" and a pipe, and an harp before them, and "they fhall prophefy. And the spirit of the "Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt

prophefy with them, and fhalt be turned "into another man." That the word Prophets oftentimes fignifies fons or scholars of the prophets, and prophefying, finging, have been often remarked; but no author, that I know of, has given any account of the nature of this proceffion, and what it was defigned for. We are fometimes told, high-places. were used for facrifices; and in one cafe, mufic, it is certain, went playing before them when they went up to worship, If. xxx, 29; but did they alfo return from facrificing with it? We are told that mufic was made ufe of by the prophets to calm and compofe them, and invite the divine influences; which is indeed very true, but is it to the purpose? Did they go forth in this manner from their college, into the noife and interruptions of the world, to call down the prophetic impulfe? But if we confider them as a company of the fons of the prophets, going in proceffion with fongs of praife, and mufic playing before them, and recollect that it is ufual at this day for young scholars to go in proceffion with acclamations, and mufic playing before them, the whole mystery feems to be unravelled. To which may be added, that Saul was to meet them, and find himself turned into another man, into a man, perhaps, that is instantaneously made as know

XXIX.

ing in the law of God, as the youth to whom they were doing these honours, or any of his convoy; which acquaintance with the laws of God was very neceffary, for one that was to judge among his brethren as their king. For this reason, the Jewish kings were to write out a copy of the law of God, and read in it continually, that they might be perfect masters of it, Deut. xvii. 18-20; which accomplishment fome youth had gained whom Saul met with, and was honoured with the folemnity the facred historian speaks of, if the customs of South-Barbary may be supposed to be explanatory of those of Judæa.

OBSERVATION XXXIX.

When the Conful whom Dr. Pococke attended entered Cairo, the Doctor tells us, that, " according to an ancient custom of ftate, a man went before and fprinkled "water on the ground to lay the duft'.

Every one knows the convenience of this practice in hot and dry countries; but I do not remember to have met with it mentioned any where else as an Eastern way of doing bonour: but if the Doctor is right here, if it was not barely a thing thought at that time convenient, but an ancient cuftom of state, the fame causes might occafion it to be used in other countries; and if it had been used in

Judæa before the time of David, in the days of the Judges and of Saul, it will explain Shimei's behaviour, and give it great energy, who, in direct oppofition to it, threw stones, and dusted him with duft in the day of that prince's affliction. He had been wont to be honoured by having people go before him to take care that the ground fhould be moiftened, and no duft raised where he was to pafs; Shimei did the reverse.

This honour is not however confined to royalty; an English Conful was thus treated: private perfons were alfo thus difhonoured, for the Jews clamoured against St. Paul in the temple, and threw duft, Acts xxii. 23.

[An obfervation Sir John Chardin has made, in his MS. note on Job ii. 12, gives a fomewhat different turn to our apprehenfions of the behaviour of Shimei, and of the Jews in the temple towards St. Paul: he fays, that in almost all the East, those who accufe a criminal, or demand juftice against him, throw duft upon him, as much as to fay, He deServes to be put under ground; and that it is a common imprecation of the Turks and Perfians, Be covered with earth, Earth be upon thy head; as we are ready to fay, I wish you four feet under ground. The Jews certainly thought St. Paul deserved to die; and Shimei might defign to declare, by what he did, that David was unworthy to live.

22 Sam. 16, 13, marg.

XXX.

I must leave it to my reader to determine which fentiment is most natural.]

OBSERVATION XL.

When d'Arvieux was in the camp of the Great Emir, his princess was vifited by other Arab princeffes. The laft that came, whofe vifit alone he defcribes, was mounted, he fays, 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 fung the praises of their mistress, and fongs which expreffed joy, and the happiness of being in the fervice of fuch a beautiful and amiable lady. Those which went first, and were more distant from her perfon, 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 princefs had gone a few paces. The Emir's wife fent her women to meet her, to whom the halter was entirely quitted, out of refpect, herown women putting themselves behind the camel; in this order they marched to the tent where fhe alighted. They then all fung together the beauty, birth, and good qualities of this princefs'.

Doth not this account illuftrate a paffage * of the Prophet Nahum, where he speaks of

Voy, dans la Pa. p. 249.

2 Ch. 2. 7.

the

the presenting the queen of Nineveh, or Nineveh itself under the figure of a queen, to her conqueror? He defcribes her as led by ber maids, with the voice of doves, with the voice of mourning that is; their wonted fongs of joy with which they used to lead her along, as the Arab women did their princefs, being turned into lamentations.

That the Prophet is fpeaking of the prefenting Huzzab to her conqueror, is vifible from the word brought up, "Huzzab fhall "be led away captive, he shall be brought up," which is the fame word in the original, as well as in our verfion, which is used for the conducting Zedekiah to the place where his conqueror held his court, 2 Kings xxv. 6, Jer. xxxix. 5.

Nor were former diftinctions altogether loft in captivity," Thou fhalt not escape out of "his hand," faid Jeremiah to Zedekiah, "thou fhalt furely be taken and delivered "into his hand. . . . . But thou fhalt die "in peace, and with the burnings of thy fa"thers, the former kings which were before "thee: fo fhall they burn odours for thee, " and they will lament thee, faying, Ah "Lord!" Jer. xxxiv. 3, 5. Though Zedekiah was to die a captive, yet fome diftinctions of royalty were to be paid him in captivity fo Huzzab was to be led by her maids into the prefence of her conqueror, as princeffes were usually led, but with the

voice