mote their cause, and to be favourable to "them."

I see here, methinks, a picture of the corruption of the Jewish Judges that Amos complains of: filver made them pervert the judgment of the righteous; nay, so mean a piece of finery as a pair of wooden fandals for their wives would make them condemn the innocent poor, who could not afford to make them a present of equal value.

Amos viii. 6. is, I suppose, to be understood in the same light: the rich defrauding the poor, knowing that if those poor complained, they could carry their point against them for a little filver, if not for a pair of cobcal.

4

VII.

OBSERVATION IX.

But mean as the present of a pair of cobcal may feem, presents of still less value are frequently made in these countries. " familiar visits, amongst inferior people,

" In

you shall feldom have them come without bringing a flower, or an orange, or fome "other such token of their respect to the

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person visited," says Maundrell'. Bishop Pococke confirms this, when speaking of his drawing near an encampment of the Arabs that attended him, in their way to Mount Sinai, he says, "Here one of them, who " had a difference with one of the company, " as he was in his own country, came and " brought him a flower, as a present, which " being accepted of, was a sign that all was " made up."

These trifling presents however are not confined to the meanest of the people, for Egmont or Heyman tells us, that on their leaving Scala Nuova, fome Greeks brought them flowers and odoriferous herbs as tokens of their friendship. In what a strong point of light, as to their veneration for our Lord, doth this place the present the Eastern Magi made him: in the circumstances in which they found him, a flower, an orange, (or a citron,) or any such trifle, had been sufficient to introduce them to the young child; but mean as his appearance was, they treated him as a royal child, and even after they found the poverty of his parents, presented him with presents of the richest kind, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, such as the Queen of Sheba presented to Solomon in his glory. But here doubtless we are to rest, and content ourselves with this simple explanation: to go on, and suppose the frankincense was designed by them, or intended by providence itself, to intimate his deity; the myrrh his being a mortal; and the gold his being a king; is a refinement that is certainly unnatural, and absolutely in the monkish taste.

* Vol. 1. p. 140.

3 Vol. 1. p. 125.

C4

OBSER

OBSERVATION X.

[But though things of very little value are sometimes offered as presents, those to whom presents are made do not think themselves always obliged graciously to accept every thing that is brought, or even to dissemble their diflike; they frequently reject the present, and refuse the favour fought.

The behaviour of an Aga in Ægypt to Dr. Pococke, mentioned in the first Observation of this chapter, demonstrates this; as does also this paffage of Capt. Norden, "The "Cacheff of Efna was encamped in this

place. He made us come afhore. I waited " immediately upon him, with some fmall presents. He received me very civilly, and "ordered coffee to be served me. But he

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refused abfolutely what I offered him as a prefent, and let me know by the interpreter, that, in the places from whence we were come, we had given things of greater value, and that we ought not to "shew less respect to him. Something of the like nature appears in many other passages in travels.

If a present was not somewhat proportionate to the quality of the perfon applied to, the circumstances of him that offered it, and the value of the favour asked, it was rejected.

Lambs and sheep were often given as presents. So the Cacheff I have been speaking of, made Norden and his company a present the next day of two very fat sheep, together with a great basket of bread. The reys, or boat-man, that had carried them up the Nile, we are told in like manner, came to see them three days before, and made them a present of an excellent sheep, together with a basket of Eafter bread3.

Perhaps we may be ready to imagine, presents of this kind were only made to travellers, that wanted provisions; but this would be a mistake. Sir John Chardin, in his MS, expressly tells us, it is the custom of the East for poor people, and especially those that live in the country, to make presents to their Lords of lambs and sheep, as an offering, tribute, or fuccession. Presents to men, like offerings to God, expiate offences".

So D'Arvieux mentions lambs, among the things offered to him as presents, when he officiated as Secretary to the Great Emir of the Arabs. (Voy. dans la Pal. p. 62.)

3 P. 182.

4 Coutume d'Orient

2 P. 184. que les pauvres gens, fur tout des Champs, donnent a leur Seigneurs des agneaux & moutons en presens, en figne d'offrande, tribut, succession. Presents auxhommes, comme les offrandes a Dieu expient les Pechez.-By the term fucceffion I prefume is meant a present made to a great man to obtain his favour, in cafe of dispute, about fucceeding to an inheritance, or part of it.

The

The Jewish people were in a low state in the time of Malachi, and almost entirely engaged in country business.

How energetic, if we assemble these circumstances together, is the expoftulation of the Prophet! " If ye offer the blind for fa" crifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the " lame and the fick, is it not evil? Offer it

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now unto thy Governor, will he be pleased " with thee, or accept thy person?" Mal. i. 8.

When they made presents of lambs or sheep, they brought those that vere very fat : would a Jewish Governor have accepted one that was blind, and consequently half-starved? or pining with lameness or fickness?

OBSERVATION XI.

The common present that is now made to the Great in these countries is an horse; there is reason to think an ass might formerly answer the same purpose.

" If it is a visit of ceremony from a Ba"shaw," says Dr. Russell, " or other per"son in power, a fine horse, sometimes with " furniture, or some such valuable present, " is made to him at his departure." 'Dr. Perry has given us many instances of horfes being presented: among others, he tells us when a person has the dignity of a Bey conferred on him, the new-made Bey presents