hawk, flitted near us: and a jackall cried mournfully, as if forsaken by his companions on the mountain."

No. 1155.-ii. 14. Flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels thereof.] Knobs or chapiters, marg. Chardin (tom. iii. p. 108.) describing the magnificent pillars that he found at Persepolis, tells us, that the storks (birds respected by the Persians) make their nests on the top of these columns with great boldness, and are in no danger of being dispossessed.

No. 1156.-ZECHARIAH i. 8.

A red horse.

THE word here translated red signifies blood-red, not any kind of bright bay, or other colour usual amongst horses. But the custom of painting or dying animals for riding, whether asses or horses, explains the nature of this description. Tavernier, (Trav. p. 111.) speaking of a city which he visited, says, "Five hundred paces from the gate of the city we met a young man of a good family, for he was attended by two servants, and rode upon an ass, the hinder part of which was painted red." And Mungo Park informs us, that the Moorish sovereign Ali always rode upon a milk-white horse, with its tail dyed red. See also Zech. vi. 2. Rev. vi. 4.

Fragments Supp. to Calmet, No. 478.

No. 1157.-iii. 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments.] It was usual, especially among the Romans, when a man was charged with a capital crime, and during his arraignment, to let down his hair, suffer his beard to grow long, to wear filthy ragged garments, and appear in a very dirty and sordid habit. Hence such were called Sordidati. When the accused person was brought into court to be tried, even his near relations, friends, and acquaintance, before the court voted, appeared with dishevelled hair, and clothed with garments foul and out of fashion, weeping, crying, and deprecating punishment. (Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. 1. iii. c. 5.) The guilty person sometimes appeared before the judges clothed in black, and his head covered with dust.

No. 1158.-iii. 8. I will bring forth my servant the

branch.] The oak was very early made an object of idolatrous worship, Isaiah i. 29. and in Greece we meet with the famous oracle of Jupiter at the oaks of Dodona. In Gaul and Britain we find the highest religious regard paid to this tree and its mistelto, under the direction of the druids. The mistelto is indeed a very extraordinary plant, not to be cultivated in the earth, but always growing upon some other tree, as upon the oak or apple. The druids, says Pliny, (Nat. Hist. lib. xvii. c. 44.) hold nothing more sacred than the mistelto, and the tree on which it is produced, provided it be the oak. They make choice of groves of oaks on their own account, nor do they perform any of their sacred rites without the leaves of those trees, so that one may suppose that they are for this reason called by a Greek etymology druids. And whatever mistelto grows on the oak, they think is sent from heaven, and is a sign of God himself's having chosen that tree. This, however, is very rarely found; but when discovered is treated with great ceremony. They call it by a name which in their language signifies "the curer of all ills :" and having duly prepared their feasts and sacrifices under the tree, they bring to it two white bulls, whose horns are then for the first time tied. The priest, dressed in a white robe, ascends the tree, and with a golden pruning-hook cuts off the mistelto, which is received in a white sagum or sheet. Then they sacrifice the victims, praying that God would bless his own gift to those on whom he has bestowed it. Is it possible, says Mr. Parkhurst, (Heb. Lex. p. 50.) for a Christian to read this account without thinking of him who was the desire of all nations, of the man whose name was the branch, who had indeed no father on earth, but came down from heaven, was given to heal all our ills, and, after being cut off through the divine counsel, was wrapped in fine linen, and laid in the sepulchre for our sakes? The mistelto was a sacred

emblem to other nations, especially to the ancient inhabitants of Italy. The golden branch of Virgil, (En. vi. l. 126.) without which no one could return from the infernal regions, seems an allusion to the mistelto.

No. 1159.-iii. 10. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree.] The people of the East not only enjoy themselves in forming parties of pleasure, which repose themselves under trees in warm weather, indulging themselves in eating and drinking there; but they frequently invite passengers to partake of their repasts. Dr. Chandler says, (Travels in Asia Minor, p.250.) "that a Greek at Philadelphia sent them a small earthen vessel full of choice wine; and that some families, who were sitting beneath some trees by a rill of water, invited them to alight, and partake of their refreshments." To something of this kind the prophet refers in this passage. HARMER, vol. iii. p. 204.

-No. 1160.-xiv. 20. The bells of the horses.] Among the heathens of the East the Sun was called Baal or Bel, from his supposed dominion over all things; whence the word came at last to denote a lord or master in general. He was considered as the author of vibratory motion, the source of musical sound; and such instruments as emit a sound by percussion were called bells, from bell, or bel, the name by which the sun was denoted among the druids.

For the above reason a bell seems in very early times to have been made a sign or symbol of victory or domi. nion. Thus, as horses were employed in war, and are celebrated in the earliest antiquity for their strength, stately port, and undaunted courage, bells became a part of their martial furniture. This custom obtained in Greece, as is evident from Aristophanes, who calls

the artificers that joined the bells to the furniture of the war-horses, xwdwropa agoпwho. Hence also, to bear the bell still signifies victory or dominion over others.

PIRIE'S Works, vol. iii. p. 202.

"The

No. 1161.xiv. 20. Bells of the horses.] finest breed of Arabian horses is in this country, and has furnished us with those we make use of for the turf. They are here chiefly articles of luxury, used only in war, or for parade. The governor has a large stud opposite the house where I live, which affords me much pleasure, as I pay them frequent visits. They are small, but finely shaped and extremely active. Of this I had an opportunity of judging yesterday, when the cavalry had a field day in the great square, which, from the mode of exercise, called to my mind the idea of our ancient tilts and tournaments. The horses were sumptuously caparisoned, being adorned with gold and silver trappings, bells hung round their necks, and rich hous. ings. The riders were in handsome Turkish dresses, with white turbans, and the whole formed to me a new and pleasing spectacle." ROOKE's Travels to the Coast of Arabia Felix, p. 82.

No. 1162. xiv. 20. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses “holiness unto the Lord."] Chardin informs us, that something like this is seen in several places of the East. In Persia, in Turkey, the reins are of silk, of the thickness of a finger, on which is wrought the name of God, or other inscriptions.

HARMER, Vol. i. p. 470.

END OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.