Replies.

PRONUNCIATION OF HEBREW NAMES AND WORDS IN THE BIBLE.

(Vol. viii., p. 469.)

Your correspondent does not, of course, inquire what is the proper Hebrew pronunciation of the several letters, but rather what is the accented syllable in each word. To pronounce in a manner nearly approaching to the Hebrew might make the congregation stare, but would appear very pedantic to a learned ear. The safest mode is to examine the Greek of the Septuagint, or of the New Testament (if the reader does not understand Hebrew), and observe the place of the acute accent. On that place, if it be on the penultimate or antepenultimate, the accent should be laid in English. But if the accent be on the last syllable, though it is strictly right to place it there also in English, it is not worth while to do so, for fear of making hearers talk about a strange sound, instead of attending to the service. It will be safer to accent the penultimate in dissyllables, and the antepenultimate in trisyllables, which in the Greek are acutitones; in fact, to pronounce, as all clergymen used to pronounce, until a pedantic and ignorant practice arose of lengthening, or rather accenting, every syllable in the penultimate, which had or was supposed to have a long quantity in Greek. Hence the comparatively new habit of pronouncing Σαβαώθ, Ζαβουλών, σαβαχθανί, Ακελδαμά, with a strong accent on the penultima; whereas the old-fashioned way of accenting the antepenultima makes no one stare, and is a much nearer approach to the true pronunciation. There is a curious inconsistency in the common way of reading, in English, Σαμαρεια and Καισαρεια. Samarīa is decidedly a Greek word; but yet, in this word, it is usual to accent the antepenultima. Cesarĕa is decidedly a Latin word Græcised, and yet it is usual to read this with an accent on the penultima. I never observed any of those who read Sabáoth, Zabúlon, and sabachtháni, read either Samaría or Cesárea. The Greek accents on Hebrew words always accord, as Hebraists know, with the tonic accent in that language.

E. C. H.

As a contribution to the desirable object of settling the pronunciation of the words mentioned, the following representation of their pronunciation in the originals is offered. The vowels are to be read as in Italian, the th as in English, and the hh as ch in German:

Hebrew. Sabaoth = tsĭ-vā-ō´th.

Hebrew. [The] Moriah = [hăm-]mō´-rī-yā´h.

Syriac. Aceldama = hhĭ-kă´l-dĭ-mā´.

Syro-Chaldee. Eli Eli lamma sabachthani = ē-lī´ ēlī´ lăm-mā´ să-bă´hh-tă-nī´, as in Matthew; or ĕ-lō´-hī, as in Mark.

Chaldee. Abednego = ă-véd nĭ-gō´.

The conventional pronunciation given by Walker is perhaps best adapted to English ears, which would be quite repulsed by an attempt to restore the ancient pronunciation of such familiar words, for instance, as Jacob, Isaac, Job, and Jeremiah.

T. J. Buckton.

Lichfield.

LORD HALIFAX AND CATHERINE BARTON.

(Vol. viii., pp. 429. 543.)

One has some doubt, in reading Professor De Morgan's article on the above subject, what inference is to be drawn from it. If it is to prove a private marriage between Halifax and Mrs. Barton, on the strength of the date on the watch at the Royal Society being falsified, it is a failure. I have examined that watch since Professor De Morgan published his Note, and can testify most decidedly that, if anything, the inscription is older than the case, nor is there a vestige of anything like unfair alteration; and any one accustomed to engraving would arrive at the same conclusion. The outside case is beautifully chased in Louis Quatorze style: but the inner case, on which the inscription is graven, has no need of such elaborate work, nor is such work ever introduced on the inside of watches; they are invariably smooth.

And all that is noticeable in the present instance is, that the writing has lost the sharpness of the graver by use, or returning it into its case; or more probably the case has not been used at all, being cumbersome and set aside as a curious work of art, which indeed it is.

The date on the watch is 1708, and Professor De Morgan states that Mrs. Barton was married in 1718; the watch therefore denies this; but when she married Conduit ought, if possible, to be found out by register, which might prove the watch date untrue; but the watch declares she was Mrs. Conduit in 1708. She was then of course twenty-eight years of age: thus we come to a plainer conclusion that when she lived with Halifax, or whatever other arrangement they made, a position which is said to have occurred between 1700 and the time of Halifax's death in 1715, she was really Mrs. Conduit, and not Catherine Barton. And thus we are brought to think that if there is any private marriage in the case, it is between the lady and Mr. Conduit; at all events she went back to her husband, if the watch is true.

As to an apology for Newton, I look upon it in a very different light: first, I should say he had no clear right to interfere in the matter, as the lady was married; and supposing he had, he could have done no more than expostulate. He lived in a world of his own studies, and did not choose to be interrupted by quarrels and scandals. And it is certainly a proper addition to say, that the public morals of that age are not to be judged by the present standard. All these account very well for Newton's silence on the subject; but to settle the matter, some search might be made in the registers of the parishes where they resided, in order that the subject may be fully explained.

Weld Taylor.

INSCRIPTIONS IN BOOKS.

(Vol. viii. pp. 64. 153. 472.)

In the famous Rouen Missal, called St. Guthlac's book, is the following inscription in the handwriting of Robert, Bishop of London, and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, who was formerly head of the monastery of Jumièges, to which the book belonged, and where, in 1053, he died:

"Quem si quis vi vel dolo seu quoquo modo isti loco subtraxerit, animæ suæ propter quod fecerit detrimentum patiatur, atque de libro viventium deleatur, et cum justis non scribatur."

John Grollier had on all his books inscribed:

"Portio mea, domine, sit in terra viventium;"

and underneath:

"Io. Grollierii et Amicorum."

Henry de Rantzan wrote a decree for his library, of which here is the fulminatory clause:

See Dibdin's bibliographical works.

J. S.

Norwich.

The two following are copied from the originals written in the fly-leaf of Brathwayte's Panedone, or Health from Helicon, pub. 1621, in my possession:

Cestriensis.

On the fly-leaf of Theophila, or Love's Sacrifice, a divine poem by E. B., Esq., London, 1652, I find the following rare morsel:

The subject of the above laudation flourished in the early part of the last century.

In a Geneva Bible, date 1596:

R. C. Warde.

Kidderminster.

German Book Inscription.—You have not yet, I think, had a German book-inscription: allow me to send you the following out of an old Faust, bought last year at Antwerp:

Underneath is the usual picture of the gallows-tree and its fruit.

Iseldunensis.