golden rods issuing from the shaft, above the central lamp; because it would then be im mediately over the flame of the lamp, and because also it would not then be fixed, as the prophet describes, on the top of the shaft. Neither could the lamp have been seated immediately in the centre of the bowl, making the general reservoir serve for its own peculiar oildish; for then it could not have needed or even admitted of a pipe, like those belonging to the other lamps, to communicate oil from the bowl; whence it is evident that the number of pipes, instead of being seven, according to the translation, would have been only six. Moreover in that case the central lamp would have been distinguished from the rest by a very important peculiarity, of which no trace appears in the original material candlestick; and from that the form of the visionary one must be presumed not to have departed, except where such departure is particularly noticed. Nor lastly could the lamp have been seen supported by a seventh branch shooting out from the shaft, so as to place it at right angles to the general line of lamps, because not only would that have destroyed the symmetry of the figure, but the lamp instead of giving light, would have been imperceptible from the opposite side, and would have

cast the shadow of the bowl thereon: and what perhaps is worse still, one of the oil gutters afterwards mentioned, in order to reach the bowl, must have passed immediately over the flame of the lamp.

Another particular of this candlestick, which had no place in those before known to Zechariah, was the line of pipes, which conveyed the oil from the bowl to the lamps. These, according to our English and the other versions, were seven; but of one of them it is impossible to conceive the position, till that of the central lamp shall have been previously determined; and we have seen the difficulty of doing that. Dr. Blaney's rendering, although it avoids the embarrassed construction of our authorized translation, yet presents an additional difficulty in the way to a clear and satisfactory conception of the figure exhibited; "over the seven lamps also seven pipes, one to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof." For by this description we are obliged to suppose, that each of the seven pipes proceeded separately from the bowl, immediately communicating between it and its proper lamp. Now leaving the central lamp out of consideration, on account of the difficulty of finding a place for it, we perceive that the pipes in passing from the bowl must have made three different

curves on each side, and all the three must have passed over the nearest, two over the second and one over the third lamp. Nothing surely can be conceived more awkwardly complicated in appearance, than a figure so constructed; and what is more, unless we suppose what the description affords us no ground for supposing, the pipes must have been utterly useless as a contrivance for supplying oil to the lamps. For we must figure to ourselves the bowl elevated on the shaft far above the level of the row of lamps; because if the bowl were in a line with them, the pipes, in order to avoid their flames, must have risen in curves of such a height, that by the law of gravity the oil could not have flowed through them. But such an elevation of the bowl is totally unwarranted by the prophet's description, and therefore the supposition of it cannot be admitted. For where the difference is not specifically stated, the candlestick of the vision must be conceived to have resembled the candlestick described by Moses. Now in that the central lamp was in a line with the other lamps; and consequently the bowl, which is here described to occupy the place of that lamp, must not be imagined to have been raised above them.

It is nothing to say that this candlestick, the subject of a vision, ought not to be reduced to

the standard of things actually existing. In poetry actual existence must give the law to imagination, according to the well known precept of Horace; and the subjects represented in visions, except were they are particularly distinguished, as departing from the common course of things, must be supposed agreeable thereto; not encumbered with palpable incongruities and impossibilities. As we cannot suppose a living creature in a vision moving or speaking without organs of speech or of motion, or a liquid to be conveyed in a manner contrary to the laws of nature; so neither can we suppose the candlestick in this vision to be different from that described by Moses in any particular, where the difference is not specified. For the description given by Moses of the sacred utensils is the law to the figure of those utensils, as the law of nature is to the form of physical subjects.

In short let any one, whether he adopt Dr. Blaney's rendering, or that of our authorized English translation, or that of any other version, attempt to delineate a candlestick with seven lamps and seven pipes to the lamps, and he will see, that if he would avoid the extreme of clumsiness and incongruity, he must do violence either to the prophet's description or to the known form of the sacred utensil. The success of such an

attempt may be estimated by that of Don Calmet, who, in his dictionary, has given us a delineation of Zechariah's candlestick according to his own notion of it. In that the bowl so far from being placed on the top of the shaft, is elevated on the seven pipes that convey the oil to the lamps, not only high above, but on one side, so as to threaten by its weight, added to that of the oil conductors and of the fluid itself, to overturn the whole apparatus. It is necessary only to inspect the figure, in order to be convinced, that no such thing could have been presented to the eyes or have entered the mind of the prophet. But there is no need to enlarge on the defects of its construction, since the objection is fatal, that it cannot be made to consist with the prophet's express assertion, that the bowl was on the top of the candlestick. Such are the difficulties, to speak of them by the gentlest term, which attend an adherence to any of the translations, that have hitherto been given of this passage.

But if a figure be drawn of a candlestick according to the version above proposed, every thing will be found simple, orderly, and agreeable to the description given by Moses, where Zechariah himself has not expressly stated the deviation. The candlestick will appear with fourteen lamps placed, at the extremities of as