bridle, Friend,' said he' come and wash thy feet, and eat bread at my house. Thou art a stranger; and since I have met thee upon the road, never refuse me the favour which I desire of thee.' The invitation of the old man was so like the custom of the people in ancient times, of which we read so many examples in Scripture, that we could not choose but go along with him to his house, where he feasted us in the best manner he could, giving us, over and above, barley for our horses; and for us he killed a lamb and some hens. He was an inhabitant of Anna. ..

"We met a young man of a good family, for he was attended by two servants, and rode upon an ass....After some compliments that passed,' Is it possible,' said he, 'that I should meet a stranger, and have nothing to present him withal?' He would fain have carried us to a house in the country, whither he was going; but, seeing we were resolved to keep our way, he would needs give me his pipe, notwithstanding all the excuses I could make, and though I told him that I never took any tobacco; so that I was constrained to accept it."TAVERNIER'S Travels, p. 111.

"We entered into the first (village) we came to, to pass the night there. It was the priest of the place who wished to receive us : he gave us a supper under the trees before his little dwelling. As we were at table there came by a stranger wearing a white turban, who, after having saluted the company, sat himself down to the table without ceremony, ate with us during some time, and thus went away, repeating several times the name of God. They told us it was some traveller who, no doubt, stood in need of refreshment, and who had profited by the opportunity, according to the custom of the East, which is to exercise hospitality at all times, and toward all persons."-DE LA ROQUE.

The conduct of Gideon perfectly agrees with the present Arab customs, and is explained by them. Dr. Shaw observes in his preface, "Besides a bowl of milk,

and a basket of figs, raisins, or dates, which upon our arrival were presented to us to stay our appetites, the master of the tent where we lodged fetched us from his flock, according to the number of our company, a kid or a goat, a lamb or a sheep, half of which was immediately seethed by his wife, and served up with cuscacoe; the rest was made kab-ab, that is, cut into pieces and roasted, which we reserved for our breakfast or dinner next day." Probably Gideon presented some slight refreshment to his heavenly guest, and desired him to stay till he could provide something more substantial. He then killed a kid, seethed a part of it, made kab-ab of another part, and, when it was ready, brought the stewed meat (or broth) in a pot, with unleavened cakes of bread which he had baked; and the kab-ab in a basket, for the stranger to carry with him, for some after-repast in his journey. See HARMER'S Observations, vol. ii. pp. 88, 89.

DAVID AND MEPHIBOSHETH.

2 SAM. ix. 1-7.

"And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?... And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet....And David said unto (Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan).. Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually."

Mr. Morier mentions that at an entertainment given by one of the chief men of the state, in Persia, “An old man, a descendant of one of the ancient royal families of Persia, took his seat next to the host. Although needy, and without power, he is always treated with the greatest respect. He receives a daily allowance from the king, which makes his case resemble that of Jehoiachim, for his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate, ... all the days of

his life.' This treatment is in the true spirit of Eastern hospitality. Giving to this person a high rank in society is illustrative of the precedence given to Jehoiachim, by setting his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon."" (2 Kings xxv. 28, 30.)

HOSPITALITY TO THE POOR IN EGYPT.

LUKE xiv. 13.

"When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind."

Dr. Pococke describes a great feast made by the governor of an Egyptian village, in which "the custom was for every one, when he had done, to get up, wash his hands, take a draught of water, and so in a continued succession till the poor came in and ate up all; for the Arabs never set anything by, which is brought to table. When they kill a sheep they dress it, and call in their neighbours and the poor, and finish everything." The same writer informs us "that an Arab prince will often dine in the street before his door, and call to all that pass, even beggars, in the usual expression of Bismillah, that is, in the name of God; who come and sit down, and when they have done, retire with the usual form of returning thanks."--See PocoCKE's Travels, vol. i. pp. 57, 182.

INVITATIONS-ARAB INVITATION-SINGULAR AND ANCIENT CUSTOM-ILLUSTRATION OF ZECH. iii. 10-"COME, FOR ALL THINGS ARE NOW READY"-ATTITUDE AT TABLE-SCENE IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER, ETC.-MANNER OF EATINGEGYPTIAN MEALS-CHIEF PLACES AT FEASTS-GOVERNOR OF THE FEAST - PORTIONS SENT FROM THE TABLES OF GREAT MEN-WAITING AT TABLE-REPASTS ON THE SEA-SHOREPERSIAN INTEMPERANCE.

ARAB INVITATIONS.

JOB XXXi. 17.

"Or have eaten my morsel myself alone.."

Ps. xli. 9.

"Yea, mine own familiar friend, whom I trusted,

which did eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me."

...

When travelling in the deserts of Arabia, "No sooner," writes Dr. Shaw, 66 was our food prepared, whether it was potted flesh, red pottage, ... or unleavened cakes served up with oil or honey, than one of the Arabs (not to eat his morsel alone), after having placed himself upon the highest spot of ground in the neighbourhood, calls out thrice, with a loud voice, to all his brethren, sons of the faithful, to come and partake of it, though none of them were in view, or perhaps within a hundred miles of us."-DR. SHAW's Preface.

"When a Bedouin sheikh eats bread with strangers, they may trust his fidelity and depend on his protection. A traveller will therefore do well to take an early opportunity of securing the friendship of his guide by a meal." -NIEBUHR.

SINGULAR CUSTOM.

PROVERBS ix. 2-5.

"(Wisdom) hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens; she crieth upon the highest places of the city. Whoso is simple let him turn in hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled."

The following singular custom was witnessed by a traveller in Egypt. A number of women, went about inviting people to a banquet, in a curious and, without doubt, very ancient manner. They were about ten or twelve, covered with black veils, as is customary in that country. Four eunuchs walked before them; after them, and beside them, were Moors with walking-staves. As they went along, they all joined in making a noise, the sound of which was so peculiar, that no idea could be given of