is announced as approaching, when it is added : " Ye that
CHAR VII.] THE ELOQUENCE OF AMOS. 133 were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." ^ Suppose those men who, assuming to be themselves learned and eloquent, despise our prophets as untaught and unskilful of speech, had been obliged to deliver a message like this, and to men such as these, would they have chosen to express themselves in any respect differently—those of them, at least, who would have shrunk from ravincj like madmen ?
17. For what is there that sober ears could wish changed in this speech ? In the first place, the invective itself ; with what vehemence it throws itself upon the drowsy senses to
'' Woe to you who are at ease startle them into wakefulness : in Zion, and trust in the mountains of Samaria, who are heads and chiefs of the people, entering with pomp into the house of Israel !" Next, that he may use the favours of God, who has bestowed upon them ample territory, to show their ingratitude in trusting to the mountain of Samaria, where idols were worshipped : " Pass ye unto Calneh," he says, '' and see and from thence go ye to Hamath the great ; then go down to Gath of the Phihstines, and to all the best kingdoms of these is their border greater than your border ?" At the same time also that these things are spoken of, the style is adorned with names of places as with lamps, such as " Zion," Samaria,"
" Calneh," " Hamath the great," and " Gath of the Philistines." Then the words joined to these places are most appropriately varied : " ye are at ease," " ye trust," " pass on," " go,"
" descend."
18. And then the future captivity under an oppressive king is announced as approaching, when it is added : " Ye that are set apart for the day of evil, and come near to the seat of oppression." Then are subjoined the evils of luxury : " ye that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch yourselves upon couches ; that eat the lamb from the ilock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd." These six clauses form three periods of two members each. For he does not say : Ye who are set apart for the day of evil, who come near to the seat of oj^pression, who sleep upon beds of ivory, who stretch yourselves
Amos vi. 1-6. The version given above, which is a literal translation of
Jerome's Latin, as quoted by Augustine, differs slightly from the English authorized version.