The bearing of a seal is a token of a high office, either by succession or deputation. Gen xli. 42. Esther viii. 2. Josephus gives several instances of this, lib. xi. cap. 6. lib. xii. cap. 14. Thus in Aristophanes, the taking away of the ring signifies the discharging of a chief magistrate.

No. 1389.-vii. 9. A great multitude-stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes.] At the feast of tabernacles they walked every day round the altar with palm-branches in their hands, singing hosannalı: during this ceremony the trumpets sounded on all sides. On the seventh day of the feast they went seven times round the altar, and this was called the great hosannah. Upon the last day of the feast they used to repeat their hosannah often, saying, for thy sake, O our creator, hosannah: For thy sake, O our redeemer, hosannah: For thy sake, O our seeker, hosannah. See the Jewish Rituals. There seems to be an allusion in these words to this custom.

No. 1390.-vii. 9. And palms in their hands.] Conquerors used to carry palm-tree branches in their hands, (A. Gell. Noct. Att. 1. iii. c. 6.) Those who conquered in the Grecian combats not only had crowns of palm-tree given them, but carried branches of it in their hands, (Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. 1. v. c. 8.) The Romans did the same in their triumphs. They sometimes wore toga palmata, a garment with the figures of palm-trees upon it, which were interwoven in it. GILL, in loc.

No. 1391.-viii. 1. There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.] Most interpreters agree, that this silence in heaven for half an hour is an allusion to the manner of the temple worship; while the priest

offered incense in the holy place, the people prayed without in silence, Luke i. 10. On the day of expiation the whole service was performed by the high-priest, to which particular service Sir I. Newton has observed an allusion. "The custom was on other days, for one of the priests to take fire from the great altar in a silver censer; but on this day, for the high-priest to take fire from the great altar in a golden censer; and when he was come down from the great altar, he took incense from one of the priests who brought it to him, and went with it to the golden altar; and while he offer, ed the incense, the people prayed without in silence; which is the silence in heaven for half an hour." (On Apoc. p. 264.)

It was usual to enjoin silence at all religious invocations amongst the heathen nations. The priest began with the known expression favete linguis, lest any words of ill omen should injure the sacrifice. See Hor. Ep. lib. iii. od. 1. Virg. Æn. lib. v. Tibull. lib. ii. el. 2.

No. 1392.-xi. 2. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles.] There was a sort of proselytes among the Jews, called strangers of the gate. These were foreigners, who did not embrace the Jewish religion, (and are therefore improperly called proselytes) yet were suffered to live among the Jews under certain restrictions; as, that they should not practise idolatry; that they should not blaspheme the God of Israel; and that they should keep the Jewish sabbath: these strangers were, moreover, permitted to worship the God of Israel in the outer court of the temple, which for that reason was called the court of the Gentiles. To this is the reference in the charge given to the angel in the passage above cited.

JENNINGS's Jewish Ant. vol. i. p. 143.

No. 1393.-xiv. 4. These are they who follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth.] It has been suggested that these words are probably an allusion to the oath taken by the Roman soldiers, part of which was, to follow their generals wherever they should lead. See 2 Sam. xv. 21. Lydii Dissert. de Jurament. c. ii. p. 258.

No. 1394.-xiv. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.] The wine of the wrath of God, and the cup of his indignation, are expressions taken from the language of the prophets. It was not only customary to treat friends with a cup of wine as a mark of affection, but to execute the sentence of death on offenders by making them drink a cup of wine, in which some strong poison had been infused. Such was the execution of Socrates by a cup of poison. Grotius seems to give a just account of the expression without mixture, that it intimates, that the poisonous ingredients were infused in pure unmixed wine, to take a stronger tincture, and become a more deadly poison. LOWMAN, in loco.

No. 1395.-xvi. 5. The angel of the waters.] Among the Jews there was an officer, who was a priest, appointed to take care of the wells, fountains, and ditches about Jerusalem, that the people might have water at the feasts: in this office was Nicodemon ben Gorion, thought to be the Nicodemus mentioned in the gospel. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that there is a reference to this person in the expression, the angel of the waters.

No. 1396.-xvi. 15. And they see his shame.] This is an allusion to the burning of the garments of those priests, who were found asleep when upon their watch in the temple. The Jewish writers give the following

account of this custom. "The man of the mountain of the house (the governor of the temple) goes round all the wards every night, with burning torches before him : and in every ward where the person does not stand upon his feet the man of the mountain of the house says to him, Peace be to thee; if he find he is asleep, he strikes him with his staff, and he has power to burn his clothes." GILL, in loc.

No. 1397.-xix. 12. He had a name written that no man knew but he himself.] Among the Hindus it never has been customary to call any prince by his proper name. This custom has been communicate to the Burmas with such strength, that it is almost impossible to learn the name of any prince during his reign. His titles only can lawfully be mentioned: and the law is enforced with such vigour, that Burmas, even in Calcutta, shudder when requested to mention the dreadful name. Nor am I satisfied. (says the writer of this article) that either Capt. Symes or I could ever procure the real name of the reigning monarch. Asiatic Researches.

No. 1398.-xix. 13. A vesture dipped in blood.] This may probably be an allusion to the vesture worn by the Roman generals, which was sometimes purple or scarlet. This was the garb in which they fought; and this circumstance is particularly recorded of Lucullus. (Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. 1. i. c. 20.)

No. 1399.-xix. 16. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written.] The modern hangings which are sent yearly from Cairo to Mecca, to place about the holy house there, as the Mohammedans reckon it, are embroidered all over with letters of gold as long, broad, and thick, as a person's finger. Thevenot, part i. p. 149.

No. 1400.-xxi. 19. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.] An extract from King's Munimenta Antiqua, vol. ii. p. 9. will clearly explain the description which St. John gives of the wall of the holy city. "The several alternate rows or courses of stone and brick, (here described) as appearing in this wall, were by the Greeks who lived in Roman times called Oεperio or Oɛɛλia, and are the kind of ornaments alluded to by St. John as being so highly beautiful, according to every one's apprehension, in his days; when in his emblematical representation of the walls of the holy city in the prophecy of the Revelation he speaks of such being formed of precious stones. The word Opeλa is in our translation of the passage very improperly rendered, as far as relates to a consistency with our modern ideas, foundations, instead of courses: and this mistranslation occasions much confusion in the minds of most persons who attempt to read the prophet's sublime description.

Nevertheless, the reason why these alternate rows of either bricks or smooth flat stones were anciently called Θεμελιοι οι Θεμελια, foundations, (though the word seems now so uncouth and unapplicable in our ears) is yet apparent enough. For whoever examines Roman walls attentively will find that most usually the broader alternate rows of rude stones, or flints, or rubble, and mortar, were evidently constructed merely by having the whole mass flung carelessly into a great caisson, or frame of wood, whose interior breadth was that of the wall; and whose depth was that of the space between the alternate rows of bricks; and whose length was sometimes more, sometimes less, just as suited convenience: and that the parts thus reared, one at the end of another, on and over each row of bricks, were united together afterwards merely by means of very small loose stones and mortar thrown into the narrow space left at the ends between