tives, such as words for "little boat," "little daughter,"
"little dog." This is probably due to provincial Custom, and may be
compared with the fondness shown in some parts of Scotland for words
such as "boatie," "lassie" or "lassock," etc. There are several
Hebraisms. Some of the Greek words are frankly plebeian, such as a
foreigner would pick up without realizing that they were inelegant.
There are also some Aramaic words and phrases which the writer inserts
with a true artistic sense and then interprets--_Boanerges_ (iii. 17),
_Talitha cumi_ (v. 41), _Corban_ (vii. 11), _Ephphatha_ (vii. 34),
_Abba_ (xiv. 36), and _Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani_[4] (xv. 34). The
Greek also contains numerous grammatical irregularities which betray
the hand of a foreigner, {54} as in ii. 26; iv. 22; vi. 52; vii. 4, 19;
ix. 18, xi.32; xiii. 34. The use of participles is clumsy, especially
in the account of the woman with the issue of blood (v. 25 ff.).
Finally, there are more Latin words and idioms than in any of the other
Gospels. Latin idioms may be seen in v. 23 and xv. 15, and instances
of Latin words are _speculator_ (vi. 27), _centurion_ (xv. 39),
_sextarius_ (vii. 4), _denarius_ (vi. 37), _quadrans_ (xii. 42). In
xii. 42, xv. 16, Greek words are explained in Latin.

These facts corroborate the tradition that the writer was a Palestinian
who stayed in Rome, and knew personally some one who had exceptional
knowledge of our Lord's actual words.

The narrative is particularly fresh, and abounds in vivid details such
as would have been likely to linger in St. Peter's memory. The green
grass whereon the crowds sat, and the appearance of flower-beds which
they presented in their gay costume (vi. 39, 40); the stern of the
boat, and the pillow whereon our Lord slept (iv. 38); the Gerasene
demoniac cutting himself with stones (v. 5); the woman who was a
Syro-Phoenician but spoke Greek (vii. 26); Jesus taking children in His
arms (ix. 36; x. 16); the street where the colt was tied (xi. 4); the
two occasions on which the cock crew (xiv. 68, 72); and St. Peter
warming himself in the light of the fire (xiv. 54);--such are some of
the instances of the writer's fidelity in recording the impressions of
his teacher. This Gospel also abounds in proper names, both of places
and persons. Among the latter may be mentioned the name of Bartimaeus,
the blind beggar (x. 46); the names of Alexander and Rufus, the sons of
Simon of Cyrene (xv. 21)