The Press. — London, England, 1856-08-23 00:00:00

812 at the same time details interesting to the general tourist and the sportsman. Dr. Taylor's observations on climate in general appear to be sensible. He divides its influence into exciting, sedative, and re• laxing—giving as instances of the first, Nice, Naples, Montpelier, and Florence; of the second, Rome, and par excellence Pau ; of the third, Pisa and Madeira. The town of Pau itself seems to be a very desirable residence; the inhabitants are courteous, lnzurits are not dear, and lodgings are comfortable. In the more strictly professional part of the work we find some meteorological tables of the climate of Pan, extending over some five years, from which we ob serve one fact eminently favorable to invalids, which is that by far the greater part of the rain falls in the evening and night, so that exercise may generally be obtained in the daytime; and Dr. Taylor points out also that, from the remarkable absence of wind, which was only noticed thirteen times in six months, the rain usually falls perpendicularly, so that persons walking with an utnbrella may feel sure of keeping themselves dry. The volume contains also an inte re4ting essay on the utility of mineral waters, and seal on the whole, Me should say, be much talked of in medical circles, though not of sufficient general interest to warrant a longer notice in our columns. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 1300 K S. Ilisiatraled Handbook of Military Enginteruse, and of the' Implements of War. Day and Sun Taw Fears' Residence in s Leosnlina Lierary. Chapman and Hall Ditto Maretimo. Bayle St. John. The .Sha-lom iJ the Few, and Other Poems. Saunders and Otley A Summer Day-dream, and Other Poems Theta. Ditto restigia. One of the Million. Ditto THE AUTHORISED VERSION OF THE BIBLE. A coxraovntsx has arisen during the week upon the question whether a new version of the Bible be ne• e.”4sary. 1)r. Cumming declares that King James's version was, on the whale, admirably executed, and that there is no occasion whatever for a new version. Several correspondents to the Tines have protested against this assertion. A letter signed W. G. Cookesley says : The errors of our translation are numerous and impor tant. These errors are often of vital importance—e.g , several texts in the Epistles of St. Paul speak of the divinity of our Saviour in the most positive terms, yet the force and meaning of them is entirely lost in our mis translation. And when Dr. Cumming justly urges against Unitarians and others that their translations favour their respective tenets, is he not aware that they retaliate and charge our version, in several passages, with a leaning to Calvinism? It is not at all surprising that there are errors in our translation of the New Testament. It would be much more surprising if there were none, for our vet , lion is mainly a translation of the Latin Vulgate, which is itself a very imperfect translation of the original Greek. The want of a definite article in the Latin language has of itself been the cause of a large and important class of mistranslations in the authorised version. And does Dr. Cumming wish to see an instance of the mischief pro duced by the false translation of a single word? Let me refer him to I Cor., xi. 29, where the word xiitass is translated damnation." But the Greek word could hardly have been so translated ; our translators must have had the Latin word fientnalionen before them. The false translation of this single word has done more to hinder the laity from partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's Supptr than all other causes put together. Another correspondent, signing himself "An In cumbent of the Province of Canterbury," refers to Dr. Cumming's remarks ol the passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, translated by the Roman Catholic writers "adored the top of his rod," and by the Protestant writers "worshipped, leaning up,.n th 3 top of his staff.' The "Incumbent" writes:— The doctor's exulting comparison of the Romish and Protestant versions in another passage (Hebrews, xi. 21) gives an equally astonishing proof of his indifference to facts notorious to most scholars, at any rate since the time of Walton. The allusion of the sacred writer is, of course, to Genesis, xlvii. 31, where it is related that Jacob, on receiving his son's promise to carry his bones out or Egypt, "bowed himself upon the bed's head." The aged pat riarch,like David under similar circumstances (1 Kings, I. 47 ), gave God thanks in prayer for the fulfilment—for so his faith made it seem to him—of his deepest desire. Now. the same Hebrew word, written without the vowel points, as was formerly customary, means either " a bed " or " a stick." according as, by supplying them, it becomes hiniswira or hamisits. The composer of the early Greek translation, called the Septuagint erroneously, took it fir the latter, and accordingly rendered the original by IrF0:111.1;lnetIV 111 Ti fiXiDY T ; ;; F u / 61 " .4 44176:d. The Sepias glut version, as is well known, almost entirely super seded the Hebrew text of the Old Testament until nearly the middle of the fourth eentnry of the Christian era. Ac cmOingly. the quotation from it, carrying the error with it. was introduced into the Epistle to the Hebrews, and like wise—until Jerome's time—into the early Latin versions both of the Epistle and the l'entateueh. Jerome corrected it, as Aquila and Symmachus had done before him ; but the same motives which operate upon Dr. Cumming now, THE PRESS. operated upon St. Augustine and others then ; the old blunder was handed down, enshrined in the generally received text, and a pretty good harvest of controversy it has borne—Romanist ingenuity endeavouring to draw the verse into a defence of image worship, and Protestant boldness averting the inference by daring translation. Another letter, from Mr. Francis Barham, says : While I agree with Dr. Cumming that King James's Bible is, on the whole, admirably executed, he must, like every biblical scholar in the country,admit that it contains (especially in the Old Testament) a very considerable number of acknowledged errors and defects. This fact has been almost univerially conceded by those who are com petent to the critical examination of the original Hebrew and Greek. The truth must be told and acknowledged at last, without prejudice, passion, or partisanship ; and here the truth is clear and demonstrable. It may be thus stated :—that though the authorised version is correct in the great majority of instances, especially in the New Testament, there are many hundreds, yea, thousands of texts, susceptible of the most important and indubitable amendment. At present there is no English Bible which combines correct translation with correct arrangement; and if this great national desideratum should be executed, or even facilitated by the biblical scholarship of our times, it would excel in dignity, utility, and beauty all the literary works of the age. A " Brief History of our Present Version" is given in a little pamphlet just published by the Rev. Francis Trench, perpetual curate of St. John's, Read ing. gAllsit. THE MUSICAL FESTIVALS. BRADFORD.—The rehearsal of the new music to be executed at the second triennial musical festival to be held next week at St. George's-hall, Bradford, has taken place in London, under the direction of Mr. Costa. The novelties were the 103rd Psalm, composed by Mr. W. Jackson, the Bradford chorus master; the M 3. cantata Robin Hood," the words by Mr. George Linley and the music by Mr. J. L. Hatton ; and the MS. cantata " May-day," the words by John Oxenford and the music by Mr. Macfarren. The psalm consists of an air for a soprano, an air for the contralto, and one for the basso. There are three double choruses and one chorus, the latter preceded by a recitative for the tenor. Mrs. Sunder land, Mr. MontemiSmith, and Mme. Viardot, will be the principal singers in the psalm. Mr. Hatton has divided the music of his " Robin Hood " (tenor), with Maid Marian (soprano), Little John (bantonel, and Sheriff of Nottingham (bass). Miss Milner, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr Winn, and Mr. Weiss, will be the chief singers. There are half a dozen choruses, one of which is for forest maidens. Two ballads for tenor and soprano, a solo for the bass, and a trio and duo are comprised in the cantata; the success of which is booked as a certainty, from the sympa thetic nature of the melody and the breadth and British joviality pervading the work. Mr. Mac farren's production will, it is anticipated, reflect equal horour on his recognised musical workmanship. Miss Sherrington will be the Queen of the May. There are two choruses and a choral serenade, with a recitative and air for the May Queen. Costa is now in Bradford, drilling his forces. The full orchestral rehearsal will be on Monday next. The accounts agree in the expectation of a brilliant gathering of the amateurs of the north to supp•irt this second festival. GtorcErreit.—This festival will commence on Tuesday, the 9th of September, with service in the cathedral. The new Bishop of Gloucester and Bris tol will preach the sermon. The anthems will be ?dendelssohn'e " Hear my prayer," and Handel's " They shall rejoice;' with the " Dettingen Te Deum" of the latter. The preces and responses will be by Tallith There will be a full orchestral service every morning prior to the performance, and an evening service after it, at which the members of the three choirs will assist. On Wednesday, Mendelssohn's " Elijah ;" and on Friday, Handel's " Messiah " will be given, the Thursday morning being reserved for a miscellaneous selection from Haydn's " Creation," Mozart's "Requiem," Mendelssohn's "St. Paul," Costa's " Eli," and gleanings from Spolies " Last Judgment," Rosaini's " &abet Mater," and Beetho ven's " Mount of Olives." Mrs. Clare Hepworth, formerly Miss Amott. daughter of the organist of the cathedral and conductor of the festival, will make her first appearance at this festival. Mme. Novello, sirs. Temple, Mrs. Lockey. Mme. Alboni , Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Lockey, Mr. Weiss, Mr. Thomas, and M. Gassier, will bo the other singers. As there are no less than thirty-six stewards, the meeting pro mises to be brilliantly attended. MISS CATHERINE HATES, THE SWAN OF ERIN.—The professional career of this remarkable vocalist is an evidence of what may be accomplished by energy and perseverance. Under the patronage of the late Bisl'op of Limerick, Miss Hayes became first a pupil of Signor A. Sttpio, in Dublin. In 1843, Manuel Garcia, the master of Jenny Lind, and the brother of SATURDAY, Viardot and Malibran, was her instructor for eighteen months in Paris. In 1844 she studied at Milan. On the 10th of April, 1845, Miss C. Hayes made her first appearance on any stage as Elrira in Bellini's Puritani. On the 10th of November, in the same year, she made her debut at the Scala, in Milan, in Donizetti's Linda. Miss Hayes then sang in succession at Vienna, Venice, Rome, Florence, Verona, Genoa, &c. In the spring of 1849 she made her debut at the Royal Italian Opera, Govern garden, as Linda, and was the original Berta in Meyerbeer's Prophite. In 1850, she appeared at Her Majesty's Theatre, and in the same year sung at Dublin. Her tour in Ireland was one of the greatest triumphs exper►enced by any artiste. In September, 1831, she arrived in New York, and her success was marked through the United States, although she followed Jenny Lind. In November, 1852, Miss Hayes went to California, and for seven months carried all before her, the sum of 2301. being paid on one occasion for a single ticket. From the land of gold she travelled through South America, in regions where no artiste had ever before penetrated. The Sandwich Islands were the next localit►es scoured, until her arrival in Sydney in January 1854. In October of the same year, she gave concerts at Melbourne, after which she sang at Adelaide en route to Calcutta, where she had eleven performances, one of which was for the Patriotic Fund. After two concerts at Singapore, Miss Hayes reached Batavia, to the astonishment of the Dutch British settlers, the former of whom were electrified by her Ringing of Holland's national melo dies. From Batavia Miss Hayes returned to Aus tralia, singing in turn at Sydney, Melbourne, Bendigo gold-field, and at Hobart Town, and Laun ceston in Tasmania. Finally, Miss Hayes embarked at Melbourne for Liverpool, where she arrived last week after nn absence of five years, less one month. It is stated to be her intention to return to America this winter, prior to which Miss Hayes will go to Paris. Those who heard her originally in London in 1849, and have subsequently been present at her per formances in Australia, state confidently that Miss Hayes has gained immensely in dramatic force and in power of voice. Her vocation was formerly in the light Italian operas, such as Lucia, Linda, La Figlia, Norma, and Don Pasquale, but now her Norma and Lucrezia Borgia are cited as fine histrionic as well as vocal displays. PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—Sfr. Charles Kean ter minated his season at this theatre last night, when the concluding representation of Winter's Tale was given to an over-crowded house. Mr. Kean's snecesi with Winter's Tale has, we believe, been unexampled. Night after night, duriug the whole season, has the piece been performed to crowded houses, and though we differ from Mr. Kean on many material points, we have yet great pleasure in recording such a result so justly due to that minute attention to detail, that lavish expense in putting upon the stage, and that general managerial ability which usually charac terise the productions at the Princess's Theatre. The house only closes for a brief recess, and will reopen on Monday, September Ist, with the play of Pizarro. linusenunts, tU. A THIRD DISPLAY OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF WATERWORKS took place at the Crystal Palace 011 Saturday. The weather was upon the whole favor able, for at the moment of the rise of the fountains the wind ceased, and the grand fountains in the lower basins rushed upwards to almost their full altitude before they were broken into spray, and the innume rable jets d'eau with which they are surrounded played throughout with the greatest vigour in all their beauty and diversity of design. The display commenced at half-past four o'clock, and lasted half an hour. About nine thousand persons were pre sent, and the greater part of the company witnessed it from the more elevated portions of the plateau separating the lower basins from the part of the grounds assigned to the exhibition of the extinct animals, and from the adjacent terraces and sloping banks, and nothing seemed to detract from their en joyment but the want of a warm sun. Upon the whole, the display was very successful. There was a greater tall of water than usual from the cascades, and though the smaller fountains in the lower basins and down the decline of the cascades were still too poor and meagre in their stream, the whole effect was very tine. The parterres of flowers in the grounds were iu perfect keeping, and their exquisite comlnual Lions of colour were highly admired. THE NATIONAL GALLERY was enriched on Satan day last by some Italian pictures. The most iinpor tint of these acqnisitionsis a portion of an altar-piece by Pietr; Perugino. It. consists of three compsri ments--the centre portion represents the Virgin adoring the child, who is presented to her by an angel ; some distant angels, standing on clouds and airqing, appear above. The compartment on the left of the spectator represents the Archangel 3lichael,