tains on the east of the Dead Sea, and lived there in a cave. Here, his eldest daughter became the mother of Moab; and his youngest, the mother of Ben-ammi, as described in Gen. xix. 30-37. Moab and his posterity, having driven out the old inhabitants, possessed a mountainous tract probably in Colosyria, which was thence called Moabitis. They were under a monarchy, practised circumcision, and employed themselves chiefly in agriculture. They once seemed to have had the knowledge of the true God; but early in their history, we find their religion became monstrously corrupted, by the introduction of idolatry. They worshipped a variety of idols, among which are the names of Chemosh and Baal-peor. Some of their towns were named after their idols. They sacrificed oxen and rams, and not unfrequently offered human victims.

When they settled in this country, they drove out the Emims, descendants of Ham, whose name signifies terrible, and who are described in Deut. ii. 10. as "a people great, many and tall, as the Anakims; which also were accounted giants." The Moabites were addicted to obscenity in their manners. But they became quite a powerful and warlike nation; and as we shall see hereafter were one of those nations against which the Israelites had to contend before taking possession of the promised land.

THE AMMONITES.

and being merchants and mariners, it may well be sup-
posed they had a competent skill in geography, geom-
etry and astronomy.
Moses after having assisted the Egyptians in con-
quering the Ethiopians, fled among the Midianites.
And here his conduct towards Jethro's daughters, in
protecting them from the intrusion of the shepherds,
called forth the gratitude of that priest of Midian, who
gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage. Moses
lived with Jethro about forty years, when he set out for
Egypt to execute his commission in relation to the de-
livery of the Israelites. But Moses sent back his wife,
having had a dispute with her in relation to the cir-
cumcision of a child. Exod. xviii. 2.

The Midianite merchants were they who purchased
Joseph and sold him to Potiphar in Egypt. The reli-
gion of Midian was not firmly established; but it at
times approached the gross idolatry of the Moabites.
Their government was sometimes monarchical, and
sometimes aristocratical; and again at intervals they
seemed fond of entire independence. They were
much feared by the Israelites, for they were revengeful
and cruel, and their wars were extremely bloody.
Their mode of warfare was similar to that of the Cos-
sacks of Napoleon's time.
IDUMEA.

The Edomites or Idumæans, were the descendants Ammon or Ben-ammi, the father of the Ammonites, of Abraham by Isaac his son, who was the father of was the son of Lot, by his youngest daughter. They uated between Midian and the Mediterranean, borderEsau, called likewise Edom. Their territory was sitfound, like the Moabites, the country which they took possession of, inhabited by giants, who gradually be- but well watered, and was formerly fruitful in grapes ing on that sea. In some places it was mountainous, came extinct. The country was level and fruitful in and grain. In their flourishing state they carried on a grain. The capital was named Rabbah. They were governed by kings, and practised circumcision. Their great commerce, both by the way of the Red Sea and religion doubtless, was originally pure in its principles, They kept on foot numerous forces, and a great numthe Mediterranean, but principally with Tyre and Sidon. but it degenerated into a most stupid worship of Mo-ber of armed chariots, which, in those times, decided loch, the god of fire, to whom they offered their chil- the fate of battles. Their cities were strongly fortidren. The image of this idol is said to have been fied; and they cultivated the sciences and arts. They hollow, and divided into seven receptacles. And have been censured for an unsociability of character, among these receptacles there is said to have been for harshness and pride, which never forsook them, one for a child. This horrid custom, of burning their ped one God generally, with some exceptions; and even under the greatest misfortunes. They worshippatriarchal, but finally that of an elective monarchy, practised circumcision. Their first government was The antipathy which Esau constantly manifested against his brother Jacob for defrauding him of his birth right, is well known; and it seemed as if this feeling became hereditary among their descendants. These two fraternal nations, the Edomites and the Jews, were ever the most implacable enemies. Their wars with each other were unlike those between other nations; they appeared to be actuated by a kind of fury, which excited them not merely to conquer, but to ex terminate each other. After many alternate successes and defeats, and the destruction of thousands of lives, they were ultimately subjugated by the Jews, and with them were reduced to slavery by the Babylonians.

children by way of sacrifice to this grim idol, was at a place called Topheth. They were cruel and warlike. In the days of Moses, they were dispossessed in part by Sihon, the Amorite, who drove them into the mountains. They reappeared again, however, and subsequently joined Eglon king of Moab, against the Israelites, as we shall see in its place.

THE MIDIANITES.

The territory of the Midianites was situated near the confines of Arabia Petræa, on the shores of the Red Sea. They were the descendants of Midian, the fourth son of Abraham, by Keturah. Their situation rendered them mostly shepherds and merchants. The former lived in tents, and fed their flocks in plains, partly verdant, and partly sandy, and interspersed with rocks; stopping where they found springs and pasturage, and removing to other places as they failed.

They had great numbers of camels and dromedaries among their herds of cattle. These they sold to great advantage to such of their countrymen as were addicted to commerce; and they travelled over the desert with them and brought back the perfumes of Arabia. Their merchants were extremely wealthy, carrying on their commercial operations upon the Red Sea-hence we read of their jewels of gold, chains, bracelets, rings, ear-rings, tablets, purple raiment, and the gold collars round the necks of their camels. Judg. viii. 24.

Numb. xxxi. 50.

Sir Isaac Newton allows them the honour of instructing Moses in writing.* The merchants must have understood Arithmetic-and situated as they were upon the Red Sea they could not have refrained from ship-building. Hence, being able to teach writing,

* Chron. of An. Kingd. Am'd. p. 210.

Intimately connected with the history of these people, is that of the Amalekites. They were the descendants of Eliphaz, the first-born of Esau. In their taste for the arts, in their commerce, religion, and in their situation they resembled the Edomites. And in fact, we are disposed to think they were but a tribe of that nation. Some however, distinguish them as a great nation: some conjecture they were warriors and conquerors, and made a part of the Shepherds who subdued Egypt. The Jewish historians call them the first of nations. Numb. xxiv. 20. But with our scanty knowledge of them, we cannot perceive why they should have been so distinguished. However, whatever may have been their pristine rank or character in this respect, we find associated with the mention of their name, the fatal prediction; their name shall be put out from under heaven. They were engaged in perpetual wars with their neighbours, and they were finally nearly annihilated by the Jews.

MYTHOLOGY.

THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE CONDEMNED IN HELL. (Continued.)

IXION.

"Ixion was the son of Phlegyas: he killed his own sister, and obtained his pardon from the gods, who advanced him to heaven; and his prosperity made him so arrogant that he attempted to make love to Juno. This insolent attempt was discovered to Jupiter, who sent a cloud in the shape of Juno, which the deceived lover embraced, and thence those monsters the Centaurs were born: he was then thrown down to the earth again; where, because he boasted every where that he had gained the heart of the queen of the gods, he was struck with thunder down into hell, and tied fast to a wheel, which continually turns about.

SISIPHUS.

"Sisiphus was a famous robber killed by Theseus; he is condemned in hell to roll a great and unwieldy stone to the top of a high hill, and as oft as the stone almost touches the top of the mountain, it slides down again. THE BELIDES.

cribed to him who was the son of Jupiter by Alcmena, the wife of Amphytrio, king of Thebes.

"When Amphytrio was absent, Jupiter put on his shape and dress, and came to Alcmena; who, thinking her husband was returned, entertained the deceitful god, and had by him a son, whose limbs were extraordinary and wonderfully large, his constitution robust, and his body full of vigour.

"When Juno had discovered the conduct of Jupiter, she began to hate Hercules so violently, that she endeavoured to ruin him. First, she obtained an edict from Jupiter, which she endeavoured to turn to his utter destruction. Again, she sent two vipers to destroy him when he lay crying in the cradle: but it was in vain; for the valiant infant griped them in his hands till they perished by his grasp, as we are told by Ovid in his epistles.

"He had two proper names, Hercules and Alcides; but his surnames are innumerable. His parents called him Alcides, from his extraordinary strength, in which he greatly excelled all mankind. He was afterwards called Hercules, from the glory which Juno caused him: for when she exposed him to the greatest dangers, she rendered him most illustrious, and by enjoining him so many labours, she only exercised his patience and his courage.

"The Belides were fifty virgin sisters, so called from their grandfather Belus; and named also Danaides, from their father Danaus, who married them to the fifty sons of his brother. The oracle foretold, that Danaus should be slain by his son-in-law: wherefore he commanded his daughters to provide daggers, and on their wedding night to kill their husbands. The daughters performed their promises, and killed their husbands, except Hypermnestra, for she spared Lynceus, her husband, who afterward killed Danaus, and took his kingdom. This great impiety was thus punished: they were condemned to draw water out of a deep well, and fill a tub, that (like a sieve) is full of holes; the water runs out as fast as it is put in, so they are tor-great love he bore Euristheus. mented with a perpetual and unprofitable labour.

the edict of Jupiter and unkindness of Juno, but also "Hercules was subjected to Euristheus, not only by. because the oracle of Apollo at Delphi advised and persuaded him to submit himself, and obey Euristhethe twelve labours which his master should lay upon us' commands; and especially, to undergo, willingly, him. Hercules obeyed the Fates, and served Euristheus twelve years: he performed the most dangerous and difficult commands with a suitable courage and success. Some say that Hercules served him volun

They hourly fetch the water that they spill.

TANTALUS.

"Tantalus, another remarkable criminal, was the son of Jupiter and the nymph Plota. He invited all the gods to a feast, to get a plain and clear proof of their divinity: when they came, he killed and quartered his own son Pelops, and boiled him, and set the joints before them to eat. All the gods abstained from such horrible diet, except Ceres, who being melancholy and inattentive from the recent loss of her daughter, ate one of the child's shoulders. Afterwards the gods sent Mercury to recal him to life, and gave him an ivory shoulder, instead of the shoulder which Ceres had eaten. This Pelops was the husband of Hippodamia, who bore him Atreus and Thyestes; the latter of whom was banished, because he seduced Erope his brother Atreus' wife; and when he was recalled from banishment, he ate up his children; for Atreus killed them, and had them served in dishes to the table, where he and Thyestes dined together. It is said, that the sun could not endure so horrible a sight, and turned his course back again to the east. But as Tantalus' crime was greater, so was his punishment; for he is tormented with eternal hunger and thirst in the midst of plenty both of meat and drink: he stands in water up to his lips, but cannot reach it; and fruit is placed just to his mouth, which he cannot take hold of.

tarily, and performed these difficult tasks, to show how

Though Hercules performed an infinite number of great and memorable actions, twelve are especially celebrated: and those twelve are comprised in as many Latin verses, translated out of the Greek:

The Cleonian lion first he kills;
With fire and sword then Lerna's pest he quells,
Of the wild boar he clears th' Er'manthean fields;
The brass-foot stag with golden antlers yields,
He Stympha clears of man-devouring birds;
And next the bouncing Amazon ungirds:
The stables of king Augeas he cleans;
The Cretan bull he vanquishes and chains:
Diomedes' horses him their conqu❜ror own;
Then he brings low three-headed Geryon :
Hesperian apples next his name sustains;
And his last labour Cerberus enchains.

"The particular account of these twelve is this
"The first labour of Hercules was, that he tore in
pieces, with his nails, the lion in the woods of Ne-
mea, which, some say, fell from the orb of the moon,
and was invulnerable by any weapon. This place
was also named Cleone, from which the lion was also
called Cleoneus. He afterwards skinned the lion, and
with the skin made himself a shield and a breast-
plate.

2. There was a hydra, a serpent in the lake Lerna, in the fief Argos, that had seven heads; some say nine, othe.s fifty. When any of these heads were cut off, another presently sprang up in the place of it: unless the blood which issued from the wound was stopped.

Iolaus, the son of Iphiclus, procured for him lighted brands from the neighbouring wood, and with them Hercules stanched the blood issuing from the wounds he made. This seasonable assistance was not forgotten; for when Iolaus was grown to decrepid age, Hercules, by his prayers, restored him to his youth again.

3. He bound the wild boar, whose fierceness and bigness were equally admirable, in the mountain Erymanthus of Arcadia; and afterwards brought it to Euristheus.

HERCULES.

4. He was ordered to bring to Mycena a hind, whose feet were brass, and horns gold. Nobody dared to wound her, because she was consecrated to Diana, nor could any body outrun her: yet Hercules hunted her a year on foot, and caught her, and brought her away on his shoulders.

5. He partly killed and partly drove away the birds called Stymphalides, from lake Stymphalus, which used to feed upon man's flesh.

6. He defeated the army of the Amazons, and took from Hyppolite, their queen, the finest belt in the world. 7. He in one day cleansed the stable of Augeas, by turning the course of a river into it. This stable had never heen cleansed, although three thousand oxen staWhence, when we would exbled a thirty years.

press a work of immense labour and toil, in proverbial
8. He tamed a great bull, that did much mischief in
speech, we call it "cleansing the Augean stable."
the island of Crete, and brought him bound to Euris-
theus.

9. He overcame Diomedes the most cruel tyrant of Thrace, who fed his horses with the flesh of his guests. those horses to which the tyrant had exposed others. Hercules bound him, and threw him to be eaten by

10. He overcame in war, Geryon, king of Spain, who had three bodies, and took his bay oxen that ate man's flesh, and brought them into Italy, when he had killed the dragon with seven heads, and the two-headed dog which guarded him.

11. He killed the dragon that watched, and then