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it of it's primitive drefs; that is, call it plain north-east, and refer it to the table of the winds, or it's place in the heavens: the fallacy then ceases, and the mifapplication appears. It is curious to fee the embarrassment of the first tranflators of the New Testament into English about this paffage, ventus Typhonicus, qui vocatur Euroaquilo. Tyndale1 and his followers facrifice the letter to the sense, and call " it a flawe of wind out " of the north-east;" taking no notice of the words, qui vocatur: —but anone after there arose agaynft their purpose a flawe of wynde out of the north-east. On the other hand Myles Coverdale, Bonner, and others choose to abide by the letter, and fo run into an abfurdity. They tranflate it, a flaw of wind which is called the north-eaft. And Hollybush, a tempefluous wind, which is called north-east. But the tranflators afterwards, feeing this dilemma, had recourse to the original Greek; and remedied the difficulty by inserting the true reading.

2

But on the other hand, it is to be observed that the word Euroclydon is not attended with these improprieties: and though, by fetting aside the former reading, this may seem fufficiently authenticated; yet I think it may be further proved to be the true reading from the tenour of the text—μɛr' & μετ' πολυ δε εβαλε κατ' αυτης ανεμος τυφωνικος: “ not long after there "beat upon it," fays our tranflation indefinitely-beat upon what? certainly, naтa vσ, upon the island Crete, under which they ran; for this is the last thing mentioned, that it can be referred to: "there beat upon the island a tempeftuous wind "called Euroclydon." Now, without doubt, when a storm comes upon a place, it must beat upon it, let it come from any

point

› See Tyndale's Teftament printed about the years 1528 and 1530, and. the edition of 1536, 4to: also those in Edward the Sixth's reign. See likewife Grafton's great Bible 1541, overlook'd by Bp. Tonftall; and the translations from the version of Erasmus.

2 The first edition of the Bible by Coverdale 1535. fol. New Teftament under Bonner's inspection 1538 at Paris, dedicated to Ld. Cromwell. New Teft. printed at Southwerk 1538.

point whatever. Yet, had the wind blown off from the shore, St. Luke would not have ufed the expreffion εβαλε κατ' αυτής, "beat upon the island;" because it is a relative expression, referring to the fituation of the person who speaks of it, who was at that time to the windward or fouth of it. It is plain therefore, the wind blew upon fhore; and must have come from the fouth or fouth-east. This is fully warranted from the point where the ship was, and the direction it ran in afterwards, which was towards the north and north-west, as I fhall prove in the fequel. All these circumftances agree well with Euroclydon; but are not compatible with any other wind. After saying, the Roman failors might express the wind by the compound Euroaquilo, Dr. Bentley concludes; "Since "therefore we have now found that Euroaquilo was the Roman mariners word for the Greek Kamias"-This is moft decifive work, from a fuppofed poffibility to infer a certainty. But to proceed" Since we have found Euroaquilo to be the "true reading, there will foon appear a just reason why "St. Luke calls it aveμos Tupavixos, a tempeftuous wind, vorti"cofus, a whirling wind" &c. This is a great mistake, and the order of the terms are inverted. St. Luke does not call the wind Euroaquilo a tempeftuous wind, but the reverse. He is made to call a tempeftuous wind, Euroaquilo-" 3 there beat "upon it a tempeftuous wind called the north-eaft"-which reading is fo preposterous, that it ruins at once all Dr. Bentley has been labouring to establish. Such are the difficulties this learned man has involved himself in, to support a favourite reading: fo hard it is to render a ftubborn text pliant, and warp it to our wishes.

L

3 Εβαλε κατ' αυτης ανεμος τυφωνικος, ὁ καλυμένος Ευρακυλων.

OF

OF THE

ISLAND MEL IT A.

AVING thus dispatched, and, I hope, fatisfactorily,

H what I firft premifed to take in hand, I come now to HA

what I

the second part, which was to ascertain the particular Island, on which the Apostle St. Paul was fhipwrecked. This, one would imagine, could be attended with no difficulty: for it is very plainly expreffed, that, after having been toffed for fome time in the Adria, they were at last cast upon the island Melite. The only question is, which is the fea called Adria or Adriatic; and what island can be found in that fea mentioned by fuch a name.

The Adriatic fea is that large gulf that lies between Italy and the ancient Illyria, and retains it's name to this day. And as to the island we are in quest of, there was one in that sea called Melite, which is taken notice of under that name by the best geographical writers. Scylax Caryandenfis, enumerating the islands of that fea, speaks of Melite very particularly; placing it not far from the river Naro and the neighbouring Ifthmus, in the district of the Neftiaans, who were an Illyrian nation. Πριν επι τον Ναρωνα ποταμον παραπλευσαι, πολλη χώρα ανήκει σφόδρα εις θαλασσαν και νησος της παραλίας χώρας εγγυς, η όνομα Μελίτη. He fays it was twenty ftadia from Corcyra Melana, or the black Corcyra. Agathemerus taking notice of Melite and the adjacent islands, mentions them in this order: 2

• Vide Geogr. Antiq. Gronov. Lugd. Bat. 1700. pag. 18. 2 Ibid. pag. 193.

Εισι δε και εν τω Αδρια νησοι παρα την Ιλλυρίδα, ὧν επισημότεραι Ισσην και ἡ Μελαινα Κορκυρα, και Φαρος, και Μελίτη. Ptolemy calls them Dalmatian islands, and enumerates them thus: 3 Iora, Τραγέριον και πολις, Φαρία και πολις, Κορκερα ἡ μελαινα, Μελιτινη noos. They are likewise spoken of by Pliny, who mentions Brattia and Ifa; and fays, Ab his Corcyra, Melana cognominata, cum Cnidiorum oppido, diftat XXV. M. passuum; inter quam et Illyricum Melita, unde catulos Melitaos appellari Callimachus auctor eft. It is mentioned by Antoninus 5 in his Itinerarium maritimum. From these authorities we find that Melite was an Illyrian island in the Adriatic sea, in the province of the Neftiaans; and that it lay between Corcyra nigra and the main land, very near the river Naro and the Ifthmus above it. It was called by the ancients Melite, Melitene, and 6 Meliteufa; at this day Melede, and by the Sclavonians, Mleet; and is in the jurifdiction of Ragufa. This was the place, to which Agefilaus the father of Oppian the poet was banished by Severus; upon a notion that he had not shewn that emperour proper respect.7 His fon attended him during his confinement, and in that interval composed his Halieutics and Cynegetics, which fome years after he carried to Rome. They gained him great reputation, especially with Caracalla, the fucceeding emperour; who, together with the empress Julia Domna his mother, was complimented in these poems. The author was ordered to ask any gratuity: but he only requested his father's enlargement. This was immediately granted; and he was honoured with a piece of gold for every verse befides. As to the catuli Melitenfes mentioned by Callimachus, they are by fome afcribed to Malta; but it is a mistake. These dogs were an Illyrian breed; and very common in Ma

3 Geogr. Lib. 2. ad finem.

4 Hift. Nat. Lib. 3. Cap. ult. Edit. Harduin.

5 Vide pag. 115. Edit. Lugdun.

6 Polybius apud Steph. Byzant.

7 Anon. vita Oppiani.

gna

gna Græcia, and those places that had any correspondence with the Greek colonies in the Adriatic: but, of all others, they were in greatest esteem among the Sybarites, the most languid and indolent people upon earth; who made these animals attend them to the baths, carrying in their mouths the little implements for bathing.

There is a gem mentioned in the Museum Florentinum, with a representation of one of these dogs, and a short account of them fubjoined. Canum Melitæorum, quorum meminit Athenæus, Lib. 12. Cap. 3. ea laus fuit, fequi euntes ad balneum. Servi officium hi implebant, olei guttum et frigiles ferentes, quibus domini ungerentur deftringerenturque; uti hæc rariffima et pulcherrima gemma oftendit.* This fhort account of the island I thought proper to lay before the reader; to fhew that such a place existed, and to take off any prejudice that might arise from it's fuppofed obfcurity.

From what has been faid, the point would be fettled past controversy, were it not for an island of the same name, situated at a great distance in the African fea. It has been the common opinion that the Melite now called Malta was the true place of the Apostle's fhipwreck: and the natives have a tradition of long standing to support this notion. Yet, however general this may have been, I think it may be fairly proved that it could not be the island mentioned by the Evangelift. Herein I differ again from Grotius, Cluver, Beza, Bentley, and from 9 Bochart, that curious, indefatigable, and particularly learned man. He has taken much pains to prove the tradition is well grounded, and that Malta is the place upon which St. Paul refided. But, in doing this, he takes many things for granted that cannot be allowed him; and fpeaks with too great a latitude: fo that the whole feems a

8 Vol. 2. Tab. 20.

* See Tab. I.

9 See alfo Jof. Scaliger de Emendat. Temp. p. 535. Colon. 1629.

D

force

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