JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER.
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1t is astonishinghow little has been writ
ten or spoken upon that most exalted Of all
the sacrifices ever made by mere mortals,
which is recorded in the eleventh chapter
of JUDGES The divine historian has not e.
ven given us the name of the fair victim.
Jephthah, returning from the slaughter of
twenty cities, and the complete conquest of
the enemies of Israel, rashly vowed, that
whatsoever come forth of the doors of his
house to meet him, should surely be the
Lords, and should be sacrificed with fire !
His daughter, an only daughter! for she is
emphaticaly called "the daughter of Jeph-
thah, the Gileadite," indeed an only child,
gay in all the loyeiness of youth and beauty,
and animated to enthusiasm by the pros
pect of her brave fathers approaching tri-
umph, came out to meet him with timbrels
and with dances, unconcious of the awful
doom to which she was destined! When,
in all the agony of regret and sorrow. he an
nounced to her the vows which he deemed
irrevocable, how dignihed her composure,
how unparalleled her heroism She resort
ed to no sophistical evasions to avert the
blow that impended over her; scarcely con-
descended to express regret for her untme-
ly fate. My father, if thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to
that which hath proceeded out OF tiny mouth
-forasmuch as the Lord hath taken venge-
ancc for thee of thine enemies. even OF the
children of Ammon. All she requested,
was that herself and the companions of her
intantie pleasures might be permitted to
wander for two months upon the lonely
mountains, to prepare herself for death
more glorious than that of the most cele-
brated hero of ancient or modern ages
Compared with this, how trif1ing the boast
ell sacrifice of Lhhigema, which indeed, from
the silence OF Homer, who could neither
have forgotten nor despised ahincident SO
suited to his taste. and SO capable OF en-
bellshi g his poem, we ought to regard as
altogether fabulous.


Sweet simplicity of the patriarchal ages,
ennobled by self-devotion more sublime than
that of Codorus or Curtins 1t is the busi-
ness Of soldier and king to die in the
field of battle, but what could poor rural
girl feel of martial enthusiasm. or expect of
future fame!