The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

THE NEW BIBLE VERSION.

Crimmrso is again in the field upon the question
of a new version of the Bible, and this time with a
number of authorities upon the excellence of the
present version.
Dr. White, Arabic Professor in Oxford, states :

The authorised version contained nothing but what was
pure in its representation of scriptural doctrines. General
fidelity to its original is hardly more its characteristic than
sublimity in itself ; and, upon the whole, the national
churches of Europe will have abundant reason to be satis-
fied when their versions of Scripture shall approach in
point of accuracy, purity, and sublimity to the acknow-
ledged excellence of our English translation.
Whittaker, that:—

It may be compared with any translation in the world
without fear of inferiority ; it bas not shrunk from the
most rigorous examination, it challenges investigation,
and, in spite of numerous attempts to supersede it, it
has hitherto remained unrivalled in the affections of the
country.
Dr. Doddridge
- - •

On a diligent comparison of our translation with the
original we find that of the New Testament, and I may
also add that of the Old Testament, in the main faithful
and judicious.
Dr. Taylor, of Norwich, an Arian, and therefore a
witness less likely to be charged with Trinitarian
bias, says :
Our English translation is in itself by far the most ex•
cellent book in our language ; so it is a pure and plentiful
fountain of Divine knowledge, giving a true, clear, and full
account of the Divine dispensations and of the gospel of
our salvation, insomuch that whoever studies the English
Bible is sure of gaining that knowledge of faith which, if
duly applied to the heart and conversation, will infallibly
guide him to eternal life.

Professor Stuart, of Andover, Dr. Cumming ob-
serves, gives a judgment not so complimentary to
the scholars of the nineteenth century as that of
some who affect to recognise in its learning an un-
precedented greatness :
The divines of that day were very different Hebrew
scholars from what most of their successors have been in
England and Scotland. With the exception of Bishop
Lowth's classic work upon Isaiah, no other effort at trans-
lating among the English divines will compare, either in
respect to taste, judgment, or sound understanding of the
Hebrew, with the authorised version.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.--Sm. 18.

On Truth aid Error.

John Ambition of St. Ermine.

Cambridge : Macmillan and Co
Oar Mieeellany. Edited by Yates and Bruugh. Routledge
The Ancestry of her Milieu, Quern Vicunas sad of H.R.H.
Prince Albert. G. R. French. Pickering
Tricsige4 Dreams. John Hantleigh. !launders and Otley

stt prams.

LYCEUM THEATRE.

907

THE return of the Lyceum, after playing truant to
the Wizard of the North and the baton of M. Costa,
to the legitimate drama and burlesque is satisfac-
tory. Mr. Charles Dillon has opened the house with
Belphegor and a travestie of The Winter's Tate. In
his representation of Belphegor Mr. Dillon fully
sustains the high character he won this spring at
Sadler's Wells. His performance is marked by
great power. The first scene at the masquerade
is an exquisite piece of pathetic acting (if slightly
curtailed it wool i be more effective), and in his struggle
with Lavarette, and throughout the whole piece, he
displays energy without exaggeration, and a pathos
which touches by its reality. He has met with a
hearty reception, and his success is so far certain.
Mrs. Dillon, as 11Iade'sine, has less of nature and
more of stage couventionality. The traditional
heroine is a very uninteresting character. The
travestie of The Winter's Tale is tolerably witty, and
contains some good points, but its strength lies in
the capital mimicry of Mr. Charles Kean by Mr.
Calliaem. It is by no means exaggerated, every
point tells; and the audience are kept thoroughly
amused by the graphic delineation given of Mr.
Kean's tragic points. Florizel is sustained by Mrs.
A. Mellon (Miss Woolgar), whose reappear-
ance on the stage was welcomed with enthusiastic
applause by a crowded house. Her acting was
full of her usual grace and liveliness, and distin-
gnished by those finer touches of nature which cha•
racterise her style. There are some clever duets and
snatches of songs; and a good corps de ballet
and dancing by Miss Rosins Wright help the
piece off exceedingly well. We must not torget
Mr. Toole as Autolyclus; he is full of fun, and
sings a capital song, which is regularly encored.
He bids fair to achieve for himself no interior repu
tation as a comic actor. The scenery and dresses
exhibit great taste and beauty, and successfully
imitate the glories of the late classic representation
of the play.