20. But now as to the sentence which follows all these :
134 ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. [BOOK IV.
upon couches, who eat the lamb from tlie flock, and calves out of the herd." If he had so expressed it, tliis would have had its beauty : six separate clauses running on, the same pronoun being repeated each time, and each clause finished by a single effort of the speaker's voice. But it is more beautiful as it is, the clauses being joined in pairs under the same pronoun, and forming three sentences, one referring to the prophecy of the captivity : " Ye that are set apart for the day of evil, and come near the seat of oppression;" the second to lasciviousness:
" ye that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch yourselves upon couches ; " the tliiixl to gluttony : " who eat the lamb from the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the herd." So that it is at the discretion of the speaker whether he finish each clause separately and make six altogether, or whether he suspend his voice at the first, the third, and the fifth, and by joining the second to the first, the fourth to the third, and the sixth to the fifth, make three most elegant periods of two members each : one describing the imminent catastrophe; another, the lascivious couch; and the third, the luxurious table.
19. Next he reproaches them with their luxury in seeking pleasure for the sense of hearing. And here, when he had said, " Ye who chant to the sound of the viol," seeing that wise men may practise music wisely, he, with wonderful skill of speech, checks the flow of his invective, and not now speaking to, but of, these men, and to show us that we must distinguish the music of the wise from the music of the voluptuary, he does not say, " Ye who chant to the sound of the viol, and tliink that ye have instruments of music like David ;" but he first addresses to themselves what it is right the voluptuaries shoidd hear, " Ye who chant to the sound of the viol ;" and then, turning to others, he intimates that these men have not even skill in their art : " they thought that they had instruments of music like David ; drinking wine in bowls, and anointing themselves witli the costliest ointment."
These three clauses are best pronounced when the voice is suspended on the first two members of the period, and comes to a pause on the third.
20. But now as to the sentence which follows all these :