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218 Critical Remarks on M. de Voltaire.

former was not too moderate, and also that all those calculations have not such evidence as to be absolutely incontestible (b).

But let us allow, that his valuations are just, though that might be denied: let us allow, that he is thoroughly acquainted with the true value of the
talents here mentioned by the Vulgate, which is not very certain; that the Vulgate has given the exact meaning of the text, which might perhaps be questioned: supposing all this, what will be the consequence? That it is not credible that David could have left his son such a sum. But how are we obliged to believe it?

These twenty thousand millions appear to M. de V. an exorbitant, an enormous sum. He has reason to think so; we think so too. It would have been sufficient to have built a temple of solid silver (c); at least it would have built many hundreds like that of Solomon, especially such as this writer represents it.

But does he not see, that the more palpable the mistake, and the more gross the absurdity, the less credible it is on the part of an author, who must be allowed, if not inspiration, at least some understanding? Is it probable
that a rational writer should make David say, a Prince whom he knew as well as M, de V. that his predecessor had not even iron, that he had laid up, in his poverty, twenty thousand millions in ready money; that is, according to M. de V. himself, more ready money than there is in the whole world?

When such evident mistakes, as to numbers, are discovered in profane writers, we do not pretend to lay them to their charge, if we know that, in other respects, they are intelligent and faithful. There is not a critic, who does not think that they ought then rather to be ascribed to the negligence
or inattention of transcribers, than to the stupid weakness of the writer (d).
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(b) Thus Calmet makes the sum left by David to Solomon, amount to no more than about twelve thousand millions. (c) However, as M. de V. observes, this sum left by David was not sufficient for Solomon, who was fill obliged to borrow gold of Hiram.
(d) These faults are discovered not only in the writings of the antients, which have gone so often through the hands of transcribers, but also even in the most intelligent modern writers. Of this, Basnage affords a remarkable instance. It is said, in his History of the Jews, that those of

Why does not our critic act with the fame equity, and follow the same rules with respect to the sacred author? And this is the more necessary, as probably the transcribers sometimes marked the numbers by letters which we have instead of cyphers, and the Hebrew letters, according to M. de V. himself,
might easily be confounded (e).

What therefore does his objection prove? At the molt that there is some fault in the transcriber in this text of the Chronicles: but who denies that there may be, and, in fact, are some in the Holy Scriptures? Every one allows it (f); and it were needless to take the trouble to prove what no one doubts.

In short, it was the custom of the kings of Asia in the time of David, as it still is at this day, to amass treasures for cases of exigence, or for the execution of projects which they had formed. They were unacquainted with the new principle (g) of the modern govern.
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Spain, at the time of their expulsion, carried out of it thirty thou land millions of ducats; which is all written in words at length, and is not corrected in the. Errata. Would it be right to ascribe this exaggeration to Basnage, rather than to his Dutch printer?

(e) It may farther be added, in order to prove that this error is owing to the transcribers, 1. that the construction is very irregular, or at least very extraordinary, talents of gold, and a thousand of silver; which is a proof that the manuscript of the Arabic translator had a different reading from that which was used by the author of the Vulgate, and manifestly gives room to suspect some alteration in them both.

(f) M. de V. himself cannot help allowing it in his Treatise on Toleration.
See p. 127.

(g) The contrary principle was that of Sixtus V. and Henry IV. whose views were probably as extensive as those of our modern political economists. This principle also was adopted by the sate King of Prussia. Is it not true that it has succeeded ill with the king his son? It would, perhaps, be a subject worthy the discussion of the learned, to examine whether there was in ancient times as much or more gold and silver in proportion than in ours. It should seem as if so many sands from which gold dust was drawn, so many rivers which rolled it, so many mines which the ancients knew and worked, might at least render the question problematical.

One cannot read the Dissertation of Dom

Cafe of Mr. Blackburne, at Cambridge. 219

ments of Europe, that it is better for princes to have nothing in their colfers, and to let all the ready money circulate in their dominions. It is no wonder therefore, that, long employed in the project of building a fuperb temple to gained over fo many nations, from whom he had taken rich fpoils, thould have amalled and left to his fon con-fiderable fums: For, in truth, let M. de V. fay what he will, this Jewißh Melk was not a pelty King, he was a powerful Monarch; and though our critic limits his dominions to the fall country of Paleftine, he chufes to forget that this victorious Prince had fubdued feveral neighbouring na-tions, and extended his dominions from the Euphrates to Ezion-geber, and from Ezion-geber to Egypt. This was a little more than the little country of Paleftine.(To be concluded in our next.)

Mr. UrBan, Cambridge.
The public have hitherto been ac-quainted with only a fmall part of
the extraordinary cafe of Mr. Black-burne, of Peterhoufe, retufing to make
our bond fide declaration, and the con-lequent refufal of his degree of Bachelor of Arts. The paper which he gave to the mafter of his college, and which was deemed unfatistactory and in-fufficient, has not yet been made pub-lie; 1 have with fome difficulty got a copy, and as the young gentleman may not otherwife have juitice done him for the noble facrifice which he has made totruth, I will tranfcribe it. 6 I Thomas Blackburne, do hereby declare, That I have a firm belief and perfuafion of the truth of the Chriftian religion, as it is exhibited in the Scrip-tures; that I have hitherto communi- cated with the church of England, as by law eftablifhed; and that I have no
prefent intention to communicate with any other.
Witnels my hand
Jan. 20, Thomas Blackburne."
1773
Every candid and liberal Chrifian

--
Dom Calmet on the texts which we have been examining, without allowing that, in
thofe ancient times, the kings, the tem-ples, and fome cities had an opulence that was aftonilhing. M. de V. himfelf obferves, in his Treatife on Toleration, that the riches, which Herodotus fays he had feen in the temple of Ephefus, are furprizing; but thould this furprize make us deny the facts? will readily difcern the fuperior advan-tage which this thinking young man has over the doting old ones of this place, on the fcore of reafon and religion.

Mr. Urban,
LATELY having had the pleafure
of Spending a few days at Alkering-ton, near MancheRter in Lancahire, the feat of Aton Lever, Efg. I was agreeably entertained, and furprifed to find one of the grandeft collections of the moft perfect fpecimens of Na-tural Hiltory that perhaps are to be feen in any private gentleman's pot-feffion in Europe. I have committed
to paper a few remarks on fome of the capital fpecimens in each department,
giving them as I took my notes, and oblerving no method in the arrange-
ment. -I fend you a copy, hoping it will find a place in your ufeful Man-gazine.
Halifax, I am, Sir, yours, Sec.
Now.25,1772. T. B.

I hall begin with the quadrupeds, of which there are about 60 diltingt Species, preferved each in a feparate glafs cafe; of thefe I noticed the fol-lowing, viz. the Squirrel Monkey, the Coati Mondi, the Egyptian Ichnu-mon, the Civet-Cat from Gambia, the Oppolum, a non-defcript Antelope,the Ardtic Fox, the Mexican Mulk-Hog, the Perfian Cat, and the Leopard Cat.

Imperfect conceptions, or what are improperly called Lufus Nature, viz. a double headed Calf, a Pig with eight legs, two tails, one back.bone, and one head; a Leveret with feven legs, eight feet, and one head; a Kitten with two bodies and one head: a Kit-ten, a perfect Polypheme, having one eye only, and that in the middle of the head; a Pupp with two mouths and one head.

Out of upwards of 160 pecies of birds, natives of or killed in England, are the following, viz. the Ring-tail Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the thort-ear'd Owl, the greater Butcher-bird, the Hawfinch, the Crofs-bill, the greater and leffer Brambelings, the Black-game, the Ptarmigan from the Highlands of Scotland, the peckled Plover of Mr. Edwards, the greater.Buftard, the little Buftard of Edwards, the greater and leffer Goofanders, the crefted Graebe, the little Hawk, a large

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-11 13:03:49 truncated words need to be completed per SI instructions also "s" is mistranscribed as f in a lot of words