4,10 Mr. Davis on the Poelrij oj the Chinese. 



iuiJ the leaves shine varied I'rom beneath the drops of dew; each h\uigry flowret 

 inhales the passing breeze, as it sheds around its incomparable lustre. The gazer sym- 

 pathizes with the languishing blossoms, bending their heads all faint and delicate : 

 the mournful view awakes in his mind thoughts suitable to autumn. Say not that it is a 

 sight to satiate the eyes of the indift'erent beholder — know that such flowers as these once 

 inspired the poet Taou yuen ming,* as he indulged his genius amidst verses and wine." 



6. The rtext feature in the construction of Chinese verse is perhaps the 

 most interesting of all, as it presents a striking coincidence with what has 

 been remarked of the poetry of another Asiatic nation. In the prelitninary 

 Dissertation on Hebrew Poetry, prefixed to his translation of Isaiah, Bishop 

 Lowtii has treated at some length of a peculiar property which he calls 

 parallelism. What this is, will be best explained in his own words. 



" The correspondence of one verse or line with another, I call parallelism. 

 — When a proposition is deli^•ered, and a second is subjoined to it, or drawn 

 luider it, equivalent, or contrasted with it, in sense, or similar to it in the 

 form of grammatical construction, these I call parallel lines ; and the words 

 or phrases, answering one to another in the corresponding lines, parallel 

 terms. — Parallel lines may be reduced to three sorts : parallels synonymous, 

 parallels antithetic, and parallels synthetic." 



Thujirst kind, Dr. Lowth defines to be those " which correspond one to 

 another by expressing the same sense in different, but equivalent terms : 

 when a proposition is delivered, and is immediately repeated, in the whole 

 or in part, the expression being varied, but the sense entirely or nearly the 

 same." 



Examples. 



•• Because I called, and ye refused; 



I stretched out my hand, and no one regarded: 

 But ye have defeated all my coimsel ; 

 Anil would not incline to my reproof: 

 I also will laugh at your calamity ; 

 I will mock when your fear cometh." 



'• Bow thy heavens, O Joliovah, and descend : 

 ^I'ouch the mountains, and they shall smoke : 

 Dart forth thy lightnings, and scatter them ; 

 Shoot out thine arrows, and consume them." 



* For some account of Taou ijtien ming, see Memoires sur Ics Chinois, lom. iii. 



