Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 5.djvu/209

 DR. ARTHUR JOHNSTON.

A writer in the Scots Magazine for the year 1741, has noticed one excellence in the psalms of Dr Johnston, distinct from those which have been so amply heaped on him by Lauder ; and as we agree with the author in his opinion of the quality, we shall quote his words : " There is one perfection in the doctor's version, which is not sufficiently illustrated ; and that is, the admirable talent he has of expressing things which are peculiar to the sacred writings, and never to be met with in classic authors, in the most pure and elegant Latin. This the reader will perceive if he looks into the 83rd and 108th psalms : and still more so upon perusing the Te Deum and the apostles' creed. * To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein ; To thee cherubim and sera- phim continually do cry, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.' "

' Grex sacer auratis qui pervolat sethera pennis Imperio nutuque tuo ; supremaque mundi Templa s tua caelata manu ; caelique potestas Omnis; et igne micans acies; et lucidus ordo, Agminis aligeri princeps, tibi, rnaxime rerum," &<;.

How poetically are the angels described by

Grex sacer auratis qui pervolat aethera pennis.

And in like manner the cherubim and seraphim, who are mentioned with the powers of heaven, 8


 * Caelique potestas," &c.

A late writer, considerably versed in classical and biblical criticism Mr Ten- nant whose opinion coincides to a certain extent with that which we have just quoted, finds, that even after the luxuriant fervidness of Buchanan, there is much to admire in the calm tastefulness and religious feeling of Johnston, and that the work of the latter is not only a more faithful translation, but given in a manner better suited (in his opinion,) to the strains of the holy minstrel, than that followed by the fiery genius of Buchanan, when restricted to translation. " He is not," remarks this author, " tempted like Buchanan, by his luxuriance of phraseology, and by the necessity of filling up, by some means or other, metrical stanzas of prescribed and inexorable length, to expatiate from the psalmist's simplicity, and weaken, by circumlocution, what he must needs beat out and expand. His diction is, therefore, more firm and nervous, and, though not absolutely Hebraean, makes a nearer approach to the unadorned energy of Jewry. Accordingly, all the sublime passages are read with more touching effect in his, than in Buchanan's translation : he has many beautiful and even powerful lines, such as can scarce be matched by his more popular competitor ; the style of Johnston possessing somewhat of Ovidian ease, accompanied with strength and simplicity, Avhile the tragic pomp and worldly parade of Seneca and Prudentius are more affected by Buchanan." 9

Let us conclude this subject with remarking the peculiar circumstance, that while Scotland has produced two Latin versions of the psalms, rivals in excel- lence, the talent of the whole nation has been unable to produce any English version which can be considered as their equal in point of versification. In 1641, Johnston died at Oxford, where he had gone on a visit to a daughter mar- ried to a divine of the church of England. Besides the works already mentioned, he wrote Musae AuJicse, addressed to his eminent contemporaries, translated Solo- mon's Song, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, and edited the Delitize Poetaruiu

8 Scot. Mag. iii. 255. 9 Ed. Lit. Journal, iii. 289.