tion however of certain ugly rings of very large size, set with jewels, which, in truth very absurdly, it is the custom to wear fastened to one of their nostrils, like buffaloes an ancient custom however in the East, which, as we find in the holy scriptures,. prevailed among the Hebrew ladies, even in the time of Solomon. These nose rings in complaisance to me she has left off; but I have not yet been able to prevail with her cousin and her sisters to do the same. So fond are they of an old custom, be it ever so absurd, who have been long habituated to it." (VIAGGI, Tom. i. Lett. 17.) To this account may be subjoined the observation made by Chardin, as cited in Harmer (vol. ii. p. 390.) "It is the custom in almost all the East for the women to wear rings in their noses, in the left nostril, which is bored low down in the middle. These rings are of gold; and have commonly two pearls and one ruby between, placed in the ring. I never saw a girl or young woman in Arabia, or in all Persia, who did not wear a ring after this manner in her nostril."

Vide Bp. LowтH's note on Isaiah iii. 20,

No. 197.-xv. 19. The way of the slothful man is an hedge of thorns.] Hasselquist says, (p. 111.) that he saw the plantain tree, the vine, the peach, and the mulberry tree, all four made use of in Egypt to hedge about a garden: now these are all unarmed plants. This consideration throws a great energy into the words of Solomon. The way of the slothful man is an hedge of thorns. It appears as difficult to him, not only as breaking through an hedge, but even through a thorn fence: and also into that threatening of God to Israel, Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns. Hosea ii. 6.

No. 198.-xvi. 11. A just weight and balance are the LORD's, all the weights of the bag are his work.] The

Jews were required to be exact in their weights and measures, that the poor might not be defrauded. Hesychius remarks upon this point, as a reason for such great care, that what the possession of a field or house is to a wealthy man, that the measure of corn, or wine, or the weight of bread is to the poor, who have daily need of such things for the support of life. "The Jewish doctors assert, that it was a constitution of their wise men, for the preventing of all frauds in these matters, that no weights, balances, or measures, should be made of any metal, as of iron, lead, tin, (which were liable to rust, or might be bent or easily impaired,) but of marble, stone, or glass, which were less subject to be abused : and therefore the scripture speaking of the justice of God's judgments, observes, (according to the Vulgate} that they are weighed with all the stones in the bag.”

LEWIS's Origines Hebrææ, vol. iii. p. 403.

No. 199.-xvi. 14. The wrath of a king is as messengers of death.] When the enemies of a great man have gained influence enough over the prince to procure a warrant for his death, a capidgi, or executioner, is sent to him, and "shews him the order he has to carry back his head. The other takes the grand signior's order, kisses it, puts it upon his head in sign of respect, and then having performed his ablution, and said his prayers, freely gives up his head. Thus they blindly obey the grand signior's order, the servants never offering to hinder the capidgi, though he often comes with few or no attendants." (Thevenot, cap. 46.) Much the same method was used by the Jewish princes. Benaiah was the capidgi sent by Solomon to put Adonijah to death. (1 Kings ii. 25.) A capidgi in like manner beheaded John the Baptist in prison. (Matt. xiv. 10.) Great energy will then be allowed to the term messengers of death, if we understand the words, of the capidgi of the. Jewish princes. HARMER, vol. iv. p. 207.

No. 200.-xvii. 19. He that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.] The Arabs are accustomed to ride into the houses of those they design to harrass. To prevent this Thevenot tells us (Travels, part i. p. 181.) that the door of the house in which the French merchants lived at Rama was not three feet high, and that all the doors of that town are equally low. Agreeably to this account the Abbè Mariti, speaking of his admission into a monastery near Jerusalem, says, "the passage is so low that it will scarcely admit a horse; and it is shut by a gate of iron, strongly secured in the inside. As soon as we , entered, it was again made fast with various bolts and bars of iron: a precaution extremely necessary in a desert place, exposed to the incursions and insolent attacks of the Arabs." (Travels through Palestine, vol. iii. p. 37.) To exalt the gate would consequently be to court destruction.

No. 201.-xix. 24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.] The Arabs in eating their milk use no spoons. They dip their hands into the milk, which is placed in a wooden bowl before them, and sup it out of the palms of their hands. (Le Bruyn, vol. i. p. 586.) Is it not reasonable to suppose the same usage obtained among the Jews, and that Solomon refers to it, when he says, a slothful man hideth his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again? Our translators render it the bosom, but the word every where signifies a pot or dish. HARMER, vol. i. p. 289.

No. 202.-xxi. 8. The way of man is froward and strange.] This passage, according to the common interpretation, is very obscure. The original Hebrew words are used to signify a man laden with guilt and

crimes, and that his way is (not froward and strange, as in our translation,) but unsteady or continually varying ; in which expression there is a most beautiful allusion to a beast which is so overburthened that he cannot keep in the straight road, but is continually tottering and staggering, first to the right hand, and then to the left.

PARKHURST'S Heb. Lex. p. 187, 3d. edit.

No. 203.-xxi. 9. It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.] During the summer season it was usual to sleep on the tops of the houses, which were flat, and properly guarded by a parapet wall; for this purpose they were accommodated with little arbours and wicker work closets, which, however agreeable in the dry part of the year, would prove much otherwise when it rained, as it would expose them to a continual dropping. To be limited to such a place, and to have no other apartment to live in, must be very inconvenient. To such circumstances it is, probably, that Solomon alludes, when he says, it is better to dwell in a corner of the house top, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. The allusion is rendered more perfect and striking by connecting with this passage the continual dropping mentioned, Prov. xix. 13. and xxvii. 15. HARMER, vol. i. p. 172.

No. 204.-xxi. 17. He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.] Pococke, in describing his journey to Jerusalem, after his landing at Joppa, tells us, he was conveyed to an encampment of Arabs, who entertained him as well as they could, making him cakes, and bringing him fine oil of olives, in which they usually dip their bread. (Travels, vol. ii. p. 5.) This Mr. Harmer (vol. i. p. 238.) considers, not as their constant course, but as practised upon particular occasions, as the generality.

were constrained to be more frugal. This of course discovers the propriety of the words of Solomon, when he says, he that loveth wine and OIL shall not be rich.

No. 205.-xxiii. 6. An evil eye.] Whether the same ideas are to be attached to this expression as used by Solomon, and as understood by the Egyptians, may not be easily ascertained, though perhaps worthy of consideration. PocOCKE (Travels, vol. i. p. 181.) says of the Egyptians, that "they have a great notion of the magic art, have books about it, and think there is much virtue in talismans and charms: but particularly are strongly possessed with an opinion of the evil eye. When a child is commended, except you give it some blessing, if they are not very well assured of your good will, they use charms against the evil eye; and particularly when they think any ill success attends them on account of an evil eye, they throw salt into the fire.”

No. 206.-xxiii. 20. Be not among wine-bibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.] The Arabs are described by Shaw, (p. 169.) as very abstemious. They rarely diminish their flocks by using them for food, but live chiefly upon bread, milk, butter, dates, or what they receive in exchange for their wool. Their frugality is in many instances the effect of narrow circumstances; and shews with what propriety Solomon describes an expensive way of living by their frequent eating of flesh.

No. 207.―xxiv. 26. Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.] The rescripts of authority used to be kissed whether they were believed to be just or not; and the letters of people of figure were treated in this manner; but it is possible these words may refer to another custom, which D'Arvieux gives an account of in his description of the Arabs of Mount Carmel, who, when