It is highly probable that this was a general practice with idolaters, who, supposing themselves secure of the favour and protection of their deities, concluded that their enemies must necessarily be the objects of their displeasure and vengeance. Hence, anticipating the certainty of divine wrath upon them, they cursed and devoted them to destruction. So did the Philistine act towards David. And so the Romans used to do, saying, Dii deæque te perdant. No. 822.-xvii. 44. And the Philistine said to David, come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field.] This mode of speaking and challenging was very common with the Orientals. Homer gives the same haughty air to his heroes; and it was doubtless a copy of the manners and hyperbolical speeches of the times. Thus he makes one say to another: Bold as thou art, too prodigal of breath, Il. ii. 107. No. 823.-xvii. 45. I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts.] The decision of national controversies by the duels of the chiefs was frequent in ancient times. That between the Horatii and Curiatii is well known : and even before that, Romulus, and Aruns king of the Ceninenses, ended their national quarrel by the like method; Romulus killing his adversary, taking his capital, and dedicating the spoils to Jupiter Feretrius. (Val. Max. 1. viii. c. 2. § 3.) CHANDLER'S Life of David, vol. i. p. 70. note. No. 824.-xvii. 49. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead.] The dexterity with which the sling may be used as an offensive weapon is surpris ing. It evidently appears in the conflict between David and Goliath, and may be confirmed by the following citation. "The arms which the Achæans chiefly used were slings. They were trained to the art from their infancy, by slinging from a great distance at a circular mark of a moderate circumference. By long practice they took so nice an aim, that they were sure to hit their enemies not only on the head, but on any part of the face they chose. Their slings were of a different kind from the Balearians, whom they far surpassed in dexterity." Polyb. p. 125. No. 825.—xvii. 51. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him and cut off his head therewith.] Niebuhr presents us with a very similar scene in his Descript. De l'Arabie, p. 263. where the son of an Arab chief kills his father's enemy and rival, and, according to the custom of the Arabs, cuts off his head, and carries it in triumph to his father. In a note he adds, "cutting off the head of a slain enemy, and carrying it in triumph, is an ancient custom." Xenophon remarks that it was practised by the Chalybes, (Retreat of the ten thousand, lib. iv.) Herodotus attributes it to the Scythians, lib. iv. cap. 60. No. 826.-xviii. 3. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant.] Various ceremonies have been used on these occasions. When treaties were made, either of a private or public nature, such usages were observed as were of established authority, or significantly important. The Scythians had a peculiar method of forming their treaties. Herodotus (1. iv. c. 70.) relates that they first poured wine into a large earthen vessel, and then the contracting parties, cutting their arms with a knife, let some of their blood run into the wine, and stained likewise their armour therewith. After which they themselves, and all that were present, drank of that liquor, making the strongest imprecations against the person that should violate the treaty. No. 827.-xviii. 4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David.] We read in Tavernier (p. 43.) of a nazar, whose virtue and behaviour so pleased a king of Persia, after being put to the test, that he caused himself to be disapparelled, and gave his habit to the nazar, which is the greatest honour that a king of Persia can bestow on a subject. See also Rom. xiii. 14. Ephes. iv. 24. Col. iii. 10. No. 828.-xviii. 4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.] It was anciently a custom to make such military presents as these to brave adventurers. Besides the present instance of the kind, two others may be quoted: the first is from Homer: Next him Ulysses took a shining sword, A bow and quiver, with bright arrows stor❜d: Il. x. 307. POPE. The other is from Virgil, in the story of Nisus and Euryalus. Euryalus phaleras Rhamnetis, et aurea bullis, &c. Nor did his eyes less longingly behold En. ix. 359. The girdle belt, with nails of burnish'd gold; This present Cædicus the rich bestow'd On Romulus, when friendship first they vow'd, He dying, to his heir bequeath'd the prize; DRYDEN. In No. 829.-xviii. 4. And to his girdle.] To ratify the covenant which Jonathan made with David, amongst other things, he gave him his girdle. This was a token of the greatest confidence and affection. some cases it was considered as an act of adoption. Agreeably to this Pitts informs us, (Travels, p. 217.) "I was bought by an old bachelor; I wanted nothing with him; meat, drink, and clothes, and money, I had enough. After I had lived with him about a year, he made his pilgrimage to Mecca, and carried me with him. But before we came to Alexandria, he was taken sick, and thinking verily he should die, having a woven girdle about his middle, under his sash, in which was much gold, and also my letter of freedom, (which he intended to give me when at Mecca,) he took it off, and bid me put it on about me, and took my girdle, and put it on himself." No. 830.-xviii. 6. The women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul.] It was customary for women to celebrate the praises of God in public on remarkable occasions. See Exod. xv. 20, 21. No. 831.-xviii. 6. And it came to pass, as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul.] The dancing and playing on instruments of music before R persons of distinction, when they pass near the dwellingplaces of such as are engaged in country business, still continues in the East. This was practised by some persons in compliment to the Baron Du Tott. He says (Memoirs, part iv. p. 131.) "I took care to cover my escort with my small troop of Europeans; and we continued to march on in this order, which had no very hostile appearance, when we perceived a motion in the enemy's camp, from which several of the Turcomen advanced to meet us: and I soon had the musicians of the different hordes playing and dancing before me, all the time we were passing by the side of their camp.' HARMER, vol. iii. p. 292. No. 832.-xviii. 25. And Saul said, thus shall ye say to David, the king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged on his enemies.] The custom has prevailed in later times in some countries, to give their daughters in marriage to the most valiant men, or those who should bring them so many heads of their enemies. Alex. ab. Alexandro (lib. i. cap. 24.) reports of a people in Carmania, that if any were desirous to marry, it was necessary that he should first bring the king the head of an enemy. The Roman custom on this point differed from the Hebrew, the former requiring the wife to bring a portion to the husband, that he might be able to bear the charges of matrimony more equally. PATRICK, in loc. No. 833.-xix. 13. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for its bolster.] A kind of net of goats' hair placed before the teraphim is what is here meant. Such a net Dr. Shaw (Travels, p. 221, 2d edit.) says is "a close curtain of gauze or fine linen, used all over the East by people of better fashion, to keep out the flies." That |