The fourth volume of letters writ by a Turkish spy who lived five and forty years undiscover'd at Paris : giving an impartial account to the Divan at Constantinople of the most remarkable transactions of Europe, and discovering several intrigues and secrets of the Christian courts (especially of that of France) continued from the year 1642 to the year 1682 / written originally in Arabick, translated into Italian, and from thence into English, by the translator of the first volume.

LETTER XVI.

To the Venerable Mufti.

I Have often wondred at the Lethargy, where∣in the Nazarenes seem to be drown'd. They forget what they read in their own Bibles: They there encounter with Expressions, which savour of the East. Every Page of the Writ∣ten Law, relishes of the Dialect which is Pure and Lively; though the Translators, have cropt the Flower of the Sence. I have read their Bible in Greek, Latin, and French; but none of these Languages, express to the Life the Original Hebrew: Nor can it be ex∣pected. It is impossible to screw up the Dull Phrases of Europe, to the Significant Idioms of Asia. We may as well expect Dates to spring from a Reed: And for that Reason, it is

forbidden the True faithful, to Translate the Volume of Light from the Original Arabick: Which is no other, than Hebrew in its Ancient Purity.

This is the Language of those, who dwell above the Seventh Orb. 'Tis the Dialect, wherein God converses with the Pages of his Divine Seraglio: Wherein all the Records of the Celestial Empire are writ. And when he issues out Orders to the Ministers and Bassa's of Heaven, Hasmariel the Secretary of the Immortal Divan, uses no other Cha∣racter or Speech, but that which is peculiar on Earth, to the Sons of Ismael, the Inhabi∣tants of the Region on the East of the Red Sea. In fine, this is the Language, wherein the Omnipotent thought fit to discover his Plea∣sure to Mortals.

Believe Mahmut, when he tells thee with profound Submission, that he has taken some Pains to pry into those Languages, which have been the Channels of Divine Knowledge. I have been peculiarly ambitious, to study the Anatomy of Oriental Words: And it would be no Hyperbole to say, I have learn'd to dis∣sect even the very Syllables: Wherein the various placing of Points and Letters, alters the Sence, or at least makes it Ambiguous. So Significant and Mysterious, are Our Sacred Characters.

I speak not this in Peevishness, or to vin∣dicate my self, from the Contempt which I∣chingi Cap' Oglani has put upon me. I have no Emulation in that Point. Nor can any

little Spur of Pedantick Ambition, make me forward to contend with a Man, whose whole Talent consists, in knowing and remembring other Mens Works; as if he had studied at Athens, only for this End, to learn the fa∣cetious Art, of turning his Brains into a Ca∣talogue of Books: But I reflect on the Lear∣ned among the Nazarenes, who are chiefly to blame, having the Custody of the Book de∣livered to 'em from the Jews. And among them, the Translators of that Volume, are past Excuse; for, they have deflowr'd the Origi∣nal, and robb'd the Virgin Language, of its Beauty and Honour: While the Rest are Witnesses, and silent Abettors of the Rape, in concealing the Indignity has been done to the Letters Form'd by the Finger of God, and full of Divine Mysteries.

In thus accusing the Christian Interpreters of the Bible, I do not patronize the Critical Whimsies of the Jewish Caballists. They are exploded by all Men of Sence. Yet there is a Medium, between the Excess of that af∣fected Niceness, which has rendred the One Ridiculous, and of that study'd Carelessness, to which the Obscurity of the Other is owing. As the Hebrews, by pressing the Letters too close, have squeez'd out Divine Chimaera's; so the Christians, in using too slack a Hand, have scarce gain'd a gross Draught of Common Human Sence, leaving the Genuine Elixir of the Writer's Meaning behind.

I will not lay much to the Charge of the Translators, employ'd by Ptolomy Philadel∣phus,

King of Aegypt. These were no Chri∣stians; nor yet in the Number of those, who Adored the Celestial Bodies and Elements: Nor did any of them, pay their Devotions at the same Altar with that Aegyptian Mo∣narch, who was a Worshipper of the God Sera∣pis: But they were Jews, Seventy, or Two more in Number, as the Tradition goes. And, being every one Commanded severally to Tran∣slate those Manuscripts, which the Jews e∣steem'd the Oracles of God, without conver∣sing with, or seeing each other; 'tis said, their Versions all agree'd to a Syllable.

This is the Story of the Jews, and seems to be Credited by the Christians: Yet some have found many Errors and Incongruities, in that Celebrated Copy. And, 'tis easy for an Impartial Eye, especially in the Head of an Oriental, to spy many more.

But the Latin, which they call the Vulgar Translation, is full of Mistakes. And the Pretended Saint who made it, should have gone farther than Palestine, for his Intelligence in Ancient Hebrew. His Name (if I mistake not) was Hieronymus. He pass'd many Years, in a Cell near the suppos'd Tomb of the Chri∣stians Messiah, in the Holy Land: Where, they say, he was Inspir'd with the Knowledge of Hebrew; and from thence, ventur'd upon a Translation of the Old Testament.

Thou wilt not expect a Certificate of these Things from Mahmut, who only tells thee what he has read in Christian Authors, whom they call the Historians of their Church.

But, I can assure thee, 'twas no Spirit of the East, assisted this Ecclesiastick in his Ver∣sion. For, he comes far short of rightly rend∣ring the Lofty Hyperboles, Apposite Simili∣tudes, Elegant Figures, and other Ornaments of Speech, peculiar to the Writings of those, who first see the Rising Sun. Such are all those, penn'd in the East: From which we must not exclude the Manuscripts of Moses, and the Rest of the Hebrew Prophets, Poets, Historians and Philosophers. Of these does the Old Testament consist; except one Book, writ by my Coutryman Jub, who Five Times foil'd the Devil, in so many set Combats be∣fore God.

What shall I say then, of the Translations that have been made of their Bible in other Languages, not so Copious and Significant as the Latin?

Since the Division arose, between the Ro∣man-Catholicks and Protestants, their Bible has been taught to speak the Dialect of all or most Nations in Europe. Yet, such is the Unhappiness of the Franks, that the more they tamper with the Language of Great Pu∣rity, the worse they succeed. Which has oc∣casion'd some Learned Men, as I am inforrn'd, to mark above a Thousand Faults, in the Last French Version of that Mysterious Book.

What Room will they leave for the Cen∣sures of the Mussulmans, if the Christians themselves are thus Critical, upon the Grand Patent of their Salvation?

It would be an endless Task, to recount

all the Errors that may be discern'd in the Various Traducts of the Bible, by any Man that has Convers'd in the East. Neither will I entrench on thy Patience, to gain the Cha∣racter of a Critick.

Permit me to glance only on the Psalter, or the Odes of Sultan David. How flat and dull are the Measures of the Christian Transla∣tors? How low have they sunk the Sence of that Royal Poet? He never begun to warble forth any of those Divine Songs, till first Inspired by a Seraph, whom he had lur'd down from Paradise, by the Melody of his Harp. That Seraph, was Master of the Musick Above, as the Hebrew Doctors teach. Every Time Da∣vid play'd on his Instrument, Ariel (for so was the Spirit call'd) made his Descent, and sung with a Grace which cannot be express'd. The Docile Poet, soon learn'd both his Notes and Words. Seven Hundred Times, David touch'd his Harmonious Strings, and so often the Angel stood by him with the Book of the Quire. He taught him Seven Hundred Sonnets, that are Chanted by the Lovers in Paradise. But the Devil stole 'em from the King, whilst he was gazing on another Man's Wife, bathing her self in an adjoining Garden.

Yet there are above a Hundred Hymns re∣maining, which David compos'd by Memo∣ry out of the Former. But, some Sects a∣mong the Christians, have turn'd 'em to the Ballads of the Vulgar.

So have they dealt by that surpassing Poem of Solyman, taught him by the Etherial Tu∣tor

of his Father. For Ariel was enamour'd of One of the Virgins of Paradise, at the same Time, that Solyman enjoy'd Pharaoh's Daugh∣ter, and had newly built for her a Seraglio of Cedar. The Heavenly Lover therefore, to accommodate himself to the Passion of the Mortal, taught him One of the Pastorals of Eden, a Song peculiar to his Own Amour.

But the Nazarenes, have turn'd it to a dry and Insignificant Allegory, by their Glosses: Putting an Affront also upon Rhetorick and Poetry, in Wording their Translation.

If I should go on, and number the Mistakes they have made in the Writings of the Pro∣phets, and other Books of the Old Testament, though it were but in this General Manner, I should tire thee out: But to recount the Particulars, would be a Thirteenth Task for Hercules.

Yet after all these Defaults of the Learned, neither they nor the Ignorant can be excus'd from Wilful Blindness, in shutting their Eyes against the Twilight, which appears in the Worst Translation, and is sufficient to direct any Man to the East, where Wisdom shines in her Perfect Splendor.

There are Expressions all over the Scrip∣tures, which point to the Laws, Customs, Habits, Diet and Manner of Life, us'd in the Regions First Visited by the Morning-Sun. These are the same Now, as they were of Old. And the Mussulmans of this Age, observe no other Rule of Life, but what was practis'd by the Patriarch Ibrahim, above Three Thou∣sand

Years ago, and by all the Faithful of those Times. Our Marriages, Circumcisi∣ons, Funerals, Prayers, Washings, and all other Ceremonies, of Religion or Civility, are the same Now as Then. There is Nothing ad∣ded or diminished, save the Faith and Obedi∣ence we owe to Mahomet, the Ambassador of God, and to the Volume put into his Hands by Gabriel, Prince of the Divine Messengers.

Our very Habits, and the Manner of our Building; our Salutations, and whole Address, are the same at this Day, as the Scripture tells us, were in Use in those Ages next after the Flood, among the Patriarchs and Prophets, and among all the True Believers, the Po∣sterity of Ibrahim: Especially the Descendants by the Right Line, the Stem of Ismael, the Eldest Son of him, who entertain'd Three Angels at Once in his Tent.

Yet the Infidels will not consider it: But perswade themselves, they are the Only Chil∣dren of the Faithful Ibrahim; pretending to practise, in I know not what Figurative Sense, the Life we lead in Truth: Cheating them∣selves with Empty Symbols, while we enjoy the Substance.

But thou, Great Successor of Ibrahim and the Prophets, vouchsafe to pray for Mahmut, That whilst his Duty to the Grand Signior obliges him to dwell here in the West, and to converse with none but Infidels, he may still retain the Faith of the East, the Devotion of an Ismaelite, and the Purity of a True Be∣liever. Still crying in his Heart, even in the

Temples of the Infidels; There is but One God, and Mahomet his Messenger.

Paris, 5th. of the 9th. Moon, of the Year 1649.