/VA-i

THE
TRUTH OF REVELATION,
DEMONSTRATED BY AN APPEAL, TO EXISTING MONUMENTS,
SCULPTURES, GEMS, COINS, AND MEDALS.

=5>

xauiaiiorC"

%'-',-;

^^y /'////>//. ///y//,r '•//////. st'y/Aw/y /r"

lEXL^TESG MOJTOMEWTS, SClJLPTTORESi '
. GEMS, COIN'S anu MEDALS.
SF vTOJTAT MtTRILATr,, F.S,A.3F.Z«S '. F.G.S '.

VERA SALVATORIS NOSTRI EFFIGIES ad i
I'MGINIS SM«RA&PO INCISA1 IVSSV TI9ERII CAESARIS
(JVO SMAflAGDO POSTEA EX THESAVRO COMSTANTI NOP0L1TAFX0
TVHCARVM IMPERATOR INNOCENTIVM V|l|,pONT MAX ROM.
DONAVIT PRO REOIMENOO FRATRE CHRISTIAfllS CAPTtVQ.

zo^rii ow.

1840.

THE

TRUTH OF REVELATION,

DEMONSTRATED BY

AN APPEAL TO EXISTING MONUMENTS,
SCULPTURES, GEMS, COINS, AND MEDALS.

JOHN MURRAY, F.S.A. F.L.S. F.G.S.

SECOND EDITION.

"religio vicisti! " — From an antique gem.

LONDON:
WILLIAM SMITH, 113, FLEET STREET.
SOUTHAMPTON: FLETCHER & SON.
MDCCCXL.

FLETCHER AND SON PRINTERS, SOUTHAMPTON.

TO
HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY,
THIS VOLUME IS, BY PERMISSION,
VERY HUMBLY DEDICATED ;
BY HER MAJESTY'S DUTIFUL AND LOYAL SUBJECT,
AND SERVANT, THE AUTHOR.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE
GENERAL REMARKS ON ATHEISM  29
CHAPTER II.
MEMORIALS OF EVIDENCE IN LIVING MONUMENTS  PERMA
NENCE OF NATURAL PHENOMENA  39
CHAPTER III.
EXISTING MONUMENTS IN TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES  JUDI
CIAL MONUMENTS  57
CHAPTER IV.
THE NECESSITY OF REVELATION  THE CONDITION OF MAN
WITHOUT REVELATION, AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE PAGAN
WORLD  WHAT IS EXCELLENT IN OTHER SYSTEMS DERIVED
FROM THE SACRED WRITINGS  89
CHAPTER V.
THE SACRED HISTORY OF CREATION  CHRONOLOGY  THE
GEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT  112
CHAPTER VI.
EGYPTIAN AND INDIAN CHRONOLOGY  148
CHAPTER VII.
THE FALL OF MAN  THE MYTHOLOGY OF PAGANISM ,. 174

TABLE OP CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII. PAGE
THE DELUGE  PAGAN TRADITION  GEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE 
NATURAL CHRONOMETERS  203
CHAPTER IX,
THE DISPERSION  THE TOWER OF BABEL  223
CHAPTER X.
THE CALL OF ABRAHAM  BIRTH OF MOSES  EXODE AND
PILGRIMAGE . ,  249
CHAPTER XI.
TABLES OF STONE  ELEVATION OF THB BRAZEN SERPENT 
THE SAMARITANS  273
CHAPTER XII.
SHIBBOLETH  SAMSON  BROOK ELAH  CAPTIVITY OF THE
TEN TRIBES BY SHALMANESER  THB INVASION BY SHISHAK
KING OF EGYPT  DANIEL  294
CHAPTER XIII.
REMARKS ON MIRACLES  THE SACRED CODE OF THE JEWS
— RETROSPECT  THE EVE OF CHRISTIANITY  308
CHAPTER XIV.
THE ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH  THE DIVINITY OF JESUS
CHRIST  THB CRUCIFIXION  326
CHAPTER XV.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES  THE
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS VESPASIAN 
CONCLUSION  361

ADVERTISEMENT.

Nothing can be better calculated to awaken or arrest
attention, and satisfy the understanding, than the
consideration of the multifarious evidences by which
the Truth of Revelation is confirmed. It comes
recommended by such credentials as are altogether
irresistible, except by fitful obstinacy, or wilful blind
ness ; for integrity and honesty must ever welcome the
heavenly guest.
The wonderful variety of these evidences, seems
adapted to meet every phase of the human intellect,
and every change of the mind. "" The powers of
darkness" have combined with the evil passions of
men to find ' a flaw in the indictment ' which con
demned them, but they have failed in the attempt.
Every new discovery in the region of archeology has
been pounced upon at the moment of its announcement,
with an avidity worthy of a better cause. The Planis
phere of Dendera and the Table of Abydos, are recent

VI

and memorable examples, but extended and more
profound researches have at length reduced them to
their legitimate standard, and they have been finally
compelled to ' do obeisance ' to the chronology of the
venerable Book of Truth.
I have selected and insulated a section of evidence
which has not hitherto had that prominence assigned
to it, to which its intrinsic merits entitle it. The
evidence seems to me so tangible and incontrovertible,
as to leave supercilious infidelity no plea or covert ; for
fact unmasks sophistry, and error must wane before
the light of truth.
Philology and physiology have been arrayed against
the scriptures, literature and science have risen in
rebellion, and cosmogony and archeology have been
in conflict with revelation. Has this heavenly plant
been uprooted by the hurricane of opposition, or the
'branch of renown' been withered by the blast?
Oh ! no. The rose-bud of immortality has only risen
lovelier from the wave, and a heavenly dove has borne
the olive branch to the christian victor. The enemies
of sacred truth have, by an overruling providence,
been often converted into friends, and both literature
and science become tributaries to the glorious cause of
everlasting verities.
Sophistry and satire— ' the great men and the

vn

mighty men,' — 'thrones and dominions,' — princes and
potentates have been leagued against the cause of
Christianity, — 'persecuting even to death.' Has the
vestal fire of religion been thereby extinguished"? No ;
• — it still glows, bright and beautiful, on the altar of
revelation. Has this vital principle been extinguished
by 'principalities and powers?' No. Its type and
image is found in the mystic figure, clothed with
power, and seated on the ' white horse,' — the Truth
of Revelation 'goes forth, conquering and to conquer.'
The fires of persecution have not destroyed this
immortal germ ; ' as great floods cannot drown it,' so
its omnipotent author has said of it, ' when thou goest
through the fire, I will be with thee :' like a phoenix
it has sprung from its ashes. The history of the
Church of Christ is shaddowed forth in the bush that
burned, but was not consumed, — reason and reflection
may well ' turn aside, and see this great sight,' for the
type of the mighty consummation was adumbrated at
Horeb, — ' the mount of God.'
' Persecuted, but not forsaken,' ' cast down, but not
destroyed,' it stands forth in sublime relief in the
annals of the world ; its plastic power has transformed
the lion into the lamb, while a former foe becomes an
active and a zealous friend to that faith he "once
laboured to destroy." The christian is ever safe, for

VHI
to him is given a " white stone," infinitely richer than
the " oriental jasper" of the 'great lama,' — there is on
it a 'new name' which time cannot deface, and is
imperishable as eternity ; — it is his talisman in time ;
his passport to heaven. The existence of Christianity
is the miracle of miracles, — the wonder of tbe world ;
— a monument of heaven, gilded by the rays of the
' sun of righteousness.'
From previous remarks it may be inferred, therefore,
that the class of evidence for the Truth of Revelation,
unfolded in the sequel, appears to me more striking
and novel than many others ; and it seems to me also
to be of a character well adapted to the present gene
ration, restless and clamorous about " something new,"
as were the Athenians eighteen centuries ago. Modern
discoveries seem to have intoxicated the mind, and
reeling in its own assumed consequence, it may be
heard to mutter — " Who is the Lord that I should
serve him?" This is a condition of the mind but
little adapted for the reception of the sober realities
of truth, which speak to the understanding; and
my object is to prove that genuine science gives no
countenance to such unnatural whims and fancies — ¦
such abortions of the brain. I readily grant that
"the natural man is at enmity with God," a truth
as demonstrative as any other proposition ; — all that I

IX
mean to assert is, that literature and science, in their
native excellency, disown such an illegitimate offspring.
I trust, also, that the fruits of our present enquiry
may, in some measure, meet the urgent call of the
human intellect, which declares, in these bold times,
that it can be satisfied with nothing less than the
stern and uncompromising scrutiny of inductive truth ¦
and such a test is here propounded.
To books generally which refer to the Prophecies, I
have no friendly feeling ; and unless much caution and
rare discrimination be exercised, the question may
sustain a serious injury. To rend rudely the curtain
which veils the councils of heaven in the vista of
futurity, in my apprehension, savours not a little of
impiety. " Secret things belong to God ; those that
are revealed, belong to us and to our children." These
remarks are made by way of apology, for having long
neglected the perusal of Keith's excellent work on
Prophecies fulfilled. It is a most judicious compen
dium, wherein the enlightened researches of modern
travellers are adduced, and turned to good account.
These existing monuments most powerfully and satis
factorily speak for themselves, and^ demonstrate the
Truth of Revelation in language which no sophistry
can evade. It is not akin to the labours of many of
the seers and interpreters of modern times ; it takes

more substantial ground ; — to my mind it is conclusive,
and calculated to produce conviction in every honest
heart. It is indeed demonstration, and must hurl
atheism itself from its impious throne, for surely none
but Jehovah, who "sees the end from the beginning,"
and with whom the past, present, and future, are but
a point of unity, could have foretold the facts and
phenomena which have been registered, from time
immemorial, in the Chronicles of Truth, and with such
remarkable particularity, and such microscopic minute
ness, in the detail of the several incidents ; for there
is no ambiguous language, doubtful interpretation, or
double meaning. The existence of such a Being,
therefore, is thus confirmed. The evidence, as to the
minutiae of these remarkable details too, is the attesta
tion of numerous travellers, chiefly in recent times. To
this gradual accumulation, diversified minds and inde
pendent authorities have contributed; some of these
have been infidels, who have, in the facts witnessed,
unwittingly cast their mite into the treasury of evi
dence. Succeeding pilgrims have observed facts over
looked by their predecessors, to whom the requisite
opportunity had been wanting. The pyramid of truth,
thus built up by the aggregate strength of many minds,
forms a structure of power impregnable to the assaults
of flimsy wit, or maddened sophistry, and is altogether

Xl

such as none can gainsay or controvert. These won
derful facts are stamped with a literality and precision
which, when compared with the lucid and graphic
language of Scripture, cannot fail to astonish and
delight. It must be cheering to the lover of truth, to
find, that, under whatever aspect the evidence and
ground of his exalted hopes are tried, they " come
forth like gold." In perusing this work, and diligently
comparing, as I had already done, the combined testi
monies of these eminent travellers, Sir R. Ker Porter,
J. S. Buckingham, Keppel, Mignan, Irbyand Mangles,
Laborde, and others, with the researches of Mr. Rich,
on the ruins of Babylon, in the Mines' tf orient, not to
mention a host of preceding travellers — it struck me
as remarkable, that while the scenes of ruin which
they visited were most faithfully described in the
Records of Prophecy, without adding to or diminishing
the force, accuracy, or minute colouring of its honest
language; others again, seem unconsciously to have
breathed, by affinity with these scenes, the very
atmosphere of Scripture, and echoed the tone of
inspiration. Even infidels, like the apostate Saul,
when brought within the mournful sphere of their
desolations, have by the resistless force of truth, borne
reluctant testimony to the Heavenly Record, while we
exclaim in astonishment, as we gaze, " are these also
among the prophets ?"

Xli

The ground of evidence I have now ventured to
occupy, seems to be of a kind equally conclusive and
satisfactory, and even more likely to reach the lofty
pretensions of these eventful times, and of those indi
viduals who may not condescend to scrutinize the
overwhelming evidence of demonstration presented in
the palpable events recorded in the prophetic page.
The enquiry is curious, novel, and deeply imbued
with' interest. These legible memorials of time long
elapsed, the transcript of wonderful events, are durable
as adamant, and permanent as brass. They form a
legend which all "who run may read," though only
hitherto considered a subordinate link in the chain
of evidence. Some writers on coins and medals,
Pinkerton for instance, have treated with a sneer,
the evidence derived from the Jewish shekel and the
coins of the Lower Empire. It is true the impress
on coins of the Lower Empire is rude, as are the
shekel, and the Jewish currency under Agrippa, but
this does not diminish their value as medallions of
history. Many coins of high antiquity, the Sassanian,
for example, are barbarous in the extreme, but are
certainly not on that account to be rejected from a
complete cabinet. Dr. Walsh has, in his interesting
little work, done much in the way of evidence col
lected from coins and medals, as illustrating the
early history and progress of Christianity, chiefly in

xm

connection with coins of the Lower Empire. It is
only to be regretted that he has bestowed so much
attention on the idle fooleries of the gnostics, certainly
unworthy of the space he has occupied in the discus
sion. I have grappled with the question of Revelation
on a broader basis.
It should, however, be observed in this place, that
I have neither time nor inclination for any elaborate
disquisition, had I ability for the task ; and nothing
of the kind will be found. My object has been to
collect facts, in still existing mementos, which any
one may consult for himself; as far as possible the
figures may be considered faithful fac similes of the
originals ; and though I am free to confess, that my
researches in quest of illustration have cost me not a
little anxious labour, I must also admit that the task
has been a very delightful one — Labor ipse voluntas,
— and as the proofs rose before me in review, " I
thanked God and took courage." The evidence has
been most satisfactory to my own mind, and I devoutly
hope it may be found equally so to others. It appears,
to me at least, altogether incontrovertible ; of such a
nature as to impel conviction; and will, doubtless,
yield satisfaction where the mind is willing to receive
information on the most important question which
can animate its hopes, or engage its affections. It is

xiv

just such a species of evidence as the most stern and
rigorous demands for demonstration have reason to
be satisfied with. It is of a stamp even superior to
mathematical authority, high and lofty as are its
pretensions. These things tell their own tale — they
are seen and read of all men, and are written in
a species of universal language — "Parthians, and
Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopo
tamia and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus and
Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the
parts of Libya, about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,
Jews and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, all hear in
their own tongues, the wonderful works of God."
There is no room here for the charge of interpolation
and artificial interpretation ; the legend has nothing
to do with varioe lectiones, and belongs not to any
kindred or tongue; while it forms a kind of hermeneutics,
where the language and interpretation are one. These
proofs are tangible inscriptions, contemporaneous with
the events they record, and I know not what higher
species of evidence can be wished for or demanded;
Our eyes may see, our hands may handle these
tangible records of time, and grapple with matters
of fact, attested by the senses.
It may be objected that some of these may be
forgeries, such as were the Paduan medals. To this

XV
it may be replied, that , they are obtained under a
great variety of different circumstances, and from a
multitude of independent sources. As to the Paduan
medals, the original dies remain in one of the mu
seums of Paris, and we know that these were copies
from rare originals actually existing. We can also
appeal to monuments and inscriptions in the live
rock, that are still fresh and legible, though ancient
as the patriarchal and the prophetic age, bearing the
record of some of the earliest events in the biblical
history of man. The Babylonian and Persepolitan
characters have, it is true, been only partially deci
phered by the genius and industry of Grotefend, of
Frankfort ; but as far as these arrow-headed or
cuneiform letters have been read, they are found to
refer to events contemporaneous with the times of
Cyrus: and when these records of antiquity shall
have been more fully disclosed, there can be no doubt
that some of the historical incidents of the sacred
volume will be elucidated and confirmed. The
hieroglyphic symbols of aboriginal Egypt, down to
a very recent period, seemed to be as unpromising
as could well be imagined ; but the seal of their
mystery is broken, and from this mystic source a
new and unexpected confirmation of sacred writ has
been obtained. As time rolls on, new accessions

xvi

of proof are unfolded ; these will accumulate age by
age continually, as Providence lifts the veil, until,
in the fulness of time, they shall merge into one
mighty and irresistible blaze of truth, which will
consume all the cobwebs of sophistry, and for ever
confound the infidel.
It cannot reasonably be doubted that the sign
manual of truth is appended to such deeds and docu
ments as these ; the same test we are wont to apply to
researches in pursuit of physical truth is merely
wanted. In the following pages my object has been
to condense and to collect into a focus, what appeared
to be scattered rays of remarkable evidence, only
regretting, though not wanting in diligence in collect
ing materials from every practicable and accessible
source, that they are, after all, more limited than
might be wished for; and that there remain, still
"greater things than these" in reversion; some tangible
memorial of every fact mentioned in the Biblical
Record, is my firm and settled conviction. The
researches of# discovery are not finished; many a
wonder may yet be revealed to the keen scrutiny of
man: for restless enterprize has not completed its
task. My wish has been to meet the infidel and the sceptic
on the wide arena of modern science, of which he talks

xvn

so loudly and boasts so much. Mere verbiage will not
give the disputant, in this arena, the palm of triumph,
and some more sterling chivalry must distinguish the
victor. Sarcasm and sophistry are games for fools,
but are altogether inadmissible in the Athenian school
of genuine science ; and wit and ribaldry will not break
the lance of truth.
The sceptic and the infidel have no right to play the
Procrustes in the republics of literature and science,
or apply to the palpable language of Truth the rack
and inquisition of sophistry. I have traversed the
different departments of modern science, and, whatever
may have been the amount of my humble attainments,
fondly hope I can give a " reason" for the principle
that constitutes the main spring of my happiness.
" What is Truth ?" said pusilanimous and versatile
Pilate, while it stood personified before him in all its
glorious attributes ; but, like a light shining in a dark
place, the darkness comprehended it not. Truth is an
immutable and immortal thing, and like its almighty
Author, is "without variableness or the least shadow
of turning." It is a reflected ray from the ' Father of
Lights,' and is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for
ever." Time cannot impair its lustre, or tarnish its
beauty. The times in which we live are of no ordinary
B

xvm
character ; and what may follow there is now no
prophet to tell us. The canon of Scripture is closed,
and the heavenly Roll, in which our destinies are
written, is entrusted to us, and to our children ; we
do well to take heed to its admonitions, for it has all
the emphasis of a voice from heaven. The champions
of truth are summoned to the field, and loftier ground
must now be occupied than has ever yet been taken.
The great Armageddon of infidelity seems rapidly to
approach. The spirits of men are restless and con
vulsed, — "men's hearts failing them for fear." Thus,
however, saith the Spirit of Eternal Truth, "know
ledge shall be the stability of thy times." This is the
pillar of our security — our "mountain that standeth
strong," — the 'Tabor' of our comforts and our hap
piness, far above the storms that agitate the lower
world ; — a serene sky illuminated by a heavenly light
above our heads, we have nothing to fear, though the
lightnings flash and the thunders roll beneath us.
Eternity and a world to come, are no trifles in the eye
of right reason, or in the estimation of the imperial
and noble aspirant for "glory, honour, and immor
tality." Man was not made in vain, with such
prospects as these ; and the christian need not fear to
explore the " valley of the shadow of death," with the
safety-lamp of heaven in his hand.

XIX

I have, it has been noticed, visited the regions of
science, studied in her schools, conversed with her
philosophers, walked through her avenues, and culti
vated her fields ; I have interrogated the oracles of
nature, and solicited a distinct and positive reply to
the question, whether the elements of hostility to
revealed Truth were legitimately contained in them ?
One and all returned a negation, while they responded
an amen to Lord Bacon's axiom — " the books of Nature
and Revelation mutually illustrate each other." The
root of the matter is to be sought for, therefore, in the
heart, not in the head, — the pride of humanity — the
would-be interpreter of nature's laws and phenomena.
" Ye shall be as gods," said the wily tempter to the
too credulous pair in Eden's Elysium, — ambition
kindled at the thought, and the crown of innocence fell
to the ground. These immortal truths, however, shall
endure when the pillars of the universe totter, and
the "mountains be removed and there be no place
found for them."

r2

PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EDITION.
Notwithstanding the present impression is simply
entitled a second edition, it might almost lay claim to
being considered a new work. One of the plates is
entirely new, and considerable alterations have taken
place in the rest. Some of the former wood-cuts have
been withdrawn, and others of a superior order sub
stituted. The aggregate number of the latter is so
greatly extended, as to give a new feature to the work.
Many of the wood-cuts have been executed by Mr. 0-.
Jewitt — a sufficient guarantee for their excellence and
accuracy, I have consulted in the interval of publication, not
less than two thousand ancient monuments, coins,
medals, &c, and have made the selection to the best
of my judgment and ability, rejecting in this work all
those evidences that might appear, to the fastidious
mind, fanciful and far-fetched.
I have also, in these pages, abandoned the geological

XXII

argument, except in so far as geological monuments
substantiate and confirm the doctrine of an universal
deluge, entirely repudiated by modern geologists,
though its summary rejection assails the authenticity
of the Mosaic narrative in an essential point. If
language has any meaning, its universality is clearly
and unequivocally propounded for our belief, and no
man may contravene its high authority or challenge
its testimony ; and I trust I have clearly proved that the
phenomena of geology corroborate the announcement
of the catastrophe by the Hebrew prophet.
While I feel satisfied that in the facts revealed in
modern geological research, startling and astonishing
though they be, there is nothing to disturb the sacred
history of creation, yet there are many difficulties and
perplexities connected with arrangement and classifica
tion ; and facts, on which there can be no misunder
standing, are better separated, in a work like the
present, from conflicting speculations, and what is
allowed by the dispassionate observer to be ad hoc
subjudice. The mass of evidence which the researches of
modern times have accumulated, in verification of the
Scriptures of Truth, is so overwhelming in magnitude
and variety, as to put infidelity to the blush, and leave
its benighted votaries without excuse. The ruins of

xxm

Babylon have made their contribution, and the
paintings of ancient Egypt, so long seared by their
mystic seal, or entombed in the sepulchres of her
Pharaohs, have united their testimony, — even the
adamantine rock has added its sculptures to the cumu
lative evidence. The 'Edom' of scripture history,
and the capital of Idumea, so fearfully denounced by
the Almighty, until lately, was unknown even in its
desolation and its doom ; when modern enterprise dis
covered its frightful solitudes in the entombed ruins of
Petra. Thus as time unfolds the vista of futurity, does the
genius of discovery minister by another and another
tribute, to the triumphs of truth, enunciated in the
sacred roll ; and the recent accessions of new and un
expected facts, warrant us in asserting, that there is
not an historical fact within the precincts of the
Inspired Volume, unsubstantiated by some existing and
tangible monument, which time either has not already,
or may not hereafter reveal. The gradual developement
of these evidences at successive periods, seems a remark
able phenomenon in the history of almighty providence.
Like the miracle of prophecy, it seems designed as a
countercheck to the protean forms and chameleon hues
of infidelity and scepticism in after times.
Since my original work appeared in 1831, Dr.

xxiv

Wiseman has published "Twelve Lectures on the
connection between Science and Revealed Religion." a
In this work he has partly adopted my plan, and gone
over nearly the same ground which I had traversed
five years before. In some parts, as in ethnography,
he has, however, been more elaborate than my confined
limits and philological acquirements allowed me to be.
It is an able auxiliary to the cause of truth, and I
rejoice in so excellent a coadjutor. In the present
I have been much more varied than in my former
work, and, as far as my knowledge extends, I am not
aware of any one who has so diversified and substan
tiated the argument, or condensed these peculiar
lineaments of evidence, into the same tangible form ;
irrespective of the fact, that my individual cabinet
contains the greater part of the ancient coins and
medals adduced in illustration.
I have still retained my original title, and had a
right to maintain it, though the author of • The
Evidence of Prophecy,' in a recent work, has appro
priated that very title. b I do not, however, complain
of this, I only mention it, and shall be most happy if
Dr. Keith has found in my original work, a copy of
which I had presented to him many years ago, any
" 2 vols. 8vo. 1836.
h ' The Truth of Christianity Demonstrated, &c.'

xxv

thing that may be useful to him, and subserve the
interests of our common cause. I will freely confess,
however, I was startled to find that my volume was,
on one occasion, made much more than the ' text book '
of a series of popular lectures !
My former work has been these many years out of
print, and that impression was promptly disposed of.
I have heard of many pleasing instances of the benefit
it has providentially conferred, and these truly inter
esting circumstances have stimulated me to renewed
exertions, and more laborious efforts, far exceeding in
their magnitude and extent those on which the original
volume was founded.
I would now gratefully recognise the kindness of
the following distinguished individuals, who have
liberally conceded to me the privilege of a free and
unrestricted use of their works and illustrations : Sir
Robert K. Porter, Dr. Walsh, Earl Mountnorris, Mr.
Macfarlane, and Mr. Buckingham. I cordially acknow
ledge the valuable communications of the Honourable
Captain Irby, and Mr. Wilkinson ; and to the former,
moreover, my thanks are due for a handsome copy of
his truly valuable, though unpublished, volume. I am
also much indebted to J. Y. Ackerman, esq., F.S.A.,
for his friendly aid and courtesy, in presenting me
with a coin of Epidaurus, of which I have given a

XXVI
figure, as well as that of a drawing of a genuine
Hebrew shekel.
It will be seen, that in the following pages I
have attacked the individual faith of none ; that is
to say, I have left intact the peculiar opinions and
doctrines of the various professing sects of the
christian church. I have taken a broad basis,
and assumed a ' vantage ground ' common to all who
'profess the name of Christ,' whether catholic or
protestant — churchman or dissenter — episcopalian or
presbyterian — ' I judge no man ;' ' let every one be
fully persuaded in his own mind.' I cannot, however,
regard what is called " Unitarianism " in any other
light than " a new version " of Christianity, and an
apology for ' the faith once delivered to the saints.' I
would not be deemed too severe or harsh in my humble
judgment, while I say that if the varice lectiones of
'unitarianism' be correct, the Book of Revelation is an
enigma I cannot solve ; and it appears to me of com
paratively minor importance on such a supposition,
whether Revelation be true or not. It seems, to
my simple understanding, therefore, a question of
paramount and vital interest, to bring the evidence
of existing monuments, &c, to bear on this indi
vidual question among others. I have said that I
am anxious not to disturb the faith of any, and

xxvii

' unitarians ' have affirmed that, ' as a body, they have
no creed,' or belief; which is synonymous with faith,
— ' the evidence of things not seen ;' so that I cannot
assail that which they have not preferred any claim
to : indeed, I must confess that, so far, there is a shew
of consistency in the circumstance, that under the
guise of 'unitarianism;' arianism, and socinianism, and
similar incongruities, meet together. I have simply
contended for what I conscientiously believe to be
the truth, and the solemnities of revelation. The
portraiture of 'unitarianism,' has been drawn by its
advocates themselves ; I have only endeavoured on
my part, to give ' a reason for the hope ' that is in
those, who hold opinions so opposed in their every
feature, that there can be no possible compromise.
I do not say that 'unitarianism' is a caricature
of Christianity, but from the diversified and ever-
changing sentiments and opinions prevalent among
its votaries, it seems to have 'neither part nor lot'
in the " immutability of truth." The dreams of the
mystic sect of the Neologists of Germany, a worse
than infidel tribe, cannot stand before this • cloud of
witnesses,' and I cannot but conclude that infidelity
every where is ' left without excuse.'
In the present work I have cast aside the veil of
the incognito, and attached my name.

CHAPTER I.
GENERAL REMARKS ON ATHEISM.
Though the present work proceeds on the assumption
that the being of God is admitted, a few general pre
liminary remarks on Atheism may be expected, in the
way of introduction to the question of Revelation. I
am firmly persuaded, however, that, but for the mystics
of metaphysics, atheism would have never had an
existence. It is the ' fooV who has said in his heart
"there is no God." When men, 'metaphysically have
denied their own existence, confounded right and
wrong, good and evil, repudiated an external existence
in a material world, referred the things of time and
space to the vision of a dream, and propounded the
dogma that there is no certainty in any thing ; it is
by no means surprising that in its bewildered eccen
tricities, it should wander to this extreme point in its
hyperbola. The most prominent, and the most important of all
Truths, is the existence of a supreme self-existent and
intelligent Creator — a being infinitely exalted above
the comprehension of any of the works of his hands.
Encircled by ' light inaccessible,' and the splendours
of eternity; shrouded by the glories of immortality ;

30
seated on the throne of immensity, and grasping the
sceptre of infinite majesty; the vision of finite
humanity cannot be reasonably expected to be able
to penetrate the mysterious veil which intercepts that
ineffable and glorious Being we call God— ' blessed
for ever.' It is quite true that — in the language of the
Patriarch of Uz— this Almighty Being ' keeps back
the face of his throne, and spreadeth a cloud upon it' :
and yet the Atheist is a moral monster, and a many-
headed hydra, that lays waste the beautiful province
of the mind. He is a double personification of insanity
and ignorance; for atheism is 'madness without
method.' It is reasonable to believe, that as the author of
our life has interwoven with the tissue of our being
the consciousness of our personal identity, perpetuated
and established at every successive stage of our
existence, so it is equally reasonable to conclude that
he would put an impress on the mind of his creature,
or impose a consciousness that he derived his being
from a source infinitely exalted above his loftiest com
prehension ; and that source must have been Almighty
intelligence. Accordingly, we find that this seal has
been universally impressed ; and such a recognition is
found in the united testimony of ' every kindred and
tongue ; ' it obtained in all past ages, and now prevails
among all the nations of the earth.
Does the individual who has arrogated the unenvi
able character of Atheist, echoing the language of his
prototype, Hume, demand the test of experience?
We rejoin that the experience of ages has proved that

31
order and harmony are the sequence of wise and bene
ficent laws; and by the same test, applied to the
physics of the material world, in the synchronism of
their order and harmony, we, on the soundest principles
of induction, infer a lawgiver, who is God over all.
The evidence of design demonstrates the existence
of God. It is absurd to say that to assume this, is the
petitio principii of dialectics ; and the figurant in this
question denies that there is any such evidence. It
must be remembered that an axiom, or self-evident
proposition, requires no demonstration, neither indeed
can receive it ; and such an attempt would be a reduc-
tio ad absurdum, as it is called in mathematics, very
much in the character of the sceptic's solution of the
problem of his own existence — sentio ergo sum. What
is design? is therefore the simple question at issue,
and that being accurately defined, the sophism falls to
the ground.
I see before me a finished specimen of the most
beautiful mechanism, the various parts dovetailing into
and dependant upon each other. I perceive, moreover,
concentric wheels and movements innumerable, and
circular and eccentric motions combined with cycloidal
vibrations. I may be lost in contemplating the mystic
machine, and many of its movements I may not under
stand ; but I observe their reciprocal relations, and
mutual dependencies, and I, moreover, perceive that
their combined powers emerge in the order and
harmony which belong to the laws of chronometry. I
hence deduce design, and I as reasonably infer a
designer, as I divine an antecedent cause from an

32
effect. Design, therefore, is the adaptation of means
to an end; the aptitude and collocation of parts to
produce a specific and determinate result; and the
more refined the well adjusted movements, and exqui
site their combinations, the higher is my admiration of
the artist that constructed, and the skill that con
trived them.
It is immaterial to the present argument, whether I
have ever seen or may ever see the artist ; I infer his
existence from his work, and I admire and venerate
what his intelligence has devised, and his hands have
executed. It is mere folly to chatter about chance,
such a word belongs to babyhood, and it is only a
wonder how the term, which has no meaning, should
ever have become incorporated into any language.
It is quite easy to prove the atheist a fool, and
compel him to convict himself, for it would be in vain
to assure him that the specimen of skill and con
trivance which I have just referred to, came by
'chance,' or sprung spontaneously from the ground.
He would laugh to scorn such an assurance, and
consider the individual who would thus endeavour to
impose on his senses, as inops rationis, or just escaped
from bedlam. So selfcontradictory, inconsistent, and
ignorant, is that impersonation of a ' fool,' which we
call athiest.
What a miracle of creation is man!— truly 'fearfully
and wonderfully made!' — a monument reared by infinite
wisdom, — 'a prodigy of parts.' Could the unrivalled
mechanism of man be unveiled, or its thousand move
ments be seen through a transparent medium, what a

33
scene for contemplation, wonder, and astonishment!
and what a medium for adoration of ' the ancient of
days,' who made and adjusted the mechanism, and put
all its parts and powers in motion !
What a vision would it be to see the ganglia shooting
their electric influences along the lines of the nerves —
the pneumatic machinery of the lungs discharging the
envenomed air, and receiving in exchange a fresh
supply of a pure medium. The pause and interval in
respiration, to divide the gases agreeable to their
relative specific gravities. The hydraulic engine of the
heart propelling the vital fluid of the blood, its contrac
tions and dilatations, the flapping of the mitral, semi
lunar and tricuspid valves, acting like the valves of the
steam engine; the vibrations of the muscles, the pul
ling of the cordage of the tendons ; the synovial, or
lubricating secretions of the joints, and their balls, and
their sockets; the chronometry of the pulse, and the
calorimeter which measures out heat to the system,
and apportions its quantity according to circumstances,
— a principle of compensation to equalize the tempera
ture, and preserve an equilibrium under all changes
and. every variability. The absorbing vessels sucking
up the several assimilated materials with a skilful
selection, and with rare discrimination appropriating
all; the functions of the skin cooling the surface
when required, and the orifices acting as the waste
pipes also of the system. The optical wonders of that
perfect achromatic instrument, the eye; its window,
and its curious curtain, and its lens, and the media in
contact with it; its reticular canvass in the back-
c

34
ground of a camera-obscura, with all its microscopic
and telescopic furniture. The accoustic paraphernalia
of the ear with its hammer, its stirrup, and its drum,
and its chambers and beautifully convoluted recesses.
The movements of the brain and its membranes — the
secreting and assimilating organs engaged in recruit
ing the waste and rearing the goodly structure ; the
sensitive, irritable, and jealous epiglottis, guarding,
like a faithful sentinel, the viaduct of the trachea;
the refined sensibility of the papilla? and fibrillae of
the tongue, and the delicate functions of the sneiderian
membrane. These and myriads more of secreting and
assimilating organs, with the secretions of the kidneys,
mammas, gall bladder, salivary glands, pancreas, con
globated glands and lacteals, may well demand our
wonder and admiration. What a miracle of skill and
complication, and yet how calm and unobtrusive their
harmony ! all that is beautiful in design and wonderful
in the reciprocal adaptation of parts, with their mutual
aptitudes, are here concentrated in one luminous focus
of almighty wisdom !
Having referred to the machinery of man, we need
not advert to the mechanism of lower creatures; but
if we did so, 'clothed and in our right mind,' we
should certainly ' find,' with the discoverer of the
circulation of the blood, ' equally a God in the
humbler as in the higher works of creation.' Still
less then need we glance at the structure of vegetation ;
the plant teems with proofs of palpable and curious
design ; the cells, pipes and filters, the absorbing and
secerning vessels ; the diastase transforming fecula into

35
sugar ; the rise of the crude sap and its transfer to the
alembics of the leaves, where it is changed into cam
bium ; the subsequent formation of alburnum and
liber ; the functions of the flower ; the sealing up in
the seed, of the embryo, impressed with the similitude
of the plant which gave it birth. Could all this
marvellous mechanism be unveiled to vision, atheism
itself, with all its stoic effrontery, would be abashed
and blush.
If to these we could further view the metaphysics of
immaterial mind roused from its repose ; the judgment,
the fancy, or imagination, and its excursive flights, the
wit, the memory, with the affections of hope and fear,
benevolence, veneration, and all the other faculties of
the soul engaged in one mental conflict ! there would
then be no atheism, our souls would be surprised, and
we would fall down ; and worship and adore that in
effable and glorious being whose name is "Wonderful."
It has struck my mind with peculiar force, that in
the physical structure and phenomena of man, are
found the combination and concentration of all the
principles of the various sciences which have entered
into the researches of the human intellect — mechanics
and dynamics, aerostatics and pneumatics, hydrostatics,
hydrodyamics and hydraulics, optics and electricity,
with all the refinements of chemical philosophy. It is
superfluous then to appeal more fully to the mechanism
incessantly at work in every plant, a mere subordinate
link in the chain ; but even here, as in the links that
precede, are proofs of design innumerable. Still less,
therefore, is it necessary to advert to the chronometry
c2

36
of the heavens or the isochronism of the stars. The
existence of a supreme and intelligent Creator, is as
reasonably and philosophically inferred, as is the
existence of our own mind from its purposes and acts.
Nothing but the scripture account of man's creation
can be legitimately entertained by any reasoning or
reflecting mind. It may be truly said that nature
falsifies herself if there be not a creator and superin
tending providence. The chronometry of the heavens
has been the same in all ages ; and these heavens re
flect that invariability, and maintain those laws which
originally emanated from an immutable creator; we
cite them in particular, because their phenomena have
been observed and recorded from immemorial ages.
We have the same attestation in the records of geology,
in the structure of the ichthyosaurus, plesiosaurus,
megatherium, and others, since the same beautiful and
beneficent adaptation is sufficiently manifest. In
finitely varied were the circumstances and conditions
of creation, and as infinitely diversified were the adap
tations of the hosts of living being to them ; the same
laws, and the same lawgiver, are manifest in all suc
cessions of past ages, so true it is that God has at no
period 'left himself without a witness.'
In the great question of the formation of man, one
of two positions must be allowed ; either of them would
prove an absurdity, if the Mosaic account of man's
creation be rejected. Let us take the case of a babe:
we know that a new-born infant is the most helpless
being conceivable; a peculiar adaptation of food is
required to nourish its tender and feeble frame, provi-

37
dentially supplied by its mother ; its progress to matu
rity is defined by the same laws and the same sequence
of order that have ever existed since the formation of
man, by a superior power to any that the laws of
nature have the capability to effect. Without a mother,
according to physical reasoning, a child could never
have existed. One state must have necessarily pre
ceded the other. In the other position of the case, let
us suppose that the first of our race was at once mature
in a physical sense, and a palpable contradiction con
fronts us, with no other power than physical chance
to aid our conclusions. Reasoning from natural evi
dence, we should say the man has been a child, and
the woman has had a mother. To give either of them,
abstractedly, a precedence, involves a philosophical
contradiction, but when we admit the mosaic account,
all is harmony and compatibility. Which of these two
positions is most consonant to sound reason and in
ductive truth ? — the creation of man, in all the manli
ness of his stature, at a specific period by a supreme
intelligence, or, on the other hand, to admit his eternal
succession accredited at no period ? The former har
monizes with scripture history and inductive truth,
while the other is negatived by geological evidence.
In beneficent condescension to our feeble intellect
and limited reason, the Supreme Being has, in the
Revelation he has sent us from heaven, used no unin
telligible symbols. Deity speaks to us in our own
tongue, and not in the blaze of Sinai, or the flash that
startled and terrified the monarch of Babylon. It
applies to all the nations of the world alike ; and as

38
on the day of Pentecost ; all hear of the ' things that
belong to their peace,' in ' the tongue wherein they
were born.'
Let those who affect to believe in the existence of a
Supreme Creator, and yet reject Revelation, remember
that they are much nearer the precipice and gulph of
atheism than they are aware, since it is only the same
principle extended and eliminated.
It is not only irrational but most ungrateful to re
pudiate Christianity, the fountain from whence have
flowed all those multiplied blessings which have so far
exalted us above idolatry and its degradation, and
raised us in the scale of civilization. Our possessions
of happiness are secured to us by the charter of Christi
anity ; our myrtle and our olive, our vine and our fig
tree have been planted, and are watered by her ; ' she
has been our nurse, and we have been dandled on her
knee;' and should ' a cloud come between,' there is still
a rainbow there. In the deepest scenes of distress
and suffering, there is often seen in the christian's
mien a spectacle that touches more than eloquence;
like beauty in tears, or the tattered banner,
" Tanto che lasciate, tanto e piu bella."
Reason and reflection cannot doubt that a messenger
has indeed come down from above, and brought cre
dentials from heaven, proclaiming salvation in the
name of Jesus Christ; for how can we otherwise
account for that luminous line which runs to and fro
in the earth, forming with the dark shade of the
picture, the chiaro-scuro of humanity.

CHAPTER II.
memorials of evidence in living monuments-
permanence of natural phenomena.
There are numerous living evidences to the truth of
divine revelation of a very peculiar and remarkable
description. I shall cite some of them in attestation,
and they are as palpable in their proof as any physical
fact in existence, and as clear and conclusive as any
demonstration in Euclid.

I.— THE JEWS.
The Jew is still * a proverb and a byword.' He
is among the outcasts and the dispersed of Israel,
mingling yet apart, and under all circumstances and
conditions ; preserving an identity as distinct and
peculiar, and characteristics as tangible and real, as
before his glory was overshadowed and eclipsed. The
Jews are indeed a ' peculiar people,' and still form a
remarkable episode in the history of nations, and the
annals of the world.

40
The Jew, like " an ill used ghost," stalks solitary
among the nations ; a phantom, a phenomenon ; dis
tinct, yet mingling; unchangeable and unchanged.
His financial character is written on his brow in these
memorable words — " Thou shalt lend and not borrow."
He wanders through changes, while he remains the
same. Without a king, and without a kingdom; a
vagabond cosmopolite, nor charter, nor institution has
he, save one solitary book ; his code civil and sacred.
This volume is the record of an ancestry anterior to
all the traditions of the nations among whom he
mingles ; the register of happier days in time elapsed ;
the deed of his disgrace, and credentials of his folly
and his crime. Before him, and around him, the land
is Edom, and the people are Egyptians. His hopes
incessantly rest on his ' father land,' and his beloved
Jerusalem is the city for which he sighs. Here the
tribes, ever and anon assembled in holy convocation,
and here was the beautiful temple, the crest of Moriah,
where the kings of Judah, and 'thousands of Israel,'
were wont to assemble ; where the morning and even
ing sacrifice arose, perfumed with 'balm, frankincense,
and myrrh.' Some dread malediction, surely, seems to
pursue them; —
" Tribes ! of the wandering foot and weary breast,
When will ye flee away, and be at rest? "
Jerusalem is laid desolate ; the ' holy and beautiful
house' where their fathers worshipped, is burnt up
with fire, and all her * pleasant places ' laid waste.
The ' spoiler ' has entered the sepulchres of her kings,

41

and the enemy laid his hand on all her ' pleasant
things ; ' the ' daily sacrifice ' is taken away, and altar
and priest are gone. The tribes of Judah and of Levi
are mingled with the rest ; the sceptre is departed from
the former, and the priesthood of the latter extinguished.
Still, however, Jerusalem, even in her desolation, is
the fondling of their heavy hearts; and when they
pray, the ' holy city ' is the pole star of their devotions.
Their last wish is to repose in the valley of Jehoso-
phat; and, like good old Barzillai of Rogelim, to
mingle their ashes with those of their fathers, at the
close of their earthly pilgrimage.
The tribes are indeed mingled, and their lineage
lost amidst the obscurities of that darkness which has
overshadowed and overwhelmed them ; but the Jew
is still distinct, and stands out in bold and prominent
relief on the living canvass of a world's history, in
form and feature as palpable as when the Hebrew
prophet led them through the wilderness, and Aaron
ministered in " the most holy place." The Jews, as
Davidson has well remarked, are " present in all
countries, with a home in none ; intermixed,* and yet
separated, and neither amalgamated nor lost."
The preservation of the Jews ; a solitary, simple
monument on the surface of the globe, when kingdoms
have risen, and in succession fallen, or become extin
guished; when entire nations have been swept away
as by the ' besom of destruction,' forms one of the most
remarkable pages in the history of miracles, and con
stitutes a living evidence to the truth of revelation,
such as no sophistry may contravene.

42

II.— THE SAMARITANS.

The Samaritans still exist, and maintain toward the
Jews as rooted an hostility as during the Redeemer's
personal ministry on earth. In the district »of the
ancient Samaria, afterwards the ' sebaste ' of the
Herods, and at the foot of Gerizim, the Samaritans
still worship 'the God of their fathers,' Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob ; acknowledging no sacred book, but
the Pentateuch. This is a sufficient proof of their
origin, and their separation from the tribes, on their
return from Babylon, at the building of the ' second
temple,' when they could not prove their lineage, nor
shew their ' father's house.'
About one hundred Samaritans now live at Nablous ;
the ' Shechem' of the Old, and the ' Sychar' of the New
Testament. The site of this town is at the foot, or on
lowest slope of Gerizim ; a beautiful spot, embosomed
in figs, mulberries, and olives. At stated periods, the
Samaritans ascend the slopes, and worship on the
summit "of Gerizim, where there still remain some
ruins; those of an ancient temple, originally, it has
been stated, reared on the stones which Joshua pitched
on the plains of Gilgal, after the passage of the
Jordan. The Samaritans still look for and expect a
Messiah to come, as foretold by the dying patriarch,
and recorded in the Pentateuch — "The sceptre shall
not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver, till Shiloh
come" — an expectation expressed by the woman of
Samaria, at 'Jacob's well,' to the Messiah, in person.

43
The valley of Shechem, which separates Ebal the
barren, from Gerizim, the ' mount of blessing,' is de
scribed as romantic and beautiful, blooming with vege
tation, and luxuriant in groves; and watered and
fertilized by numerous rills. Here was ' the parcel of
ground' which Jacob gave to Joseph; and here, too,
was the memorable well of Sychar, connected with
one of the most interesting incidents in holy writ. It
was on these plains that the sons of Jacob sold their
brother to the company of Ishmaelites, coming from
Gilead to Egypt.

III.— THE ARABS.
These sons of Ishmael boast of their descent from
their progenitor, and glory in their lineage. Ishmael
dwelt in the wilderness of Paran ; and the Arabs still
dwell there — a wild and wandering race. These
nomadic tribes fulfil to the letter, the message of ' the
angel of the Lord ' to Hagar, — " He will be a wild
man ; — his hand will be against every man and every
man's hand against him.' The predatory Arabs asso
ciate in clans or tribes, and, as had been foretold,
dwell ' in the presence of their brethren !' and still
scrupulously practice the painful rite of circumcision,
as enjoined on the Patriarch. Gibbon says the Arabs
are 'a people whom it is dangerous to provoke, and
fruitless to attack ;' ' the arms of Sesostris and Cyrus,
of Pompey and Trajan could never achieve the con
quest of Arabia.' Free and unfettered, like their

44
type, the Arabian steed, on his native plains; this
remarkable race are a terror to all around them.
Cambyses did not venture to attack Egypt without
their permission : and Alexander and Antigonus could
not subdue them. Persians and Egyptians, Saracens
and Macedonians have attempted their subjugation,
and have as often signally failed. Five times have
the victorious legions of Rome been arrayed against
them, and five times been compelled to retreat. These
sons of Ishmael are as fierce as they are free ; they
equally defied the Roman eagle and the Turkish cres
cent. Contemplate the outcast wanderer, Hagar, in
the wilderness of Beersheba, and the lad Ishmael
pining under the shrubs of the desert, and ready to
perish. The water in the bottle was now spent, and
all hope of relief cut off on every hand. Who could,
in these forlorn circumstances, have supposed that the
divine prediction would ever be accomplished, and that
a ' nation ' should arise from the ' son of the bond
woman ? '

IV.— THE GIPSIES.
Those outcasts of society, the Gipsies, claim atten
tion, and may be cited among the living evidences to
which we now appeal. Their original descent can be
traced, with a precision which falls but little short of
demonstration, if indeed it does not fulfil all its re
quirements. They are a people 'scattered and peeled,'
and * wander to and fro in the earth.' God said by

45
his prophet : — ' I will scatter the Egyptians among
the nations, and disperse them through the countries.'3
This vagabond race are found in all regions of the
globe, houseless wanderers, they have no home;
mingling with the people of eveiy country, they yet
remain distinct and separate. Their patois is a peculiar
dialect, and their contour and lineaments are suffi
ciently characterized. They have no records of their
origin; and the past period in their history is as deso
late as the economy of the future, both equally un
known and sealed. Though often persecuted, they
still maintain an independent existence. The contour
of their face is Egyptian, and the tint of their com
plexion assigns them an Asiatic extraction. Their
dialect, moreover, is replete with words evidently
Hindustanee, as I am informed by a friend long in the
east, and who has assured himself of the fact.
I may further observe, in reference to the Egyptian
origin of the Gipsies, that among the paintings in the
sepulchres at Beni-Hassan, in Upper Egypt, the bel
lows pourtrayed are worked by men alternately tread
ing on inflated skins, with pipes leading to the fire;
the faithful portrait of what I myself once witnessed
in an encampment of Gipsies, under the walls of Leg
horn ; and such are the Hindoo bellows of the present
day. Connected with the fate of the Egyptians, as
prophetically announced, is the circumstance, that ' the
idols of Egypt shall be moved ; ' and though the
Gipsies may conform to Mahomedan or Christian
' Ez. cxxix. v. 32.

46
usages, according to the people among whom they
dwell, no trace of any thing approaching to idolatry
has ever been discovered among them.
It is supposed that Europe contains about 700,000
Gipsies ; and more than 60,000 of this number have
been assigned to Spain. According to Major Keppel,
they abound in every part of Turkey ; and he men
tions an encampment of gipsies which he once wit
nessed at Shumla, where the number assembled
together, amounted to ' some thousands.' According
to authorities worthy of credit ; having refused, in the
year 1517, to submit to the Turkish dominion, under
Sultan Selim, the conqueror of Egypt, they revolted
under Ginganeus, their leader, and being surrounded
in their revolt, were banished from Egypt. They
united into several parties, and were dispersed over the
earth. Their resemblance to the Aborigines of Egypt
is by no means fanciful ; and this combined with the
collateral circumstances referred to, validate the posi
tion I have assumed.

V.— THE GNOSTICS.
Among the curious discoveries of modern times, not
the least remarkable is that of a remnant of the
ancient Gnostics, who seem to acknowledge only ' the
baptism of John,' and recognise Jesus Christ as inferior
in dignity. This very singular sect is located in the
vicinity of Bassora ; their sacred book is called ' Codex
Nazarseus ' or ' Codex Adami :' they have existed from

47
the earliest times, and no doubt can be reasonably
entertained that they originally sprung from the first
followers of ' John the Baptist,' whose character and
mission they hold in special veneration. There is
much that is obscure and mystical in the ' Codex
Nazaraeus,' and common to other Gnostic sects, such as
the ceons or emanations from the Deity. The remark
able sect I now refer to, call themselves empha
tically Mende Jahia, ' the disciples of John,' whom
they designate by the epithet the light, and honor
the 'light,' holding in subordination ' the Son of the
Blessed.' This discovery is also important in that it
singularly elucidates several emphatic remarks of the
evangelist John, otherwise obscure. The first chapter
of his 'gospel' combats the then prevalent opinions
of the disciples of John the Baptist. The evangelist
expressly says of Jesus Christ, 'in him was life;
and the life was the light of men ;' life and light being
thus identified. And in reference to the Baptist,
it is said ' the same came to bear witness of the light •
and again it is reiterated ' he was not that light, but
was sent to bear witness of that light.' The great
precursor of ' the true light,' himself expressly repu
diated the character which his disciples claimed for
him, and pointing to ' the Lamb of God ;' added, 'this
is He, of whom I said, after me cometh a man, which
is preferred before me, for he was before me.' ' He
must increase, but I must decrease.' These assurances
on the part of the ' Baptist ' will account for the visit
which the disciples of John afterwards paid to our
Saviour, and the pointed questions they put to him.

48
The permanence of oriental customs and habits is a
remarkable feature in the extraordinary history of
eastern climes — even the features of the people remain
the same. The mutations which have entirely altered
other countries, seem to have spared them ; time, as it
were, is in these regions, at a stand-still, as if the
scenes and events had been hermetically sealed, to
remain in perpetuity, to be appealed to. in a distant
age of futurity, as a powerful attestation and evidence
of the great and sublime truths of the records of
revelation, and keep alive the vision of patriarchal and
prophetic times.
I shall cite a few miscellaneous evidences of this
description to corroborate my remarks. Thus, Mr.
Macfarlane, in his description of the present condition
of the Seven Churches of Asia, whose several fates
are predicted in the apocalypse, mentions that the
modern Thyatira is still celebrated for the excellency
of its dyes; realizing its ancient character, when
Lydia, ' a dealer in purple,' dwelt there, and authenti
cated by the fragment of stone found among its ancient
ruins, with this inscription — ' The Dyers.' The late
Dr. Edward Daniel Clarke, of Cambridge, remarks,
that at Nazareth, he observed the same description of
sandal as may be recognized on some antique Greek
statues ; and Mr. Rich, in the ' mines d' Orient,' has
given the figure of a spade copied from a brick obtained
by himself among the ruins of Babylon, and identical
with that used by the Arabs at the present day. The
modern Egyptians stain the nails, and other parts of
their hands and feet with the Henneh, as in the days

49
of old, of which we have sufficient evidence in the
mummies, where the same process has been adopted,
and the same materials employed. Vineyards were
watered in ancient times by a pole and bucket, the
shadoof of the present day. 'We recognized,' say
Michaud and Poujoulat, ' in the features of the females
of Castro, the same features we found on the marbles
and the bronzes of ancient Mitylene.'
There is indeed in the costumes and topographical
scenes of these wonderful lands, a perpetuity and
immutability commensurate and coincident with the
awful and everlasting things they are designed to com
memorate. Even the destroying Arab, as if spell
bound, dares not obliterate them. Nature has stamped
her signet of security on these memorable climes ;
change rolls not the cycle of her mutations over them ;
they are sealed memorials spared by all.
The wells of Elim, protected from the moving sands
of the desert, and overshadowed by the corinthian
foliage of numerous palms, 'redolent of beauty' and
luxuriant in loveliness, yet remain. The waters of
Marah are as bitter now as they were before the
miracle of healing. Even a trace of the manna falls
in the desert, and remains in perpetuity to attest the
truth of the sacred narrative ; memorial to us, in a
distant age, as was the ' omer ' of old, which was
deposited in the 'golden pot.' Flocks of quails still
alight in the desert, we know not whence they come,
nor whither they go.

50

The Quail in the wilderness of Sinai.
The dew still falls on Hermon, as it did in the days
of the Royal minstrel. Kishon, ' that ancient river,'
supplied by the waters condensed by the cliffs of
Carmel, rolls onward, as when 'the stars, in their
courses, fought against Sisera.' The cloud, at first
' no bigger than a man's hand ' is still seen at intervals
emerging from the distant horizon, as when decried by
the prophet from that promontory, and it announced
the * coming rain.' The 'excellency' of Carmel, how
ever, is blighted, for it is said 'the top of Carmel
shall wither.' Abana and Pharpar still water and
fertilize the plain of Damascus, as in the days of the
proud and haughty Syrian ; and the Jordan still rolls
its stream through the plains of Esdraelon. The
brook still wanders through the valley of Elah, where
the hosts of the Philistines, ' as grasshoppers for
multitude,' were once encamped, and drawn up in
battle array ; that brook remains, whence the shepherd
boy took the pebble that proved so fatal to their giant
leader. So true is it, that, as Dr. E. D. Clarke has
observed, in reference to this and the other scenes of

51
Palestine, ' the Bible is the best itinerary of the
Holy Land,' — an admission made by every traveller
who has visited these scenes. — consecrated by events
the most stupendous, and phenomena the most solemn
and sublime. The stork ' knows his appointed time,'
and still alights by the streams of Jabbok at periodic
intervals, as it did ' aforetime ; ' and when Jacob
forded its waters on his return from Padanaram.

The Stork by ihe river Jabbok, with the hills of Bashan, among
the mountains of Gilead.
Entrenched among the rocky fastnesses of Bashan,
dwelt the formidable foe of Israel, and its alpine range
formed the boundary line between the children of
Ammon and the Amorites. Bashan was not only
renowned for its oaks, but its cattle, and the giant
strength of its inhabitants. The 'paper reed, by the
brooks' is still found there, as in prophetic times ;
the fig tree still springs up by the way side. Sharon
is still celebrated for its roses ; and though Heshbon
d2

52
' languishes,' its wheat is rich in the ear, and luxuriant
in the stem. Egypt is still as celebrated for its
cucumbers, and melons, and onions, as before the
Exode, and the 'lilies of the field' still decorate the
plains of Palestine, as they did when the ' Prince of
Life ' pointed to them, as pledges of his providence.
The willow still weeps by the Euphrates as when
the captives of Judah suspended their harps among its
branches ; the pelican still inhabits desert places, and
flees to the wilderness of Judea; the bittern is still
the image and symbol of desolation, and retreating
before the advance of civilization, is found only in
desert places, as among the mounds, and by the ' pools '
of Babylon, fit emblem of these dread desolations.

The Sit tern on the site of Babylon.
There is in these ruins a thrilling interest, which
inspires the mind with a mystic awe. The volume of
universal history opens on the banks of the Euphrates
and Tigris. These scenes were first illuminated with
the rays of civilization, and the lamp of truth gave
them light ; powerful monarchies have there faded

53
away like the pageant of a dream. I'hese now desolate
regions have suffered an eclipse, and their ' sun hath
gone down while yet it was day ! ' and now the bittern
abides where Nebuchadnezzar reigned.
Snows still blanch the heights of Lebanon, as in
distant days ; but the glory has departed from the forests
of Lebanon, since the axe was lifted up against her
cedars in the time of Hiram, king of Tyre ; they are
now ' so few, that a child might write them.' In the
time of Solomon, the forest was called ' Domus Saltus
Libani.' Its name at the present day is ' Eb Herze.'
The ancient cedars are watched and protected by the
Maronites. Wolffe, in his 'Missionary Journal,' states,
that he counted thirteen large and ancient cedars,
besides numerous small ones, in all 387 trees, (1823,
1824,) the largest not above fifteen feet high, so that
their grandeur is eclipsed.

The Cedars on the acclivity of Lebanon.

The oaks of Bashan are as celebrated now as they
were in the reign of the kings of Judah; and the olives

54
of Olivet are as fair and beautiful, though their num
bers were reduced by the ruthless hand of Titus Ves
pasian, as when they formed the leafy canopy of a
chosen band. Judea is still ' inclyta palmis,' as in the
early times of her eventful history; and the foun
tain of Elisha, and the palm, still point out the site of
ancient Jericho — the city of palms. Jericho is situated
on the plain of Esdraelon, or Megiddo ; on the right is
the Dead Sea, concealed by the Promontory of Segor;
and the stream of the Jordan is seen in the distance,
on the left, between mounds covered with briars and
prickly shrubs. In the back ground are a range of
mountains, where solitude and silence reign, and dis
order triumphs.

Jericho.

Behind Jericho and the Jordan, are the mountains
of Moab, a desolate and dreary region, and soaring to
an altitude of 2000 feet. From a pinnacle of this
lofty range, the ' Pisgah ' of * mount Nebo,' among ' the
mountains of Abarim,' ' over against Jericho,' Moses,

55
'the servant of God,' was permitted to view 'the
length and breadth ' of the ' Promised Land.' Jericho
— the city of palms, was doomed to desolation, and
'Ichabod' is written on its site — 'stat nominis um
bra ; ' but a solitary palm, and the well of Elisha,
whose waters were ' healed ' by the prophet, remain
to indicate the spot where once stood the second city
in Judea, the lot of Benjamin, and whose walls were
encompassed by the victorious hosts of Israel, under
Joshua their leader, after he had crossed the Jordan,
and pitched the stones brought from thence on the
plains of Gilgal, as his memorial. In the vicinity of
Jericho, Hasselquist mentions, that the ' Christ thorn,'
(zizyphus paliurus?) and the Sycamine (Ficus syco*
morus,) abound ; the asclypias gigantea is also met
with, and near the fountain of Elisha were found the
willow, honeysuckle, and fig, but the celebrated balsam
trees have entirely disappeared. ' Sicut Plantatio rosae
in Jericho,' is now found only on the historic page ;
' Achor ' has no stream to refresh ; ' Assam-thamar ' be
wails the forests of palms ; a powerful hand has plucked
up by the roots, her beautiful vines !
"Extraordinary appearances," says an eloquent writer,
in describing Palestine, "everywhere proclaim a land
teeming with miracles ; the burning sun, the towering
eagle, the barren fig tree ; all the poetry, all the pic
tures of scripture, are here. Every name commemo
rates a mystery, every grot proclaims the future, every
hill re-echoes the accents of a prophet. God himself
has spoken in these regions: dried up rivers, riven
rocks, half-open sepulchres attest the prodigy. The

56
desert still appears mute with terror, and you would
imagine that it- had never presumed to interrupt
the silence, since it heard the awful voice of the
Eternal." a
* Chateaubriand.

CHAPTER III.
existing monuments in topographical features-
judicial monuments.
As we have in the preceding chapter noticed the
natural phenomena attached to scripture scenes to be
without 'variableness' — and that all these things
'continue until now;' so the habits and customs of the
people, and the topographical features of these ' climes
of the sun' remain the same.
The ox 'treadeth out the corn' as in the most distant
period of past ages ; shepherds still ' watch their flocks
by night,' while 'the sheep know their voice, and
follow them ;' women still repair with their pitchers to
the well, with all the combinations of interest asso
ciated with early times ; and at Nazareth, Dr. Clarke
observed 'two women grinding at the mill,' not much
dissimilar to the ancient Scottish quern ; the stone
pillar is still set up. The habits of the Arabs are
almost, in some cases, a fac-simile of Patriarchal man
ners in Patriarchal times, such as the kid or the lamb
dressed in haste for the stranger, and the unleavened
cakes kneaded and baked on the hearth. Companies
of Ishmaelites, with their camels and dromedaries,

58
still traverse the plains of Idumea and Samaria, and
would not scruple to buy another Joseph. ' Along the
valley,' says Dr. Clarke, speaking of that of Shechem,
'we beheld a company of Ishmaelites coming from
Gilead, as in the days of Reuben and Judah, with
their camels, bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh ; '
' upon the hills around, flocks and herds were feeding
as of old ; nor in the simple garb of the shepherds of
Samaria was there any thing to contradict the notions
we may entertain of the appearance formerly exhibited
of the sons of Jacob.' The road from Jerusalem to
Jericho is savage in the extreme — fit scene for the
Saviour's parable of the ' Good Samaritan ;' and even
now, the wayfaring man is, in that wild and hostile
pass and ravine ; waylaid, plundered and murdered ; and
here it was that Sir F. Henniker was dangerously
wounded, and narrowly escaped with his life.
The ' hills stand about Jerusalem ' — ' the holy,'
though the walls of ' Ariel,' and its towers, have been
' wasted,' and have fallen. Ebal and Gerizim sur
mount the plains of Samaria ; the mountains of Leba
non, Galilee and Gilead, Seir and Sinai, are ' ever
lasting hills,' and are so graphically pourtrayed in
sacred history, that the truth of their lineaments can.
not be mistaken.
In reference to our preceding remarks, a selection
of some of these scenes may now be made, and may
assist the reader, in conjunction with the pictorial
representations of their outlines and features, to form a
more definite idea of the topography so celebrated in
sacred writ.

59

A distant view of Lebanon.
In the former chapter we gave a view of the cele
brated cedars of Lebanon, on the flanks of the chain
of Libanus, so now a distant prospect of Lebanon is
represented in the wood- cut, as seen from Beirout.
Lebanon is the loftiest of the whole Syrian chain of
mountains. Libanus and Antilibanus may be regarded
as parallel ridges ; the altitude, however, neither of
the highest summits, nor of their general elevation,
has ever been ascertained by barometrical measure
ment ; but calculating from the line of perpetual con
gelation, as applicable to the latitude of this region,
the loftiest parts of Lebanon may perhaps be esti
mated, by approximation, at from 9,000 to 10,000 feet
above the level of the Mediterranean sea. Mount
Hermon forms a part of the ridge of Antilibanus, and
this range, which lies over against the chain of
Lebanon, properly so called, is not so elevated. The
ascent of Lebanon is an enterprise of some difficulty,
and is only practicable, by reason of the deep snow,
at certain seasons of the year. Even the region of
the celebrated cedars can scarcely sometimes be
approached, as Lamartine found to be the case in the
month of April. From the vast altitude of Lebanon,

60
in a Syrian clime, it may be expected that vegetation,
in its varied forms and geographical relations, will be
met with in the vallies and on the acclivities of this —
' Chief of a hundred hills.'
Accordingly, we find among the vallies of the lower
regions, mulberries and vines, and their numerous
associates — rich pasturage for herds and flocks, and
luxuriant vegetation ; every variety of the sublime and
beautiful in the picturesque of landscape decoration,
varied at every point, are here met with; and the
stupendous and terrific, or frightful precipices and
walled rocks, threatening in their aspect, and desolating
in their fall. From the loftiest summit of Lebanon, the
enraptured and enchanted vision surveys a boundless
expanse, and the eye ' runs to and fro ' from the waters
of the ' great sea' which washes the shores of Europe,
and a horizon glowing and radiant, to the confines of
the Persian Gulph. 'Man seems,' says Volney, 'to
command the whole world, while the wandering eye,
now surveying the successive chains of mountains,
transports the imagination in an instant from Antioch
to Jerusalem.' ' He contemplates the valley, obscured
by stormy clouds, with a novel delight, and smiles at
hearing the thunder, which had so often burst over his
head, growling beneath his feet.' On elevations such
as these, how diminished become ' the kingdoms of the
world, and the glory of them,' and how feeble the
strength, and pitiful the passions of humanity- — emmets
on the plains. On similar elevations, I have felt senti
ments such as these, till the soul has breathed a purer
atmosphere, and beat a holier pulse, than the circum-

61
stances of time, about which we are ordinarily so busy
as to cease to reflect on our better being, have allowed.
The great point of attraction, however, is the region
of the cedars, where ' the feast of cedars ' is annually
celebrated ; venerable patriarchs of a noble line of
ancestry ! they belong to what may be called the ' blood
royal' of vegetation. The number of these veterans
is now reduced to seven, but scions of their sires are
springing up in multitudes. The mutability of time
has visited these cedars with changes, and the glory
of Lebanon has fallen. A goodly array they must have
been in the time of Hiram, king of Tyre — ' Illium fuit.'
'These trees,' says Lamartine, with great truth, 'are
the most celebrated national monuments on the globe ;
religion, poetry, and history, have equally consecrated
them ; the holy scriptures celebrate them in several
places. They form one of the images which the pro
phets use with especial preference.'

nr7

w^^mB

MmmM
The mountain scenery of JVazareth.
Nazareth, from a Hebrew word signifying a flower,
is situated among the mountains of 'Galilee of the
Gentiles,' on the frontiers of the inheritance of Issachar

62
and Zebulon. Among the scenes of its ' hill country,'
were passed the early days of the eventful life of the
' Son of Man.' The hills around Nazareth are of an in
considerable altitude ; and form a circumvalation round
the hallowed spot. Dr. Richardson says : — ' It seems
as if fifteen mountains united to form one enclosure
for this delightful spot ; they rise around it like the
edge of a shell, to guard it from intrusion. It is a
rich and beautiful field, in the midst of barren moun
tains; it abounds in fig trees, small gardens, and
hedges of the prickly pear, and the dense grass forms
an abundant pasture.' Still the ' concentus avium '
appears to be absent from these sacred scenes.
Among the olive trees near Nazareth, Hasselquist
found a Cameleon, and in a vale at some distance, he
mentions having noticed a number of mandrakes. The
limestone rocks abound in various plants of singular
interest; and from their acclivities, the paronychita
argentea suspends its pensile silvery tassels. What is
now called the ' mount of precipitation,' from whence
his enemies would have thrown the Saviour, headlong,
is about two miles distant from the modern town, and
from the steep and rocky nature of the route, is nearly
inaccessible. In a peaceful valley near Nazareth, is a
crystal well, whither the women of Nazareth repair
with their pitchers ; and thither would ' the highly
favoured among women' often resort with her infant
charge. According to Hasselquist, from Acra to Naza
reth, are groves of the quercus coccifera, which pierced
by a cynips, yields the gall nut. There is also a grove
of oaks mingled with beech.

63

f ~\

• Cana of Galilee?
Cana lay contiguous to the plain of Zebulon ; its site
is on an elevation which overlooks the valley, and is
to the N. E. of Nazareth. This interesting spot is
memorable for our Saviour's earliest miracle, where
' the conscious water saw its God, and blushed.' There
is a fountain near the village, it is the only one, and is
called ' the Well of Cana ; ' it is represented in the
wood-cut with the adjacent trees. The water of the
well is described to be ' as pure as crystal,' and sup
plied by mountain springs. During the visit of Rae
Wilson to Cana, he describes the interesting circum
stance, that several women, with their faces veiled,
repaired to the well to draw water, and offered him to
drink. They carried ' water pots ' made of clay, and
baked in the sun ; and he remarks, that they appeared
to be of a size similar to those described by the Evan
gelist, as containing three firkins a piece. ' It is worthy
of note,' says Dr. Clarke, ' that in walking among the
ruins of Cana, one sees massive pots of stone answer
ing to the description given by the Evangelist, not

64
preserved, nor exhibited as relics, but lying about, dis
regarded by the present inhabitants as antiquities with
the original use of which they are altogether unac
quainted. From their appearance, and the number of
them, it is quite evident that the practice of keeping
water in large stone pots, each containing from eighteen
to twenty-seven gallons, was once common in the
country.'

Mount Tabor, in the Plain of Esdraelon.

This noble mountain, somewhat conical in its form,
and supposed to have ' the mountain apart,' or the
mount where the scene of the 'transfiguration' took
place, rises in majestic grandeur from the vast plain of
Esdraelon, called also the valley of Megiddo. It
occupies a recess on the east, with 'little Hermon' on
the one side, and the hills which intercept Nazareth,
on the other. The altitude of mount Tabor is stated
to be about 1000 feet above the level of the plain. It
is steep and rugged, and the flanks of the mountain
are precipitous and inaccessible, except on the north.

65
Oaks and the terebinthus clothe its sides, and the
holly is found in the vallies. Hasselquist found also
the carrot, the myrtle, and the ivy; and among its
flora, may be named the papaver rheas, rue, sage,
and wormwood; the artichoke, onion, oats, (avena
montana,) cichorium intybus, and trefoil. The wild
boar and the ounce, the blue-eyed gazelle and the have,
tenant its rocky recesses ; the ' birds sing among the
branches ' of its woodland scenery, and partridges
abound. The exceeding beauty of the panoramic landscape,
as seen from the summit of Tabor, is one glowing
with interest, and fertile in beauty ; it is noble and
expansive, and the picturesque and majestic scenery
over which the eye expatiates, teems with the most
sublime and awful associations — around the moun
tain is the fertile expanse of the luxuriant valley of
Esdraelon, where the tribe of Issachar 'rejoiced in
their tents,' Here was the scene ' of the mourning
of Hadadrimon;' and Esdraelon has been the battle
plain of countless legions from every clime, whose
banners have been often wet with the dews of Hermon
and Tabor; here Barak fought against Sisera, and
discomfited his hosts,; and here fell the good king
Josiah, under the arrows of Pharaoh-Necho. On this
memorable plain, Vespasian reviewed his hosts, and
here the great Armageddon is to be consummated. In
this glorious prospect are included, towards the north,
the mountains of Galilee, with the snow-capped
Lebanon in the back ground ; towards the north-east
is the mountain ridge of Antilibanus with Hermon ; to
E

66
the east, the eye wanders over the country of the
Gadarenes, and reposes on the lake of Tiberias, or
' sea of Galilee ;' a few leagues to the east is ' little
Hermon ; ' the village of Nain nestles at its foot, and
in the same direction is that of Endor; to the south
east, passing the valley of the Jordan, the eye is
arrested by the high hills of Bashan, among the moun
tains of Gilead ; on the south, beyond Hermon, are
the mountains of Gilboa, where Saul and his sons
were slain, while the 'high hills' of Samaria close the
prospect — trending to the west ; towards the west is
the promontory of Carmel; and the Kishon, one of the
tributary streams which water the fertile plains of
Esdraelon, flows in this direction.

The Jordan.

The sacred stream of the Jordan takes its rise at
the foot of 'Dgebail Sherkh,' a precipice forming
part of the chain of Antilibanus, and on the sides of
which are several niches with Greek inscriptions.
After threading the lake Hoole, and * the sea of Galilee,'

67
and winding through the great plain of Esdraelon,
receiving in its course several tributary streams,
among others, the river Jabbok, it discharges its
waters into that mysterious lake, the * Dead Sea.' It
is of variable width and depth, and is a rapid river,
yet Bruce found ' the paper reed ' (papyrus anti-
quorum) buffeting its waters, and maintaining an erect
position in its stream. The part of the Jordan repre
sented in the wood-cut is that where, according to
tradition, our Saviour was baptised by John ; there
is here an islet concealed by trees and reeds, which,
impeding the current, and thus causing a reflux, pro
duces a considerable agitation, while it is smooth and
tranquil all around. Its healing waters are remark
ably pure, and stand in strong and striking contrast
with those of the Dead Sea;, by a careful analysis, I
could only detect the presence of a minute quantity of
sulphate of lime and muriate of soda. According to
Shaw, the Jordan discharges daily into the Dead Sea,
six millions and ninety thousand tons of water ; this
the lake receives, exclusive of the tributes of the
Arnon and seven other streams. On the Jordan, near
the Dead Sea, are found in tufts, the ' zaggoum ' and
other shrubs.
Mr. Stephens describes that portion of the Jordan
which is shewn in our engraving as far excelling in
beauty of scenery any other part of the river, and he
followed its banks from thence in their various wind
ings to the confines of the Dead Sea. ' The bank
here,' it is observed, ' is about ten or twelve feet high,
a clear level table of land, covered with rich grass,
e 2

68
and large bushes on the edge overhanging the river.
Judging by the eye, the river is here about thirty
paces broad, and the current is very rapid, so that the
pilgrim in bathing is obliged to hold on by the bushes
to avoid being carried away. Here it is said, the wild
beast still has his haunt, and the traveller, sometimes
when the river is rising, may realize the expression,
' He shall come up like a lion from the swellings of
Jordan;' opposite, the bank is low, and the bushes
grow down to the water's edge. At the embouchure
of the Jordan, the river is deep and rapid, and rolls
a considerable volume of waters ; the current here is
strong, and the width from two hundred to three
hundred feet. It can be, of course, a matter of mere
conjecture as to the termination of the Jordan, prior
to the destruction of ' the Cities of the Plain ; ' but the
valley which connects the bed of the Jordan and the
basin of the Dead Sea, with the iElanitic Gulph,
seems to render it not improbable, that the Jordan
once discharged its waters into the eastern branch of
the Red Sea.
Chateaubriand ascertained that the Jordan in several
places was fifty feet broad, and six feet deep near the
shore. There is some discrepancy among travellers,
as to the width and depth of the Jordan, arising it
may be in part from the measurement having been
made at different points of the river, and at various
seasons of the year. ' The Jordan,' according to Hardy,
' though one of the chief rivers in Palestine, is only an
inconsiderable stream ; about four miles from its
mouth, it is not more than twenty yards across, muddy,

and very rapid: the entire length of its course is
about 130 miles ; it rises about four miles north-east
of Barrias, passes through the waters of Merom, and
the lake of Tiberias, and discharges itself with great
impetuosity into the ' Dead Sea.' The banks are
about twelve feet above the water ; on the eastern
side, there is a lower bank in addition, covered with
reeds, and clothed with thickets of willows, the
tamarix, and oleander, in which the wild beasts find
a shelter in the dry season, but are forced from their
retreat at the swelling of the river by the rains.' The
allusion to the ' swellings of the Jordan,' in the ' time
of harvest,' in the days of Joshua, has reference to a
fact which has, by some travellers, been doubted or
denied; and yet the appearance of the Jordan, as
described by travellers, seems to me to pre-suppose
such an event. There is a geological phenomenon,
now recognized, which, if admitted here, will remove
all difficulty ; I allude to the gradual rise of level, or
otherwise depression of the plane, as ascertained in
some cases ; and as it has been, by recent barometrical
measurement, determined that the level of the Dead Sea
is vastly depressed below that of the Mediterranean —
an observation that applies even to Jericho; the sinking
of that basin, with the greater deflection of the in
clined plane of the bed of the Jordan, would com
pletely change the phenomena of the river.

70

Sinai, from ihe Desert.

The mountains of Sinai are distinguished into several
distinct summits, and have received the individual names
of mounts Sinai, Horeb, Om Shomar, and Serbal;
these, the largest and most interesting of the group,
rise to an altitude of from 8000 to 9000 feet above
the level of the sea: they are granitic. I have a
fragment of that curious and beautiful variety called
graphic, brought from thence by Burchardt ; the crys
tals of the quartz being embedded in the homogeneous
feldspar. There can be now no means of distinguish
ing, with any degree of precision, the individual groups
of Horeb and Sinai, among the Sinaitic range, nor is it
a matter of moment, since there can be no doubt what
ever that the scene of the most stupendous and sublime
event in the history of our world, was located in this
mountain range. The wood-cut represents the general
group of Sinai, as seen on the approach from the desert.
According to modern discrimination, the mounts, St.
Catherine and Sinai, are the twin summits of Horeb.
In the plain of Horeb, and at the foot of these two

71
mountains, is a cypress; and a tank, which receives
the rains. Sir Frederick Henniker remarks, that if
he had to represent the end of the world, he would
model it from Sinai; 'it would seem,' he remarks,
' as if Arabia Petrea had once been an ocean of lava,
and that while its waves were literally running moun
tains high, it was commanded suddenly to stand still.
Mr. Stephens, too, has graphically described the scene
as seen from the majestic summit of Sinai. " Among
all the stupendous works of nature, not a place can be
selected more fitted for the exhibition of Almighty
power. I have stood upon the summit of the giant
Etna, and looked over the clouds floating beneath it,
upon the bold scenery of Sicily, and the distant moun
tains of Calabria; upon the top of Vesuvius, and looked
down upon the waves of lava, and the ruined and half-
recovered cities at its foot ; but they are nothing com
pared with the terrific solitudes and bleak majesty of
Sinai. An observing traveller has well called it ' a
perfect sea of desolation.' Not a tree, or shrub, or
blade of grass, is to be seen upon the bare and rugged
sides of innumerable mountains, heaving their naked
summits to the skies ; while the crumbling masses all
around, and the distant view of the Syrian desert, with
its boundless waste of sands, form the wildest and most
dreary, the most terrific and desolate picture that ima
gination can conceive.' Laborde observes, ' the eye
sought in vain to catch some prominent object among
the chaos of rocks which were tumbled around the
base, and vanished in the distance, in the form of

72
raging waves.' The Red Sea was, however, seen ; with
the mountains of Africa, the rounded mountain mass
of Om Shomar, the pinnacles of Serbal, and the exten-
tensive prolongation of El Tyh. Lord Lindsay thinks
it is not improbable, that ' Gebel Mennegia,' which
closes the vista of the valley of El Raha, is the
' Mount Sinai ' of Scripture ; his reasons seem forcible,
and the sacred narrative appears to have been his
guide — the best testimony in these regions.
It was here, in the land of Midian, that Moses,
while tending the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law,
saw the vision of the burning bush, symbol of the
Divine Presence. Hither did Chedarlaomer, 'king
of Elam,' Tidal, ' king of Nations,' and other associate
'kings,' pursue the Horites — 'even to the plain of
Paran, by the wilderness.' Among the majesty of the
solitudes of these awful mountains, were the tables of
the law given to Moses, amid ' thunders and lightnings,
and a thick cloud ' — ' the whole mount quaked greatly,'
and ' the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and
louder.' Such were the splendours which once shrouded
the solitudes of these august and stupendous scenes.
Yet the besotted people soon forgot their allegiance in
the temporary absence of their leader. On the plains
below they had already formed ' a golden calf,' and
made this the image of their idolatry. It is a remark
able fact, which must not be overlooked, that the
Druses of mount Lebanon, whose history is lost in the
night of ages, worship the calf, and their features
have a remarkable resemblance to the Jewish counte-

73
nance ; it seems to be, therefore, highly probable, that
they are a fragment of that idolatrous number. The
inspired writers, with inimitable grandeur, describe
" the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power,"
in these words — " God came from Teman (the south),
and the Holy One from mount Paran. His glory
covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his
praise; and his brightness was as the light. 'He
had bright beams out of his side,' and there was the
hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence,
and diseases went forth at his feet. He stood and
measured the earth ; he beheld and drove asunder the
nations, and the everlasting mountains were scattered,
the perpetual hills did bow : his ways are from ever
lasting. I saw the tents of Cushan (Ethiopia) 'under'
affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian did
tremble. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled,
the overflowing of the water passed by; the deep
uttered his voice, and lift up his hands on high. The
sun and moon stood still in their habitation." a

The few physical phenomena I have selected, fully
confirm the graphic delineations of the topography
described in the sacred writings. I now proceed to
what I may call the judicial monuments ; and the first
of these that I shall notice, is that which comme
morates the destruction of the ' Cities of the Plain,'
on the site of the Dead Sea.
a Hab. III., v. 3, &c.

74

The Dead Sea.
The ' Dead Sea' is a lake of considerable size, of
great length, and irregular in form ; it is called
' Bahar Loth,' or the Sea of Lot, and the Greeks and
Latins gave it the name of the Lake Asphaltites.
Five of the cities situated in the vale of Siddim, are
named in Genesis, and two of these are there speci
fically mentioned as having been destroyed; namely,
Sodom and Gomorrah. Admah and Zeboim doubtless
shared the same fate, as they are elsewhere included
in sacred history. According to Josephus, the length
of the Dead Sea is more than seventy miles long, by
nineteen broad ; it is a scene to shudder at ; there is
no visible outlet for its sullen waters, which, with the
desolation that surrounds its barren shores, present a
prospect which overawes the mind, that shrinks back
on itself in the survey of its solitude. How changed
since Lot, attracted by the fertility of the soil, which
was ' well watered every where !'
" Fu gia, terra feconda, almo paese,
Or acque son bituminose e calde,
E steril lago ; e, quanto ei torce e gira,
Compressa el 'aria, o grave il puzzo spira.''

75
Fable has invested the Dead Sea with imaginary
phenomena, and superstition imputed to it characters
which it does not possess, such as the statement that
birds flying over it dropped down dead suddenly, and
that even suspended on the wing, they were sucked,
as by the facination of the snake, into its lethal exha
lations. Swallows, however, have been seen to skim
the surface of its waters, and they must have been in
pursuit of insect prey ; flocks of gulls, and other
birds, have also passed over it, and the eagle and the
vulture visit its shores ; still life forsakes its bitter
waters, and there seems no evidence to prove that this
world of waters has any living tenant. The specific
gravity of the water of the Dead Sea is considerable,
and its buoyancy great, still its surface is agitated by
the breeze and ruffled by the storm. Chateaubriand,
however, says of it ' son eau, d'une amertume affreuse,
est si pesante, que les vents les plus impetueux a peine
la soulever.' Travellers generally unite in describing
this ' pit of destruction ' as a truly fearful scene.
The Dead Sea, 'dark as settled hate,' and dismal as
the sepulchre of the dead, attests, in features which
all may interpret, the judicial visitation of a righteous
God. The wild Arab dislikes an approach to this scene
of solitude, and in his predatory excursions, shuns it
as he would the pestilence. Various travellers have
recorded their feelings, as impressed by a survey of the
dismal lake. Chateaubriand says — ' the waters of the
lake were motionless, and absolutely dead, along the
shore;' and Mr. Stephens, from the summit of a

76
barren mountain on the borders of the Dead Sea, thus
describes its appearance — " From this distance its
aspect fully justifies its name. It was calm, motion
less, and seemingly dead ; there was no wave or ripple
on its surface, nor was it hurrying on like other waters
to pay its tribute to the ocean ; the mountains around
it were also dead ; no trees or shrubs, not a blade of
grass grew on their naked sides ; and as in the days
of Moses, ' brimstone and salt, it is not sown, nor
beareth, nor any grass groweth thereon.' " " Lamar-
tine, somewhat poetically, thus describes the ' Dead
Sea ' — " This sea is beautiful ; it glitters, it pours
upon the desert which surmounts it, the reflection of
its waters, it attracts the eye, and it rouses the
thought; but it is dead: motion and noise are no
more. The waves, too heavy for the wind, are still,
and no white foam plays on the pebbles of its shores :
it is a scene of petrifaction ! "
The Bible narrative only specifies five cities in the
vale of Siddim; those already named, and Zoar,
whither Lot fled, on the approach of the catas
trophe. Stephens of Byzantium, however, mentions
eight, and Strabo, thirteen towns. It may be
added that Hasselquist and Maundrel state, that they
discovered shell fish on its shores, and Seetzen found
a few shell snails. Chateaubriand heard a noise at
midnight, which he ascribed to fish ; but this is very
problematical, certainly nothing of the kind has ever
been seen: the chemical constitution of its waters,
seems also to impose an interdict, and the noise may
more reasonably be ascribed to gaseous exhalations ;

77
for, according to Count Forbin, it sometimes emits
vollies of smoke, and fresh crevices are continually
opening on its banks. According to Forbin, the
Jordan once probably traversed the whole plain, and
perhaps fell into the Mediterranean, through the vallies
that extend in the direction of Gaza ; certain it is,
that before the destruction of the Cities of the Plain,
the Jordan may have been more ramified, and thus
more extensively fertilized the plain. There are several
curious questions which arise out of the phenomena
connected with the Dead Sea, and our present inquiry:
Are there any evidences of the mode by which the
Almighty ' overthrew those cities, and all the plain,
and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which
grew upon the ground ? '
We are informed by the sacred historian, that ' the
vale of Siddim was full of slime pits.' By this I
understand tar pits, or wells containing asphaltum or
bituminous matter, and such certainly the waters of
the Dead Sea contain. In a specimen which I ana
lyzed, I find that the water, after long repose, though
remaining corked, exhales sulphuretted hydrogen,
and becomes somewhat opake or opalescent, resem
bling that which floats over a specimen of tar in my
possession, brought from the tar wells of Zante ; while
extremely minute particles of bituminous matter are
precipitated. Salt, sulphur, and pieces of bitumen, have
been found on its shores, and among the surrounding
mountains; a kind of 'swinestone' is also found on the
borders of the Dead Sea, and is used as an amulet
against the plague, and fashioned into toys by the

78
monks of Jerusalem. Captains Irby and Mangles
have, in their truly valuable work, given a view of the
south extremity of the Dead Sea — a wild and dan
gerous region, — together with the ' Back Water.'
They state their having collected a quantity of wood,
which the sea had thrown up at high water mark,
impregnated with salt ; they also advert to the saline
appearance left by the tide, and specify ' large frag
ments of clear rock salt.' The hills are described as
being composed ' partly of indurated sand, and partly
of salt,' and, in many instances, the salt hangs like
transparent icicles from the cliffs ; there are also
numerous strata of considerable thickness, the strata
of salt being generally presented in perpendicular lines.
Count Forbin also met with pieces of petrified wood
and porous stones, apparently ' calcined.' Captain
Mangles mentions having met with sulphur at the
hot springs of the Arnon, and numerous indications
of sulphur have been described by Mr. Buckingham.
Whatever may have been the means employed by
Almighty God for the destruction of 'the Cities of
the Plain,' there is an abundant proof of the presence
of bitumen or 'slime,' sulphur and salt; every one of
which is specifically mentioned in the sacred narrative.
Another interesting inquiry is — are there any vestiges
of the guilty cities beneath the sullen flood, to be
discerned? Both Troilo and D'Arvieux expressly
state that they observed fragments of walls, and other
ruins, under these waters ; others have stated the same
thing, and the ancients speak positively on the subject ;
and albiet the scepticism of Mariti, 'mais, il faut que

79
l'imagination les ait tromp6s,' Count Forbin states
that he observed portions of walls half concealed
beneath the waters of the Dead Sea, under and behind
the shapeless ruins represented in the wood-cut, where
he met with remains of walls, (those of a tower,) and
several columns, said to be ' Gomorrah.' From this
spot a general view of the Dead Sea is seen ; the lake,
in its greatest extent, stretches north and south, and
on its western banks were the guilty cities, doomed to
destruction for their crimes. Over against these ruins
is Mount Nebo, among the hills of Abarim, the
northern limits of the territories of Moab, from whence
Moses saw the plains of Palestine ; and in a valley
over against Bethpeor, among these mountains, was he
buried. It is needless to speculate on the probable agency
employed in the destruction of these cities — all that
we are told is simply that ' fire and brimstone' were
included in the means. ' The thing is certain, and the
interpretation sure.' The agency of fire in the aspect
of the rocks is sufficiently obvious, as well as the
presence of sulphur. Besides the sulphate of lime, and
the muriates of lime, magnesia and soda, determined
by the analysis of the chemist, I detected in the speci
men of the waters of the lake already referred to,
iodine, bromine, silica, selenium, ammonia and boracic
acid. Several of these are known to be volcanic
products, yet the form of the lake, as described by
travellers, certainly bears no resemblance to a volcanic
basin, and I have been in both active and extinct

80
volcanic craters, so that the penal visitation seems to
have been more analogous to the fate of Euphemia,
in Calabria, a city which was swallowed up, and its
place usurped by the waters of a stagnant lake — a
catastrophe witnessed and described by Kircher. This,
however, is only a very partial type of the scene and
the solitude of the Dead Sea — for ' the smoke of the
country went up as the smoke of a furnace.' The
most remarkable fact connected with this mysterious
lake, is the depression of the level of its waters, which
Mr. Russegger has calculated at 1400 feet below that
of the Mediterranean. It is, therefore, truly a ' great
gulph.' As for the ' apples of Sodom,' Hasselquist has
assigned them to the solanum melongena, a species of
nightshade, the fruit of which, when pierced by a
cynips, would reduce its interior to ' bitter ashes,' while
its exterior beauty might remain unimpaired. Cha
teaubriand singles out a shrub of a thorny appearance,
which bears a fruit resembling the Egyptian lemon in
colour and size, it yields a dark seed, and its taste is
bitter ; I am inclined, however, to give a preference to
the opinion of Hasselquist.
I shall now only take a very summary view of some
of the scenes and monuments that remain as evidences
of the denunciations of prophecy; and there is a
particularity and minuteness in the sketch and colour
ing of prophetic detail, such as the very peculiar and
extraordinary circumstances under which the events
should happen, the means that should be employed,
and the singularity of the phenomena that should

81
supervene, that nothing but the omniscience who ' saw
the end from the beginning,' could have announced the
character and condition of their doom.
And here we may well pause 'in the outset,' at
Jerusalem, and ask, ' Is this the city that men call the
perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth ? ' Ivy
creeps over its mouldering walls, the olive surmounts
its terraces and ruins, and the neglected palm yields its
fruit to the birds of the air. We may then exclaim,
" Who can heal thee ! " ' Amid the still solemnities
of the night,' says Forbin, 'we may listen to the
sorrowful hymns of the daughters of Jerusalem.' The
description of the present aspect of Jerusalem by Pou-
joulat, is remarkably graphic, and seems to be one
ad vivum. " Jerusalem offers no illusions ; it is fair to
behold, neither from far nor near; take away a few
monuments and a few towers, and the prospect before
you is the dullest that can be imagined. It is a vast
heap of stone houses, each of whose terraced roofs is
surmounted with a small dome : the dark grey colour
of these monotonous groups — their mournful character
— the rock and desert soil surrounding these walls,
which seem only to enclose tombs — the solitary sky
above your head, whose wide expanse no bird traverses
— combine to form a spectacle uniting in itself all that
melancholy can produce of the most sad, all that soli
tude can produce of the most desolate. If we enter
into Jerusalem, what gloom! Narrow and dark
streets; huge bazaars, in which you see a sprinkling
of Jewish, Greek, and Armenian merchants ; miserable

82
shops for the sale of tobacco, kept by Mussulmans ;
dilapidated inns, where the Arabian stranger reposes
beside his steed; whole districts deserted, houses in
ruins, the ground covered with weeds, filth, and
rubbish ; ivy twining round disjointed fragments, and
stunted palm trees growing up through crevices. On
traversing the city, you see the white or red cloak of
the Mussulman, the dark vest of the Rayah, or the
veils of the women, who move with the hurried steps
of fugitives. Such is the interior of Jerusalem.
There is no joy, no movement, no noise, you would
take it for a vast prison, where the days are as silent
as the night ; or rather an immense monastery, whose
inhabitants are constantly engaged in prayer." And
amid the desolations which inspired prophecy had
foretold, we may inquire for Nineveh, that ' exceeding
great city,' the capital of Assyria, and seated on the
banks of the Euphrates. Alas ! Nineveh is no more,
— ¦' empty and void, and waste,' — "the city, and even
the ruins of the city, have long since disappeared," —
such is the testimony of Gibbon. Its very site is the
subject of debate, and cannot certainly be known.
What has become of Tyre ? ' The joyous city,'
and ' the strength of the sea,' and are there now, in
this once the capital of the Phoenicians, no merchant
princes? Tyre is now a miserable village of poor
fishermen. She was to become 'like the top of a
rock, and a place for the spreading of nets,' and Bruce
says ' it is a rock whereon fishers dry their nets.'
' How is the mighty fallen !'

83

West View of ihe ' Kasr' of Babylon.
The above wood-cut represents the west view of the
ruins of the " Kasr," or Palace, among the mounds of
Babylon, and the athele is seen in the distance ; it is
a solitary lonely tree — perhaps a scion of one of the
number that once graced the pensile or hanging
gardens of Nebuchadnezzar's palace, which were near
the river ; it seems to be the tamarix orientalis.
Near this spot, Mr. Rich found the brick with the
figure of the spade already referred to: according to
his accurate measurement, the ruins, being square, are
700 yards in length, by a similar extent in breadth.
Major Keppel describes the Kasr, which faces the
four cardinal points, as composed of kiln burnt bricks
of the finest description, agglutinated with cement, so
as not to be separated ; the walls are eight feet thick,
rent throughout by some convulsive throe. ' The solid
appearance,' he says, 'of the original structure, im
pressed the mind the more strongly with the image of
desolation that it now presents.' He describes the
athele, as it is called by the Arabs, as drooping like
the willow ; its trunk decayed, but the branches green
and healthy : near this tree the mutilated statue of the
lion, mentioned in a subsequent part of this work, was
f2

84
discovered. Respecting the ruins of Babylon, Mr.
Buckingham states, that a desert of yellow sands,
blown into undulations, surround them, the fosse is
filled up, and the walls obliterated. Lions and other
wild beasts have been noticed among these awful ruins,
and Major Keppel describes the view, as seen from
the * Birs,' as all that is mournful in solitude, and
fearful in desolation. ' From the summit,' he observes,
' we had a distinct view of the vast heaps which con
stitute all that now remains of ancient Babylon ; a
more complete picture of desolation could not well be
imagined.' 'The eye wanders over a barren desert,
in which the ruins are nearly the only indication that
it ever had been inhabited.' And, where is now that
Barylon, once the wonder of the world ? The glory
of her greatness is laid in the dust. Every 'jot and
tittle' of the predictions concerning the 'lady of king
doms' have been fulfilled, in all their amazing and-
circumstantial minutiae. 'Sudden destruction, like a
whirlwind,' came upon Babylon, and has extinguished
all but her imperishable name. 'The Arabian does
not pitch his tent there,' — its ruins are ' heaps,' and
' full of doleful creatures,' — its ' walls are broken down,'
and have disappeared,- — it is truly 'a possession for the
bittern and pools of water,' and the shriek of the
bittern, from among the marshes, mingling with the
blast that sweeps over the desert, and sighs through
its sorrowful tree, seems to chaunt the dirge of Baby
lon — ' fallen — fallen — fallen,' and to mourn the
loss and ruin of the 'golden city,' and the doom of
' the beauty of the Chaldee's excellency.' The wreck

85
of Babylon is no common waste — it is a royal ruin,
and an imperial desolation.
Passing over the total overthrow of the Cities of
Moab, tenantless and in ruin, we pause at Petra, the
Edom of prophecy, and the metropolis of Idumea.
Where is now the war horse of Idumea, with a ' neck
clothed with thunder?' ' Where are the chariots, and
the horsemen ?' Where ? An echo, reverberating from
the mountains of Seir, repeats — ' Where ? Where ?'
' Edom is become a desolation,' and ' a court for owls.'
Petra is the land of forgetfulness, and the " Dukes of
Edom" are no more. The winding sheet of death
covers the capital of Idumea ; ' emphatic silence,'
touching more than eloquence, reigns throughout this
vast necropolis. Petra, the ancient capital of Idumea,
hitherto wrapped up in the deep recesses of solitude,
remained until lately unknown. Here was the cradle
of commerce seventeen centuries ago ; the emporium
of Northern Arabia, and the entrepot between Pales
tine and Syria, and Egypt. It was the birth-place of
Balaam, and renowned for oracles and auguries ; in it,
as a stronghold, were deposited the treasures of the
Sultans of Egypt ; and the name of Petra seemed to
have become all but extinct, with the declension of the
Roman power in the East. Here is a town embosomed
amid a fortress of mountains — utter desolation reigns
over wonderful ruins — noble in decay, and sublime in
their fall. Mount Hor, with Aaron's tomb, surmounts
the City of Desolations ; the metropolis of moving
sands, and a blighted desert. The entrance is from
the east, through a deep gorge, or ravine, called El syk,

86
and the river that supplied Edom flowed through this
valley ; the wall of rock is from 400 to 700 feet high.
The sides of this romantic chasm are clothed with
tamarix, wild fig, oleander, and the caper plant, the
latter hanging in luxuriant festoons from cracks and
crevices ; the solitude is only disturbed by the scream
ing of eagles, hawks, owls, and ravens, which con
gregate here in vast multitudes. The ruins burst on
the eye of the astonished and bewildered traveller in
all their awful magnificence ; this amphitheatre of
mountains is tinged with extraordinary hues, and is
at once romantic and picturesque ; sepulchres and
tombs, sculptures, in all the majesty of art, decorate
these ' everlasting hills ;' more than two hundred and
fifty sepulchres are chiselled in the rock — and this is
Edom, the metropolis of Idumea! The stupendous
ruins, the magnificent tombs, the amphitheatre, the
columns and capitals, obelisks, friezes — all attest the
magnificence which once reigned in this mountain
metropolis' — a city of desolation, which even the
bittern scarce disturbs ; * lines of confusion and stones
of emptiness.' The territory of the descendants of
Esau is swept as by 'the besom of destruction,' and
remains a miracle of evidence as palpable as any
monument in the history of time. Its eighteen cities
are mouldered into dust, and the dwellers among the
rocks, that 'made their nests among the stars' are
brought low. ' Thy terribleness hath deceived thee.'
Laborde mentions that the view from one of the moun
tain peaks, -which surmounts this city of tombs,
disclosed ' a vast frightful desert — a chaotic sea, the

87
waves of which were petrified,' — before them stood
mount Hor, crested by the prophet's tomb. The
attention and contemplation seemed to be here divided
between the survey of 'nature, who invites attention
to her matchless girdle of rocks, wonderous as well
for their colours as their forms, and the men who
feared not to intermingle the works of their genius
with such splendid efforts of creative power.' Captains
Irby and Mangles observe that the view from the
summit of the edifice on mount Hor is most extensive ;
— 'the chain of the mountains of Idumea on the west
shore of the Dead Sea — below them a white sandy
plain to the foot of mount Hor, with peaks and ridges
of a purple colour, like the sandstone of mount Hor ;
towards the side of Egypt an expanse lost in the distant
perspective.' The crags of mount Hor are described
as rugged and fantastic, and sometimes yawning in
frightful chasms — and forming an exhibition of ' rock
scenery in all its wildest and most extravagant forms
and colours.' They state that much juniper grows on
the mountain and many flowering plants.
' I would,' says Mr. Stephens, ' that the sceptic
could stand as I did among the ruins of this city,
among the rocks, and there open the sacred book and
read the words of the inspired penmen, written when
this desolate place was one of the greatest cities in
the world. I see the scoff arrested, the cheek pale,
his lip quivering, and his heart quaking for fear, as
the ruined city cries out to him, in a voice loud and
powerful, as that of one risen from the dead ; though
he would not believe Moses and the prophets, he

88
believes the handwriting of God himself in the deso
lation and eternal ruin around him.' 'Wisdom hath
departed from Teman, and understanding from the
mount of Esau !' Who hath done these things ? Even
' He who cometh from Edom,' — ' travelling in the
greatness of his strength !' How terrible is the death
of a city !

CHAPTER IV.
THE NECESSITY OF REVELATION — THE CONDITION OF
MAN WITHOUT REVELATION, AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE
PAGAN WORLD— WHAT IS EXCELLENT IN OTHER SYSTEMS
DERIVED FROM THE SACRED WRITINGS.
Lord Herbert, an infidel, and deistical writer,
acknowledges distinctly, that " Christianity is the best
of all religions ;" and since it is so, ' our enemies being
judges,' the next important questions are — Is religion
necessary to man ? and to what authority can this ' best
of all religions' lay claim? and to what origin can-
we trace it ? Is it human or divine ? Whence springs
this superiority over all other religions ? Its superhu
man origin seems clearly and unequivocally established
by its essentially distinct and individual character. It
has no counterpart or similitude in the ' religions ' of
the world, and never had the world seen its 'likeness.'
As it is insulated and unique, the legitimate inference is,
that it could not have originated in the same source
from which the other ' religions ' emanated, and these
have all a family likeness; they are 'of the earth,
earthy,' and are without scruple admitted to be human
inventions. The peculiar religion which we advocate,

90
must, in its very nature, be divine, or in other words,
superhuman, because it condemns them all, and lays
the axe at once to these 'devices,' and the 'cunning
craftiness ' of man.
The character and immutability of truth, whose
elements and essentials enter into its constitution,
prove clearly that it could not have originated in finite
and mutable man, and that nothing less than infinite
intelligence could have been its author. ' Truth,' says
Epictetus, 'is an immortal and an eternal thing; it
bestows a beauty which time will not wither, and a
boldness, of which the sentence of a judge cannot de
prive us.' This lamp of truth and sunbeam of heaven,
has been the same in all ages, and is applicable to all
the circumstances and conditions of humanity, under
whatever angle, or in whatever phase it may be
viewed. It has the image of heaven, and not the linea
ments of earth ; and ' holding the mirror up to nature,'
man may see in it his true character reflected ; and as
the heart is deceitful, and may deceive, he can here
alone see a faithful portrait of himself, pourtrayed by
the Being that made him, and must have known him.
Christianity may be said to be made ' all things to
all men,' for its precepts and its promises apply equally
to all ; prosperous or adverse, young or old, savage or
sage, in sickness and health, joy and sorrow; in short,
to every supposeable position and condition of human
nature. Every character and every clime may be
benefitted and blessed by its heavenly influences ; it is
the only religion that deserves the name, and it keeps
pace with the advance of the understanding and pro-

91
gress of the mind. Like the pillar of fire that went
before the camp of Israel, it is always progressive and
in advance, and gives light to the world; it is the
same now as when it was communicated to a simple
people, and a little flock, in the ' Land of Jewry ;' and
the heavenly doctrines propounded by the Almighty
founder of our religion on the plains of Galilee, or the
lake of Tiberias, are as ' marvellous in, our eyes,' and
as mighty in their excellency, as ever. None but the
Being who made man, and knew all things, could have
provided for his wants, and the contingencies and
accidents by which he was surrounded, amid all the
revolutions of time. Every other system, being of
man's ' device,' has left the ' longings ' of the soul
unsatisfied, while this has never failed to minister
peace, and subdue the mental conflict. The universality
of its application, its immutability, and the perpetuity
of its adaptation throughout all ages, in the experience
of eighteen centuries, prove to demonstration, that this
revelation must have come from the Being who created
man, because nothing short of omniscience could have
known the requirements, and nothing less than infinite
wisdom could have devised the remedy, or supplied the
means. The human mind says emphatically, "it is not
in me." Indeed, it is as reasonable to suppose that
man could create himself, as that he could originate
the elements of boundless enjoyment, limited by neither
time nor space, and which enter into that one word,
Salvation. Seeing that the entire natural bias of the
human soul is towards evil, and that continually, the
light that falls upon us, ' so soft and wooingly,' must

92
have come from 'light inaccesible' to the nature of
man. This position cannot be shifted; it is the
' vantage-ground ' of truth, and an axiom that cannot
be controverted. We proceed to shew the state or
condition of our race in their mental and moral con
stitution, before the ' Sun of Righteousness ' arose in a
benighted world, and we shall soon see that 'the
world by wisdom knew not God,' and that ' gross dark
ness covered the people.' As we are entirely indebted,
whether we confess it or not, to religion for our ad
vances in the scale of civilization, as we have breathed,
and do breathe, the genial and vital atmosphere of
Christianity, and are illuminated and guided by itg
light, we must look into the back-ground of time, ' the
postern of time long elapsed,' for a portraiture of hea
thenism, and murderous idolatry, where the sky lowers,
and the storm rages, over the fair province of the
mind, and the contrast in the light and shade will be
manifest — ' God made man upright, but he has sought
out for himself many inventions.'
To the question which affects us so deeply, " How
can man be just with God?" the oracles of nature
respond not ; and like the prophets of Baal, on Mount
Carmel, we may " call from morning even until noon,"
but there is " no voice, nor any that answers." We
may put on the ephod of philosophy, and summon to
our aid the auxiliaries of reason ; but the almighty
Author of nature answers neither by Urim nor Thum
mim, nor voice nor vision. The necessity of revela
tion, through some other channel, becomes obvious, in
order to set at rest mental inquietude, and supply the

93
void of our perplexities. On these paramount in
quiries — the character of God, his will to us, our
relation to him, and our destiny in another and a better
world, — the gifted Document, whose authenticity we
advocate, supplies us with most complete and satisfac
tory information. " Indited under the influence of
him, to whom all hearts are known, and all events
foreknown, they suit mankind in all situations, grateful
as the manna which descended from above and con
formed itself to every palate. The fairest productions
of human wit, after a few perusals, like gathered
flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fragrancy ;
but these unfading plants of Paradise, become, as we
are accustomed to them, still more and more beautiful ;
their bloom appears to be daily heightened, fresh odours
are emitted, and new sweets extracted from them. He
who hath once tasted their excellencies will desire to
taste them yet again ; and he who tastes them oftenest
will relish them the best."
Idolatry has been in all ages the same —

¦ Fierce as ten furies,

Terrible as Hell!'
Its very atmosphere is the malaria of death; the
Lernian hydra was but a faint symbol of this murderous
monster. In every idol the ' prince of darkness' is
enshrined, and the poor devotee is the victim of an
enchantment that lures to ruin, and a spell that
conceals a death wound. The fruits of this upas tree
are the ' apples of Sodom,' and the ' clusters of
Gomorrah.' The history of idolatry is written in

94
ensanguined lines, and the inscription on the gate in
Dante's ' Inferno' is that of the idol's shrine —
' Hope that comes to all, here comes to none.'
Idolatry is the chameleon of cruelty ; it may change
its hues, and adapt itself to idiosyncrasies of clime,
but it is not less the dagon for its silver shrines.
Satan can 'transform himself into an angel of light,'
and even idolatry may have its counterfeit virtues, that
the vigilance of the moral * watcher' may be lulled by
the circe charm, while the poisoned chalice does its
work. I dare not trust myself to describe the mur
derous and obscene rites, the barbarities and butcheries
of Paganism ; I would prefer a glance at what it was
in its mildest type, when its 'philosophers' attempered
the aspect of idolatry; and view its character under
a people luxuriating in all the refinements of art and
all the elegancies of the graces; the beau ideal of
beauty, and the fascinations of loveliness. We shall
therefore leave the savage in his wildness, in his
raging and ruthless career, over burning sands or in
interminable forests.
If our inquiries turn to Egypt,

Nurse of the sciences,

Mother of gods, and land of miracles !'
And look into their ¦ chambers of imagery,' and con
template the pictures 'pourtrayed on the walls round
about,' we may well wonder and be ' astonied.' The
waters brought forth their gods abundantly, and earth
and air supplied them. Look at their 'abominable

95
things,' the Isiaic and Eleusinian mysteries, — well may
we ask in our amazement,
• What is't ye do ?'
Lares and penates — ' lords many and gods many,' sup
plied their shrines. Their amulet and abrasax, tera-
phim and talisman, were the Urim and the Thummim
of their mysteries. 'Birds and beasts, and creeping
things,' were the idols they worshipped; the ibis
and sheldrake, the ox, and other 'four-footed beasts,'
the crocodile, serpent, and scarabeus, (anteuchus sacer)
formed the images of their idolatry. Other idols
sprung up in their gardens ; the lotus, leek, and onion,
were enshrined, and received the homage of the
devotee, and the Roman satirist, with bitter sarcasm,
could taunt them thus —
* Porrum et cepe nefas violare ac frangere morsu,
O ! sanctas gentes, quibus haec nascuntur in hortis
Numina ! ' a
Such was the furniture of their pantheon, and the
grovelling objects of their base and brutal idolatry, and
God gave them over to ' a reprobate mind ; ' can we
doubt that revelation was necessary for Egypt ?
In the east, they worshipped the host of heaven,
instead of Him who made them, Jehovah Sabaoth ;
then consider their pyrolatry and ophiolatry, with —
' Devils to adore for deities :'
The principle of evil adored instead of the essential
source of every good ! This last is the most remark-
*¦ Juvenal.

96
able of all, yet it satisfactorily proves the natural bias
of the human mind to be evil, and that continually.
We legitimately infer that a countercheck to this bias
was essentially necessary to human happiness, and that
some superhuman aid was necessary to turn the current,
and change the tide of the human mind, because, as is
proved in the fact, the natural tendency being such,
nature could not change itself, or counteract its own
act — contraries can never synchronize — to be, and not
to be, are contradictions. Such a recoil is, therefore,
inadmissible, and is as clearly incompatible as the
reflux of a river to its source, or a body overcoming its
vis inertiae, and moving up an inclined plane, contrary
to the laws of gravitation. Even now the devil is
adored in the east; even now, the bull, and the serpent,
and the Ganges, with its flower, are the Alpha and
Omega of eastern idolatry, and transmigration their
creed. Not only were visible things, and the images
of things that were made, worshipped, but the incon
gruities of disordered fancy, and an insane and rueful
imagination ; fabled images which had no similitudes,
either in earth, air, or water, and never could have
had any. These be thy gods, O Paganism ! Do we
want an attestation, that "the world, by wisdom, knew
not God ?" We appeal to the capital of Greece — the
atmosphere of a Phidias and a Praxiteles — Athens,
the seat of all that was sublime in science and litera
ture, or gifted in art, and where genius itself seemed
" free-born." Paul, before he ascended the Acropolis,
and on the plain overshadowed by the proud Parthenon,
that gem of the graces, had, already, discovered an

97
altar with this inscription, "ArNnrrn ©En;" as if a
pantheon were not enough for the Athenians, and
left their doubts unsatisfied. Aecumenius, an ancient
writer, says that this quotation by Paul was only part
of the inscription, which ran thus —
" To the gods of Asia and Europe, and of Africa,
To the god unknown, and strange (or foreign.)"
Now shift the evidence to the pictured imagery which
is exhibited in the hieroglyphics of the valley of Beben
el Molook, in the Thebais ; and the temple of Karnac,
— that mythology in masquerade, of which a faithful
portrait and specimen are exhibited in plate III. fig. 19,
copied from the cerements of an Egyptian mummy,
realizing, to its full amount, the accusation brought
against the Pagan world, by the great " apostle of the
Gentiles," — they " became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened ; professing them
selves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image made
like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed
beasts, and creeping things." a Such, however, was
the mythology of the capital of ancient Egypt, — the
far-famed Heliopolis, — the city of the sun.
Turn we now to Rome, and her Ciceros and her
Senecas ; — and are the lineaments amended ? Alas !
No ! ' Shadows, clouds, and darkness,' rest upon the
morale of ancient Rome. Humility, the fairest in the
train of christian graces, had not even a name in the
language of the Latins. The idyls of Theocritus, and
a Romans i. 21, &e.
G

98
the eclogues of Virgil, too fearfully disclose the cha
racter of their 'virtue!' — nor were their exhibitions
calculated to enhance the -character of this pseudo
name of their dii minores. The gladiator's shew —
the dying victim —
' Butchered to make a Roman holiday ! '
And as for their gods, the vices and crimes they
ascribed to them, would disgrace and condemn huma
nity. Austin says that ' the gods that were laughed at
in the theatres, were adored in the temples !' Helpless
humanity! — imbecile Paganism! — abominable idolatry!
From this frightful picture of degradation and mental
desolation, we deduce the necessity of Revelation.
The character of God, with the wants and wishes
that beat in the bosom of the creature, shew that a
revelation of his will might reasonably be expected.
It was an apposite and beautiful remark of Plato, that
" the sun can only be seen by his own light, so God
can only be seen by a beam from himself."
Man stands cut off from immediate intercourse with
his Maker. God is unseen, and discloses not his
form ; and no audible voice from the * excellent
majesty,' vibrates on the ear of man. But his being
and his agency are proclaimed aloud in his works, and
these works, moreover, announce the attributes of his
power, wisdom, and goodness. That Deity now holds
no sensible intercourse with his creatures, only proves,
that he may have withdrawn himself, because they
have offended against his laws, and thus made him
their enemy ; but it by no means proves that God may

99
not once have held direct and special intercourse with
man. It is well observed by Pascal, ' Faith says many
things on which the senses are silent, but nothing
which the senses deny; it is above them, but never
contradicts them.' And Addison has correctly proposed
the pertinent question, ' Is infidelity right, when it
concludes that because it does not understand, there
fore the things of which it is ignorant are not to be
understood?' Various nations have laid claim to pretended revela
tions — a fact which proves clearly there must have
been one ; because men do not, and cannot imitate,
or counterfeit, what never had an existence. By the
multiplicity of tests by which revelation has been tried,
its truth has been demonstrated in every one of them.
It is one of the clearest axioms, that the united know
ledge of the combined minds of a world in all the ages
of the past, could not have eliminated such a plan, or
thus concentrated these divine radii of immutable
truth : nothing short of an infinite mind, on the sound
est principles of reasoning, could have originated this
revelation ; and it stands forth triumphant, in all
its sublime radiance, the pillar of immortal truth.
What is Christianity, therefore, for that is the con
summation of revelation, its crowning halo ; is now the
question ? That is, what is it in its native and intrin
sic excellency ? We have nothing whatever to do
with the abuse, for the principle is in itself
not thereby affected, and yet the abuse is generally
that which the enemies of revelation assail, as if taking
proper nourishment were to be condemned, because
g2

100
some are intemperate, and others have taken poison.
A counterfeit does not lessen the intrinsic value of the
current coin.
The moral phenomena of the world — good men de
pressed, and bad men raised to the pinnacle of power —
virtue weeping while vice is crowned ; the tares and
the wheat strangely blending ; these things must
ever form a system full of incongruity to the theist,
and an enigma which cannot be solved without the
aid of Revelation. Even Claudian's theism was
shaken at the sight, and David himself was troubled
when he ' beheld the wicked flourishing like a green
bay tree;' but his mind was quieted, and his peace
restored, when he went up and inquired ' in the sanctu
ary of God.'
Evil exists, but is often overruled by Almighty
Providence, for good; as in nature we perceive appa
rent discrepancies, yet containing within themselves
the principles of self-registration or adjustment, anta
gonist powers, which form a countercheck, by which
an equilibrium is maintained. Cases are exemplified
in the ' libration of the moon,' the ' nutation of the
earth's axis,' the ' precession of the equinoxes,' and the
' perturbation of comets.' There are in these pheno
mena ' wheels within wheels,' ' ponderibus librata
suis,' they, however, contribute to the harmony of the
system and minister to the perpetuity of the balance of
power. Scepticism and atheism are almost always the ulti
mata consequent on a rejection of Revelation. The
long and dreary night of darkness, which brooded over

101
the world, seems to have been intended by the
Almighty to be a 'monumentum aere perennis,' that
might be appealed to in the ages to come, in proof ,of
these cardinal points, namely — ' That man by wisdom
knew not God,' — that God is a spirit, and ¦ can only
be seen by a beam from himself,' in a Revelation of
his mind and will,— that man's 'heart is only evil and
that continually,' and therefore requires a new nature
and a remedy; and, lastly, that man could neither save
himself, nor give ' a ransom for his brother ;' and hence
we reasonably infer, that ' a Saviour and a great one '
was necessary. For ages was man left to try to work
out, by his own ' might' and ' wisdom,' these deeply
interesting problems, and which enter as essential
elements into the constitution of his happiness ; but
' all was vanity and vexation of spirit,' and the heart
recoiled back on itself in despair. None but the
' lion of the tribe of Judah could open the Book ' of
Life, and 'loose the seals' of its awful mysteries.
The brilliant line of light in the pure theism of the
Jews, while it remained in powerful contrast with the
darkness of Paganism, and shewed how deep the
' blackness ' of its 'darkness' was, adumbrated 'better.
things to come.' An obscure and ignorant people were
selected from the nations of the world to 'bear the
balance of the sanctuary ' and the lamp of life, lest
they might ' say in their hearts,' ' mine own arm hath
done it ; ' and it was so, too, in the ' better dispensation,'
for- ' the weak things of the world ' were chosen * to
confound the things that are mighty,' so that ' no flesh
might glory before God.'

102
" I found," says Dr. Beattie, " that the infidel phi
losophy was not what the world imagined it to be, but
a frivolous, though dangerous system of verbal subtilty,
which it required neither genius nor learning, nor
taste, nor knowledge of mankind, to be able to put
together; but only a captious temper, an irreligious
spirit, a moderate command of words, and an extraor
dinary degree of vanity and presumption." a And such
I have invariably found it to be in my intercourse with
mankind. It is amazing to see how flimsy is the cob
web sophistry of infidel minds ; and when rightly viewed,
and submitted to the test of inductive truth, I scarcely
know whether it deserves our pity or our scorn. Flip
pant and arrogant, indeed, are the characteristics of
their effrontery. To appease conscience, they would
immolate Christianity a victim at its shrine, because
its holy laws and heavenly enactments condemn their
crimes. Rosseau says, that he * read romance till it formed in
him a new kind of reason, and gave him a romantic
and extravagant notion of human life !' Singular
characteristics wherewithal to judge of the sublime
morality and excellency of the Book of Truth ; and he
certainly wrote a commentary on his own character
and conduct, when he penned these words : ' the learn
ing of the wicked is still less to be feared, than their
brutal stupidity.' Gibbon was a ' wandering star' in
the hemisphere of religion, a proteus, and a pendulum,
vibrating between protestantism and Catholicism ; now
* The Immutability of Truth.

103
a protestant, then a catholic, and then a protestant
again, and finally, an infidel! Like Julian, in his
apostacy, afraid to be left alone. Alas, poor Gibbon !
' I wish,' said that miserable wretch, Voltaire, ' I had
never been born.' None who ever correctly studied
the life of that idol of the French atheistical school,
can doubt for a moment the graphic truth of Voltaire's
character, as drawn by his infidel friend, Frederick II.
of Prussia, (par nobile fratrum) — " you have a heart a
hundred times more horrible than your genius is beau
tiful," — 'he is certainly mad.' When infidels are set
together by the ears, useful truths are sometimes
elicited, that may serve as warning beacons against the
' shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.' An old
friend of mine, who spent twenty years of his life in
France, and was intimately acquainted with Voltaire,
during the latter years of his life, described him to
me, as irrascible to a terrific degree — that he would
start at a shadow, and tremble at little more than the
fall of a pin.
It has been stated, that men may live infidels, but
that conscience will take the alarm as " the king of
terrors" makes his approach. Doubtless, this is a
period in which men will reflect if they will ever think
at all. We would not, however, attach an undue
consequence to so sudden a change; nor care to
rest on so questionable and flimsy a basis. There is
such a thing as " judicial blindness ;" and we believe
numbers " die as the fool dieth," — but this does not
alter the case. Hume gave play to his facetious
powers at the hour of death. Was this the act of a

104
reasonable man, or of a reflecting mind? With all
his 'philosophy he could not prove, that the termination
of his existence here, involved the absolute negation
of being ; while such a farewell was an extraordinary
recognition of friendship — a strange acknowledgment
for a term of being, which, though brief, had certainly
been productive, to him, of some enjoyment. A lunatic
would behave better in an hour like this. It is
without a parallel " From Macedonia's madman to the Swede."
Or shall we defend his sanity and his character at the
expense of his creed, and remind our readers of the
school-boy ' whistling aloud to bear his courage up ?'
Alas ! poor Hume ! The piece of money between the
lips of the mummy, which proclaims the Pagan source
of his 'philosophy,' forms a sad commentary on his
death-bed joke. That "nothing can be known with
certainty," was the doctrine of the Platonists, and
emanated from the academic groves. This was the
sentiment and basis of Hume's universal scepticism,
so that Hume plunged into Paganism for his 'phi
losophy ! '
That there is no distinction between right and
wrong was the opinion of Hobbes, and for this ' philo
sophy' he was indebted to his Pagan prototypes,
Democritus and Epicurus, who taught that custom
was the umpire of right and wrong ; that there was
nothing intrinsically good or bad, but as the arbiter
custom decided ; consequently no standard of virtue,
or measure of morals : what was virtue to-day, might

105
be vice to-morrow, and the cloud of yesterday might
be the sunbeam of to-day ! The doctrines of Spinoza
belong to the varies lectiones of Lucretius and Aristotle.
It is, therefore, not less melancholy than true, that
Spinoza, Hobbes, and Hume, were modern Pagans.
The facts I have adduced corroborate the statement
already advanced; that the rejection of Christianity is
usually followed by Paganism or Atheism. The apos
tate Julian, who affected the ' philosopher,' rejected
Christianity, and worshipped the bull! Plate II.
fig. 14, is a fac-simile of a coin of Julian, in my
cabinet, with the object of Julian's idolatry pourtrayed,
— rare philosophy truly! The rites of idolatry and
paganism, quoth Gibbon, are ' innocent ceremonies !'
So true it is that infidels are pagan in their creeds ;
and apologists for paganism even now exist !
In the theogonies of Greece and Rome, in the
puranas and vedas of the East, the shasters of ancient
Mexico, the mythology of Egypt, and the sagas of the
Scalds, are glowworm glimmerings of truth; flickerings
of light among clouds of error. These sparks, how
ever, were promethean fire, and the light, though
faint, was ' Light from Heaven.'
Professor Lee appositely observes, that " though
heathenism might not immediately borrow its mytho
logy from the Hebrews, both might be founded on the
principles of an anterior revelation, and therefore, hea
thenism cannot prefer originality. Were such not
the fact, we could not account for the occasional agree-

106
ment between them, except on the absurd idea that
Pagan philosophers had the benefit of divine revela
tion." The sources are various from whence paganism may
have received these borrowed rays, innately bright and
beautiful, butwhen incorporated with the mystics of their
mythology, obscured by bewildered fancy, and entan
gled in the mazes of error, their lineaments are so
distorted, that it is a matter of difficulty in some cases
to recognise them. It will be remembered that the
connexion of Moses with Egypt, — especially through
the house of his father-in-law, in the land of Midian,
who was at once priest and prince, might materially
influence the mythology of Egypt ; Solomon, moreover,
married a daughter of one of the Pharaohs. This
double attachment will, therefore, readily account for
the religion of the Hebrews reflecting some of its rays
on the mythology of Egypt.
By the kindness and courtesy of Mr. Wilkinson,
whose interesting works on Egypt and Thebes are
now before the public, (and to whom that public owes
a lasting debt of gratitude, for his extensive and
important researches,) I 'have been favoured with the
following remarks in reply to some inquiries, and I
venture to cite them in corroboration, not doubting
that I do so with the full sanction and concurrence of
that eminent individual. "All that we find relating
to the Jews,, and all that Egyptian monuments offer,
whether in matters of history or religion, tend fully
and satisfactorily to confirm the bible account ; and if
it is seldom that these monuments treat of the same

107
historical points as the scriptures, yet whenever that
is the case, we are delighted to find them perfectly in
accordance with the sacred volume. I have long
hoped to meet with something relative to the oppres
sion of the Jews, and the authority of Joseph, but as
few monuments remain in Lower Egypt of that date,
in which such subjects could be introduced, I fear we
shall not succeed in finding any thing directly con
nected with them. After the time of Solomon, more
has been, and more may be discovered ; and whatever
is met with, satisfactorily agrees with the bible narra
tive." The patriarch who belonged to both worlds, wduld
become one of the foci, from whence a knowledge of
the one invisible God would emanate in the east ; and
a reflex light from the 'father of the faithful,' might
illuminate the darkness of the ignicolists of 'Ur of Chal
dees.' Besides, the patriarch of Uz might have shed a
light that illuminated a radius more extended than the
simple orbit in which he moved. He existed a century
before Abraham ; and the scenes of his suffering, and
subsequent prosperity, were the plains of Idumea ; nor
is it improbable that this record existed before the Pen
tateuch ; and there appears to me several internal evi
dences, such as the frequent astronomical allusions,
which stamp it peculiar and isolated. Then there is
the captivity in Babylon, while the proclamation of
the king of that capital, in favour of the religion of the
Hebrews, would vibrate on the ear of surrounding
nations : — ' There is no god but the God of the
Hebrews.'

108
Such are some of the points from whence transient .
gleams of the true light might arise; and to these
might be added the conquests of Israel and their com
mercial intercourse; for 'these things were not done in
a corner.' These, therefore, in every period and phase
of their remarkable history, would necessarily exert a
corresponding influence. Nor must it be forgotten,
that, whether there existed previously or not, as has
been contended for, a Greek translation of the penta-
teuch prior to the septuagint; that septuagint was
certainly in existence nearly three-hundred years before
the advent of the Messiah ; and after the martyrdom of
Stephen, the lamp of Christianity was carried on apos
tolic wings, eastward. I shall elsewhere recur to the
subject, and may now content myself with a limited
allusion in illustration of what I mean. Thus, it can
not be doubted that the ro awo of Plato is a fragment of
the tetragrammaton of the Hebrews. The Roman
maxim —

— — — ' parcere subjectis, et debelare superbos,'
certainly belongs to christian ethics, and —
' Video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor,'
is only an echo of the language of the great ' apostle
of the Gentiles.' Robert Hall has very properly
remarked, that 'though the system of paganism is
justly condemned by reason and scripture, yet it
assumed as true several principles of the first import
ance to the preservation of public manners ; such as
a persuasion of invisible power, of the folly of incur
ring the divine vengeance for the attainment of any

109
present advantage ; and the divine approbation of
virtue : so that, strictly speaking, it was the mixture
of truth in it which gave it all its utility.'
The sacred writers describe the glory and majesty
of the 'King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,' — 'Jehovah
Sabaoth,' in all the pathos and splendour which are
the peculiar prerogatives of inspiration! — 'Who hath
measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and
meted out the heavens with a span, and comprehended
the dust in a measure, and weighed the mountains in
scales, and the hills in a balance : the nations are as
the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance. Behold he taketh up the isles
as a very little thing.'
The vision of Jehovah that passed before his
prophet, in the wilderness, is a beautiful adumbration
of Sinai in contrast with Zion. ' A great and strong
wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks
before Jehovah, but Jehovah was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake, but Jehovah was
not in the earthquake ; and after the earthquake a fire,
but Jehovah was not in the fire ; and after the fire a
still small voice; and it was so, when Elijah heard
it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went
and stood in the entering in of the cave.' »
'He dwelleth in light inaccessible and full of glory.'
"I saw," said Isaiah, "Jehovah sitting upon a throne
high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the Seraphim : each one had six wings ;
a 1 Kings, c. xix. v. 11, &c.

110
with twain he covered his face, and with twain he
covered his feet, and with twain he did fly, and ' this
cried to this,' and said, ' Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God of Hosts ;' his glory is the fulness of the whole
earth. "a
'Thou are clothed with honor and majesty, — who
coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who
stretchest out the heavens like a curtain ; who layeth
the beams of his chambers in the waters, who maketh
the clouds his chariots, who walketh upon the wings
of the wind.'b
' Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither
shall I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into
heaven thou are there : if I make my bed in the deep
abyss, behold thou are there ; if I take the wings of
the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy
right hand shall hold me. If I say surely the dark
ness shall cover me ; even the night shall be light
about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee j
but the night shineth as the day : the darkness
and the light are both alike to thee.'c These delinea
tions of the majesty of Jehovah are inimitable by any
uninspired pen, and are not only without a parallel,
but have not even a distant approximation in the most
gifted genius of the pagan world.
It would be no difficult task to prove that the tone
of the poetry of the Hebrews is not only infinitely
exalted above the loftiest conceptions of the pagan
a Is. vi., <r. 1, 2, 3. b Ps. c. iv., v. 2, &c. c Ps. 139, v. 7, &c.

Ill

world, but is the sacred source which has supplied
the most beautiful imagery of modern verse. Shall
Milton's portrait of the king of terrors —

' What its head did seem

A kingly crown had on ' —

be compared with the night vision of the man of Uz ;
or Shakespeare's picture —

-' Bestrides the lazy pacing cloud,

And sails upon the bosom of the air ' —
or Campbell's Descent of Brahma, be weighed over
against a paragraph already cited from the book of
books ? It is not difficult to determine on what side
the balance will incline; they are borrowed plumes
and ' gems from the antique.'

CHAPTER V.
THE SACRED HISTORY OF CREATION— CHRONOLOGY— THE
GEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT.
The opening drama of the history of time is introduced
by the Hebrew prophet, under the influence of inspira
tion, with inimitable majesty and magnificence; and
there is a grandeur and a glory about it, which stamps
upon it the image and superscription of heaven. When
we examine it with a philosophic eye, we discover
such traces of integrity, and such elements of truth, as
prove incontestibly its source and origin to be divine.
By ancient tradition among the Jews, the earth was
created on the 15th day of September, (the month Tisri)
which therefore begins the Jewish year, and from
thence the Jews compute their jubilees, date the reign
of their kings, and register the births of their children.
Respecting the fiat of creation, Longinus has re
marked, ' the Jewish lawgiver — no ordinary person —
having conceived a just idea of the power of God, has
nobly expressed it in the beginning of his law : — ' and
God said,' what — ' Let there be light, and there was
light!" Plato, too, in his ' Timaeus,' says of God,

113
that after he had finished the creation of the world, he
rejoiced when he saw it revolve and perform its first
motions with so much regularity and harmony.
It appears from the annals of creation unfolded in
the Genesis, that light was summoned into being in
relation to our globe at a very early period, as a
witness, on the first demiurgic day, to attest the
glories of the animated panorama, when it heaved
with life and motion under the fiat of Omnipotence ;
and it may have been localized in the orb of the sun,
refulgent over the " evening and the morning " even
of this period of the hexaemeron, as described by the
diurnal revolution of the earth on its axis. It is true,
the sun and moon became only visible for the first
time from the surface of the earth on the fourth day:
— at this period the alternation of day and night were
first defined by the terminal line of light and shade.
Hitherto the " firmament " had not been circumfused
around the globe, nor had the separation of waters
taken place ; and the earth must have been enveloped
in a dense shroud of vapour which the solar ray could
not pierce. An eminent meteorologist having proved
the necessary existence of the turbid state of the
aqueous atmosphere, previous to the creation of the
firmament, makes the following acute and judicious
remarks : —
" These complicated and beautiful contrivances, by
which the waters are collected ' above the firmament,'
and are at the same time 'divided from the waters
which are below the firmament,' are inferior to none of
those adaptations of Infinite Wisdom, which are
h

114
perpetually striking the inquiring mind, in the animal
and vegetable kingdoms. Had it not been for this
nice adjustment of conflicting elements, the clouds and
concrete vapours of the sky would have reached from
the surface of the earth to the remotest heavens ; and
the vivifying rays of the sun would never have been
able to penetrate through the dense mists of perpetual
precipitation. " Nor can I here refrain from pointing out a confir
mation, which incidentally arises, of the Mosaic account
of the creation of that atmosphere whose wonders we
have been endeavouring to unravel. The question has
been asked, How is it that light is said to have been
created on the first day, and day and night to have
succeeded each other, when the sun has been described
as not having been produced till the fourth day ? The
sceptic presumptuously replies, this is a palpable con
tradiction, and the history which propounds it must be
false. But, Moses records that God created on the
first day, the earth covered with water, and did not till
its second revolution upon its axis, call the firmament
into existence. Now one result of the previous inquiry
has been, that a sphere unequally heated and covered
with water, must be enveloped in an atmosphere of
steam, which would necessarily be turbid in its whole
depth with precipitating moisture. The exposure of
such a sphere to the orb of day would produce illumi
nation upon it ; that dispersed and equal light, which
now penetrates in a cloudy day, and which indeed is
" good :" but the glorious source of light could not
have been visible from its surface. On the second day,

115
the permanently-elastic firmament was produced, and
we have seen that the natural consequences of this
mixture of gaseous matter, with vapour, must have
been, that the waters would begin to collect above the
firmament, and divide themselves from the waters
which were below the firmament. The clouds would
thus be confined to definite planes of precipitation, and
exposed to the influence of the winds, and still invisi
ble sun. The gathering together of the waters on the
third day, and the appearance of dry land, would pre
sent a greater heating surface, and a less surface of
evaporation, and the atmosphere during this revolution
would let fall its excess of condensed moisture ; and
upon the fourth day it would appear probable, even to
our short-sighted philosophy, 'that the sun would be
enabled to dissipate the still-remaining mists, and
burst forth with splendour upon the vegetating surface.
So far, therefore, is it from being impossible that light
should have appeared upon the earth before the appear
ance of the sun, that the present imperfect state of
our knowledge will enable us to affirm, that, if the
recorded order of creation be correct, the events must
have exhibited themselves in the succession which is
described. The argument, therefore, recoils with
double force in favour of the inspiration of an account
of natural phenomena, which, in all probability, no
human mind, in the state of knowledge at the time it
was delivered, could have suggested; but which is
found to be consistent with facts that a more advanced
state of science and experience have bronght to light.
If, however, it were reasonable to expect that the ways
h2

116
of God should in all cases be justified to the know
ledge, or rather the ignorance, of man, the boldest
philosopher might well pause before he applied the
imperfect test of a progressive philosophy to the deter
mination of the momentous questions involved in these
considerations."3 Prior to the creation of vegetation, the emphatic
word season would have been an inapposite term,
because the periodic vicissitudes implied in it could
have had no affinity. In like manner, as yet there
had been no animated form to which "days and years"
could strictly apply as the metre of age ; accordingly,
it was not until " the earth brought forth grass," and
became instinct with the glow of botanical glory, that
these measures of time Were introduced into the system.
Light might have been otherwise located or diffused
on the first day, to bear witness to the sublime pro
gression of creative power. It might have been
scattered over the confused elements of matter,
emerging from the wTomb of time, as a secondary
agent, commissioned to promote their separation and
subsequent constitution. In some localized form,
apart from the orb of the sun, light might have arisen
over the axal revolution of the earth, divided the day
from the night in periodic times, and not have been
transferred to the splendid station of one of the foci of
an ellipsis until the fourth diurnal revolution. It was
the opinion of the Greeks and Romans, indeed, that the
sun was created on the fourth day. Hence it is
d Daniell. — " Meteorological Essays." London, 8vo. p. 131, &c.

117
evident, that though the earth had begun to move on
its axis, and the relative evening and morning been
already described, the globe might not, until now,
have commenced its march in the plane of the ecliptic.
When the transference of light took place, the sacred
historian tells us, that the luminaries of heaven, " the
greater to rule by day, and the lesser to rule by night,"
divided more specifically the day from the night, and
were "for signs, and seasons, and for days, and for
years." The " firmament" had now been established,
and " divided the waters which were under the firma
ment from the waters which were above the firma
ment." The transfer of light, to its present station in
the solar system, had taken place ; and the earth,
which before had only revolved on its axis, began its
journey in the plane of the ecliptic, obedient to the
laws discovered by Kepler, and resulting from the
combined powers of the attraction of gravitation and
a projectile force perpendicular to that of the sun.
" The sun and moon were now lights in the firmament
to give light upon the earth." The alternation of day
and night, and vicissitude of the seasons, were firmly
established — days and years, signs and seasons, were
provided for.
By reading attentively the sacred narrative of
creation in Genesis, it seems quite clear that the entire
solar system was created simultaneously and contem
poraneously with this earth, and physical astronomy
clearly teaches that this must have been the case.
Let us remember that the various members of the
solar system reciprocally depend upon each other — act
and react, and are thus relatively equipoised. The

118
sun and moon influence the earth, and are influenced
by it. Were one member to be withdrawn from the
solar system, all the other members would suffer ; nor
is it possible for us to calculate the confusion and ruin
that might be entailed on the whole, if even the least
important of the number were extinguished from the
system in which these spheres revolve.
When creation stood a finished monument, erected
to the glory of the Creator, and emerged in all " the
majesty of loveliness," we are informed that "the
morning stars sang together." When the earth took
its station in the sky, no discord marred the heavenly
orbs ; the stars in the celestial hemisphere still moved
isochronous in their orbits, describing the path assigned
to them, and preserving equal areas in equal times,
which find their measure and expression in the vibra
tion of a musical string, or that of a pendulum moving
in a cycloid. Respecting the nature of light, we have
no knowledge ; one thing, however, seems certain, that
it is entirely unconnected with the dark nucleus it
serves to envelope — a fact apparently obvious in the
maculae occasionally observable on the luminous disc
of the sun. Well might other stars " sing together,"
as they rose over the morning of a finished creation ;
and well might those glad spirits, who witnessed the
magnificent scene, and the grandeur and glory of the
celestial machinery, strike their harps, and " shout for
joy." Modern astronomy seems to render it more than
probable, that the solar system, of which we form a
part, is advancing toward the constellation Herculis ;
and, moreover, that the whole hemisphere of stars
move round some common centre. Here may that

119
Almighty Being, who is " higher than the highest,"
have stretched the curtains of his "Pavilion;" and
here, though "the heaven of heavens cannot contain
him," may his apocalyptic throne be set, while myriads
of worlds revolve around, as so many moving miracles
of that power " who spake and it was done, and com
manded and all things stood fast."
When we survey the act of creation, it seem obvious,
that the creative fiat was followed by instant obedience ;
matter started into being when the voice of the Crea
tor vibrated on the Tohu Bohu, and became con
scious from the infusion of living principles ; distinct
and definite periods marked the succession of creation.
On the third day the earth was adorned with a carpet
of vegetation; there was fruit in the vine, and the
pomegranate budded; the lilies of the field were
clothed, the palm tree flourished, and the cedar spread
out its roots like Lebanon. The sunbeam having
played on the leafy and flowery scene, the realms of
zoology were peopled ; and the creation of man, " in
the image of God," was the key-stone of the arch —
the last link of completed creation. God gave them
his benediction; the sacred pause of the "sabbath"
succeeded ; and, in order that it should be an immutable
memorial, the Creator " rested on the seventh day ; "
and, by his own example, put an impress on it.
In reference to the order of creation, Lucretius men
tions plants and trees, then birds, and afterwards
beasts ; and finally, man, as the topstone of creation.

'• Turn tibi terra dedit primum mortalia solo"

120
To the same purport precisely are the words of Ovid —
' Natus est homo,' to preside over and govern the rest.
Vegetation had unlocked its buds, and the sunbeam
had shed its influence over it, before animal life had
yet breathed either by lungs or gills. Now the dis
coveries of modern chemistry have clearly demonstrated
that animal being, from almost its termo monas up to
its more complex organization, yield, night and day,
carbonic acid gas, which, though it would destroy life
if reabsorbed, supplies nutrition for vegetation. The
organs of the plant decompose the compound gas,
appropriate the carbon, and, during the day, impart to
the deteriorated atmosphere the principle of animal
vitality, in oxygen its other constituent. In animal
life, carbonic acid is elaborated without intermission;
but this compound gas is only the produce of vegeta
tion, when the sunbeam is withdrawn, and its specific
gravity is then so great that it falls to the ground,
unless buoyancy be imparted to it by an increment of
temperature, so that its evolution, in either case, by
night, is null, being condensed by the cooling process
which goes on at this period; while nocturnal dews
would also absorb it. It is different with what the
animal functions supply by day, for heat will give it a
buoyant wing, and it would rise in the atmosphere;
the winds, or aerial currents, would mingle the princi
ples of deterioration and of consequent suffering, so
that if there were no compensation balance to restore
the lost salubrity, ultimate destruction would super
vene, and " chaos come again." Vegetation, therefore,
by the issue of oxygen in the sunbeam, becomes the

121
fountain of atmospheric salubrity. The antidote was
established before the aerial poison was elaborated, or
had emanated. Thus, vegetable and animal forms act
and react on each other ; their dependance is recipro
cal; and the one cannot say to the other, "I have no
need of thee." The whole phenomena of creation, as
detailed in the annals of the Mosaic cosmogony, are
fraught with wonder, and display a remarkable harmo
ny, when compared with the facts which modern science
has substantiated, which, therefore, may be adduced
in evidence of the truth of these Oracles of Heaven.
None but Omniscience could have described, at this
remote era of antiquity, a structure and conditions that
should perfectly correspond with the discoveries effected,
by mental sagacity, in a more mature stage of its
existence ; and which could be only, at best, obscurely
conjectured by intervening ages ; now, however, become
palpable as the evidence of the senses and of science.
All this may well make us wary of sporting our scep
ticism on some other questions, which, though we may
not fully comprehend at present, a higher measure of
intellect, in the progress of time, may entirely explain.
We believe, therefore, that there is a philosophy
in the cosmogony of the Hebrew prophet, the full
merits of which time alone can unravel, but which
clearly determine that the original source of all the
wonders of creation, must also have been the source of
a communication of God to man. It is certainly curious
that such a marked distinction should be expressed
between fish, 'which the waters brought forth abun
dantly,' and cetacea; — 'and God created great whales:'

122
now whales, seals, the dugong, &c, are not fish —
they belong to mammalia, and suckle their young from
mammae ; they breathe by lungs, and not by branchiae,
and are warm-blooded animals. The line of demarca
tion is at once philosophical and just, and belongs to
a refined physiology in zoology. In like manner the
distinction of what have been translated "grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit whose seed
is in itself," is, when considered agreeable to the
Hebrew idiom, not a little remarkable. It contains
the elements of what modern botanists are at length
adopting as the true system of an unchangeable
arrangement. The reference to seeds as the charac
teristic distinction is truly wonderful, and may corres
pond with the a-cotyledons, mono-cotyledons, and
di-cotyledons of the botanists of the times in which
we live. The late Professor Burnett's remarks are
apposite, and may be cited as confirmatory of these
observations. " These seedless or spore-bearing, these
grain or simple seed-bearing, and these seed-vesseled
or fruit-bearing plants, which have been shewn to be
equivalent to the a-cotyledons, mono-cotyledons, and
di-cotyledons of Linneus, Jussieu, and all modern
botanists ; are at the same time most peculiarly coin
cident with the three primary divisions hinted at by
Moses." " It is curious that a system which it has
taken centuries to mature, 'and which successive
botanists have laboured age after age to advance
towards perfection, should be identical with that enun
ciated by Moses, and from which, for so many thousand
years, naturalists had wandered more and more, and to

123
which their return was wholly unpremeditated, as the
identity was not recognized until after the return was
made."a There is an early predominance of the flowerless
ferns and marine algae ih the oldest rocks, when
traces of organic nature appear, and the same relative
proportion of flowering plants, exogence, for instance,
in a subsequent formation. The fact is curious, and
the geological legend thus becomes the liter a scripta of
creation, on the rocky skeleton, and foundation stones
of the globe, forming a transcript of the cosmogony
of the inspired Hebrew prophet.
It may now be added, that Homer and Hesiod,
Linus and Callimachus, speak of the order of days, and
of the seventh day, agreeable to the reasons assigned
by Moses. The Persians and Etruscans seem to have
recognized the days of creation; the Hexaemeron,
indeed, seems to have pervaded every part of the globe.
Hesiod, as well as Homer, ascribed to the seventh day
a degree of sacredness above the others. Callimachus
asserts, that on that day, all things were finished. In
Arabia, the repose of the sabbath was recognized before
the commencement of the Mahommedan era. The
natives of Pegu assembled together for worship on a
stated day in every week ; and the natives of Guinea
rest from their accustomed work on every seventh day.
The division of time into weeks, extends from the shores
of Europe to the plains of Hindustan; Greeks and
Romans, Goths and Jews, have observed the division
a Burnett—' Outlines,' p. 1087.

124
of time into weeks. Mrs. Somerville has remarked —
" The seven days is by far the most permanent division
of time, and the most ancient monument of astronomi
cal knowledge ; it was used by the Brahmins in India,
with the same denomination used by us; and was alike
found in the calenders of the Jews, Egyptians, Arabs,
and Assyrians. It has survived the fall of empires,
and has existed among all successive generations; a
proof of the common origin of mankind. The division
of the year into months, &c, is very old, and almost
universal, but not so ancient or uniform as the seven
days, or weeks." It may then be reasonably asked,
whence this agreement, " unless Truth had brought
them together ? "
The following sentiments and opinion of Dr. Farre,
an eminent physician, are as apposite as they are phi
losophically just, and shew that " the divine command
ment is not to be considered as an arbitrary enactment,
but as an appointment necessary to man : " — " As a
day of rest, I view it as a day of compensation for the
inadequate restorative power of the whole body under
continued labour and excitement. A physician always
has respect to the preservation of the restorative power,
because, if once this be lost, his healing office is at an
end. If I show you, from the physiological view of
the question, that there are provisions in the laws of
nature which correspond with the divine command
ment, you will see from the analogy that ' the Sabbath
was made for man' as a necessary appointment. A
physician is anxious to preserve the balance of circula
tion, as necessary to the restorative power of the body.

125
The ordinary exertions of man run down the circula
tion every day of his life ; and the first general law of
nature by which God (who is not only the giver,
but also the preserver and sustainer, of life) prevents
man from destroying himself, is the alternating of day
with night, that repose may succeed action. But
although the night apparently equalises the circulation
well, yet it does not sufficiently restore its balance for
the attainment of a long life. Hence one day in seven,
by the bounty of Providence, is thrown in as a day of
compensation, to perfect by its repose the animal
system. You may easily determine this question, as a
matter of fact, by trying it on beasts of burden. Take
that fine animal, the horse, and work him to the
full extent of his powers every day in the week, or
give him rest one day in seven, and you will soon
perceive, by the superior vigour with which he per
forms his functions on the other six days, that this rest
is necessary to his well-being. Man, possessing a
superior nature, is borne along by the very vigour of
his mind, so that the injury of continued diurnal
exertion and excitement on his animal system is not
so immediately apparent as it is in the brute ; but in
the long run he breaks down more suddenly; it abridges
the length of his life and that vigour of his old age,
which (as to mere animal power) ought to be the
object of his preservation. I consider, therefore, that,
in the bountiful provision of Providence for the pre
servation of human life, the Sabbatical appointment is
not, as it has been sometimes theologically viewed,
simply a precept partaking of the nature of a political

126
institution ; but that it is to be numbered amongst the
natural duties, if the preservation of life be admitted
to be a duty, and the premature destruction of it a
suicidal act. This is said simply as a physician, and
without reference at all to the theological question."
I am firmly persuaded that evidence as incontestible
as that of the adamantine links of the chain of pro
phecy, might be gleaned by the skilful combatant in
the cause of truth, from the gleams and germs of
scientific facts and circumstances which stud here and
there the sacred page. The prospective evidence of
scientific discoveries, in undesigned coincidences, is
just another ray of the vast vision of evidence, destined
to unfold their wonders in the vista of futurity, while
the speculations of infidelity, like the Riphean moun
tains of antiquity, recede indefinitely and vanish in
the distant perspective. The truths that rest on the
rock of ages, remain permanent as their founder, will
receive fresh accessions of illustration and of proof
from the ages to come, and the acquisition of legitimate
science ; and as truth unrolls the sacred record of her
triumphs, will add another and another ray of evidence,
till the whole becomes one blaze of overpowering and
irresistible splendour.
In illustration and corroboration of my meaning, I
may observe that the Egyptians in their idolatries
included among their deities oxen, sheep, the goat,
pigeon, &c, all of which, in order to preserve them
from every taint of idolatrous custom, the Jews were
enjoined to sacrifice. ' Swine's flesh' was forbidden,
and one obvious reason was, that the Egyptians

127
used it as food. The Jews were commanded to
desist from using leavened bread. Now 'unleavened
bread' may be preserved for an indefinite period as
nutritious and wholesome food, hence we infer the
infinite wisdom that imposed the interdict. I have in
my possession part of an unleaven cake, being a frag
ment of that used at the Jewish passover twelve years
ago, and it is just as wholesome now as when I
received it, and I have no doubt that it might be
preserved equally sound for forty years, the period of
the pilgrimage. On the other hand, leavened bread
soon decays, and sometimes contracts a cryptogamous
mould, not only deleterious, but positively poisonous ;
and especially would this be the case in such a clime
as Syria ; and it belongs to the same beneficent system
of economy, that the Arabs only use unleavened cakes,
which no doubt emanated from the same source.
It is further interesting to remark, that among the
fish interdicted in the Levitical law, are to be found
such as are poisonous, as for instance, the ' toad-fish '
of Van Dieman's Land, and the yellow-billed sprat, of
the Carribean sea. I cannot, therefore, hesitate to
admit the position of a writer on dietetics, that the
" Mosaic discriminations were not more mandatory
than scientific."
No one can read the record of creation without being
impressed with the conviction, that matter and motion
were instantaneous products of Almighty Power, and
the correct solution of the descriptive phenomena re
solves itself into the opinion of Sir Isaac Newton, as
its true interpretation : " God, in the beginning,

128
formed all material things in moveable particles ;
variously associating and composing them, in the first
creation, by his intelligent counsels ; and setting them
in the order most conducive to the end for which he
formed them, with respect to size, figure, space, and
all other properties." " Common sense discerns," says
an acute writer, " that creation alone can give origin
to existence ; or first formation, to that which before
did not exist ; it discerns, that there can be no inter
mediate stage or degree between non-existence and
existence, and therefore no graduality in passing from the
one state to the other. To the mode of creation, we
cannot therefore ascribe that mode of succession to
which we give the name of time. The action of
creation, was therefore effected without the mediation
of time, and consequently, in that mode which we
express when we exclude all notion of the mediation
of time ; namely, immediately, that is instantaneously,
or suddenly.
" If a bone of the first created man now remained,
and were mingled with other bones pertaining to a
generated race ; and if it were to be submitted to the
inspection and examination of an anatomist, what
opinion and judgment would its sensible phenomena
suggest, respecting the mode of its first formation, and
what would be his conclusion ? If he were unapprised
of its true origin, his mind would see nothing in its
sensible phenomena, but the laws of ossification ; just
as the mineral geology ' sees nothing in the details of
the formation of minerals, but precipitations, crystal
lizations, and dissolutions.' He would, therefore,

129
naturally pronounce of this bone, as of all the other
bones, that its ' fibres were originally soft,' until, in
the shelter of the maternal womb, it acquired ' the
hardness of a cartilage, and then of bone,' that this
effect ' was not produced at once, or in a very short
time,' but ' by degrees ;' that, after birth, it increased
in hardness 'by the continual addition of ossifying
matter, until it ceased to grow at all."
" Physically true as this reasoning would appear, it
would nevertheless be morally and really false. Why
would it be false ? Because it concluded, from mere
sensible phenomena, to the certainty of a fact which
could not be established by the evidence of sensible
phenomena alone ; namely, the mode of the first form
ation of the substance of created bone.
" Let us proceed from animal to vegetable matter ;
and let us consider the first created tree, under which
the created man first reposed, and from which he
gathered his first fruit. That tree must have had a
stem, or trunk, through which the juices were conveyed
from the root to the fruit, and by which it was able to
sustain the branches upon which the fruit grew.
" If a portion of this created tree now remained, and
if a section of its wood were to be mingled with other
sections of propagated trees, and submitted to the
inspection and examination of a naturalist ; what opi
nion and judgment would its sensible phenomena
suggest to him, respecting the mode of its first forma
tion ; and what would be his conclusion ? If he were
unapprised of its true origin, his mind would see
nothing in its sensible phenomena, but the laws of

130
lignification ; just as the mineral geologist sees nothing
in the details of the formations of primitive rock, but
'precipitations, crystallizations, and dissolutions.' He
would, therefore, naturally pronounce of it, as of all
the other sections of wood, that its ' fibres,' when they
first issued from the seed, ' were soft and herbaceous ;'
that they ' did not suddenly pass to the hardness of
perfect wood,' but ' after many years ;' that the hardness
of their folds, ' which indicate the growth of each
year,' was, therefore, effected only ' by degrees ;' and
that, ' since nature does nothing but by a progressive
course, it is not surprising that its substance acquired
its hardness only by little and little.'
" Physically true as the naturalist would here appear
to reason ; yet his reasoning, like that of the anatomist,
would be morally and really false. And why would it
be false ? For the same reason ; because he concluded,
from mere sensible phenomena, to the certainty of a
fact which could not be established by the evidence of
sensible phenomena alone ; namely, the mode of the
first formation of the substance of created wood."
According to the chronology of the Hebrew version,
the creation of the globe took place 5844 years from
the present date, or 4004 years before the Christian
era. At the epocha of creation, by this calculation,
the greater axis of the ellipsis of the earth's orbit coin
cided with the line of the equinoxes. At the vernal
equinox the earth was at the farthest point of her
elliptic orbit, and at the autumnal equinox, when the
earth may have commenced its revolution in the plane
of the ecliptic, it was at its nearest point of approach

131
to the elliptic focus. The period of revolution and
elliptic orbit were equalized with respect to the seasons ;
or, in other words, the lapse of days and hours for
each hemisphere, (for the period preceding the vernal
equinox, and for that which succeeded it, comprising
each six months,) were precisely alike. By Dr. Hales'
chronology, the period of -creation is stated at 5411
years before the era of Christianity. The deductions
of this celebrated chronologist, have, however, been
stated to be founded on an error of Abulpharagius,
though they have been accepted by many as a
correct estimate. The Samaritan version makes
the age of the world, 6084, and the Septuagint,
7229 years. The ancient method of calculating by
letters, considered as numerals, may be naturally sup
posed productive of error, and will account for the dis
crepancies. Dr. Pritchard seems to have reconciled
the Egyptian chronology with that of the Scriptures,
from which it seems indeed to have been originally
derived. Sir Isaac Newton and Dr. Halley endeavoured
to reconcile the discrepancies referred to, by astronomi
cal calculations, and succeeded to a considerable extent ;
but the causes of the errors in the Samaritan and Greek
text being unknown, the task involved much intricacy.
When the complexity of the question is estimated, and
its liability to fallacy, with the independent sources
which must be reconciled, it is rather remarkable that
the error is not of wider extent.
To natural chronometers I shall again refer, as con
curring to validate the date of the deluge. But to
claim a high antiquity for our globe from the extra-
i2

132
ordinary premises which some have assumed, is quite
sufficient to excite our astonishment. We particularly
allude to an attempt to determine the age of the world
from the process of petrifaction in the piles of Trajan's
Bridge, and Brydone's story about the alternations
of lava and earth on the flanks of Etna. The term
petrifaction is very equivocal, and has been too vaguely
and indiscriminately applied. Sometimes it is used to
mean nothing more than a calcareous or silicious de
position, or crust investing the organic remain, and
which simply envelopes it without the substance en
closed undergoing any material decomposition, or indeed
any change at all ; but this is very different from those
cases wherein the organic remain has been altogether
substituted or supplanted by new calcareous or silicious
matter, the form remaining as perfect as the impress
of a seal. The travertino, on the Anio, near Tivoli;
which we have diligently examined, is an abundant
and very remarkable deposit; the concentric shells of
calcareous matter are moulded on roots or twigs ; the
wood becomes soft, and moulders away, as if affected
with dry rot ; it bears a resemblance to some other
" petrifying springs," which deposit, on their rising
into day, a subcarbonate of lime. It is altogether
different, however, with the chalcedonic envelopes of
Iceland and other silicious depositions; for the form
alone is not merely preserved, but the substance itself
is hermetically sealed up, and preserved from the
agencies of decay. No definite idea can, therefore, be
formed from what are called petrifactions, unless their
nature is clearly defined, together with the circum-

133
stances under which they are found, and the agencies
which have affected and changed them — in themselves
altogether contingent, they vary from time to time, and
are modified and controlled by a variety of causes.
Nothing, certainly, can be deduced from the process
and progress of petrifaction, as to the date or history
of creation. The deposition of calcareous matter, from
the thermal waters of San Vignone, near Radicofani, in
Tuscany, amounts to six inches of solid travertino in
twelve months. In quarrying this limestone, Roman
tiles have been found at a depth of five or six feet.
The calcareous deposit at San Filippo, near Acqua-
pendente, is still more remarkable. It has been ascer
tained that a solid mass of limestone, thirty feet in
thickness, has actually been formed in about twenty
years. A hard stratum of travertino, a foot thick, is
obtained from these thermal springs in the course of
four months. The magnitude of the calcareous mass,
which has been formed by these waters on the flanks of
the hill, down which the current descends, amounts to
a mile and a quarter in length, and one-third of a mile
in breadth, the thickness being estimated at two hun
dred and fifty feet. Now, as the flow of the water is
uniform, it is evident that this gigantic calcareous
structure has been reared within a period of little more
than eighty years ; and, for any thing we know to
the contrary, there may be other agencies, more power
ful and rapid, at work, at the present period ; or, at
¦any rate, at some epocha of the past. Near Civita
Vecchia, is a hot spring, which deposits alternate beds
of a yellow travertino, and a white granular rock,

134
not distinguishable from a statuary marble. In the
vicinity of the spring, this formation is, in some places,
about six feet thick. In the plains of Hungary, hori
zontal beds of travertino, including recent fresh water
shells, are being constantly formed, and sufficiently
indurated to be used as a building material. We
would add to these a similar deposition of calcareous
matter, which is in process of formation in the " Walker
mine," near Newcastle, which possesses some curious
features of a rather unusual character : it duly registers
its own age, becomes a singular chronometer or calen
dar of time, and, from its inscription of lines, has been
called the " Sunday or Walker Almanack." A frag
ment from the Whitby museum, is delineated, fig. 24,
plate III. During the operations of mining, the water
is rendered dark and turbid, and the laminae then de
posited are of a dark hue ; those streaks which are of
a light tint are nocturnal depositions, when the miners
cease from working; the double space, of a light
colour, distinguishes the Sundays, and thus curiously
indicates the several weeks ; while a diminution in the
number of dark lines, which denote the working days,
and corresponding increase of light space, exhibit
occasional holidays, with the miners cessation from
work. Thus, a silent register has been kept in
nature's book, in the " Walker mine," and the deposi
tion exhibits palpable proofs of a natural chronometer.
Twenty weeks are enrolled in a deposition of 4J inches
in thickness ; this amounts to one foot, nearly, in
twelve months ; and since creation, calculating by the
Hebrew text, it would have reared (had it commenced

135
at that epocha, and continued uniform) a mountain
5835 feet high. Nor is this equal to the deposit of the
thermal waters of San Filippo, already referred to,
which would have formed, in the same period, an
alpine structure as lofty as the great St. Bernard ; and
we have no reason to restrict similar agencies to such
limits. These facts prove the absurdity of the foolish
speculation of founding chronometric data on the sili-
cified process of the exterior of the piles of Trajan's
Bridge, by the waters of the Danube. Silicious petri
factions are sometimes slow, sometimes rapid: the
case in question belongs to the former ; and the phe
nomena of the geysers of Iceland, in the silicified
basin, into which the waters descend, present examples
of the latter, in the chalcedony, opal, and scinter, of
which the basins are composed. It would be just as
wise to raise a calculation on a pile driven into the
earth, in which no silicifying process, whatever, goes
on, and assume from thence, an indefinable and inde
terminable period for the deposition of any sensible
portion of silicious matter.
However, at the request of the Emperor of Germany,
some piles of the wood on which Trajan founded his
bridge over the Danube were taken up, and found,
after a lapse of 1500 years, only three-fourths of an
inch deep silicified. As for Brydone's tale, charged on
the canon Ricupero, it turns out to be a weak inven
tion of the enemy; though Brydone would have been
glad of any plea, however absurd or erroneous, to have
supported his infidel notions, even at the expense of
exposing the friend, under whose hospitable roof he

136
was so kindly treated, to censure or to ruin. And,
after all, it was only the mere opinion of Ricupero,
even supposing he was weak enough to hazard so silly
an idea. The legend is as follows : — On digging a pit
on the flank, or at the foot of Etna, seven strata of
lava were discovered, superimposed on each other with
intervening layers of decomposed earth. It was
assumed, that it required a period of 2000 years for
the lava to become thus decomposed at the surface ;
therefore, seven times 2000 amounted to 14,000 years.
Now according to D'Aubuisson, the lava of Etna, of
1157, is covered with twelve inches of vegetable earth,
proceeding from its own decomposition; and that of
1329, is covered with eight inches of decomposed
matter. I have, personally, examined the subterra
nean recesses of Herculaneum and its volcanic covering,
and presume it affords sufficient evidence of the absur
dity of such sweeping deductions ; but we may rest
safely on Sir William Hamilton's examination. Within
a period of 1700 years, six eruptions of lava have, at
stated periods, rolled over that which originally over
whelmed the city ; veins of decomposed matter inter
vene between these strata. But Dr. Daubeny has
proved, on the spot, that .the tale of this stratified well
of Ricupero, is altogether a fable. He visited, in per
son, this well at Aci Reale. The vegetable mould,
assumed to intervene, turns out to be a ferruginous
tuffa, such as is produced by a shower of volcanic
ashes, consolidated by rain, or by a contemporaneous
eruption of hot water. Indeed, the volcanic eruption
which overwhelmed Herculaneum, called lava, is

137
merely consolidated ashes, composed of pumice-stone,
lapillo, &c. Similar mistakes have been often made,
and require to be rectified. I have observed no chro
nometers in lavas or their decomposition to warrant
any such visionary phantasies, though I have espe
cially examined, and with tolerable attention, the
volcanic phenomena of the Neapolitan territory, in
detail. Having already shewn that the evidence of physical
astronomy powerfully corroborates the sacred history
of creation, I now proceed to interrogate the phenomena
of geology, and, in doing so, shall strictly confine
myself to matters of fact universally recognized.
I may premise, however, that though creations ante
cedent to man may possibly not affect the philological
argument and the language of scripture, yet, irrespec
tive of its testimony, I confess, after a careful exami
nation of geological phenomena, and observation of
the facts consequent on the study of geology for many
years, I can find nothing to disturb the generally
received recognition; and I confess, too, that my
opinion can only be changed by a different class of
facts to what has yet been adduced, and very different
elements of reasoning to any I have yet met with.
There cannot be a position more fixed and determinate
than this — namely, that the right meaning of a Hebrew
word is to be determined by the canons of philology,
and not by the elements of geology. The scripture
narrative existed before the science of geology had an
existence among men, and as geology is in a state of
constant revolution, and incessantly changing its

138
aspect, and, moreover, is yet in an incipient state ; if
the scripture is to be determined by such a versatile
and ever-changing reference, there can be no standard
whatever, and the pillar of our security is shaken to
its foundation. Geologists were wont to convert the
demiurgic days into periods of indefinite and indeter
minate length, but this untenable position is now
abandoned by all geologists, and the mode or scene
of attack is shifted, being transferred to the Hebrew
word Bara, in the first paragraph of the Genesis, and
the conjunction which links the first and second'verses.
The Hebrew word Yom, one would have supposed
had been sufficiently defined in the sacred narrative
itself, to imply a natural day. Now, the Jews reckoned
the day as included between two evenings, and such is
their present mode of computation, and it is hence
said ' the evening and the morning were the first day,'
and so on. A natural day, and not an indefinite period,
was therefore clearly implied ; a moment's reflection
must also have shewn that it would have 'made of
none effect ' the fourth section of the first table of the
law, by reducing the period of time when its sanctions
were to be enforced, to an indefinite uncertainty ; while
the assumption was entirely nullified by the hebdo-
medal return of the Jewish Sabbath, and substantiated
by the confirmatory evidence of the most ancient
heathen writers already referred to, and who must
have been guided by tradition, flowing from a common
source, to their conclusions. As modern geologists have
abandoned this error, I advert to it because, on a
former occasion, I had already insisted that it could

139
not be reasonably or consistently maintained ; and it
moreover proves how dangerous it is to tamper with
sacred truth, which sooner or later must always
triumph. With regard to the new assumption, it is quite true
that bara is employed elsewhere in scripture to signify
' adorn,' ' array,' ' set in order,' and the like ; but that
the word in the first verse signifies creation in its
highest sense and meaning, I cannot doubt; in fact,
to create out of nothing, by an act of almighty power.
Indeed we have a commentary in St. Paul's writings,
to which we do well to take heed ; ' the things which
are seen were not made of things that do appear. 'a If
there be a place in the entire sacred writings where its
loftiest signification and import were required, it is
beyond all doubt, in this very place ; and if Bara has
not this signification, then the Hebrews had no word
by which they could express that which we under
stand by creation; and Professor M. Steuart very
appositely remarks on this question, " if the heavens
and the earth were not created in the beginning,
what was the beginning antecedently to this ? If any
one should say with Plato and Aristotle, the world as
to its materials was eternal, my answer is- — then there
was no beginning ; but Moses believed and taught that
there was a beginning." In reference, again, to the
conjunction by which the continuity of the narrative
is maintained, I cannot but think the author referred
to, has clearly shewn there the vau is not so flexible
* Heb. xl. v. 3.

140
and elastic as to mean any thing, or every thing, or
nothing ; and why, it may be reasonably asked, impose
a conjunction at all, if it had no office to perform ?
However, ' millions of ages ' perform their avatars and
manwanteras, during this supposed hiatus, according
to the new version of modern geology. I must freely
confess, that I cannot otherwise than view with dis
trust, any impeachment of the integrity of the sacred
volume ; and I must hesitate to admit the assumption.
Without at all committing myself on the speculations
of modern geology, I may safely remark, that there are
several important facts and phenomena brought to
light, on which there can be no contrariety of sentiment,
or diversity of opinion. By geological discoveries, the
following conclusions are established, beyond all cavil,
doubt, or controversy.
In the lowest strata of the globe — the ' foundation
stones' of the earth, there are no fossil remains, or
organic forms, and no rounded pebbles, or carbonaceous
matter. It is clear, then, that there was a period in
past time, and in the history of the globe, when living
beings, or organic forms in relation to our earth, did
not exist, and this applies both to vegetable and ani
mal life. The assumed eternity of the world, there
fore, a chord on .which so many changes have been
rung, from Epicurus until now, and the stronghold of
Atheism, is for ever annihilated, never to rise again.
Further, the rhapsodies of Lamarck, and his atheisti
cal speculations, which have neither common sense
nor the deductions of reason, to recommend them, as
well as the successive developements of some modern

141
geologists, which seem to have originated in the same
eccentricities and aberrations, are once for all nullified,
and -must be repudiated on the inductive basis of
scientific truth. The discovery of mammiferous re
mains in the stonesfield slate, as well as those of
quadrumana, in the miocene period of tertiary strata,
with many other corresponding phenomena, are entirely
conclusive on this part of the argument. The laws of
Hybridism seem clearly to be the imposition of that
infinite intelligence, who is the "God of order
and not of confusion." These laws also most distinctly
prove the extreme absurdity, at once of spontaneous
production and successive developements.
Geological discoveries, moreover, prove the same
manifestation and uniformity of design in all past ages,
the same congruity and unity of purpose, the same
adaptation of means to ends, and ends to means, and
the same laws in operation ; and we, therefore, reason
ably and inductively infer, the same creator, preserver,
and lawgiver — ' God over all,' — ' the same yesterday,
to-day, and for ever.' Superadd to these, we find in
all the phenomena of geology, in the structure of the
organic forms revealed, the most decisive and palpable
proofs of beneficent design in the arrangements of a
prospective providence, so* that God has nowhere left
himself without a witness.
As for the questio vexata of systems antecedent to
man, with " millions of ages," and ' creations and
destructions innumerable,' I confess I have strong
objections . to these dogmas. The phenomena of
geology do not, in my mind, warrant or require such

142
deductions. There are difficulties, no doubi, but to
fly off from the orbit of induction to the eccentric
regions of speculation, is not a procedure best calcu
lated to solve them.
" Si nulla fuit genitalis origo
Terrai et cceli ;
Cur supra helium Thebanum et funera Trojai
Non alias alii quoque res cecinere poeta? ?" a
This applies to the existence of the world anterior to
the Mosaic cosmogony as well as to its eternity.
Let it be remembered that there is no absolute
chronometer in geology, and I very much doubt
whether there yet be a fixed relative one among fossili
ferous rocks, because there are fossil remains com
mon to them all; and again, fossils innumerable
are common both to tertiary and secondary strata ; a
fact that repudiates the assumed distinction. The
statics of a sound chronology being absent, prudence
would require us to be cautious and less dogmatical in
a science confessedly of intense interest, but compara
tively young in age. Besides, fossiliferous rocks are
local, not circumambient.
It is quite true, numerous animals that once have
walked the earth, and lived as well as we, are extin
guished from the map of existence, and sealed up in
the cerements of the solid rock, to remain an evidence
in after times, in order to confront the atheist ; and
the only question therefore, in those that have no
living analogues, is, first, whether they belong to
* Lucretius.

143
antecedent systems of being, anterior to man, or to
the present and existing chain of being ; and, second,
whether their disappearance or extinction, is any evi
dence whatever of a different physical condition of the
globe in former assumed revolutions.
I can only, in this place, refer cursorily to the
general facts, and have elsewhere considered the pheno
mena of this science, as a practical geologist, more in
detail.* In the existing chain of being, there are
links wanting, here and there, in the line of continuity,
and it does happen that the extinct animals, whose
organic remains have been discovered, do, in many
instances, if not in all, fill up these absent links, and
perfect the chain of continuity. The dinotherium, for
instance, supplies the hiatus between pachydermata
and cetacea; the habits and habitats of the dinothe
rium, as deduced from its organic remains, precisely
correspond with those of the behemoth of scripture,
and he is a bolder philosopher than I pretend to be,
who would venture to assert that the Dinotherium was
not contemporaneous with the patriarch of Uz — ' Be
hemoth, whom I made with thee.'
Again, there are many organic remains found inter
spersed among all the strata ; and some, the Terebra-
tula, for instance, found in the supposed earliest, or
lowest of these, and yet exist in living analogues ; of
this description are the nautilus, echinus, gryphea, tri-
gonia, &c. I have specimens of clay slate, from
Callington, in Cornwall, with the organic remains of
*¦ ' Portrait of Geology.' Relfe & Co.

144
terebratulae ; and the terebratulae exist to the number
of at least fifteen distinct species.
Among the fossil contents of the stomach of the
mastodon, on the banks of the Ohio, have been dis
covered portions of reeds, and a species of wild brier,
now indigenous to North America. It must, therefore,
have belonged to the existing order of being ; and as
the organic remains of the megatherium were found
mixed up indiscriminately with those of the mastodon,
in the Pampas of South America, I infer their contem
poraneity. A bone of the fossil elk has been found per
forated by a lance, or arrow, and I cannot doubt, there
fore, its association with existing nature. No doubt
there have been local catastrophes of greater or less
extent, both in antediluvian and postdiluvian times,
and these combined with a universal deluge, seem to
me quite adequate to the solution of geological pheno
mena, without the assumption of ' an age of reptiles
and a reign of saurians.'
That there have been numerous animals extinguished
from the map of being, and blotted out of the book of
existence, with every allowance for the revelations of
future discovery, there can be no doubt whatever ; they
disappeared when the purposes of Providence were ful
filled. But this entirely synchronizes with the same
class of phenomena which are now passing before our
eyes. Some centuries ago, the beaver built its coffer
on the lakes and rivers of Scotland, as well as those of
Wales, but in these countries the beaver is now extinct.
The great bustard (otis major), which was once by no
means uncommon in England, is now become extremely

145
rare, and the Cornish chough is nearly extinct ; while
the auroch, among the Caucassus, as well as the bouque-
tin among the Alps, is rapidly disappearing. The
dodo is, as though it had never been, and the apteryx
australis, perhaps, now only exists in the preserved
specimens in Lord Stanley's collection.
Sir Charles Bell has stated, that man could not have
existed contemporaneous with the ichthyosaurus, and
he assigns as his reason, that the physical constitution
of the earth was then different from what it is now. I
do not believe it. In the first place, the assumption is
nullified by the recent discovery of living marine sau-
rians; and since the pentacrinus, which was contem
poraneous with the ichthyosaurus, now lives, I do not
see any reason why the ichthyosaurus should not, now,
coexist with it.
I entirely repudiate the assumption that there was a
physical change, as he has assumed, and sufficient
to impose such a negation of being ; though I am pre
pared to admit mutations to a minor extent in the
density of the atmosphere, and of course the concurrent
hygrometric and thermometric relations ; but there is
abundant evidence to neutralize the sweeping conclu
sion referred to.
In the ripple marks, &c, on the forest marble, and
on sandstone, I read the important lesson, that the
flux and reflux of the tides, and the agency of the
winds, were just the same then as now ; the laws of
gravitation, and the dynamics of the atmosphere,
operated then precisely as they do in our own times.
In the structure of the lenses which compose the eye

146
of the trilobite, and are constructed precisely like the
eyes of living Crustacea, I see the same laws of light and
vision then operating as now, and I therefore infer the
same physical condition of light and the atmosphere ;
and I have trilobites in specimens of grauwache (tran
sition) both from Devonshire, &c, and Bohemia. I
find, too, that the bone was subject to the same dis
eases then as now prevail, such as caries, mollities and
necrosis, and when fractured, it was healed by the same
process of a callus. I have a specimen of silicified
lignite, from the chalk, pierced by the teredo navalis, an
event which occurs before our eyes. Similar facts might
be indefinitely multiplied ; and not only has the che-
riotherium walked over the sands, not then indurated,
nor consolidated into sandstone, but man himself has
impressed his footsteps.
These facts, founded on geological phenomena, and
not on theological considerations, make me pause ; and
I hesitate to admit such sweeping conclusions as some
geologists have advocated, until I see sufficient reason,
on inductive grounds, to change my opinion. I think,
on their assumptions, we commit two great evils. —
1. We reduce the present system of being to the
dilemma of an imperfect series, and not a beautiful
gradation of * shade softening into shade,' but rather
one composed of dislocated joints, a chain of broken
links — per saltum, oft repeated. And 2. In the
assumed antecedent systems, how many we are not
informed, there is ' confusion worse confounded,' excep
tions without rules of reference ; unconnected and insu
lated joints, and no continuity or chain. On the

147
principles of a sound theism, I demur, and cannot but
think that Newton's maxim is a safe guide in our
investigations — " We must not admit more causes of
natural things than those which are true, and suffi
ciently account for natural things."

k2

CHAPTER VI.
EGYPTIAN AND INDIAN CHRONOLOGY.
The hieroglyphics of the obelisks and temples of
Egypt, the mystic characters of tombs and mummies ;
and especially those of the famous planisphere brought
from the temple of Dendera, seem to have induced
imagination to roam over the vastness of ages and
interminable periods of time; and all this, because,
without being possessed of a cipher to read their
symbols, they seemed scarce to belong to our world;
or, if they did, the era of their history belonged to a
period the mind scarcely dared to explore ; and Count
Forbin, if we remember right, assigned forty thou
sand years as a moderate- calculation for their anti
quity. But all this latitudinarian speculation broke
under the touch of truth, like a bubble on the stream ;
and the conceit now serves for pastime, at the expense
of his penetration and judgment. The Count, could
he have anticipated modern discoveries in hieroglyphic
literature, would have been more cautious and circum
spect. The most interesting researches in literature, in
modern times, are those which have embraced hiero-

149
glyphic symbols. The inquiry into the hieroglyphic
literature of ancient Egypt, seems to have mainly ori
ginated with the late Dr. Thomas Young, who has
exhibited sufficient proofs of his indefatigable and
laborious exertions. This is said without the slightest
intention to detract from the honour of M. Champollion,
whose extensive investigations and interesting disco
veries have been as warmly welcomed by the public as
they have been gratefully appreciated ; but in neither
case more so than the importance and the interest of
the research demanded. It appears clearly ascertained
that the hieroglyphics of aboriginal Egypt, as we find
them pourtrayed on the walls of the tombs of the
kings, and the temples of Karnac, Dendera, &c, and
sculptured on obelisks and scarcophagi, together with
the paintings and inscriptions of the sycamore coffins,
bandages of mummies, and those of Papyri, are trans
criptions of the sacred or hieratic characters of the
priesthood of Egypt. This, in all probability, was the
sole medium of expressing their mysteries, though it
does not appear to have been altogether confined to
the expression of mythological rites, ceremonies, and
belief. Fortunately, there appears to have been ano
ther character called enchorial, in common use, and
which M. Champollion calls demotic, or popular, which
seems to have been employed in interpretation ; and
in addition to these, the ancient Greek character has
been discovered ; the last forming a convenient key
for deciphering both ; and thus constructing an alphabet
of hieroglyphic characters, which has, accordingly,
been done both by Dr. Young and M. Champollion.

150
It is, therefore, much to be regretted, that the hiero
glyphics which Denon copied from the walls of the
temple of Karnac and elsewhere, are not correct or
faithful representations of the originals, and of course
become altogether useless in the question of Egyptian
literature. Those copied on the spot, by M. Champol
lion, during his visit to Egypt, and fac-similes taken
from specimens actually existing in this country, or at
Paris, are alone to be credited. The exorbitant anti
quity supposed to be attached to these inscriptions, had,
down to a comparatively recent period, induced a
belief, that the question was for ever lost in the night
of ages, and that no key could be found for their
solution, in such Greek and Roman inscriptions as
were sometimes discovered in their immediate vicinity.
The discovery of the Rosetta-stone, when digging for
the foundations of Fort Julian in 1798, supplied at
once the cipher and the solution ; and this interesting
trophy now reposes in the British Museum, — a legend
that all may read. The trigrammatic stone of Rosetta,
which seems to be a kind of basalt, is composed of
hieroglyphic or sacred; the enchorial, demotic, or
vulgar, and the Greek, in so many distinct bands" —
three distinct inscriptions, as was the case with that
which Pilate caused to be affixed to the cross, —
" Hebrew, Greek, and Latin." Nor is the celebrated
" The most curious part of the history of this remarkable monument of
antiquity, consists in the accidental discovery, by Champollion, among a number
of manuscripts, brought to Paris by M. Casati, of one which considerably resem
bled in its preamble, the enchorial text of the pillar of Rosetta ; and the value
of this discovery was much enhanced by the existence of a Greek translation of
the same manuscript, brought by Mr. Grey to London.

151
Rosetta-stone a solitary memorial of this triple inscrip
tion. The fragment of the obelisk found in tbe Island
of Philae, has the same pictured language, accompanied
by the enchorial and Greek characters; and it has
been from the aid of this trigrammatic writing that
the problem has been solved. I possess a fragment of
papyrus with both hieratic and enchorial characters ;
and among some papyri, submitted by Mr. Grey to Dr.
Young, there were found three Egyptian conveyances
in the enchorial character, with separate registries,
in very legible Greek, on the margin. That the
Greek was really designed as a translation, is evident
from the circumstance, that in the inscription on the
Rosetta-stone, Mr. Akerbald had pointed out, at the
end of the hieroglyphical inscription, the three first
numerals, I. II. and III. respectively, where the Greek
has "the first and the second," the end being broken
off. The Egyptian hieroglyphics, therefore, may be
considered a written language in symbolic characters,
somewhat intermediate between the picture-writing of
the ancient Mexicans and the modern Chinese charac
ters. We have deemed it necessary tp preface these
observations, to shew that the evidence deduced from
hieroglyphic inscriptions is not fanciful, but altogether
inductive ; and it is important that a distinct under
standing of the degree of credit attached to them
should be clearly defined. The following remarks are
made by Dr. Young, as the results of his inquiries
into Egyptian literature, through the medium of these
hieroglyphic characters. "I must acknowledge, that
my respect for the good sense and accomplishments of

152
my Egyptian allies by no means became more profound
as our acquaintance became more intimate: on the
contrary, all that Juvenal, in a moment, as might have
been supposed, of discontent, had held up to ridicule
of their superstitions and depravity, became, as it were,
displayed before my eyes as the details of their mytho
logy became more intelligible."*1 It is amusing to
observe the folly displayed in the speculations of some
of those individuals who had examined the hieroglyphic
documents before these mystic symbols were clearly
deciphered by the enlightened zeal of Dr. Young and
M. Champollion. According to Kircher, they all
contained metaphysical dogmas or mythological my
steries ; but it seems to have been with him equally
the same, whether he began to read the lines at the
commencement or the opposite end: and by Palin's
account, it was merely necessary to translate the Psalms
of David into Chinese, and write them in the ancient
characters of that language, in order to reproduce the
Egyptian papyri that are found with the mummies.
" The mathematicians," says Dr. Young, " of France,
and the metaphysicians of England, have continued to
argue upon elements which it was impossible either to
prove or disprove ; while the fortuitous coincidences of
some accidental results, with the collateral testimony
of history or of astronomy, have been forced into the
service of the delusion, as evidences of the truth of the
hypotheses from which they had been deduced. Nor
are these amusements, even at this moment, disconti-
* Discoveries in Hieroglyphical Literature. — London, 1823, 8vo. p. 19.

153
nued, by some persons, who have shown themselves
capable of doing better things." Literature is now
conducting her inquiries with more calm and sober
thought into the arcana of Egyptian learning, nor
must we overlook the fact, that these mystic symbols
were not disused entirely until a much more recent
date than is generally supposed. Even on the coins of
the apostate Julian, in the fourth century, we observe
the deified bull, the obverse having Julian's head ; and
in the reverse of another, the cynocephalus or dog-
headed anubis, with the caduceus and sistrum.
Nothing can more decidedly expose the eccentric
follies of the human mind, than the speculations in
which it indulged, respecting the celebrated zodiacs of
Esneh and Dendera. The period prescribed by Sacred
Chronology was set at defiance ; imagination took wing,
and rioted, without restraint, in the regions of con
jecture and obscurity ; and by recording its whims and
fancies, has reared a monument on which is inscribed
its disgrace : but, if it should serve as a beacon to
caution other adventurers from risking the credit of
their mental sagacity, it will not be altogether unpro
fitable. Calculations were made, and conjectures were
formed; these calculations were reconsidered and dis
covered to be erroneous, while conjecture was sup
planted by the discoveries of truth. Hypotheses, mul
tiplied on hypotheses, have only displayed the errors of
intellect : subsequent discoveries have rooted up these
idols of the mind, and exposed their authors to ridi
cule. Among these mysterious sculptures and paintings
the names of Ptolemy, Cleopatra, Trajan, and

154
others, have been most clearly deciphered. While M.
Letronne was engaged in researches on the several
structures of the temples of Egypt, M. Champollion
the younger, was deciphering the hieroglyphic inscrip
tions, and both were conducted to the same results:
others, at the same time, by an accurate study of the
style of the sculptures and architecture, increased the
evidence, which was further confirmed by manuscripts
and mummies brought from Egypt. By several
methods of induction, it is indubitably proved, that
these two famous zodiacs, which had excited the
wonder of the world, and for the high antiquity of
which there had been so stout a contest, are certainly
posterior to the era of Christianity. Of a similar
description is the plate of gold found under the foun
dation of one of these temples, which it had been pre
tended was posterior to the Hebrew cosmogonist. It
has a Greek inscription, however, on which the names
of Ptolemy and Berenice are distinctly legible. The
zodiac brought from Egypt, by M. Calliaud, may be
considered of no greater antiquity than the nineteenth
year of the reign of Trajan.
Some remarks, as a lesson of caution, against receiv
ing the speculations of men of eminent attainments in
science, instead of the sterling deductions of calm and
sober truth, may not be out of place ; and may present
a curious portraiture of the errors of the understanding,
when bewildered by the ignis fatuus of romance and
imagination. It would require a volume to particu
larize the assumptions, and deductions from false pre
mises, which the history of these planispheres present;

155
we shall, therefore, confine our attention to a very few.
M. Fourier, a celebrated mathematician, affected to
discover in one of the zodiacs, an astronomical repre
sentation of the state of the heavens at the heliacal
rising of sirius, the sun being in the constellation
cancer ; and his inference was, that these symbolical
figures were intended to adumbrate the epoch of the
inundation of the Nile. Subsequent investigations
have convinced him of his folly and his error: and
his silence proclaims the triumph of truth. Dupuis
referred the construction of the zodiac of Dendera to
the epoch of the renovation of the solsticial period,
about thirteen thousand years before our era ! Burck-
hardt was of opinion, that the temple of Dendera
must have been constructed four thousand years ago ;
but, he adds, " On ne peut se tromper, que de tres peu
de siecles sur cette espace immense." Visconti con
siders the zodiac as a work of the Greeks ; and Dela-
lande observes, that the Grecian sphere, such as we
find it described by Eudoxus and Aratus, carries us
about thirteen hundred years before our era. Thus,
Eudoxus may be readily believed to have carried it
into Egypt. It is, therefore, very natural, according to
Delalande, that we should find the sphere of Eudoxus
pourtrayed in the zodiac of Dendera. M. Halma is
among the most moderate in his calculations on the
question of the zodiac : he hurls a violent tirade against
Dupuis, ridicules the idea of the Egyptians being
astronomers, and treats with no measured courtesy, the
folly of those who took the trouble to bring the villan-
ous black stone into Europe, and disturb its repose in

156
the ceiling of the temple of Dendera, where, for aught
he cared, it might have for ever remained. M. Biot,
an acute geometrician, viewing the planisphere as an
astronomical document, concluded that the era of its
erection might be about 716 years A.C; and Alex
ander Lenoir, considering it as a simple calendar,
assigns its antiquity to a period of 770 years A. C.
So far from the interesting researches which have
been made in hieroglyphic literature at all impugning
the truth of the Scriptural Chronology, in reference to
the age of the world and of man, they strongly confirm
its evidence. In Egyptian architecture there appear
to be three distinct epochas: the most ancient pos
sesses a style and character altogether peculiar, and is
characterized by simplicity in its form, and an expres
sion not unnatural or strained. The finest specimens
of this earliest epoch of Egyptian architecture, are
exemplified in the palaces of Karnac, Luxor, &c. in
the Thebais ; and in the temple of Isamboul, in Nubia.
The temples of Edfou and Dakke belong to the second
epoch of Egyptian art; and that of Dendera, to the
third and most recent. Besides the style of archi
tecture, the alphabet of phonetic hieroglyphics enables
us to read on the Egyptian monuments, of the earliest
epoch, the names of the ancient kings of Egypt : on
those of tbe second, the names of the Greco-Egyptian
Kings and Queens ; and in the structure of the third,
and last period, the entire legends of the Roman
emperors, from Augustus down to Antoninus Pius.
inclusive. It has, in this manner, been decidedly
proved, that the great temple of Dendera, from whence

157
the famous planisphere was obtained, and which had
excited so much stir, and occasioned so much fruitless
metaphysical and mathematical speculation, belongs
decidedly to the third and last period of the art ; and
so far from its being so very ancient as had been sup
posed, it is, in reality, one of the most modern struc
tures in Egyptian architecture. In all the copies which
had been made of the hieroglyphics by the French com
mission, as well as by modern travellers, M. Champol
lion the younger, has deciphered the names of Roman
emperors, such as those of Augustus, Tiberius, and
Claudius; but chiefly those of Nero and Domitian,
under whose reigns the greater part of the sculptures
of the temple of Dendera seems to have been made.
The typhonium of this structure appears to have been
of even a still more recent date, and belongs to the
reign of Antoninus Pius. The only edifice among the
ruins of Dendera, (called also Tentyris or Tentyra,)
which is of considerable antiquity, is the small temple
of Isis, behind the great temple, and consecrated to the
Egyptian Venus. This structure exhibits the royal
legends of Pharaoh Rameses-Meiamoun, the grandfather
of Sesostris. The most ancient sculptures of this edifice
do not carry us further back than the reign of Cleo
patra and Ptolemy-Neocaesar ; all the rest belong to
the period of the Roman dominion. A Greek inscrip
tion, indeed, with Roman names, and that of one of
the Caesars, was found sculptured on the exterior cornice
of the portico of the great temple ; and another, on
the eastern entrance, repeated over each of the listels
of the cornice.

158
It is thus clearly demonstrated, that the temple of
Dendera, which once contained the circular zodiac,
(now in Paris) and of which a fac simile is before us,
is certainly not anterior to the reign of Augustus ; nor
is it to be supposed, that the celebrated zodiac is more
ancient than the temple, of which it was intended to
be the ornament ; which deduction is amply confirmed
by the hieroglyphic legends sculptured on the same
stone which forms the zodiac itself, and where the im
perial Roman title, AOTKPTP, (Autocrator,) appears
in phonetic hieroglyphics. M. Champollion the young
er, from the circumstance of the simple title being
alone enclosed in the cartouche, (a somewhat oval
enclosure, which contains the imperial names and
titles ; and, indeed, is the distinguishing feature of
royal names,) assigns it to Nero, whose medals, struck
in Egypt, bear, simply as their inscription, the word
"Autocrator." According to the same distinguished
authority, the circular zodiac, as well as all the other
zodiacs of Egypt, are merely horoscopes, or astrological
themes, either of the nativity of an emperor, or of the
foundation of the temple ; and are not, properly speak
ing, of an astronomical nature. M. Letronne has pro
mulgated an opinion similar to that of Champollion,
and thus expresses himself. " Nous pouvons, regarder
comme un point de fait, que tous les Zodiaques d'Egypte
ont ete executes a l'epoque romaine. — Ces monumens
sont tous entierement ou principalement astrologiques,
dress6s d'apres les principes. d'une pretendue science
que l'Egypte avait vu naitre, d'apres le systeme de
representation dont les Egyptiens avaient l'habitude, et

159
par les procedes d'un art qui n'avait pas sensiblement

varie."

The epocha of the Egyptian zodiacs is also inferred
from the style of the sculpture, as well as the astrono
mical interpretation of the emblems which compose
them. The examination of the inscriptions, which are
in Greek characters, together with the phonetic hiero
glyphics sculptured in the temples where these zodiacs
have been discovered, prove that none of them are
anterior to the Roman dominion in Egypt. There is
still another interesting corroboration of these impor
tant deductions, in the discovery of a zodiac on the
cerements of a mummy, evidently expressive of a natal
theme. These proofs, collected from several diversi
fied sources, amount to demonstration, and set the
question for ever at rest. Thus has truth triumphed,
and the Biblical Records have reaped fresh laurels in
the keen scrutiny of a contested chronology.
A copy of the celebrated ' Table of Abydos,' dis
covered in 1818, by Mr. William Bankes, among the
ruins of Abydos, an ancient, and, in the olden time, a
magnificent city on the western bank of the Nile, is
now before me. It is quite evident that this curious
and interesting fragment of the antique, whether con
sidered as a phonetic or symbolic, that is ideographic
document, must be deciphered from top to bottom, and
not horizontally, for, in the latter case, the same word
would be repeated twenty-six times in succession.
Now, the difficulty has been to reconcile the canon of
Manetho's dynasties, with the chronology of scripture,
and this table of Abydos had been supposed to corro-

160
borate Manetho's statement, while it, in the same
ratio, impugned the truth of the sacred chronology.
We are, therefore, deeply indebted to the researches of
Dr. Lamb, who has, with considerable sagacity, and,
as I think, successfully, sifted the evidence afforded by
this fragment of antiquity, and from which the scrip
ture chronology seems to emerge intact, „ while it
entirely invalidates Manetho's dynasties of the Egyptian
Kings, The table of Abydos is composed of three horizontal
bands, and twenty-six vertical columns ; each of these
bands contains a cartouche, which always embraces a
proper name, consequently each vertical column in
cludes also three cartouches, because it threads them
all. Thus these cartouches contain a proper name,
sometimes phonetic, i. e. denoted by hieroglyphics
expressive of sound ; or symbolic, or ideographic, that
is, hieroglyphics, which have a lettered meaning, or
alphabetic signification.
Dr. Wall, as well as Dr. Lamb, correctly infer that
the table of Abydos gives no countenance or support to
Manetho's list of Egyptian monarchs, but rather
renders the whole untenable and fabulous, and entirely
neutralizes Manetho's canon of kings, which had found
an advocate even in the wary and judicious Cham
pollion. I cannot, though but partially acquainted
with hieroglyphic literature, yet from that imperfect
knowledge, combined with the reasons and arguments
of Dr. Lamb, but conclude with him, that the table of
Abydos yields us evidence of only " twenty-five sove
reigns, predecessors of Ramses-Sesostris ; and

161
allowing to each of these the average of twenty-five
years, we shall have five hundred years from the flrst
king, probably Menes. Now, if the great monarch,
to whose honour this tablet was engraven, died about
fifteen hundred years before the christian era, a short
time before the exodus, we bring the reign of Menes
to about three hundred and fifty years after the deluge, a
period when the descendants of Misraim, the son of
Ham, would have become sufficiently powerful to form
a great nation. And so far is this monument from
confirming the statements made by Herodotus and
Manetho, that so far as it goes, it is a witness against
them, and confirmatory of the chronology derived from
the sacred history." a
We have no certain account of the period in which
the pyramids were constructed, or for what purpose
they were built: some have supposed they were in
tended as places of sepulture ; and, therefore, are to be
considered as mausoleums. The late Dr. E. D. Clarke
was of opinion, that one of these piles enshrined the
body of Joseph, who rode in the second chariot of
Egypt, and whose remains, obedient to his last request,
were removed at the exode. The inner chambers of
the one which has been explored, afford no key to the
solution; nor does it appear certain that it ever con
tained a human body. It was much more likely to
have enclosed the sacred bull, if it ever contained any
thing at all. The sarcophagi, in the British Museum,
if they have not been monolithic temples, which seems
J ' The table of Abydos,' 1S3G, p. 17.
L

162
to me most probable, were sufficiently capacious to
enshrine this chief figure in their idolatry. The attempt
to derive the term pyramid from a Hebrew root, appears
forced. We think it much more probable that it
springs from the Greek nSg—fire ; and that instead of
its Hebrew appellative, " Grave of the Dead," it is
rather to be considered as an altar, connected with
pyrolatry, from whence the sacred fire ascended, as in
ancient Mexico: nor is it at all improbable, that it
may, like the altar which Joshua built on Mount Ebal,
to the North of Sichem, have been " plastered over with
plaster," and had the creed of their mythology recorded
on it in hieratic symbols. For any thing we know to
the contrary, these structures may have been contempo
raneous with the patriarchal age, or of the Pharaohs ;
or they may have been of the era of the Ptolemies.
The literature of hieroglyphics may eventually solve
this question.
I shall be but brief on the question of Indian
chronology : it is so entwined with fabulous legends,
that a key, to what truth it contains, is not easily
found. The high antiquity once claimed for it, turns
out to be a mere farce; and the late Colonel Mark
Wilks, who distinguished himself in the literature of
the East, informed me he had, in his researches, in
variably found, that neither their literature, science,
nor arts, had any just pretensions to a high antiquity.
The Hindoos, like the Egyptians, have a train of
fabulous gods, and demi-gods, figuring away in the
legends of their mythology, prior to the deluge; but
sober science has not to deal with such a succession of

163
terrestrial being. The gigantic excavations in the gra
nitic mountains of Elora, forming the temples of Indra
and Visvacarma,a and other temples and dwellings ;
with those of Karli, Elephanta, and Salsette ; seem, in
their majestic grandeur, to dispute with the pyramids,
a title to overpowering effect, without the slightest pre
tence to any useful purpose whatever. Effect seems to
have been the design kept in view, in order to overawe
the devotee, by the unearthly majesty of giant forms.
These excavations somewhat resemble those of the vast
Necropolis of ancient Idumea. Not to trace out other
resemblances, it may be mentioned, that in the Keylas,
(or Paradise,) an insulated temple, hewn out of the
Elora mountains, among the various figures, there is
Bhavani sitting on a Lotus, (Kumala,) conspicuously
displayed ; and in which it requires no discrimination
to discern Harpocrates, or the Arueris of Egyptian
mythology. The Lotus may also be seen on the seat
of the Colossus of Gournou. The massive forms of
Indian architecture are the precise character of those
of Egypt. The sepoys, who accompanied our regi
ments into Egypt, soon recognized counterparts of the
objects of their idolatry, in India; the serpent; the
bull of Ismara.jn Apis ; Gamda, in Arueris ; Hanuman,
in Cynocephalus ; a crown, like that of Siva on the head
of Osiris ; and they recognized Paravati in Isis. It is
even added, that they welcomed these as old acquaint
ance, and fell down and worshipped ; while their
officers were told by them, that the ancient people of
a This enormous excavation penetrates 130 feet into the mass of the granitic
rock.
L 2

164
Egypt must have been Hindoos. Whether the Abori
gines of Egypt borrowed their mythological characters
from the plains of Hindustan, or the Hindoos from
the country of Osiris, it is, at least, certain that both
must have had a common origin; and we have just
seen what degree of credit is to be placed in the high
antiquity once claimed for Egypt — her pyramids and
temples, her tombs and obelisks. The same reasoning
applies to the obelisks of Axum, and the most ancient
pagodas of India. There is a specimen of Persepolitan
characters on a fragment of stone, brought from the
ruins of Persepolis, in the British Museum ; they are
precisely similar to those of Nineveh and Babylon. A
specimen of the cuneiform letters found among the ruins
of Nineveh, has been described by Mr. Rich ; and
specimens of Babylonian bricks are in the British
Museum. There is also a beautiful cylinder from the
ruins of Babylon, in Trinity College Library, Cam
bridge, where I have examined it with interest.
According to the interesting researches of Dr. Grote
fend, what had been considered three species of Baby
lonian writing, are only varieties of writing the same
characters ; there being, in reality, only one distinct
kind of Babylonian cuneiform writing. It is, I think,
worthy of particular remark, that the inscriptions
deciphered by Dr. Grotefend, are of the times of Cyrus,
Darius Hystaspis, and Xerxes.
As to the legends of Indian deities, and pretensions
to antiquity, the entire routine is a mass of fable, with
a faint combination of truth, rendered almost obscure
by the tissue of absurdities with which it is perplexed.

165
Mr. Seeley makes the following remarks on the adven
tures of the deities, which compose that interminable
theme, the Hindoo Pantheon. "It is one of those,
that, after the deepest research and closest investiga
tion, produces neither amusement nor information, being
monstrous lies and fabled impostures from beginning to
end, as I know by the experience of many a weary and
ill-spent day of study." a
According to the judicious remarks of M. Joinville,
it is in the precepts, not in the history of the religions
df Brahma and Budha, that we are to decide the ques
tion of priority between them. According to the
Budhists, the world existed from all eternity ; their
calculations, therefore, relate entirely to the transmi
grations of Gaudma, (whose living representative is the
Lama in Thibet,) from the time he first thought of
becoming Budha, until he merged into Nirwana. There
are, however, traces of Brahminical calculations to be
discovered in those of Budha. The Brahmins calculate
the antiquity of the globe on a most extravagant scale,
and this shoots into an epocha immensely prolonged.
In the assumption of the astronomical periods, on which
they profess to found their calculations, they have cun
ningly displayed some ingenuity. " The Brahmins
and Budhists," says Joinville, " are equally bigoted
and extravagant, with this difference, that in the for
mer religion, are found very deep ideas of astronomy,
in the latter, none. I have, till now, searched in
vain for an instructive work in Singalese, relative to
a Wonders of Elora.

166
the heavenly bodies ; and have found only uninterest
ing speculations on the influence of the stars upon the
affairs of the world. The Brahmins respect fire, the
Budhists do not. The former eat of no animal, the
latter are restricted only to the not partaking of the
flesh of nine, of which the ox is the principal. I am
rather of opinion, upon a comparison of the two reli
gions, that that of Budha is the more ancient." Then
follow his reasons, which seem powerful. " The reli
gion of Budha, having extended itself, in very remote
times, through every part of India, was, in many
respects, monstrous and unformed. An uncreated
world and mortal souls are ideas to be held only in an
infant state of society ; and as soeiety advances, such
ideas must vanish : a fortiori, they cannot be esta
blished in opposition to a religion already prevailing
in a country, the fundamental articles of which are the
creation of the world and the immortality of the soul.
Ideas in opposition to all religion, cannot gain ground,
or at least cannot make head, when there is already
an established faith ; whence it is fair to infer, that if
Budhism could not have established itself among the
Brahmins, and if it has been established in their
country, it must be the more ancient of the two." In
the astronomical systems of both the Budhists and
Brahmins we see the number 432 selected as the
ground of their periodic number : other traits of resem
blance may be discovered; and since "the Budhists
were possessed," according to our author, "of astro
nomy before the Brahmins ; and as both religion and
astronomy are united, is it not probable that the

167
religion of the Budhists is the more ancient ?" These
remarks are extremely interesting, and the question is
important ; for the Brahminical calculations in astro
nomy must be posterior to the schism that separated
the devotees of Brahma from that of Budhism, which
seems to have been the parent stock ; and in that case
the high antiquity the Hindoos claim, entirely vanishes.
In the Asiatic Researches there will be found many
solid reasons for believing that the religion of the
Brahmins was grafted on Budhism, and that the
Brahmins are the later sect, and the reformers. The
devotees of Budha and Brahma have ever maintained
towards each other an inextinguishable hatred and
antipathy ; remarkably resembling that bitter animosity
and jealousy which existed between the Jews and
Samaritans at the commencement of the Christian era ;
and this hostile schism between the followers of these
two great sects of Indian mythology, may, providen
tially, be the means of deciding the question of their
chronology with a precision which could not be other
wise obtained. When we consider, with regard to this
question, the extracts from the Maha-wansi, referred
to in the next chapter, there seems to be an evidence
of reference to early events connected with genuine
history ; a fact, which, in our view of the case, goes
far to confirm the priority of the mythology of Budha ;
and when, in the progress of oriental literature, we
shall have more clearly deciphered the Singalese
writings, we may gain information of importance on its
more ancient history ; and especially of that eventful
period when the Brahmins expelled the Budhists from

168
the Peninsula of India, and the latter became thence
forth located in Ceylon. The source and origin of this
quarrel, still remaining in full force, will solve the
interesting problem, and reduce the Brahminical pre
tensions, which are so "cunningly devised," to the
limits of truth and the precincts of legitimate history.
The only tangible epocha of antiquity which the Bud
hists can pretend to claim, will not carry us further
back than 1000 years before the christian era. Sakia,
or Xaca Sinka, according to the Chinese, is placed
1029 A. C. The Thibetian accounts make the era of
this Budha still more recent. In the annals of Maga
dan princes, a change of dynasty, connected with reli
gious opinions, took place about 1000 years A. C. ;
and, according to the authority of Sir William Jones,
and the Sanscrit inscription at Budha Gaya, a Budha
was born 1014 A. C. The Budha Gaudma may be
singled out as the most distinguished founder of the
faith of Budhism, and (in the harlequinade pantomime
of Wessantara, and the 550 changes of his metempsy
chosis,) cuts no inconspicuous figure in the Singalese
mythology, Gaudma cannot claim a more distinct
epocha than 550 years A. C. ; and this is the only
tangible graft on the parent stock of ancient Budhism.
Mr. Upham remarks, that "Budhism is in itself a
primitive doctrine of parallel pretensions with Brah-
minism; that the latter faith recognizes its earlier
doctrine, and incorporates its author with its philosophy;
that the fatal wars which drove Budhism from India,
originated in the principles which we trace in the
revival of the present system of the doctrine of Budha;

169
and that the most important link therein, is manifestly
the doetrine of metempsychosis ; a principle alike sub
sisting both in the anterior eras, and in the present
Budha-verouse, or law of Gaudma."
" Turning your eyes," says that eloquent and accom
plished scholar, Sir William Jones, " in idea, to the
North, you have on your right many important king
doms in the eastern peninsula: the ancient and won
derful empire of China, with all her Tartarian depen
dencies ; and that of Japan, with the cluster of precious
islands in which so many singular curiosities have too
long been concealed. Before you lies that prodigious
chain of mountains, which formerly, perhaps, were a
barrier against the violence of the sea ; and beyond
them the very interesting country of Thibet, and the
vast regions of Tartary." Over these immense territo
ries, together with those beyond the Ganges, the
Burmese empire, and the kingdoms of Siam, Cambodia,
and Cochin-China, did the religion of Budhism once
extend and hold the nations in subjection; and though
Hinduism now sways, in these countries, the mytholo
gical sceptre of Brahma, it is not difficult to decipher
the ancient tenets of the parent belief. Mackenzie, in
describing a temple of Budha at Valligaam, mentions,
among the figures of the mythological paintings, a
large white elephant ; and we know how remarkably
attached to the monopoly of this animal is the king of
Siam, who covets no title more lofty than that of the
"king of the white elephants." The states of Indo-
China admit their having received their arts and reli
gion from the kingdom of Ceylon. There can be no

170
doubt that Mexican mythology was connected, in one
of the epochas of its history at any rate, with that of
Budha. The caves of Elora are in harmony with the land of
elephants. The legends of fable are peopled with
tenants of unearthly size and mould. Interminable
periods, and awful forms of gigantic majesty bespeak
the tone and temper of fable. Just as when we ascend
some lofty eminence, our shadow, falling on the mantle
of mists which hover round the mountain, adumbrates
a terrific and gigantic form; so, the legends of the
past, when reflected from an opaque mass composed of
the mists of superstition, seem to shadow forth beings
like Ossian's ghosts — " dim forms of uncircumscribed
shade." Let an enlightened philosophy take up the
jutakas, (the chief books of Budhists,) and the insti
tutes of Menu, admitted by the Brahmins to contain
their purest code, and which embrace their vedas and
puranas, (theistic and philosophic works,) and com
pare them with the sacred volume ; the well-informed
mind will be at no loss about coming to a decision.
The rays which fall on the shasters of the east, from
the lamp of truth, only discover to us " a darkness
which might be felt," — deeper than that which brooded
over the land of Egypt, when "no man knew his
brother." We find the following in the vedas : — " The
whole universe is part of the creator, subsists in him,
and returns to him. This first being, alone and with
out likeness, was the all in the beginning ; he could
multiply himself under different forms," &c. The
puranas are ancient Hindoo books, which treat of

171
the creation, and the genealogy of their dieties and
heroes. The astronomical tables of the Hindoos, over which
infidelity had rejoiced, and which it had hailed as a
triumph to its cause, must from our premises, rest on
debatable ground, and render the notions of M. Bailly
and his commentator, Playfair, very suspicious. There
can be no doubt of Playfair's infidelity ; but, as it is
truth that is the question at issue ; we overlook the
sneer about "superstition." It seems that Playfair
avowed his conviction of the accuracy and solidity of
M. Bailly's calculations and reasonings, which, accord
ing to him, made the observations on which the Hindoo
chronology was formed, 3000 years before the
Christian era; but according to Delambre, notwith
standing these pretensions of Playfair, (which leads
us to infer that he had absolutely verified, by positive
calculations, Bailly's results,) he had not even discover
ed a gross error existing in the divisor, which neutral
ized the entire conclusions. This is a very serious
impeachment of Playfair; but truth has reluctantly
extorted it from Delambre, who had no friendly feel
ings toward the question of Revelation; and whose
evidence, therefore, cannot be suspected. Laplace, in
his Systeme du Monde, in reference to these tables of
Indian chronology, says, that they are not of high
antiquity, and tells us, moreover, that one of the
epochas is necessarily fictitious and the other not
grounded on observation. None, at all acquainted with
Laplace's works, will believe that he was much removed
from downright atheism ; at least, his " System of the

172
World," and "Theory of Probabilities," seem to carry
too lamentable proofs of this miserable defection ;
unless the figures he makes to dance at the close of
the former work are to be accepted as deities belong
ing to polytheism. Delambre observes of Bailly — " he
never writes but to prop a system framed beforehand ;
he glances slightly over the writings of the ancients,
reading them in bad translations ; and runs over all
the calculations, in order to pick out obscure passages
which may lend some countenance to his ideas." This
portrait of Bailly, drawn by one of his own country
men, is not a very flattering one —
" Fas est ab hoste doceri,"
Cuvier's remarks are very interesting and conclusive :
" The whole system of the Indian tables, so elaborately
conceived, falls to pieces of itself, now that it has been
proved that this epocha was adopted from calculations
retrospectively made, the result of which is false. Mr.
Bentley has discovered that the tables of Tirvalour, on
which the assertions of Bailly were principally founded,
must have been computed towards the year 1281 ; and
that the Sourya-Siddhanta, which the Brahmins esteem
their most ancient scientific treatise on astronomy,
pretending that it was given by revelation more than
twenty millions of years since, could have been com
posed only seven hundred and sixty-seven years before
our own period." We have also the authority of Mr.
Davis, who has diligently examined the Hindoo astro
nomical writings, and who confirms the conclusion,
that they are founded on a retrograde calculation,

173
exactly as our Julian period has been. M. Delambre
thus concludes his remarks on the subject: "It
appears there does not exist, at present, a single
Hindoo book which can possess an antiquity higher
than one thousand three hundred years, if it makes
the slightest mention of these enormous periods ; and
none of the romances called puranas, date farther
back, from the present time, than six hundred and
four years, while some of them are more modern still."
Thus has the frost-work of the Hindoo chronology
dissolved in the sunbeam of truth, and left the Biblical
chronology triumphantly victorious. We are warranted,
therefore, exultingly to quote the conclusion of Sir
William Jones, as a safe sequel. " There is no shadow,
then, of a foundation for an opinion, that Moses bor
rowed the first nine or ten chapters of Genesis from
the literature of Egypt ; still less can the adamantine
pillars of our Christian faith be moved by the result
of any debates on the comparative antiquity of the
Hindoos and Egyptians, or of any inquiries into the
Indian theology."

CHAPTER VII.
the fall of man— the mythology of paganism.
There is no Biblical evidence of Rain having ever
fallen to water the earth, in antediluvian histoiy, nor
is there the least necessity to suppose it indispensible.
There are many parts of the earth which are never
visited by a shower, and the abbreviation of human
life, may be partly dependent on a change in the hy-
grometric, &c. character of the circumfused atmosphere.
The Hebrew prophet informs us, — " There went up a
mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the
ground;" — a simple and beautiful solution of the
phenomena of evaporation, and the formation of dew :
the latter reserved for the genius of Dr. Wells to
demonstrate, though the fact had already been unequi
vocally recorded in the Volume of Truth.
Of a kindred character is the description, that the
rivers run unto the sea, yet the sea is not full ; to the
place whence they came, thither they return again."
It requires some skill in science to yield a ready assent
to the truth — the literal truth, which this paragraph
implies. Thus, too, is it with the sublime expression :

175
" He weighed the hills in scales, and the dust in a
balance," " and measureth the seas in the hollow of his
hand ; " but, who does not now see embodied in that
language, the theory of definite proportions, on which
is founded the scale of chemical equivalents ? It has
been proved beyond doubt, that all material forms are
constituted by weight and measure, and aggregated
and adjusted according to fixed and determinate laws.
The fall of man is a terrible event in the history of
the species. It is related with affecting brevity, and
with all the simple emphasis of truth. The inspired
historian informs us that " The Lord God planted a
garden eastward in Eden ; and there he put the man
he had formed." The Creator, by a mysterious pro
cess, created Eve to be the partner of the prototype of
our species, and share with him in the delights of
"the garden of the Lord." The Deity held converse
with his creature, and man walked with his Maker
amid the flowery scenes of creation, and all the varied
blessings which a beneficent and bountiful Providence
had profusely bestowed. So long as the crown of
innocence was seated on his brow, and " Holiness to
the Lord" was the sacred motto which sparkled in the
halo that encircled it — " it was well with him." The
range of enjoyment was ample, and the cup of blessing
full. Paena metusque aberant ; —
Ver erat sternum,—
Man was a free agent, and a test of fidelity was pro
pounded : — the duty of obedience to a heavenly legis
lation would be crowned with immortal life; — and

176
a " hope blooming with immortality " was the price
of his obedience ; while disobedience would be fol
lowed by the forfeiture of the friendship of God,
and from that instant the seeds of mortality would
rankle in his frame ; man " should surely die," and his
posterity feel the shock of their progenitor's disobe
dience. But this assurance seems to have been " like
an idle tale, which they believed not." In all this
arrangement we can see nothing but wonderous con
descension. The test was simple, and the task was
easy. — Only one tree of Eden's glorious variety was
forbidden : the principle of evil, however, under the
insiduous form of a serpent, seduced the credulous
pair from their allegiance. They were not ignorant of
the consequences which an act of disobedience to the
mandate of their Maker would entail ; and God had,
in his conduct to these his creatures, given them no
cause for distrust, and no plea for doubt. The colloquy-
between the tempter and the tempted is full of sophistry;
and the consequence in the tempted forcibly displays
" an evil heart of unbelief." " The serpent said unto
the woman, ye shall not surely die." — " For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened ; and ye shall be as gods, knowing
good and evil." The fatal chord was touched; and
man, by an act of treason and rebellion, forfeited his
allegiance, and " fell in the first transgression."
Epiphanius says " there was no evil in the tree itself,
for God had planted nothing evil, nor did death come
through knowledge, but through disobedience. The
tree was for maturity, not babes."

177
I am perfectly aware that this fearful transaction has
been considered metaphorical or figurative — a flourish
of orientalism ; but the Bible no where deceives us, and
the event detailed is perspicuous and palpable. It
would be curious to know by what mental process
these reveries have been acquired, or by what special
act of revelation such important knowledge has been
communicated. The Jews understood it as a literal
event, do now receive it as such, and it was so under
stood in the apostolic age. Nothing but a bold inver
sion of the principles of reasoning, and a vain conceit
founded on the rash assumption, that we are wiser than
He who made us, could have dared to go such lengths :
and why stop here, and not apply the same unwarrant
able dogmatism to the entire fabric of revelation.
In one of the MS. papyri discovered in Herculaneum,
the author sports some speculations of this kind in
respect to the heroes of Homer, whom he considers
allegorical. Agamemnon was ether; Achilles, the sun;
Helen, the earth; Paris, the air; Hector, the moon;
and so on. Of a similar nature were the arabesque
notions of Pere Hardouin in the last century; who,
after a profound study of antiquity, made the notable
discovery, that the whole world was the dupe of extra
vagant imposture. According to Him, Homer and
Virgil, Cicero and Demosthenes, never existed but in
fancy; Rome and Greece had never conquered or
enlightened the world ; the chefs-d'ouvres of the
genius of antiquity, were only decoys to deceive
posterity ; and so we were desired to believe that all
these things were the work of some clever m©nks of
M

178
the middle ages. Apparently following in the foot
steps of this eccentricity, Sir William Drummond
wrote a work, entitled QSdipus Judaicus, in which
we were gravely assured, that the entire structure of
the Old Testament was metaphorical, and astronomi
cally emblematic. According to Sir William Drum-
mond's views, the twelve children of Jacob were merely
the twelve signs of the zodiac ; and the Israelites
fleeing before the men of Ai, the sun cutting the
plane of the ecliptic. These were, indeed, not
able discoveries, that might well excite " our special
wonder." The truth of the matter is, that on the
petitio principii assumed by Sir William Drummond,
we might come to any conclusion, however ridiculous
or absurd ; and, accordingly the author of the GCdipus
Romanus shews as clearly, that the twelve Cjesars
were the twelve signs of the zodiac, and consequently
must have been the twelve children of Jacob, on Sir
William Drummond's principles; and, that CjESAR
passing the Rubicon is only another version of the
children of Israel fleeing before the men of Ai. But,
waiving the consideration of such trash, what, we may
well ask in astonishment, are we to think of Sir
Wm. Drummond's pretensions to astronomical science,
on which he founds such sweeping and monstrous
absurdities, when we personally know that Sir
William Drummond, after smarting under the severe
and just censures of the Quarterly Review, submitted
a copy of that work, full of MS. marginal notes, to a
celebrated astronomer on the continent of Europe, in
order < to have his errors rectified, and his blunders

179
adjusted. In the possession of this astronomer, (as
distinguished as any that the science can boast of,) we
saw this copy ; and were at the same time assured,
that he had found it to be a tissue of astronomical
errors from beginning to end.a
Happily, for all these flights of fable and romance,
inductive philosophy propounds a test:— of this des
cription was that proposed for the idealism of Bishop
Berkeley ; namely, to cast himself headlong from one
of the arches of London Bridge, and trust to his idol
to save him. We should, in like manner, have made
short work with Pere Hardouin, by simply leading
him to the house once tenanted by Salust, in Pompeii,
exhumed after a lapse of seventeen centuries; and
having pointed to the name of C, SALVSTIVS,
inscribed on the door post, there left him to ruminate.
This would have been a simple argumentum ad homi
nem; and, where the question is susceptible of this
kind of argument, it is generally convincing. Our
readers will remember, in illustration, the solution of
the notable problem touching motion, " a body cannot
move where it is, and it cannot move where it is not,
ergo, there can be no such thing as motion : " q. e. d.
In order to demonstrate the fallacy of this proposition,
an individual rose from his chair, and walked across
the room, and thus afforded palpable proof, that a body
could move from one place to another ,- ergo, there was
such a thing as motion. Absurd as these things,
abstractedly considered, appear to us, yet, of such
¦' Baron de Zach, now no move. -4>
M 2

180
materials are composed many of the opinions that have
made the world stare and wonder; such as Hume's
Essay on Miracles.
Hitherto Eden's happy pair had known only good ;
they had surely ample evidence that their Creator
was their benefactor, since not one ingredient of happi
ness had been withheld. " What could he have done
more to his vineyard?" Amid all this latitude of
happiness, it was a natural inference that no "good
would have been withheld ; ' omnis feret omnia tellus,'
was the picture of the golden age; but man would
know evil, though the knowledge might be purchased
at the expense of immortal life, and forfeits the friend
ship of heaven. Had it been a hard task, something
might have been put in on the part of sophistry, by
way of plea : but man is left without excuse. — " The
gold has become dim, and the most fine gold changed."
The act of criminality was aggravated by the very
simplicity of the test of obedience. Let those who
delight to harp on the string of the " dignity of man,"
remember Eden ; it is not " a light thing " to sin with a
high hand, and transgress the commandments of God.
Some there are who think that the crime was slight,
and the punishment too severe : it will be perceived, I
think, differently. The sophistry, by which these in
dividuals endeavour to support their views, proves too
much for them. Since the test of obedience involved
no severity, and was in itself easy of fulfilment, the
crime of apostasy was thereby enhanced. The magni
tude of the crime is not to be measured by the nature
of the test, but by the fact, that it involved a direct

181
act of disobedience to the commands of God; and,
we presume, none will contend that the Creator has
not full right to the allegiance and obedience of his
creatures. The Creator was no hard task-master,
and he had surely a right to expect obedience from the
creature of his power and his providence. No sophis
try can evade the conclusion, that he was justly
chargeable with treason and rebellion against his God.
The temptation was not long continued, but it was too
successful ; — the pearl of his happiness was dissolved
in the perilous experiment, and the link which united
him to God, dissevered. Besides these considerations,
there was a motive of another kind superadded to the
act of obedience. His posterity should enjoy the
benefits which obedience to the law of God secured ;
or should suffer in the act of rebellion, if his allegiance
were forfeited. Now a good man's benevolence is not
entirely absorbed in self; the interests, — the immortal
interests of those dependant on him, would be a power
ful plea with him, and might produce a pause in his
conduct, which might guarantee their safety, even
though he put his own in jeopardy. The history of
the event seems, in our humble view, compatible with
what an inductive science would teach, right reason
approve, and altogether consistent with the conduct and
government of a just and good Being — infinite in pur
poses of mercy, and fraught with the attributes of
holiness. It was meet that a test should be propounded
to try the allegiance of the creature to the Creator.
Man was a free agent, and therefore became account
able ; for the freedom of his will was not interfered

182
with. It was, therefore, an act of wilful disobedience,
in its most aggravated form. It was giving God the
lie, who had clearly informed him of the consequences ;
but he yielded on the very first suggestion of " a lying
spirit." This seems the simple portraiture of an
historical event, and as such we mean to consider it,
while we think every unsophisticated mind will yield
acquiescence. We are aware that it will be attempted
to attenuate the delinquency, by shifting part of the
blame from the tempted to the tempter ; but this proxy
plea will not avail : — it would be scouted in a court of
justice. Had there been no temptation, there could
have been no test of obedience — no proof of free
agency, nor of the nature of man's relation to God —
no accountability. The absolute necessity, therefore,
of the test of man's obedience, must seem sufficiently
obvious. The only objection that can be made by the
most obdurate infidel, in full defiance of an inductive
philosophy, is, that we should suffer in the fall of our
prototype. Right reason must, at once perceive, how
ever, that if we are branches of a common root, and
if that root be tainted either with physical or moral
disease; we, as connected branches, must suffer, as
naturally as cause and effect succeed each other.
Our prototype was the federal head or representative
of his posterity. Man lives not for himself alone ; and
posterity would have enjoyed the benefits and blessings
had Adam abode in innocence, but 'he being in hon
our did not abide ;' ' sufficient to stand, yet free to fall.'
Children who have committed no actual guilt, suffer
the penalties of pain and death. On the principles of

183
mere theism, this cannot be explained compatible with
just conceptions of a beneficent Creator, and whose
nature is infinite love, if we reject the fact of the
fall of man.
There is, moreover, a bias in the human mind to do
evil, and by that test the scepticism of man touching the
event, stands condemned ; ' conscience accusing, or else
excusing.' By actual transgression which is universal,
man 'sets his seal' to the truth of original transgres
sion. If there be a gangrene at the root, the rest of
the tree will suffer, and its branches and fruit be
' corrupt ; ' and our hearts in their condemnation of
our deeds, plainly announce that we have indeed
sprung from a common * root of bitterness.' Con
science would condemn our sophistry, should we
endeavour to escape from the conclusion.
Children participate in the benefits and blessings
secured by a father's virtues ; and children are poisoned
and destroyed, physically, mentally, and morally, by a
parents delinquencies. 'Shall we charge God fool
ishly ? " For this is indeed a part of the course and
constitution of nature. These facts prove incon-
testibly; and from the conclusion, there can be no
rational appeal, that this life is a scene of trial and
probation, that * no man liveth for himself,' alone, and
'no man dieth for himself,' alone; — that there are
dependencies hinging on his character and conduct.
Man, therefore, is even now the representative of his
race, and amenable to his offspring ; and is verily
guilty, should his conduct cause them to stumble.
Man's responsibility is involved in this question, and

184
naturally springs from it; these must stand or fall to
gether. To be consistent, we must accept the scripture
account as confirmed by the analogy of nature, and the
only inductive and rational mode of accounting for the
facts and phenomena of the case. There is only one
consistent alternative in my mind, to say at once with
the fool, there is no God !
Conscience, and the record of observation, attest the
truth, that all is not right with humanity, and that
some terrible catastrophe has befallen it; it is not
with it as in times past. The authority of every age,
and the testimony of a world, proclaim these tidings to
the ear of reason ; and reason admits an attestation so
universal. As the proof is universal among all the families of
the earth, that an inherent depravity and bias to evil
lurks within and adheres to human nature, without
one solitary exception, this simple fact affords a living
and incontrovertible evidence, that all have sprung from
one common root, and fully substantiates the sacred
narrative. There are, therefore, two palpable evidences
in living monuments to the truth of Eden's tragedy ;
namely, the bias in the soul of man to purpose evil,
and the 'knowledge of good and evil ' universal among
all nations of the earth. Their consciences ' accusing,
or else excusing them.' Paul, therefore, only repeats
a truth, which it requires an unusual share of infi
delity to oppose. " The good which I would, I do not :
but the evil which I would not, that I do." There
are some who will say any thing ; but it requires more
than an ordinary share of fool-hardiness to array the

185
mind in opposition to a fact which is as evident as that
of existence,
Let, on the other hand, the important motive which
was altogether set at nought in this melancholy defec
tion, and desertion from the standard of good, weigh
with man in the intromissions of life and intercourse
of society, namely, " that no man liveth for himself,
and no man dieth for himself; " that he is not a? liberty
to do evil, and " he is not his own ; " that he lives not
for himself alone, but for others ; the operation of that
motive would completely change the aspect of the
moral world. In Eden it would have saved him from
ruin, and the consequence of the most flagrant turpi
tude that ever stained the annals of crime.
We shall next proceed to inquire what further evi
dence we have within ourselves, independent of the
monitor conscience, and the amount of testimony from
other sources of attestation. Among the fictions of the
poets, and the fables of the east, we cannot fail to dis
cern the fatal truth so clearly and unequivocally pour
trayed in the sacred records. The golden age —

¦ " que vindice nullo,

Sponte sua sine lege fidem, rectumque colebat; "
was that happy period, when " righteousness and peace
embraced each other." We read of a man formed of
clay, animated by a spark from heaven; of a female
adorned by the graces, and gifted with all the charms
of beauty ; and of a fatal casket, which, being opened
by her, sent forth over the face of the world a direful
train of evils ; but amid these calamities, was a reser-

186
vation of hope, that a time would come when all would
be well again, and man restored to the blessings of the
golden age, which had, in a fatal moment, been for
feited. These adumbrate the great event which we
have been considering. The classic will also remember,
the Garden of the Hesperides, and the Golden Apple.
In a painting from the walls of Herculaneum, which is
a mythological representation, it is not difficult to trace
an allusion to the serpent, with Eve, and the forbidden
fruit. I give a fac-similie of an ancient
coin in my possession, namely, Venus and
the Golden Apple, as illustrative of this
fact, deduced from heathen mythology.
Of a similar description is the Vale of Tempe, the Para
dise of Phaneas, and the nxpxhio-os of Strabo. The
Brahmins believe and teach that man is a fallen being.
The same fact is admitted by the entire pagan world,
both in times past and present ; while the universality
of sacrifices is a palpable attestation to the truth of
the position ; they cannot be otherwise explained, and
are a proof that the fact is fully acknowledged, and
that too by universal consent. The same thing is
conceded in the necessity of intercession — in the Genii
averrunci of the Egyptian mythology, and the Penates,
or Dii intercessores, of Rome and Greece : — all of
which are connected with the same belief that made
Micah cling to his teraphim or telesms ; and when they
were stolen, to raise the bitter cry, — " Ye have taken
away my gods which I made, and what have I more ?"
The diversified mythologies of mankind afford suffi
cient evidence of the memorable event of Eden. Ob-

187
scure, though the glimmerings of truth seem to be,
they can still be traced in characters sufficiently
legible ; and however they may be distinguished in
other features, and subsequent periods of their history,
they bear ample proof that their source and origin are
the same. In the mythologies of Budha and Brahma,
we find strong attestations of some of the most distin
guishing features of the early history of mankind ;
and, when separated from fable, are remarkably con
firmatory of the Biblical Record. It would be truly
absurd to suppose that the Hebrew legislator " drew
his narrative through Egyptian conduits, from the
primeval fountains of Indian literature." The in
formation obtained through such a turbid medium,
would have presented a very different aspect from what
we find recorded, as the circumstantial characteristic*
of the antediluvian age. Tradition may be easily sup
posed to have been founded on an unbroken series of
attestation from the patriarch and his family who
survived the catastrophe of the deluge, and who might
have scattered the elements of truth over the eastern
hemisphere ; but the atmosphere of oriental literature
is one altogether unfavourable for the preservation of
the simple beauties of truth. Poetry, the cradle of
fable, and all its arabesque drapery, casts a tinselled
veil over her form. It requires something more than
such an atmosphere can afford, to those who breathe
it, to rise above it, and separate truth from error. The
sun, which imparts that illumination, must be above
the turbid firmament where truth and fable are so inti
mately combined, in order to promote their separation.

188
The mental vision, beclouded with error, cannot be
expected, without some superadded power, to " shuffle
off its coil," and rise above the darkness which per
plexes it : and the mind cannot be supposed to act in
opposition to itself. With an equipoise of truth and
error, and the will inclined to the latter, by what
talisman did it disentangle itself and rise superior to
the world around it, and all its millions ? Certainly,
the record of antediluvian history might be preserved
by a living link, which connected it with a postdiluvian
age ; and, though we do not know the species of regis
ter which transmitted so faithfully the history of the
human family from its prototype to the last of the
antediluvian race, it is altogether credible, and may
be reasonably believed. This would be more decidedly
and specifically secured by the protracted periods of
antediluvian age. The patriarch, who witnessed both
the one and the other, was a very appropriate vehicle
to perpetuate the information, and preserve the annals
of the past. He was the channel, through which this
stream of knowledge flowed from the one world which
was destroyed, to the other which yet remains. The
ark was the repository in which the archives of a
former world were preserved ; and, by the descendants
of the patriarch, these memorials would be dispersed
hither and thither. In process of time, the details
would become exceedingly obscure ; poetry and fable
would trouble the waters, so that truth would only
faintly sparkle through the abyss of creative imagina
tion. It is immaterial whether we believe that the
Hebrew prophet, instructed of God, was enabled to

189
collect the gems of scattered truth from the rubbish in
which they were imbedded, or obscured, and set them
in the diadem of a pure and spotless theism ; or, that
the truth was immediately communicated, in one efful
gent vision, to the prophet's mind : we prefer the latter.
Brought up in the court of Pharaoh — the protege of
the daughter of a king — he was nursed in the super
stitions of Egypt, and cradled amid her idolatries ; but
he rose far above them. His father-in-law was one pf
the priests of Heliopolis ; so that if his learning and
attainments were commensurate with his opportunities,
he must have been truly what the Scriptures describe
him to be, " learned in all the arts of the Egyptians."
Initiated into the ritual of Egyptian mythology, and
from his family connexion with Jethro, thoroughly
instructed in the literature and science of Egypt, which
must have been the almost exclusive prerogative of her
hierarchy ; we perceive this favourite of fortune, sud
denly emancipating himself from the thraldom of his
situation, denuding himself of all the advantages
secured by a Pharaoh, become a voluntary exile in the
land of the stranger, illuminated by a theism, and
inculcating its precepts with a steady purpose. His
institutes remain in evidence ; and, compared with the
masquerade of Egyptian deities, and the entire para
phernalia of the mythology of that country, it is so
dissimilar in every part of it, as to form a striking and
bold contrast — as opposed as the sunbeam to Erebus —
" Hyperion to a Satyr." That such a clear and lumi
nous system should be drawn, or should emerge from
the legends of eastern fable, is not likely ; nor can it

190
gain an easy credit. The Hebrew prophet obtained
it at once from a pure source, and it has, ever since,
been preserved unmixed with the streams of error.
From whatever source Moses obtained the materials
for his history of the primeval world, it is not con
ceivable that Egypt supplied the means of information :
and the Indian legends, when accurately considered,
do not give the slightest countenance to the supposition,
that the materials of his history, much less his the
ogony, could have flowed from thence. There must
have been some common source; and seeing how
infinitely that of the Hebrew prophet transcends all
of them, we are compelled to believe, that he was led
by the Spirit of truth immediately and directly to its
fountain. Ever since, by almighty Providence, the
heavenly flame has been preserved, and transmitted
down to the present period. It presents itself fearless
ly to the lynx-eyed investigation of severe induction
and a philosophy exalted in its merits by time. We
trace this luminous line through the flux of ages,
with thick and palpable darkness on the right hand
and on the left, which clearly demonstrates an over
ruling Providence, else the darkness would have
broken in, overshadowed and extinguished it. We
may expect some faint traces in the regions of the
East, of the events so clearly thus brought to view ;
but let us not forget, that it is by this very Light that
we are enabled to discover these vestiges of truth, and
separate them ; while they, on the other hand, operate
as powerful auxiliaries to corroborate the Sacred Record,
and prove, in terms too palpable to be misinterpreted,

191
what would have been the fate of Truth, had God
abandoned it to the imaginations of men, "whose
foolish hearts are darkened."
We can imagine that fable may possess a nucleus of
truth, and that this truth may have suffered an eclipse,
or at best be dimly seen throngh the fogs and mists
which have condensed upon it ; but we cannot com
prehend how error can rectify itself or truth be disen
tangled from a turbid sea of perplexity and uncertainty,
by the bewildered mind, itself struggling with doubts
and the darkness of error. In order to enable it to
rise above this its native medium, it must receive a
buoyancy from a source independent of, and altogether
above itself. As a mythology, which enjoined the
worship of leeks and onions, is obviously a channel
through which the sublime theism of the Old Testa
ment could never have flowed to the divine legate ; so
it is equally a wild conceit to suppose that such a
system could have proximately come from the legends
of eastern fable. Can an impure fountain send forth
a pure stream? On the principles of causation, the
fountain of Marah will only supply the waters of
bitternsss. A pure spring will supply a stream pure
in its elements, but this may be rendered turbid in
process of time, by contingencies, which may either
disturb its course, or infuse into it the principles of
impurity. The Egyptians have left behind them their
credentials sculptured in the obdurate rock or hermeti
cally sealed up in the cerements of the tomb ; we have,
therefore, no necessity to draw our information indi
rectly from Juvenal, but directly from themselves, as

192
the mummy holds immediate intercourse with us by
virtue of the papyrus in his withered hand. This
mythological document informs us too, mournfully, of
the dark mysteries through which he contemplated a
future state of existence, and of the doubts and fears
with which the spirit had to struggle. The entire
transcription of the funeral ritual of the Egyptians,
(parts of which are found in mummy-cases,) extended
to more than fifty feet in length. This was the chart
of the soul in its adventures through the ' valley of the
shadow of death,' to the dwelling of Osis in Amente.
We have already cited the opinion of Dr. Young, as
founded on his researches into the literature of ancient
Egypt, so that there can be no doubt about the matter.
Their monuments remain, and we can now read their
inscriptions for ourselves ; and with the brighter lamp
of truth in our hand, the " thick darkness " will be felt
more palpably than in the " olden time before us."
When we take a calm survey of the heathen world,
we can discover no pleasing images on which the mind
can pause with delight. While wandering among the
interesting models of the " tombs of the kings," exhi
bited some years ago, by Belzoni, in London, after his
return from exploring the subterranean recesses of
their originals, the vision of the son of Buzi, in Chal
dea, flashed forcibly on our mind: "Behold every
form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and
all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon
the walls round about," — " Son of man, hast thou seen
what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the
dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery ?"

193
In the plates of Rossellini the Ibis is connected with
the lotus, and there is also the Brahmin bull, with the
flower of the lotus attached to its neck. The rose of
the Nile has now forsaken that mighty river, but it
floats on the Ganges. The seed, enveloped in a ball
of clay is cast into the water, a method even now prac
tised in India, and agreeable to ancient historians, once
employed in Egypt. The misletoe, when found on the
oak in this country, was highly venerated by the
Druids — a rare circumstance in the British isles ; but
agreeable to Mr. Royle, its association with the oak is
by no means an uncommon phenomenon in the Penin
sula of India. These, and many other facts, point to
India as the cradle of the Egyptian mythology, and to
the same source for the rude mythology of the Druids,
in which some faint and indistinct glimmerings of its
patriarchal origin may be traced.
It may be interesting to select, by way of illustration,
one of the most gifted spirits which the pagan world
presents, as a decisive proof that " the world by wisdom
knew not God." It is, however, necessary, for the
purpose of elucidation, to observe, that the worship of
devils is inculcated and enjoined by the doctrines of
Budhism ; and we perceive a cock in one hand of the
devil, called Calloo-coomare, as well as in that of the
demon Rirey : so that even Socrates appears to have
been a worshipper of demons. Mr. Upham, in his
" History and Doctrine of Budhism," has supplied us
with the picture of an actual scene from the woods
of Ceylon, affording a melancholy portraiture of the
" gross darkness" which brooded over, and still covers
n

194
the heathen world ; and we quote his own words as
affording an irresistible evidence of the melancholy fact.
" However high," says our author, " his intellectual
attainments, philosophy could not lift her greatest fol
lower, (Socrates,) at his death, above the standard of
the humblest disciple of the Budha when sacrificing a
cock to the Bali, or planetary influences, as he lay
languishing under sickness amid the woods of Ceylon :
we see the same vow and offering, the same tribute to
the deity, as marked the last hours of Socrates : —
uncovering his head, for his head was covered that
nothing might trouble him, ' Crito,' says Socrates,
(these were his last words,) ' we owe a cock to Es-
culapius ; discharge this vow for me, and do not
forget it.' — A midnight scene which was witnessed in
the forest of Ceylon, wherein a magical practitioner
was addressing the sparkling host of heaven, ' the
Bali,' in behalf of an unfortunate individual languish
ing under sickness, will demonstrate how precisely this
last act of the greatest philosopher of the Athenian
school that ever existed, sprung from the same
root of doctrine as that of the sick Singalese." a —
" ops/Xo/*En itex.Tfvov* " — ironically, according to Racine the
younger ; but this was not a time to play the fool, and
would be inconsistent with the character of Socrates.
The ancients kept a cock in their towers, or turrets,
which were a species of temples to announce the dawn ;
the cock, therefore, became sacred to the sun. On exa
mining many of the Etruscan vases, as well as lacry-
a London, Ackerman, 1828, folio edit. "p. 13.

195
matories, discovered on the estate of the prince of
Canino, in Italy, I found the cock represented in several
cases. On a coin of Selinus, that I have seen, a cock
is represented beneath an altar ; on a coin of Himera,
in my possession, the cock is figured on the reverse.
It seems to me, therefore, that the expression of Socra
tes too mournfully pourtrays the aspect under which
that great man regarded futurity. We owe a cock to
Escalapius ; let the debt be paid, let the sacrifice be
made, for I shall awaken no more. It is connected
with the same belief which inscribed on the tomb,
" diis manibus," and " somno aeterno." As we con
sider the mythology of Budha anterior to that of
Brahma, (and there is no evidence for believing that
this source could supply materials for the theism of
the Scriptures,) we need not consult its offspring,
Hinduism. Our opinion, therefore, entirely coincides, it
will be perceived, with that of M. Benjamin Constant :
" L'apparition et la duree du theisme juif dans un
temps et chez un peuple egalement incapable d'en con-
cevoir l'idee et de la conserver, sont a nos yeux des
phenomenes qu'on ne saurait expliquer par le raisonne-
ment. Le theisme qui s'y amalgamoit avec le pan-
theisme, ressembloit peu a la notion de l'unite de Dieu,
telle que les livres h6breux nous la presentent, simple,
claire, etablissant entre la Divinite et les hommes des
rapports moraux. Ce dernier caractere constitue la
difference essentielle qui s6pare ces deux especes de
theisme."* In the pagan world, indeed, "every hill

" De la Religion Consideree dans la Source, &c. Tome II. p. 219, &c.
N 2

196
was olympus, and this olympus heaven ; every valley
erebus, and every prince a god."
From our preceding remarks, it will be perceived
that we may naturally expect some gleams of truth,
sparkling like fire-flies amid the wilderness of pagan
ism. The following extract from a literal translation
of a portion of the Maha-wansi, one of the most revered
of the sacred books of Budhism, and considered as a
faithful transcript of the doctrines of the devotees of
Budha, is given by Mr. Upham. It presents an inte
resting corroboration of some of the most remarkable
events and circumstances which characterize the ante
diluvian age. " At that time all beings lived an
assankaya of years ; no sin was there in the world :
the immense duration of their life caused men to forget
their birth, and to be unmindful of their death; they
knew not the infirmities of life, nor the miseries of the
world. They derided the very deities, as these were
not the fortunate partakers of such a length of days ;
so that at that time the life of mankind in this world
outlasted the existence of the gods. Irrational ani
mals had also their kings in those days ; the narration
of these facts appears in the ancient histories." In the
sequel we have the translation of the king Maha-
mandatoo Chackrawarty-raja : " This king having
enjoyed great happiness in the world of mankind,
ascended in that state of life to the world of the gods."
We cannot fail to discern here several remarkable
circumstances, having a distinct reference to events
recorded in scripture history : the protracted lives of
natedeluvians — the rationality of inferior creation, in

197
which we may discover the serpent of Eden speaking
with man's voice — the sinless nature of man before the
fall — man's subsequent rebellion, and the depravity of
the world — Enoch " walking with God," and his trans
lation from earth to heaven, that he should not "see
death." It may be necessary to inform our readers,
that a sanka, or assankaya, of years, is an incredible
number of years — an immensely long period. An
assanka is represented by a unit, followed by sixty-
three ciphers.
In the Hindoo cosmogony, according to Maurice, there
is a description of creation recorded, which has some
obscure features of resemblance to that of the Mosaic
history ; and in the personification of Narain or
Narayan, in the mythology of Budhism, one of the fea
tures of creation is presented to us, since the name
Narain literally signifies " moving upon the waters : "
while the fall of man from a state of primeval inno
cence and enjoyment, in the Satya Yug, or age of per
fection, forms the basis of the metempsychosis of India,
of which that of Egypt is the counterpart. In one
of Mr. Upham's plates, we have a representation of
Payay and Ritta, the latter presenting a twig with
three leaves, or a flower, which the former seems to
reject; the figures are surrounded by the symbols of
the zodiac. It is not difficult to recognize here a
reference to the first pair. In one of the most ancient
pagodas of India, is a figure of Chreeshna, one of the
avatars of Vishnu, trampling on the crushed head of a
serpent, the kali-naga, or black snake — it is his triumph.

198
In another figure, the serpent is seen compassing
Chreeshna with its folds, and biting his heel. In all
this, and much more, we cannot fail to perceive adum
brated the remarkable prediction which accompanied
the fall of man : — " The seed of the woman shall bruise
the serpent's head."
The eastern Apollo, Krishna, according to Indian
mythology, is one of the das avatars, or ten incarna
tions of the Diety. Hymns of praise were chanted
by Devatas at his birth, and shepherds encircled his
cradle. The tyrant Cansa sought to take away his
life, but the child, together with the parents, found a
refuge beyond the region of Yamouna. For a certain
period, the life of Krishna was spent in retirement and
privacy, but was afterwards distinguished by a public
career, characterized by deeds of beneficence and acts
of power. Tyrants were subdued, the poor protected ;
he washed the feet of the Brahmins, while the most
pure and perfect doctrines were preached by this great
teacher. His enemies at length, however, triumphed,
and he was at last transfixed by an arrow to a tree.
He foretold before his death the miseries that should
come to pass in the CaU Yuga, or iron age.
This artful legend is sufficiently startling, and the
features of resemblance between its details and the
birth, life and death of the Saviour of men, could not
escape the lynx eye of infidels. It turns out, however,
that it is a ' cunningly devised fable ' of the Brahmins,
grafted on the. gospel narrative ; for Mr. Bentley on
astronomical calculations, founded on the Janampatra

199
of Krishna, which he was fortunate enough to obtain,
and which contains the relative planetary positions at
his assumed birth, has reduced this eventful epocha to
the 7th August, A. D. 600 — about the commencement
of the Mahomed an era !
Amid the shadowy forms that peopled the heathen
mythology we observe abundant proofs of the same
extraordinary description. In the maha-wansi of
Budhism, the vedas and puranas of Hinduism, and the
theogony of Hesiod, the same facts are enrolled. In
the mythology of Egypt the serpent bears an important
character : represented in an upright form, it enters
into all its rites and ceremonies. In Apollo and Her
cules, Thor and Chreeshna, the event of triumph is
adumbrated, and cannot be mistaken. In ages the
most distant, and lands the most remote, the same
belief seems to have been infused into their mythology,
and perpetuated from age to age. When we examine
ancient coins and medals, we shall find that, in many
cases, the serpent cuts no inconspicuous figure. We
are by no means disposed to go so far as Mr. Deane
has gone, in his ingenious work on " The Worship of
the Serpent;" for many circumstances induce us to
think that a number of these symbols are connected
with the elevation of the brazen serpent in the wilder
ness — a question which shall be considered in its
proper place. Among the coins of Augustus, however,
figured by Dr. King, (Fig. XVIII.) is a very remark
able one. It represents a female with a mural crown,
a palm branch in her hand, and a dove by her side ; —

200

she is trampling on a serpent. In the Tyrian coin, of
which we present a fac-simile, a
serpent appears twisted round a
tree : — conical mounds, or perhaps
petrce ambrosiance, are seen on each
side ; and on what may be called
the exergue of the coin, or that
part of it which is out of the field,
may be seen Hercules's dog, and the shell from which
the famous Tyrian purple was extracted ; which
appears to have been of different kinds, principally
belonging to the genera Murex and Buccinum ,- for
Tyrian coins seem to represent different shells. The
legend of the discovery of this imperial dye will be
readily recalled to mind. It was imparted to the lips
of a dog which had devoured the shell-fish on the
shore : the purple stain being accidentally observed by
his master.
The annexed is a coin of Athens
associated with the same principles
of mythological belief. The ' ser
pent god,' the h(pwi of the gnostics,
represented a human figure united
with the serpent. In Egypt the
serpent called Thermuthis crowned
the tiaras and surmounted the statues of Isis. Ophiola
try commenced in Chaldea and from thence passed
into Egypt. Hence the worship of demons or devils,
' nagas,' or snake gods, and thus ' satan,' the ' prince
of darkness,' is called the • old serpent.' Paul's allu-

201
sion to the ' cup of devils ' is easily understood, from
the ' cup of libation' we see on has reliefs on bronze,
and on coins, as presented to serpents. The worship
of devils is referred to in the Pentateuch, and seems
thus connected with the tempter : ' They sacrifice to
devils and not to God.'" In the Orphic* hymns a lion
and a serpent are celebrated. The guardian of the
Acropolis of Athens was a serpent, and hence too,
perhaps, the origin of winged serpents and • dragons.'
Serpent worship is two-fold. In the demon worship,
it has evidently to do with the personification of evil,
in the tragedy of Eden ; and when associated with
* soter' and ' salus,' and a symbol connected with Escu-
lapius, it as clearly refers to the brazen serpent reared
by Moses in the wilderness. 1 Deut. xxxii. 17.

CHAPTER VIII.
the deluge— pagan tradition— geologigal evidence-
natural CHRONOMETERS.
Pagan tradition proclaims trumpet-tongued, and by
Universal consent to the truth of the deluge, and as
generally as the diversity of tongues on the day of
Pentecost. Sir William Jones has observed — ' The
narrative of a deluge which destroyed the whole race
of man, except four pairs, is an historical fact, admit
ted as true by every nation to whose literature we have
access.' The general belief which has prevailed among all
nations, respecting the great event of the deluge, so
clearly and fully described in the Archives of Truth, is
very remarkable. It mingles with the legends of every
nation under heaven; in countries the most remote;
and whose striking diversity of language seems to im
pose a d ecided interdict on any interchange of commu
nication. The Hindoo and the Mexican, the Greek
and the Roman, all attest and acknowledge a penal
flood, which has swept their forefathers away, and

204
consigned them to destruction. Such a memorable
fact as this, proves beyond a doubt, that this tradition
ary legend must have been originally obtained from
one and the same source of information : we thus trace
these rays of tradition to a common centre, though its
date has been lost sight of. Tradition is always
troubling the stream of truth, and interfering with its
simplicity, by adventitious additions; but the unifor
mity of the main circumstances of the deluge, in "every
kindred and tongue," is an unequivocal testimony to
the truth of the event. The very fact, that every
nation tells its own story about it, conformably to the
peculiarities which distinguish its annals, (though the
epocha of the event be consigned to the darkness of
distant ages,) sufficiently attests that it must have been
communicated before the nations "were scattered and
peeled," when their language and their name were one:
but, though tradition has not preserved the record of
the epocha, the annals of heavenly truth reconcile the
facts, and determine, with clearness and precision, the
, date and history of the event. The circumstantial
details of this remarkable event are very satisfactorily
recorded in the venerable document, whose claim to all
acceptance as a register of truth, is so clear and de
cisive. The world had become guilty before God.
Fratricide had long before stained the annals of the
primeval world. Crime pressed on crime, as wave
succeeds to wave ; the moral beauty of that world which
the Creator had surveyed on its completion, and
pronounced good, was marred by the ravages of evil.
Man became an apostate from his God, rose in re-

205
bellion, and defied his legislation : — " His thoughts
were only evil, and that continually." The holiness
and justice of heaven required a terrific monument to
be perpetuated to the end of time, written in the ada
mantine rock, and stamped in the frame-work of the
globe ; to be seen and read of all men : — evidence to a
world, that " God will not be mocked." The symbols
which are so clearly seen in the organic remains of a
former world ; the register of its wreck and ruin,
cannot be obliterated while the mountains remain, and
the earth endures. Earthquakes may overturn the
pyramids, or overwhelm the temples of Egypt, or the
pagodas of Hindustan be swept away by an inunda
tion of the Ganges ; but these awful legends will
remain until the period of the Ecpyrosis, for which
they are reserved ; — " When the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat ; the earth also, and the works that
are therein shall be burnt up." a
The deep delinquency of man before his Maker is
k thus described, and the terms are fearfully expressive :
" God saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually." It is added, " the
earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was
filled with violence." The "goodliness" of creation
was tarnished, and its beauty " consumed." The sen
tence of destruction went forth, and " God said unto
Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me, for the
' 2 Peter, iii. 10.

206
earth is filled with violence through them : and behold
I will destroy them with the earth."
Wherever we turn our eyes, the fame of the deluge
meets us : " There is no speech nor language where its
voice has not been heard :" " Its line is gone out
through all the earth, and its words to the end of the
world."a The four divisions of the globe have heard
of this event, and have told it to their " children's
children." Lucian, from the archives of Hierapolis,
gives an account of the deluge, the main features of
which do not materially differ from the details of the
prophet of the Hebrews. He tells us that Deucalion
was the only one saved ; that it was on account of his
piety ; that this was effected by means of a great ark,
which he and his wife occupied ; that there were also
therein, along with them, goats, horses, lions, serpents,
and such other animals as live on land — two of each ;
that all were rendered harmless, and all floated in one
ark, -\afvax«, as long as the waters prevailed. Plutarch
mentions the dove which was dispatched by the patri
arch from the ark. This author states, that the dove,
being sent from the ark and returning, became a cer
tain index of the prevalence of the tempest ; but, its
flying away proved that the storm had ceased. Juvenal
thus records the event of the deluge and the ark :

" Ex quo Deucalion nimbis tollentibus ffiquor
Navigio montem ascendit, sortesque poposcit,
Paulatimque anima caluerunt mollia saxa."

Ps. xix. 3, 4.

207
And Ovid thus speaks of it :
" Hie, ubi Deucalion (nam csetera texerat aequor)
Cum consorte tori parva rate vectus adhtesit
Corycidas nymphas, et numinamontis adorat."
The Mexicans believe, that the original pair, from
whom their ancestors sprung, were saved from the
deluge by floating on a raft. We
give the fac-simile of a medal, in
second brass, which refers to this
belief. It is one of the coins of j
Pertinax. By the stars over the
figures, we infer their deification.
Indeed, there is no difficulty in
identifying the patriarch and his wife with the Osiris
and Isis of Egyptian mythology ; and it seems to us,
that the figures which Mr. Rich has copied from a
Babylonian brick, refer to the same fact. The Boat
Baris is a conspicuous figure in the mythology of
Egypt. In the most ancient book of the Chinese,
which is called chouking, mention is made of one of
their deified personages, named Yao, who is there
represented as drawing off the waters of the deluge,
which had rendered impassable the lower levels, sub
merged the lower hills, bathed the skirts of the highest
mountains, and risen up to the heavens. Yao is ante
dated at about 4166 years, or thereabouts, before the
present period, which remarkably coincides with the
chronology of the sacred volume. M. Cuvier has an
interesting and apposite observation in reference to the
epocha of the deluge : — " Is it possible," says this dis
tinguished philosopher, " that mere accident should

208
afford so striking a result as to unite the traditional
origin of the Assyrian, Indian, and Chinese monarchies
to the same epocha of about 4000 years from the pre
sent time ? Could the ideas of nations who possessed
almost no natural affinities ; whose language, religion,
and laws, had nothing in common; could they con
spire to one point did not truth bring them together?"
We shall, before adducing geological facts in confir
mation of an universal deluge, advert to the celebrated
Apamean medals; one of these, (Plate II, fig. 1-5,) is
that of the elder Philip; and the other, (Plate II,
fig. 17,) of Pertinax: in the former, it is extremely
interesting to observe, that on the front of the ark is
the name of Noah, nae, in Greek characters. The
design of these medals remarkably corresponds, though
the legends somewhat vary. In both we perceive the
ark floating on the water, containing the patriarch and
his wife, the dove on the wing, with the olive branch ;
and the raven perched on the ark. The medals, also,
represent Noah and his wife on terra firma, in an atti
tude of devotion for their safety. On the pannel of
the ark, in the coin of Pertinax, there is the word
nhton, perhaps a provincialism from n;™, an island,
or n.'«, to swim. In the exergue of this medal we
read, distinctly, AnAMEnN, as we do also in that of
the other ; the first syllable terminating the first line.
The genuineness of the Apamean medals is confirmed
beyond all doubt by the researches of the learned
Mr. Bryant. Ortelius recognizes six cities of this
name ; the most celebrated was Apamea, in Syria ;
next to which was that of Phrygia, called also Cibotus,

209
or Kibotos, as a surname ; — the Greek word
K</3«Tot, signifying an ark or hollow vessel. This
city was built on the river Marsyas, near which,
tradition states, the ark finally reposed. Accordingly,
we find on a medal, struck in honour of the emperor
Adrian, the inscription, a-iameon kibotos mapzzia, or
"the ark and the Marsyas of the Apameans." There
were numerous traditions commemorating this event ;
and several cities, while they boasted of the distinction,
appealed to it in proof of their antiquity. This
Apamea, which ranked in importance next to Ephesus,
is doubtless that to which these medals refer. The
surname would not, in all probability, have been
adopted on an insufficient and unsubstantial basis.
Besides these, however, there was a city bearing this
name in Bithynia ; and, according to Strabo, another
in Media. Our representations in the plate are copied
from Sequin's " Selecta Numismata Antiqua."
I now give a wood-cut for
the purpose of comparison,
from a cast in my possession,
taken from one of the Apamean
medals in the Bibliotheque
Roy ale at Paris. I have dili
gently examined the original
Severus, from which the cast
was obtained, and I cannot but conclude, from the
most careful inspection, that the medal is not only a
genuine gem from the antique, but that the letters
NfiE can be most distinctly traced. Of the first two
letters there can be no doubt whatever, but the third
o

210

is considerably defaced, though portions of the letter
remain. On a painting in the cemetery of Callistus
is the representation of an ark or chest floating on
water, the roof or lid being open, discovers a human
figure, with outstretched arm, welcoming the advent
of a bird on the wing. Similar associations and
representations are met with on the Fagginian gem,
and on four sarcophagi described by Aringhi.
I now add the figure of a curious vessel, the con
tents of which are strongly corroborative of the
traditional testimony concerning the deluge. It is of
the form of a Babylonian brick, and is copied from a
representation given by Dr. Wiseman, and forming,
together with figures of its contents, the frontispiece
plate to his second volume. This
singular vase was found in 1696,
in an excavation near Rome ; its
material is earthenware, and was
covered with a lid ; among the
miscellaneous contents was found,
occupying the lower portion, a
bronze circle containing twenty
pairs of various animals, being
twelve of quadrupeds, six of birds,
one of serpents, and one of in
sects, besides two odd figures of the last class. The
first represented tigers, horses, lion and lioness, deer,
oxen, asses, wolves, foxes, sheep, hares, &c. There
were also thirty-five human figures, single and in
groups, as if endeavouring to escape from drowning,
and one figure appears as if it had become the victim

211
of the waters. The dishevelled hair, their being
borne away on the shoulders and backs of other
figures, closing the mouth, &c, shew clearly and
unequivocally what it was intended to represent.
Whether this remarkable and truly interesting relic
belonged to the hydrophoria, or the festival which
commemorated the deluge, must be mere matter of
conjecture, but that the fact it appeals to is the
deluge, not a doubt can be entertained.
It is not a little curious that the whole of the
quadrupeds whose representatives have been enume
rated, have been found among the organic remains of
oseous caverns, and all of them, with the exception of
four, namely, the tiger, lion, ass, and sheep, been
found in Kirkdale cave.
We may, therefore state, that the evidence on this
question is universal and conclusive. The Chaldeans,
Phoenicians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, and
Druids, Persians, Hindoos, Burmese, Chinese, Mexi
cans, Peruvians, Brazilians, Nicaraguans, the inhabi
tants of Western Caledonia, the Otaheitan and
Sandwich Islanders, all have recorded the event of
the deluge, and it is incorporated in our annals. This
universal testimony is wonderful, and we should think
amply sufficient to satisfy the most sceptical mind.
Josephus says, in reference to this event, " Now all
the writers of the barbarian histories make mention of
this flood, and of this ark; among whom is Berosus
the Chaldean. For when he was describing the cir
cumstances of the flood, he goes on thus : it is said,
there is still some part of this ship in Armenia, at the
o2

212
mountain of the Cordyaeans; and that some people
carry off pieces of the bitumen, which they take away,
and use chiefly as amulets, for the averting of mischiefs.'
— Hieronymus the Egyptian also, who wrote the
Phoenician antiquities, and the Mnaseas, and a great
many more, make mention of the same. Nay,
Nicholas of Damascus, in his ninety-sixth book, hath
a particular relation about them; where he speaks
thus: 'There is a great mountain in Armenia, over
Minyas, called Baris, upon which it is reported, that
many who fled at the time of the deluge were saved ;
and that one who was carried in an ark, came on shore
upon the top of it ; and that the remains of the timber
were a great while preserved. This might be the man
about whom Moses, the legislature of the Jews,
wrote.'" a
It has been supposed that the ark rested on Mount
Ararat, in Armenia : Josephus countenances this view
of it ; and it is interesting to observe, that the name of
the Armenian city, where it has been supposed the ark
at last grounded, signifies the Place of Descent, from
the Greek uiropxrwot ; — others have, however, urged
that it rested upon Mount Caucasus, near Apamea, in
Phrygia, from the circumstance that in Genesis xi. 2,
the sons of the patriarch are represented as journeying
westward from the place of descent, and Mount Ararat
in Armenia being west of this country. The language
of the sacred writer does not particularly define the
question. Mount Ararat, according to Morier, is at
* Antiq. Book I. chap. iii.

213
once awful in its elevation, and beautiful in its form.
Sir Robert Ker Porter describes this celebrated moun
tain as divided, by a chasm of about seven miles wide,
into two distinct peaks, called The Great and The
Little Ararat, and is of opinion that the ark finally
rested in this chasm. This pleasing and elegant
writer gives a beautiful description of Ararat. " I
beheld Ararat in all its amplitude of grandeur. From
the spot on which I stood, it appeared as if the hugest
mountains of the world had been piled upon each
other, to form this one sublime immensity of earth,
and rock, and snow. The icy peaks of its double
heads rose majestically into the clear and cloudless
heaven; the sun blazed bright upon them, and the
reflection sent forth a dazzling radiance equal to other
suns. This point of view united the utmost grandeur
of plain and height, but the feelings I experienced
while looking on the mountain are hardly to be de
scribed. My eye, not able to rest for any length of
time on the blinding glory of its summits, wandered
down the apparently interminable sides, till I could no
longer trace their vast lines in the mists of the horizon ;
when an inexpressible impulse immediately carrying
my eye upwards again, refixed my gaze on the awful
glare of Ararat; and this bewildered sensibility of
sight, being answered by a similar feeling in the mind,
for some moments I was lost in a strange suspension
of the the powers of thought."
In the seventh chapter of Genesis, we are informed,
that the patriarch and his family went into the ark
which was prepared, and along with them such animals

214
as were to be preserved to replenish the new earth,
which was to emerge from the waters of the deluge.
" It came to pass," says the sacred historian, " after
seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the
earth : in the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the
second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the
same day were all the fountains of the great deep
broken up and the windows (or floodgates) of heaven
were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty
days and forty nights." "And the flood was forty
days upon the earth ; and the waters increased and
bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly
upon the earth ; and the ark went upon the face of
the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly
upon the earth ; and all the high hills that were under
the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen cubits upwards
did the waters prevail ; and the mountains were covered.
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of
fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man ; all
in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that
was in the dry land, died. And eveiy living substance
was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground,
both man and cattle, and the creeping things, and the
fowl of heaven ,- and they were destroyed from the
earth ; and Noah only remained alive, and they that
were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed
upon the earth an hundred and fifty days." This
description of a catastrophe, which is attested by uni
versal consent of mankind, and confirmed by the

215
testimony of geological phenomena, is, though brief,
a very circumstantial and explicit account.
There is a fact stated in Scripture of considerable
importance when considered in this relation : " the
fountains of the great deep were broken up :" — this
unequivocally implies the issue of torrents from the
bosom of the globe; and it seems, to us, more likely
that the nucleus of the earth is an abyss of water than
a lake of fire, however the latter view of it might
coalesce with Buffon's notion, of which that of Hutton
was a more elaborate transcript. The synchronous
mention of the fountains of the great deep, along
with the floodgates of heaven, is very remarkable,
and seems to refer the effect to a uniform cause. The
Supreme Being, if we may be permitted to hazard
an opinion, seems to have accomplished this great
event, by affecting a vast change in the density of
the atmoshpere ; to this circumstance we are inclined
to refer, as a secondary agent in the fiat of deity, the
rush of the waters from the recesses of the earth,
" when they brake forth as if they had issued out of
the womb." This increased density, in the first crea
tion, might be the " bars and doors" referred to in the
Book of Job.a In pursuing our inquiries, we shall
perceive that this greater density of the atmosphere,
in an antediluvian world, will account for an increased
temperature in climate ; and perhaps, too, be con
nected with the extended term of human life in the
antediluvian world ; since a diminished density, would
a Job xxxviii. 10.

216
be accompanied with, not only a change of temperature,
but a change in the hygrometic character of the atmos
phere. Such an increase of density presupposes the
absence of clouds and of rain in the primeval world,
while its attenuation would account for the deluge of
waters, which would then descend from the aerial
medium ; and on the completion of the purposes for
which this mighty catastrophe was designed, clouds,
for the first time, would be seen suspended from on
high ; and for the first time also, would the " bow of
promise in the storm" be "set in the heavens," and
be seen by the patriarch. Had it been seen before, its
being seen again could not, in itself, be an apt symbol
of peace, and pledge of security. We have stated,
that there is no mention, in sacred history, of rain
having fallen in the antediluvian world ; and, from the
greater mass of water that would be suspended in an
atmosphere possessing an increase of density, with the
total absence of clouds secured by that increased density,
nothing would interfere, except winds, with the forma
tion of dews, which would be, from these combined
circumstances, very copious and uniform. It may be
asked, and the question has certainly been often put,
What has become of the surplus water of the deluge ?
Questions are easily put ; but a fact once established
cannot be doubted or denied, because there may be a
difficulty in accounting for the phenomenon. For any
thing we know to the contrary, the diluvial waters
may have retreated into the profound abysses of the
earth ; besides, much would disappear as water of
crystallization, in crystalline rocks, and much, also, as

217
water of composition, in sedimentary rocks. I believe,
too, it is a matter of calculation, that if " the high
hills under the whole heavens," were levelled, and
" cast into the sea," the waters would circumfuse the
globe ; and in the important estimate before us, let it
be remembered that the axis of the earth's revolution
has suffered no change. This fact, first determined by
Sir Isaac Newton, has been amply confirmed by the
researches of the Count Laplace. The electricity of
the earth, and perhaps that of the heavens, may have,
in like manner, been incessantly in operation in resolv
ing the subterranean waters, and the atmospheric
vapour, into gaseous constituents. Though the waters
only " prevailed on the earth for one hundred and fifty
days," it by no means follows, that when they were
" assuaged," or began " to abate," they were so soon
reduced to their present limits. Centuries might have
rolled away before they had contracted their bounds to
the dimensions that now restrain them. Seeing that
a universal deluge is confirmed by testimony of the
most satisfactory and complete kind, a very obvious
question arises, How did the patriarch gain the extra
ordinary intimation of the coming deluge, and prepare
such a remarkable medium of escape from the catas
trophe ? There is no other conceivable method of
accounting for it but by a direct and positive commu
nication from the Almighty Creator. Calmet has
some very pertinent remarks connected with this ques
tion. " The labour (of constructing the ark) was long ;
this was not the work of a day ; he must have fore
known so astonishing an event a considerable time

218
previous to its actual occurrence. Whence did he
receive this foreknowledge ? Did the earth inform
him, that at twenty, thirty, forty years' distance it
would disgorge a flood? — surely not. Did the stars
announce that they would dissolve the terrestrial
atmosphere in terrific rains? — surely not. Whence,
then, had Noah his foreknowledge ? Did he begin to
build when the first showers descended? This was
too late. Had he been accustomed to rains formerly —
why think them now of importance ? Had he never
seen rain1 — what could induce him to provide against
it ? Why this year more than last year ; — why last
year more than the year before ? These inquiries are
direct : we cannot flinch from the fact. Erase it from
the Mosaic records ; still it is recorded in Greece, in
Egypt, in India, and in Britain : it is registered in the
very sacra of the pagan world." " It implies a commu
nication from God to man." "By faith, Noah — being
warned of God — of things never seen as yet- — in pious
fear — prepared the ark (Kibotos) to the saving of his
family — by which he condemned the world."
There appears to me a compound class of phenomena
which prove to demonstration the universality of
the deluge, a fact clearly and unequivocally affirmed in
the sacred volume, though entirely repudiated in the
speculations of modern geology. It must never be
forgotten, that geology can lay claim to no positive
chronometer in its chronology.
The universality of the distribution of boulders, and
that of osseous caverns — undoubtedly contemporeous
phenomena — clearly determine the fact for which we

219
contend. These are admitted by geologists, as not
extending to a period more ancient than the epocha of
the Noachian deluge.
All the boulders, or blocks, bear evidence of their
having been abraded, or having suffered attrition by
being rolled by the tumultuous rush of waters. They
are nonfossiliferous, and belong, in their geological
affinities of structure, to the ' highest hills under the
whole heavens.' All of these boulders, wherever found,
and they are scattered over the four regions of the
globe, have an invariable and uniform direction, name
ly, from north, or a few degrees west of north, to
south, or a few degrees east of south. Add to this
the fact, that the furrows, scratches, or grooves, which
have been impressed on pre-existing rocks by their
transport, wherever found, have also precisely the
same direction. There is another fact of deep and
important interest connected with the present question,
but which has been entirely overlooked by geologists,
and it is this — cross courses, that is intersecting,
lapideous, unproductive veins, or fissures filled with
lapideous matter, or the debris or wreck of rocks, and
which penetrate to an unfathomable depth, have,
wherever mines have been worked, as in England,
Scotland, France, Saxony, and America, exhibited the
same magnetic direction as the transported boulders,
and that of the markings or scratches already re
ferred to.
Again osseous caves or caverns replenished with
organic remains, and sometimes hermetically sealed
up from the agencies of decay by an incrustation of

220
stalagmite, are admitted to be contemporaneous, and
they are found also in all -parts of the globe, and
present the same similitude, replenished by the spolia
opima, of the diluvial wave. I cannot, as a geologist,
separate these two classes of phenomena, namely,
transported boulders and osseous caverns : on the sound
principles of inductive truth, they are referrable to one
and the same cause, and are the products, as they are
the evidence of the universal deluge, propounded for
our belief in the sacred history of the world. As for
the hypothesis of antedeluvian hyaenas' and bears
dens, they are just as fabulous and as fanciful as the
den of iEsop.
A tolerable idea of the nature of these caves may be
formed by inspecting the sections of two of them ; in
plate III — fig. 22 is a section of Kirkdale Cave, in
Yorkshire, and fig. 23 that of Gailenreuth, in Fran-
conia. The diluvial mud is seen represented in both,
and in each, the diluvium contains a multitude of
organic remains: — in both these limestone caverns,
stalactites are observed to depend from the roof, and
a crust of stalagmite to invest the floor of the caves.
It is extremely interesting to remark, that the sta
lagmite on the floor of the Kirkdale cave, at one
angle, (see plate III, fig. 22.) and beneath the dilu
vium and its organic remains, (concluded by Dr.
Buckland to be an antedeluvian deposit,) is about
one half the thickness of that incumbent over the
diluvium, and which is post-diluvial. A precisely
similar fact is presented in Kent's Hole, near Torquay,
already referred to. If we suppose that the infiltra-

221
tion of calcareous matter in solution, commenced at
the creation, or some centuries afterwards, this would
exactly correspond with the Mosaic chronology, double
the period which had elapsed before having passed
away since the deluge.
To the period alluded to I cannot but refer the
denudation of vallies, and the transport of sand and
gravel, with what belongs to the phenomena connected
with the diluvium of geologists. " In the whole
course," says Dr. Buckland, " of my geological travels,
from Cornwall to Caithness, from Calais to the Car
pathians, in Ireland or in Italy, I have scarcely ever
gone a mile without finding a perpetual succession of
deposits of gravel, sand, or loam, in situations that
cannot be referred to the action of modern torrents,
rivers, or lakes, or any other existing causes; and
with respect to the still more striking diluvial phe
nomena of drifted masses of rocks; the greater part
of the nothern hemisphere, from Moscow to the
Mississipi, is described by various geological travel
lers, as strewed on its hills as well as vallies, with
blocks of granite and other rocks of enormous magni
tude, which have been drifted (mostly in a direction
from north to south) a distance of sometimes many
hundred miles from their native beds, across mount
ains and vallies, lakes and seas, by a force of water
which must have possessed a velocity to which nothing
that occurs in the actual state of the globe, affords
the slightest parellel." We have only further to
deduce the testimony of M. Cuvier, second to none
in the determination of this important geological

222
question : " I conclude with M. M. Deluc and Dolo-
mieu, that if there be any fact well established it is
this, that the surface of our globe has suffered a great
and sudden revolution, the period of which cannot be
dated further back than five or six thousand years.
This revolution has, on the one hand, engulfed and
caused to disappear the countries formerly inhabited
by men, and the animal species at present best
known ; and on the other, has laid bare the bottom
of the vast ocean, thus converting its channel into
the now habitable earth."
That the chronometric period of the universal
deluge cannot have been anterior to the date assigned
to it by the Hebrew cosmogonist can be clearly
determined by an appeal to natural chronometers, such
as the phenomena of the advance and formation of
glaciers, and those of the talus or debris of rocks,
accumulated at the base of mountains. To these
may be added the advance of the sand-flood on the
land, and the entire formation and progress of dunes,
on the sea coast. The L'landes of France and some
parts of Ireland and of Cornwall, exemplify what we
refer to, and to these united testimonies may be added
the formation of Deltas at the mouths of rivers—
the deposition of the alluvion transported by their
waters.

CHAPTER IX.
the dispersion— the tower of babel.
Soon after the diluvial waters had subsided, the sacred
narrative informs us, that Noah became a husband
man and planted a vineyard. Having indulged to
excess, the patriarch, it is recorded, became insensible.
We have alluded to this event, because Sir William
Jones succeeded in discovering the fact here mentioned
in the Padma-puran of Hindustan, of which he has
given a translation : nor can the identity of Satyavar-
man and Noah be doubted. This circumstance, there
fore, is thus singularly accredited by testimony as
independent as it is unsuspicious, and the lapse of time
was not so considerable as to render doubtful its being
secured by tradition. It is as follows : " Satayvarman,
being continually delighted with devout meditation,
and seeing his sons fit for dominion, laid upon them
the burden of government, whilst he remained honour
ing and satisfying the gods, and priests, and kine.
One day, by the act of destiny, the king, having drunk
mead, became senseless, and lay asleep naked: then
was he seen by C'harma, and by him were his two
brothers called, to whom he said, What now has be-

224
fallen? In what state is this our sire? By those
two was he hidden with clothes, and called to his
senses again. Having recovered his intellect, and per
fectly knowing what had passed, he cursed C'harma,
saying, Thou shalt be the servant of servants ,- and since
thou wast a laughter in their presence, from laughter
shalt thou acquire a name. Then he gave to Sherma
the wide domain, on the south of the snowy mountains,
and to Jyapeti he gave all on the north of the snowy
mountains ; but he, by the power of religious contem
plation, attained supreme bliss." The identity of this
detail with that recorded in the ninth chapter of
Genesis, cannot be doubted.
We are informed in a subsequent chapter, that "the
whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east
(or eastward) that they found a plain in the land of
Shinar; and they dwelt there — and they said one to
another, Go to, let us make brick and burn them
thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime
had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto
heaven; and let us make us a name lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."3
The simplicity and perspicuity observable throughout
the Sacred Records are two of the principal features
of truth. It presents itself unveiled to the scrutiny
of the world, while facts confirm its title to all accept
ance. In process of time, the descendants of the
1 Genesis xi. 1, Src.

225
patriarch "became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened." That city, and
that tower, in the ruins of Babylon and the Birs
Nimroud, remain monuments of their folly and im
piety. Their language, which was one, was " con
founded," and they were scattered over the face of the
world : confusion is written in the very name, Babylon ;
and we find, in every country, memorials of a- common
offspring. " The Lord scattered them abroad from
thence upon the face of all the earth ; and they left
off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it
called Babel ; because the Lord did there confound
the language of all the earth ; and from thence did the
Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the
earth." Without entirely consenting to the uncouth
monosyllabic intonations, into which that distinguished
orientalist, the late Dr. Murray, considered all languages
under heaven finally reducible, numerous circumstances
concur to prove, that in one period of the earth's history,
the nations were " of one language and of one speech."
We cannot otherwise account for the universality of
the tradition of the deluge. This information must
needs have been acquired before the language of the
earth was " confounded," and the " nations were
scattered and peeled." However difficult we may find
it to account for the distribution of mankind over the
globe, the fact adverted to, determines, firm as the rock
of truth, the dispersion from an original stock, and a
language once common to all; while it decidedly
negatives the extremely foolish and unphilosophical
dogma once, at any rate, entertained, of distinct races
p

226
of the human species having sprung from as many
separate originals. God, in his providence, makes
" the wrath of man to praise him ;" and this remarkable
event became the means of populating the renovated
earth. Celebrated philologists seem to have considered
the diversified languages of the globe as having sprung
originally from one simple type. When we consider
the simplicity of the structure of the letters, as well as
the alphabet, in some languages, compared with the
more complicated and confused letters and alphabets
of other nations, we may reasonably infer, that there
may have been, originally, a simple basis, when the
nations of the earth and their language were one ; and
that the complexity observable in some cases, is an
evidence that peculiar circumstances have produced
the confusion. This view of it is corroborated by
the remarkable fact, that some individuals seem to
have acquired a common key to almost every language :
such as Dr. Murray, Professor Lee, and others ; not
to mention that remarkable philological phenomenon,
Roberts Jones, of Liverpool. Facts like these attest
a common root, and that the diversified languages of
the earth possess some simple key or cipher. The
characters of Persepolis, Nineveh, and Babylon, are
remarkably simple in their structure, and so are those
called Virgular. The Hebrews possessed a simple
character, and their alphabet had a corresponding
feature ; on the other hand, the Chinese have an ela
borate alphabet, and characters of the most complicated
structure, which seem built up of those of Babylon, or
Persepolis. The Hebrew and Samaritan letters differ

227
very inconsiderably, the characters in the former being
square, and in the latter, bent and broken, as may be
seen by referring to the letters on the Shekel. While
other nations have almost entirely changed their lan
guage and the form of their letters, (of which our own
country is a remarkable example,) the written and
expressed language of the Hebrews seem to have
undergone little or no change. The awe and reverence
with which they regarded the sacred writings, contri
buted to this remarkable preservation ; the whole
being overruled by divine providence. By comparing
the characters in which the Pentateuch has been
written — for instance, the MS. brought from India by
Dr. Claudius Buchannan, and in all probability more
than two thousand years old — with modern Hebrew,
there seems to be no perceptible difference. This un
changeable peculiarity in the structure of the Hebrew
characters from the earliest period of the world's history,
has often forcibly impressed our mind as having no
parallel, save in the unvarying aspect of that un
changed people whose records they are ; they seem to
wear the impress of their sacred and immutable
original. Ethnography may be called the comparative anatomy
of language; nor is it here necessary to enquire whether
the gift of speech was a superadded donation of God
to its possessor, or interwoven at creation with man's
peculiar organization, to be spontaneously developed.
The original language, "when the whole earth was
of one language and one speech," in all probability
does not now exist in its integrity ; its fragments alone
p2

228
remain; and the sacred narrative itself would lead
legitimately to the conclusion, for this would be the
necessary result of the sudden and violent disruption
described as consequent on the dispersion.
There are two distinct modes of ethnographic re
search, namely, grammatical and verbal comparison ;
the latter referring to words, and the former to gram
matical construction ; and thus, by arranging them into
families, groups, or affinities, to trace their origin.
From our premises it is not to be inferred that they
emerge or sprout from one another, but that there are
elements or radical constituents essential to, and com
mon to them all ; and we hence infer, that these com
mon elements must have sprung from a common root,
and that the dislocation which produced the divergence
was one per saltum, and not gradual. Herder, indeed,
uses the expressive word, brusquement, while he is
pleased to treat the narration of Babel — though the
only rational mode of accounting for the phenomenon —
as a fable, or mythus. In ethnographic researches,
we perceive languages thus grouped by their affinities,
gradually coalescing, and approaching a common centre.
In eighty-three American languages, it has been dis
covered that one hundred and seventy words have
similar roots ; and there can be no reasonable doubt
that they are scions of the same stock. Ethnography,
which seems to be the legitimate medium of successful
enquiry into the origin of the diversity of language,
has become a most satisfactory source of evidence to
the truth of the sacred volume. It has occurred to
me that to those referred to, a third source of enquiry

229
might be added; What I may call phonetic; namely,
the intonation, or mode of pronunciation. The Polish
language, for instance, is, in its verbal components,
very dissimilar to that of the countries around, and of
continental languages, and yet the intonation of words
does not materially differ from that of our own
country. The common parentage of mankind is reasonably
and satisfactorily deduced from the following summary
of evidence : —
1. Ethnographic science, discovering as in music,
the elements of the air amidst its variations.
2. The physiology of man, and the natural history
of the human race.
3. The scattered monuments of arts.
4. The traditions of all nations as to a common
origin and a common deluge.
5. The common and universal bias to do evil, and
that continually.
6. The universality of sacrifices, and consequently,
the recognitions of having already transgressed, to
gether with a depraved bias, proving at once that man
has sprung from a common root of bitterness, while it
determines also the necessity of an atonement — " a
sacrifice for sin."
7. The common and universal adaptation of the
One Gospel to the circumstances and condition of the
whole human race.
We are inclined to consider Druidical monuments
as existing mementos of the event of the dispersion.
Lithoi, or single pillars, mounds, cairns, cromlechs,

230
laggan-stones, and Druidical circles, together with
the sculptured obelisk, and the far-famed pyramid, all
spring from a common source. These remarkable
monuments are not confined to " one kindred or
tongue." They are found on the plains of Hindustan,
as well as on the plains of Egypt ; in Mexico, and on
the continent, as well as on the " islands of the sea."
The surface of the British islands is studded with
these legends of patriarchal times* In Ireland and
England, Scotland and its isles, the islands of Anglesey
and of Man, these lithoi, or rude stones, abound ; and
in all these monuments may be inferred an identity of
origin. The pillar that Jacob erected on his journey
to Padan-aram, as a memorial to the Deity, as well as
that which was reared between him and his father-in-
law, in the Mount of Gilead, are instances of similar
erections in patriarchal times. Of the same description
was the sepulchral stone which Jacob raised over the
grave of his beloved Rachel, on the road to Bethlehem.
Such, too, was the stone which Samuel set up between
Mizpeh and Shen. All these were to commemorate
some remarkable event ; some vow or some promise —
a remembrancer or memorial of gratitude or of grief.
Sometimes it recorded a solemn invocation to the
Deity ; at other times it served as the memorial of a
compact between contracting parties* as was that in
Mount Gilead. That which Samuel raised " under
Bethcar," was to commemorate a signal victory over
the hosts of the Philistines, in which Deity had visibly
interposed for the armies of Israel. From these simple
and rude pillars, up to the trilithons and circular

231
arrangements of stones, at Aubery, and on Salisbury
Plain, we may trace the same identity of belief which
reared the Stonehenge on the plains of Gilgal, and the
circular temple on Mount Gerizim. They were
branches of a common root ; ramifications of a common
stream. This dispersion, of which the Druidical stones
and circular temples in Great Britain seem to be exist
ing monuments, must have taken place before the call
of Abraham : the institution of the rite of circumcision
seems to afford a palpable proof of this. This was
entirely confined to the Hebrews, as the lineal descend
ants of the " father of the faithful : " and this institu
tion is preserved inviolate until now. We consider the
Druidical rites and ceremonies as decidedly proving a
patriarchal origin, which, though corrupted and shaded
by human errors and depravity, carry in them the type
of patriarchal times, as described in the volume of in
spiration. The religion of the Druids has suffered an
eclipse ; and it is only from the monuments they have
left behind them, and a few obscure circumstances
gleaned here and there, that we are enabled to form
even a faint outline of their history. The British
Druids are mentioned in the Annals of Tacitus, and
in the Commentaries of Caesar; but nowhere do we
find the slightest allusion to the rite of circumcision
having been practised among them. This distinction
preserved the Hebrew line of ancestry. In this they
were "diverse from all other nations." And, as in
the days of our Saviour, they boasted that " Abraham
was their father," so they now continue to assert

232
their lineage by sustaining and perpetuating the same
painful rite.
The great emporium of the Druidical religion seems
to have been Britain ; and the temples of Aubery and
Stonehenge proclaim that it must once have had,
indeed, a powerful sway. Stonehenge, in Wiltshire,
is a monument of British antiquity altogether unique :
it is splendid in its ruin and magnificent in its decay.
This Druidical temple, now a mass of dilapidated
grandeur, is composed of two circular and two elliptical
ranges of upright stones, with horizontal ones capping
the outer circle ; the whole being encompassed by a
circumvallation of earth. The diameter of the area
within the vallum, is nearly three hundred feet. The
total number of stones appears to have been one
hundred and nine. Thirty of these stones formed the
exterior circle ; forty composed the inner circle ; fifteen
were employed in the first, and nineteen in the second
ellipsis. There is also a massive stone in the centre
called the altar stone, and is fifteen feet long. " The
grandest part of Stonehenge is the outermost ellipse,
consisting of five separate pairs of trilithons, or two
large upright stones, with a third on the top as an
impost. These stones are more regular in their shapes,
and more carefully formed, than those of the outer
circle. The interior oval consisted of nineteen up
right stones without imposts. By its vast extent, its
peculiar character, quite distinct from the temples of
upright stones found in various parts of the British
islands and other countries of Europe, and even on

233
the Asiatic coast of the Black Sea, it is justly entitled
to be considered as one of the wonders of antiquity."*
" The altar," says Cooke, " is a blue, coarse, and firm
marble, and designed to resist fire; it is placed a
little above the focus of the upper end of the ellipsis."
According to Dr. Stukeley, the ancient name of Stone
henge, namely, Choir Gaur, might be rendered, grand
choir, or great church. As a Hebraism, it would sig
nify the circular high place for the convocation or
assembly of the people : and thus correspond with
that of Gilgal, on the east of the Jordan, where Samuel
went yearly, and where Saul was crowned king of the
Hebrews.

Stonehenge.
I visited Stonehenge in the month of April last
(1389), and must confess that its awful ruin and sullen
majesty, as I traversed its solitude, transfixed me in
astonishment ; here, each fallen mass is a ruin in itself.
1 Turner' s England" and Wales.

234
The smaller upright stones of the inner circle are of a
bluish or leaden hue, and are entirely different from
the giant masses which form the exterior circle, or
rather ellipsis, and the segments of arcs within. A
comparison of these adamantine piles, with the ' grey
weathers ' which lie prostrate on the plain, enabled me
to determine whence the cyclopian materials were
obtained. I could detect no organic remains in these
masses of rocks, which are crystalline in their minera-
logical composition, and of adamantine hardness. The
application of dilute muriatic acid to the surface of the
upright columns, produced no apparent effervescence,
even when fragments were detached, and a fresh sur
face exposed, but on the surfaces of such as were pros
trate, and presented superficial cavities, filled with
the rain water which had previously fallen, the effer
vescence was copious; when struck with a hammer,
the smell slightly approached that of swinestone, being
bitumino-sulphurous, as in the case of some Greek
marbles I had examined. The lichen geographica
mantles the surface of some of these huge fragments
of rocks. The so-called • altar stone' seems to me to
be altogether fanciful, and the ' barrows ' scattered
over the plain may, or may not, have been aboriginally
associated with this ruined, yet stupendous and sublime
Druidical structure.
The temple of Aubery seems remarkable as well on
account of the etymon of the name, Abiri, signifying
the mighty ones, as its singular form, which allies it
with some Egyptian hieroglyphic figures, conjoining
the serpent and the circle. According to Dr. Stukeley,

235
the figure of the temple at Aubery is that of a winged
serpent. The outer part of the grand circle is a vast
vallum or mound, with a very deep ditch in the inside.
It is forty-five cubits (about eighty feet) broad: its
diameter is seven hundred and fifty cubits ; its circum
ference two thousand two hundred and fifty cubits;
and the enclosed area comprises twenty-two acres.
Within this was formed another circle of one hundred
enormous stones, set upright, fifteen to seventeen feet
high, and nearly as much broad; within this great
circle were two minor ones, each composed of two con
centric circles — each circle further included several
upright stones, &c. Immense avenues of upright
stones conducted to the head of the serpent, and in an
opposite direction terminated in the supposed tail ; the
via sacra, which led to the two concentric circles, form
ing the head, of rude stones, extended more than a
mile, and was formed of similar upright stones. An
avenue composed of two rows of upright stones also
represented the tail. The entire number of stones ori
ginally employed in this stupendous work has been
computed at six hundred and fifty-two ; and each rude
mass of rock was truly colossal in its dimensions. Dr.
Stukeley mentions one of these stones, which, when
broken to pieces, " supplied twenty good loads." That
these were Druidical temples there does not seem the
least reason to doubt. On opening some of the neigh
bouring burrows, celts have been found wherewith the
Archdruid cut down the misletoe of the oak. The
association of the oak with the mysteries of Druidical
religion is very remarkable. The Supreme Being

236
appeared to the patriarch Abraham by the oak of
Moreh ; Jacob buried Rebecca's nurse beneath an oak ;
and Joshua raised a stone pillar under an oak that was
by the sanctuary. From hence the oak entered into
heathen mysteries, and was consecrated to Jupiter:
Homer celebrates the oaks of Dodona. Thus, too,
grove worship had a place in patriarchal times :
" Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called
there on the Lord, the everlasting God." In
consecrated groves, and open temples, did the patriarchs
worship the Supreme Being, whom " the heaven of
heavens cannot contain." In the deep solemnities of
adoration, under such circumstances, there is some
thing awful and sublime — with no roof save the vault
of heaven, " a building not made with hands"' — the
mind would be deeply impressed ; and, perhaps, king
Solomon had an allusion to this worship, in the sub
lime prayer he offered up at the dedication of the
temple. Amid the deep recesses of the grove, the
soul would feel, as it were, overshadowed by the more
immediate presence of the Deity, and be led to exclaim
with the patriarch at Bethel : " How dreadful is this
place ! This is none other than the house of God,
and this is the gate of heaven." Grove worship, and
that " on high places," there is sufficient evidence to
prove, was practised by the Druids : Lucan in reference
to them, expressly says,
"  Nemora alta remotis
Incolitis lucis."
Though imperfectly acquainted with the worship of
the Druids, we can trace many circumstances connected

237
with it, which refer distinctly to patriarchal times —
no doubt mingled with heathen superstitions and ido
latries. It seems to have been so peculiar that Caesar,
in his Commentaries, particularly stigmatizes it on this
very account.
The Druids, according to Caesar, presided in matters
of religion, had the care of public and private sacri
fices, and interpreted the will of the gods. They
had the direction and education of the youth, by
whom they were held in great honour; and being
supreme judges, their decision was final in all con
troversies. He also states, that they were all under
the control of an Arch-druid, never took up arms,
were exempt from taxes, and military service; and
enjoyed all manner of immunities. " It is one of
their principal maxims, that the soul never dies ; but
after death passes from one body to another ,- which,
they think, contributes greatly to exalt men's courage,
by disarming death of its terrors. They teach many
things relating to the stars and their motions, the
magnitude of the world and our earth, the nature
of things, and the power and prerogatives of the
immortal gods." Caesar expressly states that they im
molated human victims; and that when criminals
were wanting, the innocent were sacrificed. The
most interesting remark in the Commentaries of
Caesar, includes a belief, attributed to the Druids, that
nothing can atone for the life of man but the life of
man. " Pro vita hominis nisi vita hominis reddatur,
non posse aliter Deorum immortalium numem placari,
arbitrantur." Caesar also observes, " they compute the

238
time by nights, not by days ; and in the observance of
birth-days, new moons, and the beginning of the year,
always commence the celebration from the preceding
night." Thus, according to Caesar, the Druids exer
cised supreme jurisdiction in all matters, both civil and .
ecclesiastical. The computation of time from evening
to evening is the order of creation, (" and the evening
and the morning ") : and it is thus that the modern Jew
calculates his new moons and his sabbaths — from sunset
to sunset. The sixth of the Noachido? expressly en
joins the administration of justice. Tacitus, in his
" Annals," says, in reference to the Druids, on the
invasion of Britain by the Romans, " a garrison was
thereafter established over the vanquished, and the
groves cut down by them, dedicated to sanguinary and
detestable superstitions : for there they sacrificed cap
tives, and upon their altars, as an oblation, spilled
human blood. There, in order to discover the will of
the gods, they consulted the entrails of men : practises
of cruelty accounted holy by them." With the autho
rities of Caesar and Tacitus we cannot rescue these
aborigines of Britain from the charge of offering up
human sacrifices, though some have endeavoured to
exculpate them. In this respect there is, we fear,
too close a resemblance to similar horrid practises in
Ancient Mexico, We shudder at the terrific idols of
the Aztecks, the gods of Montezuma: well, indeed,
might a Moloch, that required such holocausts of
human victims, be called Tetzahuitl, or the terrific.
The Budhist demon that haunted the tombs, and
lived upon the dead, seems the very zero of ferocity

239
compared with this personification of horror. Com
pared, indeed, with the ferocity of the ancient priests
of Mexico, that of the tiger and the condor seems
gentle and merciful. Grove worship is, as we have
stated, attributed to the Druids by Lucan ; and Tacitus
tells us that the groves were cut down. Whether
Druidical worship was connected with pyrolatry, we
have no datum to determine : that it embraced Tsa-
baism, or the worship of the host of heaven, seems
clear from Cassar : and in the volume of truth we find
how prone men were "to depart from the living God,"
to worship the Tsebaoth, instead of him who made
them, — The Jehovah Tsebaoth, — " The Lord of
Hosts," This idolatry is described in a way suffi
ciently clear in the vision of one of the prophets ; —
"Between the porch and the altar were about five
and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple
of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and
they worshipped the sun toward the east."a Taking
the Commentaries of Caesar as our guide in this
investigation, the Druids seem to have believed in
the doctrine of the metempsychosis. This and the
form of the temple at Aubery, seem to connect them
with Egyptian mythology ; but from the absence of
hieroglyphic symbols, and covered temples, it seems
sufficiently evident that priority must be conceded to
the Druidical religion. We have already adverted to
the sick Singalese and his adoration of the Baali, or
host of heaven. The following injunction seems to
* Ezek. viii. 16.

240
involve this as being an early idolatrous practice:
" Thou shalt call me no more Baali."h The mythology
of the east, and that of the Druids, it is evident,
sprung from one source. It is not improbable that
sacrifices were offered up, or fires kindled on eminences
at stated times, as on new moons or other high festi
vals ; and the cairns scattered here and there may
attest the chosen spot. Without entering further into
the question of Druidical worship, we think that it
bears sufficient evidence of a patriarchal origin, in
which its elements may be recognised, though obscured
and disfigured by the miserable defection and depravity
of the human race. The German kirche, and the
Scotch kirk, seem analogous to a Saxon word of similar
import, and all apparently of Celtic origin, kir-roch,
signifying a circle. Thus we may trace the circular,
roofless Pantheon of Rome, and the Abiri and
Choir Gaur of Britain, to the " altar and twelve
pillars" which Moses erected near Sinai, and the Stone
henge which Joshua constructed on the plains of Gilgal,
after the passage of the Jordan. One of the most in
teresting circumstances connected with the worship of
the Druids was their veneration for the misletoe. We
shall again advert to this circumstance, and merely
add a few remarks on this parasitic plant, as it may
serve to illustrate what we shall have to advance in
the sequel.
Of this extraordinary parasite, viscum album, misle
toe, or as it was formerly called, misseldine, Dr. Borlase,
b Hosea ii. 16.

241
speaking of the Druids, says, that they deified it, and
were not to approach it but in the most devout and
reverential manner. Toward the end of the year they
went in solemn procession to gather it from the oak,
(where, however, it is seldom found,) to present it to
Jupiter, with an invitation to all the world to assist at
the ceremony. The Druids had it in the most sacred
veneration, called it the universal remedy, and held
their sacrifices and religious feasts under the oak
whereon it grew, leading two white bulls, never
yoked : when the priest clothed in white, ascending,
cut it with a golden hook, while a white garment
was spread beneath to receive it ; of this they made
a potion considered an antidote to poisons, &c. This
plant, being of a bright yellow, Virgil compares to
the celebrated golden bough of the sibyl. He places
the mistletoe on an evergreen. It is most frequently
met with on the apple; and in orchards becomes,
when frequent, in all probability a serious evil. It is
also found on the hawthorn, pear, mountain-ash, and
rarely on the oak. It has been found, too, on the ash,
hazel, and maple. This singular plant is supposed to
be the passport of iEneas. While the true mistletoe,
Voranthus europeus, flourishes on the oaks on the
mountains of Arcadia, our mistletoe, viscum album,
in classic Greece, takes up its abode in the silver fir.
All our parasites, except this, are without leaves, and
in their fullest vigour in summer. But, when the
denuded apple-tree has not a leaf, symbol of life, and
stands exposed, a naked trunk, the nursling of the
storm, the mistletoe flourishes and flowers. Mr.
Q

242
Royle says it is by no means uncommon on the oak,
in the peninsula of India, which seems to confirm the
Indian origin of Druidism.
That the site of ancient Babylon, on the banks of
the Euphrates, is that determined by Major Rennell,
M. M. Rich, Keppel, Mignan, Buckingham, Sir Robert
Ker Porter, and other eminent travellers, there can be
no doubt. The only difference of opinion seems to be
in reference to the Temple of Belus, and the ancient
Tower of Babel. Captain Mignan, considers "El
Mujellibah," or the overturned, as the Temple of Belus ;
and in this belief he is supported by the late Major
Rennell. The sides of this vast ruin face the four
cardinal points : the following are Captain Mignan's
measurements : north side, two hundred and seventy-
four yards ; south, two hundred and fifty-six yards ;
east, two hundred and twenty-six yards ; and west,
two hundred and forty yards. This pile seems to have
been constructed of kiln-burnt, and sun-burnt bricks,
rising irregularly to the altitude of one hundred and
thirty-nine feet at the S. W., and sloping towards the
N. E., where the altitude of the ruin is one hundred
and ten feet. Our author describes the top as strewed
over with broken and unbroken bricks, which are
thirteen inches square by three inches thick ; many of
these exhibited the arrow-headed character. Pottery,
bitumen, vitrified bricks, shells, and glass, he describes
as equally abundant.3 The Honourable George Keppel
says, in reference to the Mujelibe : " We stepped on
* Travels in Chaldea, London, 8vo. 1829, p. 165.

243
pieces of alabaster, and on vitreous substances. Vast
numbers of entire kiln-burnt bricks, which were all
fourteen inches square and three inches thick, were
inscribed with these unknown arrow-headed characters,
appearing to have been recently stamped rather than
having undergone the action of four thousand years.
The great buildings of Babylon appear to have been
built with sun-burnt bricks, and coated with bricks
burnt in the furnace."1 We cannot, however, help
thinking, that, notwithstanding there may be some
difficulty in determining the question at issue, we must
look to the Bus Nimroud, father than to the Mujelibe,
as the ruins of the Temple of Belus and Tower of
Babel. The interesting researches of that estimable
individual, the late Claudius James Rich, esq., the
East India Company's Resident, at the Court of the
Pacha of Bagdad, seem to carry conviction with them.
His first " Memoir on the Ruins of Babylon," appeared
in the Mines dr Orient. Mr. Buckingham subsequently
determined the question more fully, by causing an
excavation to be made, by which a more accurate idea
of the structure was obtained. Mr. Buckingham
observes, (vol. II. p. 380,) " The Tower of Belus was
a pyramid, composed of eight separate stages, succes
sively rising above and retiring within each other.
To all these features the Birs perfectly corresponds.
The form of its ascent is pyramidal ; and four of the
eight stages of which its whole height was composed,

* Personal Narrative, London, 8vo., second edition, 2 vols., 1827, vol, I,
p. 179.
Q 2

244
are to be distinctly traced on the north and east sides,
projecting through the general rubbish of its face."
These investigations seem fully to corroborate Mr.
Rich's view of it, which is more completely substan
tiated in his " Second Memoir on the Ruins of Baby
lon." In Mr. Rich's excavations, at the Mujelibe,
there was found " a wooden coffin, containing a skeleton
in a state of high preservation. Under the head of
the coffin was a round pebble ; attached to the coffin
on the outside a brass bird, and inside an ornament of
the same material, which had apparently been sus
pended to some part of the skeleton. These, could any
doubt remain, place the antiquity of the skeleton be
yond all dispute." a Among the rubbish, the skeleton
of a child was also found. These facts seem to mili
tate against our accepting the Mujelibe as the Temple
of Belus. From Herodotus, we learn that the Temple
of Belus was the same as the Tower of Babel. Accord
ing to Strabo, the Sepulchre of Belus was a pyramid
of one stadium in height. The Tower of Babel,
assuming five hundred feet for a stadium, would have
a circumference of two thousand feet ; that is, five
hundred feet square. The total circumference of the
Birs Nimroud, is found to be two thousand two hun
dred and eighty-six feet; and that of the Mujelibe,
two thousand one hundred and eleven feet. It is evi
dent, from so near a correspondence, the question must
be determined by other data than the measurement of
the base of these mounds. We have, (Plate III. fig.
a Memoir, &c. ; London, 8vo. second edition, p. 33. 1816.

245
25,) represented the appearance of the Birs Nimroud,
as seen from the plain of Shinar ; it is a massive ruin,
cleft from the top. Mr. Rich thus describes its first
appearance : " It burst at once upon our sight in the
midst of rolling masses of thick black clouds, partially
obscured by that kind of haze, whose indistinctness
is one great cause of sublimity; while a few strong
catches of stormy light, thrown upon the desert in the
back ground, served to give some idea of the immense
extent and dreary solitude of the waste in which this
venerable ruin stands."8 Mr. Rich's reasons appear
to us altogether conclusive, in the decision of this
question, notwithstanding the distinguished authority
of Major Rennell. Mr. Rich describes this wonderful
ruin as consisting of a mound of an oblong figure, the
total circumference of which is seven hundred and sixty-
two yards. On the eastern side, it is cloven by a deep fur
row, and is not more than fifty or sixty feet high. " On
the western side," says Mr. Rich, " it rises into a conical
figure to the elevation of one hundred and ninety-eight
feet ; and on the summit is a solid pile of brick, thirty-
seven feet high by twenty-eight broad, diminishing in
thickness to the top, which is broken and irregular, and
rent by a large fissure extending through a third of its
height. It is perforated by small square holes disposed
in rhomboids. The fire-burnt bricks, of which it is
built, have inscriptions on them ; and so admirable is
the cement, which appears to be lime mortar, that,
though the layers are close together, it is difficult to
* Memoir, 1816. p. 35.

246
discern what substance is between them : it is nearly
impossible to extract one of the bricks whole. The
other parts of the summit of this hill are occupied by
immense fragments of brick-work, of no determinate
figure, tumbled together and converted into solid vitri
fied masses, as if they had undergone the action of the
fiercest fire, or been blown up with gunpowder, the
layers of brick being perfectly discernible ; a curious
fact, and one for which I am utterly incapable of
accounting."* To the same remarkable phenomena,
Mr. Buckingham bears testimony. " The appearance
of these masses," (Birs Nimroud,) says this traveller,
"and the fissure in the partition of the wall which
still remains erect, furnish reasons to believe, that fire
was used as an agent of destruction in this edifice, —
not a fire-temple, as supposed; as, in that case, the
vitrified appearance would have been seen as well in
the standing part of the wall as in that which is
fallen, and in both only in the interior surface of the
enclosure which the fire might be supposed to have
occupied ; and what natural fire could be made to bear
on such a fabric?"15 which, for strength, seems like
one solid block. Sir R. K. Porter observes, " In this
pile (Birs) we see the very Tower of Babel, the stu
pendous artificial mountain, executed by Nimrod in
the plains of Shinar, and on which, in after ages,
Nebuchadnezzar raised the Temple of Belus. "= There
does not seem any other method of accounting for the
* Memoir, 1816, p. 36.
b Travels in Mesopotamia, &c. 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1827, vol. II. p. 373.
c Vol. II. p. 305.

247

present condition of these remarkable ruins, but that
they were destroyed by fire from heaven. It will,
perhaps, be remembered by our readers, that soon after
the erection of Nelson's Monument on the banks of
the Clyde, that pyramid was struck by lightning, and
rent, for a considerable extent, downward from its
summit : the fissure and ruin still remain. The
obelisk of Luxor at Paris, was also lately struck by
lightning. This remark is made in corroboration of
the belief, that lightning, in all probability was, in the
hands of the Supreme Being, the instrument employed
for the destruction of this sublime and magnificent
ruin. There is quite sufficient proof, in the molten
masses of ruin scattered on the plains, of furnaces
having been used similar to that described in Daniel,
as a "burning fiery furnace," into which the three
Hebrew youths were cast by the savage orders of
Nebuchadnezzar, when it was heated " seven times
more than it was wont to be heated." The annexed
wood-cut is copied from a
signet found among the ruins
of Babylon, and now in the
possession of Mr. Burgoyne,
and most clearly and unequi
vocally attests, by a powerful
evidence, the truth of the sacred record, in reference
to the sentence referred to. There are three figures in
an enclosure, which seems to represent a furnace,
while a gigantic figure or idol, with devotees or wor
shippers, are on the plain without. The fact could
not be represented more unequivocally on so small a

248
space. Sir Robert Ker Porter found, in the vicinity
of the Birs, lumps of black vitrified matter; and con
cludes that these may have belonged to furnaces. He
also instances a tradition among the natives respecting
the great triangular mound to the east of the Birs ;
namely, that, by order of Nimrod, Abraham was here
cast into a furnace. " The furnaces used," says Sir R.
K. Porter, " for the making fire-burnt brick, might
have been very opportune to execute the mad judgments
of Nimrod or Nebuchadnezzar."8 We cannot, there
fore, taking all the evidence with which ancient and
modern travellers have supplied us, form any other
opinion than that expressed by Mr. Rich, that the
Birs Nimroud was, in all probability, the "Tower"
which the descendants of Noah erected on the plains
of Shinar. " Let us build us a city and a tower,
whose top may reach to heaven, and let us make us a
name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the
whole earth" — a structure that might " lift its top to
the skies" — an elevated monument of the pride and
prowess of man — the wonder of ages. Mr. Rich
thinks that an extraordinary interference by miraculous
agency might make them persist in adhering to this
spot for the erection of a monument to their leader
Belus; nor is it unnatural to suppose, when their
consternation had ceased, that this might have been
the case.
* Travels in Georgia, Persia, &c. 2 vols. 4to. London, 1822, vol. II. p. 329.

CHAPTER X.
THE CALL OF ABRAHAM— BIRTH OF MOSES— EXODE AND
PILGRIMAGE.
Abraham, a native of the city of Ur, in Chaldea, now
called Orfah, was selected, by the Almighty, from an
idolatrous nation, to preserve on the earth the know
ledge, and perpetuate the worship of the true God. —
For this purpose it was, that the father of the faithful
was summoned forth from among the ignicolists of Ur,
that the heavenly spark might be kept alive, and that
he might sacrifice to the God of Truth, whom those
around him knew not, and of whom the flame that
ascended from the altar of these fire worshippers was
but a faint symbol. The worship connected with
pyrolatry had its source, in all probability, in a super
stitious aspect of the symbolic forms under which the
Deity had sometimes manifested himself : the burning
bush, the pillar of fire, Sinai, and the symbol which
flamed above the mercy seat. It is delightful to trace
this new star, in the patriarchal hemisphere, through
its luminous track, and the bright promises of which
it was the harbinger. Illuminating the darkness of

250
that idolatry through which it moved, it at length set,
rejoicing in the heavenly vision of a Messiah to come.
Mahomedans hold the name of Abraham in reverence
and respect ; and the Emperor Severus was anxious to
enshrine him among his gods. Among the legends
which respect Abraham, the following, whether true
or fictitious, is as interesting as it is beautiful : " As
Abraham was walking by night from the grotto, where
he was born, to the city of Babylon, he gazed on the
stars of heaven, and among them on the beautiful
planet Venus. 'Behold,' said he within himself, 'the
God of the universe !' but the star set and disappeared,
and Abraham felt the Lord of the universe could not
thus be liable to change. Shortly after, he beheld the
moon at the full : 'Lo !' he cried, 'the Divine Creator!
the manifest Deity!' but the moon sank below the
horizon, and Abraham made the same reflection as at
the setting of the evening star. All the rest of the
night he passed in profound rumination ; at sunrise he
stood before the gates of Babylon, and saw the whole
people prostrate in adoration. 'Wondrous orb,' he
exclaimed, 'thou surely art the Creator and Ruler of
all nature ! but thou, too, hastest like the rest to thy
setting ! neither then art thou my Creator, my Lord,
or my God !' "
One of the most remarkable circumstances connected
with the life of this distinguished character, is the
destruction of the "cities of the plain," already ad
verted to, and it will now suffice to cite the words of
a recent traveller, with whose description, indeed every
one who has visited the scene, entirely concurs:

251
" Whoever has seen the Dead Sea will ever after have
its aspect impressed on his memory : it is, in truth, a
gloomy and fearful spectacle. The precipices in general
descend abruptly into the lake; and, on account of
their height, it is seldom agitated by the wind. Its
shores are not visited by any footstep, save that of the
wild Arab, and he holds it in superstitious dread." —
" The precipices around Sinai are savage and shelter
less; but not like these, which look as if the fin ger
of an avenging God had passed over their blasted
fronts and recesses, and the deep at their feet, and
caused them to remain for ever as when they first
covered the guilty cities."
Every line in the patriarch's life is a history of
interest ; but we must leave " the father of the faith
ful," and now simply glance at two facts connected
with Joseph, one of twelve sons — the lineage of Jacob,
surnamed Israel, a prince of God. Israel was a
stranger in Canaan, the country where he sojourned.
Joseph, by the mysterious providence of heaven, and
whose history is detailed with inimitable pathos by
the sacred writer, became, at length, governor of
Egypt, and rode in Pharaoh's second chariot. Joseph
acknowledged to his brethren, that the good hand of
his God had been with him, and that all had been
overruled for good. " Ye thought," said Joseph to
them, " evil against me ; but God meant it unto good,
to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people
alive." — " A famine" is represented as being " sore in
the land" of Canaan, and that " the people fainted by

252
reason of the famine." It is also stated, " And the
famine was over all the face of the earth." — " And all
countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn,
because that the famine was so sore in all lands."8
Now, it is of importance to remark that there is a
passage in ancient Chinese history which refers to a
dreadful famine prevailing in that country ; and it is
quite evident that this distinctly alludes to the very
famine which is represented in sacred history, as
"sore in all lands." As connected with this, and
Pharaoh's dream interpreted by Joseph, wherein
" seven good ears of corn" were representative of " the
seven years of great plenty, throughout all the land of
Egypt," we give a fac-simile of an ancient
Egyptian coin, remarkable for the reaper's
putting forth his sickle, and the seven ears of
corn he is about to reap. Whether this had a reference
to the event of abundance — when there was " corn in
Egypt," though famine in other lands — cannot be
determined ; it is, however, by no means void of
interest, since it appears not improbable that this fact
may have been intended to be commemorated by it.
The following is the reverse of one of my
denarii, (Vespasian,) representing a modi
cum with seven ears of corn. I have
seen a head of corn with seven ears, in a
Greek coin; and among Egyptian paintings, are
sheaves with seven ears of corn. These seem to be
* Gen. xli. 56. &c.

253
symbols of abundance. Indian corn has sometimes,
though rarely, presented the singular phenomenon of
seven ears on one stem. This figure represents the
*

Triticum Composition,

the Egyptian, or many-spiked wheat, called also the
" corn of abundance : " it is principally cultivated in
Egypt, sometimes in Italy. The ear is bearded like
barley, as is often seen on Graeco-Egyptian coins. The
important peculiarity of this interesting species consists
in the composite form of the ear, composed of several
spikelets. This kind of wheat will bear extremes of
heat and drought, without injury ; it is thus remarkably
adapted to arid lands, where it is chiefly cultivated ;
beautifully illustrative of the fact, that there might be
" corn in Egypt " when there was drought and dearth
in other lands. Egypt has been renowned for its fer-

254
tility from the remotest times, and more than once
been the granary of imperial Rome. Among the
antiquities of the British Museum, will be found ample
evidence of this fact, in the Egyptian figures, and the
rich sheaves of corn with which they are burdened, as
pourtrayed on the plaster affixed to the walls in one of
the compartments. It may be also added, that a
Phoenician inscription was discovered in Sicily, of a
date, 2025 A. C, accompanied by a later translation
in Greek. This inscription records the prevalence of
a great famine in Canaan, and the emigration of part
of the inhabitants, who fixed themselves in the domi
nions of an Athomtide prince, whose name is unfortu
nately effaced. It is further worthy of remark, that
when Joseph's father and his brethern came into Fgypt,
and were about to be presented to the king, they were
instructed to say, that they were " shepherds ; " which
secured to them the fertile land of Goshen, where they
afterwards " had possessions, and grew and multiplied
exceedingly." The reason assigned for this statement
is a remarkable one : " every shepherd is an abomina
tion to the Egyptians." This singular fact seems to
have been corroborated by M. Champollion, in his
researches into the ancient monuments of Egypt ; and
he is of opinion that it is not difficult to recognize the
Hyksos, or ' shepherd kings,' who had made predatory
excursions into the territories of the Egyptians, and
conquered the land, but from which they were after
wards expelled : they are depicted on these monuments,
as prostrate under the footstools of the Pharaohs, as in
Joshua, x. 24: " Come near, and put your feet upon

255
the necks of these kings. And they came near, and
put their feet upon the necks of them." So far was
this bitter enmity carried against these Hyksos, that the
lowest of the people had their figures wrought into the
soles of their sandals; that, at least, their effigies
might be trampled under foot : this enmity they even
carried to the tomb, and they are thus represented on
the bandages of mummies. a These royal shepherds
are represented as possessed of red hair, blue eyes, and
covered only with an undressed hide wrapped loosely
about them.
The Pharaoh (Phrah, the sun, prefixed to all the
Kings of Egypt ; on Hebrew and Coptic, sun) cele
brated by the arrival of Joseph, is recognized under
the phonetic name of Osirtesen I. ; the Misartesern
of Pliny, and appertains to the sixteenth dynasty of
lower Egypt. Mr. Wilkinson refers the death of
Joseph to Osirtesen III., in the seventeenth dynasty.
Considerable obscurity rests on the origin and history
of the Hyksos, or ' shepherd kings,' who once held
despotic sway in Egypt, and occasioned the observa
tion ' every shepherd is an abomination to the
Egyptians.' Some have supposed them to have been
a Scythian race, that made an irruption upon the
territories of Egypt, deposed the native Pharoah, and
subjected the kingdom to their iron rule. Manetho
assigns them an Arabian extraction. From the cir
cumstance that the term Palestine is a Sanscrit, and

" There is now a mummy at Paris, which singularly illustrates this fact : a
shepherd, bound with cords, is painted beneath the buskins of the mummy.

256
not a Hebrew word, and signifies 'the shepherd's
land,' we may infer that the Hyksos were originally
an Indian race, who conquered Egypt and oppressed
the Egyptians, It is probable then, that the ' shep
herd kings' issued from ' Caphtor,' or lower Egypt,
and subjugated ' Pathros,' that is the Thebaid, or upper
Egypt, and when expelled took refuge in a stronghold
on the eastern branch of the Nile; an occurrence
which took place in all probability shortly before
Joseph's connexion with Egypt. The 'shepherd
kings ' were expelled in the direction of Canaan, and
became the ' Philistines,' a giant race ; — ' a people
great, and strong and tall' — occupying Canaan or
Palestine. ' Goshen' lay to the east, where Pelusium
once stood, on the eastern branch of the Nile.
Pharaoh, ' who knew not Joseph,' is now clearly ascer
tained to have been Osirtesen II. On the tomb of one
of his officers, named 'Neboph,' are symbols suffi
ciently indicative of his having been one of the ' task
masters ' over the ' house of bondage.' Mr. Wilkinson
observes, that among the paintings of Bein-Hassan, the
haggard and squalid countenances and decrepit forms
of the wretched beings that are represented as the herd-
men of the cattle, there is ample evidence of the truth —
" every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."
Indeed, the deformed and squalid wretches which we
perceive thus engaged, in the paintings of the Egyp
tians, shew clearly the utter contempt and abhorrence
in which they were held — the very pariahs, the dogs
of the Egyptians.
The remarkable representation in the annexed wood-

257
cut, is copied from Rosellini's splendid plates illustra
tive of his interesting work, ' The monuments of

Egypt and Nubia.' This singularly curious 'gem
from the antique, forms part of a series of paintings,
illustrative of the occupations of the Aboriginal
Egyptians. The paintings were found in a sepulchre
at Berri-Hassan, in Upper Egypt. The tomb appears
to have been excavated in a hard limestone, studded
with nummulites, and of a pale rose colour.8
It is impossible, I think, to view this painting
without certain conviction that it is a faithful picture
of, and refers to the Hebrews in the 'house of
bondage.' The contour of the countenance ; the every
feature, denotes the Jew among the slaves. Here
these are seen in one case sinking under the burden,
and several spattered with mud; one is measuring
the 'tale of bricks,' and there, too, are the 'task
masters,' with the rod and the flagellin; and may
almost think we hear them say, ' Ye are idle, ye are
idle.' It will be readily perceived that the physiog
nomy of the Hebrew slave bears a strong resemblance
to figures 6 and 8, in plate IL, as well as to the profile
of Rehoboam. The scene represented seems a palpa
ble evidence of the captivity of the Jews, under one of
1 ' La pietra e calcaria dura, gremita di nummoliti di un color roser pallido.'
R

258
the Pharoah's of Egypt, prior to the exode, as recorded
in sacred writ. The mere circumstance of colour, the
distinguishing badge of the Jews in other cases,
namely, deep red, being absent in this representation,
will by no means nullify the collateral evidence that
they are Jews, for the physiognomy stamps some of
these slaves peculiar, nor would the absence of a pro
fusion of hair militate against the evidence, for they
might be shorn of their locks as a mark of degrada
tion, and a badge of servitude — the greatest insult to
which the Jew could be subjected. The circumstance
also of locality cannot invalidate the conclusion, for
both Upper and Lower Egypt might be then included
in the dominion of the Pharaohs,
The Book of Exodus receives its name from the
exode of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt ;
there having arisen a king in that country, who, it
is stated, " knew not Joseph," nor remembered his
services. The Israelites were subjected to the most
grievous servitude. They were slaves, painfully
oppressed by the task-masters of Egypt ; so that this
country was emphatically called "the house of bond
age." In the person of Moses, God raised up a valiant
champion of their cause ; and when his advocacy before
Pharaoh, accompanied " by signs and miracles," failed
to procure a rescue, he led them, triumphantly, forth
from the midst of their enemies. This Moses was a
Hebrew. The king had issued a mandate, that all the
Hebrew male children should be cast into the Nile.
A daughter of Levi, however, happily succeeded in
concealing her infant son for three months; at the

259
expiration of this period, when " she could no longer
hide him," we are informed that she " took for him an
ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with
pitch, and put the child therein : and she laid it in the
flags by the river's brink." Here the ark, or little
boat, formed of bulrushes, was discovered by Pharaoh's
daughter and her maidens, when they repaired (as
seems to have been the custom,) to the brink of the
Nile. This protege of the king's daughter was thus
rescued from peril, and called at her instance, Moses,
i. e. drawn out. The child, thus saved, was imme
diately recognized as belonging to the Hebrews, and
committed, it appears, to the care of his own mother
— the nursling of Providence. In Plate III. fig. 21,
we have given a representation, copied from Belzoni's
sketches from the tombs of the kings. The hawk-
headed infant seems quite characteristic of the infant
Moses. The hawk's head was indicative, among
Egyptian hieroglyphics, of discernment, acute pene
tration, and judgment : the little ark, or boat, in
which he is confined, is of the precise description of
those employed for navigating the Nile, in ancient
times ; and is now used in navigating the Tigris and
the Euphrates, and even the rivers of Abyssinia.
Thus we read in the prophetic records, of "vessels of
bulrushes on the waters." An Abyssinian traveller
has informed me, that these boats of bulrushes are
constructed by attaching bundles of a species of
papyrus, (cyperus niloticus,) to a keel of acacia-wood,
and uniting them at top, in the way represented in the
figure ; when the vessel is afterwards pitched within
r2

260
and without with bitumen. Moses formed too promi
nent a figure in the annals of Egypt to be omitted in
its hieroglyphic history: indeed, we can collect as
much from the authorities of Diodorus Siculus, Strabo,
Tacitus, and others. We have only further to add
here, as an interesting corroboration respecting the
structure of some names mentioned in sacred history,
in connexion with Egypt, that the researches already
made in Egyptian literature, amply confirm them.
M. Champollion and others have shewn that the proper
names of both sexes, in ancient Egypt, are often com
pounded of the names of Egyptian deities. In the
hieratic text, re, or shre, signifies the sun : thus,
Joseph's father-in-law, Potipherah, was priest, or prince
of On, or Heliopolis, (city of the sun.) Petephre, in
hieroglyphic literature, signifies that which belongs to
the sun, or re. This serves to shew, from what unex
pected sources we may receive, as it were accidental,
illustrations of the truths propounded in the Scriptures.
Unexplored treasures of evidence may yet open on the
world ; gradually, it may be, as seems to be the design
of Providence, yet, at length, fully ; and it appears to
us very remarkable, that the evidence unfolded in
proof of the truth and authority of Revelation, in the
times in which we now live, is precisely of that des
cription which fully meets the temper and tone of the
philosophy and literature of the age ; that scepticism
and infidelity are met in the spirit of a progressive
philosophy, and on the vantage ground of inductive
science. If we reject Revelation, it is not for want of
evidence; we remain without excuse, and are fully

261
chargeable with the consequences which that rejection
entails. It forms no part of my present plan to discuss the
remarkable adaptation of the wonders which Moses,
in obedience to the commands of God, and gifted from
on high with preternatural powers, to prove his divine
embassage, wrought in the presence of the court of
Pharoah. On these exhibitions of divine power, well
might " the heathen be cast down in their own eyes,"
when the utter helplessness of the deities they adored
was thus so conspicuously displayed. "Bel boweth
down and Nebo stoopeth," before the Lord God of
the captive Hebrews. " No other god can deliver
after this sort."
In like manner, we should think it no difficult task
to prove, how wise and well adapted were all the
institutions of the Divine appointment, promulgated to
the Israelites through the medium of the priest of
their profession, the leader of their armies, their
counsellor and their judge, in obedience to, and under
the guidance and direction of the theocracy of heaven.
It must suffice for the present, that we simply advert
to some incidents that occurred on their pilgrimage to
the promised land, as supplying proofs in conformity
with the design of this volume. Heathen writers and
local tradition perpetuate the events recorded in the
sacred narrative, and we can even trace this perpe
tuity in the names of places in the districts where
these events occurred. So that this very etymology
becomes a permanent register of facts.
Having passed the Red Sea, the Israelites wandered

262
three days in the wilderness of Shur, but found no
water. They came at length to Marah, "but they
could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were
bitter, therefore the name of it was called Marah."*
Burckhardt describes a well called Howara — "the
water of which is so bitter that men cannot drink it ;
and even camels, if not very thirsty, refuse to taste it."
No doubt this is the Marah of Moses : what the plant
was which Moses was directed to cast into these waters
we cannot tell ; but " the waters were made sweet" in
consequence of it. The bitter well of Howara, in the
wady (valley), Amara. Munu, a gum from the tama
risk tree, and the juice of the homr berry, have been
employed to sweeten it. The homr plant and tarfa,
or tamarisk tree, grew in profusion in ' wady Geran-
del.' The strychnos potatorum is the cleansing rust of
Hindustan, and separates the impurities from water.
Forskal mentions a plant which he states possesses the
property in question. Be this as it may, the knowledge
of this peculiar virtue was pointed out to Moses by a
special communication. We confess we were much
surprised at reading, in Mr. Milman's History of the
Jews, a note connected with this event, from which
we learn, that a medical friend of his had subjected to
analysis some water brought to this country from a
fountain called Marah, ("but probably not that of
Burckhardt's Howara") This specimen is described
as possessing " a slightly astringent and bitterish taste."
It is stated, that chemical examination shows these
1 Exodus xv. 23.

263
qualities to be derived from the selenite, or sulphate of
lime it holds in solution; "if, therefore," it is added,
" any vegetable substance, containing oxalic acid,
were thrown into it, the lime would speedily be pre
cipitated, and the beverage rendered agreeable and
wholesome !" Now, we have merely to remark on
this extraordinary solution, that it is the first time we
have heard that an astringent and bitterish taste can
by possibility be imparted to water by an impregnation
of sulphate of lime, though that character would be
acquired by the presence of sulphate of magnesia, &c.
It is certainly true that oxalic acid will decompose sul
phate of lime ; and it is equally true that some plants
contain it ; such, for instance, as the oxalis acetosellas.
This plant, however, is not a tree, as stated in Scrip
ture, nor shrub bearing a berry, as suggested by
Buckhardt, even though the analysis of Mr. Milman's
medical friend had been entitled to the least attention.
We are sorry to have to say, that we perceive much in
this "History of the Jews" which subjects the author
to considerable censure ; — we mean, an awkward
attempt to impute to natural causes what cannot be
solved, but by the direct interposition of a Divine
hand. The entire phenomena connected with that
remarkable people imply all this, and cannot by possi
bility be solved without such a supposition.
The Israelites thereafter pitched their tents in an
oasis, distinguished by the beautiful association of
" twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten
palm trees." By the united testimony of travellers.

264
Elim, where these wells and palm-trees were found,
is still recognized by similar interesting features.
No less than nine of these wells still remain to attest
the spot, and the seventy palm-trees have become
thousands. The following chapter is occupied with an account
of a singular phenomenon : — the fall of manna. This
remarkable and providential supply is thus described :
" When the dew that lay was gone up, behold upon the
face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as
small as the hoar-frost, on the ground." We are fur
ther told, that " when the sun waxed hot it melted ,•" and
when preserved until the following day it became cor
rupt, and "bred ivorms." To preserve the extra
measure which they collected on the sixth day, Moses
directed that on that day of the week they were " to
bake and seethe" what should be required on the
morrow, as on the sabbath none should fall. It is
further added, "And the house of Israel called the
name thereof manna : and it was like coriander-seed,
white ; and the taste of it was like wafers made with
honey." a Such are the curious and interesting particu
lars supplied by the sacred text. It is well known
that a substance is used in medicine under this name,
chiefly obtained from the Calabrias, and is collected
from the leaves of the ornus rotundifolia, (fraxinus
ornus, of Linnaeus,) and a somewhat similar substance
obtains in the onion ; but from its purgative qualities,
" Exodus xvi. 14. and 31.

265
it is sufficiently obvious that the manna of the Scrip
tures is altogether different. According to Seetzen,
Wortley Montague, Burckhardt, and other travellers, a
natural production exudes from the spines of a species
of tamarix, in the peninsula of Sinai. It condenses
before sunrise, but dissolves in the sunbeam. " Its
taste," it is added, "is agreeable, somewhat aromatic,
and as sweet as honey. It may be kept for a year, and
is only found after a wet season." The Arabs collect
it and use it with their bread. In the vicinity of
Mount Sinai, where it is most plentiful, the quantity
collected in the most favourable season does not exceed
six hundred weight. The author of the " History of
the Jews " has a note to the following effect : " The
author, by the kindness of a traveller, recently returned
from Egypt, has received a small quantity of manna ;
it was, however, though still palatable, in a liquid
state, from the heat of the sun. He has obtained the
additional curious fact, that manna, if not boiled or
baked, will not keep more than a day, but becomes
putrid and breeds maggots. It is described as a small
round substance, and is brought in by the Arabs in
small quantities mixed with sand."8 It would appear
from these very interesting facts, that this exudation,
which transpires from the thorns or leaves of the
tamarix, is altogether different from the manna of the
manna-ash. We cannot doubt, from the entire coinci
dence in every respect, that the manna found in the
* History of the Jews, vol. I. p. 92.

266
wilderness of Sinai by the Arabs now, is identical with
that of the Scriptures. That the minute particulars
recorded should be every whit verified by modern re
search and discovery, is worthy of great attention. As
Moses directed Aaron to " take a pot and put an omer
full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord,
(in the ark,) to be kept for the generations of Israel,"
as a memorial ; so the remarkable phenomenon remains
in evidence of the truth of the narrative. The miracle,
however, remains precisely as it was. There is suffi
cient to appeal to, as an existing and perpetual
memorial to all generations. The miracle, from
which there can be no appeal, and which allows of no
equivocation, consisted in its ample abundance, in its
continued supply, and its complete intermission on the
sacred day of rest. Nutritious substances have fallen
from the atmosphere in some countries ; such, for ex
ample, was that which fell a few years ago in Persia,
and was examined by Thenard. It proved to be a sub
stance referable to a vegetable origin. We have before
us, at the moment of writing these pages, a small work,
printed at Naples in 1793, the author of which is
Gaetano Maria La Pira ; it is entitled, " Memoria sulla
pioggia della Manna," &c. : and describes a shower of
manna which fell in Sicily, in the month of September,
1792. The author, a Professor of Chemistry, at
Naples, gives an interesting account of the circum
stances under which it was found, together with a
variety of interesting particulars, some of which we
shall select, and we do so to prove that a similar

267
substance may have an aerial origin, though carried
up in the first instance, it may be, by the process of
evaporation ; this would considerably modify the
product. On the 26th September, 1792, a fall of
manna took place at a district in Sicily, called Fiume
grande ; this singular shower lasted, it is stated, for
about an hour and a half. It commenced at twenty-
two o'clock, according to Italian time, or about five
o'clock in the afternoon ; the space covered with this
manna seems to have been considerable. A second
shower covered a space of thirty-eight paces in length,
by fourteen in breadth. This second shower of manna,
which took place on the following day, was not con
fined to the Fiume grande, but seems to have fallen in
still greater abundance in another place, called Santa
Barbara, at a considerable distance : it covered a space
of two hundred and fifty paces in length, by fourteen
paces in breadth. An individual named Giuseppe
Giarrusso, informed Sig. G. M. La Pira, that about
half-past eight o'clock, A. m., he witnessed this shower
of manna, and described it as composed of extremely
minute drops, which, as soon as they fell, congealed
into a white concrete substance ; and the quantity was
such, that the whole surface of the ground was cover-
, ed, and presented the appearance of snow : the depth,
in all cases, seems to have been inconsiderable. This
aerial manna was somewhat purgative, when adminis
tered internally ; and the chemical analysis of it
seemed to prove, that its constituents, though some
what different from that obtained from the ornus

268
rotundifolia,* did not materially differ from the latter
in its constituents. We give Signor La Pira's descrip
tion of its appearance : being of a white colour, and
somewhat granular or spherical, it seems to have had
some resemblance, externally, to that of the Scriptures ;
but it is not stated that it became corrupt on being
preserved: — "Questa sostanza zuccherina nella massi-
ma parte e caduta in forma di minutissima arena bianca :
Osservata colla lente non vi si ravvisa alcuna forma
regolare, ma vi si scorge una figura il piu delle volte
sferoidale, e talora anche perfettemente sferica : I grani
maggiori non eccedono \ di linea di diametro : Posti
sui vetro ed osservati colla lente si veggono semi-tras-
parenti: Non hanno alcun aspetto grasso o umido,
ma bensi un' apparenza del tuto secca, ed alquanto
polverosa ; da cid nasce quel panno, che si forma sulla
superficie interna delle bottiglie di cristallo nelle quali
ci conservano."b At the rock, in Horeb, called Meribah, Moses mira
culously supplied the people with water. He smote
the rock, and an abundant stream immediately issued :
this extraordinary source of supply is now dried up,
but there is still left sufficient evidence to confirm the
fact. It will suffice for our purpose that we quote, in
corroboration, the description of an eye-witness and

* Also the oak, ilex, chesnut, &c, though less abundant and more rare than
on the leaves of the manna-ash. The oidinary manna collected in Sicily, comes
from districts in the Vol Demone and the Val di Mazzara, at some distance from
the localities where this aerial manna fell.
" " Memoria," &c. In Napoli, 1793, p. 23.

269
recent traveller : " We came to the celebrated rockof
Meribah. It still bears striking evidence of the
miracle about it ; and it is quite isolated in the midst
of a narrow valley, which is here about two hundred
yards broad. There are four or five fissures, one above
the other, on the face of the rock, each of them about
a foot and a half long, and a few inches deep. What
is remarkable, they run along the breadth of the rock,
and are not rent downwards ; they are more than a foot
asunder, and there is a channel worn between them by
the gushing of the water. The Arabs still reverence
this rock."a
Sir Frederick Henniker describes the " stone of
Moses " as an irregular block of granite, twelve feet
high, fifteen feet long, and seven wide ; " a kind of
water furrow, about eight inches in width, is visible
on two of its sides, several small crevices extend across
this track, and may be called mouths. The common
crevices in the rock are only two inches in depth, and
their length is not confined to the water course. That
the incrustation is the the effect of water, I have not
the slightest doubt, for the rock close at hand, where
the water is still dripping, is marked in the same
manner." Rephidim, where the Jews encamped, the " streams
in the desert " issued, and the rock of Meribah reposes,
are thus described : — " The celebrated rock which
Moses struck, is near the middle of the valley of Re-
a Letters from the East, 2 vols. Lond. Second Edit. 1826, vol. 1. p. 226.

270
phidim, about a hundred paces from Mount Horeb. In
travelling through a long and pretty open road, we
observe a high rock among several small ones, which
has by a long succession of time been detached from
the neighbouring mountains. This rock is a huge
mass of red granite, and its figure is almost round on
one side, but it is flat on the side that looks towards
Horeb ; it is twelve feet broad, and as many thick ; its
breadth is greater than its height. It is about fifty
feet in circumference, and pierced with twenty-four
holes, which are easily counted; each hole is a foot
long, and an inch broad. The flat surface of the rock
contains twelve of these holes, and the round side
opposite as many, which are placed horizontally about
two feet from the superior edge of the rock, are only
some inches distant from each other, and also ranged
very nearly in the same line.
The holes on one side are so far from communicating
with those of the other, that they are not so much as
opposite to each other. It is to be observed, that this
and the other rocks are in a very dry and barren
ground, and that no spring, nor any other kind of
water, is to be found near them. There is a perfect
smoothness from the inferior lip of each hole to the
ground, only observed in a small trench, or groove,
made in the surface of the rock, and running along the"
whole of this groove from one end to the other. The
edges of the holes and grooves are lined with a fine
slender green moss, though not the smallest herb
appears on any other part of the rock, the whole sur-

271
face of which, except the edges of the holes and
grooves, is pure stone."
The wood-cut represents the stone of Rephidim.

Even Sir Frederick Henniker, whose language would
lead one to believe that he was no friend to the Truth
of Revelation, describes its appearance in terms that
justify the belief that water once issued from the
orifices, which it is interesting to remark, are rents
contrary to the direction of the natural grain of the
rock, and the deposit of calcareous matter is a con
vincing proof. Whence this deposition, save from the
running water, for the rock is granite, (silicious,)
without the slightest admixture of calcareous matter.
The moss which springs from the surface of the lime,
is an additional evidence. None springs from the
granite, and it is indeed a rock most unfavourable to
vegetation, even under the lichen's lowly form. It is
interesting to add that on the principle of the artesian
wells, water has been bored for in this desert, and a
copious supply found, at a depth of about thirty feet,
where they encountered a sandstone. There are a

272
great many characters on the stone of Rephidim. One
class seems allied to the ancient Samaritan : the rest
appear to be a mixture of Phoenician and Etruscan
characters — all proving its recognition from a distant
age.

CHAPTER XI.
TABLES OF STONE— ELEVATION OF THE BRAZEN SERPENT—
THE SAMARITANS.
After the promulgation of the law from Sinai, in
order that it should be stamped by Divine authority,
and have all the sanction of a signet from heaven, we
are informed, at the close of the thirty-first chapter of
Exodus, that God " gave unto Moses, when he had
made an end of communing with him upon mount
Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written
with the finger of God." In a subsequent part of the
narrative, we are supplied with a more circumstantial
detail: "the tables were written on both their sides,
on the one side and on the other were they written.
And the tables were the work of God, and the writing
was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." It
becomes us not to speculate on this sublime transaction,
nor to pry, with too curious an eye, into the more im
mediate intercourse of Deity with his creature ; but it
cannot be out of place, to endeavour to obtain a more
just and accurate conception of this autograph of
heaven, than may be generally entertained, provided
it be in harmony with the Sacred Text. We are
possessed of a small fragment of Hebrew granite,
brought to this country by the late Buckhardt, from
s

274
Sinai ; and if we are correctly informed, it obtains in
that celebrated mountain. To this singular and
beautiful species of granite we have already alluded.
We are told, that not only were the tables the work of
God, but the writing was the writing of God. If a
conjecture may be hazarded on a subject so sacred,
we may suppose, that these tables were composed of
Hebrew granite, the " work of God," in the sublime
fiat of creation. The linear arrangement of the
crystals of quartz, and their beautiful parallelism, are
very striking features ; and, as we are told that " the
tables were written on both their sides," it may
perhaps tend to elevate our views above common place
ideas, to suppose that these crystals, which have a
striking resemblance to Persepolitan or Babylonian
characters, under the Almighty fiat, became expressive
of his law in the arrangement of the decalogue. Gra
nite is a primitive rock — one of the original rocks of
creation, or foundation stones of the globe. These
heavenly characters being constituent parts of the gra
nite, would thus appear on both sides of the tables of
stone, and could not be obliterated but with the de
struction of the stone itself. Granite is a durable and
adamantine rock, and thus the whole became a symbol
of the permanence and stability of the sacred charac
ters of the law of God. That "not one jot nor one
tittle should pass away" until " the mountains be
removed and there be no place found for them." In
reference to the awful manifestations of the Divine
Being on mount Sinai, Mr. Milman observes : — " The
mountain seems to have shewn every appearance of a

275
volcanic eruption: blazing fires, huge columns of
smoke, convulsions of the earth." This author has
wisely added, " yet a most philosophical observer has
decided, from the geological formation of the mountain,
that it has never been subject to the agency of internal
fire." We may. further state, that a granitic mountain
is not that description of rock in which we may reason
ably expect to find volcanic agency.
The wood-cut represents a
curious antique inscription
on the rocks near Sinai,
published by Pococke,8 and
also by Kircher, in his
' Prodromus Capticus.' This
inscription seems to be in the Cuthean or ancient
Samaritan character, and has been apparently sculp
tured by "an iron pen in the rock." All attempts
hitherto made to analyze or decipher these mystic
symbols have been unsuccessful. They unquestionably
claim a very high antiquity, and may be referred to a
period, in all probability, contemporaneous with Moses.
The form of the character sufficiently indicates its
source and connexion with a very early epocha in the
history of the Jews. There are other inscriptions
which evidently belong to a more modern date. Each
inscription appears to commence with a monogram,
which would seem to be an invocation to the Supreme
Being, in reference to some of his attributes, as the
" all merciful God !" &c. The Greeks, according to

' Plate LV. Inscript. 86. " Descript. of East," Lond. 1743. vol. 1. p. 149.
s 2

276
Pococke, call this inscription, ©«>i x»(*x-r* w*/*/**™,- —
"The words of God engraved." Dr. Clayton, bishop
of Clogher, offered J500 towards defraying the ex
penses of any one who would engage to copy the
' inscriptiones Sinaicae.'
Dr. E. D. Clarke copied several characters from
under the ear of the sphinx — the monograms bear
some resemblance to those at Sinai. The two first
lines seem to be Coptic, and the rest Arabic ; above
these, and immediately under the ear, was the mono
gram. It appears, according to Dr. Clarke, to have
been once painted a dingy red, or blood colour, as the
ground for the characters, which were formed of black,
paint.* Numerous inscriptions were copied by the
Rev. C. F. Grey, from the Waady-el-Mokattib, or
'written valley.' They are engraved in the rock of
red sandstone, on the line of route from Suez to Sinai,
(No. 2, in the annexed wood
cut, was among those copied nqp/orju^
by Mr. Grey ) and about #y . \try
fourteen hours distant from l _ , i^x.
the convent of Sinai. The W^^^rV^
entire number are discovered on the shady side of a
desert valley, destitute both of trees and water. There
are no sepulchres near the spot. On the opposite side
there are a few inscriptions in Latin and modern
Arabic. Those curious characters, some of which are
Greek, are composed of a series of holes punched in
the rock ; the letters, on an average, are nearly two
a "Travels," 4to. London, 1816, vol. III. pp. 145, 146.

o-er-

277
inches high. Mr. Grey states no other inscription has
been discovered in this part of the Arabian desert,
except at Nakors, (i. e. ' the Bell,') near Tor, where a
subterranean sound has always been heard. These
are in Arabic, and other oriental languages. An
endeavour has been made to analyze into Hebrew,
some of the characters in the " written valley ; " such
an attempt is represented in the wood-cut, No. 1,
and which may be thus i ^\ 1 -i a ?
translated ; the first line / — \c/i> I JK ^ £r
is the inscription, and ) ' '
the second, an analysis . . ^ .
of the letters :—" The \ \Q ! SlQ. LI
everlasting Jehovah
bless thee!" and is "i fy 3 " Ut] hW ^'
thus resolved into a I
form of benediction. The ' Wady Mokatteb ' is a
spacious valley, bounded on the east by a picturesque
range of dark mountains. Of inscriptions, there are
thousands ; and no successful attempt to decipher them
has yet been made. Conjecture cannot penetrate the
mystery. The following are fac-similes of other speci
mens of these occult characters.

278
Passing over much that is of sublime interest in the
ornaments of the tabernacle, which were moulded and
arranged agreeably to the "pattern shewed in the
mount," together with the rites and ceremonies enjoined
by the Levitical laws and ordinances, and the ministra
tions of the sacrifices and orders of priesthood, we
shall consider a remarkable event in the pilgrimage of
the Hebrews, inflicted as a punishment for their dis
trust of that Providence, who had so frequently and so
signally interposed on their behalf — who had "not
left himself without a witness," and " led them by a
way they knew not." "Fiery serpents" visited the
Hebrews, "and they bit the people, and much people
of Israel died." On the repentance of this stubborn
race, Moses, their leader, was directed to " make a
fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole : and it shall come
to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh
upon it, shall live." "And Moses made a serpent of
brass, and put it upon a pole ; and it came to pass,
that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld
the serpent of brass, he lived."* This remarkable
circumstance was an expressive symbol of that eventful
scene which should, in the fulness of time, be unfolded
on the summit of Calvary. On this point we are not
left in suspense, since the sacred text is clear and
explicit : " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up ;
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." We need not, therefore, appeal
" Numbers xxi. 6, &c,

279
to the authority of commentators, such as L. Capellus,
Grotius, Bochart, and others. Amid the Various
systems of mythology, which have engrossed the hea
then world, the serpent seems to have borne a con
spicuous part. There are three remarkable incidents
in the sacred volume, which involve the adjunct of the
serpent : — the fall of man, the transmutation of the
rod of Moses into a serpent, and the remarkable fact
before us. Mr. Deane, in an interesting work, en
titled, " The Worship of the Serpent traced throughout
the World, and its Tradition referred to the Events in
Paradise," &c, concludes, that " in most, if not in all
the civilized countries where the serpent was wor
shipped, some fable or tradition, which involved his
history, directly or indirectly, alluded to the fall of
man in Paradise, in which the serpent was concerned."
That the principle of evil, with whose temptation
this catastrophe is connected, should have ever become
an object of adoration by man, is an extraordinary cir
cumstance ; yet it is, nevertheless, a fact, that the
tempter is even now worshipped by a tribe, near Mer-
dan, &c, called the Yezedees. The Yezedees, from
Singar, will not even name the tempter, and hold his
name in the utmost reverence. We are inclined to
believe, that though serpent-worshippers may be con
nected with Paradise in some cases, it refers, in
others, to the circumstance to which we have alluded,
namely, the elevation of the brazen serpent. Span-
heim gives a medal of Antoninus Pius, on which are
represented two serpents in deadly feud, one being
evidently the victor; whether this may be indirectly

280
refer to the rod of Moses, and those of the magicians
of Egypt, cannot be determined; but the serpent is
often associated with Esculapius.
We have already adverted to the mistletoe, as used
by the Druids, and its supposititious virtues as a catho-
licon, or universal remedy. The "tree of life "is men
tioned in reference to the transaction in the Garden of
Eden. The great naturalist of holy writ also names
the tree of life. We have the branch introduced to us
in the vista of prophecy ; and in the visions of the
Apocalypse, there is an allusion to " the tree of life,"
where it is added, " the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations." "Lo!" says the prophet,
"they put the branch to their nose."8 We do not
consider that we are at all fanciful in referring this
association of the serpent, especially when connected
with the staff of Esculapius or the wand of Hermes,
to the event in the wilderness ; or when, in the symbol
of the serpent, connected with the deified Esculapius,
we perceive a distinct connexion with, and reference to,
the elevation of the brazen serpent. Living serpents
were preserved in some of the temples dedicated to
Esculapius. Even in the Acropolis of Athens, a live
serpent was kept. On Greco-Egyptian coins, serpents
are often introduced; and on coins of the Lower
Empire they are equally frequent. Sometimes these
snakes or serpents are crowned with a human head,
apparently that of Serapis, &c. On a coin of Gordi-
anus, in our possession, the reverse presents a serpent
* Ezek. viii. 17.

281
on an altar, to which a human figure is presenting a
basin : and such symbols are by no means infrequent.
In Plate III, fig. 19, to which we have already referred,
the serpent, in an upright form, represents Thoth, the
Egyptian Hermes, or Mercury. The caduceus of
Hermes, symbolical of Canaan, besides the globe and
wings which surmounted it, and the triple leaf which
encircled its stem, was occupied by two serpents, which
embraced the rod in their folds. In one of the coins
of Augustus, which we shall give in the sequel, the
caduceus of Mercury is elevated by a figure recumbent
at an altar. From time immemorial the serpent has
embraced the staff of Esculapius — the emblem of
healing ; and we remember to have noticed this ensign,
in fresco, on one of the houses of Pompeii, precisely
such as it is now sometimes adopted as the symbol of
medicine or of pharmacy ; and to the same source
must be referred symbolic representations, perpetuated
to our times by similar associations, down to the res
torative virtues still ascribed to the flesh of the viper,
and the elixir excellences of the acqua di vipere which
we found still in high repute in the pharmacopoeia of
Naples. It is melancholy to find, that the Hebrews,
when they reverted to idolatry, to which they seem to
have ever been too prone, worshipped the serpent as
well as changed "the glory of the incorruptible God"
into " the similitude of a calf that eateth hay." Thus
we are told, that Hezekiah, king of Judah, " removed
the high places, and brake the images (statues,) and
cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen
serpent that Moses had made ,- for unto those days, the

282
children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called
it Nehushtan," (a piece of brass.)
On the other hand, we readily admit that ophiolatry,
in the majority of cases, may be traced still farther
back, and referred to the fall of our prototype. We
have already given a representation of a Tyrian coin,
which may be considered of the era of Alexander the
Great. In this medal we have the serpent associated
with the tree — as it were the tree of life, encircled by
the folds of the principle of evil : and on each side of
the tree, are the petro? ambrosice. According to Dr.
Stukeley, in his remarks on Stonehenge, the Tyrian
Hercules (Melcarthus) ordered Tyre to be built where
the petrae ambrosias stood. These are represented as
two moveable rocks standing by an olive tree. It
appears that these stones were consecrated by pouring
oil on them as in patriarchal times. Such moveable
stones were called by the Greeks, living stones; and,
in all probability, they somewhat resembled the laggan-
stones of the Druids. The oil of roses, the ancient
ambrosia, was employed by the heathen for this liba
tion. Jacob, at Bethel, "took the stone that he had
put for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured
oil upon the top of it." All these, therefore, it is
obvious, sprung from one and the same channel. We
have already adverted to the urei, or deified basilisks
of Egyptian mythology, and the nagas of Budhism.
The hierogram, which united the winged serpent and
circle ; and a variety of combined symbols, in which
the serpent formed a part, are more difficult to decipher ;
but the worship of the serpent, in combination with

283
trees, seems to have been very prevalent ; and even in
the seventh century, in Italy, some natives of Lom
bardy were found to worship a tree and a golden viper.
The serpent cuts no inconspicuous figure among gnostic
emblems. In sculptures, and on coins, the serpent is
often observed entwined round a pole, and sometimes
with the legend, sothp, a saviour, preserver, or deliverer.
Among the basso relievos in the British Museum,
No. 41, represents a serpent coiled round a column,
with the chalice presented by a female. No. 52, ex
hibits a tree with a serpent, and the goddess ' Salus'
presenting the cup; the exuviae of two serpents are
pendent from the branches. I have several coins with
the altar and serpent connected with the word ' Salus.'
The following is the reverse of a coin of Epidaurus,
where Esculapius, their favourite deity, was wor
shipped under the symbol of a serpent. It is more
especially remarkable as associated with the word
' lamp,' — saviour, or deliverer. This inte
resting coin was presented to me by A. Y.
Ackermann, Esq., F.S.A., &c. A sacred
serpent lives in the cell of St. Eredy. It
was once worshipped in Egypt, and is still
worshipped at Delhi. In the paintings of Babence
Mooloeh, there is the representation of three human
sacrifices to the serpent. A sect of the gnostics, from
their worship of the serpent, were called ophites. This
reptile was a constituent of the gnostic abrasax, and
formed a frequent symbol in gnostic amulets. From
being the type or symbol, that might direct the eye of
faith to " the glory that was to be revealed," it became,

284
itself, the object of worship, and was so interwoven
with the fooleries of the gnostics, that those heathens
who were incapable of judging between the pure and
hallowed principles of the " New Religion," and its
abuse by a vicious and degraded superstition, taunted
the early christians with this as being an object of
their worship.
Sesostris, historians represent, as going forth out
of Egypt, and marking his career by unchecked con
quest, and a continuity of victories. Memorials set
up to commemorate his exploits here and there still
remain, and one of these is mentioned by Mr. Robin
son, on the route from Beirout along the range of
Lebanon. Now, seeing that his achievements affected
Palestine, it seemed remarkable that this hero should
never once be adverted to in scripture. We are in
debted to the interesting researches of Champollion,
who has determined that this conqueror was Ramses
Sethos Aegyptur, and thus, as his exploits in Pales
tine must have occurred precisely during the period of
their pilgrimage, it is evident there could be no allusion
to the circumstance in the annals of the Jews. On
the other hand, the invasion of Jerusalem by Shishak
is mentioned by no profane writer, and its record in
scripture testimony alone remained, till the attestation
to its truth was found in recent researches into the
hieroglyphic literature of ancient Egypt.
When Joshua had passed the Jordan, he directed
that twelve stones, taken from the bed of the river,
should be set up on the plains of Gilgal — these were
according to the number of the tribes of Israel. The

285
reason assigned for this procedure, is mentioned in a
subsequent verse in the same chapter: "That this
may be a sign among you, that when your children
ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean
ye by these stones ? Then shall ye answer them,
That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark
of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over
Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these
stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of
Israel for ever." It may be of importance to remark,
that the Cutheans are stated, in the Itinerary of Ben
jamin of Tudela, to offer sacrifice on Mount Gerizim,
on an altar constructed with the stones brought from
the bed of the Jordan by the Israelites, at the com
mand of Joshua. Captains Irby and Mangles dis
covered ruins on Mount Gerizim, which might have
been those of the ancient Samaritan synagogue. On
Mount Ebal, Dr. Richardson observed an old ruined
fort, but did not ascend. Ebal and Gerizim, among
the mountains of Israel, on the plains of Jericho, it
will be remembered, were the mountains from which
the "blessings" and the "cursings" were to be pro
nounced. In the twenty-seventh chapter of Deu
teronomy we have these facts related. The blessings
were promulgated from Gerizim, and the cursings from
Ebal, similar to the manner in which the Manx laws
are now proclaimed, sub die, from the Tinwald Mount,
in the Isle of Man ; — a practice of extreme antiquity.
It will also be remembered that Joshua built an altar
in Mount Ebal, after the passage of the Jordan. There
can be no doubt that Ebal here should be Gerizim,

286
and that the Jewish Pentateuch, in this respect, must
yield to the authority of the Samaritan copy. Instead
of Ebal, the Samaritan text has Gerizim ; and it has
been clearly ascertained by Dr. Kennicott, that it
should be so. The Samaritans contend that the Jews,
from enmity to them, and because they worshipped
there, put Ebal the mountain of cursing, instead of,
what it should be, Gerizim, the mountain of blessing.
The text and antiquity clearly assign the palm to the
Samaritans. Mount Gerizim was that where the bles
sings were pronounced ; and it is certainly much more
probable that the altar constructed by Joshua should
be reared on that spot, than on the mountain of cursing.
It is worthy of remark, that this altar was to be com
posed " of whole stones, over which no man hath lifted
up any iron."* These, therefore, perfectly correspond
with the structures of Stonehenge and Aubery. The
heathen temples and altars were constructed of hewn
stones; and these being unhewn, would distinguish
the altars of the true God from those of idolatrous
nations. It cannot be impertinent to state, that the Sama
ritans are descended from an intermixture of the ten
tribes with Gentile nations. This, of course, rendered
them obnoxious to the Jews, who were so zealous to
maintain an uncorrupted lineage. This was very
natural; for, irrespective of the direct command of
God, it afforded the means for tracing the lineal
descent of the expected Messiah. These people were
* Joshua viii. 31.

287
not, therefore, permitted by the untainted Jews, to aid
them in the erection of the second temple, on their
return from the Babylonish captivity; because those
who had thus intermarried and mingled with the
Gentiles around them, " could not shew their father's
house, nor their seed, (pedigree) whether they were
of Israel. "a In consequence of this rejection, and
other causes of animosity, the Samaritans (so called
from the city of Samaria, the ancient capital of Israel,)
erected a temple on Gerizim, and there offered up
sacrifices on " the mountain of blessing," as prescribed
by the Mosaic law. This was the cause of that rooted
animosity and bitter enmity which prevailed eighteen
centuries ago, between the Jews and Samaritans: a
hostility which remains in full force. It is of import
ance to observe, that the Samaritan Pentateuch has a
remarkable correspondence with the copy of the Pen
tateuch preserved by the Jews ; indeed, in all import
ant particulars these independent copies agree. This
very feud and hostility have, therefore, been the
guarantee of its integrity. No less than seventeen
MSS. of the Samaritan text are known to exist : six
of these are in the Bodleian Library, at Oxford, and
one in the Cottonian Library, in the British Museum.
The copies of the Pentateuch, which the Samaritans
still preserve, are in the ancient Hebrew characters.
In the fourth chapter of John, we have a remarkable
and interesting interview between a female of Samaria
and our Saviour. This event took place near Sychar,
• Neh. vii. 61.

288
a city of Samaria, at a well, called " Jacob's well,"
where the women of the city were wont to repair to
draw water. "How is it," said the woman, "that
thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a
woman of Samaria ? for the Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans."*1 This singular observation
proves the extent to which the animosity was carried.
The rival Temples of Gerizim and Jerusalem are next
adverted to : " Our fathers worshipped in this moun
tain ; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where
men ought to worship." b
We have already mentioned, that according to
Joshua's command, the rude stones, brought from the
bed of the river, were pitched in Gilgal, in the east
border of Jericho ; and to this temple, the foundation
of that raised in Gerizim, Samuel went yearly to assist
at the great annual convocation. The woman of
Samaria, therefore, was right in her observation, that
their fathers had been accustomed to worship in the
neighbouring mountain of Gerizim. The Samaritans,
as well as the Jews, notwithstanding the defection of
the former, had about this period, it is evident from the
sequel, been anxiously expecting the Messiah ; and it
is remarkable, that the Samaritans appear to have had
more just and settled notions on this important ques
tion, than the pharisaical Jews of that period, notwith
standing the proud boast of their untainted descent
from Abraham. The Samaritans of Sychar admitted
without scruple, the claims of the Messiah, and
* John iv. 9. » John iv. 20.

289
tendered him that courteous reception, which appears
to have been accepted : " We have heard him our
selves," said they, " and know that this is indeed the
Christ, the Saviour of the world."8 Though they
could not appeal to the prophets, or even to the psalms
which so minutely describe the circumstances under
which he should appear, yet an idea of a prince that
was to wield the sceptre and wear the crown of tem
poral dominion, seems not to have been entertained by
them. It was sufficient for them that he was " sent
to the lost house of Israel." Their hopes and expecta
tions were, no doubt, based on the prophetic declara
tion of the dying patriarch, b which was so perspicuous
and explicit. In this there was nothing to warrant
temporal sovereignty: on the contrary, something differ
ent from temporal dominion is plainly implied, and
to which the " Sceptre of Judah " should give place.
They seemed eager to hail a period when the unhappy
schism which prevailed should be healed — a rallying
point for the " gathering of the people." From what
has been observed, the Samaritans having lost their
line of ancestry, had nothing to guide their inquiries
in the question of lineal descent ; the observation of
the female of Samaria was, therefore, very apposite and
natural : " I know that Messias cometh, which is
called Christ ; when he is come, he will tell us all
things." c Our Saviour's credentials seem to have
been every way satisfactory to the inhabitants of Sychar
— these "outcasts of Israel;" and they appear, in some
» John iv. 42. " Genesis xlix. 10. c John iv. 25.
T

290
degree, to have received him into " honest hearts."
The passage to which we have adverted, in reference
to " the Star of Jacob," which should arise in after-
times, is quite conclusive against the infidelity of
modern Jews. It is not doubted, and cannot be denied,
that the tribes are confounded, and that their lineage is
lost: the kingdom is departed from them, and ichabod
written on the walls of their synagogues. When we
have pressed this prophetic announcement on modern
Jews, they have answered — " that is the strong
hold of the Christian." The best informed among
them begin now to doubt ; and some have taken
refuge in scepticism. Their rabbies try, by a con
temptible sophistry, to evade the conclusion of this
irresistible argument ; but we have never received any
thing in the shape of a rational reply. This passage
is chronicled in the Pentateuch, a volume which, above
all others, the Jew, in every age, has preserved and
regarded with intense veneration. Some, contriving
to overlook the notorious fact connected with this pre
diction, that the sceptre is departed from Judah, still
cling to a Messiah to come ; and we were not a little
surprised, when we pressed the question — by what
means this expected prince was to be recognized as
" the very Christ ? " — to receive an answer similar to
that of the woman of Samaria, and nearly couched in
the same words : " when he is come he will tell us all
things." We have adverted to the ancient Hebrew, or
Samaritan character, as differing from the square
Chaldee, or modern Hebrew.
Ancient Jewish coins are, in ancient Samaritan, (or

291
such as is supposed to have been used by the Phoeni
cians,) sometimes met with; and by the Phoenicians,
the Jewish money is supposed to have been coined.
Two of these coins from the author's cabinet, are repre
sented in Plate II. , fig. 11, 15. The vine leaf, cup,
tent, and ears of barley, refer to the ceremonials of the
Hebrew faith, and the " feast of tabernacles," and that
of " first fruits." The shekel, which is of silver, and
sometimes met with inscriptions in the Hebrew charac
ter, a little more rounded than the square Chaldee, is
sometimes not genuine. I have a very fine one, but as
it may be apochryphal, I give a fac-similie of a genuine
shekel, for which I am indebted to the friendly courtesy
of J. Y. Ackermann, Esq.
In the shekel which bears l$£
the name of Surion, Bro-(
ther to Indas Maccabeus,
the legend round the sheaf
is " for the deliverance of Jerusalem." In the half-
shekel, the words round the cup are " Jerusalem the
holy." The third part of a shekel was the amount of
the tax laid on the people, (Neh. x. 33.) The shekel
weighs rather less than half-an-ounce, and its value is
about 2s. 3d.
In Athens, around the censer (or thuribulum) with
incense, are the words Schekel Israel — The Shekel
of Israel; and on the reverse is a Branch with the
words Jerouschalaim Hakedoscha — Jerusalem, the
Holy. It is interesting to compare this censer with
that on the golden table in the bas relief of the arch
of Titus at Rome, represented in Plate II., fig. 11;
t 2

292
the resemblance is certainly very striking. Whether
the foliage is to be considered as representing the opo-
balsamum ; or the rod of Aaron, which blossomed, and
was deposited, as well as the golden vessel which con
tained a specimen of the manna which fell in the
wilderness, in the ark or sacred depository of the tables
of the law, must be left to conjecture. The shekel, in
the days of Josephus, was somewhat larger than the
ancient shekel. Those with Samaritan inscriptions
are assigned to a period some centuries before the
christian era. The Jews do not appear to have ever
coined gold; hence the double shekels, shekels, and
half-shekels, &c, are in silver. The legends are simi
lar in all of them, but the symbols are somewhat varied.
On some Jewish coins, about the time of Agrippa, and
whose name appears on a few of them, there are
branches, grapes, ears of corn, a canopy, &c, all hav
ing a reference to the ceremonies prescribed in the
ritual of their religion. The letters appear extremely
uncouth and barbarous. On a Jewish coin of Herod
Agrippa, in my possession, is a helmet and a mono
gram. On no genuine Jewish coin do we ever meet
with any figures of men or animals. This was in
strict conformity with the prescription of the Decalogue.
We are not, by any means, inclined to consider this
shekel as being issued by the Samaritans of Sichden.
As the ancient Samaritan character places its date at
some centuries before the Christian era, (and we are
well acquainted with the characters employed by the
Jews in the first century,) it is not likely that the
Samaritans would inscribe th&ir shekel, " Jerusalem,

293
the holy," since that was the very bone of contention
between them and the Jews. It is worthy of remark,
that the Arabic name of Jerusalem, is El Khods —
" The Holy."

CHAPTER XII.
SHIBBOLETH — SAMSON — BROOK ELAH — CAPTIVITY OF
THE TEN TRIBES BY SHALMANESER— THE INVASION BY
SHISHAK, KING OF EGYPT— DANIEL.
The quarrel which took place between " the men of
Ephraim" and those of Gilead, recorded in the twelfth
chapter of the Book of Judges, is alluded to in this
place, as affording a curious instance of a peculiarity
in pronunciation, being propounded as a test of discri
mination between the men of Ephraim and the men of
Gilead, who, it would seem, spoke the same language,
but could not pronounce a particular word alike. If
the individual denied his being an Ephraimite, he was
desired to repeat the word Shibboleth, and if he did
not pronounce it aright, he stood condemned : " Then
said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth ; and he said
Sibboleth .- for he could not frame to pronounce it right.
Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of
Jordan."8 It is a singular fact, that a district of Polish
Jews cannot, at this day, pronounce the word Shib-
a Judges xii. 6.

295
boleth, but always say Sibboleth. One of these
Polish Jews is, at the present moment, a reader in a
synagogue at Bristol, where we have heard him.
The remarkable history and adventures of Samson
occur in the chapters immediately succeeding ; and it
may not be irrevalent to mention, that Mr. Seely seems
to have been struck with a representation, among the
temples of Elora, in which he almost recognized a
distinct allusion to the circumstance attending the
death of this chieftain. It refers to an avatar, wherein
Nursing seems issuing from a pillar. " It strongly,"
says Mr. Seeley, " reminded me of Samson ; great
muscular power, shoulders and breast broad, pressing
against the pillar and grasping it with his large hands,
his countenance wild and threatening."8 If we com
pare this with Judges xvi. 29, 30, the similarity seems
to be remarkable ; and the events in biblical history,
issuing through channels barbarous and polluted, might
be supposed, in many cases, to have supplied, tradition
ally, heathen mythology with materials for its deities
and demigods, and the extravagant fables which shroud
them. The following is another specimen of this kind :
" Vira Budra is seen holding in his uplifted hand, Raj
Duz, while a sword is held with the other to slay him.
It is a striking resemblance of the judgment of Solo
mon." b
Samson setting fire to the standing corn of the
Philistines, by means of fire-brands attached to the
tails of foxes, is a very curious circumstance, but it is
* Wonders of Elora, p. 181. " Ibid, p. 185.

296
not a little singular that Ovid should refer to a
similar case : —

" Cur igitur missa? junctis ardentia
Terga ferant vulpes, causa docenda mihi taidis." ;

I give the figure of one of my silver denarii, with
the figure of Hercules, of heathen mytho
logy, combating the lion. The source of
the entire legend of this mythological
hero, cannot be mistaken. His surpassing
strength, his being in love, his weakness,
&c, bears too close an affinity with sacred story, to be
doubted. David's encounter with Goliah, the champion of the
Philistines, is mentioned in 1 Samuel xvii. : and in
the 40th verse is described the simple armour with
which the shepherd boy, Jesse's son, repaired to the
contest. Many a thirsty pilgrim, as he passes through
the valley of Elah, on the road from Bethlehem to
Jaffa, (Joppa) has drunk of " the brook in the way " —
that very brook from whence the minstrel youth " chose
him five smooth stones." "Its present appearance,"
says a recent traveller, " answers exactly to the de
scription given in scripture; the two hills on which
the armies stood, entirely confining it to the right and
left. The valley is not above half a mile broad.
Tradition was not required to identify this spot ;
nature has stamped it with everlasting features of
" FaU. 1. iv., v. 681.

297
truth. The brook still flows through it in a winding
course, from which David took the smooth stones."
It is recorded in 2 Kings, xvii. 6, and xviii. 10, that
Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, carried Israel away
captive during the reign of Hoshea, the son of Elah,
who was then king in Samaria : " The king of Assyria
took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria,
and placed them in Halah and in Habor, by the river
of Gozen, and in the cities of the Medes." This
captivity of the ten tribes is confirmed by the dis
coveries of recent travellers, from sculptures, in the
live rock, on the mountains of Be-sitoon, on the
borders of Ancient Assyria. In Plate III, fig. 18, we
have given a correct representation of this curious and
interesting sculpture, copied from Sir Robert Ker
Porter's very valuable work. We have omitted the
aerial figure to whom the captives seem to be pre
sented by Shalmaneser; and which figure may be
supposed either to represent his father, Tiglath Pileser;
or the " god of the clouds."
In the Hon. George Keppell's Personal Narrative these
sculptures are alluded to.8 According to this author,
it seems to have some allusion to queen Esther plead
ing before Ahasuerus ; but, as Mr. Keppell saw these
figures at too great a distance to form any distinct idea
of them, we must give up this unsupported idea to the
opinion supplied by Sir R. Ker Porter, who has given
a complete and accurate representation, copied with
sufficient care, on the spot, and at imminent personal
a Vol. II. p. 82.

298
hazard. The Babylonian characters attest their high
and venerable antiquity ; and the toute ensemble gives
no countenance whatever to Mr. Keppell's extraordinary
inference. Sir R. Ker Porter informs us,* that he
encountered great difficulty in making even this copy ;
and that to have copied accurately all the Babylonian
or arrow-headed inscriptions would have occupied him
more than a month. We still hope, however, that
this may be done; and sincerely wish, with Sir
R. Ker Porter, "that the indefatigable scholars now
engaged in the study of these, apparently the oldest
letters in the world, may at last succeed in bringing
them to an intelligible language. In that case, what
a treasure-house of historical knowledge would be
unfolded here, (Be-sitoon) and in the vale of Mer-
dasht!" This investigation, we have stated, is par
tially begun, and with some promise of success ; still,
however, it cannot, as yet, be otherwise regarded than
as "a sealed book." These sculptures, Sir R. K. P.
states, are chiselled in a mountain called Be-sitoon:
" At the foot of Be-sitoon, we see a rocky platform, cut
out of the foot of the mountain, evidently intended to
support a temple ; but, at a point something higher up
than the rough gigantic forms just described ; in a very
precipitous cleft," appeared the sculpture, which our
author has so carefully copied, notwithstanding the
danger he ran in obtaining even an insecure footing.
The first figure in the chain wears the Median habit,
like the leaders of the guards of Persepolis. The
* lb. pp. 154, 155.

299
second figure is distinguished by a bent bow. The
third, larger and taller, may be designed, according to
Sir R. K. Porter, to represent the king of Assyria.
The costume is that of legal dignity, as exhibited in
the bas reliefs of Persepolis, &c. The suppliant figure,
and the first in the other chain on the right, are much
injured by time. The third of the chain, or the fourth
figure of the group of captives, has the skirt of the
garment covered with arrow-headed characters. The
last of the series wears a more flowing beard and a
high pointed cap, somewhat like a mitre — perhaps to
represent the house of Levi. Above the head of each
are specific compartments, in the arrow-headed cha
racter ; perhaps descriptive of each captive — the heads
of the ten tribes of Israel : and below them, are two
lines in the same arrow-headed character, running the
whole extent of the group. After this description
which "we have given, almost in the words of the
author, there cannot be a doubt of his conclusion, that
this sculpture refers to the total conquest of Israel,
and the captivity of the ten tribes, by Shalmaneser,
king of Assyria, and the Medes. The first attack
upon the dominions of Israel was by Arbaces, or
Tiglath Pileser, the father of Shalmaneser; who,
instigated by Ahaz, king of Judah, conducted the
expedition into Samaria, the country of the ten tribes.
In the royal figure, among those in the sculpture, we
discern a representation of Shalmaneser, followed by
the two leaders of his armies, of the dominions of
Assyria and Media. The double bonds of the captives

300
may denote the double crime of which they had been
supposed guilty. Tiglath Pileser had spared them
before; and this new revolt might have been con
sidered to conjoin an act of ingratitude. Fig. 2,
Plate I. is the fac-simile of a signet found among the
ruins of Babylon, from a cast in my possession. That
it refers to the Babylonish captivity, I can have no
doubt. The victorious charioteer, the wounded lion
(' of the tribe of Judah,') and the palm trees, emble
matic of Judea, — these seem to be a satisfactory
combination of evidence.
In reference to the willow and the streams of Baby
lon, where the Hebrews remembered Zion so mourn
fully, Sir Robert Ker Porter states, that " the banks
of the Euphrates were hoary with reeds, and the grey
osier willows were yet there on which the captives of
Israel hung their harps," and wept in the land of the
stranger. The salix babylonica, or the weeping willow,
in its geographical range, sweeps through the plains
of Judea, and by the ruins of Babylon, from the verge
of the Mediterranean to the frontiers of Japan — a
lovely line of beauty — the Niobe of vegetation ! Sad
memorial of tibe mournful march of the captive
Hebrews. In 2 Chron. chap. xxxv. and xxxvi., we find that
Necho, or Pharaoh-Necho, made war on the Jews and
Babylonians; and that Josiah, who then reigned in
Jerusalem, went forth to meet him. In the unequal
conflict this pious prince was mortally wounded by the
archers ; and was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers

301
at Jerusalem. Apart from the verification of this war
by Herodotus, it seems confirmed by the researches of
the late Mr.Belzoni in the valley of Beban el Malook,
near Thebes. Whether the tomb discovered by Belzoni
be that of the Pharaoh-Necho of Scripture or not,
there appears a procession of captives of different
nations ; and among these figures the captive Jew may
be easily distinguished, by his garb and physiognomy.
We have copied, from Belzoni's Plate, the figure in
question. See Plate II. fig. 6.
In further elucidation of the important evidence
which has been derived from hieroglyphic literature,
we may now advert to the siege of Jerusalem, during
the reign of Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solo-
man, by Shishak, the king of Egypt. " So Shishak,
king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem, and took
away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the
treasures of the king's house; he took all."8 M.
Champollion, whose interesting researches in Egyptian
literature cannot be too highly estimated, has, in his
recent visit to Upper Egypt, discovered a sculpture at
Karnac, of considerable importance in Biblical History.
Shechousis, or Shishak, is discovered dragging the
chiefs of thirty nations before his deities. His name
is inscribed, over the figure, in hieroglyphics. Among
the captives is Rehoboam, with the Jewish expression
of countenance and form ; and the inscription is
Joudaha Melek — King of the Jews.
* 2 Chron. xii. 9.

302

With regard to the figure of Rehoboam, it does not
appear to me that the locality where it was found
would by any means invalidate the mass of other evi
dence that seems so confirmatory of the fact. The
name on the cartouche is legible; and the Lion
thereon pourtrayed, seems very remarkable. " The
lion of the tribe of Judah," the ensign and symbol of
the tribe ; and I am not aware that I have ever seen a
similar symbol on any other cartouche. It is quite
true sacred history is silent on the question, as to
whether Rehoboam was carried captive into Egypt;
and it is probable he was not. Among the spoils
were the treasures of the temple, and of the " king's
house," including the shields of gold, which Solomon
had made. The countenance and the garb are those
of the Jew, and the inscription on the cartouche is
Jeoud Hamelek ; Jeoud, the Hebrew word for
Judah, and Hamelek, the King. It is quite pro-

303
bable that though a prisoner, he might be soon
liberated on a ransom being paid, and, at the same
time, quite reasonable to expect that Shishak, king
of Egypt, would be desirous to have pourtrayed his
royal prisoner among his captives. The countenance
of Rehoboam is by no means flattering to humanity,
and seems to me to carry sufficient internal evidence
of his character as pourtrayed in holy writ ; one more
ready to be swayed by the flippant inexperience of
youth, than the councils of wisdom and of age. The
word Melek is also interesting, it implies servitude, or
inferiority, or in other words a viceroy, or tributary
king. Pharaoh was the autocrat. By comparing
the physiognomy of the kings, &c, in the sculptures
with those in Egyptian paintings, it is quite clear that
the Egyptian statues, and bas reliefs, present real
portraits of the kings whose legends they bear.
The names of Zerah, the Ethiopian; Tirhaka;
So ; and others, mentioned in the annals of the Jews.
have been also deciphered. In truth, the accumulated
and still accumulating proofs of evidence have been as
remarkable, as they have been expected ; and, in the
annals of wonder, there does not exist a more extra
ordinary phenomenon, at this moment, than the
INFIDEL, Daniel was one of the Hebrew captives, carried to
Babylon, in the year 606, a. c. and in the fourth year
of the reign of Jehoiachin, king of Judah. Daniel
was eminently pious, and unflinchingly devoted to the
service of the true God, (in which noble attachment
nothing could daunt his soul — nothing terrify him into

304
a dereliction of his duties) ; and this honourable tes
timony was borne even by his wicked adversaries:
" We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel,
except we find it against him concerning the law of his
God." They had already tried this, and the reluctant
testimony had been wrung : " They could find none oc
casion nor fault ; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither
was there any error or fault found in him."8 Daniel was
as wise as he was good, and cast the wisdom of the
magi of Chaldea into complete eclipse. Though he out
lived the Babylonish captivity, this distinguished
character, in all probability, died at Shushan, in the
province of Elam, in Babylonia, and in the palace
which he occupied, as governor of the provinces.
Among the most remarkable circumstances in the life
of Daniel, was that of being cast into the lion's den,
because he would not relax in his wonted supplications
to his God. Though the writing was signed, and the
decree had passed and received the royal signet, and
Daniel knew the circumstance, yet he also knew, that
" greater was He who was for him, than all they who
were against him. " — " He went into his house ; and,
his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusa
lem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a-day, and
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did
aforetime." Nor did he disguise his solemn duties:
his enemies assembled, and " found Daniel praying and
making supplication before his GoD."b The punish
ment prescribed was severe, and Daniel was cast into
* Dan. vi. 4, 5. " Ib. 10,11.

305
the den of lions, where he was preserved unhurt by
the God he adored. This wonderful event we con
sider fully substantiated by the combined testimony of
Sir Robert Ker Porter, Captain Mignan, Mr. Keppell,
and others, in the curious evidence supplied by their
discoveries. Daniel, it will be remembered, occupied
the third chariot of Babylon. Plate II. fig. 10, is a
colossal statue of a lion, standing over a pedestal, and
underneath appears to be a prostrate human figure.
Mr. Rich describes it as composed of " a kind of grey
granite, and of rude workmanship ; in the mouth was
a circular aperture, into which a man might introduce
his fist." This statue, now much mutilated, appears
to have been seen by Beauchamp: Mr. Keppell has
called this colossal mass, black marble. As it was
found near the ruins of the Kasr, or Western Palace,
it perhaps once stood over one of the gates. Daniel
was governor of Babylon, as well as of Susa or
Shushan. Plate II. fig. 5 and 7, are fac-similes of
silver coins, copied by Sir R. K. Porter, from the
originals, discovered along with other coins, in an
earthen vessel, which was fished up from the Euphrates,
close to the ruins of the palace. The castellated
structures, exhibited on the reverse, seem to refer to
the same building; and it is remarkable that both
appear to be constructed over dens of wild beasts.
The combat with a lion on the obverse of fig. 5, and
the charioteer in that of fig. 7, appear to us to refer to
the history of Daniel. The judgment of the reader
must determine whether our views are warranted or
not. Fig. 8, in Plate II. is copied from Captain
u

306
Mignan's interesting work, of which it forms the
frontispiece. It is that of an engraved gem, dug from
the ruins of Babylon by Captain Mignan himself. It
represents a human figure standing on two sphinxes,
and combating two fierce animals. The features are
those of a Jew ; and a comparison may be made with
fig. 6 of the same Plate, already described, as copied
from the tombs of the Egyptian kings, as a captive
Jew — the cap, &c. as well as the contour of the coun
tenance, are remarkably similar. In Plate III. fig. 20,
is a representation of a relic from Susa or Shushan,
which is of white marble, said to have been discovered
near the tomb of the prophet Daniel. Sir Robert
Ker Porter gives the following account of it : " It does
not exceed ten inches in width and depth, measures
twenty in length, and is hollow within as if to receive
some doposit. Three of its sides are cut in bas relief,
two of them with similar representations of a man
apparently "naked, excepting a sash round his waist,
and a sort of cap on his head : his hands are bound
behind him. The corner of the stone forms the neck
of the figure, so that its head forms one of its ends.
Two lions in sitting postures appear on either side at
tbe top, each having a paw on the head of the man."8
There can be no doubt that the Book of Daniel is the
work of that prophet, part of which was written in
the Chaldee letter ; and if we mistake not, this portion
is still retained in Chaldee characters among the MSS.
of the synagogue. a Travels, &e Vol. II. p. 416.

307
The sentence of the Almighty, emblazoned on the
walls of the palace of Babylon, which registered the
fate of Belshazzer, was deciphered by the skill of
Daniel. Part of this sentence is thus interpreted:
" Tekel ; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art
found wanting."8 We may refer to Plate III. fig. 19,
for an interesting illustration of the allusion. Here, it
will be perceived, is the balance in which the actions
of the individual have been weighed ; and we have
only further to remark, that the former Mogul kings
were, on their ascending the throne, literally weighed.
Thevenot gives an account of this curious affair in his
time. The balance wherein it seems to have been
performed, is described as being rich. The chains of
suspension were of gold, and the two scales, studded
with precious stones, also of gold, as well as the beam,
&c. The king, richly attired and shining with jewels,
goes into one of the scales of the balance, and sits on
his heels. Into the other are put little bales, said to
be full of gold, silver, and jewels, or of other costly
materials. These little bales are described to be often
changed. To the same purport is the testimony of
Fryer, who states, that the " Rajah Sena, according
to Hindoo custom, was weighed in gold, and poised
about 16,000 pagodas, distributed among the Brahmins
after being enthroned. A pair of gold scales on a high
lance, equipoised, an emblem of Justice, was carried
at the coronation." In the mosque of Omar, are the
scales for weighing the souls of men.
* Dan. v. 27.
u 2

CHAPTER XIII.
REMARKS ON MIRACLES— THE SACRED CODE OF THE JEWS-
RETROSPECT— THE EVE OF CHRISTIANITY.
Though we have passed over the question of mira
cles, as not coming within the legitimate design of
our remarks, it may be pardoned if we cast a transient
glance on a subject, at which infidels have often
discharged their missiles. We consider that as their
sophistry is not sound, neither are their inferences
warrantable. Their flimsy cobwebs resemble kindred
gossamer floating in the air, which must fall to the
ground, because their buoyancy is without support.
Hume's " Essay on Miracles," is founded on assump
tions which are a direct violation of inductive truth :
the premises on which his sophistry is reared, are
altogether false ; and reason and science must reject
them as untenable. There is, no doubt, cunning in it ;
but truth would despise such unworthy means. This
infidel defines a miracle to be "a transgression of the
laws of nature ;" and, in consequence of this petitio
principii, founds the following conclusion: "Belief
is founded upon and regulated by experience. Now,
we often experience testimony to be false, but never

309
witness a departure from the order of nature. That
men may deceive us when they testify to miracles, is,
therefore, more accordant with experience, than, that
nature should be irregular; and hence there is a
balance of proof against miracles ; a presumption so
strong, as to outweigh the strongest testimony."
There are some very acute and curious remarks in
Babbage's ' ninth Bridgewater Treatise,' on the subject
of miracles, to which I can only refer the reader as
yielding a new process of solution, and I cannot but
think a satisfactory reply to the infidel cavils on the
question before us. For my own part, I have never
been able to see in Hume's ¦ celebrated argument,'
any argument at all ; but mere specious sophistry, that
dissolves like frost-work in the sunbeam of truth. It
is a jingle of words, composed of ' belief,' ' testimony,'
' experience,' and * order of nature.' The senses have
deceived, and may deceive ; and their testimony was,
is, and ever shall be, nugatory and worthless, conse
quently, no fact can be determined by the evidence of
the senses, and no man's testimony is worthy of credit,
nor even that of the mystic David Hume. Again,
belief is founded on experience, and experience deter
mines that there is no ' departure from the order of
nature ; " therefore, as a miracle by a curious petitio
principii is defined to be ' a transgression of the laws
of nature,' no evidence whatever, under the form of
' testimony,' can validate a miracle. The ' order of
nature,' and ' laws of nature,' are left undefined and
undetermined. To my plain understanding, the
' celebrated argument ' is neither more nor less

310
than consummate nonsense. Others may see it in
a different light, and at a more favourable angle of
mental vision. Nature determines the existence of a
power superior to itself. Testimony can determine no
fact whatever, it simply testifies the individual's belief
concerning it, and no more ; and none but an infinite
mind can determine the limits of nature's laws, or set
bounds to their operations. There is within and over
these mystic wheels, a living principle — the plastic
power of which no finite mind can fathom. Are these
laws so inelastic that they will refuse the impress of
their author's seal ? Are they so inflexible that they
will not bend to contingencies when their maker wills
it? Was the omniscient eye of the Almighty lawgiver,
bounded by the dim horizon of definite periods, and
limited measures of time ; and are the physical laws
of physical phenomena not to be subordinate to the
Almighty's will, when specific purposes are to be con
summated in the great moral and mental drama of
which time is the theatre, and when such purposes
cannot be fulfilled without such control or ordinance ?
In order to illustrate our views on this subject,
we may refer to a few of the miracles recorded in the
Old Testament, without at all impugning the better
counsel of those who may believe, that miracles may
be a counteraction of the laws of nature in all cases :
our views have to deal with infidels ; and it is to con
test the question on their assumptions, that we take
up our position. As we defy them to prove, that a
miracle does, in its very nature, imply a contradiction
of the laws of nature, or something contrary to them,

311
and cannot imply any thing else ; we have ventured an
opinion, that a miracle does not necessarily and essen
tially imply this. For aught they can tell, the original
laws of creation may remain precisely as they were and
now are ; and a miracle may be altogether independent
of those laws, and involve the question of a new law
superadded to the previously natural course of events, and
provided in the councils of heaven for the contingencies
of time : — that God, who " made a decree for the rain,
and prepared a way for the lightning of the thunder,"
(which laws were, in all probability, imposed after the
deluge,) has many other laws in store, of which we
know nothing.
The meteoric stones which fell from heaven, and
destroyed the enemies of Israel, in the way "going
down to Beth-horon,"* is perfectly consistent with the
established course of events. We can, indeed, remem
ber the time when the fall of meteoric stones was
accounted altogether fabulous, and unworthy of being
considered a subject within the range of legitimate
science. Such a topic was ridiculed as spurious, or
regarded as a phantom — a tale only meet for the
legends of the East, or the fables of Greece or Rome.
There is now, however, nothing better established in
the circle of science, or more certain among the range
of physical truths, though it forms a problem more
difficult in its solution, than almost any other, with
our limited notion of the laws of physics. Still the
fact is indisputable. The miracle, therefore, did not
d Joshua x. 11.

312
consist in the fall of these aerolites, but the time
and place, when and where it happened. The
meteoric stones fell not on the camp of Joshua, but
on the enemies of that celebrated leader; and it
caused their discomfiture at a period which manifested
that the God of the armies of Israel was their " shield
and buckler." The same process of reasoning may
be applied to the extraordinary phenomenon which
occurred subsequent to this event, when Joshua said
in the sight of Israel, " Sun ! stand thou still upon
Gibeon ; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." *
It does not at all follow from this, we think, that the
earth ceased to revolve on its axis. We are informed
simply that " The sun stood still, and hasted not to go
down about a whole day." We know that by the laws
of refraction, the image of the sun appears above the
horizon in the morning, before the sun has yet scaled
its' plane ; and in the evening, the sun has really set,
when it seems still to linger above the horizon. It is
merely necessary to suppose the intervention of a
dense refracting medium, and the miracle would be
produced, irrespective of the earth's diurnal motion.
Indeed, we prefer this view of it, because the miracle
is then more local and more special. The same process
of reasoning applies to the miracle in the case of
Hezekiah, and the phenomenon which appeared on the
dial of Ahaz: "He brought the shadow ten degrees
backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of
Ahaz."b A superadded refraction, the consequence of
» Jos. x. 12. b 2 Kings xx. 11.

313
the intervention of an appointed denser medium, would
-solve this. There is, therefore, no necessity to sup
pose a recoil in the earth's orbit, and the miracle
remains in the same bold relief as before. We may
extend this to the case of Elijah, when providentially
supplied with food by the ravens, " evening and morn
ing, at the brook Cherith."* That the raven should be
the messenger of such food, morning and evening, is
a fact quite compatible with the known habits of this
carnivorous bird, but the miracle consisted in this
being deposited at the prophet's feet. Just so it was
with the blossoming of Aaron's rod. This was
certainly a remarkable phenomenon ; but it might,
nevertheless, have been one compatible with the laws
of nature. The leaves of bryophylum calycinum, after
they are detached from the shrub, will, at each inden
tation yield a plant, as is also the case with the
echeveria, the Mexican 'forget-me-not;' and this
curious vegetation we have preserved for twelve months
subsequent to the removal of these leaves from the
parent stem. The epidendrum flos aeris, and a great
variety of analogous phenomena, might be cited in
addition. There was, therefore, no violation of the
laws of vegetable physiology in this case; but the
miracle consisted in a transference of the phenomenon
to the individual case of the almond rod, in which the
event has never been observed.
Apart from these considerations, a very natural
inquiry may arise : Are we fully acquainted with these
* 1 Kings xvii. 6.

314
laws, so as to be able to sit in judgment on them, and
define them accurately ? We hold it to be an axiom,
that there is no such thing as an anomaly in the sight
of God, however convenient the term may be to us,
who use it, to conceal an ignorance we are unwilling
to confess. We may consider the laws of nature such,
as might be represented by a continuous succession of
events, where the chain of being is perpetuated, uni
formly, without any dislocation in its concatenation.
Suppose, however, we carry our minds back to some
period before the discovery of the planet Uranus, by
Sir William Herschell ; it would, then, have been
concluded, from " experience," that all the planetary
orbs moved in one specific direction ; and it would
then also have been inferred, that any deviation from
this order of nature, would have been a violation of
those laws by which their movements were regulated.
In process of time, however, it was discovered, that
we had not reached the boundary of the solar system.
The planet Uranus was discovered ; and, subsequently,
several moons, as attendant satellites, were descried by
the telescope ; but what is extraordinary, two of these
moons, the first discovered, were found to move in a
direction contrary to that of all the other heavenly
bodies in the solar system, whether primary or second
ary. We could single out, from almost every department
of nature, contrarieties, or "anomalies," of a similar
description. Vegetation, again, is full of singularities
or ellipticities, which may be called deviations from
the laws of vegetable physiology. The leaves of the
darea cicutaria, some of the shrubby gnaphaliums of

315
the Cape, and all the alstramerias, are reversed.
We do not, indeed, know a department of nature that
is entirely free from exceptions to those general laws
which we have pre-supposed essential to the conserva
tion of that beautiful system of which they form a part.
Thus, in conchology, shells, generally, are the habita
tions of testaceae ; but, this is, by no means, always
the case : for the reverse of this happens in some
instances. In the latter, instead of the animal inha
biting the shell, the shell inhabits the animal : thus,
the dolabella of Lamarck, and the bulla aperta, and
helix haliotoida of Linneus, afford examples wherein
the shell is embedded in the animal, and the animal
is wrapped like a mantle round it. Sometimes the
shell is a mere plate or escutcheon, as in the Umax or
slug; and in the beautiful argcnauta vitrea, it is a
case or pouch which contains some of the organs.
Again, in almost every case, we find the spires of
shells in one determinate direction, their mouths open
ing to the left hand; but, though extremely rare,
there are remarkable exceptions to this rule : in these
contrarieties, the whirls are reversed, and the involu
tions are to the right : — for example, the murex
perversus and fusus contrarius. We also find instances
of this kind among the Linnean genera of helix,
strombus, and others. On the other hand, the reversed
variety of the citrina is less rare* than the usual
form. When the chank shell, turbinella of Lamarck,
is found to possess this very curious character, it is
highly prized by the natives of India. A chank shell,
with an opening to the right, is, indeed, rarely ob
tained ; but, when found, always sells for its weight

316
in gold. The Singalese are very desirous to gain
possession of the chank shell, with the right twist or
whirl; because they fancy that it is the symbol of
the toes of Budha's footstep. From these incidental
remarks, it will be perceived that our notion of the
invariability, which we have presumed to ascribe to
the laws of nature, is not so definite as to include
these, so-called, anomalies.
M. Massias has an interesting remark connected
with the subject of the Jews. " As long as a remnant
of Jews shall exist, the Jewish people will exist : each
of them is a living exemplar. The Jew is neither an
European, nor Asiatic, nor African; he is neither a
republican nor yet monarchical ; in all places he is
ever the Jew, and nothing but a Jew." * This remark
able people has remained the same in all ages ; and,
" Even in their ashes live their wonted fires."
The Jews have ever been a persecuted people and a
calumniated race ; " persecuted, but not forsaken, cast
down, but not destroyed." The following are two
extremely interesting medals from my cabinet, illustrat

ing this melancholy part of their history. The one is
» Massias '• Rapport de la nature, de 1' homme," &c. Tome III. p. 171.

317
the reverse of that of Antoninus Pius, representing a
sow and pigs, struck off in ridicule of the religion of
the Jews ; and the the other of Adrian, in reference
to the removal of some calumnies and fiscal oppres
sions. On the Tigris, between Bagdad and Bussora, is the
Sepulchre of Ezra, the sephor, or scribe of the law of
God ; and to the south-west of Hellah, is the tomb of
the prophet Ezekiel. Ecbatana, one of the cities in
which the Jews were placed in their captivity, is still
inhabited by a rabbi and Jews, to the number of four
hundred houses. Amid all the misery that oppresses
them, in the regions of Chaldea, the tombs of Mordecai
and of Esther are still cherished with fond and affec
tionate care. It is an interesting circumstance, that a
remnant of the ancient Canaanites still exist in the
Ansarias which inhabit the west chain of Lebanon,
and the plains of Latakia. They are idolators, like the
Druses, and have their mystic rites. They worship
the dog ; which was the case in ancient Syria. This
tribe is barbarous and ferocious, and their origin being
referable to a remote antiquity, there can be no doubt
that they are a fragment of the Canaanites which
'dwelt in the land.' From the object of the Canaan
itish idolatry, we readily explain some expressions which
seem to have such a reference : " without are dogs,"
that is idolatrous ; and when Hazael, the murderer of
Benhaddad, and usurper of his throne, was charged by
the prophet, he indignantly replied, " Is thy servant a
dog, that he should do this thing ? " i. e. is he as cruel
and murderous as the Canaanite. The dog which

318
is seen on some ancient coins, may refer to this
idolatry. Towards the close of the last century, there was
discovered the remnant of a Jewish colony in China,
which is stated to have sprung from seven hundred
families of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi;
having escaped thither after the destruction of Jerusa
lem, by Titus Vespasian. They now amount to about
six hundred souls, and are located at Cai-song-fu,
about one hundred and fifty miles from Pekin. These
emigrants from Jerusalem carried with them the Old
Testament, which was preserved for eleven centuries.
About this period, however, a fire broke out, which
destroyed their synagogue and its manuscripts. These
MSS. were substituted by a copy of the Pentateuch
possessed by a Jew, who died at Canton. Not only
the synagogue, but individuals also were supplied with
transcripts from this copy. Independent of this Pen
tateuch, these Jews had, fortunately, preserved copies
of the greater part of the remainder of the Old
Testament, from the conflagration of the twelfth cen
tury ; and from an inundation of the river Hoango, in
1446. Among these fragments are portions of the
Chronicles, Nehemiah, Esther, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Daniel, and of seven of the minor prophets. Some^of
these are nearly complete, while others are more limited
fragments. The Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2
Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and the Psalms, are entire.
By far the most interesting researches in that quarter
of the world, are those of the late Dr. Claudius
Buchanan, who found in Hindustan, in the year 1808,

319
a society of Syriac Christians, among the superstitions
of Hindoo idolatry. Their copies of the Scriptures,
were all in manuscript ; but the most interesting fact,
in reference to our present question, was the discovery
of a colony of Jews in the vicinity of Cochin. These
were divided into black and white Jews, who reported
that their fathers had fled hither after the destruction
of Jerusalem. Dr. Buchanan concluded, that the
black Jews in Malabar, who could not, from their
complexion, be distinguished from Hindoos, were of
much higher antiquity ; and in all probability, had
found their way thither after the period of the first
dispersion by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. From
these black Jews, Dr. Buchanan obtained an entire
copy of the Pentateuch, which was found in an old
record chest belonging to the synagogue. That in
teresting document is now in the University Library,
at Cambridge, where we have seen it. This manuscript,
which contains the entire Pentateuch, composes a roll
forty-eight feet long, and appears to us to be written
on goats' skins dyed red. It is, perhaps, two thousand
years old; and, we may observe, is little, if at all,
different from the genuine received text, — a further
proof of the authenticity of that Record of which it
is a copy. The testimony, that the Pentateuch was
written by Moses is altogether of the most con
clusive kind. Its style, its careful transmission from
age to age, the numerous independent authorities which
corroborate this, such as the Samaritans, the Jews of
the eastern hemisphere — ancient and modern — separa
ted by barriers that have remained impassible for many

320
centuries — Pagan evidence — all proclaim the authenti
city of the sacred code of the Jews, beyond doubt or
appeal. There is in the British Museum, among the
Harleian MSS., a beautiful copy of the Hebrew Penta
teuch ; it is carefully transcribed on forty brown African
skins. The extraordinary care which the Jews observe in
the transcription of their sacred books, especially of
the Pentateuch, is not the least remarkable feature in
that wonderful people. The MS. rolls, in their syna
gogues, of which we have seen some beautiful specimens,
are preserved with uncommon care in an ark, or coffer ;
and when the roll containing the law is exposed and
held up to the gaze of the congregation, it forms a
spectacle of unusual solemnity. There are no less than
eighty-eight rules in the rabbinical laws, for the
transcription of the Pentateuch. These copies are made
by sacred scribes, called sephorim, set apart for this
especial purpose. The skins on which the Pentateuch
is transcribed, are those of a clean animal (agreeable
to the law of Moses.) These skins are carefully pre
pared, by particular individuals appointed for this end.
The ink must also be prepared after a particular
manner ; and the pen must be made from a quill taken
from the wing of a clean bird. A certain number of
letters and words must fill the individual line; and
each column must also consist of a certain number of
lines. Even an imperfectly formed letter, much more
a superfluous one, would entirely vitiate the copy ; and
the reader in the synagogue, on such a discovery,
would not hesitate to cast it away from him. The

321
tetragrammaton, or sacred name of God, is written
with the deepest awe and solemnity, with a new pen
devoted to this exclusive purpose. The letters of that
glorious name * are also of a larger size than the rest
of the MS. In transcribing the " Oracles of God,"
the sephor or scribe must commence his task in the
full enjoyment of health, and must rise from it before
lassitude supervenes. For these interesting particulars
we are indebted to an intelligent Hebrew. It is also
worthy of notice that no fragments of the MS. sacred
records, are suffered to be improperly used or scattered
about ; they are carefully collected, and like Jeremiah's
roll, cut to pieces, and consumed. This is also the
practice in the east : " And it came to pass, that when
Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the
penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the
hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that
was on the hearth."b
In Plate II. fig. 16, is a representation of a mazuza,
in our cabinet, presented to us by a Hebrew, with a
strict injunction, that it should on no account be used,
but with the greatest care, nor on any occasion that
a By the third commandment, the Hebrews were strictly enjoined not to use
that mysterious name, which denotes the eternity of God, familiarly. It is,
consequently, never found in any Hebrew writings, except in holy writ. The
four letters which compose the word, which we translate Jehovah, are made to
signify, He was — He is— He will be. We have already stated that this name is
never pronounced by the reader in the synagogue, much less in familiar conver.
sation: Adonai, Lord, is always substituted. It is interesting to remark, in
connexion with this, that a Brahmin will not pronounce the name of the
Almighty, without drawing down his sleeve, and placing it on his mouth with
fear and trembling.
" Jeremiah xxxvi. 23.

322
might compromise a proper and religious use of it.
The MS. is exquisitely written on vellum, by a sephor,
under all the conditions prescribed for the transcription
of the Pentateuch, of which it forms a part. It is
really a manuscript gem, and as such, was highly
prized. The mazuza is so called from mazuzoth, the
door-post, to which it is affixed, in literal obedience to
the injunction, " And thou shalt write them upon the
door-posts of thine house, and upon thy gates."8 Our
mazuza is enclosed in a neat tin case ; a square opening
discovers the Hebrew word, tsaddai, all-bountiful,
which is written on the back of the mazuza, A slip
of transparent horn, serving as a miniature window,
discovers this word only ; a moveable piece of tin.
which serves as a kind of blind, conceals the opening.
This is nailed to the door-post, where it remains a
fixture; the pious Jew, morning and evening, in his
" going out and coming in," puts his finger on it, and
repeats a short prayer. This is especially the case
before he sets out on a journey, and on his return.
The MS. in our mazuza, is from Deuteronomy vi, 4.
"Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
The facts we have enumerated, are proofs of additional
guarantees for the integrity of the sacred volume of
the Jews — the " Old Testament" of the Christian.
The Jews are the librarians of the Christian ; and
the latter appeals to the book of the Jews, in proof
a Deut. xi. 20.

323
that to Jesus Christ "gave all the prophets witness ;"
and that, in this mighty prince, all things are ful
filled. The Canon of Scripture is now closed. The
Jewish Scriptures terminate with the last of all the
prophets. The "New Testament" proclaims, with
silver trump, "a greater than a prophet is
here." In looking back on the remarkable events
with which the Old Testament is fraught, we perceive
one great object steadily kept in view : a legacy from
heaven, preserved amidst the fluctuations of time, and
the storms of contending nations — and even that
highly favoured people, to whom this sacred deposit
was entrusted, often themselves plunged into idolatry.
A little ark — "it is a little one!" — 'guided safely by
the Governor of the universe. Lord Bacon has beau
tifully described the church as "sometimes like the
ark floating on the waters, again wandering through
the wilderness, under the curtains of the tabernacle,
till she found her typical rest amidst the splendours of
the "Holy of Holies." All the rays of the Old
Testament point to some great event, as their focus
and centre. The whole of the Mosaic ritual, with all
its ceremonies, adumbrated " greater things than these."
The sacred minstrels struck a note that had never
been heard before; and the prophets saw, afar off, a
wondrous sight, and proclaimed a jubilee of " peace
and good will to man." Patriarchs shouted for joy, to
see, from the Pisgah of Revelation, the goodly vision.
A glorious golden chain connects creation with redemp
tion, and a noble ancestry of prophets, priests, and
kings, submerge their converging rays in him who
x2

324
was prophet, priest, and king. Types and ceremonials
vanished in Bethlehem and Calvary. We perceive
the Old Dispensation, like a mighty river, emerging
from the fountain of creation, and rolling its noble
tide along, until, in ' the fulness of time,' it falls into
the New, while their united streams are, at last,
absorbed in the ocean of eternity. The Old Dispen
sation is prospective, and points forward to the New
as its accomplishment, while the latter proclaims " It
is finished." Like the cherubim which hovered over
the " ark of the covenant," they looked toward each
other — both upon the Mercy Seat, where, from
above, an unutterable form, the symbol of the Divine
presence, constantly attested that the place was " holy
ground." Clouds and darkness were dissipated; the
shadows which obscured the landscape, were rolled up
like a scroll ; and all was light.
Augustus assumed the purple twenty-seven years
before the christian era. In his reign, the eventful
period, looked and longed for, at length arrived.
Throughout the range of the civilized world, the voice
of war was mute. The gates of Janus, in the imperial
city, were closed. Caesar Augustus, wreathed with
the laurels of victory, at length enjoyed the repose of
peace.8 The world was in anxious, earnest expectation
of some wonderful event ; the oracles and sybils became
instinct with prophetic mutterings of a new dawn in
*• Augustus died in Campania, after a reign of forty years, and was succeeded
by Tiberius. In the second year of the reign of Tiberius, Rufus was recalled
from" Judea, and Valerius Grocchus succeeded ; and he, too, after eleven years,
was in his turn supplanted by Pontius Pilate.

325
human affairs ; and Virgil, in his PoUio, could awaken
the echoes of the heathen world by seraphic notes,
stolen from the sacred bard of the Hebrews :
" Jam nova progenies ccelo demittitur alto."

¦ " nee magnos metuent armenta leones.

Ipsa tibi blandos fundent cunabula flores."
Plate I. fig. 4, 6, represent the obverse and reverse
of two denarii of the emperor Augustus, among several
others of this prince in my collection; one of these
reverses, shews the cornucopia, the other, two olives,
beautifully symbolic of that happy period which ushered
in the ' prince of peace.' The following is the reverse of
a medal of Augustus, indicating the
prevalence of universal peace. Del
phi and Dodona, Colchis and Cuma,
uttered their oracular responses no
more ; the Orphic hymns were no
longer chaunted, and the sibylline
leaves were scattered to the four winds of heaven.
The " wizards peeped and muttered " no longer, and
the spell of their enchantments was dissolved. " The
connection," says Sir William Jones, " of Mosaic his
tory with that of the gospel, by a chain of sublime
predictions, unquestionably ancient, and apparently
fulfilled, must induce us to think the Hebrew narrative
more than human in its origin, and, consequently, true
in every substantial part of it."

CHAPTER XIV.
THE ADVENT OF THE MESSIAH— THE DIVINITY OF JESUS
CHRIST— THE CRUCIFIXION.
Thh old dispensation having completed its purpose,
a new era arose — that era, which prophets and " kings
desired to see, but were not able." The advent of the
Messiah was announced to the world by John the
Baptist's preaching*, repentance in the wilderness of
Judea. There had not arisen a greater prophet than
John. He came " in the spirit and power of Elias ; "
with all the austerity of an anchorite ; for " his rai
ment was of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about
his loins ; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."
His incessant cry was, repentance. " Then went
out to him, Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region
about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan,
confessing their sins."8 Such was the messenger
which the last of the prophets of the Old Testament
had announced; and such was the morning star, that
ushered in the dawn of the sun of righteousness.
John's career was, however, short. He pointed to
a Matt. iii. 5, 6.

327
Jesus of Nazareth, while he told his followers, " He
must increase, but I must decrease. Soon after John
had lifted up his voice, and said, " Behold the Lamb
of God, that taketh away the sins of the world," this
illustrious harbinger of the Messiah was seized by
Herod, who then occupied the throne of Judea, and
beheaded in prison. It was not meet that Jesus
Christ should sustain any rivalry. The lesser light
suffered an eclipse, and the greater light reigned Lord
of the " new heavens."
It seems probable, from several considerations, that
the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in the
Syro-Chaldaic tongue — a language, which, it is not
improbable, our Saviour spoke. We draw our con
clusions from the words, Ep£«0«^(" be thou opened,")
TaXiQa Hovpi — (" maiden, arise ! ") and others. We pre
face this, by way of remark, connected with an event
mentioned by Matthew, as announcing, in a distant
region, the birth of Jesus Christ. A new star took
its place in the sky, and became the celestial sign and
telegraph to eastern magi, who hailed it as the symbol
of that event, which the world anxiously expected.
We are aware this beautiful phenomenon has been
usually and generaUy ascribed to some meteor in the
regions of the atmosphere. We cannot, however, sub
scribe to such an opinion. In the sacred text, it is de
nominated a star, and not a meteor. It seems, in our
view of the matter, little short of the ridiculous, to
suppose that these wise men, who were, doubtless, astro
nomers, should have been the sport of an ignis fatuus,
or leave their country in pursuit of a meteoric bubble.

328
The narrative is simple and concise, but sufficiently
explicit : " Behold, there came wise men from the east
to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King
of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship him."* Let it be remem
bered, in the first place, that it was of a permanent
character ; and from the vast distance at which it was
visible to these eastern magi, it is utterly impossible
that it could have been a meteor, floating in the lower
regions of the atmosphere ; considered altogether apart
from the incredible magnitude that this supposes. We
believe the greatest extent of distance at which bolides
have ever been seen, does not exceed fifty or sixty
miles ; at which distance, it would appear, Humboldt
perceived fire-balls in South America. It is equally
incredible to suppose it to have been of the nature of
an' aurora. We cannot ascribe ignorance of astronomy
to these wise men ; they came from the very regions
of astronomical science ; and we may well believe them
to have been conversant with the phenomena of the
heavens. To mistake a star in the celestial hemis
phere for a meteor, is, therefore, out of the question.
Pliny says ' apparuisse aliquando cometum candidum,
argenteo crine ita refulgentem ut vix contueri licuerit,
specie que humana dei effigiem in se ostendentem ;'
and Chalcidius, the Platonist, in allusion to the wise
men, &c. observes, ' de ortu stellae cujusdam non
morbos, mortes que denunciantem, sed decensum dei
venerabilis ad humanae conversationis rerumque mor-
" Matt. ii. 1, 2.

329
talium gratiam.' To those, indeed, whose views are
at issue with our own, as to the divine dignity of
the illustrious person, whose birth it announced from
afar, it must be a matter of indifference, whether it
was a new star which took its station in the heavens
for the first time, or a blaze of meteoric light : but the
question with us, at any rate, is not a matter of in
difference. On this auspicious night, were not the
heavens opened over the shepherds, on the plains of
Bethlehem ? and did not a celestial messenger, from
the high court of heaven, surrounded by " a multitude
of the heavenly host," announce " the good tidings of
great joy:" — "Unto you is born this day, in the city
of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord ?"
Why this ado, if the event was unworthy of being
signalized all over the southern hemisphere, by a new
creation ; or another world, from causes occult to us,
being brought into view * It appears that this star
is recorded by Chalcidius. The truth then seems to
be this. These distinguished individuals perceived,
for the first time, a new star in the west ; and supply
ing a place in the heavens unoccupied before. The
magi might have been in the possession of the Book
of Daniel ; nor is it at all improbable that they may
have heard of Balaam's remarkable prediction, uttered
in the presence of Balak, king of Moab : " There shall
come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out
of Israel."* Obedient to the heavenly vision, they
pursued their pilgrimage westward, having ascertained
¦ Numbers xxiv.. 17.

330'
that the zenith of this beautiful star was in the
direction of Jerusalem. When the magi arrived at
the capital of Judea, the anxious interrogation was
put, " Where is he that is born King of the Jews, for
we have seen his star in the east, and are come to
worship him ?" They could have easily ascertained that
the zenith of this new star was at or near Jerusalem,
but it became a more difficult problem to determine its
precise zenith point in the heavens. On this extraordi
nary inquiry, we are told that Herod " was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him." Herod having convoked
the chief priests and scribes asked them " where Christ
should be born." On consulting the records of prophecy,
they found it thus written in the Book of Micah, "Thou,
Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the
thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose goings
forth have been from of old, from everlasting."* This
announcement was distinct and definite, and on receiv
ing the intelligence, they departed from the capital ; —
" and, lo ! the star which they saw in the east, went
before them, till it came and stood over where the
young child was. When they saw the star, they re
joiced with exceeding great joy." After they had left
the city, they recognized the same star, and were glad
to find its zenith was still before them, and had not
been passed. Thus the phenomenon and the prophetic
announcement had perfectly corresponded; for they
finally discovered that the precise zenith point was over
* Micah v. 2.

331
the place where the young child was. We are inform
ed that this was at an inn, and as the caravansaries of
the east are generally insulated, and apart from towns
or cities, this would enable the eastern magi to deter
mine the spot with more precision. When they
discovered the remarkable object they were in quest of,
confident from all that they had seen and heard, that
there was something more than met the eye, " they fell
down and worshipped him ; and, when they had opened
their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold,
and frankincense, and myrrh."8 This event is not
mentioned by the other evangelists. The fact that the
Gospel of Matthew was written in the Syro-Chaldaic
tongue, is a curious circumstance in this question, and
may be connected with the episode of the adoration of
the magi. These wise men may have come from the
mountains of Iran, in search of a prince in the royal
line of Judah. When we consider that the fame of
Solomon was set abroad throughout all lands, and
combine with this circumstance the long captivity of
the Jews in the Medo-Persian empire, we need not
wonder that the Pagan nations around should have
caught a spark of the celestial fire. The captive
Hebrews could shew that their captivity had not been
untold by their prophets ; and that the same voice
which had foretold things that had already come to
pass, had also announced that a star should arise in
the kingdom of Israel.
We know that new stars have made their appearance
1 Matt. ii. 11.

332
in the heavens From time to time ; and, having glowed
in the firmament for awhile, have, from causes unknown
to us, at length disappeared. A brilliant star, described
by Tycho Brahe, made its appearance in the constella
tion of Cassiopeia. Its lustre increased for some time,
then faded away, and is not now to be seen. How
long this beautiful vision of the western star adorned
the firmament, we cannot tell ; perhaps it continued to
illuminate the heavens during our Saviour's abode on
earth, and became invisible on the night of the cruci
fixion — and would thus serve as a celestial telegraph,
to announce to these magi, if yet alive, or to those
who succeeded them, that the " Star of Jacob " had
already set on the world.8
The character of the Prince of Peace is unique, and
is altogether superhuman. We are perfectly acquainted
with the state of the world when this illustrious being
appeared on the earth. We can weigh the amount of
the wisdom of the heathen world. We know the beau
ideal of their most gifted minds, and can fully esti
mate the intellectual attainments of their greatest and
best philosophers; but Jesus of Nazareth infinitely

a We have felt considerable pleasure in discovering, in an old work, by
Piscatore, that a similar view of the phenomenon had been taken by that author,
who distinctly adverts to a new star which had made its appearance in his time.
" Ille nuper natus. o ny$tis. Adverbium supplevimus ad sententiae perfec-
tionem. Ejus stellam. avrov tov ao-ripa. Hoc est, stellam qua nativitas ejus
nobis est a. Deo patefacta. Hanc stellam fuisse novam, et in hoc ipsum a. Deo
conditam, judicari potest e singulari ejus motu, qui indicator infra vers. 9. Talis
nova stella conspecta fuit nostro tempore, anno Domini 1572. In Oriente.
iv t»j avaroXy. Adverbium, in ortu scilicet solis. Id est, in regione Orientali.
Metonymia adjuncti."  Analysis Logica Evangelii Secundum Matthaeum:
Herbornae 1594.

333
transcended all of them. Our Saviour had no counter
part in the age in which he lived, and partook not of
the impress of the times. His character and conduct
were insulated and unrivalled. It was a beautiful,
though a short lived vision of heaven on earth. The
religion he promulgated had never been imagined in
the most sublime dreams of human perfection among
the sophists of the world. Plato had, indeed, con
cluded, that if men were to be guided to celestial bliss,
it must be by a visit from heaven. Our Saviour is as
exalted above the tone and temper of the era he
adorned, as if he had altogether belonged to another
world, and another state of being. His religion was
at complete antipodes with the mythologies of the
world. He promulgated "a new commandment," of
which that world had never heard, and of which it
never could have thought: "Love your enemies; do
good to them that hate you; and pray for them
that despitefully use you and persecute you." Well
might the heathen rejoin, "this is a hard saying."
But Jesus Christ conspicuously illustrated this
sublime precept in his own bright example; and left
that splendid exemplar for his followers to copy.
The Saviour of the world stands forward in
sublime and awful relief, amid ' the personifications of
time. Isolated in the annals of a world, and unique
in the history of humanity, he was the Son of Man,
and yet the halo of a heavenly descent was seated on
his brow. He assumed the similitude of man, while
the radiance of divinity glowed around him ; his mis
sion was an errand of mercy, and he came on the

334
wings of love to bless. The loftiest conceptions of
perfect excellence, and the consummation of the
majesty of virtue, were concentrated and realized in the
' Son of God.' The beau ideal of Sages was cast into
eclipse, and the vision of the loftiest imagination over
shadowed, when the ' Sun of Righteousness ' arose.
The contrasts that converged in the person of ' Jesus
of Nazareth ' constitute him emphatically ' the won
derful.' We see him weary at the well of Sychar,
or asleep, the nursling of the storm ; and again, wield
ing the attributes of God, feeding thousands by the
indefinite multiplication of the materials of a scanty
meal, and rebuking the tempest, that obeys his voice.
' He had not where to lay his head,' and yet the crea
tures of his providence were provided by his care.
'Enduring the contradiction of sinners,' at his command
disease fled ; the eye and the ear, visionless and mute,
resumed their functions, and the lame restored, leapt
for joy. He wept at the tomb, while the keys of
' death and the grave ' hung at his girdle ; and at his
voice, the sepulchre resigned its prisoner, and Lazarus
arose. See the ' man of sorrows ' conferring the gift
of life on the ' little maiden ' and the widow's son ; and
see the terrific, fierce, and naked maniac, ' the pos
sessed,' now issuing in chains from the sepulchres of
the Gadarenes, and then ' sitting ' at the Redeemer's
feet, ' clothed, and in his right mind.'
The Son of Man is led captive by an armed band of
ruffians, and at his voice, they fall prostrate, and 'be
come as dead men.' Suspended between two criminals,
on mount Moriah, a spectacle to men and angels, he

335
awards the boon of immortality ; and while his enemies
in their madness, scoffed, an earthquake shook Mount
Sion to its centre, and the rending of the temple veil,
and the sun shrouded in darkness, and the pall of
mourning, rebuked their brutal and cruel mockery.
The body is at length taken down from the cross, con
veyed to the counsellor of Arimathea's tomb, and
Caesar's seal had made the sepulchre secure : while a
centurion of armed soldiers are appointed to guard the
Redeemer's grave. a But an angel is commissioned
from the councils of heaven to rend that seal, and fling
its fragments to the winds ; an earthquake rolls away
the stone from the mouth of the cave, and Caesar's
soldiers, paralysed with terror, fled, while Jesus of
Nazareth, ' the Son of God,' leading captivity cap
tive, 'rose triumphant, glorious in his apparel, and
mighty to save.'
Dark and dismal was the night that descended on
the Saviour's tomb, but surpassingly glorious was the
morning, when the ' day star ' illuminated the dawn
of the resurrection; and transcendently effulgent the
day when the ' sun of righteousness ' brought ' life and
immortality to light.'
" On the cold cheek of death, smiles and roses are blending,
And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb."
" Nati a formar 1' angelica forfalla,
Che vola alia guistizia senza schermi."
We cannot dismiss the question without recording
our humble suffrage to the supreme divinity of Jesus
a The Roman guard that watched the sepulchre was taken from the cohort,
which at the passover came from the castle of Antonio.

336
Christ, nor can we otherwise reconcile the attesta
tions of the sacred volume. In our view, they are
altogether complete and decisive on the question ; and
as far as our opinion extends, from some degree of
careful reading, much reflection, and a sincere and
ardent love of, and attachment to truth, irrespective
of the systems and sentiments of any man on earth, we
rest on the supreme divinity of the Saviour of the
world as elucidating every thing, and reconciling all
into one beautiful, consistent, and harmonious focus.
It is the meridian line of the chart of the christian,
toward which all the other lines converge : it is the
sun of the system of Christianity, which casts a flood
of light and radiance over all its provinces; and by
which every thing is illuminated : it is " the golden
hinge by which earth revolves on heaven." The fol
lowing sentiments, from the eloquent pen of the late
Robert Hall, are full of the beauties of truth. 'The
mysterious constitution of the person of Christ, the
stupendous link which unites God and man, and
heaven and earth; that mystic ladder on which the
angels of God ascended and descended, whose foot is
on a level with the dust, and whose summit penetrates
the inmost recesses of an unapproachable splendour,
will be, we have every reason to believe, through
eternity, the object of profound contemplation and
adoring wisdom.' ' He once suffered from the beginning
of the world, nor have we the least reason to suppose
any similar transaction has occurred on the theatre of
the universe, or will ever occur again in the annals of
eternity. It stands amidst the lapse of ages, and the

337
waste of worlds, a single and solitary monument ' — ' it
is replete with moral congruity, and satisfies every
demand of the understanding and of the heart,' ' His
assumption of the human nature made his oblation of
himself possible; his possession of the divine, rendered
it efficient, and thus weakness and power, the imper
fections incident to a frail and mortal creature, and
the exemption from these, the attributes of time and
those of eternity, the elements of being the most oppo
site, and deduced from opposite worlds, equally com
bined to give efficacy to his character as the Redeemer,
and validity to his sacrifice.' 'The substitute must
possess contradictory attributes, a combination of quali
ties not to be found within the compass of human
nature. He must be frail and mortal, or he cannot
die a sacrifice ; he must possess ineffable dignity, or he
cannot merit as a substitute.'
If we separate this essential feature, we can see in the
Old Testament nothing but a strange and confused
assemblage of wheels and movements, utterly inex
plicable, and altogether without design or end; but
when the supreme divinity of our Saviour is admitted,
this otherwise unaccountable machinery wears the
impress of design, and seems working for good. It
then appears to be the great machine of Providence,
put in motion by an arm that is almighty, and fraught
with displays of omnipotent wisdom. We think the
question reduces itself into a very limited compass.
Biblical criticism has, in our opinion, been altogether
triumphant in this question ; and we may safely leave
it to enjoy its laurels. Except in the views we sustain, .
Y

338
we cannot perceive the use of the Old Testament as a
directory ; for, if it be metaphorical, or, in other words,
deceptive, (and, assuredly, if our Saviour is not
supremely divine, more effectual means for deception
could not have been devised,) of what service is it
as a standard of appeal, in a question which, of
all others, concerns us most ? and which we are
expressly told, is what we are to consider a safe
guide in this matter. " To him gave all the prophets
witness ;" while the Psalms shadow forth " the great
mystery of godliness — God manifested in the flesh."
Indeed, the question propounded by our Saviour
to the Jews, seems to have been an argument to
which they never pretended to reply : " If David call
him Lord, how is he then his son ?" All the attributes
of God are assigned, without reserve, to Jesus Christ.
The very tetragrammaton is directly applied : " Jesus
Christ — the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."
He declared himself to be the I AM. The Jews
expressly understood this claim to be set up, and took
up stones to stone him for blasphemy, (agreeably to
the command of Moses,) " because thou being a man,"
observed they, " makest thyself God." This very fact
has been one of the stumbling blocks to Jews in all
ages, against the claims of Messiah : and in this
respect, they have the same unchangeable fixidity
now, that they had at the period referred to. The
celebrated Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelsohn,
in his correspondence with Lavater, expressed the
highest veneration for the author of the christian reli
gion. That it was a perfect character, and un objection-

339
able — " if he had not accepted of the homage due to
the most high only ! " * Jesus Christ " knew what
was in man," and "needed not that they should testify"
this to him ; and we may be well assured, that the key
which can unlock the human heart, hangs alone at the
girdle of Omniscience. His divinity seems to em
blazon the sacred page, and appears to be infused into
every line. It is, indeed, to our apprehension, the
very soul which animates the mass, and gives it
life and motion. Our Saviour wrought his miracles, -
which were altogether peculiar, in his own name, and
in the person of an underived authority — "I will."
The case, however, was far otherwise with his apostles:
In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, was the
charm of their invocation. Celsus, the Epicurean phi
losopher, in the second century, admits that the apos
tles performed miracles, but ascribes it to the use of
certain names. Origin sets him right on this question
—that name being Jesus of Nazareth. That these
honest and faithful men repudiated the belief of an
inherent power in themselves, and acknowledged that
it was in the all-prevailing name of Jesus Christ
they were enabled to accomplish such stupendous
effects, we may be fully persuaded by referring to the
scenes at the " beautiful " gate of the temple of Jeru
salem; and at Lystra, in Asia Minor. That Peter
wrought miracles, Julian is forced to confess. To
deny the supreme divinity of Jesus Christ, appears,
to us, to run counter to the whole genius of Christianity:
(.
" " Wenn er nicht die Ehre der Aubethung, die dem einigen Jehovah gebuehrt,
nicht angemaszt haette ! "
y2

340
nor is thgre any legitimate middle path between the
cardinal doctrine of the divinity of Christ, and the
absolute rejection of Revelation. The grand doctrine
of the atonement, like a golden thread, seems so inter
woven in its tissue, that if it be withdrawn, the
whole fabric falls into shreds. , It has been justly
remarked, that to separate the doctrine of the atone
ment from revelation, ' is as hopeless an attempt as to
separate colour from the rainbow, or extension from
matter.' Viewed in relation to that question, the
divinity of our Saviour seems to be, in the eye of
reason, essentially pre-requisite. No man can save
himself, much less " give a ransom for his brother : '
and we profess not to comprehend the novel doctrine
that would rear an altar to the mercy of God, on the
ruins of his justice; which, springing, as an inevit
able sequence, from his truth and holiness, cannot
be insulated from them. It has been rightly said,
that the objections which have been raised to this
doctrine, are " cavils, which derive all their force not
from the superior wisdom of their authors, but solely
from the inadequacy of human reason to the full com
prehension of heavenly mysteries. But still there is a
simple grandeur in the fact, that God has set forth his
Son to be a propitiation, sufficient to silence the impo
tent calumnies of sophistry." As far as the Scriptures
are suffered to speak out, there is no ambiguity, in our
mind, whatever ; and we should esteem it altogether
a work of supererogation, to make citations in proof:
we appeal, at once, to the fountain of truth; to the
Sacred Text, in its integrity, as a perfect whole. We

341
cannot doubt the result, if the individual sits down to
the task, as he ought to do, in the docile spirit of a
disciple of inductive science. It is impossible, (common
sense and right reason alike determine this,) that we
can form any a priori opinion, either on the nature of
a Revelation from God, or his modus existendi. Indeed,
in such a case, if reason can solve the problem for us,
we cannot see the use of Revelation at all. It is not
a reasonable act that we should make up our minds
beforehand on the kind of revelation we are " entitled
to expect." We must sit where Mary sat. The
evangelist, John, in the most clear and unequivocal
language, ascribes Supreme Divinity to Jesus Christ,
as the Word. The apostate Julian, admits this as
cription of the evangelist, as a fact which was
altogether incontrovertible ; unlike those in our own
times, who deny this vital principle. Julian, it is true,
imagined it very extraordinary, and considered John
to have been very simple for propounding such a
doctrine; it never, however, occurred to him, that John
meant any other thing but what he had said, and as
serted: that part of the question is quite a modern
discovery. The Mahometans call our Saviour Ourah
Allah — " the word of God " — and admit that he went
alive to heaven. The adoration of the magi has been
mentioned ; and the testimony of Josephus, the Jewish
historian, is equally conclusive : — " Now there was,
about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to
call him a man ,- for he was a doer of wonderful works,
a teacher of such men as receive the truth with
pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the

342
Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ.
And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal
men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those
that loved him at the first did not forsake him ; for he
appeared to them alive again the third day ; as the
divine prophets had foretold these, and ten thousand
other wonderful things concerning him. And the
tribe of christians, so named from him, are not extinct
at this day." » This is a very short, but a very impor
tant evidence. The genuineness of this passage has
been, indeed, questioned ; but it is established in the
most clear and satisfactory manner. In the Ambrosian
Library, at Milan, there is a very ancient MS. of
Josephus, on vellum, wherein this passage forms part
of the text. Thus, also, Pliny, in his celebrated letter
to the emperor, Trajan, written only eleven years after
John had, in the " Apocalypse," closed the canon of
Scripture, observes, " they (the christians,) were wont,
on a stated day, to meet together before it was light,
and to sing an hymn to Christ as to God." The
recognition of the divinity of Christ is here attested
by this profane writer in the most clear and unequi
vocal terms ; and the evidence, on all sides, appears,
to us, incontrovertible and conclusive. We cannot
imagine on what principles those, who have deter
mined to reject the capital doctrine of the divinity
of Jesus Christ, can do away with the interjection of
Thomas, whose scepticism seems to have been suffi
ciently inflexible, until convinced by irresistible evi-
1 Josephus, Book XVIII. chap. iii. sec. 3.

343
dence. To convert this exclamation into a parenthetic
subauditur, is one of the most extraordinary sophisms
we have ever met with in the whole course of our
reading ; and we think that evasion, with many others,
is very well exposed by p, writer brought up [in their
own schools, and long their zealous advocate ; but, at
length, convinced that the truth lay in the opposite
direction, he has, in his " Second Thoughts," confessed
his error, and made this expose, which does credit to
his honesty and integrity. The protomartyr, Stephen,
knew better than these new illuminati, in whom he
believed, and that Jesus Christ was able to keep
" that which was committed to him :" — " Lord Jesus,"
said the expiring martyr, in the attitude of devotion
and adoration, " receive my spirit." — " The spirit shall
return to God who gave it." John, in the Apocalypse,
had announced that Jesus Christ was the " Alpha
and the Omega," "the first and the last." As the
stream is purest the nearer we approach its fountain ;
so we find, that the early christians, who fell martyrs
to the cause, in the persecutions of pagan Rome, under
the emperors in the first and second centuries; or
those who died in "the faith once delivered to the
saints," rejoiced to echo their confidence in the notes
of the exile of Patmos. A recognition of this belief
we find often inscribed, by their surviving friends, on
their tombs, which thus remain legends as witnesses
to the truth. The following is an epitaph of this
kind, where we perceive two palm ?^rzrrrr— iTZTTx
branches, the simple emblems ot If A; po 1 1
vNTFOy VrlTAV
martyrdom, in evident allusion to ^ ^^-* x vaa. j-&/

344
Rev. vii. 9 : They "stood before the throne, and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in
their hands." This epitaph contains the name, Petronia.
Among the coins of Dr. King, in the " Nummi Fami
liar. Roman." there is one with this name in the legend,
representing a female figure with one knee bent to the
ground: it belongs to the first century. The central
monogram combines the two first letters of the Greek
name, xpistos: as X, (chi.) and P, (rho,) with A,
(alpha,) on one side; and *,, (omega,) on the other; an
evident acknowledgment of the divinity of our Saviour.
Burchardt adverts to some ruins near El Bara, on the
route from Aleppo to Damascus, full of the ruins of
cities which flourished during the lower empire. Over
a sepulchral cave was the monogram re
presented in the annexed woodcut, with A
and u. There were, he states, many of
them, but this was the best executed.
There are also sepulchral caves before the
mountain, that separates from the valley of the Orontes
near the ancient Apamea. El Bara is the most con
siderable of the whole. Burnett has stated that the
catacombs were not possessed by the christians before
the fourth century ; but this is entirely a mistake,
there is direct evidence on the tombs themselves to
prove that in the first century of the christian era,
the martyred victim reposed there. Gandentius, whose
sepulchre is numbered with the rest, suffered martyr
dom in the reign of Vespasian, and there is another.
indicating that others perished during the period when
S'irra and Senecio were consuls, that is at the com-

345
mencement of the second century, during the perse
cution of the mild and merciful and virtuous
Trajan ! These catacombs bear sad evidence of the
havoc which the demon of pagan persecution' made
among the early christians. One inscription runs
thus: 'Marcella, et Christi Martyres cccccl.'
Five hundred and fifty martyrs in one tumulus — mild
and merciful Paganism !
We have merely to add to the foregoing evidences,
that the ruin of the church erected by Jovian in
364, still bears a Greek inscription, expressive of its
dedication to Jesus Christ, as the supreme God.
We find the same recognition on the coins of Con
stantius, Magnentius, Decentius, Jovian, and
others; whereon the sacred monogram occupies the
entire field on the reverse of the coin ; and the A and »
are arranged as in our woodcut, on each side. We
are aware that Gibbon has stated, that the emperor,
Constantius, did not recognize this belief: but this
assertion is like many of his other assertions, when
the subject of Christianity is the theme, void of
truth ; for we have, in the coin of Constantius, a flat
contradiction to Gibbon's statement. The following
copy of that coin in my possession, is proof con
clusive.

From a calm and dispassionate survey of the

346
evidence on every hand, we have come to this conclu
sion ; that if there be one truth in the Scriptures more
clearly revealed than another, it is the Supreme Divinity
of Jesus Christ. The fact is decisive, whether we
reject it or not. Surely if Deity has revealed his
modus existendi to man, we may reasonably presume,
that we should find it to be something above the grasp
of a finite understanding; that a priori, we might
expect something extraordinary and wonderful, and
what reason could not be expected to penetrate. We
talk about human knowledge, and the conquests of the
understanding ; but, alas ! how helpless are these, when
concentrated on that wonderful, one word — Jehovah.
We consider that his name is, what he announced it to
be, secret; and are fully confident, that Paul was
right when he said, " Great is the mystery of godliness,
God manifested in the flesh." It is true Socinians
have charged upon us a creed of their own fabrication ;
but we do not acknowledge it, namely, that three are
one, and one is three. All that we say is simply this :
we believe that God exists, in the modus which he
has announced in the Scriptures ; and, that he may be
three in a sense altogether different from that in
which he is one. Now this is the extent of our belief
on this all important question ; and, we further main
tain that this is not contrary to reason ; and moreover
contend that there is all the difference in the world
between what transcends the limited powers of reason,
and what is contrary to it. We have already stated,
that reason is neither infinite nor yet possessed of all
knowledge; and, if this is granted, and granted it

347
must be on the soundest axioms of inductive science,
then, we deny that it has a right to assume the pre
rogative of Deity, and impugn the doctrine, that God
cannot exist under that form in which he has certainly
declared, in our opinion, he does exists, in that very
volume which they, too, affect to receive as a Revelation
from God.
Among the numerous extraordinary phenomena of
Socinianism, two circumstances are worthy of a passing
notice. We had supposed that the great distinguish
ing characteristic of the scriptures, was their immuta
bility ; that they did not change with the seasons, or
with changing man; nay, in our simplicity, we had
concluded that this feature was essential to the charac
ter of truth. It appears, however, that their
improved version of the " New Testament," in the
several editions it has passed through, has actually
changed its hues like the chameleon. Let the first and
last " editions " be compared. This variability belongs
not to truth, the standard of which, in its very nature,
is without change. The other remarkable feature in
this modern religion, is the incessant acclamation that
follows, when it can number among its neophytes indi
viduals a little elevated above the common walks of in
tellect. Now, looking first at the genius of Christianity,
and then on such a line of conduct, we must say, the
contrast is very striking ; and would raise in our minds
strong suspicions and distrust, that, by whatever name
it might be called, it cannot be the religion of Jesus
Christ ; because, the poor were especially remembered,
formed its chief excellence, and were the loveliest gem

348
in its coronet — a feature which was, " to the Jews, a
stumbling block, and to the Greeks, foolishness."
This conduct wears, in our estimation, the same livery
of pride, which, when the Redeemer was at the feast
of Tabernacles, eagerly asked "have any of the
RULERS OR THE PHARISEES BELIEVED ON HIM?"
The opinions and sentiments of Paul, who gloried in
the "atonement," and that divine righteousness which
made it the pearl of great price, were as opposed to the
new discoveries, which Socinianism has made in these
latter times, as light is to darkness. No marvel, then,
that her votaries should have done the utmost to
depreciate the talents and discrimination of the " great
apostle of the Gentiles." That fine genius had always
been celebrated, both as a rhetorician and logician,
and been cited and appealed to in all ages, as affording
splendid examples of both : the remarkable discovery
was made, however, a few years ago, that they and we
had been altogether mistaken; and that Paul was
neither the one nor the other. This astounding dis
covery is an emanation from the schools of Socinian
ism. Announcements like these, they may be well
assured, are startling; and perplexing to the disciple
in his search after truth.
In reference to the disputed verse, 1 John v. 7, 1 am
free to confess that I think its authenticity is suffi
ciently obvious from the congruity of its connexion,
and that its removal would destroy the chain of con
tinuity, and leave a hiatus. However, it had been
asserted that no MS. copies anterior to the tenth con-
tury contained the verse. We are, therefore, much

349
indebted to Dr. Wiseman for introducing two important
documents connected with the question, namely, the
Santa Cava and Santa Croce MSS. The Santa Cava
is a MS. of the Vulgate, at the very least three cen
turies anterior to the age of the rejection of the verse
by its adversaries. It is of the seventh, if not the
sixth century, and contains the verse.
The Santa Croce MS. is an ecclesiastical treatise, in
all probability, of an African writer of the fourth
century, who quotes the verse as admitted and authen
ticated, in verification of the doctrines of the Trinity.
The character is uncial and square, and written on
vellum. Dr. W. gives a fac-simile of the verse as
quoted in the MS.a
As to the personal appearance of the Son of God,
in his humanity, there has been some contention ; and
tradition has not been idle. We think it by no means
improbable, that some of the early Jewish converts
might be desirous to possess a memorial of their
Lord, in a medal which might bear an impress of his
" visage ; " and, that such medals did exist, though
both Celsus and Origen might be ignorant of them.
In these remote periods, even in the paintings and
sculptures of Thebes, much more in those of Greece
and Rome, their statues and pictures were correct like
nesses, and were multiplied without reserve. Besides,
there was another source which might supply such a
medal, altogether irrespective of the early christians.
Scarcely an event occurred, of great moment, that was
' ' Two Letters,' &c, Rome, 1835.

350
not commemorated on a coin or medal. So remarkable
a history of events as those which occurred in Judea,
would not pass by, we may be perfectly sure, without
some such commemoration. It is highly probable,
that the governor of Judea would send to Tiberius,
and the Roman senate, a representation of the illustri
ous individual who was the author of that "new
religion," which, according to their own account, had
" turned the world upside down." A series of such
medals, from which we might be able to draw some
definite conclusion, on a subject certainly curious,
would be interesting. In Plate III. fig. 27, is a correct
representation, from a cast in our possession, taken by
a friend from a bronze medal in the Ashmole Library,
at Oxford. On the obverse, on the collar, is the word
Messias; and, on the reverse, the words may, per
haps, be rendered. " Nought can be ascribed to thee,
O ! Elohim, of the fiery indignation which covered
him." In Plate I. fig. 1, is a fac-simile from a silver
medal, in the same library, from a cast also in our
possession, and obtained at the same time with the
other: it may be compared with that of Plate III.
fig. 26, and our woodcut — the absence of the nimbus,
or halo, which encircled the heads of saints in the
seventh century, affords some presumption of its
priority to that period. Fig. 26, Plate III., is a
faithful copy of an antique brass medal found near
Cork, in 1812, on the site of an ancient monastery,
contemporaneous with the introduction of Christianity
into Ireland : on the obverse, the first letter of the
Hebrew alphabet is interesting. Some have consi-

351
dered, that aleph, here, is to be considered a numeral,
and may denote that it was struck in the first year after
the resurrection ; and the letters on the other side, to
be the Hebrew name for Jesus. A friend of ours,
however, objects to this partition of the letters, and ob
serves, that it is the very word by which, according to
ancient prophecy, God was to be known in Gospel-
times ; namely, Ishi. This solution seems at once
interesting and satisfactory. Different translations
have been published in Mr. England's ingenious pam
phlet, descriptive of the Cork medal. We submitted
this, as well as our own cast, to our friend, who is
better conversant in Hebrew than we pretend to be :
the first part of the legend on the field of the reverse,
he reads "Messiah, (or Christ,) the King, came in
peace;" and this seems to be the concurrent reading
of the numerous scholars to whom the medal has been
submitted. In our cast, the latter half, on the reverse,
our friend translates, " And man, man was made life :"
thus corresponding with Hottinger's silver medal. It
would appear, however, that some copies read, " And
God man was made life;" which is, perhaps, the
original reading : some copies have, " And light from
man was made life." The latter part of the Cork
medal, our ingenious correspondent thinks, may be
translated, " And the mighty man was made life."
Dr. Walsh gives us, in his Essay on Early Coins
and Medals, a representation of a similar medal, ob
tained from a Polish Jew, at Rostoc, in Germany.
Rowland, in his " Mona Antiqua," 1702, has described
a similar medal, and given a sketch of it. This medal

352
was found at the ancient druidical circle of Brin-gwin.
There are, however, no letters on the obverse; and
the legend on the reverse, is considerably different.
The celebrated medal, we have thus imperfectly describ
ed, has been the subject of curious research among anti
quarians for three hundred years. It was seen by
Theseus Ambrosius, at Rome, in the pontificate of
Julius II, the predecessor of Leo X. It was even
then considered an object of interest and curiosity.
It is interesting to consider this medal in connexion
with the celebrated letter of Lentulus to Tiberius
and the Roman senate, with which description it
seems remarkably to correspond. In rejecting docu
ments such as these, we may be guilty of an
unwarrantable scepticism. We do not see why this
should not have been taken ; but we see many reasons to
believe that such a representation of the Saviour might
have been copied. Mr. Bagster, to whose valuable
Biblical publications the world is so much indebted, has
published a beautiful print, on steel, from a piece of
ancient tapestry, in his possession, being a profile of our
Saviour, said to have been taken from an emerald,
once in the treasury of Constantinople, and given as a
ransom for the emperor's brother, taken captive by the
Christians. Mr. Martin has copied this, on a very
reduced scale, for our title page, from Mr. Bagster's
print. I have the original tapestry from which the
medallion in the title page was copied. It is highly
finished with worsted, the thread is single, and it is
undoubtedly of great antiquity. There are other
medals with the Saviour's portrait ; such as that of

353
Basilius and Constantinus, and some subsequent to
these ; but those which have obtained our more espe
cial notice, we presume, may justly claim a much
higher antiquity. The correspondence, &c, with
Abgarus, the king of Edessa, are of a more doubtful
character. In Plate III. fig. 28, we give a facsimile of the
reverse of a very rare and valuable medal of Tiberius,
for which we are indebted to the friendly courtesy of
H. H. Williamson, Esq., of Greenway Bank, (New
castle, Staffordshire,) in whose interesting collection
of coins and medals it is. This medal, all antiqua
rians agree, was struck by Tiberius upon the event
of the destruction of the thirteen cities of Asia, by the
earthquake which took place at the time of our Sa
viour's crucifixion. On the obverse, is the head of
Drusus, without laurel, and the legend, "Nero Clau
dius Drusus Germanicus Imp." On the reverse,
Nero Claudius Drusus is seen robed, sitting in a curule
chair, with various spoils disposed around him ; holding
in his right hand a branch, and in his left a scroll of
parchment. The legend on the reverse, is "Ti.
Claudius Caesar Aug. P. M. T. R. P. Imp. P. P."
This medal is so extremely rare, that Matthew Dean,
Esq., Dr. Mead, Snelling, and others, valued it at
twenty pounds ; or, at the option of the possessor.
Some suppose that the earthquake, which took place
at the Saviour's crucifixion, was felt over all the
world- — a supposition extremely probable : others confine
it to the land of Judea. Dreadful must have been the
convulsion which rent the veil of the temple from top

354
to bottom — a fact mentioned by Josephus. The veil
of the temple was rent in the presence, most probably,
of the high priest, who offered incense in the holy
place. The evening sacrifice was offered at the ninth
hour, when the Saviour, the great sacrifice, expired
on the cross. St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, says, that the
rocks of Mount Calvary, which were rent by this
earthquake, were still evident and pointed out in his
time. Dr. Clarke, and others, also remark, that the
rock reveals the rents occasioned by the earthquake
that shook the foundations of Zion, on the great day
of atonement, when the humanity of the " Son of
God " expired a sacrifice for many. Orosius considers
this earthquake to have been the very same which
overturned the twelve cities of Sardis, Magnesia,
Masthene, iEge, Hierocaesaria, Philadelphia, Temolus,
Cyma, Myrinia, Apollonia, and Hyrcania; to which
Eusebius adds Ephesus. Pliny and Strabo describe
this earthquake to have been the most dreadful ever
felt. Suetonius, referring to the cities destroyed by
the earthquake, and the completion of their being
rebuilt, &c, by Vespasian, ^observes, "Plurimas per
totum orbem civitates terrae motu aut incendio afflictas
restituit in melius." a Tiberius began to reign, A. D.
14, and died A. D. 37, or four years subsequent to the
resurrection of Christ. At the period of this earth
quake he must have been 73 years old; and the
appearance of the head, on the obverse of the medal,
(the reverse of which we have given,) is that of age.
1 Suetonius in Vesq. VI, 17.

355
It may be also stated, that there were other medals
struck, in acknowledgement of the care which Tiberius
took in rebuilding the cities of Asia, destroyed by this
earthquake. On the obverse, the emperor is represent
ed sitting in a curule chair, as in the one given, with
the legend Civitatibus Asi^e Restitutis ; and, on
the reverse, the legend merely — Tiberius Caesar Divi
Aug. Filius Augustus. Pont. Max. Trie. Pot. xxi.
The following is the obverse of the coin referred to,
from my own cabinet.

The event of a dreadful earthquake is thus attested ;
and this is the only period to which we can reasonably
refer this earthquake. Tiberius died four years sub
sequent to the crucifixion of our Saviour; and we
nowhere read of the destruction of the cities of Asia
prior to this dreadful tragedy. From combined testi
mony — Christian, Jewish, and Pagan — a terrible
earthquake occurred at the crucifixion : the rocks were
convulsed and torn ; the veil of the temple of Jerusalem
was rent in twain ; and thirteen of the finest cities of
Asia, overturned. We also collect, from Pagan autho-
z 2

356
rities, that the loss of life was great, because the
earthquake occurred when it was dark. If the preter
natural darkness extended over the eastern hemisphere
— and it is likely it would extend as far as the effects
of the earthquake were felt in Asia, at any rate — there
is a curious circumstantial corroboration of the event.
It was at the ninth hour, or three o'clock in the after
noon, when our Saviour said, "It is finished;" and
" cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost : " at
this moment the earth shuddered, and nature heaved
in agony. In Matthew xxviii. 2, it is stated, that
there had been a great earthquake. That there was
darkness over all the land, and a great earthquake, is
also recorded by Phlegon, the Tralian, freeman to
Adrian. Tralium was not far from Palestine: and
when one of the oracles was consulted on the subject
of this darkness, it is recorded to have replied — ¦
" Either the God of nature is suffering, or he sympa
thizes with one who does." Why did the sun put on
such deep mourning — an eclipse which the heavens
had never witnessed before? Why did the temple
tremble, and an invisible hand rend the veil which
concealed the " Holy of holies ?" Why did the
earth rock so dreadfully? Let the centurian, and
they who are with him, give their evidence: "Truly
this was the Son of God."
I have already remarked that infidels from every
caste and grade in literature and science have com
bined their efforts to uproot the ' branch of renown,'
and they could not have been more assiduous and
untiring in their labours, had it been to destroy an

357
upas tree, whose malignant atmosphere threatened to
extinguish a world. I know not a single branch of
human knowledge that has not supplied its adversaries
to the Truth of Revelation. The aspect of these
enemies is diversified — " non ominbus fades una; nee
tamen diversa," but their aim and object are one.
Some have made their insiduous attacks under the
plausible pretence that truth was their motive, while
others have not been able to conceal a savage malig
nity, which betrayed the incarnation of a fiend.
Champions, however, to the cause of truth, have
sprung up from the same ranks that supplied the
traitors, as in the natural world, the bane and anti
dote are sometimes found to grow together. Thus,
Truth has triumphed over the missiles of error and
the ¦ evil one.'
The reality of the Saviour's death has been denied
by the infidel German school, though the reality of
our Saviour's life has not been questioned. Indeed,
the fact questioned pre-supposes this, otherwise, on
their own grounds, they are tilting with a shadow,
and combating a nonentity. The counter physiological
observations in this controversy, do not appear to me
so forcible, as they are certainly susceptible of; and
indeed, I am decidedly of opinion, that the objections
of these pseudo-physiologists are puny and contemp
tible. Waiving all allusion to the commentaries of the genuine
friends of science and Christianity, I shall state what
appears to me as positive demonstration, founded on
the principles of modern science, and deduced from the

358
internal evidence supplied by the narrative itself.
That the soldier's spear pierced the Saviour's heart
— a wound necessarily mortal, even if death had not *
previously taken place — I cannot doubt; the sharp
and bitter cry of agony which preceded, is, how
ever, sufficient proof of a fatal collapse. Let it
be remembered that the Roman spear tapered to
a point, and must have been plunged to its hilt to
produce that horrid gash into which the incredulous
Thomas might ' thrust his hand.' But there is much
more in the physiology of the case to prove to positive
demonstration the absolute certainty of death. During
life, a halitus, or vapour, surrounds the region of the
heart, which condenses into a liquid form, as soon as
death supervenes. Now the Evangelist informs us,
that ¦ blood and water ' issued, when the Roman spear
was plunged by a Roman arm into the Saviour's side —
and "he that saw it, bare record." We certainly
know that blood soon coagulates, but the condensation
of the halitus, on the principles of latent caloric, would,
by the increment of temperature, or sensible heat
simultaneously developed, tend to preserve the blood
in immediate contact, in a fluid form, while it proves
that the 'blood and water' issued directly from the
pericardium, or region of the heart. This accidental
or undesigned observation, therefore, thus recorded by
the Evangelist, determines beyond all cavil or contro
versy, the reality of the Redeemer's death.
Plato and his disciples believed that impersonated
virtue, excellence, and truth, would be admired and
venerated, while Socrates, on the other hand, believed

359
that it would be persecuted even to death and
crucifixion. The doctrines of Christianity do not come within
the pale of our present design. Their motto is ex
pressed in that which was inscribed on the mitre of
the high priest. In the mirror of Christianity we at
once see what manner of persons we are, and what
manner of persons we ought to be. The celestial sign,
which we read on heaven's escutcheon, is, God is love.
It realizes the prophetic scene in the valley of vision ;
and, like a fibre placed under the prismatic spectrum,
glows in a vesture of the beautiful tint which falls
upon it. In a Persian proverb, a piece of scented clay
is made to say — "I was a despicable piece of clay;
but I was, sometime, in the company of the rose."
Just so is it with human nature, when under the influ
ence of Christianity, and its spirit is imbibed.
As our volume will close with a few attestations to
the value of the Scriptures, on the part of its friends, it
may not be amiss to finish this chapter with evidence
from some of its bitterest and most malignant enemies,
extorted from them by the force of truth.
1. Rousseau. " The religion of Christ has
brought morality to greater purity and perfection, than
ever it was advanced by all the philosophers and sages
of antiquity. The majesty of the scriptures strikes me
with admiration. Is it possible that the sacred person
age, whose history it contains, should himself be a
mere man ? "
2. Bolingbroke. "The gospel of Christ is one

360
continued lecture of the strictest morality, of justice,
benevolence, and universal charity."
3. Gibbon. "Our curosity is naturally prompted
to inquire by what means the christian faith hath ob
tained so remarkable a victory over the established
religions of the east ? To this inquiry an obvious and
satisfactory answer may be returned, that it was owing
to the convincing evidence of the doctrine itself, and
to the ruling Providence of its great Author."
4. Lord Herbert. " Christianity is the best of
all religions."
5. Lord Byron. " If a man was ever God, or
God man, Jesus Christ was both."
6. Lord Rochester, (laying his hand on the
bible,) " The only grand objection to this book is a
bad life."
7. Adam Smith. " The doctrines of Revelation
coincide in every respect with the original anticipations
of nature; and as they teach us how little we can
depend on the imperfection of our own virtue, so they
show us, at the same time, that the most powerful
intercession has been made, and that the most dreadful
atonement has been paid for our manifold transgres
sions and iniquities."

CHAPTER XV.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES — THE
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS VESPASIAN— CON
CLUSION.
The Acts of the Apostles appear to have been
written by the evangelist, Luke ; and this treatise, as
well as his gospel, seems to have been dedicated to
Theophilus. It is likely that this was the real name
of an individual, and not assumed. There is a coin,
bearing this very name, ©eo$iae, which literally signi
fies a lover of God. It is our intention — since this
book of "The Acts" is an historical detail, and thus
susceptible of proof, from the kind of evidence which
forms our more immediate design — to offer for consider
ation, a few facts by way of illustration. In chap. xi.
26, it is stated, that "the disciples were called chris
tians first in Antioch." This interesting connexion
of the christian name with Antioch, reminds us of a
beautiful expression made use of by the apostle:
" which hope we have, as an anchor of the soul, sure
and steadfast, entering into that within the veil." It
seems to us, extremely probable, that the expression
has an allusion to the armorial ensign of Antioch,
(" cujus fuit anchora signum.") The anchor, on Selu-
cian medals, marks the coins struck at Antioch, where

362
an anchor was said to have been found on digging the
first foundation of the city. Among the symbols,
which are few and simple, that appear on the tombs
of the early christians, the anchor is most conspicuous.
This and a branch of palm ; an olive-wreath, and a
lamp, seem to have completed — with the sacred mono
gram, expressive of the name of Christ, combined
with the alpha and omega — all the affecting emblems
which decorated their "narrow house." Such was "the
faith once delivered to the saints." This faith was
the anchor of their hope — the palm of victory over
" the last enemy : " their olive branch of peace — the
lamp of their path. They believed that Jesus Christ
was their alpha and their omega ; and their faith
rested in confidence on his assurance : " Because I
live, ye shall live also." We confess that we are
charmed with the silent eloquence of these simple but
expressive symbols.
In Acts xiii. 7, it is stated, that Barnabas and Paul
found favour with Sergius Paulus, who is called deputy
of the isle of Paphos or Cyprus. Proclus succeeded
Sergius Paulus as proconsul in the government of the
island ; and a coin, bearing the name of Proclus, has
been discovered with the very word, ANeynATOs, deputy,
which had been applied by Paul to Sergius Paulus.
It is stated in chap. xvi. 12, that the apostle went
from Neapolis " to Philippi, which is the chief city of
that part of Macedonia, and a colony ; " or rather, as
it might be more correctly translated, " Philippi, a city
of the first part of Macedonia, or Macedonia prima."
It appears, that under the Roman government, Mace-

363
donia was divided into several provinces, (at least
four.) I now give a fac-simile of a Greek tetradrachm
in my cabinet, bearing the words makeaonon opoths, or

Macedonia prima. On some others, the word koaonia
occurs, and this is in precise conformity with the sacred
text. By the evidence derived from a coin, it appears
that Julius Caesar bestowed the privileges peculiar to
a Roman colony, on the city of Philippi. In this city,
we are told in a subsequent verse, that the apostles
found Lydia, a " seller of purple," and who is described
to have been, originally, of " the city of Thyatira." It
is a curious circumstance, that among the ruins of
Thyatira, an inscription has been found with the
words oi baoeis, or the dyers, referring to the art of
dyeing purple, as forming a branch of commerce in the
city of Thyatira. The double dyed purple of Tyre,
called dibapha, was a very costly affair. A pound of
this precious dye could not be bought for one thousand
denarii, or more than thirty pounds sterling. When
we take into consideration, the length of the imperial
robes and mantles, they must have been very expen
sive. It would hence seem that Lydia must have
possessed considerable resources, to have maintained
such an expensive branch of art, and therefore of some
consideration in the city of Philippi.

364
In the nineteenth chapter we have an account of a
singular tumult at Ephesus, raised at the instigation of
Demetrius, a silversmith, and "the craftsmen" of that
celebrated city, who seem to have reaped considerable
emolument by supplying "silver shrines" for the temple
of the Paphian goddess ; whom, it was said, " Asia,
and all the world worshipped." An outcry was made
against the apostles, for bringing their goddess into
disrepute, or rather, doubtless, the "craft by which
they had their wealth." Amid this confusion, in order
to appease the populace, the town clerk proclaimed,
that every body knew that Ephesus was "a worshipper"
(rather nehkopon — a distinction assumed by several
cities,) " of the great goddess, Diana." We give the
fac-simile of a coin of Ephesus, bearing the precise
word used by Luke, and which may be translated
temple-keeper, or sacristan.

When Paul had returned from Asia to Jerusalem, he
had nearly become the victim of popular fury. Being
led into "the castle," he prefaced his defence by
stating, that he was " a Jew of Tarsus, a city in
Cilicia — a citizen of no mean city." We have given a
coin of Tarsus ; and it bears sufficient evidence, from
the architecture of the structure represented on it, and
its designation of a metropolis, that it must have been
a city of considerable distinction. Other coins, too,

365
afford palpable proof, that the fine arts, here, must
have been considerably advanced. The coins of Tarsus
are remarkable, according to Froelick,
for a kind of perspective in the figures
represented. We have incidental proofs
in Paul's writings, that he was a native
of Cilicia, from peculiar provincialisms
of expression, called Cilicisms. There is a remark,
connected with the " great apostle of the Gentiles,"
which may be made in reference to an observation
recorded in chap. xxii. 25, 28, wherein Paul claimed
the privileges of a Roman citizen, being a native of
Tarsus : — " The chief captain answered, With a great
sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, I was
free born." It is worthy of notice, here, that among
the Roman colonies some had jus civitatis, the right
of Roman citizens. Pliny calls Tarsus a free city ;
and Dion Cassius says, its inhabitants were friendly to
Julius Caesar ; and on his account, to Augustus.
Tarsus, the metropolis of Cilicia, was three hundred
miles distant from Jerusalem. It was a Roman muni-
cipium, a privilege bestowed on it by the two first
emperors of Rome, for its attachment to the Caesars on
the rebellion of Crassus. According to Dion Cassius,
this privilege, " which had formerly been bought at a
great price, became so cheap, at last, that it was com
monly said, a man might be made a Roman citizen for
a few pieces of broken glass."
We have next to direct attention to the adventure
which followed Paul's shipwreck on the island of
Malta, or Melita ; and now give an ancient coin I
have of that island, in illustration. On the obverse

366

is the representation of Isis, wherein the Egyptian
contour of visage is sufficiently marked ; the emblems
are those of Isis. On the reverse, we have an Egyptian
figure, with a flagellum and sickle : all which shews,
in a way sufficiently clear, the source of their mytho
logy. When the viper fastened on Paul's hand, the
people of the island seem to have expected, from the
virulence of this deadly reptile, that " he should have
swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly ;" and it was
observed by them, " no doubt this man is a murderer,
whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance
suffereth not to live." In their view of it, Isis had
sent her avenger, the asp, (which is often associated
with her,) to take vengeance on the criminal. " When
they saw, however, no harm come to him, they changed
their minds, and said, he was a god." He had thus
shewn, that he defied the vengeance of Isis, and con
sequently was superior to their goddess. This seems,
we think, a simple and obvious solution. When the
disciples received their commission from Jesus
Christ, it was promised them, that " no deadly thing"
should have power to hurt them. Death almost imme
diately follows the wound inflicted by some venomous
serpents — such as the tic polonga.
In 2 Cor. xi. 32, it is stated, that " in Damascus,
the governor, under Aretas the king, kept the city of

367

the Damascenes with a garrison." We give a fac-simile
of a coin of Damascus, on which this very name occurs
as the king. The word, <j>iaeaahno2, j^=»
we may suppose, refers to his attach
ment to the Helenistic Jews, which

may be inferred from his anxiety to m |
apprehend Paul. If, however, the .«&

letters a p, are to be considered as 1
indicating the date, and to be calculated from the era
of the Seleucidae, it must be 160 A. C. This, however,
is an unsettled point ; and it suffices us to know, that
there were several kings of Damascus of this- name.
I have two silver denarii; on one of these is rex
aretas, and represented in the woodcut. A suppliant
has alighted from a dromedary, and is presenting an
olive branch. On the other is the name Bacchius,
with similar accompaniments. In the Maccabees II.
chap. 5, we find mention is made of 'Aretas, king of
the Arabians,' before whom Jason was accused, A. C.
1 70. Mention is also made of a general of the name
of ' Bocohides,' who was sent up against Judah and
Jerusalem, A. C. 161. The 'Maccabees'
were extant in Jerome's time, in Chaldee,
and afterwards translated into Greek.
Though not canonical, the book is inte
resting as an historical document. In connexion
with Damascus, we may quote the following remark,
from a modern, traveller : "In the city of Damascus,
there is a street still called Straight, and where Paul
is, with reason, said to have lived. It is entered by
the road from Jerusalem. It is as straight as an
arrow, a mile in length, broad, and well paved."

368
From the Mount of Olives, our Saviour, on a memo
rable occasion, "beheld the city of Jerusalem, and
wept over it." He had already foretold, that there
should "not be left one stone upon another that should
not be thrown down." How literally that event was
verified in the destruction of Jerusalem, by Titus
Vespasian, history proclaims, and existing monuments
record. This terrible calamity, both Tacitus and Jose
phus have described ; and the Arch of Titus, at Rome,
of which the following woodcut is a representation,
still affords, in its falling splendour, a memorial to the
truth of this fact.

Arrr^T'.r • -'•.flsiiffls -XW

369
In Plate II. fig. 13, is a copy from the bas reliefs,
with which it is decorated : our figure is copied from
" The Architectural Remains of Rome." This trium
phal arch of Titus, designed to commemorate the
taking of Jerusalem, was erected on the via sacra,
which commenced at the Circus Maximus, and extended
to the Capitol. The sides of the arch-way are deco
rated by bas reliefs: on the south side is seen the
triumphant entry into Rome; and on the opposite
side is shewn the procession of captive Jews, "with
staves in their hands," bearing the spoils of the temple
of Jerusalem: the golden candlestick, with its
seven branches ; the golden table, and the cen
ser; the silver trumpets, &c. There can be no
doubt that these are exact representations of the sacred
furniture of the temple, and also complete models of
those which decorated the tabernacle in the wilderness,
agreeably to the " pattern shewed in the mount."
The following is a copy of the ' golden candlestick,'
insulated from the group.

a a

370
At Djenash, according to Burchardt, a high column
stands with a shorter one ; the architrave over the latter
reposes on a projecting bracket, worked into the shaft
of the higher one. Among the ruins of ' Kanout,' are
several towers with two stories, upon arches, standing
insulated. A peculiarity in the structure of its walls,
as seen at ' Hait,' and afterwards met with, is, that
the stones are cut so as to dovetail, and fit very closely.
The woodcut represent these, and may
tend to illustrate some of the descrip
tive parts of the structure of the temple,
as pourtrayed in the scriptures. In Plate
I. fig. 3, is a fac-simile of a fine "Judea
capta," in my possession. On the obverse, is the head
of Vespasian ; and on the reverse, the captive " daugh
ter of Zion," weeping beneath the palm-tree; with
emblems of the captive spoils of Judea. The following
is a fac-simile from a silver denarius of
Vespasian, also in my cabinet, illustrative
of the capture of Judea; and still more
literally expressive of the attitude of grief,
and of the language of the prophet : " She being deso
late, shall sit upon the ground." * " How is she become
as a widow ! she that was great among the nations,
princess among the provinces, how is she become tri
butary! "b
Let it not be presumed that these great events were
done in a corner. No : they embraced a wide sphere :
— Galilee, Judea, Decapolis, Idumea, and from beyond
a Isaiah, iii. 26. « Lamentations, i. 1.

371
Jordan; from Tyre and Sidori. Among the many
books which have perished amidst the wreck of time,
it is rather wonderful that so much has been preserved.
Justin Martyr, about one hundred years after the cru
cifixion, in his dispute with Crescens, appeals to the
acts of Pontius Pilate, in reference to the sufferings
and death of Christ. About fifty years afterwards,
Tertullian tells the governor of Rome, that Tiberius
had received from Palestine, in Syria, an account of
Jesus Christ, and had not only protected the chris
tians, but would have enshrined him among the deities,
had not the senate refused their consent. Severus,
also, wished to enrol Jesus Christ among his gods.
Tertullian was deeply conversant with the Roman laws,
and no stranger to the records of imperial Rome.
The census, ordered by Augustus Caesar, is men
tioned by Tacitus, Suetonius, and Dion Cassius. The
new star is recorded by Chalcidius. The slaughter of
innocents, by Herod, is adverted to by Macrobius.
Celsus admits that our Saviour had been in Egypt.
Tacitus records that Pontius Pilate was governor of
Judea, and that our Saviour was accused before him,
condemned, and crucified, That many miraculous
cures were performed by Christ, is a fact confessed
by Julian, Porphyr, and Hierocles. That our Saviour
foretold things that came to pass, is attested by
Phlegon. Other facts, and circumstances of a similar
kind, we have already stated.
It is as false to say, that Christianity rose in a dark
age, as to assert, that none but ignorant individuals
embraced the cause. Many there were, no doubt, who

372
"knew not the wrath of Achilles;" but, there were
also numbers who were as distinguished in rank as
they were in the literature and science of the age:
Aristides, the Athenian sage, embraced Christianity,
convinced of its numerous attestations and overpower
ing truth. Joseph, of Arimathea, was a member of
the Jewish sanhedrin ; Nicodemus, too, was ar ulerof
the Jews ; Dionysius was of the Areopagus, the high
court of Athens ; and Flavius Clemens, was a member
of the Roman senate; and before he died, consul of
Rome. Tertullian manfully told the Roman governors,
that their corporations, councils, armies, tribes, compa
nies — the palace, the senate, and the bar — were filled
with christians ; and Arnobius asserts, that men of the
first-rate talents, orators, grammarians, rhetoricians,
lawyers, physicians, and philosophers, turned from
paganism to embrace the standard of the cross. Qua
dratus, who was converted to Christianity, was a cele
brated Athenian philosopher, and observes, that ' those
whom our Saviour raised and healed, were not only
seen while he himself was on earth, but survived after
his departure out of this world ; nay,' added he, ' some
of them were living in our days.' Tertullian and
Arnobius assert the conversion of multitudes of learned
men from a conviction of the truth on evidence then
in their reach, and from personal knowledge.
We have a long and unbroken chain of evidence,
which connects John, the divine, with Constantine:
nor have we the loss of one link to lament. John
lived till 100; Polycarp, his disciple, lived till 167;
Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, lived till 202.

373
These suffered the martyr's fate ; when Origen sprung
up in the christian school of Alexandria, and " fought
the good fight of faith," till 254. Numerous and
diversified streams issued from these fountains of
truth; and the tide swelled onward, in irresistible
grandeur. This condensed summary may suffice ; and when all
circumstances are considered, it is extraordinary that
even so much evidence should have been left on record
in the annals of pagan Rome; for, we find that the
most memorable circumstances have often been passed
over by the ancients with the most unaccountable
indifference, even in the works of the more enlightened
periods. Pliny makes no mention whatever, of the
destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii — large and
populous cities. Even Tacitus merely glances at the
event in these words : " Haustae aut obrutae urbes " —
cities were consumed or buried. Suetonius is silent as
to the cities, though the eruption is incidentally men
tioned. Martial has a slight allusion to them; and
Dion Cassius, about one hundred and fifty years after
Pliny, adverts to the traditional account of them. " A
multitude of things," says Montfaucon, "are daily found
out, which have been hitherto unobserved and not
mentioned; such as the temple of Mithras, in the
Viminal vale, of which not one word is met with
in authors."
In reference to the facts of Christianity, we can
cite, as testimony, the following profane writers,
whom, by a strange perversion of reason, some may
consider as more substantial than the evidence of what

374
they designate interested witnesses. We appeal, there
fore, to Tacitus, Martial, Juvenal, Suetonius,
Pliny, Adrian, Xiphilinus, Lucian, Dion Cassius,
Celsus, Porphyry, and Julian. As to the precepts
of the christian religion, we have the Book itself, and
surely can, with our enlightened judgment, form a
more accurate opinion than such as were plunged in
the vortex of idolatry and superstition, and over whom
it had just dawned in all its overpowering splendour.
Besides, we have had the "experience" of ages, and
the lapse of eighteen centuries. We have already
cited the evidence of enemies. Nothing can be more
certain than these things, though some might wish
them untrue ; but to set about to deny them, is as
absurd as to call in question any physical truth which
the senses have attested, though there have been some
sufficiently insane to deny their own existence. To
reason with such aberrations of intellect, would be just
as foolish as whistling a lullaby to the winds. To
those who imagine that there may be, after all, some
thing in Hume's designing artifice, and cunning
sophistry, though they may be unable to comprehend
it, we can safely recommend to their perusal an excel
lent pamphlet, entitled " Historic doubts relative to
Napoleon Buonaparte." Perhaps Walpole's ' Histo
ric doubts on the Life and Reign of Richard III.,' may
have suggested this ingenious work, which we have
been informed is the production of Dr. Whately, the
present archbishop of Dublin. Some years ago, I
translated a little work from the French, entitled
" Napoleon never existed," an admirable expose of

375
Dupuis' " Origine de tous les cultes," who in his rhapso
dies, has dared with rare effrontery, to consider Chris
tianity a mythological fable.
Few events have been more celebrated than the
vision of Constantine, on the Milvian bridge, before
his memorable battle with Maxentius. Eusebius
relates the circumstance as verified by the personal
communication of the emperor himself to the historian.
Constantine was marching with his troops against
Maxentius, and had prayed to heaven for direction,
when he saw, soon after mid-day, a large luminous
cross in the heavens, directly over the sun, with these
words on it — tovto. nika — in hoc vince : "By this
conquer." Such is the vision as detailed by Constan
tine. Whatever opinion may be formed on the subject,
it is, at any rate, certain, that at this period he re
nounced idolatry, embraced the christian religion, and
had a particular standard made for the use of his army:
thenceforth called the labarum. The* first standard
of this kind was formed of costly materials : Eusebius,
who saw it, gives a minute account of it : the sacred
monogram of Christ was emblazoned on the field:
the ensign consisted of a long spear, richly gilt, with
a cross bar, also gilt : from the point of this spear rose
a crown or coronet, of gold and precious stones; from
each end of the cross bar was also suspended a kind
of small flag, or tassel, of superb workmanship, adorned
with gold and costly gems, of indescribable beauty ;
these tassels were each of the same length with the
cross bar, and with the monogram, the latter being
enclosed between them as in the midst of a square

376
area. This description is, doubtless, correct. t In
Plate III. fig. 29, is the reverse of one of the coins
of Constantine, in which is represented the sacred
standard, and fig. 30 represents the Labarum carried
before the emperor, Jovian, who is seated on horseback,
pointing to it as his pioneer, followed by a victory.
There still exists, in the island of Corfu, represented
in Plate I. fig. 5, the front of a temple erected for
christian worship by the emperor Jovian, two hundred
and sixty-four years after the canon of scripture was
closed, with a Greek inscription still remaining, to
commemorate the event.
The radiance of Christianity sheds a glow of beauty
on the objects upon which it falls, but can acquire
lustre from none. It shines not by a reflected splen
dour, for it is illuminated by the Sun of Righteousness ;
and by that Light have the wisest and best men walked
safely, adored its source, and acknowledged its guidance;
and though these lessons of immortality can receive no
ornament from the most magnificent genius, or the
most gifted mind, in any age ; we shall add the senti
ments of a few distinguished writers in reference to
the scriptures — 'not for the purpose of sustaining the
pillars of truth : these pillars rest on " the rock of
ages," for truth requires no adventitious aid. We do
it to confront the infidel on the basis of literature and
science. What, we ask, has a Mirabeau, or a Con
dorcet ; a Volney, or a Voltaire ; a Hume, or a Gibbon,
done to benefit or bless mankind, apart from self, and
irrespective of the meteor, fame? Shall we contrast
these with the names of Bacon, Newton, Milton,

377
Bqyle, Wren, Addison, Johnson, Hale, Howard,
Good, Jenner, Locke, Grotius^ Erskine,^ Jones,
Scott, Lyttelton, West, Abercrombie, Hailes,
— luminaries in the regions of philanthropy and
genius ; and alpha stars in the constellations of
literature, science, and the arts? It is not
difficult to see to which side the balance will incline.
Their memories will be cherished and esteemed, when
the worthless names of Mirabeau, Condorcet, Voltaire,
and Rousseau, et hoc genus omne, shall have been con
signed to contempt and oblivion. We, of course, take
no note of Paine, and his followers, whippers-in to a
knot of scorpions.
/' Is it bigotry to believe these sublime truths with
full assurance of faith ? I glory in such bigotry. I
would not part with it for a thousand worlds. I con
gratulate the man who is possessed of it ; for, amidst
all the vicissitudes and calamities of the present state,
that man enjoys a fund of consolation, of which it is
not in the power of fortune to deprive him."*
Sir Matthew Hale. — "I have been acquainted
with men and books : I have had long experience in
learning and in the world. There is no book like the
Bible for excellent learning, wisdom, and use ; and it
is want of understanding in them who think or speak
otherwise."
Honourable Robert Boyle. — "The Bible, that
matchless book! It is impossible we can study it too
much, or esteem it too highly."
1 Beattie's ' Immutability of Truth.'
B B

378
John Locke.—" Study the Holy Scriptures ;
especially the New Testament : therein are contained
the words of eternal life. It has God for its author;
salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of
error, for its matter."
John Milton. — "There are no songs comparable
to the songs of Zion ; no orations equal to those of the
prophets ; and no politics like those which the Scrip
tures teach."
Samuel Johnson. — (On his death-bed to a by
stander.) — " Young man ! attend to the advice of one
who has possessed some degree of fame in the world,
and who will shortly appear before his Maker. Read
the Bible, every day of your life."
Sir William Jones. — (Written on the last leaf of
his Bible.) — " I have regularly and attentively read
the Holy Scriptures, and am of opinion that this
volume, independently of its divine origin, contains
more sublimity and beauty, more pure morality, more
important history, and finer strains of poetry and
eloquence, than can be collected from all other books,
in whatever age or language they may have been com
posed." Lord Bacon.- — " There never was found, in any
age of the world, either philosopher, or sect, or law,
or discipline, which did so highly exalt the public
good as the Christian Faith. ' I have delighted in
the brightness of thy sanctuary.' Thy creatures have
been my books, but thy scriptures much more. I have
sought thee in the courts, fields, and gardens, but I
have found thee in thy temples."

379
Sir Walter Scott.
" Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries ;
Happiest they of human race,
To whom their God has given grace,
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,
To lift the latch, to force the way ;
And better had they ne'er been born,
Than read to doubt, or read to scorn."
Sir Isaac Newton.—" We account the scriptures
the most sublime philosophy."
Selden. — " There is no book on which we can rely
in a dying hour except the bible."
Lord Erskine. — " ^consider the prophecy relative
to the destruction of the Jewish nation, if there were
nothing else to support Christianity, as absolutely irre
sistible." Dr. Mason Good. — " Such a book is now in our
hands. Let us prize it, for it must be the word of
God, as it bears the direct stamp and testimony of his
works." Wilberforce. — " One argument has impressed my
mind with particular force ; it is the great variety of
kinds of evidence which have been adduced in proof of
Christianity, and the confirmation thereby afforded us
of its truth."
West. — "The scriptures of the New Testament
were written by those whose names they bear, and all
the facts related in them are most unquestionably
true." Richardson. — "Our Bible, the ground work of
all our privileges ; the palladium of all our enjoyments,
and the well spring of all our hopes."

380
Soame Jennings. — " I perceived at every step
new lights arising, and some of the brightest from
parts the most obscure, but productive of the clearest
proofs, because equally beyond the power of human
artifice to invent and human reason to discover. These
arguments have convinced me of the divine origin of
this religion."
Lord Lyttelton. — " The christian religion is a
divine revelation." " Before thy mystic altar, heavenly truth,
I kneel in manhood, as I knelt in youth.
Thus let me kneel, till this dull form decay,
And life's last shade be brightened by thy ray :
Then Bhall my soul, now lost in clouds below,
Soar without bound, without consuming glow."
I would now close my humble labours by recording
my solemn conviction, that, viewing these accredited
credentials as the literature of heaven, and philosophy
of eternity, I consider the hopes they inspire as essen
tial to the happiness of " life's short parenthesis ;" and
the everlasting verities they propound for our belief,
as inseparably united with the best interests, as they
are with the noblest destinies of man.
" Go, "little Book, from this my solitude,
I cast tfree on the waters ; — go thy ways !
A nd if, as I believe, thy vein be good,
The world will find thee after many days,
Be it with thee according to thy worth ;
Go, little book ! in faith I send thee forth."

PRINTED BY FLETCHER AND SON, SOUTHAMPTON.

7S.Jlfartix.ICCa V& 26,Zenj)Jcrt

fUJhe n

.». Xa.rtv-n's Lbtikog'y t£* fft<ih Holb.

• *tr«W(*v LitKytv* wipkJWo*—

1841.

POPULAR WORKS

PUBLISHED BY

WILLIAM SMITH, 113, FLEET STREET.

THE BOTANICAL GALLERY.
By George Don, Esq., F.L.S. This work will be devoted to the representation of such
splendid Flowering Plants as from their size it has been impossible to figure in the con
fined dimensions of previous works of a popular description, unless in such a cramped
and distorted manner as to convey no accurate idea of the beautiful originals. The
ample size of the present publication will allow full scope to the display of the most
magnificent Flowers ; and General Botany will receive the same advantage from it as the
section of Orchidese has derived from the large and expensive works of Mr. Bateman and
Dr. Lindley.
It is intended to publish a Part every Three Months, containing at least Six Plates,
in imperial folio, with Descriptions. The price of each Part will be One Guinea.

THE LONDON SATURDAY JOURNAL.
This established cheap Literary Periodical consists of Original Essays and Sketches,
illustrative of Character and Social Peculiarities — Historical and Domestic Tales — Bio
graphy — Papers on Missionary, Colonial, Scientific, Educational, and other subjects of
an instructive or entertaining nature — and a great variety of Miscellaneous Matter.
The First Series is now completed, forming Four Volumes, each containing the Numbers
for half a year — bound in cloth, price.')*. 6d. each ; or the Numbers for the whole year
may be had, bound in one thick volume, in cloth, price ] Os. 6d.

A KEY TO THE BIBLE:
Containing a Dictionary of all the Principal Words in the Old and New Testaments,
and a Summary of Biblical Knowledge. By the Rev. Thomas Timpson, author of the
" Companion to the Bible," &c. &c. Illustrated with Maps, and one hundred and
Twenty Engravings. In one volume demy 8vo, cloth, price 14s.

WORKS PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM SMITH,

LODGE'S PORTRAITS AND MEMOIRS OF THE MOST
ILLUSTRIOUS PERSONAGES IN BRITISH
HISTORY.
New Edition, Imperial 8vo, in 10 vols., containing 240 Portraits, handsomely bound in
cloth, lettered . . . . . ¦ . • . 11 0 0
 India proofs, handsomely bound in cloth, lettered . . . 17 0 0
THE LADIES' FLOWER-GARDEN OF ORNAMENTAL
ANNUALS.
By Mss. Loudon. In Forty-eight beautifully coloured Plates, containing upwards of
Three Hundred Figures of the most showy and interesting Annual Flowers, with full
directions for their culture. 4to, cloth lettered, 21. 2s. ; or half-bound morocco, gilt
edges, 21. 10s.
THE LADIES1 FLOWER-GARDEN OF ORNAMENTAL
BULBOUS PLANTS.
By Mrs. Loudon. This Work is a continuation of the preceding, and contains in
each Number Three Plates, demy 4 to size, comprising from Fifteen to Twenty Figures
accurately coloured from Nature. The whole will occupy Sixteen Numbers. Price
2s. (id. each number.
THE LADIES' COMPANION TO THE FLOWER
GARDEN;
Being an Alphabetical Arrangement of all the Ornamental Plants usually grown in
Gardens and Shrubberies ; with full directions for their Culture. By Mrs. Loudon.
In one volume, foolscap 8vo, with numerous Woodcuts, representing the processes of
Grafting, Budding, Layering, &c. &c. Price 6s: cloth.
THE LADIES' MAGAZINE OF GARDENING.
By Mrs. Loudon. Publishing in Monthly Numbers, royal 8vo, with Coloured Plates
and Woodcuts. Price Is. 6d. each.
THE SUBURBAN HORTICULTURIST;
Or, an Attempt to teach the Science and Practice of the Culture and Management of
the Flower, Fruit, Kitchen, and Forcing Garden, &c. Illustrated with numerous
Engravings on Wood. By J. C. Loudon, F.L.S., H.S., &c. In twelve numbers,
demy 8vo, price Is. each.
THE FLORAL CABINET, AND MAGAZINE OF
EXOTIC BOTANY.
Each volume contains Forty-five Figures of New and Beautiful Plants, coloured after
Nature, in the most careful and accurate manner, with Descriptions of the Plants and
other original matter. Complete in three volumes demy 4to, half-bound morocco, gilt
edges, price 36s. each.

BRITISH BUTTERFLIES, AND THEIR TRANS
FORMATIONS ;
Exhibited in a Series of Plates by H. N. Humphreys, Esq. j with Descriptions by
J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.L.S., &c. Price 2s. 6d. each Number. To be completed
in about Sixteen Numbers.
Each Number of this Work will contain Three Plates, demy 4to size, comprising
about Twenty Figures, showing the Caterpillar, Chrysalis, and perfect Butterfly of each
species, together with the Plants on which they are usually found, carefully Coloured
from Nature.
A TREATISE ON THE INSECTS
Injurious to the Gardener, Forester, and Farmer ; Translated from the
German of M. Koli.ar, and illustrated with Sixty Engravings by J. and M. Loudon ;
with Notes by J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.L.S. Foolscap 8vo, price 7s. cloth.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING, REARING, AND
PRESERVING INSECTS,
And for Collecting and Preserving Shells and Crustacea. By Abel Ingpen, A.L.S.
and M.E.S. Price 3s. in cloth.

FROISSART'S CHRONICLES OF ENGLAND, FRANCE,
SPAIN, &c.
A new Edition, from the Text of Colonel Johnes, with Notes, and one hundred and
twenty Woodcuts, illustrative of Manners, Costume, &c. Complete in two volumes,
super-royal 8vo. Price 36s. bound in cloth.
THE CHRONICLES OF MONSTRELET.
With Notes and Woodcuts, uniform with the above Edition of Froissart. Complete in
two volumes, super-royal 8vo. Price 30s. bound in cloth.
BURNET'S HISTORY OF HIS OWN TIMES,
Complete. With a Portrait, and copious Historical and Biographical Notes. In one
volume, super-royal 8vo, cloth, price 17s.
BURNET'S HISTORY OF HIS OWN TIMES,
Illustrated with fifty-one Portraits. In two volumes, super-royal 8vo, cloth lettered,
price 11. 2s., or half-bound in morocco, 21. 12s. 6d.
BURNET'S HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION.
With Historical and Biographical Notes. To be completed in Thirteen or Fourteen
Tarts, super-royal 8vo, price 2s. each Part.

WORKS PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM SMITH,

CLARENDON'S HISTORY OF THE REBELLION. ,
Illustrated with fifty-six Portraits. In two volumes, super- royal 8vo, price 21. 10s., or
half-bound in morocco, 31.
THE
MISCELLANEOUS WORKS OF OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
Complete in one volume medium 8vo, price 8s. bound in cloth.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF ALEXANDER POPE ;
Including his Translations. Edited by the Rev. H. F. Cart, A.M. Complete in one
volume, medium 8vo, price 14s.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF WILLIAM COWPER ;
Including his Translations. Edited by the Rev. H. F. Cart, A.M. Complete in one
volume, medium 8vo, price 14s. cloth.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF MILTON, THOMSON,
AND YOUNG.
Edited by the Rev. H. F. Cart, A.M. Complete in one volume medium Svo, cloth.
ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF MARMION.
By Sir Walter Scott. In demy 8vo, with fifty beautiful Wood Engravings, price 16s.
cloth, or elegantly bound in morocco, 21s.
A MANUAL OF POLITICAL ETHICS.
By Francis Lteber, Editor of " The Encyclopedia Americana." 8vo, price 12s.
THE TRUTH OF REVELATION DEMONSTRATED,
By an Appeal to Existing Monuments, Sculptures, Coins, Gems, and Medals. With
Plates and Numerous Woodcuts. By John Murrat, F.S.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. In one
volume, demy 8vo, cloth, price 15s.
THE WORKS OF WILLIAM PALEY, D.D.,
Complete. With a Portrait, and numerous illustrative Notes. In one volume, super-
royal 8vo, cloth, price 17s.
THE LIFE OF JESUS;
Addressed to the Young. By O- A. Tatlor, A.M. Edited by the Author of the
" Companion to the Bible." In one volume, foolscap, cloth gilt, price 3s. 6d.

113, FLEET STREET, LONDON.

FIRESIDE EDUCATION;
By S. G. Goodrich, author of " Peter Parley's Tales." Fourth Edition. In demy 8vo,
price Is. 6d. sewed.
" In this volume, I address myself specially to Parents, though I deem that the subject
may well claim the attention of Teachers, of Guardians of Children, and indeed of
every member of society." Author's Pre/ace.

LETTERS FROM A FATHER TO HIS SON,
On various Topics relative to Literature and the Conduct of Life. By John Aikin,
M.D. In foolscap Svo, price 5s. cloth ; or 10s. 6<*. morocco extra.

ON THE BREEDING, REARING, DISEASES, AND
GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY.
By Walter B. Dickson. In foolscap 8vo, with Fourteen Woodcuts, price 6s. cloth.
PRACTICAL FAMILY COOKERY ;
Intended for Persons of Moderate Incomes. By Louisa Johnson. In foolscap 8vo,
price 4s. cloth.
FAMILIAR HINTS ON SEA BATHING.
CONTENTS I
Necessity of Sea Bathing. — Advantages of Sea Bathing. — Disorders for which relief is
sought in Sea Bathing. — Bathing for Amusement. — Swimming. — Bathing of Invalids.
Price 2s. 6d.

THE DOMESTIC LEDGER.
By Mrs. Stanlet. Anew, simple, and perfect System of Housekeeping, in which the
weekly accounts are divided into BOARD, HOUSE, and PERSONAL EXPENSES,
&c. Where ladies are disinclined to the dry detail of accounts, they have only to enter
their payments indiscriminately in a common-place book, from whence any one, at the
expense of one hour weekly, will be able to post the whole into this book. Oblong
4to, price 2s. 6rf.

EGYPT;
A Familiar Description of the Land, People, and Produce. Illustrated with fifty-three
Woodcuts, and a Map engraved on Steel ; being the First of a Series of Popular
Geographies, intended for Young Persons. In foolscap 8vo, price 7s. cloth.
STORIES ABOUT HORSES;
Illustrative of their Instinct, Sagacity, and Docility. By Edward Wilson. Embel
lished with eight beautiful Engravings. Price 3s. 6d. richly bound in cloth, and gilt.

WORKS PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM SMITH,

THE YOUNG NATURALIST'S JOURNEY.
By Mrs. Loudon, author of " The Ladies' Flower-Garden." With twenty-three
Engravings. Price 4s. neatly bound in cloth, and gilt.

TRUE TALES OF THE OLDEN TIME,
Selected from Froissart. With sixteen Wood Engravings. Price 4s. 6d. handsomely
bound, cloth gilt.
THREE CENTURIES OF MEDITATIONS AND VOWS,
Divine and Moral. By Joseph Hall, D.D. , Bishop of Norwich. Price 2s. cloth;
2s. 6d. cloth, gilt edges ; 3s. silk ; 5s. morocco, royal 32mo, with a Portrait.
SELECT THOUGHTS;
or, Choice Helps for a Pious Spirit. By Joseph Hall, D.D., Bishop of
Norwich. Price 2s. cloth ; 2s. 6<". cloth, gilt edges ; 3s. silk ; 5s. morocco, royal 32mo,
with a Portrait.
HEART'S EASE;
or, A Remedt against all Troubles ; with a Consolatory Discourse, &c. By
Symon Patrick, D.D., Bishop of Ely. Price 2s. cloth ; 2s. dd. cloth, gilt edges ;
3s. silk ; 5s. morocco, royal 32mo, with a Portrait.
CHEAP RICHES;
Being Choice Selections from the Writings of the most Esteemed Divines. Price 2s,,
cloth ; 2s. Orf. cloth, gilt edges ; 3s. silk ; 5s. morocco, royal 32mo, with a Portrait of
Bishop Latimer.
SONGS IN THE NIGHT;
or, Cheerfulness under Affliction. By Joseph Hall, D.D., Bishop of
Norwich. In 18mo, cloth lettered, price Is. Gd.
THE ANGELICON:
A Gallery of Sonnets on the Divine Attributes, the Passions, the Graces, and the
Virtues. By the Rev. H. D. Rtder, M.A., late of Oriel College, Oxford. Neatly
bound in cloth, gilt edges, price 2s. Od.
SONNETS BY WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.
In 32mo, neatly bound in cloth, gilt edges, price 2s.

113, FLEET STREET, LONDON.

POEMS BY FELICIA HEMANS.
In 32mo, cloth, gilt edges, price 2s.
THE POCKET MANUAL OF MANNERS ;
or, Rules for the Regulation of Conduct. 32mo, cloth, gilt edges, price Is. 6rf.
THE BALL-ROOM PRECEPTOR:
Comprising the most esteemed Dances of the Present Season. In 48mo, cloth, gilt
edges, price Is.

SMITH'S SOUVENIR CLASSICS

ELEGANT & APPROPRIATE PRESENTS.

The following editions of the most popular and Classical Authors are particularly
adapted for Presents ; they are printed in small octavo, in the very best style,
embellished with Frontispieces engraved on Steel, and elegantly bound. Others
are in preparation, and will shortly be published.

MARMION.
BY SIR WALTER SCOTT.
k Price 3s. Gd. cloth gilt, and 7s. Qd. mor. elegant.
THE LADY OF THE LAKE.
BY S1K WALTER SCOTT.
Price 3s. 6d. cloth gilt, and 7s. Gd. mor. elegant.
THE
»* LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL.
BY SIE WALTER SCOTT.
Price 3s. Qd. cloth gilt, and 7s- Qd. mor. elegant.
ELIZABETH ;
OR,
THE EXILES OF SIBERIA.
Price 2s. Qd. cloth gilt, and 6s. Qd. mor. elegant.
ROMANTIC TALES.
BY M. G-. LEWIS.
CONTAINING
MY UNCLE'S GARRET-WINDOW— THE
ANACONDA— AND AMORASSAN.
Price 3s. Qd. cloth gilt, and 7s. Qd. mor. elegant.
THOMSON'S SEASONS,
AND
THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE.
Price 3s. Qd. cloth gilt, and 7s. Qd. mor. elegant.

THE VICAR OE WAKEFIELD.
BY DR. GOLDSMITH.
Price 3s. cloth gilt, and 7s. mor. elegant.
POEMS AND ESSAYS.
BY DR. GOLDSMITH.
Price 3s. Gd. cloth gilt, and 7s. Qd. mor. elegant.
THE POEMS AND SONGS OF
ROBERT BURNS.
With a Memoir of the Author, and a very com
plete Glossary.
Price Gs. cloth gilt, and 10s. 6d. mor. elegant.
PAUL AND VIRGINIA,
AND
THE INDIAN COTTAGE.
Price 3s. cloth gilt, and 7s. mor. elegant.
THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES.
BY CHARLES LAMB.
Price 3s. cloth gilt, and 7s. mor. elegant.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF
WILLIAM COWPER.
In two vols., price 10s. cloth gilt, and 18s. mor.
elegant.

NEARLY READY,
THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN MILTON.
In Two Volumes.

SMITH'S STANDARD LIBRARY.

Just Published, in Medium Octavo,

TRINTED UNIFORMLY WITH " LORD IJYROn's WORKS," AND " THE CURIOSITIES OF LITERATURE.'

THE LADY OF THB LAKE. Is.
THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. Is.
MARMION. Is. 2d.
THE BOROUGH. By the Rev. G. Crabbe.
Is. id.
TALES, by the Rev. G. Crabbe. 2s.
THE MUTINY OF THE BOUNTY. Is. id.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF H. KIRKE
WHITE. Is.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF ROBERT
BURNS. 2s.6rf.
PAUL AND VIRGINIA, THE INDIAN COT
TAGE, and ELIZABETH. Is. Qd.
THOMSON'S SEASONS, and CASTLE OF IN
DOLENCE. Is.
LOCKE ON THE REASONABLENESS OF
CHRISTIANITY. Is.
HOME. By Miss Sedgwick. 9d.
MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF COLONEL
HUTCHINSON, Governor of Nottingham
Castle during the Civil War. By his Widow,
Mrs. Lucy Hutchinson. 2s. Gd.
SCHILLER'S TRAGEDIES: THE PICCOLO-
MINI; and THE DEATH OF WALLEN
STEIN. Is. M.
ANSON'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD,
with an Original Life and Preface. 2s. Gd.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF GRAY AND
COLLINS. Wd.
THE LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI. 3s.
THR VISION OF DON RODERICK, and
BALLADS. By Sir Walter Scott. Is.
STEPHENS'S INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN
EGYPT, ARABIA PETRjEA, AND the
HOLY LAND. 2s. Gd.
TRISTRAM SHANDY. By Laurence Sterne.
3s.

KNICKERBOCKER'S HISTORY OF NEW
YORK. 2s. 3d.
STEPHUNSS INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN
GREECE, TURKEY, RUSSIA, AND PO
LAND. 2s. Gd.
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF PETER
WILKINS. 2s. id.
BBATTIE'S POEMS, AND BLAIR'S GRAVE.
Is.
THE ILIAD. Translated by A. Pope. 3s.
UNDINE ; A Miniatuke Romance. 9d.
ROBIN HOOD ; a Collection of all the Ancient
Poems. Songs, and Ballads now extant,
relative to that celebrated English Outlaw.
By Ritson. 2s. Gd.
THE LIVES OF DONNE, WOTTON, HOOKER,
HERBERT, and SANDERSON. By Izaak
Walton. 2s. Gd.
THB LIFE OF PETRARCH. By Mris. Dob-
son 3s.
GOLDSMITH'S POEMS AND PLAYS. Is. 6d.
 VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. Is.
¦  ¦  CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.

2s. 6d.

-ESSAYS. 2s.

MILTON'S PARADISE LOST. Is. Wd.
 PARADISE REGAINED, AND
OTHER POEMS. 2s.
RASSELAS. ByDR Johnson. 9d.
ALISON'S ESSAYS ON TASTE. 2s. Gd.
THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN KEATS.
2s.
NATURE AND ART. By Mrs. Inchbald.
1(M.
A SIMPLE STORY. By Mrs. Inchbald. 2s.
THOMSON'S POEMS AND PLAYS. Com
plete Edition. 5s.

FOUR VOLUMES ARE NOW ARRANGED ON THE FOLLOWING PLAN: 
TWO VOLUMES OF " POETRY,"

THE FIRST CONTAINING

SCOTT'S LAY OF THB LAST MINSTREL.
SCOTT'S LADY OF THE LAKE.
SCOTT'S MARMION.

CRABBE'S BOROUGH.
THOMSONS POETICAL WORKS.
KIRKE WHITE'S POETICAL WORKS.

BURNS'S POETICAL WORKS.

THE SECOND CONTAINING

MILTON'S POETICAL WORKS.
BEATTIE'S POETICAL WORKS,
BLAIR'S GRAVE.

GRAY'S POETICAL WORKS.
COLLINS'S POETICAL WORKS.
KEATS'S POETICAL WORKS.
GOLDSMITH'S POEMS AND PLAYS.

ONE VOLUME OF "FICTION,"
CONTAINING
NATURE AND ART. Bi Mrs. INCHBALD.
HOME. By Miss SEDGWICK.
KNICKERBOCKER'S HISTORY OF NEW
YORK. By WASHINGTON IRVING.
PAUL AND VIRGINIA. By ST. PIERRE.

THE INDIAN COTTAGE. By ST. PIERRE.
ELIZABETH. By MADAME COTTIN.
THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. By OLIVER
GOLDSMITH.
TRISTRAM SHANDY. By LAURENCE
STERNE.

ONE VOLUME OF ''VOYAGES AND TRAVELS,"
CONTAINING
ANSON'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.
BLIGH'S MUTINY OF THE BOUNTY. «
STEPHENS'S TRAVELS IN EGYPT, ARABIA PETRjEA, AND THE HOLY LAND
STEPHENS'S TRAVELS IN GREECE, TURKEY, RUSSIA, AND POLAND.
These Volumes may be had separately, very neatly bound in cloth, with the contents lettered on
the back, price 10s. Gd. each.
Those parties who have taken in the different works as they were published, and who wish to bind
them according to the above arrangement, may be supplied with the title-pages, gratis throueh their
bookseller ; and with the cloth covers at Is. each.

RRADBt'RY AND STANB, PRINTERS, wniTKFRlARS.