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things, from some panegyrical or triumphal poem of the Amorites. To which we may add, what immediately follow, the prophecies of Balaam the Mesopotamian, pronounced also in the parabolic style, as appears from the extreme neatness of the composition, the metrical and parallel sentences, the sublimity of the language and sentiment, and the uncommon elegance of the verse. Hence it is easy to collect, that this kind of poetry, which appears perfectly analogous to all the rest of the Hebrew poetry that still remains, was neither originally the production of Moses, nor peculiar to the Jewish nation, but that it may be accounted among the first-fruits of human ingenuity, and was cultivated by the Hebrews and other eastern nations from the first ages, as the recorder of events, the preceptor of morals, the historian of the past, and prophet of the future.20

Concerning the utility of poetry, therefore, the Hebrews have maintained the same opinion throughout all ages. This being always accounted the highest commendation of science and erudition: "To understand a

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proverb and the interpretation; the words of the wise "and their dark sayings;" under which titles two species of poetry seem to be particularly indicated, different indeed in many respects, yet agreeing in some. The one I call didactic, which expresses some moral precept in elegant and pointed verses, often illustrated by a comparison either direct or implied; similar to the yvoμas (gnomai) and adages of the wise men: the other

might be his ability in other respects, a profound knowledge of Hebrew was certainly not among his excellencies. M.

20 To the above examples from the books of Moses add the following♦ GEN. xxi. 6, 7. xxiv. 60. xxv. 23. xxviii. 16, 17. Observe also whether the answer of God, NUMB. xii. 6-8, be not of the same kind. Author's Note.

21 See PROV. i. 6. WISD. viii. 8. ECCLUS. i. 25. vi. 35. xviii. 29. xxxix. 1, 2, 3.

was truly poetical, adorned with all the more splendid colouring of language, magnificently sublime in the sentiments, animated by the most pathetic expression, and diversified and embellished by figurative diction and poetical imagery; such are almost all the remaining productions of the prophets. Brevity or conciseness was a characteristic of each of these forms of composition, and a degree of obscurity was not unfrequently attendant upon this studied brevity. Each consisted of metrical sentences; on which account chiefly the poetic and proverbial language seem to have obtained the same appellation and in these two kinds of composition all knowledge, human and divine was thought to be comprized.

The sententious style, therefore, I define to be the primary characteristic of the Hebrew poetry, as being the most conspicuous and comprehensive of all. For although that style seems naturally adapted only to the didactic, yet it is found to pervade the whole of the poetry of the Hebrews. There are indeed many passages in the sacred writings highly figurative, and infinitely sublime; but all of them manifestly assume a sententious form. There are some too, and those not inelegant, which possess little more of the characteristics of poetry than the versification, and that terseness or adaptation of the sentences, which constitutes so important a part even of the harmony of verse. This is manifest in most of the didactic pslams, as well as in some others, the matter, order, diction, and thoughts of which are clearly historical; but the conformation of the sentences wholly poetical. There is indeed so strict an analogy between the structure of the sentences and the versification, that when the former chances to be confused or obscured, it is scarcely possible to form a con

jecture concerning the division of the lines or verses, which is almost the only part of the Hebrew versification that remains. It was therefore necessary, before I could explain the mechanism of the Hebrew verse, to remark many particulars, which properly belong to the present topic.

The reason of this (not to detain you with what is obvious in almost every page of the sacred poetry) is as follows. The Hebrew poets frequently express a sentiment with the utmost brevity and simplicity, illustrated by no circumstances, adorned with no epithets (which in truth they seldom use ;) they afterwards call in the aid of ornament; they repeat, they vary, they amplify the same sentiment; and adding one or more sentences which run parallel to each other, they express the same or a similar, and often a contrary sentiment in nearly the same form of words. Of these three modes of ornament at least they make the most frequent use, namely, the amplification of the same ideas, the accumulation of others, and the opposition or antithesis of such as are contrary to each other; they dispose the corresponding sentences in regular distichs adapted to each other, and of an equal length, in which for the most part, things answer to things, and words to words, as the son of Sirach says of the works of God, two and two, one against the other." These forms again are diversified by notes of admiration, comparison, negation, and more particularly interrogation, whence a singular degree of force and elevation is frequently added to the composition.

Each language possesses a peculiar genius and character, on which depend the principles of the versification, and in a great measure the style or colour of the poetic diction. In Hebrew the frequent or rather per

22 ECCLUS XXxiii. 15.

petual splendour of the sentences, and the accurate recurrence of the clauses, seem absolutely necessary to distinguish the verse so that what in any other language would appear a superfluous and tiresome repetition, in this cannot be omitted without injury to the poetry. This excellence therefore the sententious style possesses in the Hebrew poetry, that it necessarily prevents a prosaic mode of expression, and always reduces a composition to a kind of metrical form. For, as Cicero remarks, "in certain forms of expression there "exists such a degree of conciseness, that a sort of "metrical arrangement follows of course. For when "words or sentences directly correspond, or when con"traries are opposed exactly to each other, or even when "words of a similiar sound run parallel, the composi"tion will in general have a metrical cadence.""23 possesses, however, great force in other respects, and produces several great and remarkable beauties of composition. For, as the sacred poems derive from this source a great part of their elegance, harmony, and splendour, so they are not unfrequently indebted to it for their sublimity and strength. Frequent and laconic sentences render the composition remarkably concise, harmonious, and animated; the brevity itself imparts to it additional strength, and being contracted within a narrower space, it has a more energetic and pointed effect.

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Examples sufficient to evince the truth of these remarks will occur hereafter in the passages which will be quoted in illustration of other parts of our subject and, in all probability, on a future occasion the nature of my undertaking will require a more ample discussion of this subject.24

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LECTURE V.

OF THE FIGURATIVE STYLE, AND ITS DIVISIONS.

2. The Figurative Style; to be treated rather according to the genius of the Hebrew poetry than according to the forms and arrangements of rhetoricians-The definition and constituent parts of the Figurative Style, METAPHOR, ALLEGORY, COMPARISON, PERSONIFICATION-The reason of this mode of treating the subject: difficulties in reading the Hebrew poetry, which result from the Figurative Style; how to be avoided. 1. Of the METAPHOR, including a general disquisition concerning poetic imagery: the nature of which is explained; and four principal sources pointed out: Nature, Common Life, Religion, History.

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N my last lecture I offered it as my opinion, that the Hebrew word expressive of the poetic style had not one simple and distinct meaning, but might commodiously enough be supposed to admit of three contituent parts or divisions in other words, that it might imply the sententious, the figurative, and the sublime. On the sententious style, its nature, origin, and effect in the Hebrew poetry, I offered such brief remarks as occurred to me at the time: and now that I am about to treat of the figurative style, I observe before me an infinity of matter and an ample field; in which, lest we should too freely expatiate, or irregularly wander, the scope and order of our journey, the outlets of the road, the circuitous paths, and the most direct avenues, are in the first place to be carefully investigated. In order to the full comprehension also of those matters which will be treated of in this part, for they are in some degree remote from common use, it may not be improper previously to

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