1798.) 
furely, intimates a perfuafion that this 
lamentation was compofed for the death 
of Jeremiah. A minute attention to the 
allufions will probably be found to fa- 
vour the hypothefis that it relates to the 
fall of the captived king Zedekiah. 
From 2 Chronicles (xxxvi. 11.) it ap- 
pears ‘that Zedekiah was fet up in his 
brother’s ftead by the emperor of Babylon, 
and held his fatrapy or nabobfhip over 
Paleftine on conditions of tribute and al- 
Jegiance. ‘This advancement was con- 
ferred on him at the age of twenty-one. 
For four or five years he governed con{o- 
nantly with the wifhes of the Perfian 
court ; but he afterwards rebelled againit 
Nebuchadrezzar, probably at the infti- 
gation of Pafhur and Zephaniah, - (fee 
Jeremiah xx. and xxi.) who belonged to 
the ASgyptian faction, which employed 
as its prophets, or popular orators, Ha- 
naniah and Shemaiah (Jer. xxviii. and 
xxix.) and which feems to have had more 
{way with the ariftocracy and people of 
Jerufalem than the king himfelf. Zede- 
kiah was apparently a, weak man, eafily 
overruled, who, even while he lent his 
inftrumentality to a revolt againft the 
Babylonians, privately inclined to the 
Perfian party, which was fupported by 
* Ahikam (Jer. xxvi. 14.) and Jeremiah. 
At leaft, when Jeremiah was imprifoned 
at the inftigation of the Egyptian faction, 
for fedition and correfpondence with the 
foreign enemy, king Zedekiah fought 
an interview with him (xxxvill. 14—24.) 
gave him private encouragement, and 
would have followed his advice, but that 
he was afraid of the princes (v. 24 and 
25) who were f{upported by the king of 
ZEgypt. Onthe capture of the town 
Zedekiah fled, was overtaken by the Ba- 
bylonians, and was conducted to Riblah 
(xxxix. 6.) where his fons were butchered 
before his face, and his eyes were put out. 
He was carried-in chains to Babylon, and, 
according to Jofephus (Ant. x. 7.) 
perifhed there in prifon. 
Let us now return to the Jamentation : 
Zedekiah (the poet feems to fay di. 
3.) whiift he dealed prudently, was to 
be exalted and extolled, and to be very 
high. 
His fall was to be as aftonithingly 
great as his elevation: his vilage was to 
be marred by the putting out of his eyes, 
and his form bruifed and disfigured with 
fetters ; fo as to bring afperfion on many 
nations. 
* Gedaliah, the fon of this Ahikam, af- 
terwards obtained the governorthip of Jerufa- 
* lem, and was aflaffinated by Ishmael. 
On a Hebrew Elegy. 
99 
The other fatraps were to difdain {peak- 
ing to_him, as one without honour, as a_ 
traitor to his fovereign. Ay 
+ To the youth of Zedekiah at the 
time of his accefflion the poet feems to 
allude (liii. 2.) by the words. “ tender _ 
plant ;’’ to his mutilation, by the words 
‘© he hath no form nor comelinefs, &c. ;”” 
and to the contempt with which he was 
treated by thofe who aimed at a high cha- 
ra¢ter for allegiance, by the words, ‘ he 
was defpifed and rejected of men, &c.”’ 
But, adds the poet, no lels truly than 
humanely, he was wounded for our tran{- 
greflions, and bruifed for our iniquities : 
he was hurried againft his own inclina- 
tions into a foolith rebellion, and is pu- 
nifhed for the criminality of a faction to 
which he did not belong: it is we of Je- 
rufalem who went aftray, but on him has 
been laid the iniquity of us all. elias 
Mild, meek, and feeble characters 
commonly bear adverfity with ftill retig- 
nation and calm dignity. To the flaugh- 
ter of his fons, the poet informs us, he 
was brought as alamb, and was filent as 
the fheep before the fhearers. 
He was taken from prifon and from 
judgment, and was cut off out of the land 
-of the living—-whence it may be inferred, 
that Zedekiah died a violent death, fen- 
tence of the law béing pronounced on 
him for treafon. He made his grave 
with the wicked—he was buried with 
otlier public criminals ; and fome perfons, 
as the poet infinuates, were to become 
rich by his death—Gedaliah, perhaps, 
was to profit by the confifcation of his: 
property. 
The mythological allufions in the roth, 
rith and 12th verfes are unclear: in ge- 
neral the poet feems to promife to the 
foul of the monarch pofthumous exalta- 
tion and eventual gratitude; and to fore- 
tel taat, in confequence of his fuffering 
for others, he fhould be ranked with the 
great, and divide the rewards of the hero. 
net Se Dn 
To the Editor of ihe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OUR correfpondent of Cary-ftreet, 
who figns himfelf W. A. S. is 
juftly {ceptical on the affertions which he 
has quoted from “ The Encyclopedia Bri- 
tannica,’ concerning the date of the in- 

+ The paflage, Who hath believed our 
report ? would admit a natural interpretation, 
could the poem be attributed to fome fecret 
agent of the Babylonians; to Jeremiah, for 
inftance. Does Jofephus (Ant. x. 5.) afcribe 
it tohim, and explain it of Jofiah? 
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