The Argument of Jeremias' Lamentations

THE ARGUMENT OF JEREMIAS' LAMENTATIONS.

THESE Lamentations, in Greek called Threni, and by the Hebrew Rabbins entitled Cinoth, were written by Jeremias before the greatest part¹ of his other prophecies (as seemeth most probable to St. Jerome) and were first sung at the death of Josias king of Juda.² Again when king Sedecias with many others were taken captives, many also slain, and the Temple and city of Jerusalem destroyed. But most especially he prophesieth the Jews' miserable estate, and just cause of Lamentation after Christ's coming, and their rejecting him. And therefore his Church singeth the same in the Anniversary, or Commemoration of his Passion and Death; and most piously inviteth all sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, to return unto Christ our Redeemer, saying: Ierusalem, IERVSALEM conuertere ad Dominum Deum tuum. In this little book the diligent reader will easily observe many doleful pathetical speeches, poured out from a pensive heart, as in great calamities it commonly happeneth, with little connexion of sentences;³ but otherwise four whole chapters are very artificially compiled in verse;⁴ not by number of times, with measure of long and short syllables, as the Greeks and Latins use, but after the Hebrew manner, observing number of syllables, and beginning every verse with a distinct letter, from the first to the last in order, with some small variety, of the Hebrew Alphabet. Doubtless with great mysteries, as St. Jerome judgeth, and therefore explicateth the significations, and certain connexions, of the two and twenty Hebrew letters: as we have noted upon the 118. Psalm: but above the capacity of our understanding. In the last chapter the Prophet omitting the observation of Initial letters, in twenty two verses prayeth lamentably; as the whole people shall pray in captivity.

THE THRENES, that is to say, THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAS THE PROPHET.

And it came to pass, after that Israel was brought⁵ into captivity, and Jerusalem was desolate, Jeremias the prophet sat weeping, and he mourned with this lamentation upon Jerusalem, and with a pensive mind sighing, and wailing he said: