Page images
PDF
EPUB

OBSERVATION LXXIV.

Hail and Rain dreadful in the East.

HAD hail been mingled with the rain, Baldwin's army would have been in a still more dangerous situation: such hail as that Albertus Aquensis describes, which fell when Baldwin I. was with his army in the mountains of Arabia, beyond the Dead Sea; at the top of which, he tells us, they had to encounter with the greatest dangers, from a horrible hail, terrible ice, unheard-of rain and snow, which were such, that thirty of the foot died with cold.*

Something of this kind, I presume, the Canaanites suffered in their flight from Joshua, in a mountainous part of Judea, Joshua x. 11. But it must have been much more destructive to people that were fleeing before their enemies, than to those Albertus mentions; as they doubtless had thrown away their clothes in part for the sake of expedition,' dared not to stop for shelter, and were running along in a mountainous place, among precipices."

* Gesta Dei, &c. p. 307.

1 See 2 Kings vii. 15.

m The danger of which is sufficiently seen, in the ac. count William of Tyre has given of the flight of some Turks that came to take Jerusalem, but were received by the inhabitants with such gallantry, that fleeing from them, along the mountainous road that leads from that city to Jordan, many of them fell headlong down the precipices, and miserably perished. Gesta Dei, &c. p. 922, 923.

OBSERVATION LXXV.

Curious Illustration of 2 Kings vii. 15.

SALADINE'S army, which was defeated by Baldwin IV. near Gaza, suffered in like manner in their flight by rain aud cold; but I mention it not to illustrate either Joshua x. 11, or 1 Sam. vii. 10, 11, but on the account of its being a picture in other respects of the flight of the Syrians, mentioned 2 Kings vii. 15. And they went after them unto Jordan, and lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste.

Saladine's army, in like manner, being vigorously pursued till night came on, and as far as a certain standing water, surrounded with reeds, twelve miles off, were continually cut off in great numbers. To fly therefore with great expedition, they threw away their arms and clothes, and abandoned their baggage, and by this means some of those that were strongest and had swift horses," escaped; the

" D'Arvieux tells us, "the Arabs generally ride mares, as more proper for their purpose; experience having taught them, that they can better endure fatigue, hunger, and thirst, than male animals of that species; they are also more gentle, less vicious, and produce annually a foal." He adds, 66 that their mares never neigh, and are there. fore more proper for their lying in ambush." Voy. dans la Palestine, chap. 11. The translators of the Septuagint seem to have had the same notion, translating that word which our version renders stalls, by a term which signifies females. 1 Kings iv. 26, 2 Chron. 9. 25. It does not appear that their translation is just; but it plainly

rest were killed or taken. Those that escaped as far as the above-mentioned fenny place, if they had any thing of weight still remaining, such as coats of mail, or greaves of iron, threw them among the reeds, or still farther into the water itself, that they might move quicker, and that the armour, being concealed in the water, might neither be of any afterservice to the Christians, nor be kept by them as trophies of their victory. But in vain: for those that closely pursued them, diligently searched that place, that night and the following day, and with proper instruments quickly found what they had concealed in it; " and we have been informed, (says the historian) by people of credit, who were eye-witnesses, that an hundred coats of mail were drawn out of that place in one day, besides iron boots, and things which, though of less weight, were both useful and valuable." He then mentions how miserably these naked fugitives were harrassed with incessant rains, and unusual cold weather, which began the next day, and continued ten days together."

The Syrians, struck with a panic, left many of their garments in like manner in the road to Jordan, and of their vessels, or arms, as I suppose the word keleem means, as Sala

marks out, that they supposed Solomon's cavalry was like the modern Arab cavalry, of the female gender. An observation which may not, perhaps, be displeasing to some of my readers, as the Septuagint translation might otherwise appear a very strange one.

• Gesta Dei, p. 1010.

dine's army did, (for the original word in the book of Kings is known to signify arms as well as vessels,) and the rest perhaps were thrown into the river.

The horses and asses that were left in the camp, according to the seventh verse, were doubtless the beasts of burden, used by them for the carriage of their tents and provisions, which their terror made them leave behind; and as the troops of the Syrians seem to have been horse, see 2 Kings vi. 15, it is no wonder they made no use of their heavier moving animals in their flight, but left them.

OBSERVATION LXXVI.

A Sword hanging at the Neck, a Token of Humiliation and Subjection.

THIS flight of the Syrians puts us in mind of another flight of theirs, related in the 1 Kings, in the account of which a circumstance is mentioned that engages attention: And his servants said unto him, (Benhadad,) Behold now we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; peradventure he will save thy life. So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel.

↑ 1 Kings xx. 31, 32.

The approaching persons with a sword hanging to the neck is, in the East, thought to be a

coming before describing the

very humble and submissive them. So William of Tyre, great solemnity and humiliation with which the governor of Egypt, under the Khaliph of that country, appeared before his master, tells us, he prostrated himself on the ground thrice, with his sword hanging to his neck, which at the third prostration he took off and laid down."

And, what is more to the purpose. Thevenot has mentioned this circumstance, in the account he has given of the taking of Bagdat by the Turks, in one thousand six hundred and thirty eight, drawn from a letter, written by a person of distinction in the Turkish army to one of the Sangiacks of Egypt: for, upon the begging for quarter by the besieged, he that was the lieutenant and the principal officer of the governor of Bagdat, we are told, went to the Grand Visier with a scarf about his neck, and his sword wreathed in it; which is, he says, an ignominious mark of submission, and begged, both in his own and master's name, Aman, that is to say, pardon and mercy; and having obtained it, the governor came, and was introduced to the Grand Signior, and obtained not only a confirmation of the promise of life that had been made him, but divers presents too of value.'

Thevenot supposed the hanging the sword about the neck was an ignominious mark of Part 1, p. 289.

Gesta Dei, p. 965.

« PreviousContinue »