refers to this time, and to this alone; why may we not reasonably conclude, that the former part of the fame verfe or fentence (for it is but one sentence) relates to it also? And, indeed, I think it hardly poffible, that David fhould refer to two different times and tranfactions in one and the same sentence. Now, if they both refer to the fame transaction, there is but one of two things to be understood by it; and that is, that the troop David now ran through, was either the city guard, or a troop fent by Saul to pursue him. If you suppose it any city guard or watch, is it to be imagined but that they also would purfue him? And, on the other hand, is any thing more credible, than that Saul, as foon as he heard of David's efcape, immediately fent out parties in pursuit of him? DAVID, upon finding his houfe incompaffed by armed men, had recourse, as usual, to GOD: and the fum of his prayer on that occafion is ftill recorded in the lxixth pfalm. This took up fome time he had his own fervants to deceive, as well as the affaffines ; fome time must be taken up to prepare for his escape, and he must wait until the streets were cleared; it must be late in the night : before before he could make his escape. He was alone, unarmed, and in the dark. To whom could he fly? and in whom could he confide? Danger creates diftruft, and diftruft delay. Saul had reason enough to believe he could not be got off very far; his fury inflamed his hopes, and his hopes winged his ministers. TAKING it for granted then, that David was now pursued, a confiderable part of this pfalm is a plain narrative of his danger, and his deliverance by a very extraordinary interpofition of providence. His enemies, after fome time, came up to him, and incompassed him he then gave himself up, as now in the very arms of death. How nobly and how poetically is this distress painted in the 4th and 5th verses of this pfalm! The cords of death incompased me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The cords of hell furrounded me; the fnares of death prevented me. He then cried out to GOD for relief; and GOD, who never failed him, sent out his thunder, a tempeft and an earthquake; which amazed, affrighted, and dispersed his enemies, and delivered him out of his distress. How gloriously, and beyond all poetick comparison, are this earthquake, tempest, and thunder described, in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th verses of this pfalm ! I KNOW but one description in the whole compass of Heathen poetry that deserves once to be named with it; and that is Virgil's noble description of a tempeft, in the first of his Georgicks, and to me the noblest effort of his genius! The claffick reader will not, I hope, think much to indulge me a few moments in a short comparison and critick upon them both. DAVID'S account of the tempeft which scattered his enemies, and delivered him, ftands thus: Pfal. xviii. Ver. 6. In my diftrefs I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God. He beard my voice out of his temple: my cry in his prefence entered into his ears. Ver. 7. And the earth trembled and shook, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and were toffed, because he was wroth. Ver. 8. Smoke afcended from his noftrils, and fire devoured from his mouth; coals were kindled at it. Ver. 9. And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. Ver. 10. And he rode upon a cherub, and flew; and flew fwift on the wings of the wind *. Ver. 1 1. He made darkness his fecret place : his pavilion round about him the darkness of waters in the clouds of heaven. Ver. 12. At the brightness before him his clouds paffed away †, bail-ftones and coals of fire. 13. And the Lord thundered in the heavens, and the moft High gave his voice; hail-ftones and coals of fire. Ver. 14. And he fent out his arrows, and tore and difperfed them; and multiplied his lightnings, and confounded them . Ver. 15. The beds of the waters appeared; the foundations of the world were uncovered, at thy rebuke, O Lord; at the blast of the breath of thy noftrils. *How admirably does the found of the original fentence correspond to the fenfe! let the English reader judge: Al canphe ruab, I never could read thefe words, On the wings of the wind. + Avaiv averu, His clouds paffed. Uberakim rabh jehummem. If the rattling and pounding of thunder be not better expreffed by these words, than any I ever heard, I must own I have no notion of the fig nificancy of founds. G 3 VIR VIRGIL'S Tempeft is well known ; Sæpe etiam immenfum cælo venit agmen aquarum, THESE noble lines are thus tranflated with uncommon fpirit, clofeness, and juftness, by an anonymous author, in a work entitled Virgil's Husbandry; or, An Efay on the Georgicks. Lond. 1725. Oft from above descends a troop of floods ; * With great fubmiffion to Servius, and the judicious tranflator, if we are to read plangit here, we should also read ingeminat (which cannot be): the reader will fee the reafon. The |