Epistle of St. Clement to the Corinthians, and a fragment of the second. The Codex Cantabrigiensis, or the Codex Bezæ, is a Greek and Latin manuscript of the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles. The Codex Vaticanus contained, originally, the whole Greek Bible. The respective ages of these venerable manuscripts have been a subject of great controversy, and have employed the ingenuity and learning of several biblical writers of great renown. After a profound investigation of the subject, Dr. Woide fixes the age of the Codex Alexandrinus between the middle and end of the fourth century; but Semler, with greater probability, believes it was written in the seventh century; and Michaelis, nearly in agreement with him, places it between the sixth and eighth. After a similar investigation, Dr. Kipling fixes the age of the Codex Cantabrigiensis, or the Codex Beza, at the second century: but Mr. Herbert Marsh, in his notes to Michaelis, vol. ii.

p. 708-715, invincibly demonstrates, that it was not written beyond the fifth century. Montfaucon and Blanchini refer the Codex Vaticanus to the fifth century. But we are infinitely better acquainted with the two first, than with the third of these manuscripts. In 1786, a fac-simile edition of the New Testament in the Codex Alexandrinus was published at London, at the expence of the University of Oxford, by Dr. Woide. His preface, with the addition of valuable notes, was republished at Leipsic, in 1788, by Professor Spohn. In 1793, a fac-simile edition of the Codex Cantabrigiensis, or the Codex Beza, was published at Cambridge, at the expence of the University, by Dr. Kipling. These editions exhibit their respective prototypes, page for page, line for line, word for word, contraction for contraction, rasure for rasure, to a degree of similarity hardly credible. The types were cast for the purpose, in alphabets of various forms, that they might be varied with

the manuscript, and represent it more exactly. Of a work of this kind, till those we are speaking of were published, the world had not seen an instance. That which approached nearest to them, was the Virgil, published at Florence in 1741; from the Medicæan manuscript, supposed to be of the latter end of the fifth century. The Codex Vaticanus has been often collated, but never published. Bentley procured important extracts to be made from it: these were published by Professor Birch, with his own, in the splendid edition of the four Gospels, which we shall, afterwards, have

occasion to mention.

X.

From the manuscripts of the New Testament, the passage is to the printed editions, commencing with the POLYGLOTT EDITIONS, by reason of their superior import

ance.

The first is that of Complutum or Alcala.

VOL. I.

K

It is divided into six parts, and may be comprised in four volumes folio. It has the Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, in three distinct columns; the Chaldee paraphrase, with a Latin interpretation, is at the bottom of the page, and the margin is filled with the Hebrew and Chaldee radicals: the fourth, or last volume contains the Greek Testament, with no other translation than the Latin. It was begun in 1502, the impression was printed off in 1517, and it was published in 1522. The expence of the work, which amounted, (it is said), to fifty thousand ducats, was wholly paid by Cardinal Ximenes, one of the noblest and fairest characters that ever appeared on the theatre of the world. "The variety, the grandeur, and "the success of his schemes, leave it doubt

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ful," says Dr. Robertson, "whether his "sagacity in council, his prudence in con"duct, or his boldness in execution, deserve "the highest praise. His reputation is still

sanctity; and he is the only prime mi"nister mentioned in history, whom his

contemporaries reverenced as a saint, and "to whom the people under his govern"ment ascribed the power of working "miracles." An interesting and pleasing account of his earnestness in promoting the success of the work is given by the writers of his life. The principal persons, employed by the cardinal in the work, were Ælius Antonius Nebrissensis, Demetrius Cretensis, Ferdinandus Pentianus, Lopes de Stunicâ, Alphonsus, a physician of Alcala, Coronel, Zamora, and Vergara. It was printed by Arnoldus Brocarius. I have often heard,' says Gomecius, the cardinal's earliest biographer," John Brocarius, the son of Ar"noldus, relate to his friends, that, when "his father had put the finishing stroke to "the last volume, he deputed him to carry "it to the cardinal. John was then a lad;

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and, having drest himself in a very ele

gant suit of clothes, he approached Xi