A

PARAPHRASE

ON PART OF THE

BOOK OF JOB *

T

HRICE happy Joв + long liv'd in Regal State,
Nor faw the fumptuous Eaft a prince so great;

Whose worldly ftores in fuch abundance flow'd,
Whose heart with such exalted virtue glow'd.

At

*It is difputed amongst the critics who was the author of the book of Job; fome give it to Mofes, fome to others. As I was engaged in this little performance, fome arguments occurred to me which favour the former of thofe opinions; which arguments I have flung into the following notes, where little elfe is to be expected.

The Almighty's fpeech, chapter xxxviii, &c. which is what I paraphrase in this little work, is by much the finest part of the noblest and most ancient Poem in the world. Bishop Patrick fays, its grandeur is as much above all other poetry, as thunder is louder than a whisper. In order to fet this distinguished part of the poem in a fuller light, and give the reader a clearer conception of it, I have

abridged

At length misfortunes take their turn to reign,
And ills on ills fucceed; a dreadful train!
What now but deaths, and poverty, and wrong,
The fword wide-wafting, the reproachful tongue,
And spotted plagues, that mark'd his limbs all o'er
So thick with pains, they wanted room for more?
A change fo fad what mortal heart could bear?
Exhaufted woe had left him nought to fear;
But gave him all to grief. Low earth he preft,
Wept in the duft, and forely fmote his breaft.
His friends around the deep affliction mourn'd,
Felt all his pangs, and groan for groan return'd;
In anguish of their hearts their mantles rent,
And fev'n long days in folemn filence fpent;
A debt of rev'rence to diftress so great!

Then JOB contain'd no more; but curs'd his fate.

abridged the preceding and fubfequent parts of the poem, and joined them to it; fo that this piece is a fort of an epitome of the whole book of Job.

I ufe the word paraphrafe, because I want another which might better answer to the uncommon liberties I have taken. I have omitted, added, and transposed. The mountain, the comet, the fun, and other parts, are entirely added: those upon the peacock, the lion, &c. are much enlarged; and I have thrown the whole into a method more fuited to our notions of regularity. The judicious, i they compare this piece with the original, will, I flatter myself, find the reafons for the great liberties I have indulged myself in through the whole.

Longinus has a chapter on interrogations, which shews that they contribute much to the fublime. This speech of the Almighty is made up of them. Interrogation feems indeed the proper style of majefty incenfed. It differs from other manner of reproof, as bidding a perfon execute himself, does from a common execution; for he that asks the guilty a proper question, makes him, in effect, pafs

fentence on himself.

His day of birth, its inaufpicious light
He wishes funk in fhades of endless night,
And blotted from the year; nor fears to crave
Death, inftant death; impatient for the grave,
That feat of blifs, that manfion of repofe,
Where rest and mortals are no longer foes;
Where counsellors are hush'd, and mighty kings
(O happy turn!) no more are wretched things.
His words were daring, and difpleas'd his friends;
His conduct they reprove, and he defends;
And now they kindled into warm debate,
And sentiments oppos'd with equal heat;
Fix'd in opinion, both refufe to yield,
And fummon all their reafon to the field:
So high at length their arguments were wrought,
They reach'd the last extent of human thought:
A pause enfu'd.When, lo! Heav'n interpos'd,
And awfully the long contention clos'd.

Full o'er their heads, with terrible furprize,
A fudden whirlwind blackened all the fkies:

(They faw, and trembled * !) From the darkness broke A dreadful voice, and thus th' Almighty spoke.

Who gives his tongue a loose so bold and vain, Cenfures my conduct, and reproves my reign?

*The book of Job is well known to be dramatic, and, like the tragedies of old Greece, is fiction built on truth. Probably this most noble part of it, the Almighty speaking out of the whirlwind (so fuitable to the after-practice of the Greek stage, when there happened dignus vindice nodus) is fictitious; but is a fiction more agreeable to the time in which Job lived, than to any fince. Frequent before the Law were the appearances of the Almighty after this manner, Exod. c. xix. Ezek. c. i. &c. Hence is He faid to dwell in thick darkness: And have his way in the whirlwind.

Lifts up his thoughts against me from the duft,
And tells the World's Creator what is juft?
Of late fo brave, now lift a dauntless eye,
Face my demand, and give it a reply :
Where did'ft Thou dwell at nature's early birth?
Who laid foundations for the spacious earth?
Who on its surface did extend the line,

Its form determine, and its bulk confine?
Who fix'd the corner-ftone? What hand, declare,
Hung it on nought, and faften'd it on air;
When the bright morning ftars in concert fung,
When heav'ns high arch with loud hosannas rung;
When shouting fons of God the triumph crown'd,
And the wide concave thunder'd with the found?
Earth's num'rous kingdoms, haft Thou view'd them all?
And can thy fpan of knowledge grasp the ball?
Who heav'd the mountain, which fublimely stands,
And cafts its shadow into distant lands?

Who, ftretching forth his fceptre o'er the deep,
Can that wide world in due fubjection keep?
I broke the globe, I fcoop'd its hollow'd fide,
And did a bason for the floods provide ;

I chain'd them with my word; the boiling fea,
Work'd up in tempefts, hears my great decree;

* Thus far, thy floating tide fhall be convey'd ; "And here, O main, be thy proud billows ftay'd."

* There is a very great air in all that precedes, but this is fignally fublime. We are ftruck with admiration to fee the vaft and ungovernable ocean receiving commands, and punctually obeying them; to find it like a managed horse, raging, toffing, and foaming, but by the rule and direction of its mafter. This passage yields in fublimity to that of Let there be light, &c. fo much only, as the abfolute government of nature yields to the creation of it.

The like spirit in these two paffages is no bad concurrent argument, that Mofes is author of the book of Job.

Haft