of the Pharisees in the gospel with hoods and pouches. There is no great evil in being deceived in all this; but it is better not to be deceived, if possible.

The ancients commonly wore long garments, as most nations in the world still do; and as we ourselves did in Europe not above two hundred years ago. One may much sooner cover the whole body all at once, than each part of it singly; and long garments have more dignity and gracefulness. In hot countries they always wore a wide dress, and never concerned themselves about covering the arms or legs, or wore any thing upon the feet, but soles fastened in different ways. Thus their dress took but little making it was only a large piece of cloth shaped into a garment; there was nothing to cut, and not much to sew. They had likewise the art of weaving gowns with sleeves all of one piece, and without seam, as our Saviour's coat was. *

The fashions never changed, nor do they now, in any part of the east. And since clothes are made to cover the body, and men's bodies are alike in all ages, there is no occasion for the prodigious variety of dresses, and such frequent changes, as we are used to. It is reasonable to seek that which is most convenient, that the body may be sufficiently defended against the injuries of the weather, according to the climate and season, and be at perfect liberty in all its motions. There must be a proper respect paid to decency, age, sex, and profession. One may have an eye likewise to the handsomeness of clothes, provided, under that pretence, we do not wear uneasy ornaments, and are contented, as the ancients were, with agreeable colours and natural drapery: but when once we have found what is handsome and convenient, we ought by no means to change.

Nor are they the wisest people who invent new fashions: they are generally women and young people, with the assistance of mercers, milliners, and taylors, * John xix, 23.

who have no other view but their own interest. Yet these trifles have very grievous consequences. The expense occasioned by superfluous ornaments, and the changing of fashions is very hard upon most people of moderate circumstances, and is one reason that marrying is so difficult: it is a continual source of quarrels betwixt the old and young, and the reverence for ancient times is much lessened by it. Young fantastical people, when they see their ancestors' pictures in dresses which are only ridiculous because they are not used to them, can hardly believe they were persons of a good understanding, or their maxims fit to be followed. In a word, they that pretend to be so very nice and exact in their dress, must spend a great deal of their time in it, and make it a study, of no use surely towards improving their minds, or rendering them capable of great undertakings.

As the ancients did not change their fashions, the rich had always great quantities of clothes by them, and were not liable to the inconvenience of waiting for a new suit, or having it made up in haste. Lucullus had five thousand cloaks in his wardrobe,* which was a sort of military dress; by which we may judge of what he had besides. It was common to make presents of clothes; and then they always gave two suits, for change, and that one might be worn whilst the other was washing, as we do with our sets of linen.

The stuffs were generally made of wool. In Egypt and Syria they wore also fine linen, cotton, and byssus, which was finer than all the rest. This byssus, which the Scripture so often mentions, is a sort of * -Chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt,

Si posset centum scenæ præbere rogatus,
Qui possum tot? ait:

-post paulò scribit, sibi millia quinque

Esse domi Chlamydum. HORAT. Epist. lib. 1, E. vi, v. 40-44. As this was a kind of military dress, it is probable that Lucullus had them principally for the purpose of clothing his soldiers. Lucullus commanded the Roman armies against Mithridates, king of Pontus, and Tigranes, king of Armenia, and was honoured with a triumph in the year 691. He is accused of being the first who introduced luxury among the Romans.

silk, of a golden yellow, that grows upon great shell fish.* * As to our silk made from worms, it was unknown in the time of the Israelites, and the use of it did not become common on this side the Indies, till more than five hundred years after Christ. The beauty of their clothes consisted in the fineness and colour of the stuff. The most esteemed were the white and the purple, red or violet. And, it seems, white was the colour most in use among the Israelites, as well as the Greeks and Romans; since Solomon says, let thy garments be always white,† meaning clean. Nothing in reality can be plainer than to make use of wool or flax just as nature produces it, without dying. Young people of both sexes wore clothes variegated with divers colours. Such was Joseph's coat which his brethren spoiled him of when they sold him; and of the same sort were the gowns which kings' daughters wore in the time of David.§

The ornaments of their habits were fringes, or borders of purple or embroidery, and clasps of gold or precious stones, where they were necessary. Greatness consisted in changing dress often, and wearing only such clothes as were thoroughly clean and whole. Besides, no body will doubt that the Israelites went very plain in their dress, if we consider how remarkable the Greeks and Romans were for it, even in the time of their greatest luxury. We see it in ancient statues, Trajan's pillar, and other pieces of sculpture.

The garments commonly mentioned in Scripture are the tunic and mantle : and the Greek and Roman dress consisted of these two only. The tunic was made wide, to leave freedom of motion at work: they loosed it when they were unemployed; but in travelling or at work they tied it up with a girdle. Thence comes the phrase so frequent in Scripture, Arise, gird up thy loins, and do this. The Israelites were ordered to wear ribands of blue on the borders

*Gesner. Hist. Anim. 1. iv, de Pinnâ. † Eccles. ix, 8. Gen. Xxxvii, 32. § 2 Sam. xiii, 18. || See the note P. 58.

of their garments, to make them continually mindful of the law of God.* They had the head covered with a sort of tiara, like that of the Persians and Chaldeans, for it was a sign of mourning to go bareheaded and they wore their own hair, for to be shaved was another mark of affliction. As to the beard, it is very certain they wore it long, by the instance of the ambassadors that David sent to the king of the Ammonites, half of whose beards that ill advised prince shaved off to affront them † so that they were forced to stay some time at Jericho, to let their beards grow again, before they could have the face to show themselves: he also caused their clothes to be cut off in the middle, and in such a manner as shows they wore them very long.

They bathed frequently, as is still the custom in hot countries, and washed their feet still oftener; because, wearing nothing but sandals, they could not walk without gathering much dust. Thence it comes that the Scripture speaks so much of washing the feet at first coming into a house, at sitting down to victuals, and going to bed. Now because water dries the skin and hair, they anointed themselves, either with plain oil, or such as had aromatic spices infused in it, which was commonly called ointment. This custom still prevails in the East Indies.

We see in several parts of the Scripture after what manner the women dressed and adorned themselves. God, reproaching Jerusalem with her breaches of faith, under the figure of a husband, who has brought his wife out of the greatest misery to heap blessings upon her, says, by the prophet Ezekiel, that he has given her very fine stuffs, and of different colours, a silken girdle, purple shoes, bracelets, a neck-lace, earrings, and a crown or rather mitre, § such as the

* Numb. xv, 38. †2 Sam. x, 4. Ezek. xvi, 10, 11, &c. § Ite, quibus grata est pictâ lupa barbara mitrâ. Juv. Sat. iii, v. 66. The barbarous harlots crowd the public place;

DRYD.

Go, fools, and purchase an unclean embrace; The painted mitre court, and the more painted face. Mitres, variously painted and ornamented, are still used by the women of the east.

Syrian women used a great while after; that he adorned her with gold and silver, and the most costly raiment. When Judith dressed herself to go to Holofernes, it is said that she washed and anointed herself, that she braided her hair, and put attire upon her head; that she put on her garments of gladness, with sandals upon her feet, and adorned herself with bracelets, earrings, and rings upon her fingers.* In a word, we cannot desire a more particular account of these female ornaments than what we read in Isaiah when he reproaches the daughters of Sion with their vanity and luxury ;† for corruption was then got to the highest pitch.

CHAPTER VII.

Their Houses and Furniture.

THERE was occasion for much less furniture in those hot countries than in ours: and their plainness in all other respects give us reason to think they had but little. The law often speaks of wooden and earthen vessels; and earthen ware was very common among the Greeks and Romans, before luxury had crept in among them. They are mentioned among the things that were brought for the refreshment of David, during the war with Absalom.‡ We see the furniture that was thought necessary, in the words of the Shunamite woman who lodged the prophet Elisha: Let us make, said she to her husband, a little chamber for the man of God, and set for him there a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick.§ Their beds were no more than couches without curtains, except they were such light coverings as the Greeks called canopies, because they served to keep off the gnats. The great people had ivory bedsteads,** as the prophet. Amos reproaches the wealthy in his time; and they that were most delicate made their beds very soft, * Judith x, 3, &c., Isaiah iii, 16, &c. 2 Sam. xvii, 28. § 2 Kings iv, 10. Konopeion from Kwywry, a gnat, ** Amos vi, 4.