"We were entertained by the Cashif here "with great marks of civility and favour: "he fent us, in return of our presents, feve"ral fheep, a good quantity of bread, eggs,

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bardacks, &c." Thefe bardacks he had described a little before", in fpeaking of a town called Kenne: "Its chief manufactory," he there tells us, "is in bardacks, "to cool and refresh their water in, by means "of which it drinks very cool and pleasant "in the hottest seasons of the year. They "make an inconceivable quantity of these, which they diftribute to Cairo, and all "other parts of Egypt. They fend them "down in great floats, confifting of many thousands, lashed together in fuch a manner as to bear the weight of feveral people "upon them. them. We purchased a good many "of them for the fancy, at fo inconfiderable a price as twenty pence an hundred; and "are really furprifed how they could make "them for it."

Here we fee earthen vessels prefented to the Doctor, and thofe of a very cheap kind, along with provisions, and this apparently because they are of great use in that country for cooling their water. Perhaps we fhall be less furprised after reading this, at the basons and earthen veffels prefented to David at Mahanaim, by fome of the great men of that part of the country, along with fheep, flour, honey, &c. 2 Sam. xvii. 28, 29.] 2 P. 339, 340.

• P. 346, 347.

OBSER

OBSERVATION IV.

But though nothing is more cuftomary in the Levant than the giving and receiving of presents, and perfons of the most exalted characters for dignity, virtue, or piety, make in common no difficulty of receiving them, there are fome inftances however of those that have refused them.

So Monf. Maillet tells us, that at the circumcifion of their children they are commonly wont to receive prefents'; neverthelefs he tells us that Ifhmael, who was Bafhaw of Egypt while he refided there, and whose only fon was circumcifed while he was in that high office, refufed to accept any presents on that occafion, (though every one, according to his refpective rank and quality, was prepared to make him a prefent, according to the Turkish custom, and though Ifhmael's expences were extremely great,) the French Conful's excepted, which he had the politenefs to receive, telling the interpreters that he had determined not to accept of any prefents, but that he could not refuse this mark of friendship from the Conful of France, for whom his was the moft fincere 2.

This was very extraordinary, Maillet says, indeed the most extraordinary thing in that folemnity, which he reprefents as one of the most pompous fpectacles in the world. What

III.

IV.

the occafion of Ishmael's departure from established ufages was, we are not told he had doubtless his reafons. Elifha alfo had his for not receiving the present brought him by Naaman, 2 Kings v. 16; who yet accepted that brought by Hazael, Ch. viii. 9. What those reasons were, we are not informed; but I dare say, that affigned by Bishop Patrick, or rather Abarbinel, was not among themthat the one presented him with filver, and gold, and raiment, and fuch like things of value, whereas the other made him a prefent of food, bread and wine, fruit and fowl, which was a fit present for the Prophet, who might be prefumed to be weary with his journey. According to oriental notions, there was no greater impropriety in accepting a prefent of filver and gold, than of provifions; it is fufficient to obferve that on fome occafions they think proper to decline presents, without having any objection to the nature of them. Secular men, in some cases, have refused them as well as the Old Prophets, but in common they are prefented to all people of diftinction.

OBSERVATION V.

When d'Arvieux attended that Arab Emir whom I mentioned under the fecond Obfervation, a veffel happened to be fhipwrecked on that coaft. The Emir perceived it from the top of the mountains, and immediately

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repaired to the shore to profit by the misfortune. Staying fome time, it grew fo late that he determined to spend the night there, under his tents, and ordered fupper to be got ready. Nothing," fays d'Arvieux, "was more easy; for every body at Tar"toura," (in the neighbourhood of which town the Emir then was,) "vyed with each "other as to the prefents they brought of "meat, fowl, game, fruit, coffee, &c." Were they not prefents of this kind that the children of Belial neglected to bring, 1 Sam. x. 27?

A band of men, we are told, whose hearts God had touched, went with Saul, when he returned home from Gibeah: what for? Doubtless to attend him in expeditions against the enemies of their country : in those expeditions the places through or near which he paffed, feem to have furnifhed him and his men with provifions, as the Arabs of Tartoura did this Emir; but fome fons of Belial, fome perverfe towns, or fome unhappily-difpofed particular perfons of wealth and figure, refufed to pay him this compliment, defpifing these efforts of his against the enemies of their country, till the affair with the Ammonites perfectly fettled his authority. Whether the refractoriness of these people was the cause or not, I am not able to say, but it seems fufficiently plain that he had difmiffed this band of men, before that exploit of his against the Ammonites, and for

fome

some time before had led a lefs public and martial life, 1 Sam. xi. 5.

In like manner Gideon, one of the judges of Ifrael, expected this fort of compliment, and met with the like infult, which he feverely punished, Judg. viii. 5, 8, 16, 17.

We are told indeed by fome commentators, and the learned Drufius is of that number, according to Pool', that it was the custom to make presents to a king when he was inaugurated; but I do not know on what authority. The remark of Vatablus however, in the fame collection, is without doubt very inaccurate, who, upon the Chaldee paraphraft's giving this fenfe of this claufe, they came not to falute him, fays, this ought to be understood of the firft falutation, which was not to be unattended with prefents. Things must have been very different in the Eaft anciently, from what they are now, if every vifit did not require an acknowledgment of this kind.

As to the ground of the complaint then that they brought him no prefent, I fubmit it to the reader to determine which is the most natural fuppofition, whether that of those who imagine, the complaint relates to some perfons omitting to make him a visit of congratulation, as the Chaldee paraphraft feems to think; or of those who apprehend, it refers to the neglect of accommodating 1 Vide Poli Syn in Loc.