And riv❜lets cease to flow, when ev'n the spring Of sense, and motion fails; for now, alas! The precious Golden Bowl itself, of frame Stupendous, or shrunk up, or overstretch'd, No longer can with fresh recruit, supply Th' exhausted spirits. Gasping Nature sighs be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, 8 or the that by the Silver Cord is meant the Spinal Marrow, with the various nerves thence derived, whose ramifications, although innumerable, are here expressed in the singular number, because they have all the same origin, serve to the same use, and have a mutual connection with each other. They are called silver, on account of their white shining colour, remarkable even in a dead body. And every one, who knows the dreadful effects of nervous disorders, will easily comprehend what is meant by this Cord being relaxed, or losing its due tone.

[V. 6. Solomon here proceeds to trace the decay of the internal parts of this tottering fabric, till at length the whole building falls. Comp. Job iv. 19. II Cor. v. 1—4. The exquisitely beautiful metaphors here introduced, shew a degree of knowledge of the anatomical structure of the human frame, and particularly of the circulation of the blood, which it has been customary to rank among modern discoveries. To that knowledge, frequent opportunities of observing the beasts slain and prepared for sacrifices in the temple, might have contributed. At least we may judge, that the observant and penetrating mind of Solomon would be at no loss to reason from the internal formation of these slain beasts, by analogy: though we cannot prove, that he did not study, in a more direct way, the anatomy of the human frame. There seems to be here a resumption of the important precept which we find at the commencement of this Chapter.

Remember thy Creator,

While the silver cord be not relaxed,

&c.

... ED.]

7 As the Silver Cord denotes the whole nervous system, which serves to convey the animal spirits, as in so many channels and rivulets, to every part of the body, so by the Golden Bowl we are to understand the Brain, which is the spring of sense and motion, the origin of all the nerves, and from whence they continually receive, in a state of health, a due supply of animal spirits. It is denominated golden, not only from the colour of the inner and finer membrane wherein it is enwrapped, which somewhat inclines to yellow, but from the noble purposes it serves, herein excelling all other

In vain for succour.

At the Fountain-head,

The shatter'd Pitcher can no more receive

The vital Fluid; nor the circling Wheel
Raise from its Reservoir, and swift repel
The purple current thence to parts remote. "

W

9

Long had the King of Terrors laid close siege And ev'ry outwork seiz'd: now rushing in, With merc'less rage he storms the Fort of Life. Though indispos'd for mutual help, yet loth To part, the dear associates now are torn Reluctant from their cold embrace: the House

wheel broken at the cistern: 9 w [7] Then shall the dust return

membranes, as gold excels other metals. When this Golden Bowl is broken, or rather, shrunk into itself, or (as others render it) when the golden orb moves eccentrical, and out of its regular course, it must instantly put the whole animal economy into disorder, and end in an incurable apoplexy.

8 By the Pitcher is to be understood the vena cava, or rather the Veins in general, which are the proper receptacle of the Blood, containing it as in a vessel, and whose peculiar office it is to carry it, for a fresh supply, to the right ventricle of the heart, which is fitly denominated the Fountain. This Pitcher may well be said to be shattered, or rendered useless, when the veins have so far lost their action, as to be incapable of carrying to the heart the vital fluid they contained, and receiving from thence a fresh impregnation. Consequently the blood must now grow cold, languid, and spiritless.

9 By the Wheel is here denoted the great Artery, with its branches; and consequently, by the Cistern, the left ventricle of the heart, from whence the blood is impelled, as from a reservoir, and, in a state of health and vigour, circulated to the remotest parts, by a perpetual rotation, as may be easily perceived on the slightest touch. This hieroglyphical Wheel alludes to those, which served to draw up water from wells and deep cisterns, to be conveyed to distant parts, as occasion required, (a custom still used in many countries,) and may be said to be broken, or rendered unserviceable, when the arteries have lost their impulsive faculty, the consequence of which is, a total stagnation of the blood, and instant Death, as follows in the

next verse.

Is fall'n, nor to its inmate can afford
A moment's shelter; all around it lies
A heap of ruins. To its native dust
This earthly frame returns: the beav'nly spark,
That glow'd within, kindled by breath divine,.
Instant returns to God. 1 × What frenzy then,
To let this world, which fleeteth like a shade,
Engage our cares, and no provision make
For that which ever lasts? Ye thoughtless, hear
My words, and let the Preacher's voice incline
Your hearts to wisdom.-Who hath tasted more:
Of what this world affords? who emptier found
Its pleasures, than the Royal Penitent?

By sad experience taught, as he began

to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 1 x [8] Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, all vis

X

1 With regard to the nature of the human and brutal soul, though Solomon had before pointed out the difference, by saying that the former goeth upward, and the latter downwards to the earth; [see pp. 36, 37. ED.] yet as these words are supposed by some to come from the mouth of a Sceptic, and therefore may seem to leave the matter undecided, in order to obviate all objections, he bere asserts, -in the most clear and positive terms, such as will admit of no ambiguity, that though the body of man is composed of the same mate rials with that of brutes, and equally subject to dissolution, yet that the principles of their souls are totally distinct. If the Preacher did not here intend to inform us, that the human soul exists after its separation from the body, why should he thus vary the expression, and not rather tell us, in one word, either that both return to dust, or that both return to God, who certainly made one as well as the other? But the striking expression he makes use of, evidently implies some extraordinary distinction, not only the human soul's future existence, but (which is still more alarming to some persons) the strict account it must give of its actions. For it ought to be particularly noted, that this, returning to God comprehends the wicked as well as the righteous. The one returns to be rewarded, and the other to be punished....

The serious theme, How false, deceitful, vain
Our fondest hopes, and all things here below;
So, of his precepts grave the last result

Is still the same, That life is but a dream,
Where man pursues imaginary joys,

And wakes to real woes. 2

Perhaps, misled By passion, prejudice, or self-conceit,

1

These wholesome lessons thou may'st disregard,
And hope to find some easier way to Bliss.
Where wilt thou meet a safer Guide, more skill'd
To judge aright, of to direct thy steps, an
With friendlier hand? Was not the Preacher fill'd
With wisdom from above, and taught himself
By Heav'n, like Heav'n dispos'd, with heart benign
The blessing to dispense? Stranger to sloth
Or envy, has he not, with ceaseless toil,
The precepts utter'd by each hoary Sage,
Like hidden treasure sought; the more he knew,
Still more intent to learn? Wilt thou not find
Sententious maxims, which in few comprise
Deep sense, collected here, in order rank'd,

t

Fitted to ev'ry state: such certain rules

Of life as to the paths of peace conduct,

vanity 2 ▼ [9] And, moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and

2 Solomon here concludes all that he had been saying, with respect to the false ways which men pursue to obtain happiness, repeating the same solemn exclamation he began with. Nor could there be a more proper introduction to what immediately follows, which is to point out, in the clearest manner, the only sure and infallible way to it. Like a skilful Physician, he first lays open the sore, and probes it deeply, and then prescribes a radical cure.

And will to future ages useful prove?*

"So frail is Man, that he must be allur'd
To his own Happiness; therefore, with pains
Unwearied, has the Preacher sought to join
Int'rest with duty, profit with delight,

And render lovely, Virtue's native charms :
Yet though, in decent ornamental dress
Array'd, her beauties more engage the heart;
What precept has he giv'n, but such, as built
On Truth's firm basis, ne'er can lead astray;
Such as the sacred Oracles contain,

And sober Reason dictates? §-a The same force
Have words, concise but nervous, to rouse up
And stimulate the drowsy soul, as goads

sought out, and set in order, many proverbs.* z [10] The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. § a [11] The words of the

* Some look on this, and the two next verses, as a digression, inserted by those who settled the sacred Canon long after Solomon's decease. The reasons they bring to persuade us, that these cannot be the Preacher's own words, are, his being mentioned in the third person, and because the encomium here given of him, would be indecent from his own mouth. But to the first it may be answered, that it is more agreeable to the Hebrew, as well as to the oriental style in general, to speak in the third than the first person; and as to the latter, nothing could come with a better grace, nor more to the purpose; for certainly no man was ever so well qualified as Solomon, to give instructions with regard to the conduct of life, nor took more pains to prevent his people from falling into the same excesses he had done himself. It is probable, that he not only hints here at the Ecclesiastes, but also at the book of Proverbs, and some other pieces of the same serious tendency, now lost.

The plain meaning of which is, that he endeavoured to mix the utile and the dulce together; that is, to put whatever he delivered, either from his own or other's observations, in the most pleasing dress, yet not in false or deceitful colourings, but always with the strictest regard to truth.