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ESSAY XII.

STORY OF JACOB and RACHEL.

PASSAGE.

AND JACOB SERVED

SEVEN YEARS FOR RACHEL, AND

THEY SEEMED UNTO HIM BUT A FEW DAYS, FOR THE LOVE HE HAD TO HER

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HE fweeteft fimplicity that can be conceived in compofition, diftinguishes, in general, the tender NARRATIVES OF the Bible, from the love tales of modern writers; nor does any author approach, in any degree, near them in this respect, except fome parts in the works of the immortal Shakespear; and one would think, in fome places where he treated of the tender attachment of the fexes, that he had an eye to the unaffected beauties of the fcripture. The hiftory of Rebekah and Rachel are both related, in a language, and in a

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manner beyond description, fine and natural: every fyllable has its charm, and the whole, is a feast for the fancy and the heart. Let us felect a few paffages from each ftory; and first from that of Rebekah.

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"And it came to pass, before he had "done fpeaking, that behold Rebekah "came out with her pitcher upon her "shoulder; and the damfel was very fair to "look upon, and a virgin; and she went "down to the well and filled her pitcher, "and came up; and the fervant of Abra"ham ran to meet her, and faid, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher."

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Could any incident be poffibly introduced with more fimplicity? or could any be more favourable to begin the converfation? As if the fervant, on feeing her approach, had faid to himself, Before I enter upon a more important fubject, before I touch upon the point in which my mafter and his son are so tenderly interested, I will

begin to try her difpofition, by flighter circumstances; and being a traveller, and a ftranger, I will examine her hospitality : Let me, I pray thee, fair damfel, refresh myself amidst the fatigue of a long journey, by a cool draught of the water which thou haft juft drawn from the well. What can be more courteous than her answer, "Drink,

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my lord!" There is an elegance in the brevity of this reply. An ordinary writer would have made her stand curtesying and complimenting for many an idle minute, with the pitcher in her hand, and at last made many excufes that he had no cup ready to present it more politely. Such is the abominable parade of literary refinement ! But with equal frankness and prettiness Rebekah only faid, "Drink, my "lord." And then instead of entering into prolix civilities, fhe bafted, i. e. fhe fet down her pitcher as expeditiously as poffible, and gave him drink and when he had done, (but not till then) she said: Now will I draw water for thy camels alfo, tillibey have done drinking. The urbanity of a

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court could not have exceeded this; nor could any character more sweetly explain itfelf. Having had fufficient evidence of her kind temper and gentle heart, the fervant now ventured to enquire after her family: And whose fair daughter art thou, obliging damfel? tell me, I pray thee, for thy goodness has made me not a little folicitous about thee: is there room in thy father's houfe for us to lodge? Her anfwer to this does her fresh honour; for, perfifting in her amiable humour, she told him she was the daughter of Bethuel, the fon of Milcah, and that she had both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in and the damfel ran (how the spirit of the character is preferved!) to tell those of her mother's houfe the request of the traveller, speaking, no doubt, as favourably of him as fhe could. Her intelligence foon brought forth her brother, who had been informed by his fifter that he was the fervant of the celebrated Abraham: and the brother, whose name was Laban, invited him in with the most friendly cor

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