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No. 124.-2 KINGS i. 4.

Down from that bed.

THIS expression may be illustrated by what SHAW says of the Moorish houses in Barbary (Travels, p. 209.) where, after having observed that their chambers are spacious, of the same length with the square court on the sides of which they are built, he adds, " at one end of each chamber there is a little gallery raised three, four, or five feet above the floor, with a balustrade in the front of it, with a few steps likewise leading up to it. Here they place their beds; a situation frequently alluded to in the holy scriptures, which may likewise illustrate the circumstance of Hezekiah's turning his face, when he prayed, towards the wall, (i. e. from his attendants) 2 Kings xx. 2. that the fervency of his devotion might be. the less taken notice of and observed. The like is related of Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. 4. though probably he did thus, not upon a religious account, but in order to conceal from his attendants the anguish he was in for his late disappointment.

stances.

No. 125.-iii. 11. Who poured water on the hands of Elijah.] This was a part of the service which Elisha performed to his master. We read of it in other inPITTS tells us, (p. 24.) "the table being removed, before they rise (from the ground whereon they sit) a servant, who stands attending on them with a cup of water to give them drink, steps into the middle, with a bason, or copper pot of water, somewhat like a coffeepot, and a little soap, and lets the water run upon their hands one after another, in order as they sit." Mr. HANWAY, speaking of a Persian supper, says, (Trav.

vol. i. p. 223.) “supper being now brought in, a servant presented a bason of water, and a napkin hung over his shoulders; he went to every one in the company, and poured water on their hands to wash." See also Homer Odyss. iv. 216. Virgil, Æn. i. line 705.

No. 126.—iii. 17. Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain.] Rain is often in the East preceded by a squall of wind. The editor of the Ruins of Palmyra tells us, that they seldom have rain except at the equinoxes, and that nothing could be more serene than the sky all the time he was there, except one afternoon, when there was a small shower, preceded by a whirlwind, which took up such quantities of sand from the desert as quite darkened the sky. (p. 37.) Thus Elisha told the king of Israel, ye shall not see wind nor rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water. The circumstance of the wind taking up such a quantity of sand as to darken the sky may serve to explain 1 Kings xviii. 45. The heaven was black with clouds and wind. The wind's prognosticating of rain is also referred to Prov. xxv. 14. whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, pretending to give something valuable, and disappointing the expectation, is like clouds and wind without rain.

HARMER, vol. i. p. 54.

No. 127.-iii. 25. Felled the good trees.] In times of war it was formerly very common for one party to injure the other by destroying their valuable trees. Thus the Moabites were punished, and thus the Arabs of the Holy Land still make war upon each other, burning the corn, cutting down the olive trees, &c.

HASSELQUIST, Trav. p. 143.

No. 128.-iii. 27. He took his eldest son and offered him for a burnt offering.] Sir John Shore, (now Lord

Teignmouth) in a paper concerning some extraordinary customs of the Hindoos, mentions a practice called dherna, formerly very common at Benares. "It is used by the brahmens in that city to gain a point which cannot be accomplished by any other means. The progress is as follows: the brahmen who adopts this expedient for the purpose mentioned, proceeds to the door or house of the person against whom it is directed, or wherever he may most conveniently intercept him: he there sits down in dherna, with poison, or a poignard, or some other instrument of suicide in his hand, and threatening to use it if his adversary should attempt to molest or pass him, he thus completely arrests him. In this situation the brahmen fasts, and by the rigour of the etiquette, which is rarely infringed, the unfortunate object of his arrest ought to fast also; and thus they both remain until the institutor of the dherna obtains satisfaction. In this, as he seldom makes the attempt without resolution to persevere, he rarely fails; for if the party thus arrested were to suffer the brahmen sitting in dherna to perish by hunger, the sin would for ever lie upon his head." (Asiatic Researches, vol. iv. p. 344.) This custom is there exemplified by a remarkable instance in which it was practised. The reason why the king of Moab offered his son on the wall was to represent to the attacking armies to what straits they had reduced him. If any practice of a nature similar to that of the dherna formerly prevailed, we may suppose that the king of Moab did not in this case merely implore assistance from his gods by the sacrifice of his son, but took this method of terrifying his adversaries, after his own personal valour had proved ineffectual to deliver himself and his country.

No. 129. iv. 10. A little chamber.] "To most of these houses there is a smaller one annexed, which

sometimes rises one story higher than the house; at other times it consists of one or two rooms only and a terrace, whilst others, that are built (as they frequently are) over the porch or gateway, have (if we except the ground-floor, which they have not) all the conveniences that belong to the house, properly so called. There is a door of communication from them into the gallery of the house, kept open or `shut at the discretion of the master of the family, besides another door, which opens immediately from a private staircase, down into the porch or street, without giving the least disturbance to the house. These back-houses are known by the name of olee or oleah (for the house properly so called is dar, or beet) and in them strangers are usually lodged and entertained; in them the sons of the family are permitted to keep their concubines; whither likewise the men are wont to retire from the hurry and noise of the families, to be more at leisure for meditation or diversions, besides the use they are at other times put to in serving for wardrobes and magazines.

The oleah of holy scripture, being literally the same appellation, is accordingly so rendered in the Arabic version. We may suppose it then to have been a structure of the like contrivance. The little chamber, consequently, that was built by the Shunamite for Elisha (whither, as the text instructs us, he retired at his pleasure, without breaking in upon the private affairs of the family, or being in his turn interrupted by them in his devotions;) the summer-chamber of Eglon, (which in the same manner with these, seems to have had privy stairs belonging to it, through which Ehud escaped, after he had revenged Israel upon that king of Moab ;) the chamber over the gate, (whither, for the greater privacy, king David withdrew himself to weep for Absalom ;) and that upon whose terrace Alaz, for the same

reason, erected his altars; seem to have been structures of the like nature and contrivance with these olees." SHAW's Travels, p. 280.

No. 130.—iv. 24. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, drive and go forward.] Asses were much used for riding, and Pococke tells us, (vol. i. p. 191.) that "the man, (the husband, I suppose, he means) always leads the lady's ass, and if she has a servant he goes on one side; but the ass-driver follows the man, goads on the beast, and when he is to turn, directs his head with a pole." The Shunamite, when she went to the prophet, did not desire so much attendance, but only requested her husband to send her an ass and its driver, to whom she said, Drive, and go forward.

HARMER, vol. i. p. 449.

No. 131,-vii. 10. Horses tied and asses tied.] From the circumstances recorded concerning the flight of the Syrians, it appears to have been remarkably precipitate. That they were not altogether unprepared for a hasty departure may be inferred from comparing this passage with the following extract (from Memoirs relative to Egypt, p. 300.): "As soon as the Arabs are apprehensive of an attack, they separate into several small camps, at a great distance from each other, and tie their camels to the tents, so as to be able to move off at a móment's notice." Such a precaution is not probably peculiar to the modern Arabs, but might be adopted by the Syrian army. If this was the case, it shews with what great fear God filled their minds, that though prepared as usual for a quick march, they were not able to avail themselves of the advantage, but were constrained to leave every thing behind them as a prey to their enemies.

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