mentators and writers upon the famous 70 weeks, where he will find, as it seems to me, reason enough to withhold his confidence in the declarations of Gesenius as here made. I have seen nothing yet to satisfy my own mind, at least, that they can be substantiated.

A few other expressions occur, in the course of the preceding article, on which remarks might be made. But I deem it unnecessary; inasmuch as this work is to go into the hands of intelligent readers, who will think for themselves. The editor of this work has repeatedly stated, that he is not to be considered as vouching for all which the writers may believe or affirm, whose compositions are exhibited in his pages.

I trust the reader, however, will not be induced by some of these exceptionable things in the commentary of Gesenius, to overlook the general merit of the piece. I consider it the only successful effort which has been made, to unravel the very difficult passage of which it treats. The scheme of interpretation is so simple, accords so well with historical facts, and withal is so natural and even obvious (after certain things are considered), that it is greatly commended to our reception by these circumstances. The visionary ideas which have so often been thrown out before the public, in regard to this portion of prophecy, cannot fail to be rejected, when compared with an effort so sober and able as the present one of Gesenius.

Those who have no taste for thorough and fundamental investigation in philology, will indeed receive no pleasure from reading this piece; but those who love to see opinions followed by well-grounded reasoning and illustration, will view the whole piece with different eyes. I consider it a kind of chef d'oeuvre among the philological efforts of this distinguished writer. Even if one is not satisfied with the results of his commentary, he may still say of the author in respect to it: e magnis excidit ausis.

ARTICLE VII.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

I. NOTICES OF FRENCH PUBLICATIONS.

By the Rev. Robert Baird, Paris.

In this communication we shall take a brief notice of some recent French works, chiefly of a Biblical and religious sort. At another time we may call the attention of the reader to works of a very different nature.—

1. The first work which we at present designate, as possessing considerable interest, is what has been, not inappropriately, called in Paris, La Bible Pittoresque. This is the edition of the Bible about which so much has been said in England and the United States. It is no other than De Sacy's version of the Bible, published in small livraisons, or numbers, at two or three sous (or cents) apiece, and adorned with a great number of engravings. It has been several months in a course of publication; and only the Old Testament has appeared. The New will follow. The fact of 100,000 copies of this work having been printed and sold, or subscribed for, has been published as an indication of an increasing desire among the people of Paris and of France for the sacred Scriptures. Doubtless it is so to some extent. There are many other facts which concur to show the same beneficent, though limited change. It is, however, to be apprehended that a very large number of those who have subscribed for this work have done so chiefly from a desire to have the engravings. Be it so. Much good will result from its publication.

And here we would remark that the French publishers understand perfectly the art of selling their books. They publish almost every thing in livraisons. These appear once a week, fortnight, month, or just as it is convenient. This suits not only the poorer classes of laborers, but also those who are in easier circumstances, including the literary classes. The mass of the French people possess but a very moderate property. By habits of frugality they live comfortably, and can also spend something every week for the purchase of books. And their

books, which are not generally printed on fine paper, nor bound very well, cost considerably less than books in America, and incomparably less than the English books which are printed in London. Large editions of every important work which appears in Paris, are published in numbers, and sold for a few cents each. In this way, the very popular histories of the Revolution, by Messrs. Mignet and Thiers, are at this moment publishing. Immense editions of the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Chateaubriand, Beranger, etc., are publishing in the same way. Even so small a work as the Imitation of Jesus Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, splendidly "gotten up," is publishing in livraisons. This is unquestionably the true way to secure a large sale of new works, or works of enduring popularity, amidst a dense population.

2. La Sainte Bible; traduction de M. de Genoudé.-The Translation of the Bible, by M. Genoudé, was first published several years ago. The edition which is now in course of publication, comes out " under the auspices of the clergy of France, and is directed by the care of M. L'Abbé Juste, honorary canon, ancient professor, &c., with the authorization of Monseignor, the Archbishop of Paris." Genoudé is a very distinguished writer among the Catholics of France. He is a layman, a man devoted to literature, and one of the ablest contributors to the Gazette de France, which is, emphatically, of all the political journals, the true organ of the Catholic interests. His first essays at translating the Scriptures were made a number of years ago, on the books of Job and Isaiah. Having succeeded well in those attempts, he was encouraged to undertake a translation of the entire Bible. The motive by which he was influenced to do this, he tells us, was a desire to present the sacred Oracles to French readers in a style more truly elegant, and more truly French, avoiding the two extremes, which he conceives are manifest in the numerous French versions, of a too close and rigid a translation of the text on the one hand, and a too wide and paraphrastical departure from it, on the other. His preface contains a beautiful and just eulogium on the sacred volume. The brief notices which he gives of the several portions of the Bible are very well written.

This translation is made mainly from the Vulgate. It does not profess to be a canonical version of the Scriptures. Indeed, in an advertisement which is prefixed to it, it is expressly disclaimed that this translation is to be viewed in any other light

than as a history of the Old and New Testaments, approaching as closely as possible to the sacred text. In the introduction to this work, which the publishers have given, the opinion of Fenelon is quoted in favor of the reading of the Scriptures by the laity, and, particularly, the remarks which that distinguished author makes, in regard to the fact that the sacred volume was in their hands in the first ages of Christianity, and the propriety and necessity of the people being enlightened by the word of God. In addition to the considerations which Fenelon suggests, the publishers assign the efforts which the Bible Societies are making to distribute bad translations, as an argument why they have been led to publish and circulate this present translation of M. Genoudé.

We have not had time to examine M. Genoudé's translation very closely. But we are inclined to think that it is done in an able manner. The Vulgate and the Septuagint have been mainly followed. Of course it differs much from the Hebrew of the Old, and the Greek of the New Testaments. It is adorned, if we may so apply the word, with many very badly executed wood-cuts. In these pictures the Almighty God is represented, uniformly, under the appearance of an old man! We need not remark on the degraded idea which all such representations of that Being who has forbidden that any "likeness" should be made of himself, is calculated to engender. We only add, that M. Genoudé is a true son of the Catholic church. After having extolled, in his preface, the sacred Scriptures, and after having stated the means which he had employed to render his translation accurate, and to have it correctly printed, he adds this remarkable sentence: "Nous protestons d'avance, comme nous avons déjà fait lors des premières éditions, contre toute interprétation que nous aurions adoptée, et qui serait contraire à la Foi de l'Eglise catholique, apostolique et romaine, dans le sein de laquelle nous voulons vivre et mourir." "We protest, in advance, as we have already done in the former editions, against every interpretation which we may have adopted, and which may be contrary to the Faith of the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman church, within whose bosom we wish to live and to die." In other words, M. Genoudé might as well have said: We have given a faithful translation of the Bible from the sources which the Catholic church approves; but if we have given a translation of any passage, no matter how faithfully we may have rendered it, which is contrary to what the Catholic,

Apostolic and Roman church believes, we protest, in advance, against that interpretation! Here is something which is not only ridiculous, but in the highest degree insulting to the God of the Bible. But the Abbé Juste, who is associated with M. Genoudé in the work of superintending the printing of the present edition, seems disposed to be even a more faithful son of the infallible mother, for he adds in his imprimatur: "I declare that I unite, with all my heart, in the sentiments of faith and piety expressed by M. Genoudé, and protest, with him, against every error and false interpretation, condemning every thing which our holy church condemnns, and willing to believe and approve, even to an iota, only what she teaches and approves."*

3. La Bible, Traduction nouvelle, avec l'Hebreu en regard etc. "The Bible; a new translation, with the Hebrew on the opposite page, accompanied with the vowel-points and tonic accents; with philological, geographical and literary notes, and the variations of the Septuagint and the Samaritan versions. By S. Cahen, Director of the Israelitish School of Paris."

The number of the Jews in France is not great. They have in all seven consistories, as they are termed in the laws of the kingdom. That is, they have seven synagogues, in Paris, and other chief cities. Since the Revolution of July 1830, and the accession of Louis Philippe, they have enjoyed every right to which they are entitled as citizens, and probably live in a more happy condition than do the Jews in any other country. By the charter of the late Revolution, they receive their proper proportion from the public treasury for the maintenance of their religious services. Indeed the present government of France has shown a strong disposition to aid in every way in which it can, these remains of a people dear to the Christain church, because of their fathers, of whom, according to the flesh, Christ

came.

A few works have been published at Paris, within the last twenty or twenty five years, for the use of Jewish worshippers and others. We shall only give their titles with a remark or two en passant. 1. Instruction Religieuse et Morale, etc.;

* Je déclare m'associer de tout mon cœur aux sentiments de Foi et de piété exprimés par M. de Genoudé, et protester avec lui contre toute erreur et fausse interprétation, condamnant tout ce que notre mère la Sainte Eglise condamne, et voulant croire et approuver, jusqu'à un iota, que ce qu'elle enseigne et approuve.