success to astrology. but as they were of no service in cloudy weather and in the night, there was another invention of measuring the parts of time by water; but that not proving sufficiently exact, they laid it aside for another by sand. The use of dials was earlier among the Greeks than the Romans. It was above three hundred years after the building of Rome before they knew any thing of them: but yet they had divided the day and night into twentyfour hours though they did not count the hours numerically, but from midnight to midnight, distinguishing them by particular names, as by the cock-crowing, the dawn, the mid-day, &c. The first sun-dial we read of among the Romans, which divided the day into hours, is mentioned by Pliny, (Nat. Hist. lib. i. cap. 20.) as fixed upon the temple of Quirinus by L. Papyrius the censor, about the twelfth year of the wars with Pyrrhus. Scipio Nasica some years after measured the day and night into hours from the dropping of Sun-dials are of ancient use: water. No. 915.-xx. 13. And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour.] Vertomannus, in his voyage to the East, describing the treasure of the king of Calicut, says, that it is esteemed so immense that it cannot be contained in two remarkable large cellars or warehouses. It consists of precious stones, plates of gold, and as much coined gold as may suffice to lade a hundred mules. They say that it was collected together by twelve kings who were before him, and that in his treasury is a coffer three spans long and two broad, full of precious stones of incalculable value. This custom for the eastern princes to amass enormous loads of treasure, merely for show and ostentation, appears to have been practised by the kings of Judea. One instance of it at least is found in the case of Hezekiah, in the passage now referred to. No. 916.-xxi. 11. Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did.] Bodin informs us from Maimonides, that it was customary among the Amorites to draw their new-born children through a flame; believing that by this means they would escape many calamities; and that Maimonides himself had been an eye-witness of this superstition in some of the nurses of Egypt. No. 917.-xxiii. 7. The women wove hangings for the grove.] In the history of Schemselouhar and the Prince of Persia (Arabian Night's Entertainment), when the former was told that the caliph was coming to visit her, she ordered the paintings on silk, which were in the garden, to be, taken down. In the same manner are paintings or hangings said to be used in the passage referred to. The authority given for this custom must be allowed to be sufficient to vouch for the existence of the practice in question, to whatever animadversions the work itself may be liable in any other point of view. No. 918.-1 CHRONICLES ii. 35. And Sheshan gave his daughter to Farha his servant to wife. . WHEN the people of the East have no sons, they frequently marry their daughters to their slaves, and that even when they have much property to bestow upon them. Hassan had been the slave of Kamel his predecessor. But Kamel," according to the custom of the country, gave him one of his daughters in marriage, and left him at his death one part of the great riches he had amassed together in the course of a long and prosperous life." Maillet, Lett. xi. p. 118. HARMER, vol. ii. p. 370. No. 919.-xii. 40. And an oxen.] Dandini seems to have been surprised to see oxen employed to carry burthens upon their backs, like camels, mules, and asses, when he was making his observations on the customs of the East at Tripoli in Syria; contrary to the old saying, Optat ephippia bos piger, optat arare caballus. It appears, however, to have been a very ancient practice. HARMER, vol. ii. p. 465. No. 920.-xvi. 36. And all the people said Amen.] This practice is of very great antiquity, and was in general use with the Jews in early times. (Vitringa de Synag. Vet. part ii. lib. 3. cap. 18.] It was also retained by them after the captivity. Neh. viii. 6. The Jewish doctors give three rules for pronouncing the word. 1. That it be not pronounced too hastily and swiftly, but with a grave and distinct voice. 2. That it be not louder than the tone of him that blessed. 3. It was to be expressed in faith, with a certain persuasion that God would bless them and hear their prayer. No. 921.-xxii. 8. Thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth.] The custom which prohibits persons polluted with blood to perform any offices of divine worship before they were purified, is so ancient and universal, that it may almost be esteemed a precept of natural religion, tending to inspire an uncommon dread and horror of bloodshed. In the case of David it amounted to a disqualification, as it respected the building of the temple. And with regard to some of the Israelites, it was the cause of the rejection of their prayers. Isaiah i. 15. The Greeks were influenced by the same principle. Euripides represents Iphigenia as arguing that it was impossible for human sacrifices to be acceptable to the gods, since they do not permit any defiled with blood, or even polluted with the touch of a dead body, to come near their altars. (Iphig. in Taur. v. 380.] Homer makes Hector say. Ill fits it me, with human gore distain'd, Virgil also makes Æneas say, POPE. II. vi. 385. Me bello è tanto digressum et cæde recenti En. ii. 717. No. 922.-xxvi. 27. Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord.] VOL. II. ་ According to the law of Moses the booty was to be divided equally, between those who were in the battle, and those who were in camp, whatever disparity there might be in the number of each party. The law farther requires, that out of that part of the spoils which was assigned to the fighting men the Lord's share should be separated: and for every five hundred men, oxen, sheep, &c. they were to take one for the high priest, as being the Lord's first-fruits, and out of the other moiety belonging to the children of Israel they were to give for every fifty men, oxen, sheep, &c. one to the Levites. Amongst the Greeks and Romans the plunder was brought together into one common stock, and divided afterwards amongst the officers and soldiers, paying some respect to their rank in the distribution. Sometimes the soldiers made a reserve of the chief part of the booty, to present by way of compliment to their respective generals. The gods were always remembered. And the priests had sufficient influence to procure them an handsome offering, and other acceptable presents. See Homer, Il. vii. 81. Eurip. Herc. Fur. 476. Virgil En. iii. 286. et. vii. 183. WILSON'S Archæol. Dict. art. BOOTY. Z |