den change of persons, when by the vehemence of passion the author is led, as it were insensibly, from the narration of an event to the imitation or acting of it, is commentators observing, delighted with their own discoveries, whenever they met with a passage more difficult than usual, or were able to catch any new and visionary explanation, more agreeable to their theological no. tions, they have eagerly resorted to the change of the persons or characters, though no such change existed. Such are those commentators who have fancied, in accommodation to the quotation of St. Paul, HEB. i. 10, the spirit and purpose of which they did not understand, that the former part of the ciid Ps. to the 24th verse: "Take me not away in the midst of my age," consisted entirely of a speech of Christ, and that the remainder; "as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations," &c. was the reply of God the Father. Whoever indulges himself in this mode of explication, may easily find out any thing he pleases in the Psalms, and with little or no philological knowledge, without the smallest assistance from criticism, can give a meaning even to the most difficult or corrupted texts of Scripture: any meaning indeed but the right one. Our author very justly suspects, that not a few passages of the dramatic kind are at present unknown: yet we are not allowed to suppose an ode of the dramatic kind, unless it appear so by some decisive proof; nor ought we to fly to this discovery as a refuge for our ignorance. For, as many passages may probably be of the dramatic kind which we do not know to be such, so, many may be accounted dramatic, which a little more philo. logical knowledge, or the true reading, which antiquity may have obscured, would point out to be simple and regular compositions. In order to demonstrate how cautious commentators ought to be in these respects, I shall have recourse to one example, whence we shall be able to judge how uncertain many others are, however they may bear a face of probability. The second PSALM has been accounted one of the principal of the dra, matic kind, and scarcely any person has doubted of its being altogether dramatic. If you attend to some commentators, the holy prophet speaks in the 1st and 2d verses; in the 3d the rebellious princes; in the 4th and 5th the prophet again; in the 6th God; in the 7th and 8th the anointed king; in the 10th, 11th, and 12th the holy prophet. It is very extraor dinary that they should not see, that it is not the rebellious princes who speak in the third verse, but that their words are only referred to by the prophet, and that, according to the manner of the Orientals, without directly identifying the speaker. Nothing is more common in the Arabic poetry, than to relate the actions and sentiments of particular persons, and to annex their very words without any preface, of saying, or he said, &c. It does not even appear that God is introduced as a dramatic character, for if so, what is the use of the words" He shall speak unto them In his wrath," &c.? M. frequent in the Hebrew poetry; but sometimes the genuine dramatic, or dialogue form, is quite apparent, and the passage will admit of no other explanation. The twenty-fourth Psalm is evidently of this kind, relating, as I formerly endeavoured to prove, to the transferring of the ark to Mount Sion; and the whole of the transaction is exhibited in a theatrical manner, though the dialogue is not fully obvious till towards the conclusion of the poem. That remarkable passage of Isaiah also, deserves notice on this occasion, in which the Messiah, coming to vengeance, is introduced conversing with a chorus as on a theatre : CHO. "Who is this, that cometh from Edom? "With garments deeply died from Botsra? "Marching on in the greatness of his strength? MES. "I, who publish righteousness, and am mighty to save. "And thy garments, as of one that treadeth the wine-vat: MES. "I have trodden the vat alone; "And of the peoples there was not a man with me. "And I trod them in mine anger; " And I trampled them in mine indignation: "And their life-blood was sprinkled upon my garments; "And I have stained all my apparel. "For the day of vengeance was in my heart; "And the year of my redeemed was come. "And I looked, and there was no one to help; "And I was astonished, that there was no one to uphold: Therefore mine own arm wrought salvation for me, "And mine indignation itself sustained me. " And I spilled their life-blood on the ground.” is 4 ISA. lxiii. 1—6. "Ver. 1, after " in one MS. in the margin "added. It is read 7, in one MS. with the demonstrative article an"nexed. Also р, without a prefixed in one MS. so the LXX. and the "VULG. It is read 27, with prefixed in thirty-one MSS. so the LXX. "SYR. VULG. The hundred and twenty-first Psalm is of the same kind; and as it is both concise and elegant, I shall quote it at large. The king, apparently going forth to battle, first approaches the ark of God upon Mount Sion, and humbly implores the Divine assistance, on which alone he professes to rest his confidence: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains, "My succour is from JEHOVAH, "Who made the heavens and the earth." The high-priest answers him from the tabernacle : "He will not suffer thy foot to stumble; "He that preserveth thee will not slumber; "Behold, he will neither slumber nor sleep; "He who preserveth Israel. "JEHOVAH will preserve thee; "JEHOVAH will shade thee with his right hand. "The sun shall not injure thee by day, "Nor the moon by night. "JEHOVAH will preserve thee from all evil; "He will preserve thy soul. "JEHOVAH will preserve thy going out and thy coming in, "From this time forth for ever and ever." Thus much will suffice for that inferior species of dramatic poetry, or rather that dramatic form which may be assumed by any species of poem. The more perfect and regular drama, that I mean which consists "Ver. 2. It is 17 in twenty-eight MSS. and three edit. Tab, plu"ral in twenty-one MSS. so the LXX. SYR. for the first read 2, according " to all the old translations. "Ver. 3. It is read 78, without prefixed, in two MSS. so SYR. "VULG. For bax in one MS. N. “Ver. 4. nɔw, without ↑ prefixed, in thirty MSS. and three edit. So "VULG. “Ver. 5. For л seven MSS. and three edit. have p. See chap. "" lix. 16. "Ver. 6. For now) read, Dhawn as occurs in twenty-five MSS. and "one edit." K. of a plot or fable, will demand a more elaborate investigation. There are only two poems extant among the writings of the Hebrews which can, on the present occasion, at all be brought into question, the Song of Solomon, and the book of Job; both eminent in the highest degree for elegance, sublimity, and I am sorry to add obscurity also. The almost infinite labours of the learned have left us but little new to say upon this subject; I shall, however, proceed to inquire, with some degree of minuteness, into the form and structure of each of these poems, and into the reasons which may be alledged in favour of their claim to the appellation of regular dramas. The opinions of other critics shall not pass unregarded, if any remarks or even conjectures occur, which may be likely to throw any light upon the present subject, or to explain or illustrate their principal beauties. The Song of Songs (for so it is entitled either on account of the excellence of the subject, or of the composition) is an epithalamium, or nuptial dialogue; or rather, if we may be allowed to give it a title more agreeable to the genius of the Hebrew, a Song of Loves." It is expressive of the utmost fervour as well as the utmost delicacy of passion, it is instinct with all the spirit and all the sweetness of affection. The principal characters are Solomon himself and his bride, who are represented speaking both in dialogue, and in soliloquy when accidentally separated. Virgins also, the companions of the bride, are introduced, who seem to be constantly upon the stage, and bear a part in the dialogue: mention too is made of young men, friends of the bridegroom, but they are mute persons. This is 5 Such is the title of Pa. xlv. 6 CANT. v. 1. viii. 13. See it. 7 6 7 exactly conformable to the manners of the Hebrews, who had always a number of companions to the bridegroom, thirty of whom were present in honour of Samson, at his nuptial feast. In the New Testament, ace cording to the Hebrew idiom, they are called "children (or sons) of the bride-chamber," and "friends of the bridegroom;" there too we find mention of ten virgins, who went forth to meet the bridegroom, and con duct him home 10 which circumstances, I think, indicate that this poem is founded upon the nuptial rites of the Hebrews, and is expressive of the forms or ceremonial of their marriages. In this opinion, indeed, the harmony1 of commentators is not less remarkable, than 7 JUD. xiv. 11. 9 MATT. ix. 15. 12 It may seem a bold undertaking, to contradict the opinion of all the commentators which has been so long established, that the principal personages of the Canticles are a bride and bridegroom during the nuptial weck. As I cannot, however, reconcile the matter to my mind, I shall briefly assign the reasons of my dissent from this opinion. The first is, that no direct mention is made, during the course of this long poem, of the ceremony of marriage; nor of any one of the circumstances which attend that ceremony. Again, who can possibly imagine a bridegroom so necessitated to labotir, as not to be able to appropriate a few days in his nuptial week, to the celebration of his marriage; but be compelled immediately to quit his spouse and his friends for whole days, in order to attend his cat tle in the pastures? Nay, at this time of festival, he even does not return at night, Lut leaves his bride, to whom he appears so much attached, aloné and unhappy. Or if such instances might occur in particular cases, certainly they do not afford a proper subject for a nuptial song. At the same time, the bridegroom is supposed to have the care of a vineyard, and his Brothers are displeased with him for having neglected it; this is so contra ry to every idea of nuptial festivity, that unless we could suppose it meant in the way of burlesque, it is impossible to conceive it to have any relation to the celebration of a marriage. There is still less reason to think, that the poem relates to the state of the parties betrothed before marriage; and there are not the smallest grounds for supposing it the description of any clandestine amour, since the transaction is described as public and legal, and the consent of parents is very plainly intimated. |