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.

V. The assistances he gave to the Polyglot Bible, the Heptaglot Lexicon, and other Learned Works and Men in his time.

THUS his fame spred it self far and wide: and this made him sought unto by many Learned Men for his Counsel or furtherance in their Studies, or for his directions or castigations in their Labours that they intended for the publick. How much the Right Reverend Bishop Walton made use of him in his Bible, one of the bravest Works that ever came forth, and Reverend Writer of the account of the Doctors Life sheweth. It was as good a Work as it was great, and this raised a wonderful zeal and affection in the Doctor to it, and excused the trouble that he was at about it, in revising it; and specially the Samaritan Pentateuch: and so the great Undertaker tells him in one of his Letters to him. And it much rejoyced his heart, when the Work was brought to perfection: which he expressed in a congratulatory Letter to Mr. Samuel Clark of Oxon, who had a great hand in it. To which that excellent Linguist makes this answer: As for the Work past through, I have great cause of thankfulness, blessing God, that hath even beyond our own hopes, carried us through it. Yet I have no reason to attribute to my self, as due, any part of that thanks and praise, whereunto you are pleased joyntly to entitle me with others far more deserving: But I rather contract a greater debt of thankfulness, that by the Testimony and suffrage of one so emi∣nently Judicious as you are, I am adjudged to have been faithful. I conclude this matter with a part of Dr. Lightfoots speech, that he made at the Commencement, Anno 1655. being then Vicechancellor: wherein he mentions this Work then in hand in a kind of triumph, as so much tending to the honour of Learning, and particularly of the English (then despised) Clergy, and finally for promoting the knowledge of the Bible all the World over. Sic sub protrito & proculcato statu Cleri nuper Anglicani germinavit, & adhuc ger∣minat, nobile illud eruditionis germen, editio Bibliorum multi-linguium, qua quid generosius vix vidit unquam Resp. literaria, nec quicquam Anglia sibi honorificentius. Opus aeternae fa∣mae, monumentum memorabile in sempiterna secula futurum, summae eruditionis, zeli, & in Deo bonarum literarum protectore fiduciae Cleri Anglicani jam tum summe periclitantis. Macti estote, viri Venerandi & Doctissimi, qui in opere tam magnanimo desudatis. Pergite, quod facitis, trophaea vobis erigere, Patriae{que} & perlegant ope vestra omnes Gentes Sacra Biblia suis linguis; atque iisdem linguis eadem ope praedicentur fama eruditionis & literatura gentis An∣glicanae. Thus under the now despised and trampled on English Clergy, hath grown up, that noble issue of Learning, the edition of the Polyglot Bible, and still it grows: than which the learned World hath scarce ever seen any thing more generous, nor the English Nation any thing to its self more honourable. A work of eternal fame, a memorial to endure to everlast∣ing ages of the English Clergies, great learning, zeal, and trust in God the Protector of Learn∣ing, when now it lay under mighty hazzard. Go on, ye Reverend and Learned Men, who are sweating in so brave a Work. Proceed, as ye do, to raise trophies to your selves, and your Country. And by your labours let all Nations read the Holy Bible in their own Tongues: and by the same Tongues, and the same labours let the English Nations fame for its Learning and literature be proclamed. Thus did the good Man rejoyce in Learning, and in the fame of his Coat, and of his Country.

The next Book to the Polyglot Bible, for Labour and Worth, and which is always to be named with it, is the Heptaglot Lexicon: to the laborious Author of which our Doctor also contributed his aid. A Work it was of seventeen years; a seventeen years drudgery, as he styles it in one of his Letters: in which, besides his own pains, he main∣tained in constant salary seven English, and as many strangers for his assistants: all which died some years before the Work was finished; and the whole burthen of it fell upon himself. Though by Gods grace he at last finished it, before it finished him.

And here I cannot but turn a little out of my way, to condole with this Author, that wore out himself, and his Estate too in a Work so generally beneficial; and had little thanks after for his labour. See and pity his condition, as he sets it out in one of his Letters to Dr. Lightfoot: where he says, He had spent twenty years in time to the publick service, above 12000 l. of his own estate, and for a reward left in the close of the Work above 1800 l. in debt. Thus he kept his resolution, though it was as fatal to him as use∣ful to the World. For in the beginning of the undertaking, he resolved to prosecute it though it cost him all his Estate, as he told Mr. Clark. This forced him to make his con∣dition known unto his Majesty, wherein he petitioned, That a Jaylmight not be his reward for so much service and expense. Tis pity such true Learning and hard Labour should meet with no better encouragement.

But to go back whence for mere charity and commiseration, we diverted. In this great undertaking Dr. Castel more than once acknowledgeth the help of our Author. Sure I am my Work could never have been so intire as it is without you. All pretenders to the Orien∣tal Tongues must confess their great obligation to you. And in another Letter, with which he sent him his Lexicons, he tells him, That his Name ought to have shined in the Front, who had given the most orient splendor (if there be any such in them) unto all that is Printed, and may therefore most justly (saith he) be called Yours. And again, He calls him His greatliest and most highliest honoured Master, Father and Patron. Indeed our Doctor did frequently encourage and comfort him with his Letters, got him Subscribers and Friends, afforded him his Lodgings at Katherine Hall, whensoever he came to Cambridge to read his Arabick Lectures, for some years, and such like kindnesses. For which he always professed a most dear affection and honour for him.

Another great Man in this kind of Learning, I mean Mr. Samuel Clark, one employed in both the aforesaid great Labours, applied to him for his Counsel and help in a learned Work, that he designed for the publick. Which was the publishing of the Targum upon the Chronicles, with his own Translation; which was a part of the Hebrew Bible belong∣ing to the Library of the University of Cambridge. A MS. it seems that the University set so highly by, that he made three journies to Cambridge, before he obtained it. But he borrowed it at last by Dr. Lightfoots means, about the year 1659. And by the Doctors interest had it continued to him for some years. This he designed (as soon as he had finished it) to joyn, with some other Additionals, to the Polyglot Bible. Which de∣sign he communicates to our Doctor before he came to a resolution about it; telling him, that if he and such as he approved the design, it would be an encouragement to him to proceed in it. That the Doctor approved of his purpose it appears, from that constant assistance that he gave him afterwards about it: Mr. Clark sending it as he transcribed and transla∣ted, sheet by sheet, for the Doctors review and correction. For which in a Letter dated from Holywel, Sep. 3. 1667. He professeth himself exceedingly engaged to him for the great pains he had taken, and that he had so freely declared his judgment in some places he had noted: being so far from unwillingness (saith he) to have my errors shewed me, that I am very thankful to you for it: and entreat you to go on as freely with the rest. This Targum, it seems, by a place in the Talmud mentioning Onkelos, the Doctor was moved to think Onkelos might be the Author of. For which discovery Mr. Clark heartily thanks him, tel∣ling him, that he would do him a great favour, if he would please to let him know his sense of it, whether he conceived that passage of weight enough to entitle him to this his Targum (as he calls it) upon the Chronicles.

This same worthy Person had Printed that Tract of the Talmud called Beracoth, which he sent to our Doctor, desiring his impartial judgment upon his performance therein, and begging him to signifie to him wherein he might be guilty of mistake.

Nor ought we to forget the assistance he gave to the Author of the Synopsis of the Criticks, upon his desire. For he cheerfully devoted himself to the publick good. First, He encouraged him with an ample Testimonial of the usefulness of the design in general, and of the careful and impartial management of it by the undertaker. Then as to his pains in the Work it self; he seems to have reviewed it piece by piece as it passed from the hand of Mr. Pool, before it went to the Press. For in one Letter he tells the Doctor, that he therewith sent him one part upon Numbers, begging still his thoughts upon any thing as he should meet with it. He likewise promised him, in such places as he observed to be most defectively done, to give him some explications tending to the clearing of the He∣brew

words, or phrases or matter which Mr. Pool designed to bring ••nto a distinct Volume as Paralipomena, to go under the Doctors name, by themselves, with some other things, as Appendices to his Work; as De Nummis, ponderibus, mensuris, De Templo: Quaestiones Chronologicae, Chorograpicae, Historicae, &c. Some sheets of these Explications of Scripture I have seen, which he had sent to Mr. Pool according to his promise. There is all the Book of Josua, and some Chapters of Exodus and Numbers. Where the Doctor pro∣ceeds Chapter by Chapter briefly to give the sense or illustration of difficult passages ac∣cording to the Talmudists and Rabbins. But this last designed additional Volume, I think, Mr. Pool never published. And this was not all, for in another Letter he takes notice of a promise, made him by the Doctor, of his assistance in reference to the Histo∣rical Books of the Old Testament from Josua to Job out of the Rabbins and Talmud: unless perhaps this was the same with the former.