liy Mr. I). ins on the Poetry of the Chinese. 



The second kind of parallelism is the antithetic, " when," according to 

 the definition of Bishop Lowtli, " two lines correspond with one another by 

 an opposition of terms and sentiments." He observes, with reference to 

 his own subject, that " the degrees of antithesis are various, from an exact 

 contraposition of word to word through the whole sentence, down to a 

 general disparity, with something of a contrariety in the two propositions." 

 It may be remarked, with regard to the Chinese, that the antithesis is com- 

 monly perfect, both in sentiments and terms. 



It is farther to be observed, that the learned prelate takes most of his 

 examples, under this head, from the Proverbs of Solomon, " where they 

 abound : for this form is peculiarly adapted to that kind of writing, to 

 adages, aphorisms, and detached sentences." 



Examples. 



" The nicniory of tlio just is a blossiiiy; ; 

 But tlie name of tlic wicked shall rot. " 



" There is that seattereth. and still increaseth ; 



And that is unreasonably sparing, yet groweth poor." 



— As relates to the Chinese, the case is precisely the same, and no doubt 

 for the same reason. In going over, by way of experiment, a collection of 

 Maxims* compiled by himself, the writer of this immediately found that a 

 very large portion answered to the foregoing description. For exainple : 







T- 



A 

 ^ 



* Svo. London, 1823. 



