A

DISCOURSE, &c.

REVEREND BRETHREN,

HAVE

AVING never been poffeffed of any Ecclefiaftical Preferment, by which it became neceffary for me to attend either an Epifcopal, or Archidiaconal Vifitation, it is very probable that I may be guilty of feveral informalities and mistakes in conducting the business of this day. I can have no hesitation, however, in asking, and no doubt indeed of obtaining from your candour, an excufe for every thing of that fort.

BEING willing to tread in the steps of my Predeceffors; and understanding, that it has been customary for them to address the Clergy at their primary vifitation, I shall also venture to trouble you with a few Ob

servations at this time, not meaning for the future to trespass often upon your patience in this way; nor yet precluding myself by this declaration, from doing it, whenever I fhall judge it to be a proper occafion.

Most of you, as well as myself, have been educated in this University; and feel, no doubt, a warm attachment to the interefts, and a filial reverence for the honour of our common Alma Mater. You will therefore fuffer me, I hope, instead of attempting to inftruct men older and wiser than myfelf in the nature and duties of the minifterial function, to ftep a little perhaps out of the ordinary road, whilst I explain to you my Ideas on a fubject of fome importance to the honour of the University; and probably of fome efficacy towards the fupport of Chriftianity. Many of you, I fear, will look upon the project as too vaft and vifionary, to be attended with fuccefs; but knowing, that the most complicated machines are put in motion upon the fimpleft principles; and not being of a difpofition to call out, there is a lion in the way; as an excuse for fitting ftill, I will lay before you without further preface, a few

thoughts

thoughts on the Encouragement of Oriental Literature.

It is not unknown to you, that from the fourth to the fourteenth century, there were few in Europe who understood any of the Oriental languages. Jerome in the fourth century was excellently skilled in them, and zealous in exhorting others to a fimilar proficiency; but from his time, to the Pontificate of Clement the Fifth, the Hebrew and Arabic tongues feem to have been no where cultivated with fuccefs. In the Council holden at Vienne in 1312, it was decreed, that Schools for teaching the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Arabic languages fhould be erected in the Univerfities of Bologna, Paris, Oxford, and Salamanca, and in fome other places. Near two hundred years after the holding of this Council, John Picus prince of Mirandula, and John Rheuclin, are reckoned amongst the first restorers of oriental literature in Italy and Germany; whence it is probable, that the establishments of Clement had failed, in some degree, of the end propofed.

IN the fixteenth and feventeenth centuries, the oriental languages were studied

with as great fedulity, as the Greek and Latin. Pagninus and Vetablus in France; Galatinus and Arias Montanus in Spain; Felix Pratenfis, and Elias Levita in Italy; Munster and Avenarius in Germany; in Holland, Erpenius and Golius; in England, Pocock, Walton and Caftell, with innumerable others in different countries, were not only very affiduous in the cultivation of the eastern languages, but have also furnished by their works great afsistance to those, who shall be disposed to follow them in the fame purfuit.

THE tafte for experimental philosophy, which was introduced into our own, and other countries towards the end of the last century, has given a great turn to the ftudies of men in every part of Europe. The book of nature is written in an univerfal language: It may be read, to a greater or lefs extent by every one. Men moreover are not anticipated in their philofophical researches by the labours of their predeceffors; for every particular fubject of natural philofophy is capable of indefinite improvement; and it's general object is as extenfive, as the nature of things. This delightful investigation of natural phænomena,

and

and their causes, has, it is apprehended, much diverted the attention of most univerfities in this quarter of the world from the ftudy of language. The translations alfo which have been made of the best Greek and Roman Writers, have contributed not a little, to the damping of men's ardour in the pursuit of what is called claffical knowledge: But however it may be accounted for, the fact, I believe, is certain, that the dead languages are much lefs generally underftood at prefent, in every part of Europe, than they were 150 years ago; and they will probably become less and lefs fo every day.

BUT it is no part of my defign, to enter into the reasons for or against the revival of Grecian, or Roman literature; let us but once have as good tranflations of all the oriental books, which are now confuming in the libraries of Europe, as we have of those which are written in the Greek and Latin tongues, and a great part of my wish will be accomplished. Why fhould the fine talents of those, who have a turn for languages, be for ever confined to the making a few meagre additions to the learned labours of fuch as have gone before them, in N

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