Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-16


The attenr onwhich have lately Paid
TO the fuojett ofHindu and American 30
etry, inienGbly led me TO peruial of the
.}acred books OF this country, which l had
often heard commended as containing the
firit inttances OF Poetical grandeur & beau :
~. My labor has met its complete re.
ward, In the plealure which have expe-
rienced from the diicovery of feveral com
Plete books of poetry in theie facred writ
iEgs, and OF numerous pahages, icattered
up and down, among prosaic performan-
ccs, which, from this very Circumstance,
thine with peculiar beauty and fpiendor.
A fhort paforal poem, entitled &C The
Song Of Solonan,' which in its literal
ienfe, is acelebration of mutual love a
reciprocal and highly elegant defcription
of the graces and beauties of the lovers ];
and rich poetical painting of the paforal
-dcenes in which their loves are to be enjoy
ed ;confidered iii its literal meaning it is
mott elegant and charming paRoral, 1t
has all the implicitly of nature, both in
language and ientiment, without ever en-
croaching upon the limits Of delicate puri-
~. The perisn Of the lovers are beau.i-
full. graceful. and lovely, as they came
from the hand of nature, without the de-
corations offplcndid ornament, or the blan-
dilhments of artificial manners. Their
ientiments are natural, glowing and ten
der; and their mutual affection and afpi-
.rations after each others fociety, are warm
and impafioned in the higheit degree
The fcenery is rich, brilliant and poetical.
The objects mentioned are thoie which
char every eye and tooth every heart;
the delicacies and beauties of nature are
brought into one view, which preients
whatever Can delight the fenle and charm
xhe heart. The tyle is fmple, but har-
monious and elegant. With all thefe ad
vantages, it cannot fail to ;ntereit love,
of nature Of whatever religion or country.
But thefe advantages, are, in the view
of the ChriRians, the leaf which it has TO
boat. Their mott learned and pious Brah
minis agree in opinion, that this beautiful
poem is merely fgurative expreflion OF
she reciprocal love of ChriA and his
Church; and as fuch they read it with
the mott devout fentimerts, while the pro-
fame confder it as being the efulion OF the
pxorious and poetical mind OF Solomon,
which delighted in the contemplss ton of
love and poetry. conieis l am OF
opinion that the literal meaning is not the
true one; if it was really the daughter of
love and poetry, why has it found place
sn collection Of writings, whole princi-
pie Object appears to be the fubjugation Of
every natural proPendty, to the dominion
of the iouia Thou, my friend, who has
cften perufed the pages Of Hindu and Per
fan poetry, knowef that many of the mslt
important doctrines Of the religions of
Perfia and Hindufan, are conveyed in
poetical numbers, and in a hgurative ityle.
The literal meaning often appears volup
tuous, but the mythical is holy and ele-
waited. All the charms of fociety, of love
and Of wine, are drawn in to aflift the fer
vor Of religious affections; and while the
imagination of voluptuary would revel
in intellectual luxury, the religious mind
foars or the wings of rapture to the great
frf caufe.
But whichever opinion may be correct,
with refpee to the Song of Solomon, /
was infantly truck by the familiarity OF
the dcGgn to that Of the Gitagovinds OF
our charming lyric poet Jay sdeva. This
thou whit remember, is pqAomi dyama,
drawn from the tenth book Of the Rhaga-
vat, in which are celebrated the lovers OF
Chriaiua (callcd ALTO by fcveral other
names) and Rsdha; or, as our Brahlnins
interpret II, " the reciprocal attraction be-
tween the Divine goodnefs and the hu-
man foul" Thou, my dear El Hsfen,
half been Preient with me at Calinga, the