another. Never, to my remembrance, is this canon cited by the author in his margin, although, like many others, it deserves the name rather of an observation, than a Canon.
2. Transcribers have frequently erred, through carelessness, fancying, when repetitions of words occurred either in the same or in the following verse, that they had transcribed the preceding or the succeeding words. Hence have arisen omissions, or else variations, the intervening or following word or sentence having been left out. The same thing might arise when a copy is made from dictation.
A good Canon, and one which ought to be frequently em ployed, but one which has seldom been employed by the author. It ought to have been adduced, for example, in favour of the marginal readings in Luke x. 11, and 1 John ii. 23.
3. Hence also arise sometimes interpolations, or the repetition of a word or sentence, which ought only to occur once, when the transcriber's eye has fallen again upon the same word or sen tence, or has passed over any thing.
A good Canon, which ought to be frequently employed, but has seldom been employed by the author. The cause of error, which is mentioned in it, produces not only interpolations, but also changes of words. It ought, therefore, to have been ad duced, for example, in support of the marginal reading in 2 Pet. ii. 2.
4. Transcribers frequently made a mistake, or introduced a various reading, when they had written a word before that which preceded it, and were unwilling to erase it lest they should im pair the beauty of the Manuscript. Hence has arisen the trans position of words which ought not to produce a various reading, if the sense remain uninjured. The same thing has happened, when they had omitted a word, which they were afterwards un willing to insert.
A true observation : but we must determine from other sources which reading is genuine.
5. Transcribers had frequently read a sentence, and having forgotten the original word or words of the text, substituted an equivalent, or almost equivalent word or phrase, or some other, or omitted it altogether, and have afterwards been unwilling to change, erase, or supply it, lest they should blot the copy. This