II 



ZARLINO, GIOSEFFO. 



ZEDEKIAH. 



{112 



Tibaldi e Niccolo Abbati, esistenti nell' Instituto delle Scienze/ &c., 

 fol., Venezia, 1756. 



He wrote also a Life of Eustacbio Manfredi, and several volumes of 

 poems by him were published at different periods in Bologna. He 

 was secretary to the Institute of Bologna, in which his brother F. M. 

 Zanotti held the chair of philosophy. Giampietro has written his own 

 life in his history of the Acadcmia Clementina. He died at Bologna, 

 in 1755, aged ninety -one, and was buried in the church of Santa Maria 

 Maddelena, where there is a monument to bis memory, with an 

 inscription beginning as follows :' Joanni Petro Zanotto, Pictori 

 egregio, Poetso longe clarissimo,' &c. 



(Zanotti, Academia Clementina, <kc. ; Fantuzzi, Scrittori Bolognesn.) 



ZARLI'NO, GIOSEFFO, the most celebrated of all the Italian 

 writers on the speculative and practical theory of music, and in volu- 

 minousness exceeding all, of whatever age or country, who have 

 treated on this- subject, Mersenne and Kircher excepted, was born at 

 Chioggia, an episcopal city in the Venetian States, in 1519, and little 

 more is known of his personal history. Judging from his erudition 

 and mathematical knowledge, it would appear that, though entered as 

 a boy-chorister at St. Mark's, Venice, he was educated for one of the 

 learned professions, and the reverendo prefixed to his name, which 

 seems to have escaped the observation of musical historians, shows 

 that be was of the ecclesiastical order. It is stated by Sir John 

 Hawkins, as an established fact, though he does not name his autho- 

 rity, that Willaert, his master in the cathedral, prevailed on him to 

 devote himself chiefly to music, which information he most likely 

 found in Salinas. He is styled, in the beet edition of his works, that 

 of 1589, " Maestro di Capella della Serenissima Signoria de Venetia ; " 

 or, in other words, he was director of the music and organist of the 

 state church, St. Mark's, at Venice, in which office he succeeded 

 Willaert. Bayle therefore, in his translation of this title, is not in 

 error, as Hawkins alleges. 



Zarlino published his first work, ' L'Istitutioni Harmoniche,' in 

 1558, from which period, Dr. Burney tells us (who however is in this 

 instance incorrect in his dates), " he was continually revising and 

 augmenting his works," The same author further remarks, that, 

 " the musical science (i. e. its practical part) of Zarlino may be traced 

 in a right line from the Netherlands, as his master, Willaert, the 

 founder of the Venetian school, was a disciple of John Mouton, who 

 was a scholar of the great Josquin." [WILLAEHT.] The works of 

 Zarlino, in the edition before mentioned, are in four volumes or parts 

 (quattro volumi), bound up in one thick folio, of which upwards of a 

 thousand pages are devoted to music, and one hundred and forty to 

 the essays. Their titles are 1, ' L'Istitutioni Harmoniche,' divided 

 into four parts. 2, 'Le Demonstrationi Harmoniche,' contained in 

 five dialogues. 3, ' I Sopplimenti Musicali,' in eight books. 4. ' Un 

 Trattato della Patienza,' &c. : A Treatise on Patience, most useful to 

 such as would lead a Christian life. ' Un Discorso,' &c. : A Discourse 

 on the true year and day of the death of Jesus Christ. * Un' Informa- 

 tione della origine dei R. P. Capuccini : ' Information relative to the 

 origin of the order of Capuchins. ' Le Risolutioni d'afcuni Dubij,' &c. : 

 All doubts removed concerning the correction of the Julian year, as 

 made by Pope Gregory XIII. 



It is evident that Zarlino supplied all subsequent writers on the 

 subject of ancient music with very valuable materials. He was most 

 laborious and indefatigable in his researches, and successful in their 

 results. But it must bo admitted that he was ostentatious of his 

 learning, and might have compressed his three first volumes into half 

 the space, with great advantage to himself and his readers. His pro- 

 lixity has, no doubt, deterred many from proceeding far with him ; 

 nevertheless, an experienced person, one who knows how to make the 

 best use of a well informed but verbose and tedious writer, will not 

 regret having looked through, and occasionally studied, the works of 

 Zarlino. 



ZECHARI'AH, or ZACHARI'AS (Zaxaplas), the son of Berechiah, 

 the son of Iddo, was one of the twelve minor Hebrew prophets. 

 He was contemporary with Haggai, and prophesied at the time of 

 the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem. His first prophecy is 

 dated in the eighth month of the second year of Darius (Hystaspes), 

 just two months later than the first prophecy of Haggai (B.C. 520-519; 

 chap. i. v. 1). He is mentioned in conjunction with Haggai in the 

 Book of Ezra (v. 1 ; vi. 14), where, according to a common Hebrew 

 usage, he is called the son of Iddo. We learn from the above passages 

 in Ezra, that the rebuilding of the Temple, which had been suspended 

 for two years through the opposition of the Syrians, was resumed in 

 the second year of Darius, in consequence of the exhortations of the 

 prophets Haggai and Zechariah; a decree was obtained from Darius to 

 forward the work ; " And the elders of the Jews builded, and they 

 prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zecha- 

 riah the son of Iddo." Of Zechariah's personal history nothing more 

 is known, except that he was a young man when he was called to the 

 prophetic office, and this circumstance confirms the internal evidence 

 of the book itself, to show that his ministry extended over a con- 

 siderable space of time. The idea that he was the martyr mentioned 

 in Matthew xxiii. 35, seems quite unfounded. The person there 

 meant is evidently Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, whose martyrdom, 

 under the circumstances referred to in the passage of Matthew, is 

 related in 2 Chronicles xxiv. 20, 21, though in Matthew he is called 



the son of Barachias, probably by the error of a transcriber, who 

 supposed him to be the same person as the prophet Zechariah. 



The Book of Zechariah naturally divides itself into two parts. The 

 first part (chaps, i.-viii.) is devoted to the encouragement of the Jews 

 in rebuilding the Temple, by exhortations and by promises, both direct 

 and symbolical. The remainder of the book (chaps. ix.-xiv.) contains 

 predictions relating to the whole future course of time, and more 

 especially to the conquest of the Persian empire by Alexander : tho 

 successful revolt of the Jews under the Maccabees from the Greek 

 kings of Syria (chaps, ix.-x.) ; the rejection of the Messiah and the 

 destruction of Jerusalem (chap, xi.) ; and the conversion and restora- 

 tion of the Jews, and the destruction of their enemies in the last days 

 (chaps, xii.-xiv.) It is agreed by almost all commentators that much 

 of the latter part of this prophecy is still to be fulfilled. 



The genuineness of the second part (chaps. ix.-xiv.) of the Book of 

 Zechariah has been questioned, but upon grounds so slight, that it is 

 sufficient to refer those who desire to investigate the subject to 

 the works mentioned below. The only argument worth noticing is 

 drawn from a diversity of style, which can easily be explained by the 

 different periods of life at which the prophet wrote the two portions 

 of his book. The genuineness and canonical authority of the book are 

 otherwise undisputed. 



Bishop Lowth remarks on the style of Zechariah, that the greater 

 part of his prophecy is prosaic : " Towards the conclusion of the pro- 

 phecy there are some poetical passages, and those highly ornamented ; 

 they are also perspicuous, considering that they are the production of 

 the most obscure of all the prophetic writers." The obscurity of 

 Zechariah is found chiefly in the images contained in the early part of 

 his prophecy, which are drawn from familiar objects, described so 

 generally as to leave much for the reader's imagination to supply, and 

 accompanied only by slight hints for their explanation, and sometimes 

 left altogether unexplained. A list of commentators of Zechariah 

 is given in the Appendix to the second volume of Home's 'Intro- 

 duction.' 



(E. F. C. Rosenmuller, Scholia in Vetus Testamentum, Procem, in 

 Zeck. ; The ' Introductions ' of Eichhorn, Jahn, De Wette, and Home.) 



ZEDEKIAH, whose original name was Mattaniah, was the son of 

 Josiah, king of Judah, and uncle of Jehoiachiu. When Nebuchad- 

 nezzar took Jerusalem the second time, he dethroned Jehoiachin, and 

 placed Mattaniah upon the throne, changing his name to Zedekiah, as 

 was customary when a tributary king was appointed, and was probably 

 intended as a mark of submission. Zedekiah was twenty-one years of 

 age (B.C. 597) when he was set on the throne, and governed the king- 

 dom for eleven years (597 to 586), "and he did that which was evil in 

 the sight of the Lord his God." Wholly swayed by the counsels of 

 his evil advisers, Zedekiah was induced to rebel against Nebuchad- 

 nezzar, to whose leniency he owed both his life and his throne; and 

 allied himself with Pharaoh-Hophra, king of Egypt whom most 

 writers agree in saying was the Apries and Vaphres of profane authors 

 who had been successful in several warlike expeditions. Nebuchad- 

 nezzar on learning the revolt, marched an army into Judaea, and 

 besieged Jerusalem. At this crisis Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, to 

 consult him as to what course he should pursue. Jeremiah counselled 

 him to save the city and his life by timely submission to the Chal- 

 deeans. Notwithstanding the predictions of the prophet, he did not 

 follow his advice; but continued the defence of the city, in hopes 

 that his Egyptian ally would march to its relief. His ally came, the 

 siege was raised, and Nebuchadnezzar advanced against the Egyptians 

 to give them battle, but they retreated into Egypt, and no battle was 

 fought. Nebuchadnezzar continued the siege. When the city had 

 been beleaguered for a considerable time, a famine ensued, and the 

 inhabitants were reduced to the utmost extremities. After a siege 

 of nineteen months the city was taken (B.C. 586) by assault during the 

 night-time. As soon as the king of Judah saw that the Babylonian 

 forces had entered the city, he fled " by the gate betwixt the two 

 walls." These walls are supposed to be two parallel walls which encircled 

 the citadel. Mr. Kitto, in a note to the xxxix. chap, of Jeremiah in 

 'The Pictorial Bible,' says that it is likely that the " king went out of 

 the citadel on Mount Zion, between the two walls, and passed from 

 the exterior wall by a way which led through the king's gardens, and 

 which was perhaps a private subterraneous passage. The Jews indeed 

 have a fable that there was a subterraneous way, extending from the 

 king's abode to Jericho, and that by this he endeavoured to escape." 

 He was however seen, pursued, and taken by the Chaldaans, who 

 carried him to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, there to have judgment 

 passed upon him. The king of Babylon inflicted on him the most 

 horrible punishment. He ordered Zedekiah's sons to be slain before 

 his face, so as to leave him no hopes of reigning by them ; and the 

 agonising sight of the death-throes of his sons was destined to be his 

 last ; for he had his eyes then scooped out, which disqualified him for 

 ever reigning again in person. The king of Judah was then bound 

 with fetters of brass, taken to Babylon, and there imprisoned for the 

 remainder of his life. Thus were fulfilled the prophecies of the 

 prophets Jeremiah and Ezekicl concerning Zedekiah. Josephus tells 

 us that Zedekiah thought these prophecies contradictory to each 

 other, and therefore believed neither of them. But both turned out 

 to be true. Jeremiah in xxxii., 4, says, "He shall surely be delivered 

 into the hands of the king of Babylon, and shall speak to him mouth 



