only were then known, these only relished, till the same priest reconducted the goddess, satiated with the conversation of mortals, to her temple." Among the Mexicans, Vitziputzli, their supreme god, was represented in a human shape, sitting on a throne, supported by an azure globe, which they called heaven. Four poles or sticks came out from two sides of this globe, at the ends of which serpents' heads were carved, the whole making a litter, which the priests carried on their shoulders whenever the idol was shewn in public." Picart's Ceremonies, vol. iii. p. 146. In Lieutenant Cook's voyage round the world, published by Dr. Hawksworth, vol. ii. p. 252, we find that the inhabitants of Huaheine, one of the islands lately discovered in the South Sea, had " a kind of chest or ark, the lid of which was nicely sewed on, and thatched very neatly with palm-nut leaves. It was fixed upon two poles, and supported upon little arches of wood, very neatly carved: the use of the poles seemed to be to remove it from place to place, in the manner of our sedan chair in one end of it was a square hole, in the middle of which was a ring touching the sides, and leaving the angles open, so as to form a round hole within, a square one without. The first time Mr. Banks saw this coffer, the aperture at the end was stopped with a piece of cloth, which, lest he should give offence, he left untouched. Probably there was then something within: but now the cloth was taken away, and upon looking into it,' it was found empty. The general resemblance between this repository, and the ark of the Lord among the Jews, is remarkable: but it is still more remarkable, that upon enquiring of the boy what it was called, he said, Ewharre no Eatau, the house of God; he could however give no account of its siguification or use.' PARKHURST's Heb. Lex. p. 690, 4th edit. No. 691.—xxviii. 30. The Urim and the Thummim.] There was a remarkable imitation of this sacred ornament among the Egyptians; for we learn from Diodorus (lib. i. p. 68, ed. Rhod.) and from Elian (Var. Hist. 1. xiv. c. 34.) that "their chief priest, who was also their supreme judge in civil matters, wore about his neck, by a golden chain, an ornament of precious stones called truth, and that a cause was not opened till the supreme judge had put on this ornament." No. 692.-xxix. 20. And sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.] It is, says Bp. Patrick, no improbable conjecture of Fortunatus Scacchus, that from hence the heathens learned their Taurobolia, and Cri obolia, which in process of time they disguised with infernal rites and ceremonies. The Taurobolium of the ancients was a ceremony in which the high priest of Cybele was consecrated, and might be called a baptism of blood, which they conceived imparted a spiritual new birth to the liberated spirit. In this dreadful and sanguinary ceremony, according to the poet Prudentius, cited at length by Banier on the ancient sacrifices, the high priest about to be inaugurated was introduced into a dark excavated apartment, adorned with a long silken robe, and a crown of gold. Above this apartment was a floor perforated in a thousand places with holes like a sieve, through which the blood of a sacred bull, slaughtered for the purpose, descended in a copious torrent upon the inclosed priest, who received the purifying stream on every part of his dress, rejoicing to bathe with the bloody shower his hands, his cheeks, and even to bedew his lips and his tongue with it when all the blood had run from the throat of the immolated bull, the carcass of the victim was removed, and the priest issued forth from the cavity, a spectacle ghastly and horrible, his head and vestments being covered with blood, and clotted drops of it adhering to his venerable beard. As soon as the pontifex appeared before the assembled multitude, the air was rent with congratulatory shouts; so pure and so sanctified however was he now esteemed, that they dared not approach his person, but beheld him at a distance with awe and veneration." MAURICE'S Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 196. No. 693-xxix. 24. And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons, and shalt wave them for a wave-offering before the Lord.] Waving the sacrifice before the Lord is a very ancient sacri fical rite. It was of two kinds: one was performed by waving it perpendicularly, upward and downward: the other by waving it horizontally, towards the four cardinal points, to denote the consecration of what was thus waved to the Lord of the whole earth. JENNINGS's Jewish Ant. vol. i. p. 291. No. 694-xxx. 19. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat.] The care which was taken respecting ablutions in general, and with regard to sacrifices in particular, was not confined to the Jews; it is to be observed also amongst the Gentiles. There are numerous passages of Homer which clearly evince this. Speaking of the great sacrifice that was preparing to be offered for appeasing Apollo, he says, Χερνιψαν ο δ' επειτα, και ελοχύτας ανελονίο. It. i. Upon which words Eustathius observes, it was the ancient custom, before they sacrificed, to wash their hands, for that none but those who were clean and pure might meddle with sacred things. No. 695.-xxxii. 2. From the ears of your wives, of your sons.] Men wore these ornaments in the eastern countries, as well as women; as we find in the story of the Ishmaelite and Midianite soldiers, Judges viii. 24. and Pliny, In oriente quidem et viris aurum eo loci, &c. In the East it is esteemed an ornament for men to wear gold in that place: speaking of their ears. See Bochart Hieroz. p. i. l. 1. c. 34. No. 696.-xxxii. 6. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peaceofferings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.] It is highly probable that at this feast they sacrificed after the manner of the Egyptians. Herodotus gives an account of a solemn feast which the people of Egypt celebrated at Bubastis in honour of the goddess Diana: to her, he says, they offer many sacrifices, and while the victim is burning, they dance and play a hundred tricks, and drink more wine than in the whole year besides. For they convene thither about seven hundred thousand men and women, besides children. Aaron's feast of the golden calf seems to have been in imitation of this. No. 697-xxxiii. 5. Therefore now put off thine ornaments from thee.] The Septuagint gives this as a translation of these words: now therefore put off your robes of glory, and your ornaments. It was customary to put off their upper garments in times of deep mourning; and it is still practised in the East. "A few days after this we came to a place called Rabbock, about four days sail on this side Mecca, where all the hagges (pilgrims), excepting those of the female sex, enter into hirrawem, or ihram, i, e. they take off all their clothes, covering themselves with two hirrawems, or large white cotton wrappers; one they put about their middle, which reaches down to their ankles; with the other they cover the upper part of the body, except the head; and they wear no other thing on their bodies but these wrappers, only a pair of gimgameea, or thinsoled shoes, like sandals, the over leather of which covers only the toes, their insteps being all naked. In this manner, like humble penitents, they go from Rabbock till they come to Mecca, to approach the temple; many times enduring the scorching heat of the sun, till the very skin is burnt off their backs and arms, and their heads swelled to a very great degree." Pitt's Travels, p. 115. HARMER, vol. iv. p. 402. No. 698.-xxxiii. 6. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.] The denunciation of divine anger was the reason why the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments. A similar indication of fear is observable in the general practice of the Romans. A day was fixed for the trial of the accused person. In the mean time he changed his dress; laid aside every kind of ornament; let his hair and beard grow; and in this mean garb went round and solicited the favour of the people. ADAM'S Roman Antiquities, p. 87. No. 699.-xxxiv. 15. And thou eat of his sacrifice.] To eat part of what was offered in sacrifice appears to have been a very ancient and general practice. Juvenal particularly alludes to it in the following passage: Moris erat quondam festis servare diebus, Accedente novâ, si quam dabat hostia, carne, Sat, xi, 83. But heretofore 'twas thought a sumptuous treat, |