A. The book of Job; the Psalms of David; the Song of Solomon; the Lamentations of Jeremiah; a great part of the Prophetical Writings; and several passages scattered through the historical books.

Q. Were music and poetry early cultivated among the Hebrews?

A. Yes; in the days of the Judges, they prophesied with the psaltery, tabret, and harp before them; but in the days of David, music and poetry were carried to their greatest height.

Q. What were his institutions relating to them?

A. He appointed four thousand Levites, who were divided into twenty-four courses, each course under a leader, whose business it was to sing hymns, and perform on instruments in the public worship.

Q. What is the general construction of the Hebrew Poetry ?

A. It consists in dividing every period into correspondent members which answer to one another both in sense and sound; as Sing unto the Lord a new song-Sing unto the Lord all the earth"-" Declare his glory among the heathen-his wonders among all people.'

Q. How were their sacred hymns sung? A. By choirs who answered alternately to each other. One began, "The Lord reigneth-let the earth rejoice." The other responded, "Let the multitudes of the Isles be glad thereof."

Q. Do we find this method of composition in other poetry, besides that which was designated to be sung?

A. Yes; it pervades the prophetical writings. Thus in Isaiah," Arise, shine, for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is arisen upon thee."

Q. By what else is the sacred poetry of the Hebrews distinguished?

A. By the highest beauties of strong, concise, bold, and figurative expression. It abounds with metaphors, comparisons, allegories, and especially personifications.

Q. Whence were their figures generally taken?

A. From scenery in their own country; from the rites and ceremonies of their religion; and from remarkable incidents in their history.

Q. What are the several kinds of poetical composition, which we find in scripture? A. The didactic, elegiac, pastoral, and lyric. Q. Where do we find the didactic?

A. In the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

Q. Where the elegiac?

A. In the lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan; in several passages in the prophetical books; in several of David's Psalms ; and in the whole of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, which is the most regular and perfect elegiac composition in the world.

Q. Where the pastoral ?

A. In the Song of Solomon, which is a per

petual dialogue between personages in the character of shepherds, and full of rural and pastoral images.

Q. Where the lyric?

A. In the song of Moses; the song of Deborah; and the whole book of Psalms. In the latter, the ode is exhibited in all its forms.

Q. Who are the most eminent of the sacred poets?

A. David, Isaiah, and the author of the book of Job.

Q. In what does David chiefly excel ?

A. In the pleasing, the soft, and the tender. Q. What is the reigning character of Isaiah? A. Majesty. He is, without exception, the most sublime of all poets.

Q. To what does Jeremiah incline ?
A. To the tender and elegiac.

Q. For what is Ezekiel distinguished?
A. For force and ardour.

Q. Which of the minor prophets are distinguished for poetical spirit?

A. Hosea, Joel, Micah, Habakkuk, and, especially, Nahum.

Q. Which of the prophetical books is destitute of poetry?

A. Daniel and Jonah.

Q. Where is laid the scene of the book of Job?

A. In the land of Uz, which is part of Arabia.

Q. What is its imagery?

A. Of a different kind from that employed by the Hebrew poets; no allusion is made to the land of Judea, or the Jewish rites and history; the longest comparison is to a brook that fails in the season of heat.

Q. What is the character of the poetry of Job?

A. It is superior to that of all the sacred writers, except Isaiah. A peculiar glow of fancy and strength of description characterize He renders visible whatever he treats

it.

of.

EPIC POETRY.

Q. What is an Epic Poem?

A. The recital of some illustrious enterprize in a poetical form.

Q. What is its general character?

A. It is the most dignified of all poetical works, and the most difficult of execution. Q. What are some of the principal epic poems that have been written ?

A. The Iliad of Homer; the Æneid of Virgil; the Jerusalem of Tasso; Milton's Paradise Lost; Lucan's Pharsalia; Ossian's Fingal; Camoens' Lusiad; Voltaire's Henriade. Q. What is the predominant character of the Epic ?

A. Admiration, excited by heroic actions.
Q. What is its moral character?

A. Superior to that of any other poetry. Valour, truth, justice, friendship, magnanimity, and piety, are constantly presented under splendid and honourable colours.

Q. What properties should the action or subject of the poem have?

A. Unity, greatness, and that which is interesting.

Q. What is meant by its unity?

A. That it be one action or enterprise which the poet chooses for his subject; and that the action be entire and complete.

Q. Does this exclude Episodes?

A. No.

Q. What are Episodes?

A. Certain actions or incidents introduced into the narration, connected with the principal action; yet not so essential to it as to destroy, if they had been omitted, the main subject of the poem.

Q. What are the rules regarding their introduction?

A. They must have a sufficient connexion with the poem; must present objects of a different kind from those which go before, and those which follow; and must be particularly elegant and well finished.

Q. What contributes to the grandeur of the Epic subject?

A. Antiquity. It tends to aggrandize both persons and events, and allows the poet the liberty of adorning his subject by means of Action.