---- Rectory, Hereford.
_Book of Jasher_ (Vol. v., p. 415.).--You might have added to your list
of editions of this work, one printed at New York in 1840, a number of
copies of which have been recently sent to this country. The title is
_The Book of Jasher, referred to in Joshua and Second Samuel, faithfully
translated from the Original Hebrew_, 8vo. pp. 267. It was published
with the recommendations of many learned men in America, one of which by
Prof. Noah, who appears to be the translator, I think worth extracting
as giving some idea of the character of the book:--
"Without giving it to the world as a work of divine inspiration,
or assuming the responsibility to say that it is not an inspired
book, I have no hesitation in pronouncing it a work of great
antiquity and interest, and a work that is entitled, even
regarding it as a literary curiosity, to a great circulation among
those who take pleasure in studying the Scriptures."
WM. BROWN, Jun., Bibliop.
Old Street.
I have read this book formerly. It is the _jeu d'esprit_ of an
unbeliever. The drift of it is, to present a cotemporary naturalist
account of the Mosaic and Josuetic histories, in opposition to the
supernatural histories in the Bible. But I remember seeing announced
among the intended publications of the Oriental Translation Fund, the
"Book of Jasher." That proves a work, so entitled, to exist in some
oriental language. What has become of that manuscript; and why was the
translation of it never printed, as promised? I have long wished to
learn.