liabilities, or at least exemption from the payment of interest. Nehemiah, after a time, revisited Babylon, probably on business connected with his country, but before long returned again to Jerusalem. Numerous families, no doubt, accompanied him. Though we have not a detailed account of numbers, and other circumstances in connection with Nehemiah's expeditions, as we have in the case of Ezra, yet most likely he was a leader of parties to Judea, succeeded perhaps by others at different times, until the whole of the old country was repopulated. maritans. It was about this period, prob- | he relieved them by procuring from their ably, that there occurred the striking creditors either the total remission of their events recorded in the Book of Esther that beautiful episode in Hebrew history -and it was through the favor of Artaxerxes that the Jews were at length relieved from their troublesome and malignant neighbors; though it is remarkable that his decrees relate only to the building of "the house of the God of heaven," not to the fortification of the city. This decree belongs to the seventh year of his reign, and may be dated 458 B. C. It was the period, too, when the second great caravan of exiles marched to their own land. They amounted, in this case, to 5000 persons, including 113 who had married heathen wives in their captivity. This party. too, was four months going to Jerusalem. The year 445 B. C. is another memorable date in connection with the return, for then it was that Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah, his cupbearer, permission to journey to the "land of his fathers' sepulchres," and to make Jerusalem a walled city. The history of his adventures in the progress of the work so long suspended, is recorded with great simplicity by himself; and he also informs us of the impoverished condition of the inhabitants of the city through mortgage and debt, from which It has been remarked by Jahn, that the invitation of Cyrus to rebuild the temple was addressed not only to the Jews in Babylon, but also to the exiles scattered over the Persian empire. From this he concludes that not a few of the ten tribes returned to Palestine. We apprehend he exaggerates the number, but certainly it is probable that some might attach themselves to the caravans of their brethren proceeding to the fatherland; the old animosities between the different tribes being subdued by long years of separation and distance from the country of their ancient common faith and worship. It is possible even that there were Israelites in the com pany of those who followed Zerubbabel, but most, we consider, would follow afterward at different times; at any rate, the history of later periods mentions Israelites as settled in Galilee and Perea long before the time of Christ. Many, however the great majority we should suppose of the people forming the nation of Israel never returned at all, and the subsequent history of the lost tribes, as they are termed, has been of late, especially, a subject of much inquiry and speculation. We cannot enter upon it here, yet it will not be foreign to our purpose to observe, that not only did a large proportion of the ten tribes remain in foreign lands, but a considerable number of the Jews in Babylon actually declined to avail themselves of the Persian decree of liberation. We know that the Jews of Babylonia, in after ages, included some of the élite of the Hebrew nation, and were regarded with much respect and honor by those who dwelt in Palestine. Among those who remained under the Persian dominion, some even submitted to torture rather than deny their religion by assisting in the erection of a heathen temple. We trace Jews in Babylonia under the Roman supremacy, and we find them involved in rebellion and civil war. Hebrew travelers visited Babylon in the third century, and recorded their observations. The Babylonian Talmud belongs to the sixth century, and contains notices of the Jews at that period, mentioning not less than two hundred towns, in the Persian empire, inhabited by Jewish families. In the twelfth century, Benjamin of Tuleda found twenty thousand Jews dwelling within twenty miles of Babylon. We have not yet touched on the chronological question of the SEVENTY YEARS, nor can we now enter upon it at any length. As both the carrying captive and the return of the Jews were events involving a succession of circumstances, and as each of them covered a considerable period of time, some learned men have fixed upon one date as the commencement of the Captivity, and some on another; these authorities varying accordingly in opinion as to the date when the calamity might be said to close. It is remarkable that the destruction of the first temple was in 588 B. C., and the finishing of the second was in 516 B. C., thus giving just seventy years between the two events. But the conclusion in which we are disposed to concur, is, that the seventy years commenced at the time when Jeremiah uttered his prophecy. It was in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, synchronizing with the fourth of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, that the prophet d'eclared: "Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about," &c. "And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years." Jer. xxv, 8–11. . Here, then, we have a plain fulfillment of prophecy, and one which of all others is the most convincing; because, in reference to the future, there is nothing more remote from human ken than the exact period of time when any line of eventssuch as those before us-shall have run out their course. And while the pillar of divine prophecy stands at the head of that pathway of calamity, through which for seventy weary years we track the steps of the sinning Jews, the hand of divine providence is no less plainly seen in the whole treatment of the nation. Nor should this chapter of Hebrew history be read as if it exhibited a phase of the Almighty's government belonging only to an age of miraculous or extraordinary interpositions. We miss the most important practical instructions of the annals of our holy Bible, if we do not remember that the displays of righteousness and mercy they contain are not exceptional, but representative-representative of what the Lord and King of all the earth is ever doing among the children of men. as well as to them, the story of Israel's chastisement speaks with a voice of warning, and shows how great privileges increase responsibility and aggravate punishment. It shows how in wrath he remembers mercy, and how he makes suffering a means of correcting his people. According to the beautiful words of the prophet: "He stayeth his rough wind in the day of his east wind. By this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit-to take away his sin." To us, MR JAMES T. FIELDS. R. FIELDS was born in New-Hamp-culture of two European tours, the last shire-of which Daniel Webster said extending over the period of a year. In that it was a good state from which to the first he passed several months in emigrate. His native town was the England, Scotland, France, and Germany, Queen of the Piscataqua, Portsmouth, the visiting the principal places of interest, charming and only seaport of the state. and forming delightful and profitable His father was a sea-captain, and, like intimacies with the most distinguished many of this noble, but continually exposed littérateurs of the day. He was a freclass of men, died when James, his eldest quent guest at the world-known "breakson, was about four years of age. The fasts" of the great banker-poet of “The admirable public schools of the town af- Pleasures of Memory" and of "Italy,” forded young Fields a good preliminary and listened or added his own contribution training; and at the age of thirteen he to the exuberant riches of the hour, when graduated from the high school, having such visitors as Talfourd, Dickens, Moore, taken several prizes, during his course, and Landor were the talkers. Our handfor his Greek and Latin compositions. some poet seems to have made a very An English poem in blank verse, written lively impression upon that charming inat the age of twelve, attracted the atten- valid-the late Mary Mitford. He was tion of the late Chief Justice Woodbury, for some time her guest at her cottage in then Governor of New-Hampshire, and the country; and in her "Reminiscences," resident of Portsmouth. He advised the published some years since by Bentley, she young poet to prosecute his studies further, has referred in the most flattering terms and to enter Harvard University. For to this acquaintance. She says:— reasons, however, that seemed at the time sufficiently weighty, he decided to go at once into business; and coming to Boston, he entered as the youngest clerk in the same book establishment over which he now presides as one of the partners. Mr. Fields has enjoyed the valuable "One fine summer afternoon, shortly after I had made this acquisition, (referring to a copy of Motherwell's Poems,) two young Americans made their appearance with letters of introduction from some honored friends. There was no mention made of profession or calling; but I soon found that they were not only men of intelligence and education, but of literary taste and knowledge; one especially had the look, the air, the conversation of a poet. We talked on many subjects, and got at last to the delicate question of American reprints of English authors, on which, much to their delight, and a little to their surprise, there was no disagreement; I, for my poor part, pleading guilty to the taking pleasure in such a diffusion of my humble works. 'Besides,' continued I, 'you send us better things-things otherwise unattainable. I could only procure the fine poems of Motherwell in this Boston edition. My two visitors smiled at each other. This is a most singular coincidence,' cried the one whom I knew, by instinct, to be a poet; 'I am a younger partner in this Boston house, and at my pressing instance this book was reprinted.' Fields's visit was necessarily brief; but that short interview has laid the foundation of a friendship which will, I think, last as long as my frail life, and of which the benefit is all on Mr. my side. He sends me charming letters, verses which are fast ripening into true poetry, excellent books, and this autumn he brought back himself, and came to pay me a second visit; and he must come again, for of all the kindnesses with which he loaded me, I like his company best." At Rydal Mount he paid his devoirs to the grand presiding genius of the place, Wordsworth, and was affectionately welcomed to its penetralia. This interview with the author of the "Excursion" Mr. Fields has thus gracefully commemorated : "The grass hung wet on Rydal's banks, The golden day with pearls adorning, When side by side with him we walked To meet midway the summer morning. "The west wind took a softer breath, The sun himself seemed brighter shining, As through the porch the minstrel stepped, His eye sweet nature's look enshrining. "He pass'd along the dewy sward, The blue-bird sang aloft, 'Good morrow!' "He spoke of all that graced the scene, In tones that fell like music round us; We felt the charm descend, nor strove To break the rapturous spell that bound us. "We listen'd with mysterious awe, Strange feelings mingling with our pleasure; And heard that day prophetic words High thoughts the heart must always treasure. "Great nature's priest! thy calm career With that sweet morn on earth has ended; But who shall say thy mission died When, wing'd for heaven, thy soul ascended?" On his return passage from the first tour, Mr. Fields came near anticipating the fate of poor Read of Philadelphia, in the Arctic. The vessel in which he sailed struck on the coast of Newfoundland, while running in a fog. The leak caused by this disaster was so severe that it was with great difficulty the ship was kept afloat and carried into port. His sea voyages, with their attendant perils, have afforded Mr. Fields some fine subjects for his shorter poems and for pathetic ballads. The two special veins in which his genius produces its richest ores are the playful and the pathetic-not the broad comic or the sharply witty, but the quiet and genial humored-happily vailed in smooth lines, and affording continually mirthful surprises. The other vein is the pathetic, and many of his shorter poems are fine illustrations of his 'well-subdued power to touch the minor chords of the heart. In the ballad which was suggested to our memory by the sea peril to which our author was subjected this characteristic appears, accompanied with a rapidity of movement and deep solemnity of tone peculiarly adapted to give proper expression to the scene it describes : : "We were crowded in the cabin, Not a soul would dare to sleepIt was midnight on the waters, And a storm was on the deep. ""Tis a fearful thing in winter "And so he took the well-greased lead, And rubbed it o'er a box of earth That stood on deck-a parsnip bed And then he sought the skipper's berth. "Where are we now, sir? Please to taste.' The skipper yawn'd, put out his tongue, Then ope'd his eyes in wondrous haste, And then upon the floor he sprung! "The skipper storm'd, and tore his hair, Thrust on his boots, and roared to Marden. 'Nantucket's sunk, and here we are Right over old Marm Hackett's garden.'” |