sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt: that is, the days shall come when the grapes shall not be gathered, as they were before, in a state of immaturity, for fear of Arabs or other destroying nations, but they shall be suffered to hang till the time of ploughing; so perfect shall be the security of these times.

HARMER, vol. i. p. 90.

No. 358. OBADIAH 15.

Thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

SOME of the ancients were much given to observe omens, and were greatly influenced by them. They endeavoured, if possible, to avoid what they conceived to be thus portended. "The way to avert an omen was, either to throw a stone at the thing, or to kill it out-right, if it was an ominous animal, and so the evil portended by it might fall upon its own head. If it was an unlucky speech, to retort it upon the speaker with an es neaλyv σo, tibi in caput redeat; i. e. let it fall upon thine own head: which perhaps is an expression borrowed from the 'Iɛpornoлo, who, when they espied any thing in the victim that seemed to portend any misfortune to themselves or their country, used to pray that it might εις κεφαλήν ταύτήν πρεπεθαι, be turned upon the victim's head. The like expressions are sometimes made use of in holy scripture, as in Obad. 15. and several other places. Herodotus reports, that it was an Egyptian custom, from which it is probable the Grecians derived theirs. They curse, says he, the head of the victim in this manner, that if any misfortune impended over themselves, or the country of Egypt, it might be turned upon that head." (POTTER's Archæologia Graca, vol. i. p. 346. edit. 1795.)

No. 359.-MICAH iv. 4.

They shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree.

THIS expression most probably alludes to the delightful eastern arbours, which were partly composed of vines; and the agreeable retreat which was enjoyed under them might also be found under their fig-trees. Norden expressly speaks of vine arbours as common in the Egyptian gardens, (vol. i. p. 71.) and the Prænestine pavement, in Dr. Shaw, gives us the figure of an ancient

one.

No. 360.-vii. 1. My soul desired the first ripe fruit.] The expression here made use of by the prophet may probably be understood by the assistance of a remark which Sir John Chardin has made upon this passage. He informs us, that the Persians and Turks are not only fond of almonds, plumbs, and melons in a mature state, but that they are remarkable for eating them before they are ripe. As soon as ever they approach to that state, they make use of them, the great dryness and temperature of the air preventing flatulencies.

HARMES, vol. i. p. 455.

No. 361.-NAHUM ii. 7.

And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves.

WHEN D'Arvieur was in the camp of the great emir, his princess was visited by other Arab princesses. The last that came, whose visit alone he describes, was mounted, he says, on a camel, covered with a carpet, and decked with flowers; a dozen women marched in a row before her, holding the camel's halter with one hand; they sung the praises of their mistress, and songs which expressed joy, and the happiness of being in the service of such a beautiful and amiable lady. Those which went first, and were more distinct from her person, came in their turn to the head of the camel, and took hold of the halter, which place, as being the post of honour, they quitted to others, when the princess had gone a few paces. The emir's wife sent her women to meet her, to whom the halter was intirely quitted, out of respect, her own women putting themselves behind the camel. In this order they marched to the tent, where they alighted. They then all sung together the beauty, birth, and good qualities of this princess. (Voy. dans la Pal. p. 249.)

This account illustrates these words of the prophet, wherein he speaks of the presenting of the queen of Nineveh, or Nineveh itself under the figure of a queen, to her conqueror. He describes her as led by the maids, with the voice of doves, that is, with the voice of mourning; their usual songs of joy, with which they used to lead her along, as the Arab women did their princess, being turned into lamentations.

HARMER, vol. ii. p. 110.

No. 362.-ii. 10. The faces of them all gather blackness.] Mr. Harmer considers this blackness as the effect of hunger and thirst; and Calmet (Dict. art. Obscure) refers it to a practice of bedaubing the face with soot. This proceeding, however, is not very consistent with the hurry of flight, or the terror of distress. A better elucidation of it may perhaps be obtained from the following extracts than from the preceding opinions. Kumeil, the son of Ziyad, was a man of fine wit. One day Hejage made him come before him, and reproached him, because in such a garden, and before such and such persons, whom he named to him, he had made a great many imprecations against him, saying, the Lord blacken his face, that is, fill him with shame and confusion, and wished that his neck was cut off, and his blood shed." (OCKLEY'S Hist. of the Saracens, vol. ii. p. 319.) A more recent occurrence of this nature is recorded by Mr. ANTES in his Observations on the Manners and Customs of the Egyptians, p. 125. After giving an account of the manner in which he had been used during his residence in Egypt by Osman Bey, he says, “I have sometimes been asked whether it were not possible to have such a villain chastised by the hand of justice? Whoever knows any thing of the beys and mamelucks, will readily conclude, that it cannot be done, and that it would even be dangerous to attempt it. At that time Ibrahim and Murat Bey were the most powerful among the beys. Had I complained to them, and accompanied my complaint with a present of from twenty to fifty dollars (for a smaller sum would not have answered) they might perhaps have gone so far as to have banished Osman Bey from Cairo; but they would probably in a few months have recalled him, especially had they found it necessary to strengthen their party against others. Had this bey afterwards met me in the street, my head might not have been safe. Both Ibrahim and