" sometimes the superior will also in return put his hands to his lips *."

66

This explains what I cited from d'Arvieux, under Observation XIV, relating to the Emir's withdrawing his hand when he approached to kiss it; but what is of more importance than this, it gives a clear account of the ground of fome ancient and modern religious ceremonies. Thus Pitts has also told us, that the Mohammedans begin their worship with bringing their two thumbs together, and kissing them three times, and at every kiss touching their foreheads with their thumbs. When they cannot kiss the hand of a fuperior, they kiss their own, and put it, it seems, to their foreheads; they venerate an unfeen Being, whom they cannot touch, in much the fame way.

After a like manner the ancient idolaters worshipped Beings they could not touch: " If I beheld the fun when it shined, or the

moon walking in brightness : and my " heart hath been secretly enticed, and my "mouth hath kissed my hand," faid Job, eh. xxxi. 26, 27. That this would have

been an idolatrous action, has been often remarked; but I do not remember it has been any where observed, to have been exactly agreeable to the civil expreffions of respect that obtain in the East.

XIII.

OBSERVATION ΧΧ.

They kiss too what comes from the hand of a fuperior. So Dr. Pococke', when he describes the Ægyptian compliments, tells us, that upon their taking any thing from the band of a fuperior, or that is fent from fuch an one, they kiss it, and as the highest respect put it to their foreheads.

This is not peculiar to those of that country; for the editor of the Ruins of Balbec observed, that the Arab Governor of that city respectfully applied the Firman of the Grand Seignior to his forehead, which was presented to him when he and his fellowtravellers first waited on him, and then killed it, declaring himself the Sultan's slave's flave.

Is not this what Pharaoh refers to in Gen. xli. 40? Thou shalt be over my kouse, and according unto thy word, or on account of thy word, shall all my people KISS, (for so it is in the original,) only in the throne will I be greater than thou: that is, I imagine, the orders of Joseph were to be received with the greatest respect by all, and kiffed by the most illustrious of the princes of Ægypt.

Drufius might well deny the sense that Kimchi and Grotius put on these words, the appointing that all the people should kiss his mouth. That would certainly be reckoned in the West; in every part of the earth; as * Travels, vol. 1. p. 182. See also p. 113.

well as in the ceremonious East, so remarkable for keeping up dignity and state; a most strange way of commanding the fecond man in a kingdom to be honoured. It is very strange then that these commentators should propose such a thought; and the more so, as the Hebrew word is well known to signify word, or commandment, as well as mouth. As this is apparent from Gen. xlv. 21; so also that the preposition gnal often signifies according to, or on the account of, is put out of question by that passage, as well as by 1 Sam. iv. 13, Ezra x. 9, &c. *. These are determinations that establish the expofition I have been giving. Upon thy commandment, or when thou sendest out orders, my people from the highest to the lowest shall Kiss, receiving them with the profoundest refpect and obedience.

The Ægyptian translators of the Septuagint seem to have understood Prov. xxiv. 26. in much the same sense, Lips shall kiss those things that answer right words, shall kiss those writings by which a judge giveth just decisions: and this seems to be a much better explanation of the passage, than any of the four which Pool has given us from the critics, in his Synopfis. The second, with which our version coincides, doth not appear by any means to be just. The prefix Lamed should in that cafe have been joined to the word Lips; not to repeat what I ob3 Vide Noldii Conc. in part. gnal, 24.

ferved

served in the beginning of this article, that nothing can be more dissonant, not only from Eastern customs, but from decencies. univerfally maintained, to suppose that it should be promised to a judge, as an honourable reward for the equity of his decisions, that every party that gained a caufe should kiss his lips: no! it should rather be, he shall kiss-the hem of his garment, or even the earth at his feet. The word cupit, (every man desires to kiss,) is indeed made use of in the Synopfis, perhaps to foften this impropriety; but if so, it is used in vain, for an inhabitant of the East would feel no inclination to kiss the lips of a righteous judge. St. John, who found emotions of veneration, which were fomething like those these people are here supposed to feel, was not prompted in the least to kiss the angel's lips, the effect they produced in him was proftration at the angel's feet. The fourth interpretation in the Synopfis, which is that of a Jewith Rabbi, is one of the moft childish conceits that can be easily imagined, namely, that the words of truth tally with each other as lip with lip. The third, that a Judge who pronounces a right decifion doth a thing as grateful as if every word were a kiss, is apparently strained. And as to the first, it is by no means agreeable to the dignified station of a judge, and of such an one Solomon appears to be speaking, that he that pronounces a just fentence shall be admitted, not merely to kiss the hand, but even the lips, that is, shall be admitted into the strictest friendship; unless it be understood of the king for whom he judges, which as it would be degrading to the prince as the other to the judge, so neither is it by any means conformable to the preceding words, which express the effects that just or unjust judgments should have on the people. Ver. 23. " These things also belong to the wife. It is not good to have " respect to persons in judgment. ver. 24. "He that faith unto the wicked thou art " righteous," (that is, he that absolveth the guilty,) "him shall the people curse, nations "shall abhor him. ver. 25. But to them " that rebuke him," (that severely repri" mand him,) shall be delight, and a good

blessing shall come upon him." He that giveth a right answer then in the next verse (the 26th) is apparently the description of

judge, that pronounces right judgments on those causes that are brought before him to try, and this kiffing, agreeably to all that preeedes, must refer to the people, the nation, not to the king for whom he judges. The Septuagint interpretation is much agreeable therefore than any of the four I have recited-Men shall kiss the righteous decrees of a just judge, according to the Eastern forms of expreffing reverence.

more

I do not however know whether a more

unexceptionable interpretation still may not

E

be