15 but the introduction and conclufion is in measure. But as it was the custom of Antiquity to write their graveft works of Religion, Law, and History, in verfe, this circumstance alone fhould, I think, have little share in determining the nature of the Composition. And as little, I think, on the other hand, ought the frequent ufe of the arabic dialect to be infifted on, in fupport of its high original, fince, if it be of the nature, and of the date, here fuppofed, an able writer would chufe to give his Fable that air of antiquity and verifimilitude.

2. But when we take the sentiments along,and find throughout the whole, not only verfe but poetry, a poetry animated by all the fublimity of figures and luxuriance of defcription; and this, on the coolest and most abftracted fubject; we cannot chufe but conclude it to be a work of imagination. Nor is it fufficient to fay, that this is owing to an eaftern genius, whofe kindling fancy heats all his thoughts into a glow of expreffion: for if the two ends be his who wrote the middle, as we have no reason to doubt, they fhew him not unused to the plaineft form of narration. And as to that eaftern genius itself, though diftinguishingly sublime when a poetic fubject has enflamed its enthufiafm, yet in mere hiftory, nothing can be more cool and fimple; as all acquainted either with their ancient or modern writers can inform us. But, what is more to our purpose, the facred Prophets themselves, tho' wrapt in ecstasy of the divine impreffions, when treating of the queftion here debated, namely, Whether and wherefore the Good are frequently unhappy and the Bad profperous, a quef tion that came fometimes in their way, while they were reproving their impious and impatient countrymen, who by their repeated apoftafies had now provoked

provoked God to withdraw from them, by degrees, his extraordinary providence; when, I fay, they touch upon this question, they treat the matter with the utmost plainness and fimplicity.

3. But the last and most convincing circumftance is the form of the compofition. And here I fhall not urge, as of much weight, what hath been obferved by fome who take this fide of the question, the scenical image of Job and his friends fitting together on the ground feven days and feven nights without a word fpeaking'. Because we reasonably fuppofe no more to be meant than that excefs of mutual grief making them unfit to give, and him to receive confolation, they were fome days before they entered on the subject of their

vifit.

m

This rather is the thing to be admired, (if we fuppofe it all hiftoric truth) that three cordial friends fhould make a folemn appointment to go mourn with Job and to comfort him"; that they fhould be fo greatly affected with his extreme diftreffes, as to be unable to utter a word for seven whole days together; and yet, after this, to be no fooner fet in, than intirely to forget their errand, and (miferable comforters as they were) inftead of mourning with him in the bitterness of his foul, to wrangle, and contradict him in every word he fpoke; and this without the least softening of

1 Chap. ii. 13.

m

- Eo quod Hebræi foleant multiplicare per feptem (h. e. feptenarium numerum pro multitudine ponere) Maimon. More nevochim, p. 267.

• Chap. ii. 11.

Friendship;

1

Friendship; but with all the fierceness and acri-
mony of angry Difputants contending for a victory.
It was no trifle neither that they infifted on, in
which indeed difputatious men are often the warm-
eft, but a contradiction in the tendereft point.
They would needs have it, against all Job's pro-
teftations to the contrary, that his misfortunes
came upon him in punishment for his crimes.
Suppofe their Friend had been wrong in the judg-
ment he paffed on things, Was this a time to ani-
madvert in fo pitilefs a manner on his errors?
Would not a small share of affection, pity, or
even common humanity, have difpofed them to
bear one feven days longer with their old diftreffed
Acquaintance? Human nature is ever uniform;
and the greater paffions, fuch as thofe of friend-
fhip and natural affection, fhew themselves to be
the fame at all times: But we have an instance in
thefe very times, in that amiable domestic story of
Jofeph. This Patriarch had been cruelly injured by
his brethren. Providence at length put them into
his power; and, in juft refentment of their in-
human usage, he thought fit to mortify and
humble them: but no fooner did he find them
begin to be unhappy, than his anger fubfided,
violated affection returned, and he melted into
their bofoms with all the tenderness of a fellow.
fufferer. This was Nature: This was Hiftory.
And shall we fuppofe the feelings of true Friend-
ship to be inferior to thofe of Family-affection?
David thought otherwife, where, fpeaking of Jo-
nathan, he declares their mutual love was wonder-
ful, furpaffing that of the ftrongest natural affec-
tion, the paffion between the two fexes. The fame
have always been the Friendships of good men,
when founded on virtue, and ftrengthened by a
fimilitude of manners.

So that it appears, thefe three friends were of a fingular complexion; and defervedly gave occafion to a proverb which fets them in no very honourable or advantageous light.

But fuppofe now the work to be dramatical, and we immediately fee the reafon of their behaviour. For had they not been indulged in their strange captious humour, the Author could never have produced a piece of that integrity of action, which a fcenic reprefentation demanded: and they might as well have held their tongue feven days longer, as not contradict, when they did begin to speak.

This,

The Cornish Critic thinks otherwise, "Thefe falfe friends, (fays he) are defcribed as having fo much fellow feeling of Job's fufferings that they fit with him feven days and nights "upon the ground without being able to fpeak to him. If "this be the dramatic way of reprefenting falfe friends, how "fhall we know the falfe from the true ?" p. 19. Sempronius, in the Play of Cato, is all along warmer than even Cato himfelf in the cause of liberty and Rome. If this be the dramatic way of reprefenting a falfe patriot (may our Critic fay) how shall we know the false from the true? I anfwer, by obferving him with his mask off. And do not Job's false friends unmask themfelves, when they fo cruelly load their fuffering Acquaintance with the most injurious reflections? Indeed the Critic deferves our pity, who cannot fee that the formal circumstance of fitting filent feven days was a dramatic embellishment in the eastern manner: The not knowing that the number even was a facred number amongst the Jews, may indeed, be more excufable. But he goes on, "I have been often ftruck with surprise to fee him [the author of the D. L.] very earneftly endeavouring "to fupport his allegorical interpretation of the book of Job by arguments drawn from the contradictions, which he fancies he has there efpied, to the truth of the hiftory or tradition "upon which his allegory is built. Than which, in my appre"henfion, there can fcarce be a greater abfurdity. I would de"fire him to confider attentively the allegorical ode in Horace, “O navis, referent, &c. that tho' every thing therein may be "accommodated

This, as to what the Drama in general required. But had this been all we could fay for their conduct,

cr

accommodated to a republic, yet it is true in the literal or 86 primary fenfe only of a fhip, and that there is not one fingle * ftroke in it that can be understood of a republic and not of a fhip; and this might fhew him his mistake in applying paffages in the book of Job to the Jewish People, MERELY "because they cannot be understood of Job: which is directly "annihilating the allegory he would eftablish. For it is as

plain that in an allegory two things or perfons must be con"cerned as that two and two must go to make four." P. 99, 100. The infolence, the fraud, the nonsense of this paffage is as much without example as it was without provocation.—I defire to understand, by what other means, except by revelation, an allegorical writing can be known to be allegorical, but by circumftances in it which cannot be reconciled to the story or fable which ferves both for a cover and vehicle to the moral - And yet this man tells us that to attempt to prove the nature of a writing to be allegorical from this circumftance is one of the greateft abfurdities. When the allegory is of fome length, and takes in the life and adventures of a certain perfon, it can scarce be otherwife but that fome circumftances in it must be varied from the fact, to adapt it to the moral. In a shorter, where the object is more fimple, there may be no need for any variation. And this fhews the difingenuity of this man, in bringing the ode of Horace into comparison. For which too, the little he knows, he is indebted to the author of the D. L. And how little that is we fhall now fee.

In the first place, I have fhewn this Ode not to be of the nature of an allegory, where the ftory is only the cover and vehicle to the moral: but of the nature of a relation containing a double fenfe, primarily and fecondarily: in which an information is conveyed in both fenfes : confequently there ought. hot to be a fingle ftroke in it that can be underflood of a republic and not of a ship: But this is a fpecies of writing entirely diftinct from the allegory in queftion; fo that the urging it was impertinent and the following obfervation is made with his ufual infolence; this might few him his mistake in applying paffages of the book of Job to the Jewish People MERELY because they cannot be underflood of Job! but not with infolence only, but with fraud: For I do not apply paffages in the book of Job, MERELY for this reafon; no nor principally; but only as one of many reasons.

C 2

However,