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squared and polished at the quarry, and are of durable construction.The bells of the churches are cast in the founderies of the country: some of them are of large dimensions, and have inscriptions in Syriac and Malay-alim. In approaching a town in the evening, I once heard the sound of the bells among the hills; a circumstance which made me forget for a moment that I was in Hindoostan, and reminded me of another country.

"The first Syrian church which I saw was at Mavely-car; but the Syrians here are in the vicinity of the Romish Christians, and are not so simple in their manners as those nearer the mountains.

They had been often visited by Romish emis. saries in former times; and they at first suspected that I belonged to that communion. They had heard of the English, but strangely supposed that they belonged to the church of the pope in the west. They had been so little accustomed to see a friend, that they could not believe that I was come with any friendly purpose. Added to this, I had some discussions with a most intelligent priest, in regard to the original language of the four gospels, which he maintained to be Syriac; and they suspected, from the complexion of my argument, that I wished to weaken the evidences for their antiquity.* Soon, however,

Dr Francis Buchanan of Bengal requested that I would bring to England a specimen of this stone, which he had not seen in any of the British collections.

You concede," said the Syrian," that our Saviour spoke in our language; how do you know it ?" From Syriac expressions in the Greek gospels. It appears that he spoke Syriac when he walked by the way, (Ephiphatha,) and when he sat in the house, (Talitha Cumi,) and when he was upon the cross, (Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.) The Syrians were pleased when they heard that we had got

the gloom and suspicion subsided = they gave me the right hand of fellowship, in the primitive manner and one of their number was deputed to accompany me to the churches in the interior.

"When we were approaching the church of Chinganoor, we met one of the Cassanars, or Syrian clergyHe was dressed in a white loose vestment, with a cap of red silk hanging down behind. Being informed who

he

their language in our English books. The
exact words, but "Ail, Ail, lamono sabach-
priest observed that these last were not the
thani." I answered, that the word must
have been very like Eli, for one said He
"True," said he;" but
calleth Elias.'
yet it was more likely to be Ail, Ail, (pro-
nounced Il or Eel,) for Hil, or Hila, is Sy-
riac for vinegar; and one thought he want-
ed vinegar, and filled immediately a sponge

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But,"

with it. But our Saviour did not want the
medicated drink, as they supposed.
added he, "if the parables and discourses
of our Lord were in Syriac, and the people
of Jerusalem, commonly used it, is it not
marvellous that his disciples did not record
his parables in the Syriac language; but that
they should have recourse to the Greek?" I
observed, that the gospel was for the world,
and the Greek was then the universal lan-
guage; and therefore Providence selected it.
that the
"It is very probable," said he,
gospels were translated immediately after-
wards into Greek, as into other languages;
but surely there must have been a Syriac ori-
ginal. The poor people in Jerusalem could
not read Greek. Had they no record in their
hands of Christ's parables which they had
heard, and of his sublime discourses record-
I ac-
ed by St John after his ascension ?"
knowledged that it was believed by some of
the learned that the gospel of St Matthew
"So you
was written originally in Syriac.
admit St Matthew? You may as well ad-
Or was one gospel enough for
mit St John.
the inhabitants of Jerusalem ?" I contend-
ed that there were many Greek and Roman
True,"
words in their own Syriac gospels.
said he, "Roman words for Roman things."
They wished, however, to see some of these
words. The discussion afterwards, particu
larly in reference to the gospel of St Luke,
was more in my favour.

66

he was, I said to him in the Syriac language, Peace be unto you.' He was surprised at the salutation, but immediately answered, The God of peace be with you.' He accosted the rajah's servants in the lan. guage of the country to know who I was; and immediately returned to the village to announce our approach. When we arrived, I was received at the door of the church by three Kesbeeshas, that is, presbyters, or priests, who were habited, in like manner, in white vestments. Their names were Jesu, Zecharias, and Urias, which they wrote down in my jourzal, each ́ of them adding to his name the title of Kasheesha, There were also present two Shumshanas, or deacons. The elder priest was a very intelligent man, of reverend appearance, having a long white beard, and of an affable and engaging department. The three principal Christians, or lay-elders, belonging to the church, were named Abraham, Thoma, and Alexandros. After some conversation with my attendasts, they received me with confidesce and affection; and the people of the neighbouring villages came round, women as well as men. The right of the WOMEN assured me that I was once more (after a long absence from England) in a Christian country. For the Hindoo women, and the Mahomedan women, and, in short, all women who are not Christians, are accounted by the men an inferior race; and, in general, are confined to the house for life, like irrational creatures. In every countenance now before me I thought could discover the intelligence of Christianity. But, at the same time, I perceived all around symptoms of poverty and political depression. In the churches, and in the people, there was the air of fallen greatness. said to the senior priest, You ap

pear to me like a people who have known better days. It is even so,' said he. 'We are in a degenerate state compared with our forefathers.' He noticed, that there were two causes of their present decay.

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About 300 years ago, an enemy came from the west, bearing the name of Christ, but armed with the Inquisition, and compelled us to seek the protection of the native princes; and the native princes have kept us in a state of depression ever since. They indeed recognise our ancient personal privileges; for we rank, in general, next to the Nairs, the nobility of the country; but they have encroached by degress on our property, till we have been reduced to the humble state in which you find us. The glory of our church has passed away; but we hope your nation will revive it again. I observed, that the glory of a church could never die, if it preserved the bible.' We have preserved the bible,' said he; the Hindoo princes never touched our liberty of conscience. We were formerly on a footing with them in political power; and they respect our religion. We have also converts from time to time; but in this Christian duty we are not so active as we once were; besides, it is not so creditable now to become Christian in our low estate.' He then pointed out to me a Namboory brahmin, (that is, a brahmin of the highest cast,) who had lately become a Christian, and assumed the white vestment of a Syrian priest. learning, too, of the bible,' he added, Iis in a low state amongst us. Our copies are few in number, and that number is diminishing, instead of increasing; and the writing out whole copy of sacred scripture is a great labour, where there is no profit, and little piety.' I then produced a printed copy of the Syriac

I

The

a

New

New Testament. There was not
one of them who had ever seen a
printed copy before. They admired
it much; and every priest, as it came
into his hands, began to read a por-
tion, which he did fluently, while
the women came round to hear. I
asked the old priest whether I should
send them some copies from Europe.
They would be worth their weight
in silver,' said he. He asked me
whether the Old Testament was
printed in Syriac as well as the New.
I told him it was, but I had not a
copy. They professed an earnest de-
sire to obtain some copies of the
whole Syriac bible; and asked whe-
ther it would be practicable to ob-
tain one copy for every church. I
must confess to you,' said Zecharias,
that we have very few copies of the
prophetical scriptures in the church.
Our church languishes for want of
the scriptures.' But he added, the
language that is most in use among
the people is the Malayalim, (or Ma
labar,) the vernacular language of
the country. The Syriac is now only
the learned language, and the lan-
guage of the church; but we gene
rally expound the scriptures to the
people in the vernacular tongue."

Critical Remarks, by Mr Fox, on the most eminent Greek Poets. From Letters appended to Trotter's Memoirs of Fox.

I

was much gratified, my dear Sir, with your letter, as your taste seems so exactly to agree with mine; and am very glad, for your sake, that you have taken to Greek, as it will now be very easy to you, and if I may judge from myself, will be one of the greatest sources of amusement to you. Homer and Ariosto have always been my favourites; there is

something so delightful in the won-
derful facility, and the apparent ab-
sence of all study, in their expression,
which is almost peculiar to them. I
think you must be very partial, how-
ever, to find but two faults in the
twelve books of the Iliad. The pas-
sage in the 9th book, about Aar, ap-
pears to me, as it does to you, both
poor and forced; but I have no great
objection to that about the wall in
the 12th, though, to be sure, it is
The tenth book
not very necessary.
has always been a particular favourite
with me, not so much on account of
Diomede's and Ulysses's exploits,
(though that part is excellent too,) as
on account of the beginning, which
describes so forcibly the anxious state
of the generals, with an enemy so
near, and having had rather the worst
of the former day. I do not know
any description any where that sets
the thing so clearly before one; and
then the brotherly feelings of Aga-
memnon towards Menelaus, and the
modesty and amiableness of Mene-
laus's character (whom Homer, by
the way, seems to be particularly
fond of) are very affecting. Ariosto
has certainly taken his night expedi-
tion either from Homer's or from
Virgil's Nisus and Euryalus.
scarcely know which I prefer of the
three; I rather think Virgil's; but
Ariosto has one merit beyond the
others, from the important conse-
quences which arise from it to the
story. Tasso (for he, too, must have
whatever is in the Iliad or Æneid) is a
very poor imitation, as far as I recollect.

I

"I suppose, as soon as you have done the Iliad, you will read the Odyssey; which though certainly not so fine a poem, is, to my taste, still pleasanter to read. Pray let me know what parts of it strike you most, and believe me you cannot oblige me more than by corresponding on such subjects. Of the other Greek poets,

Hesiod,

Hesiod, Pindar, Eschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Apollonius Rhodius, and Theocritus, are the most worth reading. Of the tragedians, I like Euripides the best; but Sophocles is, I believe, more generally preferred, and is certainly more finished, and has fewer gross faults. Theocritus, in his way, is perfect ;-the two first Idylls, particularly, are excellent. I suppose the ode you like is Ada à Kunga, which is pretty enough, but not such as to give you any adequate idea of Theocritus. There is an elegy upon Adonis, by Bion, which is in parts very beautiful, and particularly some lines of it upon the common-place of death, which have been imitated over and over again, but have never been equalled. In Hesiod, the account of Pandora, of the golden age, &c. and some other parts, are very good; but there is much that is tiresome. Perhaps the work, which is most generally considered as not his, I mean the Amis, is the one that has most poetry in it. It is very good, and to say that it is inferior to Homer's and Virgil's shields, is not saying much against it. Pindar is too often obscure, and sometimes much more spun out and wordy than suits my taste; but there are passages in him quite divine. I have not read above half his works. Apollonius Rhodius is, I think, very well worth reading. The beginning of Medea's love is, I believe, original, and though often copied since, nexer equalled. There are many other fine parts in his poem, besides some which Virgil has improved, others scarce equalled. There is, however, in the greater part of the poem, an appearance of labour, and a hardness that makes it tiresome. He seems to me to be an author of about the same degree of genius with Tasso; and if there is more in the latter to be liked, there is nothing, I

think, to be liked in him so well as the parts of Apollonius to which I have alluded. I have said nothing of Aristophanes, because I never read him. Callimachus and Moschus are worth reading; but there is little of them. By the way, I now recollect that the passage about death, which I said was in Bion's elegy upon Adonis, is in Moschus's upon Bion. Now you have all my knowledge about Greek poetry. I am quite pleased at your liking Ariosto so much; though indeed I foresaw you would, from the great delight you expressed at Spenser, who is certainly inferior to him, though very excellent too.

Tasso I think below both of them, but many count him the first among those three; and even Metastasio, who ought to be a better judge of Italian poetry than you or I, gives him upon the whole the preference to Ariosto.

I am very glad you prefer Euripides to Sophocles, because It is my taste; though I am not sure that it is not thought a heresy. He (Eur.) appears to me to have much more of facility and nature in his way of writing than the other. The speech you mention of Electra is, indeed, beautiful; but when you have read some more of Euripides, perhaps you will not think it quite unrivalled. Of all Sophocles's plays, I like Electra clearly the best,and Ithink your epithet toOed. Tyrs.avery just one. It is really to me a disagreeable play ;and yet therearemany who not only prefer it to Electra, but reckon it the finest specimen of the Greek theatre. I like his other two plays upon the Theban story both better, i. e. the Oed. Col. and the Antigone. In the latter there. is a passage in her answer to Cicero that is, perhaps, the sublimest in the world; and, in many parts of the play, there is a spirit almost miraculous, if, as it is said, Sophocles was

past

past eighty when he composed it. Cicero has made great use of the passage I allude to, in his oration for Mile. I suppose you selected Hipp. and Iph. in Aulis, on account of Racine; and I hope you have observed with what extreme judgment he has imitated them. In the character of Hipp. only, I think he has fallen short of his original. The scene of Phedra's discovery of her love to her nurse, he has imitated pretty closely; and if he has not surpassed it, it is only because that was impossible. His Clytemnestra, too, is excellent, but would have been better if he had ventured to bring on the young Orestes as Eur. does. The change which you mention in the Greek Iphigenia, I like extremely; but it is censured by Aristotle as a change of character, not, I think, justly. Perhaps the sudden change in Menelaus, which he also censures, is less defensible. Now, though the two plays of Eur. which you have read, are undoubtedly among his best, I will venture to assure you, that there are four others you will like full as well; Medea, Phoenisse, Heraclide, and Alcestis; with the last of which, if I know any thing of your taste, you will be enchanted. Many faults are found with it, but those faults lead to the greatest beauties. For instance, if Hercules's levity is a little improper in a tragedy, his shame afterwards, and the immediate consequence of that shame being a more than human exertion, afford the finest picture of an herioc mind that exists. The speech beginning πολλά That naga, &c. is divine. Besides the two you have read, and the four I have recommended, Hercules Furens, Iph. in Tauris, Hecuba, Bacche, and Troacles, are all very excellent. Then come Ion, Supplices, Electra and Helen; Orestes and Andromache are, in my judgment, the worst.

I have not mentioned Rhesus and Cyclops, because the former is not thought to be really Euripides's, and the latter is entirely comic, or rather a very coarse farce; excellent, however, in its way, and the conception of the characters not unlike that of Shakespeare in Caliban. never finish, if I were to let myself go upon Euripides. In two very material points, however, he is certainly far excelled by Sophocles: 1st, in the introduction of proper subjects in the songs of the chorus; and, 2dly,, in the management of his plot. The extreme absurdity of the chorus, in Medæa suffering her to kill her children, and of that in Phædra letting her hang herself, without the least attempt to prevent it, has been often and justly ridiculed; but what signify faults, where there are such excessive beauties? Pray write sobn, and let me know, if you have read more of these plays, and what you think of them.

I said nothing of Eschylus, because I know but little of him; I read two of his plays, the Septem apud Thebas, and the Prometheus, at Oxford; of which I do not remember much, except that I like the last far the best. I have since read the Eumenicles, in which there are, no doubt, most sublime passages; but in general the figures are too forced and hard for my taste; and then there is too much of the grand and terrific, and gigantic, without a mixture of any thing, either tender or pleasant or clegant, which keeps the mind too much on the stretch. This never suits my taste; and I feel the same objection to most parts of the Paradise Lost, though in that poem there are most splendid exceptions, Eve, Paradise, &c. I have heard that the Agamemnon, if you can conquer its obscurity, is the finest of all Eschylus's plays, and I will attempt it which

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