(to) This passage is examined in the article on MARRIAGE PROCESSIONS. The principles of that explanation seem to be just. Otherwise the com parison might be, "Ta my own mare, which is the prime among tire high-bred horses I have received from Pharaoh." 011 Circle-. This is precisely according to the usages of the East ; the royal personage sits on his seat, and his friends stand round him. on each side, forming a segment of a circle. The friends of the bridegroom are, we suppose, his companions; but on this first visit lie might, per haps, be accompanied by other attendants, for the greater dignity and brilliancy of the interview. Nevertheless, thirty companions might form a sufficient circle; and one can hardly suppose the king of Israel had fewer than Samson (at that time a private person) (Judg. xiv :to and Ps. cxxviii:3).
(t2) Al-Henna. (See Kopit•10. "The planta tions, or fruiteries, of En-gedi." These were not far from Jericho; they did not so much contain vines as aromatic shrubs, including, perhaps, the (anions balsam of Judea. It may be thought trout Ezek. xlvii:to that En-geth was a watery situation ; perhaps not far from the river, besides being itself a fountain. This agrees with Dr. Shaw's account of al-henna; he says, it requires much water; as well as the palm, for which tree Jericho was famous, and from which it derived an appellation.
(13) Elegant; magnificent. We think the bride groom here compliments his bride on the gen etal elegance of her appearance ( /pi); fur, as she is veiled all over, he cannot see the features of her countenance; he catches, however, a glimpse of her eyes through her veil. and those he praises, as being doves,' for which we refer to a following remark. (See VEIL.) She re turns the compliment, by praising his elegance (ifii); but as this elegance refers to his palace, it seems here to be properly rendered magnifi cence, which, indeed, as we have observed, is its meaning elsewhere. She notices this magnifi cence, as displayed in the cedar, and other costly woods, which adorned those apartments of the palace into which she had been conducted ; not forgetting that ever-acceptable ornament in the East, the green grass-plat before the door, which, besides being green, was also in this palace adorned with the most stately and brilliant flowers. compared to which, says the bride. I am not worthy of mention ; 1 ant not a palace-flower, not a fragrant rose, carefully cultivated in a costly vase; or a noble lily, planted in a rich and favorable soil ; I am a rose of the field, a lily from the side of the humble water-course, the simple—the shaded valley. To this, her self degradation, the bridegroom returns an affec tionate dissent ; and here concludes their first in terview, whose chief characteristics may be gath ered from observing that it is (I) short. (2) distant, (3) general, (4) that not the slightest approach to any freedom between the parties is discoverable in it ; which perfectly agrees with our ideas on the import of the opening line of this eclogue.
(14) Green; Flowery. It has been remarked that the word here used has both these significa dons; and if. as we suppose, it refers to the green grass before the pavilion, and to the flowers and flowering shrubs. in pots and vases. standing close by the pavilion, it is applicable to both ideas. Ott this subject there is an appropriate passage in Tavernier : "I never left the court of Persia.
lint some of the lords. especially four of the white eunuchs, begged of me to bring some flowers out of France, for they have every one a garden be fore their chamber door; and happy is he that can present the king with a posy of flowers in a crystal flower pot." is) Pa/ace. We know also that banquets, etc.. are held in gardens adjoining the resi dences of persons of opulence in the East; and when Ahasuerus, rising from table, went into the palace-garden ( Esth. vii:7), he had not far to go, but might quit the banquet chamber and re turn to it in an instant, for evidently the garden was adjacent. The idea of flowery verdure also applies to the rendering of oresh—carpet. or eov rring; not bed. (Sec Itrn.) That a bed for sleep ing on should be green is no great proof of mag nificence; but an extensive bed of flowers, as it were, in full view of a parlor opening into it. would at once delight the senses of sight and smell. and would deserve mention when eleganees were the subjects of discourse.
(16) Garden. After the bridegroom is with drawn the bride expresses herself to the ladies with less reserve. Her conversation no longer refers to the palace, but to her beloved; she re sumes the recently suggested simile of the citron tree, which, being a garden plant, naturally leads her thoughts to a kiosk in a garden, where, when they should be in private together, they might partake of refreshments; and while they should be sitting on the duan (see BED) he might rest his arm on the cushion which supported her head, while his right arm was free to offer her refreshments, citrons, etc., or to embrace her. She concludes by saying that, in such a pleasing seclusion, she would not choose their mutual af fection should be interrupted, and alludes to the very startling antelopes and deer as the most timid creatures she could select, and those most likely to be frightened at intrusion on their re treats.
(17) Deep Shadow. As the orange tree does not grow to any height or extent in Britain, an swerable to this idea of a deep shadow, we must take the opinion of those who have seen it in, or near, perfection; a single witness may be suffi cient, if the orange trees of Judea may be esti mated by those of Spain. No doubt but the bride's comparison implies a noble tree, a grand tree of its kind. The following are from Mr. Swin burne's Travels in Spain: The day was sultry, and I could with pleasure have lolled it out in the prior's garden, under the shade of a noble lemon tree, refreshed by the soft perfumes ascending on every side, from the neighboring orchards. * * * Being very hot and hungry, we made the best of our way home, through large plantations of orange trees, which here grow to the size of moderate timber trees ; the fruit is much more pleasing to the eye, if less so to the palate, than the oranges of Portugal, as the rich blood color is admirably contrasted with the bright tint of the leaves." (Pp. 25o, 26o.) (r8) Citron. That the fruit here meant is not "apples," but citrons, is now so generally ad mitted that we need not stay to prove it ; never theless, it is proper to mention it, that this ren dering may not seem to be adopted without au thority. Almost every writer has proofs on this subject. (See APPLE TREE.)