CONTENTS. LECTURE I. OF THE USES AND DESIGN OF POETRY. THE purpose of poetry is to instruct while it gives pleasure; instruction being the end, and pleasure the means-Illustrated by examples from the different species of poetry-The Didactic-The Epic-Tragedy-Lyric-The lighter kinds of poetry, which are calculated as well for the amusement of our leisure as for the ornament and improvement of literature-Sacred poetry; whence a transition to the immediate object of these Lectures, LECTURE II. Page 3 THE DESIGN AND ARRANGEMENT OF THESE LECTURES. The dignity of the subject, and its suitableness to the design of the institution-That poetry which proceeds from divine inspiration is not beyond the province of criticism-Criticism will enable us to account for the origin of the art, as well as to form a just estimation of its dignity; that the opinion of the divine origin of poetry was common in GreeceThis work purely critical and consequently theological disquisitions will be avoided-The general distribution of the subject into three parts, the nature of the verse, the style, and the arrangement, 29 THE FIRST PART. OF THE HEBREW METRE. THE HEBREW POETRY IS METRICAL. The necessity of inquiring into the nature of the Hebrew verse-The Hebrew poetry proved to be metrical from the alphabetical poems, and from the equality and correspondence of the sentiments; also from the poetical diction-Some of the most obvious properties of the verseThe rhythm and mode of scanning totally lost: proved from facts-The poetical conformation of the sentences-The Greek and Latin poetry materially different from the Hebrew, from the very nature of the languages-Hence a peculiar property in the prose versions of the Hebrew poetry, and the attempts to exhibit this poetry in the verse of other languages, 38 THE SECOND PART. OF THE PARABOLIC OR POETICAL STYLE OF THE HEBREWS, LECTURE IV. THE ORIGIN, USE, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARABOLIC, AND ALSO OF THE SENTENTIOUS STYLE, The poetic style of the Hebrews bears the general title of Parabolic-Its constituent principles are the sententious, the figurative, and the sublime-The source of the Parabolic style and its original use: among other nations; among the Hebrews-Certain examples of it preserved from the first ages in the writings of Moses-I. The sententious kind; its nature and effects, LECTURE V. OF THE FIGURATIVE STYLE, AND ITS DIVISIONS. 49 II. The Figurative Style; to be treated rather according to the genius of C 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, LECTURE VI. 66 OF POETIC IMAGERY FROM THE OBJECTS OF NATURE. The frequent use of the Metaphor renders a style magnificent, but often obscure the Hebrew poets have accomplished the sublime without losing perspicuity-Three causes assigned for this singular fact: first, the imagery which they introduce is in general derived from familiar objects again, in the use and accommodation of it they pursue a certain custom and analogy: lastly, they make the most free use of that which is most familiar, and the nature and extent of which is most generally known-These observations confirmed by examples (1.) from natural objects such as are common to mankind in general; such as are more familiar to the Hebrews than to others; and such as are peculiar to them, 76 LECTURE VII. OF POETIC IMAGERY FROM COMMON LIFE. Examples of poetical imagery from common life-The habits of life extremely simple among the Hebrews, whose principal employments were agriculture and pasturage-The dignity of these employments; and the splendour of the imagery which is borrowed from them: Threshing, and the threshing instruments-The sublimity of the imagery which is taken from familiar objects results from its propriety-The poetic hell of the Hebrews explained; the imagery of which is borrowed from their subterraneous sepulchres and funeral rites, 90 LECTURE VIII. OF POETIC IMAGERY FROM SACRED TOPICS. Imagery, which is borrowed from the rites and ceremonies of religion, peculiarly liable to obscurity and mistake-Instances of expressions, which appear uncommonly harsh; and of others, the principal elegance of which would be lost, unless we adverted to the nature of the sacred rites-The exordium of the hundred and fourth Psalm explained, LECTURE IX. 104 OF POETIC IMAGERY FROM THE SACRED HISTORY. The imagery from the sacred history is the most luminous and evident of all-The peculiar nature of this kind of metaphor explained, as used by the Hebrew poets-The order of the topics which commonly furnish them the Chaos and Creation; the Deluge; the destruction of Sodom; the emigration of the Israelites from Egypt; the descent of God upon Mount Sinah-This species of metaphor excellently adapted to the sacred poetry, and particularly to the prophetic; not easy to form any comparison between the sacred and profane poetry in this respect, 115 : LECTURE X. OF ALLEGORY. Three forms of Allegory: 1. Continued Metaphor; which is scarcely worth distinguishing from the simple Metaphor-The freedom of the Hebrews in confounding the forms of the Metaphor, Allegory, and Comparison: a more perfect form also of Allegory instanced-2. The Parable; and its principal characteristics: that it ought to be formed from an apt and well-known image, the signification of which is obvious. and definite; also from one which is elegant and beautiful; that its parts and adjuncts be perspicuous, and conduce to the main object; that it be consistent, and must not confound the literal and figurative meaning-The Parables of the Prophets, and particularly of Ezekiel, examined according to this standard, LECTURE XI. OF THE MYSTICAL ALLEGORY. 133 The definition of the Mystical Allegory-Founded upon the allegorical or typical nature of the Jewish religion-The distinction between this and the two former species of allegory; in the nature of the materials: it being allowable in the former to make use of imagery from indifferent object; in this, only such as is derived from things sacred, or their opposites; in the former, the exterior image has no foundation in truth; in the latter, both images are equally true-The difference in the form or manner of treating them-The most beautiful form is when the corresponding images run parallel through the whole poem, and mutually illustrate each other-Examples of this in the second and seventy-second Psalms-The parabolic style admirably adapted to this species of allegory: the nature of which renders it the language most proper for prophecyExtremely dark in itself, but it is gradually cleared up by the series of events foretold, and more complete revelation; time also, which in the general obscures, contributes to its full explanation, LECTURE XII. OF THE COMPARISON. 146 Comparisons are introduced for three purposes; illustration, amplification, and variety-For the first an image is requisite, apt, well-known, and perspicuous; it is of little consequence whether it be sublime or beautiful, or neither: hence comparisons from objects which are in themselves mean and humble may be sometimes useful-For the purpose of amplification an image is requisite which is sublime, or beautiful, even though it should be less apt and perspicuous and on this plea a degree of obscurity, or a remoteness in the resemblance, may sometimes be excused -When variety is the object, splendid, beautiful, and elegant imagery must be sought for; and which has an apt agreement with the object of the comparison in the circumstances or adjuncts, though the objects themselves may be different in kind-The most perfect comparison is that, in which all these excellencies are united-The peculiar form of comparisons in the Hebrew poetry; it results from the nature of the sententious style-They are short, frequent, simple, depending often on a single attribute-Different images displayed in the parallel sentences; many comparisons are arranged in this manner to illustrate the same subject; or different attributes of the same comparison are often distributed in the different divisions or parallelisms, 155 LECTURE XIII. OF THE PROSOPÓPŒIA, OR PERSONIFICATION. Two kinds of Personification: when a character is assigned to fictitious or inanimate objects, and when a probable speech is attributed to a real per son-Of fictitious and inanimate characters; of real characters--The Prosopopeia of the mother of Sisera (in the song of Deborah) explained: also the triumphal song of the Israelites concerning the death of the king of Babylon, (in Isaiah) which consists altogether of this figure, and exhibits it in all its different forms, 173 LECTURE XIV. OF THE SUBLIME IN GENERAL, AND OF SUBLIMITY OF EXPRESSION IN PARTICULAR. III. In what manner the word Mashal implies the idea of Sublimity-Sub limity of language and sentiment-On what account the poetic diction of the Hebrews, cither considered in itself, or compared with prose composition, merits an appellation expressive of sublimity-The sublimity of the poetic diction arises from the passions-How far the poetic diction differs from prose among the Hebrews-Certain forms of poetic diction and construction exemplified from Joв, chap. iii. LECTURE XV. OF SUBLIMITY OF EXPRESSION. 186 The character of the Poetic Dialect further illustrated by examples of different kinds from the Song of Moses, Deut. xxxii.—The frequent and sudden transition from one person to another; its cause and effectsThe use of the Tenses in a manner quite different from common language: the reasons of this--The Hebrew language peculiar in this respect-The future is often spoken of in the perfect present, and the past in the future Tense; the reason of the former easy to be explained; the latter is a matter of considerable difficulty, which neither the Commentators, the Translators, nor even the Grammarians have elucidated-Some examples of this, and the explanation of them-The frequent use of this form of construction may be considered as characteristical of the Poetic Dialect, 199 LECTURE XVI. OF SUBLIMITY OF SENTIMENT. Sublimity of sentiment arises, either from elevation of mind, or from some vehement passion; in each, it is either natural, or the effect of divine inspiration-Elevation of mind is displayed in the greatness of the subject, the adjuncts, and the imagery-Examples from the descriptions of the Divine Majesty; of the works and attributes of the Deity; also from the display of the Divine Power in the form of Interrogation and IronyThe Hebrew poets attribute the human passions to the Deity without departing from sublimity; and that frequently when the imagery appears least consistent with the Divine Majesty: the reason of this, 213 LECTURE XVII. OF THE SUBLIME OF PASSION. Sublimity of sentiment as arising from the vehement affections of the mind -What is commonly called Enthusiasm is the natural effect of passion: the true Enthusiasm arises from the impulse of the Divine Spirit, and is peculiar to the sacred poets-The principal force of poetry is displayed in the expression of passion in exciting the passions poetry best achieves its purpose, whether it be utility or pleasure-How the passions are excited to the purpose of utility; how to that of pleasure-The difference and connection between the pathetic and the sublime-That sublimity, which in the sacred poetry proceeds from the imitation of the passions of admiration, of joy, indignation, grief, and terror; illustrated by examples, THE THIRD PART. 225 OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF POETRY EXTANT IN THE WRITINGS OF THE HEBREWS-OF PROPHETIC POETRY. LECTURE XVII. THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHETS ARE IN GENERAL POETICAL. The poetry of the Hebrews classed according to its different characters; this mode of arrangement results rather from the nature of the subject, than from any authority of the Hebrews themselves-The PROPHETIC POETRY-The writings of the prophets in general poetical and metricar -The opinion of the modern Jews and of Jerome on this point refuted- 1 In the books of the prophets the same evidences are found of a metrical arrangement as in the poetical books in the dialect, the style, and poetical conformation of the sentences-Obvious in respect to the two former circumstances; the latter requires a more minute investigation, and also illustration by examples-The intimate relation between Poetry and Prophecy-The college of Prophets; a part of whose discipline it was to sing Hymns to the different instruments: and this exercise was called prophecy the same word, therefore, denotes a prophet, a poet, and a musician-Elisha, when about to pronounce the Oracle of God, orders a minstrel to be brought to him-Poetry excellently adapted to the purpose of prophecy-A review of the most ancient predictions extant in the historical books, which are proved to be truly poetical, LECTURE XIX. THE PROPHETIC POETRY IS SENTENTIOUS. 239 The psalmody of the Hebrews-The manner of chanting the hymns by alternate choirs: whence the origin of the poetical construction of the sentences, and that peculiar form, in which verses and distichs run parallel or correspondent to each other-Three species of parallelism; the synonymous, the antithetic, and the synthetic: examples of each, first from the books generally allowed to be poetical, and afterwards from the writings of the prophets-The sentiments of R. Azarias consideredThe great importance of an accurate attention to this poetical conformation of the sentences, 253 THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROPHETIC POETRY. The whole of the book of Daniel, as well as of Jonah, are to be excepted as not poetical, though of the prophetic kind; also certain historical relations inserted in the books of the prophets-Some poems occur in the prophetic writings, which properly belong to the other classes of poetry -The remainder constitutes what may be termed a system or code of prophetic poetry-The character of this species of poetry deduced from the nature and design of prophecy itself-An example of the true style of prophetic poetry produced from Isaiah, and explained: also another from the prophecies of Balaam, translated into English verse, LECTURE XXI. 274 THE PECULIAR CHARACTER OF EACH OF THE PROPHETS. The particular style and character of the different prophets : what parts, of each of them are poetical, and what otherwise-Nothing deserving of notice of this kind in the poetry of Greece-In the Latin poetry the fourth Eclogue of Virgil is remarkable; that poem much more obscure than it is generally accounted, and has not hitherto been properly explained, 288 OF ELEGIAC POETRY. OF THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF THE HEBREW ELEGY; AND OF THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH. The nature and origin of the Hebrew Elegy traced into the solemn expressions of grief exhibited in their funeral ceremonies-The office and function of professed mourners the dirges, which were sung by them, were short, metrical, and sententious; many of the lamentations, which are extant in the prophets, were composed in imitation of them--The whole of the Lamentations of Jeremiah constructed upon the same principleThe general conduct and form of that poem; the nature of the verse; the subject and the style, 310 |