He harmonized psalms

And introduced measures.

By measures and balances

He divided words.

He thus conceal'd, for the simple,

The bitter with the sweet.

For the sickly do not prefer

Food which is wholesome.
He sought to imitate David,

To adorn himself with his beauty,

So that he might be praised by the likeness.
He therefore set in order

Psalms one hundred and fifty.

But he deserted the truth of David,

And only imitated his numbers.'—P. xxx.

But it is to Ephraem that we must look as the perfect master and voluminous composer of the Church Metrical Literature.' No doubt much of what he wrote has perished, and much yet remains unpublished in libraries; yet, with these deductions, his rythmical pieces fill a folio volume and a half of his printed works. They are on every variety of subject, and in all the metres and strophical forms that the language. will admit of. The curious skill manifested in the construction of these hymns and homilies is one of their very interesting features. Dr. Burgess has described five different metres, and many peculiar arrangements of the verses and stanzas; but he confesses that he has by no means exhausted the materials which exist for a complete exposition of the almost unknown prosody of the Syriac language. On this subject he says:

It would be highly gratifying to the writer could he hope to furnish anything like a correct account of the Syrian Hymnology, to point out its laws, and illustrate them by existing monuments. But he cannot deceive his readers by holding out such an expectation, because he is conscious that this peculiar literature must be studied more closely and comprehensively than it has yet been, before a desirable precision and fullness is gained in its exhibition. Those learned men who, being Syrians themselves, might be expected to know all the mysteries of their own language, we mean the Assemani and Benedict, speak doubtfully on this subject, and give no indi. cation that they knew more about it than that the metres are regulated by syllables, and sung to various tunes. It may be that this is really the whole

of the matter, but we cannot think it is, from the limited attention we have been able to give the subject. We believe that much more is to be known than is yet discovered, and cannot but hope that the rules of such compositions may be yet further elucidated. In the meanwhile we shall only describe the results of our own experience without going into the attractive paths of conjecture.'-P. xlii.

The section on the existing monuments of Syrian Metrical Literature' gives a sketch of all that has been catalogued or published down to the time of Bar Hebraens, in the thirteenth century. In this survey the far greater space is given to Ephraem; and his printed metrical works in the Roman edition are analysed and described. There are here materials, indeed, for the patient research of scholars; and it is hoped that the specimens furnished will invite many an aspirant to the literary California thus opened to their honorable ambition. Many of the pieces are polemical, graphically exhibiting the various errors to which the church was exposed in the fourth century, and refuting them with an exuberance of fancy and weight of reasoning truly wonderful. Others are on more tender topics, composed for the dead, whether childreu, mothers of families, monks, or bishops. Some are of great length, as that on the Repentance of Nineveh. Perhaps we cannot do better than give what is said of this piece, as conveying some idea of the richness of the treasures which wait to be brought into public view.

This piece is in Heptasyllabics, and extends to between five and six hundred strophes, of four verses each. It is a complete epic poem, describing with great power and variety of diction the repentance of the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah, as exhibited in every imaginable form of misery and sorrow. As far as we are able to form an opinion this is the best sustained of any of Ephraem's metrical productions, and deserves to be introduced to English readers. We have never seen it noticed; even Asseman merely catalogues it; but we are much mistaken if it has not, as a whole, a claim to be ranked among the productions of genuine poetic inspiration. We will venture on a translation of a few verses, to give some idea of the style and spirit, only premising that our rendering is not intended to bear a critical scrutiny.'

"The feast of the king ceased,

And the banquets of the princes.

If infants fasted from their milk,
Who would prepare to sup?
The beasts abstained from water,
Who then would drink wine?
If the king put on sackcloth,

Who would clothe himself in soft raiment?
If the lascivious became pure,

Who would contemplate marriage?

If the luxurious were full of terror,
Who would indulge laughter?

If those who were merry wept,
To whom could folly be pleasing?
If robbers became just,

Who would defraud his fellow?

If the city trembled at its dissolution,
Who would care for his own home?

Throw away the gold,

And no one steals it;

Lay open the treasure,

And none will violently enter it.

The gay ones closed their eyes,

That they might not gaze on women;

Women laid aside their ornaments,

That those who looked at them might not sin.

For they were conscious of this,

That the ruin was a common one.

For if through them others fell,

They should not escape.

The beautiful would not disturb

The penitence of the men of the city;

For they knew that on their account
The repentant were mourning!"

'Some most affecting descriptions are then given of the scenes which took place in families, where mothers clasp their infants to their bosoms in hopeless agony, and the little ones, by some instinctive sympathy, seek shelter in their parents' arms. At length a ray of hope is derived by the king reminding his subjects of some former instances of divine forgiveness of penitent sinners; and, ultimately, by an ingenious poetical fiction. the people are said to hear the conversation between Jonah and the Lord, and their doleful fears are turned to rapture.'-Pp. lxii.-lxiv.

The translated Hymns are thirty-five in number, the Homilies nine. The subjects are very various, some merely descriptive, others argumentative and polemical. Of the Homi

lies the translator says, 'All these are poetic in the mode of treatment as well as in the style, and are wrought up with au artistic power which is truly wonderful. We admire the man who conceived and executed such gem-like productions. Our wonder is little less that his audiences should have been able to comprehend and enjoy them.' This last circumstance is wonderful indeed; and it wakens up trains of thought which we cannot now indulge. As our object is to give a general idea of the whole book, we shall extract the first Homily. We must not forget to mention that the translated pieces are all accompanied with notes, intended to elucidate their meaning, and especially to bring into prominence peculiarities of Syriac thought and expression.

DESCRIPTION OF PARADISE.

'The Revelations of God adapted to Man's Intellect.

The air of Paradise

Is a fountain of sweetness,

From which, in early life,

Adam inhaled nutriment;

And the inspiration was to his youth
Like the ministering breast of a mother.
He was young, fair and joyful:—
But having spurned the commandment,
He became unhappy, old, and fading,
Bearing the weight of years

And a load of miseries!

No blighting frosts,

No withering heats,

Are in that region

Of blessedness and joy.

It is a haven of gladness,

A home of delights,

Light and merriment reside within it:—

There is a congregation of harpers,

A society of players on the lute,

The sound of Hosannahs,
A Church of Hallelujahs!

The fence which surrounds it,

Is the safety which makes all tranquil ;

Its walls and its precincts,

Is the peace which unites all together;

The cherub which walks around it

Is gentle to those within,

But threatening to those without, who are reprobate. Concerning this Paradise,

Which is pure and holy,

The report which thou hearest

Is true and spiritual.

Let not its nature be judged

From what is heard of it,

For its descriptions do not altogether
Come within our judgment;

For although, by the names given to it,
It may seem to be earthly,

In reality that pure place is spiritual:-
For even the names of spirits
Are common to both kinds;
Yet that which is impure
Is far different from the holy.

For in no other manner
Is it possible for a speaker,
But by the names of things
Which are well known,

To form descriptions

Like things which are obscure ;

For if He who is the Creator of the Garden

Had not shrouded its magnificence,

In words which are vernacular to us,

How could He have represented

His garden, in our dark speeches?

For if among the names

Which are borrowed by the Divine Majesty,
A man should wander and be ensnared,—

He profanes and injures It,

By means of those borrowed terms
Which It put on for his benefit ;

And spurns the grace which bowed down
Its lofty height to his childish stature.
For he having no natural affinity with It,
It clothed Itself with things like to him,
To cause him to attain to Its likeness.