facred books. Metaphors, comparisons, allegories, and perfonifications are particularly frequent. But, to relish thefe figures juftly, we must transport ourselves into Judea, and attend to particular circumftances in it. Through all that region little or no rain falls in the fummer months. Hence, to reprefent diftrefs, frequent allufions are made to a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; and hence, to describe a change from distress to profperity, their metaphors are founded on the falling of fhowers, and the burfting out of fprings in a defert. Thus in Isaiah, "The wilderness and the foli"tary place shall be glad, and the defert fhall rejoice "and bloffom, as the rofe. For in the wilderness fhall "waters break out, and streams in the defert; and "the parched ground fhall become a pool; and the thirsty land fprings of water; in the habitation of dragons there fhall be grafs with rufhes and reeds."

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Comparisons, employed by the facred poets, are generally fhort, touching only one point of refemblance. Such is the following ; “He, that ruleth over men,

must be juft, ruling in the fear of God; and he fall "be, as the light of the morning, when the fun rifeth; even a morning without clouds; as the tender grafs,

Allegory is likewife frequently employed in the facred books; and a fine inftance of this occurs in the 1xxxth Pfalm, wherein the people of Ifrael are compar

ed to a vine. Of parables the prophetical writings are full; and, if to us they fometimes appear obfcure, we should remember that in early times it was universally the custom among all eastern nations, to convey facred truths under mysterious figures.

The figure however, which elevates beyond all others the poetical ftyle of the Scriptures, is perfonification. The perfonifications of the infpired writers exceed in force and magnificence those of all other poets. This is more particularly true, when any appearance or operation of the Almighty is concerned. "Before him "went the peftilence. The waters faw thee, O God, "and were afraid. The mountains faw thee, and they "trembled. The overflowings of the waters paffed "by; the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his "hands on high." The poetry of the Scriptures is very different from modern poetry. It is the burst of infpiration. Bold fublimity, not correct elegance, is its character.

The feveral kinds of poetry, found in Scripture, are chiefly the didactic, elegiac, paftoral, and lyric. The book of Proverbs is the principal inftance of the didactic fpecies of poetry. Of elegiac poetry the lamentation of David over Jonathan is a very beautiful inftance. Of paftoral poetry the Song of Solomon is a high exemplification; and of lyric poetry the Old Teftament is full. The whole book of Pfalms is a collection of facred odes.

Among the compofers of the facred books there is an evident diverfity of style. Of the facred poets the most eminent are the author of the book of Job, David, and Ifaiah. In the compofitions of David there is a great variety of manner. In the foft and tender he excels; and in his Pfalms are many lofty paffages. But in ftrength of description he yields to Job; in fublimity to Isaiah. Without exception Ifaiah is the most fublime of all poets. Dr. Lowth compares Ifaiah to Homer, Jeremiah to Simonides, and Ezekiel to Efchylus. Among the minor prophets, Hofea, Joel, Micah, Habakkuk, and especially Nahum, are distinguished for poetical fpirit. In the prophecies of Daniel and Jonah there is no poetry.

The book of Job is extremely antient; the author uncertain; and it is remarkable, that it has no connexion with the affairs or manners of the Hebrews. It is the most defcriptive of all the facred poems. A peculiar glow of fancy and ftrength of description characterife the author; and no writer abounds fo much in metaphors. He renders vifible, whatever he treats. The fcene is laid in the land of Uz, or Idumæa, which is a part of Arabia; and the imagery employed differs from that, which is peculiar to the Hebrews.

EPIC POETRY.

F all poetical works the epic poem is the most dignified. To contrive a story, which is entertaining, important, and instructive; to enrich it with happy incidents; to enliven it by a variety of characters and descriptions; and to maintain a uniform propriety of fentiment, and a due elevation of ftyle, are the highest efforts of poetical genius.

An epic poem is the recital of fome illuftrious enterprise in a poetical form. Epic poetry is of a moral nature ; and tends to the promotion of virtue. With this view it acts by extending our ideas of perfection, and exciting admiration. Now this is accomplished only by proper representations of heroic deeds and virtuous characters. Valor, truth, juftice, fidelity, friendship, piety, and magnanimity are objects, which the epic muse presents to our minds in the most splendid and honorable colors.

Epic compofition is diftinguished from history by its poetical form, and its liberty of fiction. It is a more calm compofition, than tragedy. It requires a grave, equal, and fupported dignity. On some occafions it demands the pathetic and the violent; and it embraces a greater compafs of time and action, than dramatic writing admits.

The action or fubject of an epic poem must have three properties. It must be one; it must be great; it must be interesting. One action or enterprise must conftitute its fubject. Ariftotle infifts on unity, as effential to epic poetry; because independent facts never affect fo deeply, as a tale, that is one and connected. Virgil has chofen for his fubject the establishment of Eneas in Italy; and the anger of Achilles with its confequences is the fubject of the Iliad.

It is not however to be understood, that epic unity excludes all episodes. On the contrary critics confider them, as great ornaments of epic poetry. They diverfify the fubject, and relieve the reader by fhifting the fcene. Thus Hector's vifit to Andromache in the Iliad and Erminia's adventure with the fhepherd in the seventh book of the Jerufalem afford us a well judged and pleafing retreat from camps and battles.

Secondly, the fubject of an epic poem must be fo great and splendid, as to fix attention, and to justify the magnificent apparatus, the poet beftows on it. The fubject should also be of antient date. Both Lucan and Voltaire have tranfgreffed this rule. By confin ing himself too strictly to historical truth the former does not pleafe; and the latter has improperly mingled well known events with fictitious. Hence they exhibit not that greatnefs, which the epic requires.

The third requifite in an epic fubject is, that it be in