TISCRENDORFF'S TRAVELS IN THE EAST.

CONSTANTINE TISCHENDORFF is a German savan, who seeks to esta- blish a purer text of the New Testament. He considers that the text from the later manuscripts, used by Erasmus and Stephens, (because they wanted access to earlier,) have too much fettered the later editors; and that the only proper mode of getting at a pure reading is by a verbatim ;wirt of the manuscripts from the fourth to the tenth century that lie scattered through the libraries of Europe, comparing them with the quotations of the earlier Fathers as well as with the earlier Latin versions. In this way, M. Tischendorff considers that the world would have the means of ar- riving at the true text: and, supposing the munificent design executed, such would be the case ; the more ancient manuscripts being, creteris paribus, clearly of the greatest authority. The importance of this labour and expense is not so evident. M. Tischendorff speaks of the different tone or colouring of the text in the earlier compared with the later ver- sions : but the largest changes that he notices are the text of the three heavenly witnesses—a matter that has been disputed to tiresomeness, and the omission of the story of the women taken in adultery—also a sub- ject of doubt from the days of St. Augustin if not earlier. And where theology or anything like theology is at issue, such disputes would arise if we had a manuscript of the age of the Apostles. Those who deemed a passage to be in their favour would support, and those whom it bore hard upon would repudiate its authenticity. However, M. Tischendorff is enthusiastic in his object. In pursuit of it he had explored the repositories of England, France, and Italy, when, in 1844, an opportuity offered of going to the East, and he embraced it with ardour. Leaving Leghorn in March, he reached Alexandria ; and after examining such collections of manusclipts in the Egyptian monas- teries as he could get access to, he started for Mount Sinai. Thy ace he returned to Egypt ; then went to Judtea, to survey Jerusalem" and its neighbourhood ; and visited the monasteries of Mount Carmel .nd Pat- mos, Smyrna and Constantinople, with a variety of less import at places, on his way home.

The scholarly results of his tour M. Tischendorff reserves for classi- cal publications and his editorial labours. His descriptions chiefly refer to the state in which he found the libraries and their contents ; the learn- ing of the monks, and the value they attached to their treasures, or rather the sort of knowledge they had of them ; some discussions on manu- scripts which were not there, and any little incidents that occurred in connexion with the pursuit. In fact, the main object of the tour merely falls into place as forming a part of the personal adventures of the writer : nay, it is sometimes postponed to antiquarian discussions on localities, as at Mount Sinai and Jerusalem. This is to be regretted; because the subject was a novelty in books of travels, and our author, was strongest on his own ground. Writing to Germans, who do not travel quite so much as the motion-loving Britons, and probably do not so often tell their adventures to the world, he makes too much of matters with which the English public are already familiar, and which, be it said, they have had presented by artists with a more graphic style and a better taste. M. Tischendorff has something of the sedateness of the German and the rust of the scholar and recluse, which he aims at combining with the vivacious manner and sentiment of the Frenchman. Not content with describing things and routes which are familiar to English readers, he must indulge in rhapsodies, sometimes upon the scene before him, sometimes about personal reminiscences, the last not always intelligible,' but intended to be tender. There is, too, a dash of bad taste about some of his stories, and for a learned man he seems occasionally rather ignorant of Oriental usages. Upon other matters of learning our author is more at home. He is familiar with the early travellers in the East, and by that means is some- times able to give to the present the interest of contrast by comparing it with the past. The foreign eye with which he regards, things is an- other source of occasional novelty, or at least of curiosity, especially when German and British ideas clash. The savau's personal qualifica- tions for a traveller are not of the highest kind : in the Desert or in Syria he takes every one for a bandit ; "the sea, the open sea," turns him very queasy ; and the common accidents of navigation become memo- rabilia—

—" the waves oozing through the port-hole made

His berth a little damp and him afraid. But in spite of these amusing traits, the book is slow, and somewhat dry. The descriptions of nature are short, without producing the effect which follows a brief exhibition of salient points ; and the author falls into the plan of the common tourist who has crammed for his journey and exhibits at every spot the commonplaces of its history. In the case of Tischendorff the knowledge is probably genuine; - and the scenes of Palestine are memorable both in sacred and profane story. The mode, however, is so common that it has become vulgarized.

The best parts of the book are those which relate to the search for manuscripts. The interest may often be only bibliographical, and the result is sometimes nothing; but there are reality in the subjects, under- standing in the author, and often some incident in the pursuit.

THE GERMANIC GRECIAN AND THE GREEK PATRIARCH.

I was informed by many persons of a treasury of manuscripts that had reached Cairo from Antioch about twenty years ago. It consisted of an entire library conveyed to Cairo as security, and was in the immediate possession of the Patri- arch. No person conversant with such matters had seen these manuscripts, and therefore the stories about them were exaggerated into romance. The incredible addition was soon made that this library was walled-up. The Austrian Consul- General endeavoured in the kindest manner to obtain for me an elucidation of the mystery. To effect this, he thought the best plan would be to make a direct ap- plication to the Patriarch, with whom he was personally acquainted. We there- Ire rode one Sunday in company with a native Greek to Old Cairo, where the Patriarch resides when absent from Alexandria.

After the preliminaries of reception by an aged female domestic, who hospitably entertained us with coffee and pipes, the Patriarch himself appeared in his home costume, which was sufficiently distinguished to indicate his high rank. Pope Gregory XVI. was more simply clad when he admitted me to a private audience. The Patriarch, who is now in his ninety-first year, has great dignity in his ap- pearance; his long white beard, which falls down upon his breast, becomes him very well; his stature is above the ordinary height. We exchanged a few friendly words; in the course of which I told him, that the chief ecclesiastic of my own country was, like him, a wonder also in his reverend appearance; for he equally resisted the attacks of extreme old age by the indestructible bearing of a cheerful temperament. We rapidly approached the object of our visit. The Consul-General told him that I was a profound Hellenist, although I had never been in Greece. The Pa- triarch then called for a printed Greek book in folio, I think it was a volume of Chrysostomus, and he requested me to read in it. I presumed he wished to hear how we no-Grecians pronounce Greek, and I read him a couple of lines ac- cording to our Leipsic pronunciation. To my great mortification, I did not suc- ceed in this examination; I may feirly record it as a failure. The Patriarch upon this experiment was of opinion that I had scarcely yet learnt the alphabet. We intermingled a little mirth in our hasty explanations; but the mishap was not to be repaired. I conversed also in Greek with him: but the least mistake in the Bumaic pronunciation, or even a false accent—I had latterly become accustomed to pronounce the Greek according to its quantity—he urged harshly in confirma- tion of his opinion. It would seem that the Patriarch had the delicate ear of a Parisian lady. It was now, indeed, difficult to make him comprehend that my studies of manuscripts could be of any consequence. My Co-, Ephriimi Syr Resc-iptus sounded like a pleasant fable. Upon hearing of it, he retorted with how could I read manuscript, when I could not even read a printed text?

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he Consul began to lose his temper, and told him he might wholly. rely upon and that our great object was only to obtain the privilege of the sight of his concealed library. Upon wishing to know why we so eagerly sought to see it, we informed him that my object was to inspect the ancient codices of the original text of the New Testament, in order to derive a text from their combination which might approach as closely as possible to what was written by the Apostles. But he added, we have all that we require: we have the Evangelists, we have the Apostles, what can we desire more? The idea of criticism seems to have struck his ears for the first time in his ninety-first year. He became thoughtful and dis- trustful upon our explanations. At last he availed himself of the circumstance that the library was walled-up, and could be entered only at a great outlay; whereupon we mentioned that we were willing to bear all the charges. Neverthe- less he seemed only apparently to concur, and we very speedily withdrew. • • * But to revert to the walled-up library of the Patriarch: we induced several Greeks of distinction to attach themselves to our interests; nevertheless we were still unsuccessful, for as an opponent we had to combat with a narrow-minded dogmatism, which saw in my critical labours upon the sacred text some undefined danger threaten the status quo of the faith of the Greek Church. At last I found a powerful auxiliary in a German physician, a man whose name had been already very long dear to me. He made his professional intercourse, as family physician to the Procurator of the Patriarch, available fur my object, and upon him some influence was gained by the representation that upon my return to Europe I should make an unfavourable report respecting this unapproachable walled-up Patriarchal library. The Procurator promised that he would have this library opened for me: but I was not present personally when this took place; and the number of manuscripts that I had the opportunity of examining from it was very small, whereas the remaining contents of the library consisted ostensibly of many thousand printed books. I strongly suspected that I was not ingenuously dealt with: yet those few manuscripts have yielded most welcome results.

LIBRARY OF THE SAMARITANS AT NAPLUS.

I was now anxious to visit the Samaritan synagogue, being exceedingly curious to inspect the celebrated manuscripts which it contains. There was no difficulty in obtaining access. A Rabbin, but not the chief, who had remained engaged with the Pasha, led us to a small oratory which was covered with straw mats, and not to be trodden except bare-footed. Upon a book-shelf I observed about twenty manuscripts, chiefly upon parchment. To several 1 unhesitatingly accord an age of many hundred years. One exhibited by many peculiarities—for instance, that of being written in three columns—an antiquity of more than a thousand years. But I was chiefly occupied with the alleged exceedingly ancient manuscript which is said to contain a statement to the effect that it was written thirteen years after the death of Moses, by Abischua, the son of Phineas, who was grandson of Aaron. The Rabbin brought us a tin case, within which lay the manuscript; like a large synagogue roll of parchment, enveloped' in a costly covering of crimson silk with embroidered golden letters. It bears undeniable traces of antiquity. 1 examined the parchment, the colour of the ink, the system of the lines, the punctuation, the divisions, none of which have initials, and the characters, as well as they could be examined without a knowledge of the Samaritan. All combine to convey the idea of a manuscript of the sixth century. Even under this supposition it neces- sarily holds a very distinguished rank among all the ancient parchment codices of both the East and the West. With respect to the alleged statement, it may not, if in fact it exist, be considered otherwise than as a transcript carelessly copied from former documents, and incorporated in it as a note founded on a remote tra- dition. Perhaps this Abischua took some share in writing the original Penta- teuch. In that case, the statement in question would receive some elucidation from the practice in the Greek manuscripts of the Gospel, wherein is frequently noted that it was written by Matthew, by John, &c., as well as the year in which it was first promulgated. These notices have misled uninformed persons. For instance, I found in a celebrated library, inscribed in a manuscript of the Gospel, a remark from the pen of the librarian himself, to the effect that the manuscript was written by the rhetorician Hebraides, in the tenth century after Christ's as- cension, and referred to an ancient commentary. But what stood in this com- mentary ? Nothing more than that the Gospel of St. Matthew was published ten years after Christ's ascension, and that in the Hebrew tongue.

But I return to the Samaritans at Naplus. I do not believe that it would be impossible to obtain their manuscripts; and I feel convinced that thereby a pre- cious treasure would be gained for even the largest library in Europe.

The following is a rather favourable specimen of the manner in which M. Tischendorff combines Scriptural remiuiscences and tradition ; ge- nerally treating the latter with a singular mixture of critical scepticism and sentimental belief.

"Bir enjoys distinction in Christian tradition. It formed the first day's journey of Joseph and Mary (St. Luke, ii. 43) upon their return from the passover; and it was here they sought Jesus, when twelve years old, among their friends, and missed him. There is nothing inconsistent in this tradition; as from ancient cus- tom, even at. the present day, the Easter pilgrims extend their first day's journey homeward only as far as Bir; the pilgrims from Galilee may also long since have practised the same custom. Our road to Nazareth was certainly the same which our Lord and his disciples repeatedly took when he went to the festival. These reminiscences were the dearest company. In our frequent descent from the pre- cipitous mountain declivities of this district, I clearly comprehended how correctly the sacred text, speaking of the paschal journey of Jesus, usually says (John vii. 10) ' went he also up unto the feast:"

M. Tischendorfrs parting at Patmos from the wife and sister-in-law of his host, furnishes an example of the manner in which he sometimes mingles sentimental and Scriptural matters with creature comforts.

'But I must relate my farewell from the house of my host. As my visit hap- pened daring the Greek fasts, our mid-day repast consisted consequently of ap- propriate dishes; but before 1 again stepped on board ship a roasted chicken was sent after me by the careful hostess. During the afternoon, 1 had exchanged many friendly words with both the black-eyed sisters, and had certainly enter- tained more kind thoughts than 1 could express in words. Upon taking leave, the lady herself hastened suddenly to a flowering shrub close to the house, broke two blossoms off, and brought them to me. The blossoms were very beautiful, but the eyes of the giver shone still more beautifully. Her sister ran to an odo- riferous plant, and brought me a nosegay from it. It was therefore with tender emotion that l parted from the two sweet daughters of the island of St. John. I thought of the favourite exhortation of St. John with which he was accustomed to address the community, 'Beloved, let us love one another.' (1 John, iv. 7.) Who would not suppose that these ladies of Patmos bore the farewell of their in- structor faithfully in their hearts? "