rington and Sidney. Some of them toiled in secret, and poured out the bitter tears of poverty, but they performed that which shall never die, notwithstanding the labors of the great men who have since toiled in the same departments.

Edward Pocock.

This distinguished oriental traveller and scholar, was born at Oxford, November 8th, 1604. Edward Pocock, his father, was fellow of Magdalen college, Oxford, and afterwards vicar of Chievely in Berks. The son, indicating much intellectual talent, was early sent to a free school at Tame, in Oxfordshire. The schoolmaster exercised his vocation with great ability. At the age of fourteen, young Edward entered Magdalen hall, Oxford, and in two years, was admitted, after a strict examination, to a scholar's place in Corpus Christi college. This occurred Dec. 11, 1620. He soon became eminent in all the branches of learning taught in the universities. When very young he displayed great skill and judgment in some observations on Quinctilian, Plutarch, Cicero, Plato, and other authors. Nov. 28, 1622, being little more than eighteeen years old, he was admitted to the degree of bachelor of arts. He now began to apply himself with great diligence to the study of the eastern languages. His instructor was Matthew Pasor, a German, who had been professor of mathematics at Heidelberg. In 1626, he took the degree of M. A. He then attended on the instruction of Mr. William Bedwell, of London, who, along with Thomas Erpenius, has the credit of having first considerably promoted the study of Arabic in Europe. Mr. Bedwell made large preparations for the publication of an Arabic lexicon, having perused the papers of Joseph Scaliger, who had collected 20, 000 Arabic words. It was, however, superseded by the publication of Golius.

Having been admitted probationer-fellow, July 24, 1628, Pocock immediately entered on the study of theology. He still continued, however, the study of the eastern languages. The Syriac version of the New Testament, which had been printed in Vienna, in 1555, wanted the Apocalypse, the second epistle of Peter, the second and third epistles of John, and the epistle of Jude. The Apocalypse was added in 1627, at Leyden, by Ludovicus de Dieu and Daniel Heinsius. Mr. Pocock undertook the publication of the epistles. For this purpose he tran

scribed those epistles in the Syriac character; the same he likewise set down in Hebrew letters with the points, according to the Syriac rules of the learned Maronites, Amira, and Sionita. He also made a new translation of the epistles out of Syriac into Latin, adding the Greek, and copious notes. Pocock was prevailed upon to publish his work by Gerard John Vossius who became acquainted with it and its author on a visit to Oxford. It was published at Leyden under the care of De Dieu, who spoke in high terms of it. Vossius, though thirty years older than Pocock, and a sort of dictator in the world of letters, ever after treated Pocock with the kindness and familiarity of a friend.

In 1629, Mr. Pocock was appointed chaplain to the English merchants at Aleppo. He reached that city in October, 1630. He carefully applied himself to his official duties, being diligent in preaching and pastoral duties, and himself furnishing a bright example of the christian graces which he recommended to oth

ers.

In the year 1634, when the plague raged furiously at Aleppo, and many of the merchants fled to the mountains, Pocock continued, for the most part, in the city, assisting and comforting the terror-stricken inhabitants. He also diligently employed himself in collecting observations in natural history which would illustrate obscure passages of Scripture. Some of these were communicated to Dr. Hainmond, who was then preparing his commentary on the New Testament.

Pocock also most assiduously employed himself in the study of Hebrew, Syriac, Ethiopic and Arabic. In acquiring Arabic, he secured the services of a learned doctor named Phatallah, and kept an Arab servant in his house for one year. He collected many grammatical observations, read the Koran with critical care, and translated several Arabic books, one of them a collection of 6000 Arabian proverbs. This he turned into Latin, adding explanatory notes. By this careful study, he, at length, overcame, in a great measure, the difficulties of the language, and that to such a degree, that he spoke it with as much ease, as his mother tongue. His teacher pronounced him a master in it, and in no wise inferior to the Muftis of Aleppo.

Jacob Golius, the learned professor of Arabic and mathematics in Leyden, had just before returned from Syria to Holland, carrying many valuable MSS. Mr. Pocock resolved to imitate this laudable example. He purchased all the valuable MSS. which he could find at Aleppo, and employed his friends to pro

cure the like in other places, waiting the opportunities of the caravans from Persia and elsewhere. Where he could not obtain the books, he took care to have them carefully transcribed. He was also employed by Laud to procure coins and MSS. for the public libraries.

In 1636, Pocock returned to England, to the great regret of his numerous English and native friends at Aleppo. July 8th, 1636, he was admitted to the degree of B. D. at Oxford. On the 8th of the next month, he became Arabic lecturer on a foundation established by Laud. Two days afterwards he opened his lectures with a speech in Latin. He then commenced reading on Wednesday of each week, the Proverbs of Ali, the fourth emperor of the Saracens. On ending the lecture, he gave private instructions to all who desired them.

Mr. Pocock, wishing for another opportunity of travelling into the East, in order to procure some additional books and MSS., and perfect himself in the knowledge of the oriental tongues, sailed for Constantinople, in July, 1637. His lectureship, amounting to £40 per annum, was continued to him. Mr. Thomas Greaves supplied his place at Oxford. At Constantinople, Pocock formed an intimate acquaintance with Jacobo Romano, the author of an Auctuarium to Buxtorf's Bibliotheca Rabbinica, and one of the most learned Jews of his time. He also became much attached to the Greek patriarch of Constantinople, Cyrillus Lucari, a learned and good man, who had collected an excellent library, containing many choice MSS. With the assistance of these and other learned persons, and also by the aid of the English merchants at Aleppo, Mr. Pocock procured valuable books and MSS. Among them were the Persian gospels, which were of good use in the edition of the English polyglott Bible. He also procured some important Syriac MSS.

In 1640, after nearly four years' stay in Constantinople, Mr. Pocock returned to England by way of Genoa and Paris, having had the privilege of seeing in Paris the Maronite, Sionita, and the learned Hugo Grotius. On his arrival in England, he found the country in great alarm and confusion. His old patron, Laud, was in prison. He had, however, made permanent provision for the Arabic lecture at Oxford. Pocock resumed his duties at the university with as much cheerfulness as the melancholy times would admit. His old friend, Vossius, wrote to him: "I give thanks unto God, for your safe return, as upon

the private score of our friendship, so upon the public account, because I well perceive how great advantages the republic of letters and the church of God may receive from you. For if, more than fifteen years ago, you could acquit yourself so well, what may we not hope from you now that age, and the industry of so many years have much increased your knowledge and ripened your judgment? Your return, therefore, I congratulate to yourself, to Oxford, and to all England; yea, and to the whole learned world."

In 1641, a correspondence commenced between Pocock and Jacob Alting and John Selden. The latter was then preparing for the press a small part of Eutychius's Annals in Latin and Arabic, which he published in 1642, under the title of Origines Alexandrinæ. The following year added another very learned correspondent in John Henry Hottinger who was then employed in translating the Chronicon Samaritanum. In 1643, Pocock became rector of Childry, a living of very good value in Berks. It being but twelve miles from Oxford, he was able to continue the duties of his lectureship. Being now a country clergyman, he employed himself conscientiously in his parochial duties. His sermons preached in the university were very elaborate, and fraught with learning, but the discourses delivered in his parish were plain and easy. One of his Oxford friends, travelling through Childry, for his own diversion, inquiring of some people, Who was their minister, and, How they liked him? received for answer: "Our parson is one Mr. Pocock, a plain, honest man, but he is no Latiner." In consequence of his faithful attachment to the royal cause, he suffered considerable annoyance from the friends of parliament. In 1646, he was married to Mary, daughter of Thomas Burdett, Esq. They had nine children, six sons, and three daughters.

In 1648, Dr. Morris, Hebrew professor at Oxford, died. Mr. Pocock was named to succeed him. He was also constituted collegiate prebend of Christ church, Oxford. After having experienced great trouble from the political aspect of the times, Mr. Pocock was permitted quietly to retain his offices at Oxford.

In 1649, he published his Specimen Historia Arabum,' containing a short discourse in Arabic, with his Latin translation of it, and his large and very useful notes on it. The discourse is taken out of the general history of Gregorius Abul-Farajius, being his introduction to the ninth dynasty or division of his

book; where being about to treat of the Saracens or Arabians, he gives a compendious account of that people before Mohammed, as also of that impostor himself, and of Islamism and its various sects. Mr. Pocock's Notes are a collection of a great variety of things, relating to those matters, out of more than 100 Arabic MSS., which he gives at the end.

In 1652, Pocock began, by the importunity of Mr. Selden, the translation of a large historical discourse. In the same year he lent his hand to one of the noblest designs for the advancement of learning that was ever executed-the Polyglott Bible of Walton. The undertaking, however, suffered much delay in consequence of the vexatious persecutions to which the chief promoters of it were exposed. Through the strenuous interference of a number of eminent puritans, among whom was Dr. John Owen, Mr. Pocock finally escaped all the snares which were laid to entrap him.

In 1654, Golius, Arabic professor at Leyden, published his long expected Arabic Lexicon. He had been twice sent into the East for his greater improvement in that language, and was, perhaps, the only person of that age who equalled Pocock in knowledge of Arabic. Golius presented Pocock with a copy of his lexicon thus inscribed: Virtute atque doctrina eximio ac præclaro viro, Dno. Edv. Pocock, literatura orientalis peritia nulli secundo. In 1655, Pocock published his Porta Mosis, being six prefatory discourses of Moses Maimonides, which were in the original in Arabic, but according to the general usage of the Jews who have written in that language, expressed in Hebrew characters. He prefixed a Latin translation of his own, and copious notes. The chief design of the latter is to show how much the knowledge of Arabic and Rabbinical learning will contribute towards the finding out of the genuine sense of many difficult passages of Scripture. In 1658, appeared the last volume of Brian Walton's Polyglott Bible. The editor and his assistant, Mr. Thorndike, maintained a constant correspondence with Pocock, giving him a punctual account how it proceeded, asking his advice in almost every step they took, and desiring all suitable assistance from him.

At the instance of Selden, Mr. Pocock, in 1652 began the translation of the Annals of Eutychyus, Melchite patriarch of Alexandria, out of Arabic into Latin. This translation, together with the original, was published, at Oxford, in two volumes in 1658.