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BY

C. KNIGHT AND Co., 22, LUDGATE STREET.

HOLY BIBLE, WITH ILLUSTRATED COMMENTARY AND BIBLE HISTORY.

In Four splendid volumes, super-royal 8vo.,

THE PICTORIAL BIBLE:

Being the Old and New Testaments, according to the authorized Version; with Original Notes, chiefly explanatory of such Passages connected with the History, Geography, Natural History, and Antiquities of the Sacred Scriptures as require Observation. To which is added,

THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE JEWS, And the Physical Geography and Natural History of the Holy Land. BY JOHN KITTO.

With above One Thousand Three Hundred Engravings.

1. THE PICTORIAL BIBLE.-The principal feature of The Pictorial Bible' is defined by its title. It is to make the objects described or referred to in the Holy Scriptures familiar to the eye of the general reader. The immense treasures of art which the great painters have bequeathed to us on Sacred subjects are here open to all, as far as they are capable of being diffused through the medium of wood engraving; the landscape scenes are represented with that fidelity which we are now able to realise through the labours of recent travellers; and the objects, whether of natural history, of costume, or of antiquities, are delineated with equal accuracy. These illustrations of themselves form notes of the most interesting and important character. The printed notes have precisely the same principle in view; they are chiefly devoted to an explanation of the objects mentioned in the Sacred Text. It has been the wish of the conductors of this Pictorial Bible' to render it a work universally acceptable to all denominations of Christians. While, therefore, the critical readers of the Scriptures will have to seek in other editions for comment of a theological nature-and such editions are as numerous as they are admirable-the notes of The Pictorial Bible' are limited as we have already described. That such explanations, conceived in a spirit of sincere piety, and with due deference to their connexion with the higher allusions of the inspired writers, may lead many readers to a more diligent perusal of the Scriptures

there can be no doubt, and some of the labours of the most learned commentators have been accordingly devoted to such points.

The text of "The Pictorial Bible' is that of the standard edition commonly called Dr. Blaney's. The marginal references, readings, and explanations of the authorized translators, are given as foot notes to each page. These references, etc. are not so numerous as those of later editious, but they are considered of superior authority, and are the same as those given in the edition by D'Oyly and Mant. They have been printed in The Pictorial Bible' from the celebrated Cambridge edition of Buck and Daniel.

2. THE PICTORIAL HISTORY of the JEWS, etc.-The Pictorial History of the Jews and the Physical Geography and Natural History of the Holy Land' was originally issued in monthly Parts, under the title of Palestine. The main object of this work is to relate every event of interest or importance in the political, social, military, and religious history of the country called Palestine, and of the Hebrew nation, from the most remote ages to the period of the dispersion of that people. It thus forms an entire and complete Bible History; and in order that the historical narrative may be the more thoroughly comprehended, and the work rendered as perfect as possible, the Physical History of the Holy Land has been included as a part of the undertaking. By this is to be understood an account of the geography of the country, and its various products and characteristics-a part of the subject which exists nowhere else in a separate and distinct form, but has to be sought for in books of travels and works of the most miscellaneous description. The wood engravings, which are very numerous, and many from original drawings, are executed in the first style of the art; the subjects being representations of actual scenery, costume, manners, monuments, and objects of natural history-in some instances combined into picture or group, but never exhibiting anything merely fanciful.

The Pictorial History of the Jews,' etc. was undertaken by the Editor of the 'Pictorial Bible' as a Supplement to that work. It has now been thought advisable by the publishers to reduce the price of the two works, and to offer them together, bound uniformly, in the most elegant and durable style of cloth binding, with gilt edges, for FOUR GUINEAS.

The works may, however, be purchased separately, in the same handsome style of binding, at the following rates:

1. The Pictorial Bible,' in three volumes, 21. 12s. 6d.

2. The History of the Jews and Geography of the Holy Land,' in one volume, 17. 11s. 6d. The same in two volumes, 17. 15s.

Extract from the 'Eclectic Review for August, 1843. "Art. I. The Bible Cyclopædia; or, Illustrations of the Civil and Natural History of the Sacred Writings, by reference to the Manners, Customs, Rites, Traditions, Antiquities, and Literature of Eastern Nations. 2 vols. 4to., 1841-1843. London: Parker.

"We are sorry to say that there is here no evidence of research, and very little of judgment in selection. Without going further, the writers have been content to form an alphabetical arrangement (not digest) of the matter collected to their hands by Harmer, Burder, Paxton, and Roberts, and of the stores of varied information contained in the PICTORIAL BIBLE,' and the PICTORIAL HISTORY OF PALESTINE.' Of these, Harmer, Burder, and Paxton are sometimes cited, Roberts always; but the two latter works, which have been the most largely drawn upon-and which are composed of matter more requiring acknowledgment than that (extracts chiefly) of which the three first works are comprised-are scarcely named or alluded to throughout these two volumes. The right of appropriating in this wholesale manner the labour of another, even with all possible acknowledgment, admits of a question; but when this is done in such fashion as to make that labour of another to appear one's own by the unacknowledged appropriation not only of his facts and conclusions, but of his authorities and references, the act considerably overpasses the limit of that honourable consideration which one scholar has a right to expect from another.

"We will now indicate, almost at random, a few articles by which this prominent characteristic of the present work may be substantiated.

"Adultery. This article is distinguished by what seems to be the one solitary reference to the Pictorial Bible.' Nearly the whole article certainly all that is curious in it-is copied from that work; and this isolated act of acknowledgment is compromised by a palpable attempt to obscure the extent of the obligation.

"Ezra. The article and engraving copied from the Pictorial Bible' without acknowledgment.

"Dead Sea. The whole article (four quarto pages) copied from the Pictorial Palestine' without that work being named. The same extracts, from the same travellers, in the same order, and with the same connecting and incidental remarks.

"Mandrake.-From the Pictorial Palestine' (unacknowledged); and here, as elsewhere, a most unpleasant effect is produced upon one's mind by observing that the rare foreign books which the author of that work was the first to think of consulting for materials, are coolly cited in the articles derived

therefrom-while the studied absence of any reference to it makes these references appear the result of original research in the present book, which derives all of its very limited value from such unseemly appropriations.

"Mice.-From the Pictorial Palestine' (unacknowledged), with the sole addition of a concluding extract (acknowledged) from Wilkinson.

"Manna-is thus composed:-1. A statement concerning the word, from the 'Pictorial Bible' (unacknowledged). 2. A statement respecting the thing, from Mr. Conder's Modern Traveller' (Arabia), introduced by A modern writer' (who? where?) well observes,' &c. 3. An extract from Burckhardt, introduced by an observation implying original production of the testimony, which testimony is, however, given by both the writers from whom the previous matter is derived. 4. A concluding extract from Wellsted's Travels in Arabia,' of which the credit may be given to the writer.

"Palestine-The largest article in the work, being twenty-six pages. It is in substance taken from the Physical History,' which forms the elaborate introduction to the Pictorial His. tory of Palestine.' It is safe to say, that if the History' had not then been published, this article, in its present form and extent, would not have been seen in the Bible Cyclopædia.' Yet the 'History' is not once, in any way, named or alluded to throughout the six-and-twenty pages, although some extracts edged in here and there, from the great work of Dr. Robinsou, and the little work of Dr. Michael Russell, are duly and carefully acknowledged-the copyist being evidently but too happy to avail himself of any opportunity which an easy reference afforded, of imparting some freshness to his article by occasionally copying from these works rather than from that which he chiefly used. Now, this would have been a somewhat unconscionable operation, even had the Pictorial History' been duly acknowledged-but without the shade of any acknowledgment it is such an act as we forbear to characterise.

The reader will readily excuse us from tracing more of these delinquencies, although they might be multiplied without difficulty. In general, we may say that the matter derived from the sources indicated, and not indicated, is heaped together under the assigned heads, extract upon extract, with very little judgment, and without any such attempts to verify, to analyze, to digest, and to generalize, as might in some degree have created a kind of property in the borrowed' goods, and in some degree have excused, perhaps justified, the writers in their 'appropriations.""

London: CHARLES KNIGHT & Co., 22, Ludgate Street.

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