I never heard A found fo difmal as their parting oars. The On the other hand, the prophet has been fometimes particular, when POPE has been only general. "Lift up thine eyes round about, and fee; all they gather themselves "together, they come to thee: "multitude of CAMELS fhall cover thee: "the DROMEDARIES of Median and Ephah: "all they from Sheba fhall come: they "fhall bring gold and incenfe, and they "fhall fhew forth the praises of the Lord. "All the FLOCKS of Kedar fhall be gathered "together unto thee; the RAMS of Ne"baioth fhall minifter unto thee." * In imitating this paffage, POPE has omitted the different beasts that in fo picturefque a manner characterize the different countries which were to be gathered together on this important event, and says only in undistinguishing terms, * Isaiah, c. lx. v. 4, 6, 7. See See, barbarous nations at thy gates attend, As prosperity and happiness are described in this Eclogue by a combination of the most pleafing and agreeable objects, fo misery and destruction are as forcibly delineated in the fame Ifaiah, by the circumftances of distress and defolation, that were to attend the fall of that magnificent city, Babylon: and the latter is perhaps a more proper and interesting fubject for poetry than the former; as fuch kinds of objects make the deepeft impreffion on the mind: pity being a stronger fensation than complacency. Accordingly a noble ode on the deftruction of Babylon, taken from the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, has been written by Mr. Lowth, whofe latin prelections on the inimitable poefy of the Hebrews, abounding in remarks entirely new, delivered in the pureft and most expreffive language, are the richest augmentation literature * Ver. 91. has has lately received; and from which the following paffage gradually unfolding the fingular beauties of this prophecy, is here closely, though faintly, tranflated, and inferted as a pattern of just criticism. "THE prophet having predicted the deliverance of the Jews, and their return into their own country from their rigorous Babylonish captivity, inftantly introduces them finging a certain triumphal fong on the fall of the king of Babylon; a fong abounding in the most splendid images, and carried on by perpetual, and those very beautiful, perfonifications. The fong begins with a sudden exclamation of the Jews, expreffing their joy and wonder at the unexpected change of their condition, and death of the tyrant. Earth with her inhabitants triumphs; the firs and cedars of Libanus, under which images the allegoric ftyle frequently fhadows the kings and princes of the Gentiles, rejoice, and infult with reproaches the broken power of their most implacable foe. She She is at reft, the whole earth is quiet: they break Even the firs rejoice at thee, the cedars of Libanus : There follows a moft daring profopopeia of ORCUS, or the infernal regions: he rouzes his inhabitants, the manes of princes, and the fhades of departed kings: immediately all of them arife from their thrones, and walk forward to meet the king of Babylon; they infult and deride him, and gather confolation from his calamity. Art thou alfo made weak as we? art thou made like Is thy pride dashed down to Orcus, the noise of thy harps? thy covering! The Jews are again reprefented fpeaking: they most strongly exaggerate his remarkable fall, by an exclamation formed in the manner of funeral lamentations : How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Thou Thou art dafhed down to the earth, thou that didft crufh the nations! They next represent the king himself speaking, and madly boasting of his unbounded power, whence the prodigiousness of his ruin is wonderfully aggravated. Nor is this enough; a new perfonage is immediately formed: Those are introduced who found the body of the king of Babylon caft out: they furvey it it closely and attentively, and at last hardly know it. Is this the man who made earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms? Who made the world a folitude, and deftroyed it's cities? They reproach him with the lofs of the common rite of fepulture, which was deservedly denied to him for his cruelty and oppreffion, and curfe his name, his race, and pofterity. The scene is closed by a most awful speech of God himself, menacing a perpetual extirpation to the king of Babylon, to his defcendants, and to his city; and confirm |