ESSAY v.

THE DOVE.

PASSAGE.

KE SENT FORTH A DOVE FROM HIM, TO SEE IF THE WÁTERS WERE ABATED FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE GROUND

BUT THE DOVE FOUND NO REST FOR THE SOLE OF HER FOOT, AND SHE RETURNED UNTO HIM INTO THE ARK FOR THE WATERS WERE ON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH. THEN HE PUT FOR TH HIS HAND,

AND TOOK HER, AND PULLED HER IN UNTO HIM INTO THE ARK.

AND HE STAYED YET OTHER SEVEN DAYS, AND AGAIN HE SENT FORTH THE DONE OUT OF THE ARK.

AND THE DOVE CAME IN TO HIM IN THE EVENING, AND LO, IN HER MOUTH WAS AN OLIVE LEAF PLUCKT

OFF : SO NOAH KNEW THAT THE WATERS WERE

ABATED.

AND HE STAYED YET OTHER SEVEN DAYS, AND SENT TORTH THE DOVE, WHICH RETURNED NOT AGAIN TO HIM ANY MORE,

THE

HERE is a peculiar beauty, not only in the fentiment and language of thefe verfes, but in the thing itself. C 3

The

The tranfactions and friendly intercourfe of Noah and his dove have a tenderness and ceremony in them, truly delightful. The eye melts at the fimplicity, and the heart warms at the fentiment. Poetry, in her happiest flight, could imagine nothing more fo interesting to the fancy.

Hail, gentlest of birds !—Hail messenger of fecurity! Through thy means was the dry ground discovered, and the gratitude of man shall not eafily forget the fidelity of the dove *!

He fent forth the dove to fee if the waters were abated. What an important errand, for so small an exprefs! Yet the induftrious little wing flew over the watry univerfe, and employed every feather in the fervice of man; after a vain excursion

* How often is the invoked by the poets? One instance out of many

-Pity is due to the dove,

For it ever attendèth the bold,

And they call it the fifter of love.

the

;

fhe returned for the waters were ftill without a fhore. Methinks I fee the patriarch stand upon the deck, to wait the return of his meffenger, and as soon as the refts her fatigued foot upon the ark, he tenderly puts forth his hand and pulls her to him thus rewarded for her labours, after seven days repofe, her affiftance being again fummoned, fhe trufts to her pinion; and lo, in the evening, fhe came. By mention of the evening, it fhould appear, that fhe was difpatched in the morning, or, at least, very early in the day. What a task of toil muft it then have been! how many billowy leagues muft fhe have travelled ere the found that, of which she was in fearch! Linger upon the land I can never believe fhe did, however the verdure and vegetable novelty might charm her. No! it was not until the evening fhe fucceeded in her endeavours, and then, upon the wings of kindness, fhe hafted to fatisfy the impatience of her mafter. Upon her second, return, behold, a leaf was in her mouth! What a fweet way is here of communicating C 4

the

the happy tidings. But, indeed, every fyllable of this matter hath a grace and a confequence peculiar to it: it was an olive leaf which the bore, the leaf of amity, the emblem of peace; as much as to say, Lo, mafter, the waters are abated, and I have plucked a leaf as a teftimony of my truth: the Power who commandeth the waves to dry up and disappear, hath ordained me to bear to thee this olive-branch; haply it is the pledge of promife and conciliation betwixt him and thee, and thou fhalt not only fet thy foot fafely upon land, but there profper, and enjoy the pardon of thy God.

And after feven days more, he fent her forth again, and fhe returned no more. One is divided here betwixt fmiles and tears it is an exquifite paffage. The land and earth had, by this time, resumed their accustomed beauties; the trees, difplayed a greener glory, the flowers fprung brighter from the wave, and the dove having performed her duty, enjoyed, as nature directed, the beauties of renovated verdure.

Yet

Yet fhe returned no more. Noah, though he knew the cause of her delay, had loft his favourite bird. Alas! it was a draw-back upon the felicity of the new-appearing world. Fie upon the heart that has not a feeling upon fuch occafions. The foftness of the dove, however, is ftill had among the children of men, in grateful remembrance. She is equally celebrated in prophane and facred history, and every epithet of endearment is allotted to her. She is confidered as favourable to love, and propitious to every tender undertaking; nor can we, at any time, exprefs a courteous character without giving to it, among other qualities, the gentleness and truth of THE

DOVE.