REVELATIONS vi. 18.

"And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

[JUDGES ix. 10, 11. 1 SAM. XXX. 12. 1 CHRON. xii. 40. JER. Xxiv. 1, 2, &c. AMOS iv. 9. iii. 12. ZECH. iii. 10.]

NAH.

"The black and white boccore, or early fig, (the same we have in England) is produced in June; though the kermez, the fig properly so called, which they preserve, and make up into cakes, is rarely ripe before August. I have also seen a long dark-coloured fig, that sometimes hangs upon the trees all the winter. For the kermez, in general, continue a long time upon the tree before they fall off; whereas the boccore drop off as soon as they are ripe, and, according to the beautiful allusion of the prophet Nahum, fall into the mouth of the eater upon being shaken...... According to the quality of the preceding season, some of the more forward and vigorous trees will now and then yield a few ripe figs, six weeks or more before the full season. Something like this may be alluded to by the prophet Hosea, ix. 10.

"When the boccore draws nearer to perfection, then the summer-figs begin to be formed, though they rarely ripen before August; at which time there appears a third crop, or the winter-fig, as we may call it. This is usually of a much longer shape, and darker complexion than the other, hanging and ripening upon the tree even after the leaves are shed, and, provided the winter proves mild and temperate, is gathered as a delicious morsel in the spring.

"It is well known that the fruit of these prolific trees always precedes the leaves, and, consequently, when our Saviour saw one of them in full vigour, having leaves, he might, according to the common course of nature, very

justly look for fruit, and haply find some boccores, if not some winter figs likewise upon it."-SHAW's Barbary, vol. i. pp. 264, 265; vol. ii. pp. 149, 150.

FITCHES, OR VETCH.

ISAIAH XXviii. 27.

"The fitches are beaten out with a staff." [EZEK. iv. 9.]

The fitch is a small coarse kind of pea, hard, and not very agreeable, but nutritious; and more than once in England wild fitches have preserved thousands from starvation in time of famine. They are now cultivated chiefly as green fodder for cattle. The fitch is found wild in every country, from England to Bengal, and is very beautiful. In Judæa it was probably much cultivated as food for pigeons, who are extremely fond of it. -See Scripture Herbal, pp. 153, 154.

NIGELLA, OR BLACK SEED.

It is thought that the word rendered fitches in ISAIAH xxviii. 25, 27, should be rather the black seed of the Arabs, who strew the floor of the oven with it, and sprinkle it over the loaves. It is used by way of pepper in many eastern countries.

FLAX.

EXODUS ix. 31.

"And the flax (was) smitten...(for it) was bolled" (risen in its stalk).

JOSHUA ii. 6.

"But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.”

PROVERBS XXxi. 13.

"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."

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ISAIAH Xix. 9.

They that work in fine flax...shall be confounded."

xlii. 3.

"The smoking flax shall he not quench..."

EZEK. xl. 3.

"There was a man...with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed."

[JUDGES XV. 14. HOSEA ii. 5, 9.]

Flax is not only a most useful, but a very pretty plant. From the stalks of it linen is manufactured. In Egypt the flax stalks are exposed to the sun to dry for some days after they are gathered, as was the custom of old. There are large manufactories of flax in our own dominions. The plant grows wild almost all over Europe. Its flower is blue, and from its seeds linseed oil is extracted; the seeds boiled make the well-known linseedtea, so good for coughs; and they are also ground to be used in fomentations. The stalks are stringy, and fibrous, and form the material of linen, lawn, lace, thread, cambric, &c. After the stalks are gathered, they are drawn through a sort of comb, called a heckle, to strip them of their seeds and leaves. They are then soaked in water, to destroy the green pulp and the outer bark. Afterwards they are beaten, or else crushed with rollers, to separate the fibres from each other. After these are dried, they are drawn through a wire machine,

something like a large clothes-brush. This is in order to draw all the fibres one way, and to make them even and straight. Next, they are bleached, and at last handed over to the spinner.

The Hebrews made the wicks of their lamps of flax, and this explains the beautiful allusion, "He shall not quench the smoking flax." That is, though the flame be faint and feeble, sending forth, as it were, its expiring smoke, yet will not the merciful Redeemer put it out, but rather cherish and revive

"Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?"

MATT. ii. 11.

"And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh." [LEVIT. ii. 1, 2.]

FRANKINCENSE.

This is a precious gum, dropping naturally from a tree which grows in India, or else flowing from wounds made in the bark of the tree. This last is the finer sort. It is exported from Bombay, and is burnt still as incense in the Hindoo temples.

GALBANUM.

EXODUS XXX. 34.

"Take unto thee...galbanum."

This is a precious gum exuding from the stalks and branches of a foreign plant. Its smell, to our scent, is