remiah, or to confine the Prophet's genuine Oracles to these
metrical portions, and to deny that he ever passed from metre into
rhythmical prose. And our scepticism becomes stronger when we observe to
what different results these attempts have led, especially in the
particular form or forms of metre employed.

Professor Duhm, for instance, confines our prophet to one invariable form,
that of the Qinah or Hebrew Elegy, each stanza of which consists of four
lines of alternately _three_ and _two_ accents or beats; and by drastic
and often quite arbitrary emendation of the text he removes from this
every irregularity whether of defect or redundance in the separate
lines.(46) On the other hand Cornill concludes that "the metrical pieces
in the book are written throughout in _Oktastichs_," or eight lines a
piece, but admits (and rightly) that "in the metrical structure of the
individual lines there prevails a certain freedom, due to the fact that
for the prophet verse-making (_Dichten_) was not an end in itself." While
he allows, as all must, that Jeremiah frequently used the Qinah metre, he
emphasises the presence of the irregular line, almost as though it were
the real basis of the prophetic metre.(47) Other modern scholars by
starting from other presuppositions or by employing various degrees of the
textual evidence of the Versions, have reached results different from
those of Duhm and Cornill.(48) But at the same time it is remarkable how
much agreement prevails as to the frequent presence of the Qinah measure
or its near equivalent.

To sum up: in view of the argument adduced from the obvious principles of
Hebrew verse and of the primitive poetic practice of other nations--not to
speak of Shakespeare and some modern poets--I am persuaded after close
study of the text that, though Jeremiah takes most readily to the specific
Qinah metre, it is a gross and pedantic error to suppose that he confined
himself to this, or that when it appears in our Book it is always to be
read in the same exact form without irregularities. The conclusion is
reasonable that this rural prophet, brought up in a country village and
addressing a people of peasants, used the same license with his metres
that we have observed in other poetries of his own race. Nor is it
credible that whatever the purpose of his message was--reminiscence, or
dirge, or threat of doom or call to repent, or a didactic
purpose--Jeremiah, throughout the very various condit