but, perhaps, might be matched elsewhere. As to the charge of inurbanity, it was brought against them by Voltaire, whospake of them as a "wretched "nation, ever ignorant, and vulgar, and strangers to the Arts." The following reply was made to him: When the infidels shall have duly confidered it, we shall hope to be favoured with their sentiments upon it.

"Does it become you, a writer of the eighteenth century, to charge the " antient Hebrews with ignorance? A people, who, while your barbarous " ancestors, whilft even the Greeks and Latins, wandering in their woods, "could scarcely procure for themselves cloathing and a settled subsistence, " already possessed all arts of necessity, and some of mere pleasure; who not "only knew how to feed and rear cattle, till the earth, work up wood, "stone, and metals, weave cloaths, dye wool, embroider stuffs, polish and " engrave on precious stones, but who, even then, adding to manual arts "those of taste and refinement, surveyed land, appointed their festivals ac. "cording to the motions of the heavenly bodies, and ennobled their fo" lemnities by the pomp of ceremonies, by the found of instruments, mufic, " and dancing; who even then committed to writing the history of the "origin of the world, that of their own nation, and their ancestors; who " had poets and writers skilled in all the sciences then known, great and " brave commanders, a pure worship, just laws, a wife form of government; " in short, the only one of all antient nations that has left us authentic mo"numents of genius and of literature. Can this nation be justly charged with ignorance and inurbanity?”

GENERAL

Family Prayer, on

20

Infidelity, Letters on

102, 413, 429

Infpector, facred Critiques by 76, 140, 198
Intelligence,

185 Targumim, the