Virtue, however afflicted here, was its own reward, and sufficient of itself, to render a man completely happy, even in the brazen Bull of Perillus. Truth will cry out from the Rack, against such fallacious Teachers, and prove them Liars. The extravagant figments, therefore, of the Stoical Apathy, no less than those of the voluptuous Epicurean, both equally vanish at the splendour of the divine Truths delivered by Solomon. He alone decides the great question, in such a manner, that the soul is instantly convinced, it need seek no farther. For, after all that can be said by Divines and Moralists on the subject, it amounts to no more than this, that, since the pursuit of Pleasure is implanted in our nature, the main point is to seek it in the right channel, and not to be so far blinded with prejudice and passion, as to mistake its empty shadow for the solid substance; in a word, that, so long as we live in this world, we should endeavour to make the road as smooth and pleasant as we can, and yet never to forget, that it is but a passage to another.

To prevent all misapprehensions, which a slight and cursory reading of this Book is apt to raise in many persons, it will be requisite to observe two cautions, to wit, that Solomon, who tells us, that he applied his heart, not only to the search of Wisdom and Knowledge, but also of Folly and Madness, frequently speaks, not according to his own sentiments, though he proposes the thing in a naked and simple manner, designedly making use of such terms as inight set the picture in a fuller and clearer light; so that we often meet with certain expressions, which, unless we search into their true design, seem to have a quite different force and meaning from what the Author really intended. We must, therefore, take particular care to distinguish the doubts and objections of others, from Solomon's answers; the want of attending to which, has made this Book much more obscure than otherwise it would appear. Secondly, we should not judge of the entire discourse from some parts of it, since many things are pertinently said, according to the present subject, which, in themselves, and strictly taken, are far from true. In order to come at the genuine sense, we should form our opinion from the different circumstances of the matter treated of, comparing the antececonsequent passages, and always considering the

Preacher's real scope and design. By carefully attending to these two cautions, this Book will be seen in a very different light from what it now appears in, to the generality of Readers...

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Yet, although the rules here prescribed, are allowed to be not only reasonable, but absolutely necessary, in judging of all other pie ces, whether ancient or modern; yet such has been the fate of this noble system of Ethics and Divinity, and, indeed, of the Holy Scripture in general, that, as no writings have been so severely criticised, so none have been treated with so little candour and ingenuity, Some there are, of no small repute in the Learned World, who could perceive nothing in them worthy of their notice, much less of their admiration. With ith what disdain do they pass over an infinite number of expressions, which, had the same appeared in a Pagan Author, would have made them burst out into raptures! Among these wretched Critics, we shall single out the famous Angelus Politianus, no less distinguished for the purity of his Latin Style, than the impurity of his morals, who, though he bore the name of a Christian, held the Bible in the utmost contempt, on account of the simplicity, or, as he is pleased to term it, the barbarity of its diction. This man, it seems, valued no Book, however important the subject, but for the harmonious cadence of its periods: consequently, as he had never read any thing of the Scripture, except in the Roman Version, commonly called the Vulgate, which is far from exact or elegant, and, in some places, scarce intelligible, it is not much to be wondered at, that one of his depraved turn of mind should be extremely disgusted with it. Though even in this Version, (for whose uncouthness the Original, however, is not at all accountable,) he might have discovered matter enough for the highest admiration, had he attended more to the sense than the sound, and his heart had any relish for the divine truths therein contained.

But as this may be thought a digression from the present subject, let us confine our remarks to Ecclesiastes. This Book, besides the figurative and proverbial expressions, to be found in no other part of Scripture, is undoubtedly metrical, and consequently, the grammati cation, in many places, not a little perplexed, from the frequent el

lipses, abbreviations, transposition of words, aud other poetic licences, allowed in all languages, to say nothing of the carelessness or ignorance of Transcribers, as appears from the variety of readings. Yet, notwithstanding we are so little acquainted with the nature of the Hebrew Metre, and the propriety of certain words and phrases, which, at this vast distance of time, in a language that has been dead upwards of two thousand years, must unavoidably occasion the same difficulties and obscurities as occur in works of far less antiquity, and in languages more generally studied and better understood; notwithstanding this, I say, a diligent and attentive examiner will always find enough to recompence his trouble, and, if he has any taste, cannot avoid being struck with the exquisite beauties and regularity of the plan. For although, as we before observed, some have looked on part of this Book at least, like that of Proverbs, as só many independent sentences, and therefore have only attempted, like mere Grammarians or Lexicographers, to explain each verse separately, or rather, to give us the literal meaning of each particular word in it, yet others, of far more extensive views, have discovered, that a certain chain of reasoning runs through the whole piece, and that the several parts are linked together with so masterly an hand, such exact symmetry and delicate proportions, that the very order and method, which some men, of more learning than sagacity, have chiefly objected to, are, in reality, its principal recommendations, even looking on the performance in no other light than as a mere human composition. For as to what the minute Critics above mentioned have surmised, to wit, that many verses inserted in this Book, have no visible connection with the subject, and, therefore, may be presumed to have been added to it, by the persons employed by King Hezekiah to collect the wise Sayings of Solomon, purely to preserve them from being lost; it may be answered, that these Sayings, supposing them to have no relation to the subject, might have been full as well preserved, and would have stood with a much better grace, in a miscellany wholly consisting of a variety of independent matters, than in a Book which is allowed, on all hands, to consist, for the most part, of one well connected discourse.

The most judicious Commentators have remarked on this Book, that we have a conspicuous example of that form of disputing, which was so justly admired in the soundest of the Pagan, Philosophers, particularly in Socrates, who, whilst others were taken up with abstruse speculations about the nature of things, and investigating the number, motions, distance, and magnitude of the Stars, brought down Philosophy from the upper regions, and fixed its abode on earth; that is, by teaching such precepts as served for the regulation of life and manners, by far the usefullest of all Sciences, as being most conducive to the welfare of Society, and the general benefit of mankind. Of this we have a noble specimen in the Memoirs of that ancient Moralist collected by Xenophon. It is, I think, beyond all contradiction, that no one ever made deeper researches into Nature, or had made so great a progress in every branch of Science, both speculative and experimental, as our Royal Philosopher. But what, after all, was the result of his enquiries? A thorough conviction of the inutility of such studies, and how little they conduce towards the obtaining that peace and tranquillity of mind, wherein true Happiness consists. He applied himself, therefore, to that study which might produce a real and lasting advantage, namely, to render men wise to some purpose, that is, truly virtuous. The manner of his treating this important subject, bears some resemblance to that of the celebrated Greek Moralist. He does not give us a long roll of dry formal - precepts, with which the mind is soon tired; but, to confirm the truth of every thing he says, appeals not only to his own experience, but the general sense of unbiassed Reason: at the same time, he sets before us, in the liveliest colours, the sad effects of Vice and Folly, and makes use of every incentive to engage the heart to be enamoured with virtue, and pursue its own interest. Whatever he intends to inculcate, is first barely proposed, and then more accurately explained and illustrated, though by gentle and almost imperceptible transitions; with this peculiarity, that there is always much more implied than expressed; insomuch that the reader, from a slight hint given him, is left to draw such inferences as his own reflection must naturally suggest. Every thing, in short, is drawn in this admirable composition, with equal simplicity and elegance, and hath as

distinguished a superiority to whatever the best Pagan Philosophers have given us on the same subject, as the borrowed light of the Moon is surpassed by that of the Sun in his full meridian lustre; or, to use a still stronger comparison, as Solomon's knowledge of the one true God, excelled the idle notion of their fictious Deities.

To point out every beautiful passage, would swell the Preface to an immoderate length, which some may think too prolix already : and this, indeed, may seem the less necessary, as we have, in some measure, endeavoured to do it, in the notes subjoined to the Text, which are not inserted, to make a useless parade of Learning, or to perplex the reader with grammatical niceties and verbal criticisms, which, as we apprehend, would be of little benefit or edification to those for whom the present work is chiefly intended; but merely to explain such dark passages as have hitherto greatly embarrassed the sense, and set others in a clearer light; to account for our having so widely deviated, in certain places, from the generally received interpretation, and more especially to shew, how exactly the rule laid down by Horace, is observed through the whole piece,

Qualis ab incepto processerit, et sibi constet.

Finally, that the style and sentiments always rise in proportion to the dignity and importance of the subject.

The truth of this latter remark is more particularly observable towards the close of the Poem, where the deepest impressions ought to be made. We have, therefore, dwelt somewhat more minutely in our remarks on the last two chapters, especially the first six verses of the twelfth; the ænigmatical style of which most required it; and believe, it will be allowed, by real Connoisseurs, that so striking and natural a picture of Old Age was never drawn by any of the Greek or Latin Poets. This may with justice be affirmed of the description in general, that what is comprised in these six short verses, far exceeds, both for style and matter, whatever is to be met with in the most voluminous Authors on the same subject. We must, however, ingenuously confess, that the last of these verses gave us

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