be fat," he was, indeed, very successful. He compared the requisitions of a certain popular leader, to obtain a view of certain secret negotiations, and the reply of the cabinet minister, to a story which he said he had read in a learned author. "A certain man having something concealed carefully under a cloak, was required to tell what it was, by an inquisitive fellow. 'Sir,' said he can you keep a secret?' 'Yes,' replied the inquirer. So can I,' retorted the humourist."-This threadbare story, which may be found in the earliest edition of the oldest jestbook in England, actually convulsed the house with laughter! Yes, Frank, the members of the august British house of commons-the conscript fathers of Great-Britain, actually grinned with joy, and shook their sides with laughter like a knot of "younkers on the green!"-Only think, Frank-a merry house of commons, funny wisdom, jocular profundity of thought!— Why, a laughing legislature is to me as incongruous as a skipping, tripping bishop, a comical clergyman, or a buxom, romping penitent. I was ashamed, mortified, disgusted. I felt the dignity of my nature violated. I felt more-I remembered I was of English descent, and I blushed for the land of my ancestors. You know, Frank, that, notwithstanding the irritation of our revolutionary contest, there is an undescribable something clinging to the heart of every Anglo-American which sensibly associates us with the glory of old England. In the days of our fathers, this clime was universally known, through the colonies, under the endearing appellation of the mother country; and when my honoured father went to Bristol, to establish a commercial connection with the house of Tappenden and Hanby, it was said, in the family, he was going home. Ah! if British statesmen could feel all our fathers felt, and we are disposed to feel, in uttering this domestick, affectionate, sacred word, they might attach the profits of our commerce in a measure not to be attained by all the despotick intricacies of their maritime code. I felt the full force of the word-I was in my father's house-I was at home: but when amidst the fathers of the nation, convened in solemn assembly to deliberate on mighty subjects, which involved not only their own existence, as a state, but the welfare and peace of the world, I beheld them listening to the bald jokes of a mountebank, and grinning like clowns at his ribaldry-by the bones of my English ancestors, I could have gone backwards, like the children of Noah, and cast a

garment over my parents' nakedness.-I have visited the house several times since, but found it changed

"From gay to grave, from lively to severe."

The house was very thin, scarcely a business quorum, although I thought the subjects in debate very momentous. When the question, hewever, was about to be taken, absent members seemed to have notice-came thronging in, and voted as if they had been prepared by deliberate investigation. Now, there is more propriety in this than your Yankey imagination would at first conceive. As these evanescent members are all pledged to their party, and have actually had their minds made up for them, you must be sensible it would be of no use for any one of them to hear arguments in favour of his own decided prepossession, and arguments on the other side might tend to raise doubts of the rectitude and wisdom of his leaders, and to entertain such doubts would be an unpardonable weakness in a true-bred politician. They have, I am told, a practice for members on opposite sides to pair off, to save themselves from the tedium of a debate. Now, this is equally rational; for if a pair of intellectual balances could be provided, the talents of these pairs would so nicely equiponderate that the wisdom of either party in the house would be diminished in accurate proportion. Indeed, it is to be lamented that this mode of pairing off, which is at present confined to the mute, could not be extended to the speaking members; for although the fewer the members the less disquiet may be expected in a noisy and quarrelsome family, yet, if the promoters of discord, the brutal husband and scolding wife, would sometimes pair off, it might wonderfully conduce to the quiet of the mansion.

"But, to be serious; amidst all the bustle and puerility of the British house of commons, I have heard some gentlemen, who, if you, who have been modelled from the ancient schools, would not acknowledge to be orators, yet you would allow them to be sensible men, speaking pertinently upon subjects which they seemed intimately to comprehend, and in language which might pass from their lips to the press, and, without correction, be read and admired as specimens of fine, if not energetick speaking."

There is a degree of smartness and some humour in this writer, that would induce us to think he might do better. The fault of his work is, that it gives nothing new, nothing but what

a man, with some knowledge of English history, and the habit of reading English newspapers and magazines, might write in this country. The account of the English bookseller and the remarks on the House of Lords are really too stale even for a magazine.

RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.

ARTICLE 18.

דקדוק לשון עברית

Dickdook Leshon Gnebreet. A grammar of the Hebrew language, being an essay to bring the Hebrew grammar into English, to facilitate the instruction of all those who are desirous of acquiring a clear idea of this primitive tongue by their own studies, in order to their more distinct acquaintance with the sacred oracles of the old testament according to the original, and published more especially for the use of the students of Harvard College, at Cambridge, in New-England. Composed and accurately corrected by Judah Monis, M. A. Boston, (N. E.) printed by Jonas Green, and are to be sold by the author at his house in Cambridge, 1735.

A HEBREW grammar published in this country at so early a date, we could hardly have expected. When we consider the infant state of the settlement and the difficulties of the undertaking, we must look upon the exertions made on this occasion as an honourable instance of zeal for the promotion of learning. The publication of the work, as appears from the preface, was a long time delayed by want of types, for which it became necessary to send to Europe. Another difficulty must have been experienced in procuring a printer capable of executing such a work.

In a note to the review of Pietas et Gratulatio, the author of this work is stated to have been a native of Algiers. Though this was probably the place of his birth, we have reason to think that he was brought up in Italy, for it is certain that his pronunciation agrees with the Italian rather than with the Algerine. When we speak of his pronunciation, we mean, as it may be gathered from his grammar. For instance, if we do not mistake his orthography, he pronounced Cames and Patach

as we do our a in all, a sound unknown to the Algerines, though very common in Tuscany. Again, he never pronounced ; and represented the raphated Tau by T, perfectly according with the Italian custom. But the Algerines pronounce as we do our H, and raphated Tau, as we do th in thing. Add to this, the common tradition is that he was an Italian, and he is so called in Whitney's history of the county of Worcester. In his Hebrew MSS. which are still preserved in the College Museum, he calls himself Hasfardi, that is of the Spanish tribe, one of the two grand divisions of the European Jews.

Before coming to this country we know nothing of him, but after his arrival at Boston he seems to have been soon invited to fill the office of Hebrew instructer in the University, where he was settled on the 27th of March, 1722. Before he could be admitted into the University, it was rendered necessary by the statutes that he should change his religion, which he professes to have done with perfect disinterestedness, though he continued to the time of his death to observe the seventh day as the sabbath. From the address delivered upon that occasion in the dining hall by the Rev. Mr. Colman of Boston, it may be suspected that doubts were entertained of the sincerity of his declaration. The expressions, "Is your heart right with God?" "We can't be content with good professions, &c." shew no very strong confidence in his integrity. However it is certain he always retained an unblemished character, and was well contented with his situation. He married in Cambridge, and when death deprived him at a very advanced age of the society of his wife, he resigned his office and retired to Northborough, where he resided with the relations of his wife. He died at the age of 81 years, 40 of which he had spent in his office.

We learn from his works and the report of his contemporaries, that he was well read in the Hebrew and spoke it with fluency. This was here a very rare acquirement, and rendered his services highly desirable. The estimation in which he was held may be gathered from the preface of Mr. Colman. He was also esteemed by the venerable Increase Mat. r, who was still alive, though unable to attend his inauguration.

His works are, three discourses "delivered at his baptism," one entitled "the truth," another "the whole truth," and the third "nothing but the truth;" the grammar under review, and some unpublished works of little value, in Rabbinical He

brew. In the first of these works, he shews his fondness for the Cabbala, from which he draws his principal arguments.

The conclusion of the preface to his grammar is a curious specimen of his style.

"Since, through the good hand of God upon me, he has not only taken Moses's vail from me, but even has placed me in his service, i. e. to teach and promote the knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, at Harvard College, in New-England, especially for the advantage of those that will dedicate themselves to the service of the sanctuary; and considering, that through the great and manifold faults and errors (at least, of the press) that are found in all the Hebrew grammars extant, besides the shortness of them, my expected work could not be attained without farther reformation. But for want of Hebrew types in these remote parts of the world, it could not be accomplished till now. The whole of this essay (such as it is) I offer to your candid acceptance, hoping you will overlook the defects in the English phrase, and any other lesser errors; and if you reap any benefit by it, give the glory to God, and pray for the prosperity of Harvard College, and by so doing you'll oblige,

Yours, &c.

JUDAH MONIS.”

His authorities are given in the end of the preface, thus "R. D. K. R. Akivolty and R. Templo," of whom it may not be amiss to give a brief account. The Miclol of David Kimchi, a celebrated Jew of Provence, was written at the beginning of the thirteenth century, and is a very full and perfect grammar on Masoretick principles. Solomon Templo, a Portugueze Rabbin was contemporary with Monis, and wrote his grammar in the Portugueze language, Rabbi Samuel Archevolti was a very respectable scholar. He died at an advanced age in 16114 His work which was of much assistance to Monis, is a well written grammar entitled, an Harugad habboshem. A work compiled from such authorities cannot but be useful.

A principal object with Monis appears to have been to introduce the Tuscan pronunciation. To this end he has taken some pains to represent the sounds according to the English orthography, and although it might have been performed in a neater manner, with a proper attention he will be always understood. He seems to prefer our most anomalous combinations, provided they contain a multitude of letters, and hence he uses