 135, 141.

- - - - Second; pag. 10, 136. Dromgold, Col. Paris; pag. 121. Dublin Univerfity ; pag. 1 1. Dutens, Mr, Turin ; pag, 30, 62, 75.

Ele&or Palatine ; pag. 90. Erfurt Certificates ; pag. 86. Eton College ; pag. 94.

- - Copy of Hagiographa; pag. 94, 101. Europe; pag. 67, 76, 129, 161.

Fabricy -,

198 I N D E X.

Fabricy, Gab. Rome ; pag. 74.

Fagel, Greffier; pag. 149.

Firmian, Count ; pag, 28, 29, 51, 63, 72.

Foreigners favour the Work ; pag. 2 i, 27, 3 1, 46,

59>77> 119 — 121. Forfayeth, ProfefTor, Dublin; pag. 155.

Gaufien, Mr, Geneva ; pag. 49.

Geneva; pag. 47.

Genovefe^ Library, Paris; pag. 120.

Germain des Pres ; pag, 120.

Gill, Dr; pag. 114.

Giorgi, Aug. Rome ; pag. 60, 74.

Goettingen Diploma ; pag. j 07.

Goldhagen, Mr, Mentz ; pag. 90.

Grafton, His Grace, Duke ; pag. 63.

Gray, Sir James ; pag. 31.

Greek MSS, New Teftament ; pag. 17, 67,

Griffen, Mrs ; pag. 123, 176.

Hay, Hon. Edw. Efq; pag. 31. Hebrew Text corrupted ; pag. 7, 17. Heinius, Mr, Berlin ; pag. 52. Hertford, Earl ; pag. 89. Hefle, Landgrave •, pag. 97. Hilleilieim, Dr, Cologne; pag. 87, 160. Hooke, Abbe, Sorbonne; pag. 96,118. Houbigant, Pere, Orator. Paris ; pag. 57. Hunt, Dr ; pag. 7, 8, 23, 33, 109, 125, 132, 136.

Jabloniki's

I N D E X.

199

Jablonfld's Hebrew papers ; pag. 52. Integrity, printed Heb. Bible; pag. 7, 99, 134, Jubb, Dr ; pag. 162.

Kali, ProfefTor, Copenhagen ; pag. 84, 115. King, Gr. Britain; pag. 24, 78, 95, in, 125, 147.

- - Denmark ; pag. 70, 76, 96, 1 15, 126, 153. ~ - France ; pag. 89, 96.

- - Sardinia ; pag. 29, 50, 62. Krefs, Illuft. pag. 117, 128, Kufter ; pag. 67, 165.

Ladvocat, Abbe ; pag. 31, 52, 65, 89, 117, 1 18, Landolt, Mr, Zuric ; pag. 75. Le Blond, Abbe, Caen ; pag. 97, 118. Letters from Albani, Cardinal ; pag. 88.

- - - - BernftorfF, Count; pag. 71, 83, 154.

- - - - Chais, Mr; pag. 150.

- - - Nivernois, Duke de ; pag. 89.

- - - - Seeker, Arch-Bifhop; pag. 9, 10. Lilienthal, Profeflbr, Koenigfberg; pag. 155. Lind, Mr ; pag. 66.

Lobilein, Mr, Stralburg ; pag. 121, 128. Lowth, Bifhop ; pag. 7. Luther's Heb. Bible ; pag. 85, 101, 115, Lyttelton, Bifhop ; pag. 76.

Mann, Sir Hor. pag. 29, 50, 63,73,97, 116, 127. Mannheim Academy; pag. 77, 90, 117. r - - - Diploma; pag. 108,

MSS;

soo INDEX.

MSS, Gr. N. Teft. pag. 17, 67, 157.

- - Heb. O. T. at home; pag. 8, 9, 10, 18, 19,

*5. 55>i35>i38»i57- abroad; pag. 20,27,67, 142,157.

- - Oldeft, beft; pag. 17, 18, 22, 23, 101.

. - . -, - confirm N. Teft. pag. 1 8, 146.

- ... _ - - - - - Samar. Pent. pag. 22.

." .- ' A. Verfions ; p. 1 8, 22, 142.

MSS Heb. Bib. referred to in the preceding pages*

— Aberdeen, Univerfity ; pag. 26, 30.

— Aleppo; pag. 76.

— Angelica, Rome ; pag. 60, 6 1, 74.

— Auld - bar, Scotland ; pag. 45.

— Baden - Durlac ; pag. 90, 97, 1 1 6.

— Barton, Oxford ; pag. 125.

— Barberini, Rome ; pag. 60.

— Bayer, Toledo ; pag. 30, 61.

— Berlin ; pag. 52, 85, 127, 160.

— Berne; pag. 64,75.

— Bodleian ; pag. 22, 27, 45.

— Bologna, Italy; pag. 49.

— Brieg, Silefia ; pag. 127, 159.

— Britifh Mufeum, London; pag. 56, 70,94, 1 10.

— Cai- fong - fu, China ; pag. 129.

— Cambridge ; pag. 45.

— Carlfruhe, Baden -Durlac ; pag. 90, 97, 1 16.

— Cafiel; pag. 65, 96.

— Chalmers, Auld -bar; pag. 45. ^-Cologne; pag. 87,160.

— Copenhagen ; pag. 71, 84,96, 114, 126, 153.

«« Corpus - Chrifti College ; pag. MI.

MSS

INDEX. 201

MSS Conftantinople •, pag. 44.

— Cotton Samar. MS ; pag. 56.

— Drefden ; pag. 64, 160.

— Dublin ; pag. 26, 79, 155.

— Egypt-, pag. 71.

— England ; pag. 8, 18, 25, 44.

— Erfurt, Germany; pag. 86, 128, 145, 160.

— Elcurial ; pag. 30, 49, 61, 62.

— Florence -, pag. 28, 50, 63, 73, 87* 1 15.

— Hail, Seidel ; pag. 52, 64.

— Hamburg ; pag. 29, 51, 64.

— Helmftadt ; pag. 52, 64.

— Ho -nan, China; pag. 162.

— Hunt, Profeflbr; pag. 125.

— Jarchi, at Butzow, Mechlenburg ; pag. 146.

— Jena; pag. 159.

— Jerufalem ; pag. 125, 129, 147.

— Jefus College, Oxford ; pag. 70.

— Kennicott ; pag. 44, 55, 58, 79, 1 14, 125.

— Koenigfberg ; pag. 1 55.

— Leipfic ; pag. 1 60.

— Lekkerkirk, Holland ; pag. 58, 1 14.

— Leyden ; pag. 58, 70, 161.

— Maronite, Rome ; pag. 60.

— Mcerman, Rotterdam ; pag. 30, 45.

— Mentz ; pag. 90.

— Milan; pag. 51,63, 127, 160.

— Minim Fathers, Paris; pag. 120.

— Montague, London ; pag. 26.

— Mufeum, Britifh ; pag. 56, 70, 94, 1 10.

— Naploufe ; pag. 162.

Bb MSS

202 INDEX.

MSS New -York, America; pag. 161.

— Nuremberg; pag. 116, 128, ,56, 159,

— Oratory, Paris ; pag. 19, 96, 1 20. .'

— Oriel College ; pag. 70.

— Oxford ; pag. 26, 45.

— Paris ; pag. 31, 52, 65, 96, 119, 159.

- - - Royal Library ; pag. 52, 96, 120.

— Price, Mr, Oxford; pag. 125. '

— Reuchlin, Carlfruhe ; pag. 1 1 6.

— Rotterdam ; pag. 30, 45.

- Royal Library, London ; pag. 125.

- Royal Society, London ; pag. 79, i 1 1 .

- St Blafe, Library ; pag. 97. -StGenovefe, Paris; pag. 120.

Sc Germ, des Pres, Paris ; pag. 120.

Sc John's College, Cambridge; pag. 125,

Sr Vicfoire, Paris; pag. 120.

— Schuhens, Profeflbr ; pag. 58, 70. >ddd, Hall ; pag. 52, 64. Sirnfon, New -York ; pag. 161. Sorbonne; pag. 52, 120,

— Spain ; pag. 30,49, 6.1.

— Stralburg; pag. 128, 159.

- Trinity College, Dublin ; pag. 26.

— Turin; pag. 29, 50,62, 74.

— Vatican ; pag. 21,27, 28, 60.

— Vienna; pag. 73, 86.

— U flier ; pag. 56.

— Utrecht ; pag. 91.

-Vvrells, England; pag. 20,94.

— Weiiminiter ; pag. 2 b,

Zuric ; pag. 51, 64, 75, 97, r 27.

INDEX. 203

Marefufci, Monfgr. pag. 60.

Maronites College, Rome ; pag. 6o<-

Martini, Illuit. pag. 97.

Meerman, Penf. pag. 30.

Melvill, General -, pag. i 29.

Mercier, Libr. S. Genov. pag. 113.

Michaelis, Bible ; pag. 82, 86, 88, 145.

Michaclis, Joh. Dav. pag. 65, 86, 97, 146.

Milan Senate •, pag. 73.

Mill, Dr; pag. 67, 157, 165.

Minim Fathers, Paris; pag. 120.

Mitchell, Sir And. pag. 115.

Montfancon ; pag. 1 60.

Mordaunt, Rev. Mr -, pag. 55, 79.

Morinus j pag. 120, 121.

Mount -Stuart, Lord Vifcount ; pag. 47.

Murfinna, ProfefTor: pag. 52, 64, 85, 160.

Mufeum, Britifh ; pag. 56, 70, 94.

Nagel ; pag. n 6, 128, 156, 159. Newcome, Bifhop ; pag. 155. Newton, Sir liaac -, pag. 57. Nivernois, Duke ; pag. 52, 89, 119. Norton,Will. Efq; pag. 97,127.

Oberlin, Mr, Strafburg ; pag. 127, 159. Olivera, Marquis ; pag. 73. Orange, H. S. H. Prince •, pag. 1 49. Oratory, Fathers; pag. 96, 120. Oxford Deleg. Prefs; pag. 8, 10, 23, 27, 32, 136. Bb 2

204

INDEX.

Palke, Governor; pag. 162, Paris, Vifit to it ; - pag. 119, 166.

- . - MSS, Heb. and Samar. pag. 119.

- - - Polyglott 5 pag. 56.

- - - Arch-Bp; pag. 119, 128.

- r - Library, Royal; pag. 120.

-. , ..... Sorbonne; pag. 120.

....... Oratory; pag. 120.

....... Genovefe ; pag. 120.

..-..-- - Germ, des Pres ; pag. 120. . ..... - Vidoire ; pag. 120.

....... Minim ; pag. 120.

Pafini, Prof. Tuiin ; pag. 50, 75.

Paffionei, Cardinal ; pag. 21, 28, 46, 47, 60, 87.

Pentateuch, Royal Library, London ; pag. 95.

Pigou, Fred. Eiq; pag. 130, 162.

Pluer, Mr ; pag. 75.

Polyglott London ; pag. 56, 145.

. - - Paris ; pag. 56. Porter, Sir James ; pag. 3 1, 44, 1 29. Price, Libr. Bodl. pag. 125. Printed Hebrew Copies ; pag. 98—106, in,

Quotations, in New Teft. ' pag. 18, 57

, Libr. Hanover; pag. 65. Rau, Prof. Utrecht ; pag. 66. Rawlinfon, Walt. Efq; pag. 74. Jleimarus, Prof. Hamburg; pag. 29, 51, 64.

Richardfon,

INDEX. 205

Richardfon, Dr ; pag. 114. Rochford, Earl ; pag. 62, 75, 119. Rome ; pag. 21, 46, 47, 60, 87, 88,

St John's College, Camb. pag. 111,125,

Sack, Mr, Berlin ; pag. 52, 64, 85.

Samar. MSS ; pag. 19, 56, 120, 145, i 60—162.

- - - Pentateuch; pag. 19,22,56—58, 144,145.

Sanford, Mr, Heb. Bible; pag. 112,130.

Savoy, Duke ; pag. 29.

Scheide, Mr ; , pag. 65, 96.

Schnurrer, Mr; pag. 159.

Schultens, Prof. Leyden ; pag. 58, 70, 161.

Schulze, Prof. Berlin ; pag. 52, 85, roj, 115,

Schulze, Madam ; pag. 115.

Seeker, Arch - Bifhop ; pag. 8 — 10, 56, 122, 136.

Semler, Prof. Hall; pag. 64,92.

Simfon, Mr, America; pag. 161.

Sinner, Libr. Berne ; pag. 64, 75.

Sorbonne Generofity ; pag. 66, 1 20.

Spinelli, Cardinal ; pag. 21, 28, 49, 6o> 61.

Stanhope, Sir William ; pag. 98.

Stewart, Mr; pag. 127,

Stormont, Lord Vifcount ; pag, 31, 74, 87.

Subfcribers to the Collation ; pag. 1 77-— 192.

Sullivan, Profefibr, Dublin ; pag. 79.

Theoli, Domin..Rome; pag. 74. Torregiani, Cardinal ; pag. 49, 60. Tranfcripts depofited in the Bodleian ; pag. 27, 55, 70, 81, 82, 95, 113, 126, 138.

Van

2o6 INDEX.

Van der Hooght's Edition ; pag. 36, 82, 83.

VanSwieten; pag. 73.

Various Readings, in MSS ; pag. 22, 26, 135.

---- in Printed Copies ; pag. 82,85,

94, 95, 112, 130, 147. Vafquez, Xavier, Rome , pag. 60. Vatican ; pag. 21, 27, 47, 88. Vernec, Prof. Geneva ; pag. 51. Verfes in the Old Teftament ; pag. 35, 157.

- New Teftament ; pag. 1 57. Verfions, Antient ; pag. i 8, 22, 25, 142, 146. Verfchuir, Prof. Franequer; pag. 118. Viftoire, Library, Paris; pag. 120.

Walton's Polyglott ; pag. 56, 145. Welfer, Illuft.- pag. 117, 128. Wetftein ; pag. 68, 1 65. Woide, Mr; pag. 102. Worfeley, Mr ; pag. 1 1 6.

Yorke, Sir Jofeph ; pag. ^o.

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