ride. There were always twenty-five or thirty worshippers scattered up and down, and on the regular worship days, several hundred. They come and go during the cool of the morning, remaining about fifteen minutes, and amounting, as I was told, on the whole to two or three thousand. Every one brings a present; often a bunch of flowers, or only a few green twigs, plucked on the way; but generally the nicest eatables ready

cooked, beautiful bunches of flowers, articles of raiment, &c. The amount of offerings here is very great. Stone vases, some of which will hold fifty or sixty gallons, stand round the pagoda, into which the devotees carefully lay their leafy plates of rice, plantains, cakes, &c. As these are successively filled, appointed persons from among the pagoda slaves* empty them into their vessels, assorting the various kinds. The beautiful flowers remain all night, and are swept out in the morning. The reproof of Jehovah to Israel by the prophet, often came strongly to my mind, as these crowds passed on with their beautiful flowers, and the finest of the fruits of the earth: She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.'† How boundless the goodness and forbearance of God! 'Will a man rob God?' Yet these rob him of tithes and offerings bestowed on their senseless images, and take his fruits of the earth to do honour to the things his soul abhors.". MALCOLM'S Travels in South-Eastern Asia, vol. i. p. 81.

PRESENTS TO PUBLIC DANCERS.

MATTHEW Xiv. 7.

"He promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask."

There are in the vicinity of the hill an hundred and fifty families of "Slaves of the Pagoda," who are not allowed to marry, except among themselves. + Hos. ii. 8.

390

SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS MUCH USED IN THE EAST.

In the East it is customary for public dancers, at festivals in great houses, to solicit from the company they have been entertaining, such rewards as the spectators may choose to bestow. These usually are small

pieces of money, which the donor sticks on the face of the performer. A favourite dancer will have her face covered with such presents. The silver charger is characteristic in this history of the beheading of John. By an ancient custom in Persia, the queen had a right, on the king's birthday, to demand of him any favour that she thought proper.

SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS MUCH USED IN THE

EAST.

JOB XXIX. 9.

"The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand

on their mouth."

SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS MUCH USED IN THE EAST. 391

PROVERBS Vi. 13.

"He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers."

xi. 21.

Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished."

MATTHEW vi. 3.

"When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.”

When the Eastern people wish to be silent, they place their hand upon their mouth to express their intentions by actions, and their sentiments by attitude. Many instances of this practice are to be found. "On our taking possession of Rosetta," (writes Monsieur Dénon,) "at an entertainment which was given, a young Greek came up to me, kissed my shoulder, and with his finger on his lips, without uttering a single syllable, slipped privately into my hand a nosegay which he had brought me. This simple demonstration completely unfolded all his sensations, and was expressive of his political situation, his fears, and his hopes."-DENON'S Travels in Egypt.

The expression, "Though hand join in hand," is in the original, hand to hand, which also agrees with the custom actually prevailing in Syria. When persons in the East greet each other, they touch their right hands respectively, and then raise them up to their lips and forehead. This is the universal Eastern .courtesy, and is used also in token of friendship and agreement. The sense therefore is, "Though hand meet hand," intimating, that heart assents to heart in the perpetration of wickedness, yet shall not the wicked go unpunished. JOWETT's Researches in Syria, &c., p. 281.

See

Mr. Jowett thus describes a common Eastern custom, on the occasion of his parting from a Samaritan priest :

"The manner," writes this gentleman, “in which the priest desired me, on parting, to express our mutual goodwill, was by an action than which there is not one more common in all the Levant. He put the forefinger of his right hand parallel to that of his left, and then rapidly rubbed them together, while I was expected to do the same, repeating the words, 'Right, right,' or, in common acceptation, Together, together.'

men.

6

It is in this manner that persons express their consent on all occasions,-on concluding a bargain, on engaging to bear one another company, and on every kind of friendly agreement, or good understanding. May not this serve to explain the phrase "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,”—that is, Let not thy heart consent to its own good thoughts with a sinful self-applause. So much is said, in the Old Testament, of speaking with the eyes, hands, and even feet, that it is scarcely understood by EnglishThey should see the expressive and innumerable gesticulations of foreigners when they converse. Many a question is answered, and many a significant remark conveyed, by even children, who learn this language much sooner than their mother-tongue. Perhaps the expression of Solomon, that the wicked man speaketh with his feet, may appear more natural when it is considered that the mode of sitting on the ground in the East brings the feet into view, nearly in the same direct line as the hands, the whole body crouching down together, and the hands, in fact, often resting upon the feet.-JOWETT's Christian Researches in Syria, &c., pp. 283, 284

SMITING ON THE MOUTH.

ACTS xxiii. 2.

"And the high-priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth."

Among Eastern nations, the shoe is always considered as vile, and to be smitten with it is the last act of ignominy. An Eastern governor, wishing to extort money from two of his subjects, demanded a large sum of them in tribute. They answered the king, that all that was due had been sent; when the latter, enraged at their refusal, commanded them to be beaten, which was done accordingly; and whenever they attempted to say anything in their own defence, they were smitten on the mouth with a shoe, the heel of which was shod with iron. MORIER's Second Journey through Persia, &c. pp. 94, 95.

TOKEN OF ENMITY.

2 KINGS iii. 19.

"Ye shall mar every good piece of land with stones." ECCLES. iii. 5.

"A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together."

It is a frequent practice in Arabia for persons to place stones on the ground of those with whom they are at variance, as a warning, that any one who dares to till that field shall be slain by them. The Israelites having conquered Moab, probably placed such stones in their best grounds, thus interdicting them from tilling them. The royal preacher's words may signify, in accordance with this ancient custom, "There is a time to give to nations with whom we have been at war, the sign of reconciliation, by removing the stones from their fields; and a time when we must still leave, or place them there, as tokens of displeasure."-HARMER'S Observations, vol. iv. pp. 392, 394.