(4) Shoes and Girdle. Observe, also, his shoes, which, being gold embroidery, are the bases of purest gold, from which rise his legs like pil lars of marble. Observe, too, that the stockings, fitting pretty closely to the legs, give them an appearance much more analogous to pillars or columns. than when the drawers are full, and occupy a considerable space, as they arc com monly worn in the East. The reader will remark the nature and enrichments of this girdle, which is, no doubt, of gold embroidery.
(5) Royal Tent. The tent may give some idea of that of Solomon, to which the ladies compare the Bride; they say she is "attractive as the tent of Solomon ;" and certainly a tent so ornamented and enriched, so magnificently embellished, is attractive ; attractive in the same manner as a magnificent dress• when worn by a person. 11 this tent be of black velvet, the golden enrich ments embossed upon it must have a grand effect. It should be recollected that the passage demands the strongest contrast possible to the "tents of Kedar," or the black tents of wandering Arabs; and, were it not for a following verse, the ref erence should be to the Bride's dress—discom posed—all in a flutter—after a long journey, from which she is but alighted at the moment—rather than to her person, or complexion, which sub sequently is described as fair, etc., by terms ab solutely incompatible with blackness or swarthi ness. The coverings annually sent by the grand seignior for the holy house at Mecca, are always black Mr. Morier has delineated a tent, tended to represent that of the prophet, the front of which is all but covered with jewels; the whole sides and the top with ornaments, shawl patterns, etc. ( Travels in Persia, vol. ii, p. 180 (6) Another Girdle. This is a portrait of the grand seignior, sultan AcIn•t. But it shows a girdle, or rather the clasp which fastens it, of a different nature from the former. This appears to be made of some solid material (ivory, per haps). thickly studded over with precious stones.
whereby it corresponds perfectly with that de scribed by the Bride, as bright ivory over which the sapphire plays; for these gems may as well be sapphires as any other. The general appear ance of the sultan's figure is noble and majestic, and may answer, not inadequately, to the descrip tion given of her beloved by the Bride.
It would be a considerable acquisition to sacred literature if those incidents which are furnished by the Greek poets, and which resemble certain incidents in this poem were collected for the pur pose of comparison ; they would be found more frequent and more identical than is usually imag ined. But this purpose would be still more com pletely accomplished, by a comparison with those productions of the Persian and Hindoo poets which have been brought to our knowledge by the diligence and taste of our countrymen in India. It may safely be said, that every line of the 1 lebrew poem may be illustrated from Indian sources. Even that incident, so revolting to our manners, of the lady's going out to seek her beloved by night, is perfectly correct, according to Indian poetical costume, as appears by Cali. dasa's Megha DGta (line 230 of Mr. Wilson's translation), also the Gitagovinda, translated by Sir William Jones (Asiatic Researches. vol.
and others which have been subsequently added to the stores of English literature.
CAPER (10'pr:r), (1 leb. ab-ee-yo-naw% provocative of desire, the eater berry, Eccles. xii:5), the undeveloped fruit of Cap/saris spinosgz, Lat., a plant growing everywhere in clefts of rocks and walls.
It is stimulant, and supposed to be aphrodis iac. If caperberry be the correct rendering of the meaning of the passage is that even the caperberry shall fail to excite desire, a meaning in effect similar to that of A. V. (Barnes, Piet.). (See Atn•os:An.)