The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

X. Concerning his love to, and endeavours of promoting Oriental Learning.

THERE was no Man under the Sun our Author more reverenced and honoured, than Buxtorph Professor of Divinity and Hebrew in Basil: and the reason was be∣cause, next to his piety he had been so instrumental by his published Labours in further∣ing the knowledge of Jewish Learning: to which from his Youth the Doctor had a strong, and almost natural inclination, and it continued with him to the end of his Life. When Dr. Buxtorph had writ a Letter to him by the Hands of one, who had for∣merly been his Scholar, our good Man received both Letter and Bearer with the highest resentments of joy and complacency, for the sake of the Reverend Professor. And when he had signified in a Letter to our Doctor, that by reason of age and infirmities growing upon him, and finding himself greatly to decline in strength of body and mind, he must lay aside all thought of publishing any thing more; this our Doctor took heavily to heart, and lamented in a Letter he sent him. For by him he acknowleged himself to have arrived to what skill he had in his Rabbinical Learning; and from the grateful sense he had of this, arose a vast love and reverence for him. Placet (saith he) Honora∣tissimo Domino, de peritia mea in Talmudicis loqui, quae siqua est (quam scio quam sit exigua) tota tibi ipsi referenda est, & incomparabili Parenti tuo, &c. It pleaseth you, most honoured Sir, to speak of my skill in the Talmudists, which if it be any, (and how small it is I well know) is wholly owing to you, and to your incomparable Father. Plowing with your Oxen (using your Lexicons) I have sowed, and if any crop comes of it, it is yours. And what Christian is there, I pray, who reads over the Talmudick Writings, that ows not the same tri∣bute? So much is the whole Christian World endebted to the great name of Buxtorph. And then he professes to him, he could not read it without tears, when he told him, that by reason of the weaknesses and indispositions of old age, he must promise the World no more of his Writings. This was in the later end of the year 1663. And indeed the death of that Learned Professor happened not long after, namely in the beginning of September the year after. For whom the Magistrates of Basil had such a great esteem; that before the Fathers death, they chose his very young Son to succeed him in the He∣brew Professorship; as in his other of Divinity Dr. Zwinger (descended of that fa∣mous Man of his name) was also elected. And one of the last respects Dr. Lightfoot could pay the memory of that great Man he wrote an Epicedium upon him, and got Sir Tho. Brograve to write another in some of the Oriental Languages: and so also did Dr. Castel: which were sent to the Friends of the deceased. And when not long after the young Professor came into England, he received a most kind and obliging reception from our Doctor as well for his Father, as for his own sake.

It was his love of this Learning, and his great desires to see it more Studied, that made him so great a friend to Dr. Castel, under his ruinating and destructive Undertaking, as he himself truly called it, and under that which was the bitterest pill of all for him to swallow, namely the scornful reproaches of his pains that he met with from some, as if they were of little or no use. This had quite broke his almost broken heart, had not our Worthy Man continually upheld him, encouraged him, by Mony, Subscriptions, Counsel, Comfort. So that, that the Work was ever finished was owing in a great mea∣sure, (sub bono Deo,) to Dr. Lightfoot, and a few more Men in the World of that ten∣dency of Learning. But the truth is, saith he, one Dr. Lightfoot is more to me than ten thousand such Censors. Besides some few others amongst our selves, I have a Golius, a Bux∣torph, a Hottinger, a Ludolfo, &c. in forain parts, that both by their Letters, and in Print have not only sufficiently, but too amply and abundantly for me to communicate, exprest their over high esteem of that, which finds but a Prophets reward here in its own Country.

He highly admired Mr. Broughton and Mr. Selden, Men deeply Studied in this kind of Learning, calling them a matchless pair; and never mentioned them without honour; un∣dervaluing himself to nothing, as often as he had occasion to speak of them, or such as they.

And for the better setting afoot these Studies, upon the death of the Learned Golius, Hebrew Professor beyond Seas, who had an excellent collection of Rabbinical, and Ori∣ental Books, vast were the pains and diligence he, and Dr. Castel▪ and some others used

for the purchasing of them for the enriching the Library of Cambridge, or some other publick one here in England. Though I think they succeeded not, those Books being af∣terwards sold at a publick Auction in Holland.

He could not patiently hear the antient Records of the Rabbines too much aspersed, as proceeding most commonly from ignorance of their admirable use in explaining the Holy Scripture. When Rutherford in the Assembly of Divines had said, that there was no news of somewhat in controversie, but in the Rabbines, (It was of a Cup in the insti∣tution of the Passover,) seeming to speak contemptibly of them; Dr. Lightfoot reply∣ed, That there are divers things in the New Testament, which we must be beholden to the Rabbins for the understanding of, or else we know not what to make of them.

So much did he delight in any Scholar, that took in hand the Study of those Eastern Languages, that in case any were minded to ingratiate himself into Dr. Lightfoots affecti∣on, next to Piety and Religion, he could not take a readier course to do it than bending his Studies that way. And very officious he was to assist such with his directions; la∣bouring to bring young beginners into an affection and liking to that Learning, and fa∣cilitating the crabbedness of it to them, as much as he could. I know, some now alive, that have had the experience of what I say.