Leaping over the mountains, 9 My beloved was like a gazelle, Lo! there he stood behind our wall, 10 My beloved spake, he spake to me, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come! 11 For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over, is gone. 12 The flowers appear upon the fields, The time of singing is come, The cooing of the turtle-dove is heard in our land, 13 The fig-tree sweetens her green figs, They diffuse fragrance; Arise, my love, my fair one, and come! 14 My dove in the clefts of the rock, For sweet is thy voice, The Brothers of the Shulamite. 15 Catch us the foxes, the little foxes For our vineyards are in bloom. The Shulamite. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his, 17 When the day cools, And the shadows flee away, Return, haste, O my beloved, Like the gazelle or the young one of the bind, CHAP. III. 1 When on my nightly couch, I still sought him whom my soul loveth; 2 I must arise now and go about the city, I must seek him whom my soul loveth: 3 The watchmen who patrol the city found me: When I found him whom my soul loveth; SECTION III. CHAPTERS III. 6.-V. 1. The royal tent in the country is broken up, and the royal train comes up to Jerusalem. Some of the inhabitants of the capital, as they beheld it at a distance, hold a dialogue respecting it (6-11). The shepherd, coming up to rescue his loved one, obtains an interview with her, and expresses his delight in her charms (ch. iv. 1-5). The Shulamite moved, modestly interrupts his description, and tells him that she is ready to escape with him that very evening (6). He immediately proffers his assistance, declaring that her charms had inspired him with courage sufficient for the occasion (7-9); he describes her charms (10, 11) and her faithfulness (12-16). The Shulamite declares that all she possesses shall be his (16). Some of the court ladies sympathize with them (ch. v. 1). One of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem. Another. A Third. A Fourth. 6 What is that coming up from the country, Perfumed with myrrh, with frankincense, And all sorts of aromatics from the merchants? 7 Lo! it is the palanquin of Solomon, Around it are threescore valiant men From the valiant of Israel: 8 All skilled in the sword, expert in war, 9 A palanquin hath king Solomon made for himself, 10 Its pillars he hath made of silver, Its support of gold, its seat of purple, 11 Come out, ye daughters of Zion, The crown with which his mother crowned him On the day of his gladness of heart. The Shepherd (advancing to the Shulamite.) CHAP. IV. 1 Behold, thou art beautiful, my loved one, Thine eyes are doves behind thy veil; 2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep And not one among them is bereaved. Like a part of the pomegranate The Shulamite. 6 When the day cools And the shadows flee away, I will go to the mount of myrrh, To the hill of frankincense. The Shepherd. 7 Thou art all beautiful, my loved one, The Shulamite. The Shepherd. 8 With me, with me, my betrothed, Thou shalt go from the heights of Amana, From the mountains of panthers. 9 Thou hast emboldened me, My sister, my betrothed, Thou hast emboldened me, With one of the chains of thy neck. 10 How sweet is thy love, O my sister, my betrothed! And the fragrance of thy perfumes above all the spices! Honey and milk are under thy tongue, * And the odour of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon. 13 Thy shoots like a garden of pomegranates, Cypresses and nards, 14 Nard and crocus, Calamus and cinnamon, With all sorts of frankincense trees, Myrrh and aloes; 15 With all kinds of excellent aromatics, With a garden fountain, A well of living waters, And streams flowing from Lebanon. 16 Arise, O north wind! and come, thou south! Blow upon my garden, That its perfumes may flow out! 1 I am coming into my garden, my sister, my betrothed: I am eating my honeycomb with my honey, I am drinking my wine with my milk. Some of the Daughters of Jerusalem. Eat, O friends! Drink, and drink abundantly, O beloved! (To be continued.) LONDON: PUBLISHED BY M. PATTIE, 81, PATERNOSTER ROW, AND GEORGE GLAISHER, 470, New Oxford Street. Printed by W. Ostell, Hart-street, Bloomsbury, THE PATHFINDER, A JOURNAL OF PURE THEISM AND RELIGIOUS FREETHOUGHT, THE ORGAN OF INDEPENDENT RELIGIOUS REFORM. No. 123. CONDUCTED BY P. W. PERFITT. New Series, No. 20.] MAY 18, 1861. [PRICE 2D. THE "GOOD TIDINGS" OF A ROYAL MARRIAGE. THIS British nation, through its Representatives, has been graciously informed that Her Majesty has concluded an arrangement for the marriage of the Princess Alice with His Grand Ducal Highness Prince Louis of Hesse, and that, judging from past favours, she doubted not the House would make such a provision for the marriage as would be suitable to the dignity of the Crown. The sum asked for, and so speedily granted, was a dowry of £30,000, and a life allowance of £6,000 a-year, which sum, honourable gentlemen have spoken of as "rather small;" though doubtless the Prince of Hesse will be content. If not, then there are plenty of true German princes who will be happy to take the bride off his hands, with even half the allowance, for, with £3000 a-year, they would consider themselves to be the richest and luckiest dogs in existence. 66 The House granted the money with great joy and readiness; for the Opposition," according to its custom in such cases, came forward to second the proposal. By acting in this way it is proposed to render the transaction palatable to John Bull, who is called upon to rejoice over the fact that he can afford to supply brides with dowries for half the Courts of Europe. But now that the imaginary burst of joy with which the proposition was received has somewhat subsided, we feel disposed to question the legality of the transaction. Why should the people of England be taxed for such purposes? Why should Queen Victoria be relieved from the necessity of providing for her own children? By general consent she is hailed as a good woman, and we cordially join with those who say this; but when it is said that she is as good a Queen as Woman, we are compelled to ask, "What constitutes a Good Queen?" The only queenly qualification she has displayed lies in this, that Her Majesty does not trouble herself with the political affairs of State. She is wisely content to leave all in the hands of her Ministers, and as to their appointment she is equally unselfish; for, when the House of Commons is tired of one party, she condescends to appoint those who led in the battle when the old ones were defeated. It is an admirable arrangement, which cannot fail to satisfy a people who are jealous of Royal Authority. Still we are at a loss to perceive in what the special goodness of the "Queen" consists. If it be in VOL. V. NEW SERIES. VOL. I. X doing nothing, then, undoubtedly, we could employ millions who would "do' it as well for much less money. There are thousands of women in England who are in every sense as good as Victoria-who, as wives and mothers, are not a whit behind her in any of the qualities for which she is praised; and if they could show their greatness as Queens by doing nothing more than to receive the pay, we doubt not they would give us every satisfaction. But as the change would do no good we do not recommend it. All we desire to urge is, that Her Majesty shall take the responsibility of her family the same as all her servants do. Taken together, Her Majesty and Prince Albert receive about £1000 per day, a sum which, for abstaining from doing anything, is rather large, and sufficient to meet all wants. Why, then, should the nation be taxed for dowry and annual marriage portions? Why not give marriage portions to the daughters of the Prime Ministers or the Admirals? They serve the State in various ways, and if our gratitude be due to any, then it is those who should receive our gifts. Carry the principle fairly out, and it will follow that Lord Palmerston will rise in the House to express the great pleasure he has in announcing that Dobson, the Treasury Messenger, has concluded an arrangement for the marriage of his daughter "Tilda with Long George, of Nine Pin Court, the Prince of Smokers, and that he has no doubt the Members will make such provision as will maintain the dignity of an officer employed by the State. Why should any objection be raised to overthrow his hopes and the prospects of his "Tilda"? He is employed, and, moreover, is compelled to work hard for his wages; and if it be urged that he is paid for what he does, he can answer, with truth, that Victoria also is paid, so that being both servants of the State they stand upon equal ground. Dobson would take nothing by his movement, and simply because it is not the custom of Parliament to furnish dowries to Messengers' daughters, while Victoria succeeds because it is the custom to give them to the daughters of Royalty. The sooner it is broken the better, for it is nothing short of a cruel injustice to add so much to the taxation of this overladen people. If the Prince of Hesse could not take a wife without such a fortune, then it was the duty of her parents to have made a proper provision for her out of their immense income and great savings. They are capable of doing so without involving themselves in difficulties, and it would be far more creditable for them to act thus than it is to send down to the House for such supplies. The times are hard to millions; and now that so many labourers and mechanics, with plodding tradesmen, are compelled to deny themselves many little comforts, because of the heavy taxation under which they are oppressed, it is as much the duty of Royalty to forbear from asking more, as it is of the people to make the most of the small means now left to their disposal. Justice should not be compelled to bow to etiquette; neither should the Representatives of the People be so hasty in granting away the means which their Constituents require for their own purposes. Some of our contemporaries have spoken of the "honour we are gaining through becoming "connected by marriage" with the Russian Court; but surely in this they were poking fun at honest John. The English nation has gained nothing by such alliances beyond the chance of being called upon to spend both blood and money in defending the worthless. It may not prove so in this case, yet we fear that the daughters of England are sought, not for personal love, but in the hope of their proving profitable speculations. P. W. P. |