The clause, as the years of a hireling, here and 21: 16, must render the designation of time somewhat more definite, inasmuch as the hired laborer serves out his time, but no more. sense is: 'No longer and no shorter.' See

Hence the in 18: 25.

ARTICLE VI.

OBLIGATIONS OF Literature, pARTICULARLY OF PHILOLOGY, TO MODERN MISSIONARY EFFORTS.

By the Editor.

In the preliminary Discourse prefixed to the Atlas Ethnographique of Balbi, Paris, 1826, are the following sentences. "Numerous materials for the comparison of languages have been collected at various times during the last three hundred years. In this field, along with many other very useful laborers, the ministers of Christianity have occupied the first rank. For a great number of vocabularies and grammars in many languages of Africa, Asia, and America, we are indebted to the indefatigable zeal of many unassuming Catholic missionaries, while engaged in efforts for the conversion of the idolaters of the old and new world. To a not less fervent zeal of the Moravian, Baptist, and other Protestant missionaries, as well as to the members of Bible Societies of all Christian sects, Ethnography* owes its acquaintance with so many languages hitherto unknown, in India, and other regions of Asia, in various parts of America and Oceanica, along with the translation in whole or in part of the Bible in more than a hundred different languages.'

* Ethnography, taken in a strict sense, can be understood to mean the science which has for its object to classify different nations. But as one of the chief distinctions between these consists in their speaking different languages, a classification of the latter may be assumed to be a classification of the former. To the science which may be formed by comparing languages, the term Linguistic has been applied by some German authors. It is not, however, generally adopted, and is liable to some objections. For. Quart. Review, I. p. 377.

It is not our intention, at present, to enter into the question of the literary results of the Roman Catholic missions. It may be a subject of future inquiry. A few general statements must now suffice. The most efficient institution of the Romanists is the Propaganda at Rome, founded by Gregory XV., in 1622. It consisted according to some, of twelve cardinals, besides prelates; according to others, of thirteen cardinals, two priests, one monk, and one secretary. Mosheim mentions eighteen cardinals and several ministers and officers of the Pope. "It's riches," says Mosheim, "are adequate to the most expensive and magnificent undertakings. By it, vast numbers of missionaries are sent out into every part of the world." The Propaganda hold a session every week in the presence of the Pope, in a palace built for the purpose. Says the Rheimish Encyclopaedia," Its printing office, from which brevaria and missals proceed far and wide, is furnished with types of all important languages of the globe, and is altogether the first establishment of this kind now existing. It excites our admiration when we see into how many languages, extensive works are translated and printed within a few weeks. An immense library is attached to the Propaganda. In 1627, Urban VIII. connected with it a college or Seminary, for the purpose of educating missionaries. The instructions imparted in this Seminary are well adapted to the end, and are altogether superior in the department of languages. In 1637, the Cardinal Barberia established twelve scholarships for young men from Asia and Africa; and in 1638, thirteen others for seven Europeans and six Hindoos, or if the Hindoos could not be obtained, for as many Armenians. The expenses of the Seminary amounted to 50,000 dollars annually."*

Respecting the results of the labors of the Protestant Missionary and Bible Societies, our limits will not allow us to go into the fullest details. We shall endeavor, however, to adduce a sufficient amount of facts, to convince the most incredulous observer of the recent missionary and biblical exertions, that his scepticism is wholly misplaced, and that these exertions. aside from their great object, the conversion of the heathen to

* For particulars respecting the present condition of the Propaganda, see Bib. Rep. Vol. II. p. 98. The Propaganda is now cooperating with the British Oriental Translation Fund in publishing oriental works. See Chinese Repository, Vol. I. p. 430.

Christianity, are really of the highest importance to the cause of science and literature. Knowledge is following in the train of the Gospel. The multiplied languages of the earth, written and unwritten, the missionaries are reducing into order and intelligible classification. The treasures contained in the Greek, Latin, German, French, and English languages are in the process of transmission into the tongues which but a few years ago, were in a perfectly chaotic state.

Before proceeding to our main object, it may be worth while to advert to the results of the labors of modern philology in the classification of languages. The Linguarum totius orbis Vocabularia comparativa, published in 1786 and in 1791, at Petersburg, by Pallas and Jankievitsch, was the result of the inportant researches made by those two learned men, and others employed by Catharine II. In the mean time, Adelung in Germany and Hervas in Italy, had projected unknown to each other, the gigantic design of classifying all known languages according to their affinities. About the commencement of the present century, Adelung published the first volume of his great work, called the Mithridates. After his death, it was continued by the learned Vater. This immense work honored the age which produced it, and it is still of the highest authority. The learned author of the articles on Language and Philology in the American Encyclopaedia, calls the Mithridates the fountain of all philological knowledge, and as deserving a place among the greatest efforts of the human mind. In 1826, M. Adrien Balbi, an Italian, and formerly professor in an Italian University, published in French, at Paris, The Ethnographical Atlas in folio, and an Introduction in one volume octavo. A second volume, published since, contains a physical, moral, and political description of the globe. The Atlas, the fruit, as the author says, of twenty three years' study, consists of thirty six ethnographic tables, and five polyglot vocabularies. Six of the tables are general, corresponding to the general maps of the world, and to the maps of Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceanica, and America, as we find them in geographical works. The other thirty correspond to the maps of particular subdivisions of the earth, and each of them places before us a collection of affiliated languages under the name of a group or family. In these tables, all the known languages of the earth, ancient and modern, are classed according to their mutual relations, and described by their peculiarities. In the five polyglot tables, a vo

cabulary of twenty six words is given in seveu hundred languages and dialects. The orthography of each word is carefully

noted.*

The leading principle of classification of Balbi is a geographical division of languages. A reign consists of several families, and a family of several homogeneous languages. Languages are said to belong to the same, or to a different family, as they resemble or differ from each other, in their words, and in their grammar. Dialects, generally speaking, are only different modes of pronouncing any language. Balbi seems to regard only one reign as established-the Indo-Germanic. The number of families is sixty eight, many languages, particularly those of Africa and America not being even grouped into families. He enumerates 860 distinct languages, and more than 5,000 dialects. The number of Adelung was 3,064. Of the 860 languages, 153 belong to Asia, 53 to Europe, 114 to Africa, 117 to Oceanica, 423 to America.

We here subjoin the general ethnographic table of Balbi— somewhat abridged, which will give our readers some idea of his classification,

ASIATIC LANGUAGES. 1. Family of Semitic languages, Hebrew, Syriac, Pehlvi, Arabic, Amharic, etc. 2. Languages of the Caucasian region, Georgian, Armenian, etc. The Georgian and Armenian may be regarded as families embracing other languages. 3. Family of Persian languages, Zend, Parsee, Persian, Koordish, etc. 4. Region of the Indus, the Sanscrit family, embracing the Sanscrit, Pali, Hindoostanee, Cashmirian, Malayalim, Tamul, Telinga, Mahratta, Bengalee, and other languages not of that family. 5. Transgangetic, including the Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese families, and the various languages spoken in Ava, Pegu, Birmah, etc. 6. Tartar groupe, embracing the Tartar, Turkish, and Tonguese families. 7. Siberian region-the Samoyede, Corean, Kamchatdale, Iennissee families, with other languages.

EUROPEAN LANGUAGES. 1. Basque family, embracing the Basque language, and the Celtic family, which comprehends

In these multifarious labors, Balbi was aided by Malte Brun, Abel-Remusat, Salverte, Champollion-Figeac, St. Martin, etc. He gives a list of more than one hundred and thirty literary gentlemen, to whom he acknowledges himself largely indebted for advice or generous assistance. In the list are both the Humboldts, Jomard, Klaproth, Kopitar, Gallatin, Ritter, St. Hilaire, Wilkens, Langlés, Chezy, Burnouf, Hase, etc.

the Gaelic and the Cymraeg. 2. Greco-Latin, or ThracoPelasgic, Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Latin, Albanian, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, etc. 3. German family, Ancient High German, German, Netherlands, Mesogothic, Norman, Swedish, Danish, Anglo-Saxon, English, etc. 4. Slavic, Illyrian or Slavonic, Russ, Polish, Wendish, Lithuanian, Lettonian. 5. Ouralian family, Finnish, Esthonian, Hungarian, etc. OCEANIC LANGUAGES. 1. Malay, Vulgar Javanese, Vulgar Bali, Malay Proper, Battas, Ternati, Bugis, Macassar, New Zealand, Tonga, Tahitian, Sandwich Island, etc. 2. Languages of the Oceanian Negroes and other people, Pelew, New Ireland, Sidney, Mallicolo, New Calladonian, etc.

AFRICAN LANGUAGES. 1. Region of the Nile, embracing the Egyptian, Nubian, Troglodyte and Shiho families, with other languages. 2. Region of the Atlas, or Atlantic family, Atlantic Proper, Touaric, Tibbo, Amazigh, etc. 3. Maritime Nigritia, including the Mandingo, Ashantee, Dagwumba, and Ardrah families, with other languages, as the Foolah, Woolah, 4. South African, the Congo, Caffre Proper, Hottentot, Monomotapa, and Gallas families, with other tongues. 5. Central Africa, Languages of Haoussa, Bornou, Timbuctoo, Darfour, etc.

etc.

AMERICAN LANGUAGES. 1. Southern region of South America, Chilian, Patagonian, etc. 2. Peruvian region, the Abipon, Vilela-Lule, and Peruvian families, with other languages. 3. Brazil, families, Guarani, Purys, Machacaris, and Payagua-Guaycurus, with other languages. 4. Amazon and Órinocco, families, Caribbee-Tamanic, Saliva, Cavere-Maypure, Yarura-Betoi, with many unclassed languages. 5. Guatemala family, May-Quiche, with distinct languages. 6. Mexican, Mexican family, with unclassed tongues. 7. Central America, families of Tarahumara, Panis-Arrapahoes, and Caddos. 8. Missouri and Columbia rivers, Columbian, Sioux-Osage families, etc. 9. Region of Alleghany and the Lakes, the Florida, Catawba, Iroquois, Lennápe, Ojibway, Algonquin families. 10. Northern part of the Continent, Esquimaux family, including the Esquimaux, Aleutian, Aglemoute, and other tongues.*

It is hardly necessary to say that on many of these divisions, there is great diversity of opinion. Some of Balbi's classifications are doubtless incorrect. Languages will not bear an accurate tabular adjustment like mathematics. Considerable light has been thrown