primis labiis, Perfica rudimenta attigiffent viri cætera præclariffimi, quam facillime deprehendiffent vocem Azmudè nihil aliud effe, quam partic. paff. verbi azmuden, quod eft tentare, inftigare. Unde notio particip. præt. tentatu, inftigatus, nec non, pro Perficæ linguæ ingenio, tentans, inftigator, tentator. Quam appellationem apprime diabolo convenire, nemo eft qui non videat.'

There are many criticisms in this part of the work, which are highly curious, and others of a more trifling kind: we shall only select the following note, which will contribute to explain the origin of a very prevalent custom among ancient nations.

Et cum puella fepulta viva interrogabitur. Zamach fharius ad hæc verba, immanem hunc prifcorum Arabum vitium defcribens, fic loquitur: fama tenet, moris fuiffe, ut cum partui vicina effet gravida, foffam effoderet, atque fupra eam foffam ITERETUR. Quod fi filiam ederet, in foffam projici, fin filium, tolli folitum fuifle.

Porro promigenia notio Arabici verbi, quod hic redditur Latine per eniti, elt, utrem lactis agitare butyri cogendi ergo; atque hinc metaphorice ufurpatur de fœmina, quæ doloribus correpta et concufa, parturit. Ita docet Geuharius, additque verbum hocce ejufdem effe poteftatis atque indolis cum alio Arab, verbo zabada [literæ funt ze, be, dal] quod Hebræum quoque eft, et plane ejufdem fignificationis atque ufus, quodque legitur Gen. xxx. 20. neque ufquam alibi fefe offert. quinimo I. Chaldaica et Syriaca, tefte cl. Schult. ne minimum qui dem verbi hujus veftigium reliquit. Qui Anglicam S. C. verfionem elaborarunt lxx fequuti funt, ac veluti fervum pecus, qua itur, non qua eundum erat, iverunt via. Verterunt igitur præfatum locum Gen. And Leah faid, God hath endued me with a good dowry. At veftram fidem interpretes! exclamat cl. Schultens, cujus verfionem hic apponere libet: utrem mihi meum optima agitavit Deus agitatione: nunc utique confuefcet et babitabit mecum vir meus, quod jam fex ei partu edidi filios: et appellavit eum Zebulon. Dedita opera, utrem pofuit Schultens, cum uterum verecunde defignet. Corrigendus itaque cl. Caitellus, qui in errorem quoque ab interpretibus conjectus eft.'

Then follow the more particular illustrations of the Old Teftament, from the Arabic and Perfian. Thefe are, however, frequently of little importance; and, in fome inftances, our author feems to have looked too deep for a very obvious meaning. The teftimonies of the learned, in fupport of the utility of the Oriental languages, next follow.

Five fpecimens of etymologies are fubjoined, viz. those where the Arabic, &c. illuftrates Latin, English, Spanish and Portuguese, Italian and French. Etymology is a fascinating fcience; for it engages the imagination, and then leads

the

the reafon captive: the mind, in purfuit of analogies, either fancied or real, feldom ftops within its proper limits, but expatiates over every art and science till it finds, or creates, what it purfued. That this cenfure is not too fevere, we feel from frequent experience; for thofe whom etymology first affifted as a fervant, it foon directs as a tyrant. This is the principal cause of its abufe; and it is fupported by the many languages derived from a few parent stocks. A late author fancied that he found the Greek language to have been the origin of many English words; others look up to the Saxon and the German, but forget that they are only the offspring, fometimes coeval, of the original northern language, probably the Celtic. Our author has this advantage, that, in his pursuit, he has advanced nearer to the fource; for the Arabic and the Perfian are lefs diftant from the Celtic than the Greek or the German. He has purfued his enquiries with great diligence, and (fhall we fay too much?) minutenefs. In thefe fituations it is not easy to stop; and an author, fond of his fubject, is the laft to perceive that he has proceeded too far in the purfuit. But we promised to examine the arguments M. Vieyra has adduced in justification of his defign.

Our author firft alleges, and with great juftice, that, by comparing the elements of the eastern languages with those which we already know, and afcertaining the circumstances in which they agree, we fhall, with little labour, attain the knowledge of many words, confeffedly the most difficult part of the task. He might, with equal reafon, have added, that they will also be more indelibly fixed in our minds, than by the usual tranfitory methods. But he feels, and acknowleges, the difficulty of the tafk; and modeftly owns, that he may have erred in fome of his researches. In his next step, he feems rather to betray his own caufe: we require etymologies, he thinks, to detect a word, among the various founds it may acquire in circulation. We fear this has been a great fource of abuse; for the found often influences the orthography, and we are led by it to an erroneous etymology. The remarks on the influence of climate on the organs of speech, and, from thence, on the pronunciation, quoted from M. Court du Gebelin, are very acute and ingenious, but vifionary and erroneous. Milton told us that the cold, in these northern regions, prevented us from opening our mouths to pronounce the a, like the Italians; and it has been often repeated by thofe who never heard a Scotchman, the inhabitant of a climate equally cold, pronounce it. The most finelyfpun fyftems on this fubject are deftroyed with equal ease. M. Vieyra, however, foon efcapes from the conteft; and,

with great policy and address, introduces M. Gebelin, M. de St. Palaye, and M. Salzer, to contend for him. The works of thefe authors are fufficiently known, and few will want fpecimens of the ingenuity and refinement of either. They have, indeed, ftretched the cord till it has broken under the weight; and, by contending that etymology may be subservient to philofophy, to the hiftory of the human mind, and the progrefs of manners, they have almoft led us to doubt whether it is of any ufe. A juryman once remarked, with great fhrewdnefs, after the ingenious counfellor had concluded a very subtle defence, He has made what I know to be falfe fo very probable, that I much doubt whether that which he has endeavoured to prove certain has any great foundation." In short, if etymology is conducted with caution and propriety, it may be still highly serviceable; and, as it is fo fubject to abufe, the attention must be unremittingly exerted to guard against an intemperate purfuit. In the following paffage, though it be just on the whole, we think the author totters on his hobby horse.

• Puto igitur vocem Celte affinitatem habere cum voce Geta, quo nomine nuncupati fuere Afiatici illi coloni, qui inter Danubium et montem Hemum fedem delegere; quique poftea per totam Europam ufque ad promontorium Celticum Hiberniamque fefe, ut mox dixi, diffudere. Nec obftat hujufmodi derivationi littera quae faepe interjici folet, ut in Hifp. voce florefta, Ang. foreft, quae a primitiva voce bar, far, &c. derivatur, et in aliis fane multis, ex quibus nonnullas invenies fub voce cera Ital.

• Roboratur autem hujufmodi conjectura ex eo quod Plinius Hift. Nat. Liv. liv. C. xi. ait, extitiffe, nempe, inter Danubium, pariter et montem Hemum gentes, quae Gauda appellabantur. Quis autem in hujufmodi appellatione affinitatem non agnofcat vocis Gothi cum voce Gaude? Mirum igitur effe non debet, fi vox Celta cum voce Geta affinitatem quoque habeat; Celtaque tandem et nomen et originem ex Getis acceperint.'

If he totters in this explanation, which is, however, well founded, he certainly falls in that which follows.

Bread, brot Theuton. ab Orient. brout, cibus, alimenmentum. V. Caft. p. 431, ubi extat v. brê comedit. manducavit, paftu fe refecit. Igitur bread [panis] cibus per excellentiam fuit appellatus. Quodfi vocis brout, mediam lit. nafalaveris; dentales cum dentalibus; labialefque tandem cum labialibuş commutaveris, orietur (quid profecto ) Lat. PRAND-ERE, innuens actionem fefe lautius reficiendi; quae eft etiam fignificatio Ar. v. brath, fc, epulatus eft amplo et lauto convivio. V. Caft, P: 451,

Of

Of the etymologies, I fear we may fay with Martial, in the verse so often employed, Sunt bona, funt quædam mediocria funt mala plura, yet our author has certainly added to the stock; and, from his acquaintance with the Spanish language, which contains many Arabic words; from his knowledge of fome other modern languages, as well as the Latin and Greek, he has illuftrated many words, whofe roots were either unknown, or imperfectly afcertained by conjecture. We ought not to conclude our article without remarking, that we have not often feen modern Latin more clear and elegant, more precife and comprehensive.

Letters concerning the Northern Coast of the County of Antrim, By the rev. William Hamilton, A. M. Fellow of TrinityCollege, Dublin. 8vo. 45. fewed. Robinson.

SINCE

INCE natural enquiries defervedly engage the attention of every traveller, we are pleafed to fee that the objects of Our own neighbourhood are found to have charms fufficient to attract the philofopher and the antiquary. It is remarkable, that the ftupendous columns, which form the chief fubject of thefe pleating and interefting Letters, had been` curforily examined, and carelefly defcribed, till the difcovery of the bafaltic colonnade in Vivarais had directed the eyes of the philofopher to this fubject. The ingenious and. philofophic author of this work has, in a great degree, fupplied the defects of the English naturalists: we shall examine the fubftance of his Letters, in their order.

Mr. Hamilton firft defcribes the northern coaft of the county of Antrim, and the little island of Raghery, more commonly called, in our maps, Raghlin. He thinks they have been once united; indeed, we have frequently mentioned our opinion, which every fucceeding discovery ftrengthens, that this coaft was formerly connected not only with Raghery, but with the other Hebrides, with the ifles of Feroe, and, probably, with Iceland. In this part of the world, the admirers of Plato would find very fufficient foundation for the deftruction of the Atlantica. The coast of Ireland, and of Raghery, are compofed of limeftone, which fupports the bafaltic columns, and is fometimes depreffed by them: in many parts of it the columnar appearance is trifling and imperfect; and, in others, is entirely abfent. Commonly the columns are on the western coafts, and pretty generally on the promontories. The defcription of the manners of the islanders is extremely pleafing: their innocence, their integrity and fimplicity, form a picture of the fabulous ages;

and

and we fee, with delight, the human race mutually affifting each other, mutually receiving and conferring happiness. They love their country from affection, rather than reafon; fince they know little of other fituations; the neighbouring main (for fo Ireland may be comparatively called) they deteft; but they feem to deteft its invaders only, for in this part of it, the conquests and the cruelties of the Scots and English were moft confpicuous.

The tedious proceffes of civil law are little known in Raghery; and indeed the affection which they bear to their landlord, whom they always fpeak of by the endearing name of mafter, together with their own fimplicity of manners, renders the interference of the civil magistrate very unneceffary. The feizure of a cow or a horfe for a few days, to bring the defaulter to a fenfe of duty; or a copious draught of falt water from the furrounding ocean, in criminal cafes, forms a greater part of the fanctions and punishments of the island. If the offender be wicked beyond hope, banishment to Ireland is the dernier refort, and foon frees the community from this peftilential member.

In a fequeftered ifland like this, one would expect to find bigotted fuperftition flourish fuccefsfully under the auspices of the Romish church; but the fimplicity of the islanders does not fofter any uncharitable tenets, and, contrary to one's expectation, they are neither grofsly fuperftitious, nor rank bigots, but have been known to hold the unchristian doctrines of their late Spanish prieft in great contempt-nay in cafes of neceffity they do not fcruple to apply for affiftance to the proteftant minifter. Of their good-will to the established church they give an annual proof which one rarely finds in any other part of Ireland. The minifter's tythe amounts to about 100l. per annum, and when the iflanders have got in their own harveft, they give the parfon a day of their horfes and cars, and bring the entire tythe home to his farm yard.'

Between Ballycaftle bay and Fairhead, lie the collieries. It has been discovered, by accident, that they were worked in very remote ages, probably before the ufe of pit-coal was known in England, fince a complete mine, with a regular gallery, branching off into different chambers, has been found, though even tradition is filent on the fubject. This difcovery, and the remains of the Brehun laws, contribute to demonftrate, that there was a time when wood, and perhaps, peat, were scarce in that kingdom. The prefent bogs had, probably, then no exiftence: we know, as our author alleges, that the increase of these is rapid, and fometimes irresistible; and it may be added, that inftruments of hufbandry, and marks of cultivation, have been found below

them.