in verfe, from those which are written in profe. This, he obferves, will not only afcertain the character of the prophetical ftyle in general, and that of the prophet Ifaiah in particular; but be of confiderable ufe, and of no fmall importance, in the interpretation of the poetical parts of the Old Teftament.

The Correfpondence of one verfe, or line, with another, our Author calls Parallelifm. When a propofition is delivered, and a fecond is fubjoined to it, or drawn under it, equivalent, or contrafted with it, in fenfe; or fimilar to it in the form of grammatical conftruction; these he calls Parallel Lines; and the words, or phrafes, answering one to another in the correfponding lines, Parallel Terms. Parallel lines may be reduced to three forts; Parallels Synonymous, Parallels Antithetic, and Parallels Synthetic. Of each of these our ingenious Writer gives a variety of examples; in order to fhew the various forms in which they appear; firft from the books univerfally acknowledged to be poetical; then correfpondent examples from the prophet Ifaiah; and fometimes alfo from the other prophets; to fhew, that the form and character of the compofition is in all the fame. In fuch of the examples produced, as are of many lines, there is sometimes a fingle line or two intermixed, which do not properly belong to that class under which they are ranged. Thefe, however, are retained by Dr. Lowth, to preferve the connection and harmony of the whole paffage: and he obferves, that the feveral forts of parallels are perpetually mixed with one another; which mixture gives a variety and beauty to the compofition.

Under the different heads that follow, the Bishop introduces a number of examples; but the narrowness of our limits will oblige us to confine ourselves to one or two inftances under each head.

Parallel Lines Synonymous, are thofe lines which correspond one to another by expreffing the fame fenfe in different, but equivalent terms; when a propofition is delivered, and is immediately repeated, in the whole or in part, the expreffion being varied, but the fenfe entirely or nearly the fame. As in the following examples:

"O Jehovah, in thy ftrength the King fhall rejoice;
"And in thy falvation how greatly fhall he exult!
"The defire of his heart thou has granted unto him;
"And the request of his lips thou haft not denied."
Pf. xxi. 1, 2.

"Hearken unto me, O houfe of Jacob;
"And all the remnant of the house of Izrael."

"Incline your ear, and come unto me;
"Hearken, and your foul shall live."

Ifaiah xlvi. 3.

From the whole of the examples produced by our learned Writer, may be obferved the different degrees of the Synonymous Parallelifm. The parallel lines fometimes confift of three or more fynonymous terms; fometimes of two; which is generally the cafe, when the verb, or the nominative cafe of the firft fentence is to be carried on to the fecond, or understood there; fometimes of one only; as in the two laft examples. There are, alfo, a few inftances, in which the lines confift each of double members, or two propofitions. Among others, the following example is very perfect in its kind:

"Bow thy heavens, O Jehovah, and descend;
"Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke:
"Dart forth lightning, and scatter them;
"Shoot out thine arrows, and deftroy them."

Pf. cxliv. 5, 6,

Parallels are alfo fometimes formed by a repetition of part of the first sentence:

"My voice is unto God, and I cry aloud;

"My voice unto God, and he will hearken unto me.
"I will remember the works of Jehovah ;

"Yea, I will remember thy wonders of old."

"The waters faw thee, O God;

"The waters faw thee; they were feized with anguish."

Pf. lxxvii. 1. 11. 16.

Sometimes in the latter line a part is to be fupplied from the former to complete the fentence:

"The mighty dead tremble from beneath;

The waters, and they that dwell therein." Job xxvi. 5. Farther, there are parallel triplets; when three lines correfpond together, and form a kind of stanza; of which, however, only two commonly are Synonymous:

Pf. cxii. 10.

The wicked fhall fee it, and it shall grieve him,
"He fhall gnash his teeth, and pine away;
"The defire of the wicked fhall perish."
"And he fhall fnatch on the right, and yet be hungry;
"And he fhall devour on the left, and not be satisfied;
Every man fhall devour the flesh of his neighbour,"
Ifaiah ix. 20.

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There are likewife parallels confifting of four lines: two diftichs being fo connected together, by the fenfe and conftruction, as to make one ftanza. Such is the form of the thirtyseventh Pfalm; which is evidently laid out by the initial letters in ftanzas of four lines; though in regard to that difpofition fome irregularities are found in the prefent copies. From this Pfalm, which gives fufficient warrant for confidering the union of two diftichs as making a ftanza of four lines, our Author takes the firft of his examples:

"Be

"Be not moved with indignation against the evil doers;
" Nor with zeal against the workers of iniquity:
"For like the grals they fhall foon be cut off;
"And like the green herb they fhall wither."

Pf. xxxvii. 1, 2.

Some periods, in like manner, may be confidered as making ftanzas of five lines; in which the odd line, or member, either comes in between two diftichs, or after two diftichs makes a full close :

"They bear him on the fhoulder; they carry him about;
"They fet him down in his place, and he standeth ;
"From his place he fhall not remove:

"To him, that crieth unto him, he will not anfwer;
"Neither will he deliver him from his diftrefs."

Ifaiah xlvi. 7.

"Who establisheth the word of his fervant;
"And accomplisheth the counsel of his meffengers:
"Who fayeth to Jerufalem, Thou shalt be inhabited ;
"And to the cities of Judah, Ye fhall be built;

"And her desolate places I will reftore."

Ifaiah xliv. 26. In ftanzas of four lines fometimes the parallel lines answer to one another alternately; the firft to the third, and the fecond to the fourth:

"And ye faid: Nay, but on horfes will we flee;
"Therefore fhall ye be put to flight:
"And on fwift courfers will we ride;
"Therefore fhall they be fwift, that purfue you."
Ifaiah xxx. 16.

A ftanza of five lines admits of the fame elegance:
"Who is there among you that feareth Jehovah ?
"Let him hearken unto the voice of his fervant:
"That walketh in darkness, and hath no light?
"Let him trust in the name of Jehovah ;

"And reft himself in the support of his God."

Ifaiah 1. 10.

The fecond fort of Parallels, continues our eminent Prelate, are the Antithetic: when two lines correfpond with one another by an oppofition of terms and fentiments; when the fecond is contrafted with the firft, fometimes in expreflions, fometimes in fenfe only. Accordingly the degrees of Antithefis are various; from an exact contrapofition of word to word through the whole fentence, down to a general disparity, with fomething of a contrariety, in the two propofitions.

Thus in the following examples:

"A wife fon rejoiceth his father;

"But a foolish fon is the grief of his mother."

Prov. x. In

Where every word hath its oppofite: for the terms father and mother are, as the Logicians fay, relatively oppofite.

"The memory of the juft is a bleffing;
"But the name of the wicked shall rot."

Prov. x. 7.

Here

Here there are only two Antithetic terms: for memory and name are
Synonymous.

"There is that scattereth, and ftill increaseth ;
"And that is unreasonably sparing, yet groweth poor."
Prov. xi. 24.

Here there is a kind of double Antithefis; one between the two lines themselves; and likewise a fubordinate oppofition between the two parts of each.

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Many feek the face of the prince;

"But the determination concerning a man is from Jehovah." Prov. xxix. 26. Where the oppofition is chiefly between the fingle terms the Prince, and Jehovah but there is an oppofition likewife in the general fentiment; which expreffes, or intimates, the vanity of depending on the former, without feeking the favour of the latter. In the following there is much the fame oppofition of fentiment, without any contrapofition of terms at all:

"The lot is caft into the lap;

"But the whole determination of it is from Jehovah."
Prov. xvi. 33.

That is, the event feems to be the work of Chance; but is really the direction of Providence.'

The foregoing examples are all taken from the Proverbs of Solomon, where they abound; this form being peculiarly adapted to that kind of writing; to adages, aphorifms, and detached fentences. Indeed, fays our Author, the elegance, acuteness, and force of a great number of Solomon's wife sayings arife in a great measure from the antithetic form, the oppofition of diction and fentiment. We are not, therefore, to expect frequent inftances of it in the other poems of the Old Teftament; especially thofe that are elevated in the style, and more connected in the parts. Dr. Lowth, however, produces a few examples of the like kind from the higher poetry; in the laft of which the lines themselves are fynthetically parallel; and the oppofition lies between the two members of each: "The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn flone; "The fycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with "cedars." Ifaiah ix. 10.

The third fort of Parallels our learned Writer calls Synthetic or Conflructive: where the Parallelifm confifts only in the fimilar form of conftruction; in which word does not answer to word, and fentence to fentence, as equivalent or oppofite; but there is a correfpondence and equality between different propofitions in respect of the shape and turn of the whole fentence, and of the conftructive parts; fuch as noun answering to noun, verb to verb, member to member, negative to negative, interrogative to interrogative.

"Praife ye Jehovah, ye of the earth;
"Ye fea-monfters, and all deeps:

Pf. cxlviii. 7-13.

Of the conftructive kind is most commonly the Parallelifm of ftanzas of three lines; though they are fometimes Synonymous throughout, and often have two lines Synonymous. The following inftance is conftructively parallel :

"Whatfoever Jehovah pleaseth,

"That doeth he in the heavens, and in the earth;
“In the sea, and in all the deeps:

Caufing the vapours to afcend from the end of the earth;
Making the lightnings with the rain;

Bringing forth the wind out of his treasures." Pf. cxxxv. 6, 7. Of the fame fort of Parallelifm are those paffages, frequent in the poetic books, where a definite number is twice put for an indefinite: this being followed by an enumeration of particulars naturally throws the fentence into a Parallelifm, which cannot be of any other than the Synthetic kind; and feems to have been a favourite ornament. There are many elegant examples of it in the 30th chapter of Proverbs, and fome few in other places :

These fix things Jehovah hateth;

"And feven are the abomination of his foul.
"Lofty eyes, and a lying tongue;

"And hands fhedding innocent blood :

"A heart fabricating wicked thoughts;

"Feet haftily running to mifchief:
"A false witness breathing out lies;

"And the fower of ftrife between brethren."

Prov. vi. 16-19.

There are a few remarkable examples of the alternate conftruction; where the Parallelifm arifes from the alternation of the members of the sentences:

"I am black, but yet beautiful, O daughters of Jerufalem: "Like the tents of Kedar, like the pavilions of Solomon." Cant. 1. 5.

That is, black, as the tents of Kedar; (made of dark-coloured goats hair;) beautiful as the pavilions of Solomon.

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