MESSRS. EDITORS,

In almost all the collections of "Sacred Poetry," which I have seen, (and which are now so fast multiplying,)certain much admired hymns are generally found in them, and in various other compilations, of a serious and moral description. This is one proof of their excellence, and strengthens the desire to ascertain their real author; and this is the motive of the present enquiry. I refer more particularly to those, for which credit is given to Addison; but as this eminent writer does not need, and I believe would not desire, illegitimate fame to add to his evergreen wreath, it may be worth our time to pursue the inquiry, for the pleasure of doing justice to forgotten

merit.

Psalm, or

Another is on the "David's Hymn of Gratitude." "When all thy mercies, O my God," Another (in some collections) is called "The Traveller's hymn.” "How are thy servants bless'd, O Lord."

Perhaps there are others, to which my information does not extend.

[If the two last were meant as translations or paraphrases of particular psalms, they are not mentioned by Thompson, nor in any of the col lections which I have had opportu nity to examine.]

In the 453 No. of the Spectator, Mr. Addison himself, gives us the following account.

"I have already communicated to the publick, some pieces of Divine Poetry, and as they have met with a very favourable reception, I shall, from time to time, publish any work of the same nature, which has not yet ap peared in print, and may be acceptable to my readers."

In the preface to Thompson's

* In Thompson's edition of Marvell, there are 13 verses to this Hymn. In Dr. Belknap's Collection and some others, there are only 12.

life [see note of the immortal Andrew Marvell, we have the following information.

"Whenever a man publishes the works of another, or attempts to give any account of an author, the publick expect in general to know the reasons of such an undertaking. I have ventured to give the excellent compositions of this great and exalted character, because they have nev. er been given to the world, but in a mutilated and imperfect state. The best edition of his poems is published by Mr. Thomas Davies, from those given by Cooke fifty two years after the death of Mr. Marvell; but his political and controversial works, were never yet collected. The late Mr. Thomas Hollis, of honourable memory, had once a design of making a collection of his compositions, and advertisements were published,. for that purpose,by the late Andrew Millar; and all the MSS. and scarce tracts, collected for that purpose, were afterwards given me, by his ingenious friend. In this design the late Mr. Robert Nettleton assisted; and all his papers, since his death, have been politely allowed to me by his kinsman, Mr. Thomas Raikes."

Thompson proceeds to claim the aforementioned hymns, as the production of that most excellent man, (Marvell,) and says, "How these come to Mr. Addison's hands, I cannot explain; but by his words, they seem to be remitted by correspondents, and might perhaps come from the relations of Marvell."

He also vindicates the right of Marvell to several other pieces, on lighter subjects, and thus asserts their authenticity: "Since the death of Mr. T. Hollis, I have been favoured. by his successor with many anecdotes, mss, and scarce compositions of our author, such as I was unable to procure any where else; and by the

attention and friendship of Mr.. Raikes, I have been put in possession of a volume of Mr. Marvell's poems, some written with his own hand, and the rest copied by his order.”

In Thompson's edition, printed from Marvell's mss. book, he supplies omissions, corrects the mistakes, mutilations, or various readings of the Editor of the "State Poems," of Cooke, and others, by giving a faithful copy of the text, "for (says he) I have given his words, as they were written by his own pen."

A very concise account of A.Marvell, is given in Watkin's Biographical Dictionary; perhaps as much, as might be expected in such a work; but I should be highly gratified to hear of any other author, who has written the life, or given any further account, of this admirable man.

You, gentlemen, or your correspondents, whose extensive reading and acquaintance with the Poets in our language are far beyond mine, will do me a favour, and probably others, by investigating these claims, and rendering to the true author the merit of these charming Hymus.

THOMAS POPPLE.

[NOTE.]

"The Works of Andrew Mar. well, Esq. Poetical, Controversial, and Political, containing many original letters, poems, and tracts, never before printed, with a new life of the author. By Capt. Edward Thompson, in three volumes, large 4to. London, printed for the editor, by Henry Baldwin, and sold by Dodsley, in Pall-Mall, fand several other booksellers mentioned). A. D. 1776."

The title page is thus copied, with a view to make this work more generally known, and I cannot resist. expressing the wish, that this, or a better, (if there is any better) life,

of that incorruptible Senator, Andrew Marvell, were to be found in our bookstores, in a more compressed, and cheaper American edition, which might be very easily done, in one 4to volume of the same size, by using the long primer type, instead of the pica, as in the British edition.

This would be profitable reading indeed to young gentlemen, who have a taste for Biography, Poetry, Politicks and Miscellany, and who may, at some future day, be in situations, that may put their virtue to the proof, will find it much strengthened by the example of a patriot so illustrious, and being thus proved, will shine in the same resplendent dignity. I have not the talents necessary, to give a critical analysis, or to pronounce on the merit of these three volumes, considered as models of good taste and elegant writing; but the sublime virtues of the man give his works a title to an attentive perusal. So far, however, as my limited reading extends, his stile is said to possess a masculine strength and perspicuity, his wit brilliant, and his satire the most keen. As a man, though poor in pelf, he had the true riches-an independent and honest heart. As a member of Parliament, he was above all price, for he could not be bought, by the minion, the lord treasurer Danby, with the gold or caresses of his master, King Charles the 2d.

"What is the chaff to the wheat!"

What are the tinsel titles, what is the smoke, which envelopes Marlborough, Eugene, or Nelson, to the lasting fame, the serene light which surrounds, from a ray of the Divinity, shining through the mind of Andrew Marvell.

Under his portrait, in the first of these volumes, we read,

"Andrew Marvell, Member for Kingston upon Hull, in the Parliaments, which began 25th April,

Note by the Editors of the Authology.

We are pleased with the interest, which our correspondent appears to discover in reclaiming for the virtu ous Andrew Marvell the devotional, poetry, which has so long gone under the name of Addison. The extracts from Capt. Thompson's preface to his life of Marvell are not new to us; and we must add, have never seemed sufficient to counterbalance the internal evidence, that Marvell was not the author of these hymns. For to what does Capt. Thompson's evidence amount? He received, it seems, from Mr. Thomas Raikes, kinsman of Mr. Thomas, Nettleton, who assisted in Mr. Hollis's design of republishing Marvell, a MSS. volume of Marvell's poems

some written with his own hand, and the rest copied by his order.” We are not told, whether the devotional poems in question were in Mar vell's hand writing, nor whether the volume contained any poems of other writers. That it did, however, we are certain from this single fact, that Dr. Watts's version of the 114th Psalm, which was communicated to the Spectator, and which has always been printed with Watts's Psalms

and Hymns, is here claimed as Marvell's, because it is found in this MSS. collection of poems. This circumstance alone shows us, that it is not a sufficient reason to attribute any of these fine hymns to Marvell, that they are found in a MSS. collection of poems in his possession "some of which are written with his own hand."

But the internal evidence against Marvell is so strong, that the testimony of a thousand editors would hardly persuade us to doubt for a moment, that he has no right to them. They are not only far more pure, flowing, sweet and elegant, than any of his acknowledged poems,

but are also far beyond the perfection and polish of his age. The finest devotional hymns in the English language cannot be the production of a man, who has left nothing truly poetical, but some lines addressed to Milton. We find that the Monthly Reviewers in their review of Thompson's edition of Marvell, 1776, are of the same opinion, and the weakness of Capt. Thompson's assertions is also acknowledged by Dr. Aikin in his General Biography, article [Marvell].-We should be glad to hear again from the author of the above communication, whenever he finds any thing rare in his critical and antiquarian researches.

Sec. IV-Means of improving the Received Text-Ancient Manu scripts.-- Vatican, Alexandrine, Cambridge, Clermont, Ephrem.

THE books of the New Testament having been more highly valued, more generally circulated, more attentively studied, more accurately transcribed, and more frequently cited than the works of any other ancient author, the Text is consequently less corrupted, and the means of correcting and restoring it are far more abundant than of any other work of equal antiquity.

1. The first and best source of materials for improving the Text is the collation of Ancient Manuscripts.

The early editors of the New Testament possessed but few manuscripts; and those of inferiour value. Those of the Complutensian editors are destroyed, but they were not numerous, nor of great account,

Erasmus consulted only five or six; and R. Stephens fifteen. Beza indeed possessed two of the most ancient and valuable manuscripts now extant, the Cambridge and the Clermont; but he made very little use of them. So that the Received Text rests upon the authority of no more than twenty or thirty manuscripts, most of which are of little note.

But since the Received Text was completed by the Elzevir edition of 1624, upwards of Three Hundred Manuscripts, either of the whole or of different parts of the New Testament, have been collated by learned men with much care, industry and skill. Of these manuscripts some are of far greater antiquity and authority than any of those upon which the Received Text is founded, Beza's manuscripts only excepted. From these manuscripts a vast num. ber of various readings have been