known that delight felt by our poets in overcoming the difficulties
they have raised for themselves. The poet should slavishly obey the laws
he lays down for himself of his own free-will, and subordinate to them
every word, and yet his matter and his song should seem to float on a
free and soaring wing. Now, even the original Hebrew text of the Psalms
has no metrical laws."

"I could well dispense with them," replied Euergetes; "Plato too
disdained to measure syllables, and I know passages in his works which
are nevertheless full of the highest poetic beauty. Besides, it has been
pointed out to me that even the Hebrew poems, like the Egyptian, follow
certain rules, which however I might certainly call rhetorical
rather than poetical. The first member in a series of ideas stands in
antithesis to the next, which either re-states the former one in a new
form or sets it in a clearer light by suggesting some contrast. Thus
they avail themselves of the art of the orator--or indeed of the
painter--who brings a light color into juxtaposition with a dark one, in
order to increase its luminous effect. This method and style are indeed
not amiss, and that was the least of all the things that filled me with
aversion for this book, in which besides, there is many a proverb which
may be pleasing to kings who desire to have submissive subjects, and to
fathers who would bring up their sons in obedience to themselves and to
the laws. Even mothers must be greatly comforted by them,--who ask no
more than that their children may get through the world without being
jostled or pushed, and unmolested if possible, that they may live longer
than the oaks or ravens, and be blessed with the greatest possible
number of descendants. Aye! these ordinances are indeed precious to
those who accept them, for they save them the trouble of thinking for
themselves. Besides, the great god of the Jews is said to have dictated
all that this book contains to its writers, just as I dictate to
Philippus, my hump-backed secretary, all that I want said. They regard
everyone as a blasphemer and desecrator who thinks that anything written
in that roll is erroneous, or even merely human. Plato's doctrines are
not amiss, and yet Aristotle had criticised them severely and attempted
to confute them. I myself incline to the views of the Stagyrite, you to
those of the noble Athenian, and how many good and instructive hours we
owe to our discussions over this difference of