manuscripts were in use during the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries, as some in Münich, Strasburg, Paris, and Rome, belonging to these centuries, fully prove. But whether they were all written for kings is a question that cannot be solved. Others are of the opinion that it is the original of Ulphilas himself; but this opinion the artistic manner of its execution and the existence of various readings on the margin disprove.

Some may have curiosity to learn how this manuscript was removed from Werden to Upsala. In the first place, it is supposed that it was sent from Werden to Prague for safe-keeping, during the thirty years' war. In the year 1648, near the close of that war, the Swedes took Prague, and among the spoils Count Königsmark sent it to Stockholm. There it remained until the abdication of Queen Christina, when it disappeared from the royal library at Stockholm; and it was afterwards found to be in the Netherlands, in the possession of her librarian Isaac Vossius. It is not necessary to suppose, as some have done, that he came by it dishonestly. It may have been given to him by the Queen. While it was in his hands a copy of it was made by Derrer. Puffendorf, in 1662, gave information to Count Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie that it was in the possession of Vossius, and that nobleman purchased it for the library of the University of Upsala, where it still remains.

"Vossius had previously placed the MS. in the hands of Junius, his uncle, for publication; and in 1665 the text of the Gothic Gospels, so far as contained in this MS., was edited at Dort under his care; it was accompanied by the Anglo-Saxon version, edited by Thomas Marshall. This edition was in Gothic characters cast for the purpose, and for it Junius employed the transcript made by Derrer.

"In 1671, after the codex had returned to Sweden, Stiernhielm published an edition in Roman characters: this was accompanied by Icelandic, Swedish, German, and Latin versions. In the last century Benzel made preparations for a new edition, which was executed after his death by Edward Lye in 1750.

"Thus far the Gothic Gospels alone were known, and that only from the Codex Argenteus. This MS. when found consisted of 188 leaves, in quarto size: not only was the text in silver letters, but the beginnings of the sections were in gold. In many parts the book was VOL. I. NO. 2.

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defective: it seems that when entire it would have consisted of 320 leaves." *

It has been already remarked that the Codex Argenteus contains only the four Gospels, and these in a defective condition; bnt some of the defects have been supplied by Mai from the Ambrosian palimpsests, and a few more by Massmann from a Gothic exposition. Still there are many passages wanting.

The mention of palimpsests brings us to the next point in the progress of discovery. In the year 1756, Abbot Knittel discovered in a manuscript at Wolfenbüttel, which was written over with the Hispal. Origines of Isidorus, some fragments of the Gothic translation of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. These fragments he read, with the assistance of Jonas Appelblad of Upsal, and published in 1762.

This small edition of fragments, by Abbot Knittel, together with the Codex Argenteus, comprehended all that was known of the version of Ulphilas until 1817. In that year, Cardinal Angelo Mai, librarian of the Bibliotheca Ambrosiana in Milan, while engaged in the search for palimpsest, noticed some Gothic writing under one of the codices, which he found to be portions of the Holy Scriptures. A further search led to the discovery of four other palimpsests. These five Gothic documents Cardinal Mai investigated, with the assistance of Count Carlo Ottavio Castiglione, who was well skilled in Teutonic dialects, and communicated them in part to the public in 1819. Other communications of them were made by Castiglione in 1834, 1835, and 1839, when the publication of them was completed.

The first of these palimpsests contains the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, together with a fragment of the Gothic Calendar.

The second contains the two Epistles to the Corinthians, the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and Titus. Some of the deficiences of the preceding manuscript are supplied by this.

The third has fragments of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah,

* Horne's Introduction, vol. IV, page 302. London, 1856.

Its discovery was considered peculiarly valuable, as previous to this no portion of the Old Testament in Gothic was known to exist.

The fourth consists of a small quarto sheet, containing fragments of the twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, and twenty-seventh chapters of Matthew's Gospel, which are wanting in the Codex Argenteus.

The fifth contains an account of the proceedings of the Council of Chalcedon. Under the later writing some fragments of ancient authors have been discovered, together with a fragment of a Gothic Homily, full of Biblical quotations, which bears the character of a translation from one of the fathers of the Greek Church.

There is one manuscript more, called the Salzburg Manuscript, which supplies some portions of the book of Genesis.

The contents of these manuscripts, including the Skeireins, Massmann has embodied in his edition of Ulphilas' version of the Scriptures into Gothic, published in Stuttgart, in 1857. In this volume the Gothic occupies the left-hand page; and on the other page, in two columns, are the corresponding Greek and Latin. The Greek seems to be such a text as, in the opinion of the editor, Ulphilas had before him when he made his translation; and the Latin is a copy of the Vulgate. The editor has prefixed a valuable historical introduction, in German; and appended a Gothic Lexicon and Grammar, by these means furnishing a complete apparatus for the reading of the Scriptures in Gothic.

The extant fragments of this version, the fragments of the Skeireins, of a Gothic Calendar, and of a homily, are the only specimens of Gothic literature that have come down to us. The Gothicon of Constantine Porphyrogenitus - lays sung at court by circus-riders dressed in the garb of Goths—and the inscription on a yard-stick, are not considered genuine. The Gothic version of the Scriptures possesses more interest to the philologist than to the theologian, since it exhibits the oldest forms of the German language. As an aid to Biblical criticism it cannot occupy the high place that belongs to some of the older versions. Hence its chief interest to the Biblical student must be as a monument

of the fourth century, and as an exhibition of the kind of text that was used in making the Gothic translation.

On a review of all that remains to us of the version of Ulphilas, we are inclined to the opinion that he undertook and accomplished a translation of all the books of both the Old and New Testament; or at least, if he failed in completing a translation of all, he omitted none on the ground attributed to him by Philostorgius. He fully intended to give to his countrymen the Word of God complete in their own language. This was certainly a great and noble work, one that will ever remain a monument of his piety and zeal. For this work the Christian world will cherish his memory; while, at the same time, every devout and orthodox Christian will regret that the translator of the Scriptures into Gothic has not left us more indubitable evidence of the soundness of his faith. C. E.

ART. IV. Cuba, from a Recent View.

At the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, forming a great gate to its only outlet, lies the Island of Cuba. Its extreme South-West point is Cape San Antonia, in about 84° 57', West from Greenwich, and distant from the extreme North-East point of Yucatan about 130 miles. The direction of the Island is thence NorthEast, until its highest North point reaches within the same distance of Florida, being due South from the South point of Florida, and in latitude 23° 10' North, thus forming with this side the rocky gate to the entrance of the gulf. It sweeps off thence towards the South-East, until its extreme South-East point reaches latitude 19° 50′ North, and longitude 74° 7' West, and is distant from Hayti about 40 miles. In this direction it forms, with Hayti and Porto Rico, the gates to the Caribbean sea. The entire length of the Island, following its partially crescent shape, is about 760 miles, and its mean width about 52 miles. Its greatest width is about 127 miles, and its least, which is from Havanna

to Batabano on the south coast, about 28 miles and it has an area of about 43,000 or 44,000 square miles.

By far the largest and most important of the West India Islands, locking on one side our great American Mediterranean, and on the other the Carribbean sea -so near to us, so prolific in its productions, and so strong in its natural and artificial defences-it becomes a place of great interest to our people.

In natural advantages it is hardly surpassed by any part of the world. Its soil is exceedingly fertile and strong; the richest being of a reddish brown color, and in many parts inexhaustible in its depth and strength: adapted to the production of all tropical fruits and plants, and affording fine crops twice a year of many of the cereals. But it seems specially adapted to the growth of Rice, Coffee, Tobacco and Sugar-Cane. This last requires to be replanted but once in twelve years, and we were shown some fields now growing in the Island that have not been renewed for more than twenty years, and the cane still produces well upon them. This, together with the fact that the grinding season for the cane, or as they call it the " sugar season," lasts for six months, makes it one of the finest sugar-growing countries in the world.

Renowned as it is for the production of fine tobacco, it is not every part of the Island that is suited to its growth, nor are the richest valley lands employed for that purpose; but the best tobacco, richest in flavor and of the softest texture, is grown at certain elevations on plateaus near the mountains. But when the proper elevation and exposure are secured, a quality of that coveted narcotic is produced which for richness and delicacy of flavor and texture is nowhere surpassed.

The native growth of its forests is not less valuable and varied. in their proportion. Some of the hardest and most durable kinds of timber are found here in rich abundance; so much so, that for more than seventy years Cuba was the nursery of the Spanish fleet, furnishing a large number of the ships of the "Invincible Armada," and ceased to be the grand navy yard for Spain only because it attracted too much labor and capital from the mother country. Among the most valuable woods common in the Island