Pharaoh brought upon his country, was a swarm of locusts, “which covered the face of the whole land, so that the earth was darkened; and they devoured every green herb of the earth, and the fruit of every tree which the hail had left. Nothing green remained either on the trees or on the herbs of the earth throughout the whole land of Egypt" (Exod. x. 15). A similar calamity happened to the Africans in the time of the Romans, and about one hundred and twenty-three years before Christ. An immense number of locusts covered the whole country, consumed every plant and blade of grass in the fields, without sparing the roots, and the leaves of the trees, with the tendrils upon which they grew. These being exhausted, they penetrated with their teeth the bark, however bitter, and even corroded the dry and solid timber. After they had accomplished this terrible destruction, a sudden blast of wind dispersed them into different portions, and after tossing them awhile in the air, plunged their innumerable hosts into the sea. But the deadly scourge was not then at an end; the raging billows threw up enormous heaps of their dead and corrupted bodies upon that long-extended coast, which produced a most insupportable and poisonous stench. This soon brought on a pestilence, which affected every species of animals; so that birds, and sheep, and cattle, and even the wild beasts of the field, perished in great numbers; and their carcases, being soon rendered putrid by the foulness of the air, added greatly to the general corruption. The destruction of human life was horrible; in Numidia, where at that time Micipsa was king, eighty thousand persons died; and in that part of the sea-coast which bordered upon the region of Carthage and Utica, two hundred thousand are said to have been carried off by the pestilence.

The immense numbers in which locusts migrate, is spoken of by several travellers of respectability. Mr. Brown, in his Travels in Africa, says, "An area of nearly two thousand square miles might be said to be literally covered by them." Mr. Forbes states, that when at Barodha, in India, where the locust is not near so pernicious as in Africa and Arabia, he saw a flight of them extending above a mile in length, and half as much in breadth; they appeared, as the sun was in the meridian, like a black cloud at a distance. As they approached from the east, the density of

the host obscured the sun's rays, cast an awful gloom, like that of an eclipse, over the garden where he was, and caused a noise like the rushing of a torrent. They were near an hour in passing over the spot.

These extracts, which might be greatly multiplied, will shew the propriety of the Scripture references to the numerical strength of the locust armies. See Judges vi. 5, vii. 12; Ps. cv. 34; Jer. xlvi. 23, &c.; for although our translation has "grasshopper" in some of these passages, the locust is no doubt the creature intended by the original.

But the most particular description of the locust in the sacred writings is that in Joel ii. 3—10: “A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks; neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city: they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining." This is perhaps one of the most striking and animated pictures to be found in the whole compass of prophecy. We may fancy the destroying army moving before us while we read, and the desolation spreading while we turn over the pages.

Many writers mention the resemblance which the head of the locust bears to that of the horse. But the prophet does not appear to be describing the shape of the insect when he compares it to a horse, but rather its properties, its fierceness, and its swift motion. Thus, in Rev. ix. 7, the locusts are compared to horses prepared for the battle, furious and impatient for the war:

“Like the sound of chariots, on the top of the mountains shall they leap:

Like the sound of a flame of fire which devoureth stubble. They shall be like a strong people set in battle array. The noise of their coming shall be heard at a distance, like the sound of chariots passing over the mountains. When they fall on the ground, and leap from place to place, and devour the fruits, the sound of them will resemble the crackling of the stubble when consuming by the flames, or the din and clamour of an army ready prepared to engage in battle."

How this description agrees to the locusts, is shewn abundantly by Bochart, who tells us, from several authors, that they fly with a great noise. John has similarly described them—“The sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses running to battle" (Rev. ix. 9): they may be heard at six miles' distance; and when they are eating the fruits of the earth, the sound is like that of a flame driven by the wind.

The locust is employed in the book of Revelation to symbolize the countless and savage hordes that fought under the banners of the Saracen princes. We have already remarked, that almost all writers on natural history notice that the head of a locust bears a striking resemblance to that of a horse. The Greeks called it the horse of the earth. Accoutred for war, and mounted by a stern and bearded warrior, the Arabian charger has a majestic and terrible appearance. Not less dreadful to the inhabitants of the East is the locust, in all the vigour of youth, ready to commence his destructive march. The Saracen furnished his horse with a silver bridle and gilt trappings, and covered his neck and breast with plates of iron: it is therefore not improbable that he adorned his head with some ornament resembling a crown, to which the horns or feelers of the locust may not improperly be compared. The neck of this formidable insect is also defended by a hard scaly substance, in the same manner as the neck of the Arabian war-horse was defended by plates of iron. The Arabian horse is carefully taught to recognize his enemy in the field of battle, which he no sooner does, than he rushes upon him with the utmost violence, and attempts to tear him in pieces with his teeth. The teeth of the locust are very sharp and strong.

With what astonishing rapidity this insect devours every green thing, and scatters desolation over the fairest regions of the earth, has already been described; from whence it appears that the comparison of the Saracen horse to the locust is by no means unnatural. Nor is the sound of its wings less remarkable; the sacred writer says, "The sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses running to battle;" and travellers have stated that "the passage of the locust over their heads was like the noise of a great cataract."

A great deal has been written on the nature of the food used by John the Baptist, one article of which is stated to have been locusts. The dispute has been as to whether these were the insects so called, or the fruit of a certain tree known by the same name. That locusts, properly so called, were allowed to the Jews as an article of food, is certain from Leviticus xi. 22; and that they are actually used for this purpose in many parts of the East at the present day, we have the testimony of many unexceptionable writers.

Text-EXODUS X. 12-15.

MORNING WALKS.

Ir was on a Sunday morning, a fine sunshiny morning, in the pleasant month of May, that a group of children were seen slowly wending their way to the little village of Elmwood. They were talking away with great earnestness, when they saw a lady approaching the stile over which they were all going to pass. Their chattering was hushed in an instant; and from their smiling faces and eager curtseys, it was easy to see that the lady was a favourite with these children. Miss Sydney, for that was the lady's name, was a constant attendant at the Sunday-school to which they belonged. She took a great deal of pains in teaching them, and in trying to help them to be good and happy; and the children repaid with gratitude and affection this kindness.

"Good morning to you all," said Miss Sydney, when she reached the spot where they stood waiting to let her pass over the stile; "Good morning to you all; I am glad to see you are in such good time; I suppose the fine morning has tempted you all out earlier than usual, that you might

be able to loiter in the pleasant fields, before it was time to go to school."

"It is indeed a very fine morning, ma'am," said Hannah, the eldest of the girls; "but I do not suppose we were any of us thinking about that, or the pretty fields, before we saw you, ma'am.'

"What, then, were you thinking of?" said Miss Sydney; "for some of you were talking very earnestly."

"Yes, indeed, ma'am," said little Mary; "I was telling them about Jane Moore. She is so idle, her mother says she can do nothing with her."

"Yes," said Hannah; "and she is so ill-tempered that her little sisters cry if she goes near them."

"And I know that she told a lie last week," said another of the girls.

"And she always looks so dirty and untidy, that my mother says I am not to play with her, lest I should learn such ways. Indeed, ma'am," continued Hannah, "you don't know how naughty she is."

"And you don't know, ma'am," added Mary, "what she was doing this morning when we passed their cottage."

"No!" said Miss Sydney, stopping for a moment, and speaking rather slowly; "I do not know what Jane Moore has been doing this morning, but I know what you are all doing now."

The children turned round, wondering what Miss Sydney meant. They looked inquiringly, first at each other, and then again at her. At length Hannah said, "I think, Miss Sydney, I know what you mean. You mean that we are speaking ill of a neighbour; and you think, too, that I forget the verses I learnt with you at school last Sunday." Miss Sydney smiled. "Your guess is very nearly right, Hannah. I do not like to hear you talk of another girl in the way in which you have been talking."

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But, ma'am," said Mary, "Jane Moore is a very naughty girl, and we cannot help knowing it; and I'm sure we meant no harm."

"I do not think you did intend any harm, my dear, because I do not think you are a spiteful or ill-natured girl. But can you tell me what good you do to Jane by talking over her faults?"

"Oh! no good,” cried several of the girls at once, "be