NOTES.

i That rending anthem on the wild was flung,
From Miriam's timbrel and from Moses' tongue.

For the song of Moses, on this occasion, see Exodus xv. 1-22.

2 At Nebo's base, that mighty bard resigns
His life and empire, in prophetick lines.

See the whole of the pathetick and eloquent valedictory address of Moses to the Israelites, in the xxxii. chapter of Deuteronomy, from the beginning to the 43d verse. His death, and other events here mentioned, follow in regular

course.

3 Hangs over Jericho's devoted towers,

And, like the storm o'er Sodom, redly lowers.

For the account of the destruction of Jericho, by the Jews, under the command of Joshua, see Joshua vi. particularly verse 20th, "So the people shouted, when the priests blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people

heard the sound of the trumpets, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."

4 And cold and pale o'er Ajalon she hung.

Then spake Joshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, 'Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.'---Josh. x. 12, 13.

5 And builds on Libanus his humble shed.

Horeb et Sinai, le Carmel et le Liban, le torrent de Cedron, et la vallée de Josaphat, redise encore la glorie de l'habitant de la cellule et de l'anachorète du rocher.Genie du Christianisme, tom iv. p. 48, Lyons Edit.

6 But o'er his face his flowing mantle flings,
And hears a whisper from the King of Kings.

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, what dost thou here, Elijah ?-1 Kings, xix. 12—13.

7 In what tremendous pomp Jehovah shone,
When on that mount he fixed his burning throne!

See the sublime account of the descent of God upon Mount Sinai.--Exodus xix. particularly from the 16th to the 19th verse, as also Heb. xii. 18–21.

8 Even now, the heralds of his monarch tear
The son of Jesse from his fleecy care.

Wherfore Saul sent out messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass, laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. And it came to pass, that when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him....1 Sam. xvi. 19....23.

9 The night was moonless: Judah's shepherds kept Their starlight watch;-their flocks around them slept.

And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks, by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone about them. See the whole account, Luke ii. 8-15.

10 Saw, in the stillness of a starry night,

The Swan and Eagle wing their silent flight.

To the reader, who is but superficially acquainted with astronomy, no explanatory note is here necessary. To others it is enough to observe, that the Swan, the Eagle, Berenice's lock, Boötes, the Pleiades, the Lyre, and Auriga or the Charioteer, are the names of constellations, or the parts of constellations, visible in the northern hemisphere--of course in Palestine.-Cynosure is the classical name of the Pole-star.

11 With thundering crash, are burst bolts,bars and locks; Rent are their chains, and shivered are their stocks.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, (Paul and Silas) they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who having received such a charge, thrust them into the prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.-Acts, xvi. 23-26..

12 They cross the stream that bathes its foot, and dashes Around the tomb where sleep a monarch's ashes.

The valley of Jehoshaphat is between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, on the east. Through this valley flows the brook Kedron, or Cedron: on the eastern bank of this river stands the tomb of Jehoshaphat.