tles, and threads of a scarlet colour, for their safeguard. They go and dip their finger in the mud that' settles at the bottom of baths, and then rub it on the child's forehead. If you ask them, For what? It is, say they, to protect the infant from an evil eye, and from the effects of envy and jealousy. Some write upon the child's hand the name of a river or stream; others use cinders, soot, and salt, for the same purposes."

There was no sort of divination which was not in vogue, as the observation of days, auguries, presages, &c.

They are ever terrified with panic fears. At going out, I met such a person; it forebodes me much evil. My careless servant, when he brought me my shoes, gave me the left shoe first; a sure mark that I shall be exposed to misery and ill usage. When I went forth, the first step I made was with my left foot; some calamity will befal me. Then my right eye turned downwards; I shall be obliged to shed tears. The braying of an ass, the crowing of a cock, the sneezing of a man, all these are ominous."

The Tribunals, Judgments, Usury.

The hall in which the judges sat had large curtains, which concealed the judges from being seen. Thence the place had the name of Bor, Velum. When the judge came forth from behind the veil, to ascend the tribunal, the keeper of the jails produced the prisoners. When a man condemned to die was carried to execution, he was led through the market-place, with a rope put in his mouth, to hinder him from speaking and complaining of his judge, or of his accusers.

VOL. II.

A a

All

1

All sorts of acts, deeds, covenants, contracts, tėstaments, were of no validity, if they had not at the beginning the name of the consul, and the year of the consulate.

The usury called centesima, of which he often speaks, is supposed to have been the Inundredth part of the principal, to be paid monthly, by way of interest. So that he who borrowed an hundred pounds, paid one pound a month, or twelve pounds a year for it.

Marriages.

He often censures the manner in which they were celebrated. It consisted in dances, immodest songs, hymns in honour to Venús, and representations of adulteries. Prostitutes were invited to the entertainment; and after the feast, the guests, most of them fuddled, led about the town the bride splendidly arrayed and painted, and sang scandalous ballads, offensive, not only to Christians, but even to the Pagans.

The Highways.

He observes that they were in a better condition in his time than they had been before. They were distinguished by Morai, mansions, into which passengers could retreat; and at certain distances there were guards to defend the travellers. At length, for more security, they built houses at the end of every mile, where guards were appointed for this purpose, to watch day and night. In those times fifteen stadia were two miles.

The

acti

usto

The Kalends and Festivities.

In the rejoicings at Antioch on the first day of January, the whole night was spent in dancing, and scoffing at one another. The market-place was adorned with garlands. They put on their best apparel, and then they made their presages: If we pass this new moon in joy, said they, the whole year will be joyful. The women, as well as the men, drank bumpers of unwatered wine. When Theodosius forgavé the Antiochians the insult which they had committed in flinging down his statues, and dragging them through the streets, they made great rejoicings, adorning the market-place with crowns, lighting up lamps, and bringing out couches before the doors. These were the lectisternia of the ancient Romans, still practised in Syria.

The Pagan Philosophers of those times.

They were remarkable for their long beards, and their clokes of a particular form, and their staff which they always carried in their hand. Where are now, says he, these men, these Gentile philosophers, these Cynics, who practise the trade of expiating the crimes of men? Wretches more contemptible than the dogs under the table, and ready to do any thing to fill their bellies.

Funerals.

When any one expired, his parents or brethren shut his eyes and mouth, according to the ancient practice. There were no graves within the city; they carried the dead out of them, to be buried. This custom was ancient, but often ill observed. The bodies of the rich were wrapped up in a silken robe,

and carried upon gilded beds. The people assembled about them, celebrating the memory of the deceased. The domestic servants were covered with sackcloth, and so were the horses, led by the grooms. Often they put ashes on their heads.

St Chrysostom condemns black or mourning clothes; but with more reason he inveighs against the præfice, or women hired to act as mourners, who had their arms bare, and tore up their hair, and scratched their faces,

The Persians and Scythians.

They married their own mothers so commonly, that, as he says, a Persian was to be admired who abstained from this vile practice. In his time, they still worshipped the fire.

“Their king, says he, wears a golden beard, and persons skilled in that art, covered every hair of it with gold."

Be

to

But it seems probable that this was a fictitious be beard, as were in ancient times the beards of the Parthian kings, of which we have in our antiquities produced a great number that are plainly artificial.

The Scythians, Hamaxobu, and the Nomades, built no houses, but lived in carts, as the word Hamaxobi denotes, not only in the time of Chrysostom, but from the remotest antiquity.

THESE are the things of which Chrysostom occasionally informs us concerning the fashions, manners, and luxury which prevailed in the time of Theodosius and of his son Arcadius. Most of these particularities would have been unknown, if he had not men

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tioned them, and in vain should we seek them in contemporary authors.

Polite antiquity was much upon the decline in this age, and sunk continually afterwards, till a kind of barbarity ensued. And yet the monuments of the following ages are not to be neglected, but are rather an object worthy of our curiosity. The degrees of this degeneracy make up a considerable part of history, and should be carefully noted by good historians.

It must also be owned that to these lower ages we are indebted for the most necessary and useful inventions, which had been undiscovered when the elegant arts seemed to have been in a state of perfection. Glass windows, for example, were not invented till about the age of Theodosius the elder; and St Jerom, if I mistake not, is the first who hath spoken of them. Before this time they never thought of applying glass to this purpose. Seneca says that in his days they began to use transparent stones in their windows. They were fetched from different countries, and they used to cut those which let the most light through, The younger Pliny had them. Yet what seemed more obvious for people, who for so long a time had employed and fashioned glass to other purposes, than to apply it to this use, to let in the light, and to shut out the air?

It was also about the time of Theodosius that they began to bring to perfection the ephippia, or saddles for horses. On the Theodosian pillar at Constantinople, we find some of the horses that had pommels before and behind, which shews that they had wood within, to keep them firm; whilst before this, they had only saddle-cloths, or coverings of no great thick