I have thus endeavoured to shew that Kant's philosophy possesses, besides its idealistic, a marked realistic side. This aspect, on which Mr. Mahaffy was the first strongly to insist, in opposition to Kant's later German expositors, has not yet, I think, received the attention it deserves. It may be that I have in some cases exaggerated this element in the Kantian system, and not given sufficient weight to counter passages. But its existence seems to me unquestionable. Ignoring it, we become wholly unable to understand the earnestness with which Kant repels Idealism, and his views on this point, instead of blending harmoniously, as they do, with the rest of his system, present the appearance of a clumsy after-thought, if not of disingenuous sophistry. Recognising it, on the other hand, we see in Kant not an abstract speculator delighting in revolting paradox, but an earnest-minded philosopher, who, though intrepidly carrying out the doctrine of Relativity, and rejecting Hamilton's appeal to common sense, yet possessed for the deep-seated convictions of mankind a reverence no less genuine than his. FREDERICK PURSER.

ON AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE A LOST
UNCIAL MS. OF THE GOSPELS.

MONGST the cursive MSS. of the Gospels there

are a few (about half-a-dozen) which stand apart from the rest, distinguished by their general affinity to the more ancient uncials. Three of these have long attracted the particular attention of critics, in consequence of the peculiarity of some of their readings; these are the MSS. known as 13, 69 and 124, preserved respectively at Paris, Leicester and Vienna. The most superficial study of Tischendorf's apparatus criticus is sufficient to show that there is some close connection between these three. To these we must add 346 (in the Ambrosian library at Milan), hitherto imperfectly known, but which an accurate collation has shown to be even more closely related to 13 than either of the others. 69 is of the 14th century, the other three belong to the 12th.

The most striking peculiarity of these MSS. is their .placing the narrative of the woman taken in adultery not in its usual place in John viii., but after Luke xxi. In this they as yet stand alone.* This is, however, but one of a great number of coincidences which naturally suggest the question whether they may not be ultimately derived from the same original. This was long ago suggested by Birch, the Danish collator, with regard to 69 and 124 (with which alone he was acquainted), but he rejects the idea. His words are: "Hic codex inter omnes Bibl. Es. libros MS. N.T. singularium lectionum copia

I take this opportunity of correcting an error of Scholz. He mentions cod. 63 among those which con

tain the pericopa de adultera. On the contrary, it omits the passage.

Y

eminet, codici Leicestriensi in multis ita similis, ut ambo ex uno apographo exscriptos crederem, nisi aliis in locis. plura in Leicestriensi codice non obvia, in hoc observassem."

Griesbach, in his Symbole Critica, throws out a similar suggestion respecting 13 and 69, but in consequence of many differences which cannot be attributed merely to a copyist, concludes, "dubitari non potest ex diversis, licet propinqua cognatione conjunctis, exemplaribus utriusque libri textum transcriptum esse." These objections, how

ever, both of Birch and Griesbach, only apply to the hypothesis of an immediate derivation from one original. The connection of 346 with 13 is at least equally striking.

The late lamented Professor Ferrar, of Trinity College, Dublin, was the first who undertook to test this hypothesis of a common origin by a careful critical examination of the four MSS. This examination added largely to the number of ascertained coincidences, some being very singular. It will suffice to mention one of these here. In Luke xxi. 25, 26, we find in 13, 69, and 346, xovs Daráσons καὶ σάλου ἀπὸ ψυχῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων (for ἀποψυχόντων ἀνθρώπων). 124, if from the same original, has corrected this singular blunder. On the whole, if the hypothesis of a common origin of the four MSS. has not been placed by him beyond all doubt, it has certainly been raised to a high degree of probability. The importance of this result, as bearing on textual criticism, may be stated in Mr. Ferrar's own words: "If it can be rendered highly probable that they are derived from an older MS. now lost, then in estimating the support given by them to any reading we can only look at them as equivalent to one witness. In place of this fact diminishing the value of these four MSS., it greatly enhances it, for it removes them from the class of ordinary cursives and elevates their combined testimony to the rank of an uncial of the first or second rank."

I propose to give in the following pages a concise

view of the results of Mr. Ferrar's critical examination of the MSS. For convenience of reference I shall call them by the initials of the places in which they are now preserved thus, 13 I shall call P; 69, L; 124, V; and 346, M. There can be no danger of their being confounded with the uncials usually designated by these letters. Some account must first be given of the materials available for the enquiry. A moment's reflection will show that for such a purpose it is important to know, not only the bona fide readings of each MS., but its blunders, itacisms, etc. The example just quoted illustrates this. In the case of 69 (or L), Mr. Scrivener's collation (appended to his edition of the Codex Augiensis) left nothing to be desired; but with the others it was not so. Of 124, or V, we possess indeed two valuable collations published almost simultaneously by Birch and Alter. (Birch, Quatuor Evang. Grace cum variantibus Lect. Hauniæ, 1788. Alter, Novum Test. ad cod. Vindob. Græce expr. var. Lect. addidit F. C. Alter, Viennæ, 1787.*) The former states that he collated this MS. with especial diligence on account of the high estimation in which he held it, and he frequently supplies omissions of Alter or enables us to correct his errors. But he takes no notice of itacisms, etc. Alter's collection is more complete, and extends to the minutest particulars; the

Alter's preface contains a curiosity is not Welsh at all, but Wallachian. of literature which is too instructive The error originated with A. Müller, and amusing to be left in that obscurity. but Alter improved on him by the preciIt is desirable, he says, that some sion of the reference to the Welsh learned man should compare the entire Bible, London, 1588, as if he had it Welsh Bible, printed at London, 1588, before him. His error does not stop and 1620, with the Wallachian. It here. He adds, with a charming comwill probably be found that the only bination of modesty and confidence, difference is in the Slavonisms of the "Comparatio duorum istorum Biblilatter. He illustrates this by giving orum historicis illis usui esse forte the Lord's Prayer in parallel columns. posset qui Wallachos Romanos esse The resemblance is so striking that one asserunt. Populum Wallicum in Anglia, wonders it did not excite some little the Wales, dictum, Romanos esse, doubt in his mind. In fact, his Welsh omnibus compertum est"!

arrangement of his book, however, is the worst that could possibly be devised. It is, doubtless, owing to this that Scholz has followed Birch and Wetstein, without apparently consulting Alter at all; and Scholz has been followed by Tischendorf, whose great labours as a collator have been chiefly devoted to the uncials. There are, however, numerous readings omitted by both Birch and Alter, and a collation of some hundreds of passages made for me by Dr. Hoffmann, of Vienna, has supplied me with many such. I have not yet been able to obtain either a complete copy of the MS. or an opportunity of collating it with the other three.* The materials for the study of the other two MSS. were quite inadequate. Although Griesbach had dwelt on the importance of a complete collation of P, or 13, (which he esteemed very highly, but had only been able to examine hastily), the task was still unaccomplished, Scholz's collation being very imperfect and inaccurate. This MS., therefore, Mr. Ferrar himself collated minutely. Of M or 346, still less was known, but he was prevented by ill-health from collating it himself. However, through the kindness of the Rev. Antonio Ceriani, he obtained a tolerably complete collation of it in St. Matthew's Gospel, and a copy of the remaining three gospels.†

Of the four MSS., V is the most carefully written, and its scribe appears to have consulted several codices. He notes various readings in a few places. Of itacisms and similar blunders I have noted less than 250. The other three abound with such mistakes; there are more than fifteen hundred in P, and a somewhat less number in M ;

· Mr. Ferrar had attempted to procure an accurate collation at least of those passages in which Alter and Birch differed. By an error on the part of the Viennese collators he was led to overrate the completeness of Alter's work.

† Mr. Burgon has lately collated a few chapters in this MS., and his results have been kindly communicated to me through Dr. Salmon. They have been of considerable service in verifying and correcting the copy.