Macaulay or Emerson), but of
the antique type like the essays of Bacon. The title of an essay
suggests a theme, on which the rest is a prose comment. (Pages 112-24.)

Verse compositions consisting of comments upon themes are in this series
called /Sonnets/. In general literature the idea underlying the Sonnet
is the adaptation of the matter to the outer form, as if a poet's
thought were poured into special moulds. In English and Italian sonnets
there is only one such form or mould--a sequence of 14 lines divided
according to a particular plan; the matter of these sonnets must be
condensed or expanded to suit this plan. The nearest approach to this in
Scriptural literature is the Fixed or Number Sonnet: the opening of this
suggests a number scheme, to which the rest conforms.

There be three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yea, four which I know not:
The way of an Eagle in the air;
The way of a Serpent upon a rock;
The way of a Ship in the midst of the sea;
And the way of a Man with a Maid.

The examples quoted in the present volume are different. They may be
called 'Free Sonnets': the moulding in these is to nothing more
restricted than 'high parallelism,' that is, not the parallelism binding
successive lines into a stanza, but the bond which may correlate the
most distant parts of a poem into a single scheme. The scheme of
parallelism for each sonnet will be given in a separate note.

Essays

/ii./ This essay touches upon what was the great difficulty to early
Hebrew thinkers: the visible prosperity of the wicked, which seemed to
them contrary to their conception of 'judgment' or righteous providence.
The author in this essay endeavours to meet the difficulty by two
thoughts: (1) how a change of fate at the very end of life may make all
the difference; (2) how the punishment may come in the next
generation.--A resemblance will be noted at one point to a parable of
the New Testament.

/v./ An essay on the Choice of Company, in five paragraphs: The danger
of unknown company in a house--the good only are proper objects of
charity--friendship not trustworthy until tested by adversity--the
humble can only be defiled by contact with the proud--like will to like,
and riches cannot consort with poverty.

/vi./ This essay is founded upon the old conception of society by which
the educated formed a separate class--here called 'the scribes.'
Translated into modern ideas of life the argument woul