BURDER, SAMUEL, D. D., late of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and lecturer of Christ's Church, New gate Street, claims notice here for the following works bearing on the illustration of the Bible : Oriental Customs ; or an Illustration of the Sacred Scriptures, by an explanatory application of the Cus toms and illanners of the Eastern Nations, Lond., 2 vols. 8vo. A new and greatly improved edition was published in 1839. This work is by no means an original contribution to the subject on which it treats ; but is chiefly a compilation from the work of the laborious and accurate Harmer. Much, however, that is valuable in Harmer has been left out. The additional matter, which is considerable, will be found to have been gathered from the dif ferent works of voyages and travels which appeared subsequently to Harmer's publication. Burder has also published, Oriental Literature applied to the Illustration of the Sacred Writings, especially with reference to Antiquities, Traditions, and Manners, collectea'from the most celebrated Writers and Tra vellers, both Ancient and Modern, Lond.•-1822, 2 vols. 8vo. This work, as the title indicates, is also a compilation, and as such has at least the merit of being faithfully executed. In most other respects, the work is similar to that noted above. Another
work published by Burder, entitled, Oriental Cus toms applied to the Illustration of the Sacred Scrip tures, sm. 8vo, 1831, consists of a selection of the more popular articles contained in the two works above described, viz., Oriental Customs and Orien tal Literature. But Burder's most important work is The Scripture Expositor, a new' comnienta,y, cri tical and practical, on the Holy Bible, in which difficult passages are explained, etc., 2 vols., 4to. This work is only slightly critical ; the author's confessed and principal aim having rather been to illustrate the Bible by the application of Eastern customs and literature in general. He has in this way, and with very considerable success, made the fullest use of the volumes described above. Some regard has also been had to the doctrinal and devo tional uses of Scripture, but this only in a limited degree. The groundwork of the ' Expositor' is the commentary of Dr. William Dodd. To the selec tions which have been made from it, Burder has added much original matter, with collections also from writers of eminence in every department of sacred literature.—W. J. C.