manners have greatly modified the Oriental; but in Lebanon it still prevails. CHAPTER If a sheikh, beg, or emeer invites, he always sends a servant to call you at the IX. proper time. This servant often repeats the very formula mentioned in Luke Calling to xiv. 17: 66 Tefăddălû, el 'asha hâder"-" Come, for the supper is ready." a feast. The fact that this custom is mainly confined to the wealthy and to the nobility is in strict agreement with the parable, where the certain man who made the great supper, and bade many, is supposed to be of this class. It is true now, as then, that to refuse is a high insult to the maker of the feast, nor would such excuses as those in the parable be more acceptable to a Druse emeer than they were to the lord of this "great supper;" but, however angry, very few would manifest their displeasure by sending the servants into the highways and hedges after the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. All these characters are found in abundance in our streets, and I have known rich men who filled out the costume of the parable even in these particulars; it was, however, as matter of ostentation, to show the extent of their benevolence, and the depth of their humility and condescension. Nevertheless, it is pleasant to find enough of the drapery of this parable still practised to show that originally it was, in all its details, in close conformity to the customs of this country.

The discussion the other evening about names interested me not a little, as illustrating ancient customs in this matter. Nearly all Bible names were Bible significant, and were conferred with reference to some circumstance connected names. with the birth of the child. Such things carry one back to the households of the patriarchs. Leah called her first-born Reuben, for she said, "The Lord hath looked upon my affliction;" the second was named Simeon-hearing, for the Lord had heard her prayer; and thus it was to the end of the list.

The customs are identical, and so are many of the names; but the Arabs Arabian. have others to which they are very partial. The non-Christian sects often give some derivative of Hamed-praise; now generally in honour of Mohammed, their prophet, but not so originally. All sects join the name of God to one of his attributes, or to some other word, in order to make agreeable names for their children. Thus, Fudle Allah-God's bounty; 'Abd Allah~servant of God. So the word deen-religion-enters into many favourite names; as Hasn ed Deen-beauty of religion; Ameen ed Deen-faithful in religion; Fukhr ed Deen-glory of religion; Sŭlah ed Deen-goodness of religion, contracted by us into Saladin, the antagonist of England's lion-hearted Richard, and the terror of Crusaders.

daughters

For daughters, the Arabs are fond of flowery and poetic names. We have Poetical all about us, among servants, washerwomen, and beggars, suns, and stars, and names of full moons, and roses, and lilies, and jessamines, and diamonds, and pearls, and every other beautiful epithet you can think of. And, as the parents assume the names of their children, we hear these poor creatures addressed continually as The-father-of-God's-bounty (Abu Fudle Allah), and the Motherof-the-Full-Moon, etc. etc., through the whole list of poetic fancies.

PART

I.

Families sleeping together.

Serving dinner.

Dishes.

There are many minor matters in which the East and the West are as far apart socially as they are geographically. For example, a whole family, parents, children, and servants, sleep in the same room, and with slight change of garments, or none at all. Both these customs are alluded to in the Bible. The first in the plea of the lazy man in the parable about importunity: "My children are with me in bed; I cannot arise and give thee;"1 and the second is implied in the reason assigned by Moses for the return of a garment taken in pledge from a poor man before the sun goes down: "It is his covering of his flesh; wherein shall he sleep?" The long, loose garments worn by this people remove, or at least mitigate, the impropriety of this practice; but with all that, it is objectionable. So, also, a whole family continue to reside under the same roof, father, sons, and grandsons, in one common household. This also is ancient; but it is very repugnant to our ideas, and has many disadvantages. Nor does the fact that they can live cheaper by such a commonstock arrangement compensate for the confusion and want of family government occasioned by the system. There never can be well-regulated households until this custom is broken up, or so modified as to call forth greater personal responsibility and independence in the younger branches of the family.

Orientals are also far behind the day in almost every branch of domestic economy, especially in table furniture and their mode of eating. The general custom, even of the better classes, is to bring a polygonal stool, about fourteen inches high, into the common sitting-room. On this is placed a tray of basketwork or of metal, generally copper, upon which the food is arranged. The bread lies on the mat beneath the tray, and a cruse of water stands near by, from which all drink as they have need. On formal occasions, this is held in

SCAMLA OR TABLE.

the hand by a servant, who waits upon the guests Around this stool and tray the guests gather, sitting on the floor. The dishes are most generally stews of rice, beans,burgul (cracked wheat), with soups or sauces as the case may be, in deep dishes or bowls. Some use wooden or metal spoons for their stews and thick soups, but the most common mode is to double up bits of their thin bread, spoon fashion, and dip them into the dish. There is fre

IX.

or forks

quent reference to this custom in some of the most interesting and some of the CHAPTER most solemn scenes of the Bible. The richer sort use silver spoons; but they have neither knives nor forks, nor do they know how to use them. This is a Spoons. very meagre set-out certainly; but they will tell you that it is all they want, and No knives is every way more convenient than our custom, and immeasurably less expensive. High tables and chairs would not only be out of place at the time, but in the way at all times. They do not have a separate dining-room, and hence they want an apparatus that can be easily brought in and removed, and this they have. They all eat out of the same dish, and why not? It is within reach, and it gives a better relish to dip their thin bread into the general hot mess, than to take out a portion on separate plates and use spoons. As their meat is always cut up into stews, or else cooked until it is ready to fall to pieces, knives and forks are useless; and when they have chickens, they are easily torn to pieces with their fingers. Nor do they see any vulgarity in this. The very polite à la mode Oriental will tear up the best bits, and either lay them next you, or insist on putting them into your mouth. I have had this done for me by

digits not particularly fair, or even clean. You observe that things correspond with one another. And there is this great economic advantage in their way, Economy that it demands much less labour than ours. If our system were introduced at cf labour once, and the females of the family (who do all the work) were required to carry it out correctly and decently, their labour would be increased tenfold. Not only must an entirely new apparatus be procured, and kept clean and bright, but also the table, table-linen, and chairs, and the separate room must be provided. Indeed, an entirely new and foreign department must be instituted

1.

of the West.

PART and maintained under every disadvantage. Where this has been attempted in the families of native consuls, and others aping European manners, it has Imitation generally proved a niserable failure. The knives, forks, and spoons are rusty; the plates, dishes, and glasses ill-assorted, dirty, badly arranged, and not in sufficient quantity; the chairs are rickety, and the table stands on legs spasmodic and perilous. The whole thing, in short, is an uncomfortable burlesque or a provoking caricature. Then the cookery must be Frank as well as the furniture, which is worst of all. I have stood in terror before some of these compounds of dyspepsia and night-mare. No, no; let the Arabs retain their own commissary and dietetic regulations, at least until things are better prepared for a change than at present. In their own way their cooking is good, and their set-out respectable.

Washing hands.

Servants

to pour water.

Kissing bands.

Of course, after such a meal as we have described, washing the hands and mouth is indispensable (it ought to be before, but is not), and the ibrîek and tûsht-their pitcher and ewer-are always brought, and the servant, with a napkin over his shoulder, pours on your hands.

If there is no servant, they perform this office for each other. Great men have those about them whose special business is to pour water on their hands. Thus it was in ancient times. One of the servants said to Jehoshaphat, "Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah."1

WASHING HANDS.

It was an apparatus somewhat like this tûsht and ibriek that our Lord used at the close of his last supper with his disciples, when he girded himself with a napkin, and washed, not their hands, but their feet, and thus gave the most affecting lesson on humility the world has ever seen or heard.

There are many minor contrasts, some of which are rather amusing. When friends meet, they do not shake hands, but strike the tips of the fingers together, and sometimes grasp tightly the whole hand. If it is a priest, emeer, or high

officer of any kind, the back of the hand must be kissed. This is strictly

12 Kings iii. 11.

JX.

enforced, and the neglect or refusal is a great offence. The clergy are particularly CHAPTER stringent in claiming this mark of respect. The more common mode of salutation is to raise the hand to the breast, or to the lips and forehead. Friends who have been long separated embrace, and kiss either one or both cheeks and generally each shoulder. This kissing among men strikes us as very odd, but there are numberless references to it in the Bible. The "brethren" are often enjoined by the apostles to salutę one another with the kiss of brotherly love and holy charity. The women kiss each other on all occasions, and ad nauseam; but the different sexes are very reserved in their mutual salutations, and do not even touch each other's hands.

ments.

Arab ladies, particularly the married, are extravagantly fond of silver and Ornagold ornaments; and they have an endless variety of chains, bracelets, anklets, Singular necklaces, and rings. It is also quite common to see thousands of piastres, in various coins around the forehead, suspended from the neck, and covering a piastres,

use of

system of net-work, called suffa, attached to the back of the head-dress, which spreads over the shoulders, and falls down to the waist. These jewels cannot be taken for the husband's debts. A poor man often goes to prison for a few piastres, while thousands glitter and jingle on the dress of his wife. This is very provoking to the creditor, who knows that his money has been purposely attached to these inviolable ornaments, so that he may not get hold of it.