be cooks, and to be bakers.* The pretence which Amnon the son of David made use of to get his sister Tamar near him when he debauched her, was that he might eat meat at her hands,† which she dressed herself notwithstanding she was a king's daughter.

The women made wearing apparel; and their common employment was weaving stuffs, as making cloth and tapestry is now. We see in Homer the instances of Penelope, Calypso, and Circe. There are examples of it in Theocritus, Terence, and many other authors. But what appears most wonderful to me is, that this custom was still retained at Rome, among the greatest ladies, in a very corrupt age since Augustus commonly wore clothes of his wife's, sister's, and daughter's making.§ For a proof out of Scripture, it is said that Samuel's mother made him a little coat, which she brought him upon festival days; and we see the virtuous wife in the Proverbs seeking wool and flax, and laying her hands to the spindle,** and giving two suits of clothes to all her servants-tt

All this work is done under shelter, and in the house, and does not require great strength of body: for which reason the ancients did not think them fit employments for men, but left them to the women, as naturally more inclined to stay in the house, and neater, and fonder of such sort of things. And this is probably the reason why women were generally doorkeepers, even to kings. There was only one servant maid at the gate of king Ishbosheth,‡‡

* 1 Sam. viii, 13. †2 Sam. xiii, 6. Theoc. Idyll. 15, Ter. Heaut. Act. ii, Sc. 2. § Seut. Aug. 73. ||1 Sam. ii, 19. ** Prov. xxxi, 13,

and 19, and 21.

tt Here our author follows the Vulgate, which translates Prov. xxx, 21,-Omnes enim domestici ejus vestiti sunt duplicibus; and we, for all her household are clothed with scarlet; and in the margin, or double garments; for signifies either. E. F. But double clothing seems to be chiefly intended, because the clothing referred to is for a defence from the cold; in which case scarlet could avail no more than any other colour; therefore our translation is evidently improper.

Et ostiaria domûs purgans triticum obdormivit, 2 Sam. iv, 5. The reader must not expect to find this in our Bible, because the Hebrew has it not. The Vulgate took it from the Seventy. However, what our

who was busy in picking corn. And David, when he fled before Absalom, left ten women, who were his concubines, to keep his palace.* The women lived

separated from the men, and very retired, especially widows. Judith lived in this manner, shut up with her women in an apartment upon the top of the house, and so did Penelope in Homer.‡

The Israelites made great feasts and rejoicings at their weddings. They were so drest out, that David could find no fitter comparison to describe the splendour of the sun by, than that of a bridegroom. The feast lasted seven days; which we see as early as the times of the patriarchs. When Jacob complained that they had given him Leah for Rachel, Laban said to him, Fulfil the week of the marriage.§ Samson, having married a Philistine, made feasts for seven days, and the seventh day the feast ended. When young Tobias had a mind to go home, his father-inlaw pressed him to stay two weeks, doubling the usual time, because they were never to see one another again.** This is the constant tradition of the Jews, and their practice is agreeable to it.†† Whoever thoroughly studies the Song of Solomon, will find seven days plainly pointed out, to represent the first week of his marriage.‡‡

***

We see in the same Song, the friends of the bridegroom and the companions of the bride, who were always at the feast.§§ He had young men to rejoice with him, and she, young women. In the gospel, there is mention made of the bridegroom's friends, and of the virgins who went forth to meet the bride and bridegroom. He wore a crown in token of author asserts is notorious: for the women spoken of, Exod. xxxviii, 8, were probably doorkeepers, as well as those who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 1 Sam. ii, 22. Athenæus says the keepers of the king's palace in Persia were women, 1. xii, Deipnos. c. ii, and Chardin says it was so lately. And the damsel that kept the door in the gospel, John xviii, 17, every body remembers. * 2 Sam. xv, 16. † Judith viii, 4, 5. xxix, 27. || Judg. xiv, 12, &c. Pirke Aboth, cap. xvi. ‡‡ Seld. Uxor c. 28. §§ Song of Sol. v, 1. XXV, 1, &c.

E. F.

Odyss. l. i, v. 328-330. § Gen. **Tobit viii, 20. tt Cod. Talm. Heb. ii, c. 3, Buxtorf. Syn. Jud. Jud. xiv, 11. *** Matt. ix, 15.

joy, and she too,* according to the Jewish tradition. They were conducted with instruments of music, and their company carried branches of myrtle and palmtree in their hands.†

As for any thing farther, we do not find that their marriages were attended with any religious ceremo~ ny, except the prayers of the father of the family, and the standers by, to intreat the blessing of God We have examples of it in the marriage of Rebecca with Isaac, of Ruth with Boaz,§ and of Sara with Tobias. We do not see that there were any sacrifices offered upon the occasion; or that they went to the temple, or sent for the priests: all was transacted betwixt the relations and friends so that it was no more than a civil contract.

**

As to circumcision, it was really a religious act, and absolutely necessary, at that time, for all that would enter into the covenant of Abraham. But yet it was performed in private houses, without the ministry of priests or Levites. If any body of a public character was sent for, it was a sort of surgeon used to the operation, whom they called Mohel: and such sort of people the Jews have still.†† In all these ceremonies we must take care not to be imposed upon by modern pictures, as I said about clothes.

The Israelites were so far from being afraid of plenty of children, that it was what they wished for. Besides their natural inclination, they had great motives to it from the law. They knew that God, when

* Isaiah Ixi, 10. The Chaldee paraphrast renders it, as the high -priest is adorned with his vestments, that is, magnificently, which the Vulgate translates, quasi sponsum decoratum coronâ, and the Seventy in the same manner: and them our author follows, according to custom. E. F. Gen. xxiv, 60. § Ruth iv,

11.

Pirke Aboth. c. xix. Selden. c. xv.
**See Part IV, c. 1.

Tobit vii, 13.

tt mohel, a circumciser, from the Chaldee n mahal, he circumcised. When the operator has performed the act, he pronounces the following benediction: O Lord our God, the God of our fathers, strengthen this child, and preserve him to his parents; and let his name among the people of Israel be- -(here the name is first given.) Let his father rejoice and be glad for that which is descended from his loins ; and let his mother be delighted with the fruit of her womb.

he created the world, and repaired it after the deluge, had said, Increase and multiply in the earth; that he had promised Abraham a numerous posterity: in a word, that from among them was to be born the Saviour of the world; we may add to this, that they were not influenced by those sordid considerations, which cause the blessing of children to be looked on in the -present day as a misfortune.

By reason of their frugal way of life, they were at small expense in feeding them whilst they were little; and less in clothing them, for in those hot countries they often let them go naked; and when they grew up, they helped them in their work, and saved the expense of slaves or hired servants: and indeed they had but few slaves in proportion to their work. Ziba, Saul's servant, ploughed Mephibosheth's estate with his fifteen sons and twenty servants.* They were in no pain about providing for their children, since they had no fortunes to raise for them: all their ambition was to leave their children the inheritance they had received from their ancestors, better cultivated if possible, and with a larger stock upon it. As for the daughters, they never inherited but in default of male issue; they were sought in marriage more upon account of their families than their riches.

It was therefore a convenience, as well as an honour, to have a great many children. He was esteemed happy, who saw himself father of a large family, and surrounded with a great number of children, and grandchildren, always ready to receive his instructions and execute his commands, and was under no apprehension of having his name forgotten whilst his posterity subsisted. Children's children are the crown of old men,§ says the Scripture; and when it takes notice of the number of children, it is commonly in praise of their parents: as those two judges of Israel, one of whom had thirty sons, the other forty, and thirty grandsons;|| as David, nineteen of

* 2 Sam. ix, 10. Numb. xxvii, 8. Psa. cxxvii, 3, 4, 6. § Prov, xvii, 6. || Judg. x, 4. xii, 14.

whose sons are named,* besides those that he had by his concubines; Rehoboam, who had twentyeight sons and sixty daughters,† and Abia, who had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. In the same manner the poets make mention of the fifty sons of Priamus, for the Greeks had no less esteem for fruitfulness. Virginity, considered as a virtue, was at that time little known, and looked upon in the same light with sterility; and the women that died unmarried, were reckoned unfortunate. Electra, in Sophocles, bemoans herself expressly upon it, and this was the occasion of the repining of Jeptha's daughter.§ Hence, barrenness came to be a reproach to married women, as we see by Samuel's mother, and many others. This misfortune was looked upon as a curse from God.

This care for posterity was the foundation of the law that enjoined a man to marry his brother's widow, when he died without children. A law, existing in the patriarchal times, as appears by the story of Tamar:** and looked upon as a duty, that the name of the deceased might not be forgotten: and so the children were reckoned his by a sort of adoption. From hence proceed the two genealogies of Jesus Christ; one according to St. Matthew; and the other according to St. Luke.†† For thus it was found that Joseph had two fathers, one by whom he was begotten, and the other by legal adoption.‡‡ Besides, the marrying a sister-in-law was not contrary to the first law of nature, which allowed marrying even one's own sister, before God forbade it.

It was the desire of having a great number of children, that induced the Israelites to take several wives at a time which they esteemed an honour, and sign of dignity. It is thus that Isaiah, to show how much

* 1 Chron. iii, 1, &c. †2 Chron. xi, 21. 2 Chron. xiii, 21. § Judg. xi, 31. ||1 Sam. i, 2-6. ** Gen. xxxviii, 8. †† Matt. i. Luke iii. Commentators are greatly divided concerning these two genealogies. Some suppose that in St. Luke to be the genealogy of the blessed Virgin; and that Heli, said to be the father of Joseph, was only his father-in-law, being the father of Mary.