CAN 
tailed, with a short inflated tube, and four- 
parted border ; the mouth downy ; drupe 
two-eelled, with a one-celled nut in eacii. 
One species, C. parviflorum, found in Coro- 
mandel. 
CANTICLES, or the Song of Songs, in 
biblical history a Hebrew mode of expres- 
sion, to denote a song superlatively excel- 
lent in stile and sentiment. Of this ancient 
poem the autlior is asserted, by the unani- 
mous voice of antiquity, to irave been Solo- 
mon ; and this tradition is corroborated by 
many internal marks of authenticity. In 
the very first verse it is said to belong to 
Solomon : he is the subject of the piece, 
and the principal actor in the conduct of it. 
Tliough the Song of Songs comes down to 
us recommended by the voice of antiquity, 
its divine authoiity has been called in ques- 
tion by many writers in modern days. 
Whiston thinks it a dissolute loose song, 
composed by Solomon when advanced in 
years, and degenerate in practice ; and that 
therefore it ought to be excluded from the 
canon of the sacred books. Taken indeed 
in its priniary and literal sense, it must be 
considered as describing a royal marriage, 
and may therefore be denominated an epi- 
thalaniinm, or hymeneal song. The cele- 
brated Michaelis supposed that the object 
of it was to teach God’s approbation of mar- 
riage. But the ideas of Harmer appear 
mucli more rational ; who, tliough unwilling 
to give it the name of epithalaminm, thinks 
it a marriage song, to be explained by com- 
positions of a similar nature in eastern coun- 
tries. “ What can be more likely,” says he, 
‘‘ to lead us into the literal sense of an an- 
cient nuptial poem, than the comparing it 
with similar modern productions of the East, 
along with antique Jewish compositions of 
the same kind r” Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux, 
■was of opinion that this song was to be ex- 
plained by the consideration, that the Jews 
were wont to celebrate their nuptials for 
seven days together, distinguished from 
each other by different solemnities ; and 
this notion has been adopted by the author 
of “ A new Translation of Solomon’s Songs, 
with a Commentary and Annotations.” The 
principal objection to this opinion is, that 
the conduct of the poem does not admit of 
such a distribution ; and the distinguishing 
each day by some distinct ceremony is a 
mere supposition unsupported by fact. The 
elegant and learned Bishop Lowth jlevotes 
two of his Praelectiones to an examination of 
this poem, and he determines it, with Bos- 
suet, to be a sacred drama, though deficient 
CAN 
in some of the essential requisites of drama- 
tic composition. Sir W. Jones, from his 
knowledge of Eastern poetry, was led to 
compare some parts of it with similar pro- 
ductions among the Arabians, and delivers 
it as his opinion, that it is to be classed with 
the Hebrew idyls. 
Supported by the high authority of this 
illustrious scholar, Mr. M. Good, in 'an ele- 
gant metrical version with which he has fa- 
voured the public, considers the Song of 
Songs as forming not one continued and in- 
dividual poem, but a series of poems, each 
distinct-hnd independent of the other ; and 
he denominates them sacred idyls. “ The 
Song of Songs,” he says, “ cannot be one 
connected epithalaminm, since the transi- 
tions are too abrupt for the wildest flights 
of the Oriental Muse, and evidently imply a 
variety of openings and transitions ; while, 
as a regular drama, it is deficient in every 
requisite that could give it such a classifica- 
tion.” It has been also regarded as a para- 
ble in the form of a drama, in proof of 
which, we are told ; First, when closely ex- 
amined, it will appear to possess all the es- 
sential qualities of a drama. The marriage 
of Solomon with the daughter of Pharaoh, 
(as related 1 Kings i. 1,) a political event 
which, from the personages concerned in it, 
would be interesting to the Jewish nation, 
was, as such, proper to furnish the fable of 
it. The writer is entirely left behind the 
curtain, and the whole of the composition 
is brought forward before the reader in 
parts between the speakers. The dramutis 
persona; are Solomon, the bride, her atten- 
dants, and the virgins of Jerusalem. It 
should be observed, though the fact has in- 
deed been overlooked by the critics, that 
all advance is made by the lady herself, 
She comes to his palace unfetched, and ap- 
parently unsolicited. Finding him not 
there, she goes in search of him, intreats to 
be received into his embrace ; and when, 
without denying, he eludes her intreaties, 
she pursues him in the ardour of her affec- 
tion almost beyond the bounds of female 
delicacy and modesty. On the contrary, 
the royal spouse is cold at heart, and dis- 
tant, prone to recede, and to intrigue with 
his favourite concubines, but anxious to 
conceal his indifference and infidelity under 
laboured encomiums on the beauty of his 
spouse. The action is complete, possessing 
a beginning, a middle, and an end, and com- 
posed of scenes, the shifting of which, if ob- 
served by a modern reader, as by an an- 
cient spectator, would have preserved the 
