an upper part raised as a terrace, about two feet above the ground-floor, for the use of the family. In this raised part, the fire-place for cooking is generally placed; but in no instance that I observed was there a chimney for carrying off the smoke; and as wood and turf are the fuel generally used, it becomes painful to those not accustomed to it, to sit in any house for more than an hour, where a fire is burning. In the upper division are the beds, clothes'-chests, and provisions; and for the better security of these, there are again other subdivisions made in the upper part of the house by walls, shelves, and recesses, all formed of dry mud, or sun-baked clay, without being white-washed or ornamented in any manner. There is seldom any aperture for light, except the doors, which must be shut when storms of rain or snow occur, and are always closed at night; so that those within are then enveloped in darkness and smoke."-BUCKINGHAM's Arab Tribes, pp. 33, 34.

MEAN EXTERIOR OF MANY EASTERN HOUSES.

"On arriving at the house (of the Governor of Damascus), we were struck with the extreme poverty and meanness of its exterior, although we were aware that this could only be an affectation of humility, to conceal the wealth of the interior, and render it less liable to excite envy in times of tranquillity, so as to escape pillage in times of commotion. We entered the outer enclosure through a small door, which led to a mean and narrow passage, carried along the side of a dead wall built of earth-dried brick, and without a single aperture to admit either air or light. At the end of this passage was an humble seat, with a dirty carpet and four old cushions, that indicated nothing but rags and poverty within. Here we were obliged to wait till the ill-dressed porter, who sat on the seat described, went in and announced our names,...when a servant was sent out to conduct us to (his master's) presence. Although we had prepared

ourselves for the sight of a spacious and commodious house,...we were greatly surprised to find not merely this, but a gorgeous display of wealth and luxury, which, concealed as it was from the vulgar gaze by the circumvallation of mud through which we had entered it, seemed to us still too hazardous" (to possess).-BUCKINGHAM's Arab Tribes, p. 340.

"I was struck with the great contrast between the outside of the houses (in Damascus) and the appearance within. Without, all looked old, rusty, and ready to fall to pieces; but within there was often a richness and beauty in the marble pavements, the gilded ceiling, and fanciful carvings, that was striking."-PAXTON's Letters from Palestine.

PLAN OF THE HOUSES IN BARBARY-PORCH OR DOOR.

JUDGES iii. 23.

"Then Ehud went forth through the porch."

2 SAM. xi. 9.

"Uriah slept at the door of the king's house, with all the servants of his lord."

EZEKIEL XXXiii. 30.

"Also thou Son of Man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee" (rather of, or concerning thee) "by the walls, and in the doors of the houses." MARK Xiii. 34.

"...and commanded the porter to watch."

"If from the streets we enter into one of the principal houses, we shall first pass through a porch or gateway with benches on each side, where the master of the family receives visits, and despatches business; few persons, not even the nearest relations, having further ad

mission, except upon extraordinary occasions."-SHAW'S Barbary, vol. i. p. 374.

In Bengal, servants and others generally sleep in the verandah or porch in front of their master's house. The Arab servants do the same in Egypt.-See WARD'S History of the Hindoos, vol. ii. p. 323.

The court" is entered by a passage that is constructed with one or two turnings, for the purpose of preventing strangers in the street from seeing into it. In this passage, just within the door, there is a long stone seat, built against the back or side wall, for the porter and other servants."-LANE'S Modern Egyptians, vol. i. p. 11.

THRESHOLDS.

EZEKIEL xliii. 8.

"In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts,. they have even defiled

my holy name.'

The threshold is the place where honour is more particularly paid to the living and the dead in some parts of the East. The Persians prostrate themselves on the threshold of their sacred tombs; and princes also are thus honoured.

The posts of the temple of God appear to have been honourable places; for near one of them, in the tabernacle, Eli, the high-priest sat (1 Sam. i. 9). When the idolatrous temples, therefore, were set up, the idol priests may have been seen seated by the posts, in imitation and mockery of the high-priests of Jehovah.-HARMER'S Observations, vol. ii. pp. 496-499.

COURT, OR QUADRANGLE.

2 SAM. xvii. 18.

"And (they) came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court, whither they went down.” NEHEMIAH viii. 16.

"So the people...made booths...in their courts."

LUKE V. 17-19.

"And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea, and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy ; and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him

before them. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the house-top, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus."

From the porch, or gateway, "we are received into the court or quadrangle, which, lying open to the weather, is paved with marble, or such materials as will immediately carry off the water." The courts in Persia are often decorated with flower-beds, rose-bushes, and other shrubbery, and often with bubbling fountains.*

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The court of the governor's house at Damascus was paved with coloured marbles, cooled by refreshing fountains, and shadowed by citron and orange trees."BUCKINGHAM'S Arab Tribes, pp. 340, 341.

"Some large houses have two courts, the inner for the harem; and in the latter or both of these there is usually a little enclosure of arched wood-work, in which trees and flowers are raised."-LANE's Modern Egyptians, vol. i. p. 11.

When much people are to be admitted, as upon the celebration of a marriage, or occasions of the like nature, the company is rarely or never received into one of the chambers. The court is the usual place of their reception, which is strewed accordingly with mats and carpets for their more commodious entertainment; and as this is called the middle of the house, answering to the midst of St. Luke, it is probable that the place where our Saviour and the apostles were frequently accustomed to give their instructions, might have been in the like situation, viz.-in the court of one of these houses. In the summer season, and upon all occasions when a large company is to be received, this court is commonly sheltered from the heat or inclemency of the weather, by a veil or awning, which,

*See Perkins' Residence in Persia.