vulgarity; as when he translates the _Passover_ as the _Skipover_, and
introduces _Constables_ among the ancient Israelites; but the following
attempts are of a very different kind. Sebastian _Castillon_--who
afterwards changed his name to _Castalion_, with his accustomed
affectation referring to _Castalia_, the fountain of the Muses--took a
very extraordinary liberty with the sacred writings. He fancied he could
give the world a more classical version of the Bible, and for this
purpose introduces phrases and entire sentences from profane writers
into the text of holy writ. His whole style is finically quaint,
overloaded with prettinesses, and all the ornaments of false taste. Of
the noble simplicity of the Scripture he seems not to have had the
remotest conception.

But an attempt by Père Berruyer is more extraordinary; in his _Histoire
du Peuple de Dieu_, he has recomposed the Bible as he would have written
a fashionable novel. He conceives that the great legislator of the
Hebrews is too barren in his descriptions, too concise in the events he
records, nor is he careful to enrich his history by pleasing reflections
and interesting conversation pieces, and hurries on the catastrophes, by
which means he omits much entertaining matter: as for instance, in the
loves of Joseph and the wife of Potiphar, Moses is very dry and concise,
which, however, our Père Berruyer is not. His histories of Joseph, and
of King David, are relishing morsels, and were devoured eagerly in all
the boudoirs of Paris. Take a specimen of the style. "Joseph combined,
with a regularity of features and a brilliant complexion, an air of the
noblest dignity; all which contributed to render him one of the most
amiable men in Egypt." At length "she declares her passion, and pressed
him to answer her. It never entered her mind that the advances of a
woman of her rank could ever be rejected. Joseph at first only replied
to all her wishes by his cold embarrassments. She would not yet give him