and as those terrified creatures naturally fled to the woods for shelter, it is easy to conceive that conflagrations would often happen, which must have been peculiarly destructive." RICHARDSON's Dissert. p. 185. This circumstance reminds us of the destruction occasioned among the standing corn, the vineyards, and olives of the Philistines. In Psalm lxxxiii. 14. there is a reference to one of these fires, though arising from another cause. See also Homer, Il. ii. 455.

No. 787.--xv. 8. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter.] Setting aside the various interpretations which have been given of this expression, the Editor of Calmet's Dictionary proposes to illustrate it by the following extract: "It appears probable from the following circumstances, that the exercise of wrestling, as it is now performed by the Turks, is the very same that was anciently used in the Olympic games. For, besides the previous covering of the palæstra with sand, that the combatants might fall with more safety, they have their pellowan bashee, or master wrestler; who, like the ayavoderns of old, is to observe and superintend the jura palæstræ, and to be the um pire in all disputes. The combatants, after they are anointed all over with oil, to render their naked bodies the more slippery and less easily to be taken hold of, first of all look one another stedfastly in the face, as Diomede or Ulysses does the palladium upon antique gems. Then they run up to and retire from each other several times, using all the while a variety of antic and other postures, such as are commonly used in the course of the ensuing conflict: after this prelude they draw nearer together, and challenge each other, by clapping the palms of their hands first upon their own knees or thighs, then upon each other, and afterwards upon the palms of their respective antagonists. The

challenge being thus given, they immediately close in and struggle with each other, striving with all their strength, art, and dexterity, (which are often very extraordinary) which shall give his antagonist a fall, and become the conqueror. During these contests I have often seen their arms, legs, and thighs so twisted and linked together, that they have both fallen together, and left the victory dubious, too difficult sometimes for the pellowan bashee to decide." SHAW's Travels, p. 217.

Do not these well deserve the description of leg and thigh men, or shoulder and thigh men? The name seems to be taken from their very attitudes, and correctly to express them. If this idea be admitted, it cannot be difficult to understand the above cited expression.

No. 788.-xv. 8. And he went down, and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.] It appears that rocks are still restored to as places of security, and are even capable of sustaining a siege. So we read in De la Roque, (p. 205.) “The grand signor, wishing to seize the person of the emir, gave orders to the pacha to take him prisoner: he accordingly came in search of him, with a new army, in the district of Chouf, which is a part of mount Lebanon, wherein is the village of Gesin, and close to it the rock which served for retreat to the emir. The pacha pressed the emir so closely, that this unfortunate prince was obliged to shut himself up in the cleft of a great rock, with a small number of his officers. The pacha besieged him here several months, and was going to blow up the rock by a mine, when the emir capitulated."

No. 789.-xvi. 17. He told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head.] Pliny (Nat. Hist. lib. xii. cap. 20.) has preserved the

memory of several men remarkable for their great strength. The heathens were so well acquainted with the circumstances of Samson's history, that from it they formed the fable of Nisus the king of Megara, upon whose hair the fortune of his kingdom depended. PATRICK, in loc.

No. 790.-xvi. 19. And she made him sleep upon her knees.] Samson is here described as sleeping upon the lap of Delilah; for so the phrase of sleeping upon her knees evidently supposes. Her posture, while sitting on the cushion upon her duan, implies this very attitude of the unwary champion. So Braithwaite (Fourney to Morocco, p. 123.) mentions a favourite court lady, in whose lap the emperor constantly slept when drunk. If this custom were an usual one between intimates, as implying a kind of gallantry, we see how Delilah might thus engage Samson, without exciting in him the least suspicion of her insidious purpose. Fragments by the Editor of Calmet's Dict. No. 198.

No. 791.-xvi. 27. Now the house was full of men and women.] Some persons have asserted that no building sufficiently capacious to receive so great a number of people could be constructed, so as to rest chiefly upon two pillars. But this is a mistake; for Pliny (Nat. Hist. lib. xxxv. cap. 15.) mentions two theatres built by C. Curio, (who was killed in the civil wars on Easar's side) which were made of wood, and so exten sive as (according to his mode of writing) to hold all the Roman people. They were contrived with such art, that each of them depended upon one hinge. This caused Pliny to censure the madness of the people, who would venture into a place for their pleasure, where they sat tam infidi instabilique sede, on such an uncertain and unstable seat: for if that hinge had given

way, there had been a greater slaughter than at the battle of Cannæ. This entirely removes any imaginary difficulty, of this nature at least, from the history of Samson. See also Oriental Customs, No. 86.

No. 792,--xix. 5. Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards go your way.] "The greatest part of the people of the East eat a little morsel as soon as the day breaks. But it is very little they then eat; a little cake, or a mouthful of bread, drinking a dish or two of coffee. This is very agreeable in hot countries; in cold, people eat more." Chardin MS.

If this were customary in Judea, we are not to understand the words of the Levite's father-in-law as signifying, stay and breakfast; that is done, it seems, extremely early: but the words appear to mean, stay and dine; the other circumstances of the story perfectly agree with this account.

HARMER, vol. i. p. 356.

No. 793. xix. 9. Behold, the day groweth to an end.] It is the pitching time of the day. Marg. The term pitching, here used, undoubtedly refers to tents, and intimates that the day was so far advanced as to make it proper to pitch a tent, or to halt for the night. In the latter part of the afternoon, eastern travellers begin to look out for a proper place in which to pass the night. So it is said, in the preface to Dr. Shaw's Travels, (p. 17.) "Our constant practice was to rise at break of day, set forward with the sun, and travel till the middle of the afternoon; at which time we began to look out for the encampments of the Arabs; who, to prevent such parties as ours from living at free charges upon them, take care to pitch in woods, valleys, or places the least conspicuous.” HARMER, Vol. iii. p. 238.

No. 794-xix. 29. And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.] Interpreters say but little concerning the real views of the Levite in this transaction: they merely intimate, that it was done to excite a general indignation against the authors of the injury he had sustained. His motives certainly were good and regular. He intended to unite the whole nation in vengeance against a crime, in which it was interested: but as they might be checked in the extent of the punishment by the number, the credit, and the power of the offenders; by the natural commiseration which is felt for those who are of the same blood; or by an aversion to involve a city in destruction; he sought and seized a method which put them to the indispensable necessity of espousing his cause. The only part which he had to take was, to cut in pieces the body of his wife, which he did, or else that of an ox, or other like animal, which had been either devoted or offered in sacrifice, and to send a part of it to each tribe. In consequence of this every tribe en tered into an indissoluble engagement to see justice done him for the injury he had received. This is what the interpreters of scripture seem not to have known, and which it is necessary to explain.

The ancients had several ways of uniting themselves together by strict, ties, which lasted for a stipulated time amongst these may be noticed the sacrifice of Abraham, the circumstances of which are mentioned Gen. xv. 9, &c. Another method was, to take a bullock offered or devoted in sacrifice, cut it in pieces, and distribute it. All who had a piece of this devoted bullock were thenceforward connected, and were to concur in carrying on the affair which had given occasion for the sacrifice. But as this devoting and dividing