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 The 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 ga"thered together unto thee; the RAMS of "Nebaioth fhall minifter unto thee *." In imitating this paffage, POPE has omitted the different beasts that in fo picturesque a manner characterize the different countries which were to be gathered together on this important event, and fays only in undistinguishing terms, See, barbarous nations at thy gates attend, Ifaiah, c. lx. v. 4, 6, 7. + Ver. 91. As As profperity and happiness are described in this Eclogue by a combination of the most pleafing and agreeable objects, fo misery and deftruction 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 deepest impreffion on the mind: terror being a stronger fen fation than joy. Accordingly, a noble ode on the deftruction of Babylon, taken from the fourteenth chapter of Ifaiah, has been written by Dr. Lowth; whofe Latin prelec tions on the inimitable poefy of the Hebrews, abounding in remarks entirely new, delivered in the pureft and moft expreffive language, are the richest augmentation literature 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 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 triumphal fong on the fall of the king of Babylon; a fong abounding in the moft fplendid images, and carried on by perpetual, and those very beautiful, perfonifications. The fong begins with a fudden 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 is at reft, the whole earth is quiet: they break forth into finging. Even the firs rejoice at thee, the cedars of Libanus: Since thou art laid low, no feller is come up against us. There follows a most daring profopopeia of ORCUS, or the infernal regions: he rouzes his 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 also made weak as we? art thou made like unto us? Is thy pride dashed down to Orcus, the noise of thy harps? The worm is ftrewn under thee, the earth-worm is thy covering! The Jews are again reprefented speaking: 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, fon of the morning! Thou art dashed down to the earth, thou that didft * crush the nations! They next represent the king himself speaking, and madly boafting of his unbounded power, whence the prodigioufnefs of his ruin is wonderfully aggravated. Nor is this enough enough; a new character is immediately formed Thofe are introduced who found the body of the king of Babylon cast out : they furvey it closely and attentively, and at laft hardly know it. Is this the man who made earth tremble, who fhook 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 defervedly denied to him for his cruelty and oppreffion, and curfe his name, his race, and posterity. The scene is closed by a moft awful speech of God himself, menacing a perpetual extirpation to the king of Babylon, to his defcendants, and to his city; and confirming the immutability of his councils by the ratification of a folemn oath. WHAT images, how various, how thickfown, how fublime, exalted with what energy, what expreffions, figures, and sentiments, |