they grew hoary in this glorious image of captivity, which equally drew the attention of their fellow citizens, and of their enemies. In a battle, they charged the first-their troop was in the van, and its appearance was terrible; for even in peace, their air was fierce and alarming. Without fixed habitation, without knowledge. of cultivation, strangers to the cares of life, neglecting their own fortune (if they had any), and lavish of that of others, those men were maintained wherever they went, and continued to practise their austere and rough virtue till the feebleness of age obliged them to moderate its rigour. This is a dark portrait of mankindin an age when civilization was yet in infancy. Yet even in the laws and manners of barbarians, something may be found indicative of virtue in the latter, and of the wisdom of legislation in the former. Let us, however, turn from the subject to others more amusing. In the early ages, when as the moon emerges from behind a cluster of dark clouds, man first began to penetrate through the thick veil in which ignorance had enveloped him, the earliest efforts of his infant genius were very probably made for his amusement-when, like a child, he was "Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw." The theatrical representations of the ancients are generally believed to have originated from Grecian strollers, who travelled from place to place, singing to the honour of Bacchus. Our earliest dramas were probably devoted to pious purposes, which in time became objects of general interest, under the title of Mysteries or Moralities. In the year 1437, when Conrad Bayer, bishop of Metz, caused the Mystery of the Passion to be represented on the plain of Veximiel, near that city, GoD was an old gentleman named Mr. Nicholas Neufchatel, of Touraine, who was very near expiring on the cross, had he not been timely assisted. He was so enfeebled, that it was agreed another priest should be placed on the cross the next day, to finish the representation of the person crucified, and which was done; at the same time the said Mr. Nicholas undertook to perform the Resurrection, which being a less difficult task, he did it admirably well. Another priest, whose name was Mr. John De Nicey, curate of Metrange, personated Judas, and he had like to have been stifled while he hung on the tree, for his neck slipped; this being at length luckily perceived, he was quickly cut down, and recovered. Another of these mysteries had for its subject the election of an apostle to supply the place of the traitor Judas. The writers of these sacred dramas certainly had no more idea of what is called stage-effect than the performers had of what is now designated picture in the play books. A dignity so great, so awful, was conferred in the meanest manner it is possible to conceive. There was no balloting-no solicitation for vote and interest-all was done quietly, by the simple process of drawing two straws, of which the candidate who drew the longest became the apostle. Such at this time were the amusements of our Gallic neighbours. Their devotion at an earlier period was yet more ridiculous. An annual religious festival was celebrated at Beauvais, called the Feast of the Ass. The people chose a young woman, the handsomest in the town; they made her ride on an ass richly caparisoned, and placed in her arms a pretty infant. In this state, followed by the bishop and clergy, she marched in procession from the cathedral to the church of St. Stephen; entered into the sanctuary; placed herself near the altar, and the mass began; whatever the choir sung was terminated by this charming burthen, Hinham, Hinham! Their prose, half Latin and half French, explained the fine qualities of the animal. Every strophe finished by this delightful invitation : Hez, sire Ane, ça chantez They at length exhorted him, in making a devout genu flection, to forget his ancient food, for the purpose of repeating without ceasing Amen, Amen. The priest, instead of Ite missa est, sung three times, Hinham, hinham, hinham! and the people three times responded, Hinham, hinham, hinham! The ancient Arabians were divided into many classes. The first class consisted of those who devoted themselves to war, and were the bulwark of their countrymen. The second, of those who followed agriculture, whose business it was to furnish the necessary provision of wheat. The third class comprehended the artists. The arts did not pass from one province to another; each man, with invariable succession, adhered to the employment of his father. The country afforded no wine but that which was pressed from dates. A father of a family had more affection for his brothers than for his sons, on account of their seniority. The king and the magistrates were always of the same class. All possessions were common among relations; obedience, however, was paid to the eldest, as to their chief. Adultery was a capital crime in this country, but the term was only applied to an amorous communication between two persons of different provinces. This exception being made, the intercourse of the sexes was unrestrained, whilst this freedom contributed to make them deem each other brethren. The Nabathæan Arabians were industrious to acquire wealth, and they were strict observers of economy. They had carefully provided for the practice of it in their laws. He who diminished his fortune was sentenced to pay a public fine; and he who improved it was honoured by the state with a mark of distinction. As there were very few slaves among them, relations served one another; or where such mutual assistance was impracticable, a man served himself. This custom extended even to their monarchs. At entertainments the number of their guests never exceeded thirteen; and there were two musicians. Their king used to give magnificent banquets for many days successively; at those banquets no guest was permitted to drink more than twelve cups. It is further said of their kings, that they were very assiduous to gain popularity, and that they sought it by the noblest means, by promoting the true welfare and happiness of their people. Their conduct was subject to the most vigorous examination; they were sometimes under the necessity of pleading their own cause before their subjects, who had a privilege to bring impeachments against them, in which their life was in question. Their houses were adorned with precious stones; the peristyles were overlaid with gold, and the chapiters were ornamented with statues of solid silver. The doors and the frontispieces were wrought with great symmetry and elegance, and finished with gold, silver, and ivory. Their towns had no fortifications, for their inhabitants enjoyed the sweets of peace. The country, though very fertile, did not produce olives, but for the juice of that fruit they substituted the oil of a grain called sesama. Their statues, engraved works, and other embellishments of the fine arts, were brought to them from foreign countries. They had so great an abhorrence of dead bodies, that they even buried the remains of their monarchs in dunghills. It appears by many passages of the history of the Carthaginians, that their generals deemed it an essential duty to worship the gods ere they began their enterprises, and when they were concluded. Amilcar, the father of Annibal, before he entered Spain, to make war there, offered sacrifices to their gods. His son, following the example of his father, when he was leaving Spain, put in at Cadiz, to discharge a vow which he had made to Hercules, and there, by making fresh vows to the god, he endeavoured to propitiate him in his favour. After the battle of Cannæ, when he sent the happy news of his victory to Carthage, he particularly recommended to the republic to give solemn thanks to the gods for his success. Polybius has preserved a treaty of peace betwixt Philip, the son of Demetrius, and the Carthaginians, in which is plainly seen the reverence which the latter had for the Creator: and their firm persuasion that the gods assisted, and presided over human actions, and more especially over treaties, which were ratified in their names, and in their especial presence. He there mentions five or six orders of divinities, and that enumeration appears rather extraordinary in such a public act as a treaty of peace between two empires. We will transcribe the very terms, which may serve to give some idea of the theology of the Carthaginians :-"This treaty was concluded in the presence of Jupiter, of Juno, and of Apollo; in the presence of the Dæmon or Genius of the Carthaginians, of Hercules, and of Iolaus; in the presence of Mars, of Triton, and of Neptune; in the presence of the gods who accompany the army of the Carthaginians, and of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth; in the presence of the Rivers, the Meadows, and the Waters; in the presence of all the Gods who are the protectors of Carthage."-What should we of modern times say of such an act?Of an act into which should be introduced the tutelary angels and saints of a kingdom? There were at Carthage two divinities, who were worshipped there with particular devotion. The first was the celestial goddess Urania, who is also the moon, whose succour they implored in pressing calamities, especially when they were in great want of rain. "Ista ipsa virgo Cœlestis (says Tertullian) pluviarum pollicitatrix." It is in speaking of this goddess, and of Æsculapius, that Tertullian engages to the heathens of his time, boldly, but gloriously, for Christianity, that the Christian who first appears will oblige those false gods to own aloud that they are only dæmons. He agrees that the Christian shall be immediately put to death, if he extorts not that confession from their false deities. St. Augustine likewise mentions their principal deity. Celistis," says he, " formerly reigned sovereignly at Carthage. What is become of her reign since Jesus Christ appeared?"-She was without doubt the same deity with her whom Jeremiah calls the Queen of Heaven, to whom the Jewish women paid great devotion, addressed vows to her, offered her libations and sacrifices, and prepared for her sacred cakes with their own hands. They even boasted that they had received |