horror. The death of Priam, especially, may be singled out as a master-piece of description. All the circumstances of the aged monarch arraying himself in armour, when he finds the enemy making themselves masters of the city; his meeting with his family, who are taking shelter at an altar in the court of the palace, and their placing him in the midst of them; his indignation when he beholds Pyrrhus slaughtering one of his sons; the feeble dart which he throws; with Pyrrhus's brutal behaviour, and his manner of putting the old man to death, are painted in the most affecting manner, and with a masterly hand. All Homer's battles, and Milton's account, both of paradise and of the infernal regions, furnish many beautiful instances of poetical description. Ossian, too, paints in strong and lively colours, though he employs few circumstances; and his chief excellency lies in painting to the heart. One of his fullest descriptions is the following of the ruins of Balclutha; 'I have seen the walls of Balclutha, but they were desolate. The fire had resounded within the halls; and the voice of the people is now heard no more. The stream of Clutha was removed from its place, by the fall of the walls; the thistle shook there its lonely head; the moss whistled to the wind. The fox looked out at the window; the rank grass waved round his head. Desolate is the dwelling of Moina. Silence is in the house of her fathers.' Shakespeare cannot be omitted on this occasion, as singularly eminent for painting with the pencil of nature. Though it be in manners and characters, that his chief excellency lies, yet his scenery also is often exquisite, and happily described by a single stroke; as in that fine line of the 'Merchant of Venice,' which conveys to the fancy as natural and beautiful an image, as can possibly be exhibited in so few words:

How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank!

Here will we sit, &c.

Much of the beauty of descriptive poetry depends upon a right choice of epithets. Many poets, it must be confessed, are too careless in this particular. Epithets are frequently brought in merely to complete the verse, or make the rhyme answer; and hence they are so unmeaning and redundant; expletive words only, which in place of adding any thing to the description, clog and enervate it. Virgil's 'Liquidi fontes,' and Horace's Prata canis albicant pruinis,' must, I am afraid, be assigned to this class: for, to denote by an epithet that water is liquid, or that snow is white, is no better than mere tautology. Every epithet should either add a new idea to the word which it qualifies, or at least serve to raise and heighten its known signification. So in Milton,

Who shall tempt with wand'ring feet ́

The dark, unbottom'd, infinite abyss,
And through the palpable obscure, find out
His uncouth way or spread his airy flight,
Upborn with indefatigable wings,

Over the vast abrupt?

B. II.

The epithets employed here plainly add strength to the description, and assist the fancy in conceiving it ;-the wandering feet-the un

bottomed abyss-the palpable obscure-the uncouth way—the indefatigable wing-serve to render the images more complete and distinct. But there are many general epithets, which, though they appear to raise the signification of the word to which they are joined, yet leave it so undetermined, and are now become so trite and beaten in poetical language, as to be perfectly insipid. Of this kind are 'barbarous discord-hateful envy--mighty chiefs-bloody wargloomy shades-direful scenes,' and a thousand more of the same kind which we meet with occasionally in good poets; but with which, poets of inferior genius abound every where, as the great props of their affected sublimity. They give a sort of swell to the language, and raise it above the tone of prose; but they serve not in the least to illustrate the object described; on the contrary, they load the style with a languid verbosity.

Sometimes it is in the power of a poet of genius, by one wellchosen epithet, to accomplish a description, and by means of a single word, to paint a whole scene to the fancy. We may remark this effect ofane pithet in the following fine lines of Milton's Lycidas; Where were ye, Nymphs, when the remorseless deep Clos'd o'er the head of your lov'd Lycidas? For neither were ye playing on the steep, Where your old bards, the famous Druids, lie, Nor on the shaggy top of Mon a high,

Nor yet where Deva spreads her wizard stream.

Among these wild scenes, 'Deva's wizard stream' is admirably imaged; by this one word, presenting to the fancy all the romantic ideas, of a river flowing through a desolate country, with banks haunted by wizards and enchanters. Akin to this is an epithet which Horace gives to the river Hydaspes. A good man, says he, stands in need of no arms.

Sive per Syrtes iter æstuosas,

Sive facturus per in hospitalem
Caucasum vel quæ loca fabulosus
Lambit Hydaspes.*

6

This epithet fabulosus,' one of the commentators on Horace has changed into 'sabulosus,' or sandy; substituting, by a strange want of taste, the common and trivial epithet of the sandy river, in place of that beautiful picture which the poet gives us, by calling Hydaspes the romantic river, or the scene of adventures and poetic tales.

Virgil has employed an epithet with great beauty and propriety, when accounting for Dædalus not having engraved the fortune of his son Icarus:

Bis conatus erat casus effingere in auro,
Bis patriæ cecidere manus.f

• Whether through Lybia's burning sands
Our journey leads, or Scythia's lands,
Amidst th' unhospitable waste of snows,
Or where the fabulous Hydaspes flows.
Here hapless Icarus had found his part,
Had not the father's grief restrain'd his art :
He twice essayed to cast his son in gold,

FRANCIS

Twice from his hand he dropp'd the forming mould.

DRYDEN.

In this translation the thought is justly given; but the beauty of the expression patriæ manus,' which in the original conveys the thought with so much tender ness, is lost.

These instances and observations may give some just idea of true poetical description. We have reason always to distrust an author's descriptive talents, when we find him laborious and turgid, amassing common-place epithets and general expressions, to work up a higher conception of some object, of which, after all, we can form but an indistinct idea. The best describers are simple and concise. They set before us such features of an object, as, on the first view, strike and warm the fancy; they give us ideas which a statuary or a painter could lay hold of, and work after them; which is one of the strongest and most decisive trials of the real merit of description.

LECTURE XLI.

THE POETRY OF THE HEBREWS.

AMONG the various kinds of poetry, which we are at present employed in examining, the ancient Hebrew poetry, or that of the scriptures, justly deserves a place. Viewing these sacred books in no higher light, than as they present to us the most ancient monuments of poetry extant, at this day, in the world, they afford a curious object of criticism. They display the taste of a remote age and country. They exhibit a species of composition, very different from any other with which we are acquainted, and, at the same time, beautiful. Considered as inspired writings, they give rise to discussions of another kind. But it is our business, at present, to consider them not in a theological, but in a critical view: and it must needs give pleasure, if we shall find the beauty and dignity of the composition, adequate to the weight and importance of the matter. Dr. Lowth's learned treatise, 'De Sacra Poësi Hebræorum,' ought to be perused by all who desire to become thoroughly acquainted with this subject. It is a work exceedingly valuable, both for the elegance of its composition and for the justness of the criticism which it contains. In this lecture, as I cannot illustrate the subject with more benefit to the reader, than by following the tract of that ingenious author, I shall make much use of his observations.

I need not spend many words in showing, that among the books of the Old Testament there is such an apparent diversity in style, as sufficiently discovers, which of them are to be considered as poetical, and which, as prose compositions. While the historical books, and legislative writings of Moses, are evidently prosaic in the composition, the book of Job, the Psalms of David, the Song of Solomon, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, a great part of the prophetical writings, and several passages scattered occasionally through the historical books, carry the most plain and distinguishing marks of poetical writing.

There is not the least reason for doubting, that originally these

were written in verse, or some kind of measured numbers; though, as the ancient pronunciation of the Hebrew language is now lost, we are not able to ascertain the nature of the Hebrew verse, or at most can ascertain it but imperfectly. Concerning this point there have been great controversies among learned men, which it is immaterial. to our present purpose to discuss. Taking the Old Testament in our own translation, which is extremely literal, we find plain marks of many parts of the original being written in a measured style; and the disjecta membra poëtæ,' often shew themselves. Let any person read the historical introduction to the book of Job, contained in the first and second chapters, and then go on to Job's speech in the beginning of the third chapter, and he cannot avoid being sensible, that he passes all at once from the region of prose to that of poetry. Not only the poetical sentiments and the figured style, warn him of the change; but the cadence of the sentence, and the arrangement of the words are sensibly altered; the change is as great as when he passes from reading Cæsar's Commentaries, to read Virgil's Æneid. This is sufficient to show that the sacred Scriptures contain, what must be called poetry in the strictest sense of that word; and I shall afterwards show that they contain instances of most of the different forms of poetical writing. It may be proper to remark in passing, that hence arises a most invincible argument in honour of poetry. No person can imagine that to be a frivolous and contemptible art, which has been employed by writers under divine inspiration; and has been chosen as a proper channel, for conveying to the world the knowledge of divine truth.

From the earliest times, music and poetry were cultivated among the Hebrews. In the days of the Judges, mention is made of the schools or colleges of the prophets; where one part of the employment of the persons trained in such schools was, to sing the praises of God, accompanied with various instruments. In the first Book of Samuel, (chap. x. 7.) we find, on a public occasion, a company of these prophets coming down from the hill where their school was, 'prophesying,' it is said, with the psaltery, tabret and harp before them.' But in the days of king David, music and poetry were carried to their greatest height. For the service of the tabernacle, he appointed four thousand Levites, divided into twenty-four courses, and marshalled under several leaders, whose sole business it was to sing hymns, and to perform the instrumental music in the public worship. Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, were the chief directors of the music; and from the titles of some psalms, it would appear that they were also eminent composers of hymns or sacred poems. In chapter xxv. of the first Book of Chronicles, an account is given of David's institutions, relating to the sacred music and poetry; which were certainly more costly, more splendid and magnificent, than ever obtained in the public service of any other nation.

The general construction of the Hebrew poetry is of a singular nature, and peculiar to itself. It consists in dividing every period into correspondent, for the most part into equal members, which answer to one another, both in sense and sound. In the first mem

ber of the period a sentiment is expressed; and in the second member, the same sentiment is amplified, or is repeated in different terms, or sometimes contrasted with its opposite; but in such a manner that the same structure, and nearly the same number of words is preserved. This is the general strain of all the Hebrew poetry. Instances of it occur every where on opening the Old Testament. Thus, in psalm xcvi. Sing unto the Lord a new song --sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, and bless his name-shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen-his wonders among all the people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised-he is to be feared above all the gods. Honour and majesty are before him-strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.' It is owing, in a great measure, to this form of composition, that our version, though in prose, retains so much of a poetical cast. For the version being strictly word for word after the original, the form and order of the original sentence are preserved; which, by this artificial structure, this regular alternation and correspondence of parts, makes the ear sensible of a departure from the common style and tone of prose.

The origin of this form of poetical composition among the Hebrews, is clearly to be deduced from the manner in which their sacred hymns were wont to be sung. They were accompanied with music, and they were performed by choirs or bands of singers and musicians, who answered alternately to each other. When, for instance, one band began the hymn thus: "The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice;' the chorus, or semichorus, took up the corresponding versicle: Let the multitude of the isles be glad thereof.'

Clouds and darkness are around about him,' sung the one; the other replied, Judgment and righteousness are the habitation of his throne.' And in this manner their poetry, when set to music, naturally divided itself into a succession of strophes and antistrophes correspondent to each other; whence, it is probable, the antiphon, or responsory, in the public religious service of so many christian churches, derived its orign.

We are expressly told, in the book of Ezra, that the Levites sung in this manner; 'Alternatim,' or by course; (Ezra iii. 11.) and some of David's Psalms bear plain marks of their being composed in order to be thus performed. The 24th psalm, in particular, which is thought to have been composed on the great and solemn occasion of the ark of the covenant being brought back to Mount Zion, must have had a noble effect when performed after this manner, as Dr. Lowth has illustrated it. The whole people are supposed to be attending the procession. The Levites and singers, divided into their several courses, and accompanied with all their musical instruments, led the way. After the introduction to the psalm, in the two first verses, when the procession begins to ascend the sacred mount, the question is put, as by a semichorus. Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place?' The response is made by the full chorus with the greatest dignity: 'He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who bath not lifted