tensively applied to the illustration of the Scriptures by writers who have followed Lowth; particularly by Bishop Jebb in his "Sacred Literature," and by the Author whose publication is now under our notice. The former undertakes to shew, that the forms of construction which have been remarked in the Old Testament, are preserved in the quotations introduced into the New; and advancing through a series of proofs to the original passages of the Christian Scriptures, he established himself in the position, that the compositions of the Old and New Testaments have a common structure and character, the one as well as the other being distinguished by the application of the rules of Parallelism. Mr. Boys, improving on his predecessors, applies those principles which they have applied to short passages, to long ones, and he arranges chapters and whole epistles as they arrange verses.

In the preceding specimens of Synonymous and Antithetic Parallelism, the second line of each couplet contains a reference of some sort to the first, the sentiment of the one being either varied in the other, or followed by an opposite expression; and in both cases, the couplet may be resolved into a quatrain, or stanza of four members, in which the third line corresponds to the first, and the fourth to the second.

"When Israel

"Went out from Egypt;

"The house of Jacob
"From a strange people :"

"A wise son

"Rejoiceth his father;
"But a foolish son

"Is the grief of his mother."

Sometimes, the passage admits of being arranged in a greater number of members, and the parallelism may then be called continuous. This minuteness of subdivision Mr. Boys considers as very useful in the application of the principle in respect to large portions of Scripture. Of this kind of Parallelism, we copy the following example.

b. Apollos watered,

c. But God made to grow.
a. So that neither he who planteth is any thing,
Nor he who watereth,

b.

the members of this

a to a, b to b., c. to c.'

c. But God who maketh to grow." passage thus arranged severally answering,

In "Sacred Literature," a species of Parallelism is described, varying somewhat from the preceding. In this kind, the

tanzas are so constructed, that, whatever be the number of lines, the first line shall be parallel with the last; the second with the penultimate; and so throughout, in an order that looks inward, or, to borrow a military phrase, from flanks to centre. This may be called the introverted parallelism.' This ntroverted form of composition, Mr. Boys has selected as the most important, and enters into the consideration of it at great ength, advancing from the most simple instances of the construction, to the most complex examples of its use, after the following manner.

a.

Follow not that which is evil,

b. But that which is good.

b. He that doeth good is of God: a. He that doeth evil hath not seen God. 3 John, 11. Here we have evil in the extreme, and good in the central

members.

a. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

b. I indeed baptise you with water unto repent

c. Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.

b. He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.

a. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Matthew iii. 10-12.

Here, in a., the Lord is referred to under the similitude of a hewer of trees; and in a., under that of a winnower of corn. In a., we have the axe, the instrument of the hewer; in a., the fan, the instrument of the winnower. In a., we have the distinction between the good and the bad trees; in a, the distinction between the wheat and the chaff. In a., the unproductive trees are consigned to the fire; and in a., the chaff. In a., we have the immediate danger of the trees, "the axe is laid to their root;" in a., that of the chaff, "his fan is in his band."

In c. and c., we have our Lord's superiority to John : in b. and b, the superiority of our Lord's baptism to John's.'

These and other examples from the New Testament, are adduced by the Author, for the purpose of shewing that the introverted form of composition was familiar to the writers of that part of the sacred volume. It occurs, he observes, not only in doctrine and discussion, but in narration and dialogue; not only in passages which may admit of being represented as

poetical, but where poetry is out of the question. His examples, indeed, are quite sufficient to convince his readers, that Parallelism is not a peculiarity of Hebrew poetry, many of them being taken from paragraphs, the style of which is unquestionably prosaic.

Mr. Boys proposes, in the prosecution of his labours, to shew that the doctrine of Parallelism is the key to the arrangement under which the Apostles have disposed, not only of the matter of distinct portions of their books, but of the contents of entire Epistles. He has selected the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, the First Epistle of St. Peter, the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, and the Epistle to Philemon, as the subjects of experiment, and each of these is reduced by him to the form of a single introverted parallelism. They are arranged at length, in Greek and English, on folding sheets inserted at the end of the volume.

• In offering an analysis of an Epistle, I call it a parallelism of so many members, A., B., C., D., D., C., B., A.-In order to prove, then, that this representation is correct, I arrange the Epistle in the following form:

and am to shew, that A., the last member, corresponds to A., the first; B., the last but one, to B., the second; and so on," from flanks to centre." A. and A. are the epistolary portions, to which the superscription, the subscription, salutations, and good wishes are consigned. These being disposed of, it remains for me to shew the correspondence of B. and B, C. and C., D. and D.: (not that I always follow this order, but rather that which seems best in each particular case.)

Now should it appear, on examination, that the whole of B. is exhortation, and the whole of B. corresponding exhortation; and that there is not a word of exhortation in the intervening members, C., D., D., C., but doctrine in C. and C, and thanksgiving in D. and D.; then, I apprehend, I shall be allowed to regard B. and B., as corresponding members without further difficulty, and to proceed to those which lie between.'

The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is exhibited as an introverted parallelism of four members in the following table.

A. i. 1, 2. Epistolary.

B.

B.

a. i. 3-10. Thanksgiving.
b. i. 11, 12. Prayer.

C. ii. 1-12. Admonition.

a. ii. 13-15. Thanksgiving.
b. ii. 16.—iii. 5. Prayer.

C. iii. 6-15. Admonition.

A. iii. 16—18. Epistolary.'

It is not necessary to the Author's system of arrangement, that each division of his classification should contain only the subject by which it is defined, exclusive of every other sentiment and reference; it is sufficient for his purpose, that the title designates the leading topics; and that it does so mark the leading topic, he is at great pains to shew. There may be digressions from the direct and principal topic in the corresponding members, but they depend on it, are introduced by it, and again conduct to it.

The details which we have given, will enable our readers to comprehend the nature of the arrangements which Mr. Boys recommends to the examination of the Christian student, as a peculiarity of the style of the New Testament writers. To enter more largely into the explanation of the acute investigations which he has here presented to the public, would require more room than would be convenient. There is, necessarily, great minuteness in his details; and it is only by an extensive induction of particulars, that the principles which he asserts can be satisfactorily illustrated. The Author appears to be very solicitous that his principles should be circulated and examined; and we shall be happy to give effect to his wishes, if our account of his book and of its curious and interesting contents, can prove the means of aiding his design.

A work may, however, be both curious and interesting, and yet the question of its utility may remain to be determined. Granting to the Author the reality of the arrangement which he contends for as existing in the New Testament writings, (and we are certainly of opinion that, whatever may be the character of some of the statements and arguments on which he has, in part at least, depended, in conducting his evidence to its close, he has shewn the connexions and relations which constitute the parallelisms for which he pleads, to be real,) what benefit, it may still be asked, is to be derived from the knowledge of the Author's discoveries? Could we admit his own estimate of the value of the results and inferences deducible from the conclusions which he has endeavoured to establish, the utility of the Author's labours would appear to be indeed. transcendent. 'As often,' he exclaims, as we repeat the word

'Parallelism, we toll the knell of infidelity. At the very sound ' of Parallelism, let the host of the Philistines tremble in their 'tents. Parallelism opens upon them from an unobserved and ' inaccessible eminence, that commands and rakes their whole 'position.' The results which would justify such language as this, should certainly possess no subordinate character of excellence and practical value. The Author seems to be aware, that, in the present work, there are not many intances in which he has, by the application of parallelism, illustrated the sense, fixed the doubtful meanings, or decided the controverted points of the New Testament.

Many such instances,' he states, I am prepared to give. I apprehend, however, that in offering them in the first instance, I should be going off my ground. The first object is, to establish the fact; to prove the prevalence in the Sacred Writings of this larger kind of parallelism, which includes passages of considerable length and whole Epistles. Then come the minor parallelisms, which form the members of the larger. And lastly come the results and inferences, the facts being previously established. When I consider the importance of these results, thought and language fail me.'

Our calculations are certainly not of this lofty character. Some advantages may probably be obtained from the more complete examination of the Scriptures by the application of the rules in question; order, connection, and emphasis, may be more fully displayed, and more satisfactorily illustrated; but that such essential services can result from it to the cause of truth, as those of which the Author dreams, we are not prepared to anticipate. We must, however, wait for his further communications.

Art. VII. Typographia, or the Printer's Instructor; including an Account of the Origin of Printing, with biographical Notices of the Printers of England, from Caxton to the Close of the Sixteenth Century: a Series of Ancient and Modern Alphabets, and Domesday Characters: together with an Elucidation of every Subject connected with the Art. By J. Johnson, Printer.. With portraits and other engravings on wood. 2 pocket vols. pp. 1328. Price 30s. London. 1824.

THE Bibliomaniac rage has, we hope and believe, materially subsided within these last few years, and it is creditable to the sobered judgement of our book-collectors, that it should be so. Like most other false tastes, it rose rapidly to the very height of absurdity, before its evil tendency was at all apparent. Not that we are unable duly to appreciate the motives of those who are employed to purchase for our public libraries, as