of frogs. The lake supplies the whole country with leeches; which are gathered by men wading in, and letting the leeches fasten themselves upon their legs. The ground along the margin is mostly without reeds or rushes, and is covered with small black volcanic stones. The shores and sides of the water exhibit everywhere small, glistening, black crystals, resembling hornblende."

แ

Young eagles" (ver. 17); see under Levit. xi. 13.

"Conies"

(ver. 26); under Psalm civ. 18. "The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces" (ver. 28). The species alluded to is the house spider (Aranea domestica), which weaves a close and almost horizontal web in the corners of chambers. At the point furthest from the margin which does not touch the wall, a hollow tube of net is woven. In this the spider lurks as it watches for its prey. This is the "meshy fortress" in which the spider

Greyhound," Heb. zarzir mothnayim. The name points to an animal noted for the narrowness of its loins. The greyhound answers better to this description than any other animal. It is moreover, as here, noted for its speed. The greyhound is represented on the sculptures of Egypt. "He-goat," tayish. The name is derived from a root signifying "to strike." "to strike." It occurs also Gen. xxx. 35, xxxii. 14; 2 Chron. xvii. 11.

The comparison of the wringing of the nose to the churning of butter (ver. 33), is much more expressive when regarded in the light of the habits of the East. "What," asks one as he looked on the process of butter-making, "are these women kneading and shaking so zealously in that large black bag, suspended from this three-legged crotch? That is a bottle, not a bag, made by stripping off entire the skin of a young buffalo. It is full of milk, and that is their way of churning. When the butter has come,' they take it out, boil or melt it, and then put it in bottles made of goats' skins. In winter it resembles candied honey; in summer it is mere oil. This is the only kind of butter we have. Do you mean to say that our cooking is done with this filthy preparation? Certainly; and this Hûleh butter is the best in the country. Some of the farmers have learned to make our kind of butter, but it soon becomes rancid, and indeed it is never good. I believe it is always so; and thus, too, I suppose, they made butter in olden times. Solomon says, 'Surely the churning of milk bringeth

forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood.' But the word for 'churning' and 'wringing' is the same in the Hebrew. It is the wringing of milk that bringeth forth butter, just as these women are squeezing and wringing this milk in the bottle.' There is no analogy between our mode of churning and pulling a man's nose until the blood comes, but in this Arab operation the comparison is quite natural and emphatic. The Arab translation of this proverb is curious, and very far from the original: 'He that wrings the dug violently that he may bring out milk, brings forth butter; and he who milks harder still will bring out blood.'"

Mark xv. 23.
The virtuous

Strong drink" (xxxi. 4, 6); see under Numb. vi. 3; "Clothed with scarlet" (ver. 21); under Josh. ii. 18. woman's clothing is not only comfortable, but in material and colour it distinguishes her above others; "her clothing is of silk and purple." "Silk," Heb. shesh, has already been referred to, when noticing the royal vestures of Joseph (Gen. xli. 42). Three meanings have been attached to the scriptural use of this word: fine linen (Exod. xxvi. 1); marble (Esth. i. 6); and silk, as here. Another rendering has been proposed. It is alleged that most likely cotton is referred to under this name. Special notice has been taken of the varied use of the word under Gen. xli. 42, which see. The cotton plant (Gossypium) belongs to the natural order Malvacea, or mallow family. It has been shown (1 Chron. iv. 21) that cotton is indigenous in India, and now very widely distributed. Herodotus names it among the rare and characteristic productions of India. "Certain wild trees there," he says, "bear wool instead of fruit, that in beauty and quality excels that of sheep; and the Indians make their clothing from these" (iii. 106). The value of this remark is evident. Egypt was at one period noted for its growth of cotton; but had this plant flourished in Egypt at the time of the Greek historian, he would not have failed to notice it, especially as he has particularly referred to linen. Assuming the date of the visit of Herodotus as about 440 B.C., it is not likely that a people so tenacious of old customs and so watchful over art as were the ancient Egyptians, would have lost sight of the cotton plant, and the art of manufacturing the cotton wool-the hairs which surround the seeds-if these had been known when Joseph was grand vizier of Egypt, 1715 B.C. These considerations make it not the least probable that shesh, here rendered "silk," and in Gen. xli. 42, "fine linen," meant cotton.

The old Greek historian makes another statement which helps us to limit the meaning of this word (shesh) still further. Referring to the

Egyptians, he says:- "They are of all men the most excessively attentive to the worship of the gods, and observe the following ceremonies. They drink from cups of brass, which they scour every day; nor is this custom practised by some and neglected by others, but all do it. They wear linen garments, constantly fresh washed, and they pay particular attention to this. They are circumcised for the sake of cleanliness, thinking it better to be clean than handsome. The priests shave their whole body every third day, that neither lice nor any other impurity may be found upon them when engaged in the service of the gods. The priests wear linen only, and shoes of byblus, and are not permitted to wear any other garments, or other shoes. They wash themselves in cold water twice every day, and twice every night; and, in a word, they use a number of ceremonies" (ii. 37). Jewish and Hindoo priests were likewise ordered to wear linen garments. It is, however, to be kept in mind, that the passage now under notice plainly points to expensive garments. These may have been of fine linen (most likely they were), and yet so high-priced as to distinguish the prudence and industry of the woman who possessed them. The linen of ancient Egypt, with which we have become acquainted chiefly through the wrappings of mummies, is generally coarse and thick. It would not answer either the description of Joseph's vestures or of the silk of the virtuous woman. But some of it was exceedingly fine, and would suit both purposes. Sir G. Wilkinson has in his possession a piece which gives five hundred and forty threads to the inch-two hundred and seventy double threads in the warp, and one hundred and ten in the woof. It was sometimes made so fine as to be almost transparent. Such as this, no doubt, constituted the fine linen of which Joseph's vestures and the clothing of the virtuous woman were made.

It is, notwithstanding, highly probable that the Hebrews, in the later period of Old Testament history, were acquainted with cotton (1 Chron. iv. 21). But it does not appear to have been introduced from Egypt. It is more likely that Egypt obtained both the plant and the knowledge of the art of manufacturing it through Palestine. It would reach Syria from India. From India it would pass into Egypt, carried thither by the merchants of Tyre. See also under 1 Chron. iv. 21.

ECCLESIASTES.

HE Hebrew title is Koheleth, or "The Preacher." The book contains pictures of two great phases of Solomon's spiritual life, and a full statement of his views on men and things. In chapter i., verses 5-7, he likens the prevailing unrest among men to the constant changing of the wind. The present generation is but for a day, as the light of the sun is. Men die, and others take their places. After night comes the morning and the returning sun. The well known laws of evaporation supply another figure. The clouds receive their supply of moisture from sea, and lake, and river. But the moisture is not retained. It hastens down again to water the earth, to supply the rivers, to find its way to the ocean. "All things are full of labour," is the cry: "man cannot utter it."

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour" (x. 1). The verb here is singular; its nominative is plural. This is designed to show that any one of the flies is sufficient to corrupt the precious ointment. Even a little folly may destroy a great name for "wisdom and honour."

"Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days" (xi. 1). "Only believe." Keep not even back thy daily food, if God ask it for himself in his people or his cause. The widow of Zarephath trusted, and her barrel of meal and cruise of oil wasted not. Keep not back thine energies. The use of them often may seem like the act of the Egyptian husbandman in the eye of a stranger, when he casts precious seed into the slimy mud of the Nile valley. But does not he reap abundant harvests? The "bread" here, is the "bread corn" of Isaiah xxviii. 28-which see.

Another striking feature in this portrait is brought out by the expression-"The almond-tree shall flourish." The tree here mentioned is the common almond-tree (Heb. shaked), the Amygdalus communis of botanists, to which reference has already been made under Genesis xliii. 11, where its fruit is named as part of the present sent by Jacob to the governor of Egypt, when his sons went down a second time to buy corn. This tree is ranked under the natural order Rosacea, or

rose family, and gives its name to an important sub-section, the Amygdaleæ, noted for their drupaceous or flesh-covered fruit, and for several highly poisonous substances extracted from them. The leaves, flowers, and fruit of most yield prussic acid. The plum (Prunus) and the cherry (Cerasus) are classed with the almond (Amygdalus) in this subsection. The almond-tree is a native of Northern Africa, and abounds also in Asia. It is of frequent occurrence in Palestine, where at the present day it is cultivated for the sake of its fruit, which is sent to Europe under the name "Jordan almonds."

Fig. 132.

This figure-"The almondtree shall flourish "-has been almost universally held to point to the hoary head of age. Some, however, have thought that a different turn should be given to the expression. The blossoms of the almond-tree, it is alleged, are not white, but pinkish, or even rose-coloured. It is concluded from this, that the expression is not to be regarded as containing another feature of old age, but as indicating that all the features named will as surely hasten to characterize the evil days, as the almond blossoms do to meet the opening spring and to anticipate the coming summer. The literal meaning of shaked is "the watcher." Thus-"Like as I have watched (shakad) over them," &c. (Jer. xxxi. 28.) But if the original meaning of the word is to be attached to it in this picture of old age, the distinctive character of the figure ceases. Any other tree might, with equal appropriateness, have been used. Whatever the import of the figure may be, we are to seek its fitness in some outstanding resemblance to one of the marks of old age. The idea of wakeful watching is associated with the almond-tree in Jer. i. 11-which see. Like other emblems