all that is most interesting to man, as a creature that is to exist for ever, did they who have the capacity and opportunity for a more full and frequent examination of the Scriptures, plead the simplicity of what is absolutely essential to salvation as an excuse for the indolent neglect, or the careless perusal of perhaps the larger portion of the Divine Word! If the whole of that record was written from the dictation of the Holy Spirit, were it not presumption to expect his enlightening influence which is essential to the saving knowledge of any one of its truths, while the rest are treated with indifference? It has not been so with the saints in any age, for the prayer of the Psalmist has ever been their prayer, Open thou mine eyes," O Lord," that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." "I will delight myself in "I will delight myself in thy commandments," and "I will meditate on thy statutes." BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF IN our former numbers, we have seen men eminent for their piety, busying themselves in the duties of the pastoral office, and striving to win souls to Christ. In Sir Matthew Hale, one of the brightest names that adorn the profession of the law, we see a man and a Christian, by the faithful and conscientious discharge of secular duties, emerging from obscurity and mounting the ladder of distinction,-net by the mean tampering of the worldling, nor by the wicked intrigues and vain sophistry of the infidel, but by the honest and straightforward policy which the Gospel inculcates. gentleman who laid claim to some of his estates, Hale was obliged to leave the university and go to London to superintend his business. His legal agent, Sergeant Glanville, observing the talents of his young client, used all his influence to persuade him to relinquish his thoughts of the army, and to devote himself to the study of the law. This accordingly he did, and began to apply himself to his new profession at the age of 20 years. Deeply regretting the valuable time which he had lost by his folly, he commenced preparations for the bar with the most extraordinary diligence and intense application, studying even sixteen hours a day. He had not yet, however, altogether given up idle company, until a sad accident happened, which produced a serious effect upon his mind. With some other young students, he was invited to join a party of pleasure, on which occasion one of the party called for so much wine, that nothe drank until he was in such a state, that he fell down withstanding all that Mr Hale could do to prevent it, as dead. It is impossible to describe the state into which the company were thrown by this awful visitation. Mr Hale was so much affected, that he retired to an adjoining apartment, and there shutting the door, he fell upon his knees before Him in whose hands are the issues of life and of death, and prayed earnestly that his friend might be restored again to life, and that he himself might be forgiven, vowing that he would never again keep such company, nor drink another health while he lived. His companion recovered, and he most scrupulously observed his vow till his dying day. This accident was the instrument, in the hands of God, for accomplishing Hale's conversion, for immediately after he forsook all such company, and applied himself with the utmost assiduity to the acquisition of the different branches of knowledge connected with his profession; and busy as he was, he did not neglect his duties to his God, but set apart a portion of time each day for religious exercises. It is narrated of him that for thirtysix years after this he was never a Sabbath absent from Church; and it is well-known to have been a customary observation with him, that according as he spent the Sabbath, was his comfort, and happiness, and even his success in ordinary business through the week. Such, in fact, was his piety, that he could never allow a day to pass without examining his heart, and communing with his God. This eminent individual was born at Alderly, in the shire of Gloucester, on the 1st of November 1609. His ancestors were renowned for their deeds of charity and their sterling worth, a higher honour by far than an empty title unadorned by Christian virtues. His parents were not long spared to train his infant faculties, and lead him "in the way that he should go," for at the early age of five years, he was cast upon the care of Providence. Great as must have been this bereavement to one so young, it was in some measure alleviated by the kind His talents soon became conspicuous. It is related of protection afforded him by a kinsman of his own. him, that once as he was purchasing a suit of clothes, the The greatest care was taken of Hale's early training, and merchant offered him the cloth for nothing, provided he more especially of his religious education; for at that would promise him one hundred pounds if he should time he was intended for the ministry. In the 17th ever be Lord Chief-Justice of England-an office to year of his age he became a student at Magdalen College, which, as we will afterwards see, he was promoted. Oxford, where for some time he showed very great dili- He pursued his studies with great diligence, and not gence and proficiency, as he had previously done when at only acquired a most extensive knowledge of the law, school. He had not been long at Oxford, however, until but he likewise studied with great success the different his attention was much distracted from his studies by branches of philosophy, as also the science of medicine. associating with bad companions, from whose company "But above all these," says Burnet, "he seemed to he soon imbibed a love for theatrical amusements. have made the study of divinity the chief of all others, These he entirely forsook, upon going to London soon to which he not only directed every thing else, but after, resolving never again to see a play,-a resolution also arrived at that pitch in it, that those who have to which he ever after adhered, and of which he had read what he has written on those subjects, will think no cause to repent. At Oxford, however, before he they must have had most of his time and thoughts." had given up this practice, he became very negligent Our author goes on to say, "it may seem extravagant, and inattentive to his studies, and not only so, but he and almost incredible, that one man, in no great compass was led away to other scenes of dissipation, a circum- of years, should have acquired such a variety of knowstance which often happens, when once the mind be-ledge; and that in sciences that required much leisure comes unsettled by any thing of the kind. At this early age there was nothing so hostile to his feelings, or so revolting to his nature as the bland insinuations of flattery, which, during the whole of his life, he could never endure. While studying at this university, he determined on becoming a soldier, the army holding out so many attractions to the young, the gay, and the thoughtless. This resolution was happily overruled; for being at that time engaged in a law-suit with a and application. But as his parts were quick, and his apprehensions lively, his memory great, and his judgment strong: so his industry was almost indefatigable. He rose always betimes in the morning, was never idle, scarce ever held any discourse about news, except with some few in whom he confided entirely. He entered into no correspondence by letters, except about necessary business, or matters of learning, and spent very little time in eating or drinking; for as he 116 never went to public feasts, so he gave no entertainments but to the poor; for he followed our Saviour's direction (of feasting none but these) literally." At length the time arrived when he was called to the bar, and he brought into exertion the vast stores of profound knowledge which he had been accumulating with such diligence, and very soon attracted general attention. The time at which Hale commenced his public career was one of no ordinary difficulty for an individual in his circumstances. At that time, the country was involved in civil war, and it was no easy matter for a man in any public situation to preserve his integrity, and at This, however, he the same time live in security. endeavoured to do by performing his duties with fidelity, and at the same time with courage, regarding the opinion of none, so long as he was doing his duty to his country and his God. He engaged in no faction, but stood boldly forward, undaunted by any threatenings. He was a supporter of the King, defending him with the utmost boldness; and not only so, but he also did every thing in his power to relieve the necessity of his party He placed a considerable sum of money in the hand of a gentleman on whom he could depend, who distributed this charity according to his own discretion. Tho gh he did belong to this party, however, he was always charitable, and took care never to provoke any by censuring their actions, for some of his most intimate frie: ds alleged that they never heard him speak ill of His splendid abilities soon recommended any person. him to general notice, and he was raised to the bench, strange to say, by the consent and even the entreaties of both parties. He had not been long raised to this high station when he was elected a member of parliament, and in co-operation with others, he exerted himself to put an end to the agitated state of the country, and arrange public matters, which were then in Soon after this he was a state of great confusion. raised to the high station of Lord Chief-Baron of England, as being the most honest and straight forward man that could be found to discharge the duties When raised to this situation it was of that office. customary for the individual to be knighted, an honour which Hale desired to avoid, but which was unexpectedly conferred at an accidental meeting with He the King at the house of the Lord Chancellor. continued to occupy the prominent station of Lord Chief-Baron for eleven years, and gave to all concerned the utmost satisfaction,-by his justice, his generosity, and his diligence. The only complaint that was ever made against him was, that he did not dispatch his business quickly enough, but this was necessarily incident on the extreme care which he took, that all the cases brought before him should be finally settled; for the causes which were tried by him were seldom, if ever, tried again. He administered justice uprightly, deliberately, and at the same time resolutely, not resting upon his own understanding or strength, but imploring and resting upon the direction and strength of God. All his other thoughts and cares were laid aside, and he was wholly intent upon his business. In trials for capital crimes, it was his rule, though his nature prompted him to pity, yet to consider, that there is also a pity due to his country. He was neither biassed by compassion for the poor, nor favour to the rich, and never cared for the opinions of men, but followed simply the rules of justice. It not unfrequently happened when any particular case was to be tried, that the parties concerned sent him presents, endeavouring, if possible, to gain his fa vour. But, the Lord Chief-Baron had learned from Solomon, that a gift perverteth the ways of judgment," and never allowed the trial to proceed until he had paid for the presents. When he looked around him and saw the awful wickedness of the age and country in which he lived, when he beheld the extreme impiety and atheism of his fellow | No Sir he countrymen, his generous heart was sorrowful, and he minister told him there was to be a sacrament next Sunday at church, but he believed he could not come and partake with the rest; therefore he would give it him in his own house. But he answered, No; his heavenly Father had prepared a feast for him, and he would go to his Father's house to partake of it. So he made himself be carried thither in his chair, where he received the sacrament on his knees with great devotion, which it may be supposed was the greater, because he apprehended it was to be his last, and so took it as his provision for his journey." At length worn out by the severity of his sufferings, on Christmas day 1676, he yielded up his spirit to God who gave it. He remained in full possession of his faculties to the last moment-a privilege which he had. frequently and earnestly prayed for during his sickness. Immediately before his death, according to the account of Burnet," when his voice was so sunk that he could not be heard, they perceived by the almost constant lifting up of his eyes and hands, that he was still aspiring towards that blessed state, of which he was now speedily to be possessed. His end was peace--he had no struggling, nor seemed to be in any pangs in his last The character of Sir Matthew Hale, as a judge, was splendidly pre-eminent. His learning was profound, his patience unconquerable, his integrity stainless, "his voice was oracular, and his person little less than adored." But instead of contemplating his character as a scholar and a man of business, be ours the more agreeable and instructive task of endeavouring to convey to our readers some idea of his character as a Christian. He was a devout believer and a sincere Protestant ; tolerant to all, and just to those from whom he differed on the most essential points. In his family he constantly kept up the practice of family worship, performing it always himself, unless there was a clergyman present. On the Lord's day, it was his custom to call all his family together, and repeat to them the leading particulars of the sermon which they had heard, with some additions of his own, which he fitted for the capacities of all. Of his private exercises in devotion we cannot speak, for he took such extraordinary care to keep what he did secret, that this part of his character must be defective," except," as Burnet remarks, "it be acknowledged, that his humility in covering it commends him much more than the highest expressions of devotion could have done." Money had no attractions for him, but as being the means of subsistence and of doing good. "He had a soul enlarged and raised above that mean appetite of loving money, which is generally the root of all evil. He did not take the profits that he might have had by his practice; for in common cases, when those who came to ask his counsel gave him a piece, he used to give back the half, and so made ten shillings his fee in ordinary matters that did not require much time or study. If he saw a cause was unjust, he for a great while would not meddle further in it, but to give his advice that it was so. If the parties after that would go on, they were to seek another counsellor, for he would assist none in acts of injustice. If he found the cause doubtful or weak in point of law, he always advised his clients to agree their business." Failings he had, like every man, but his seem always to have leaned to virtue's side. In many cases he refused to take any remuneration, where he might have exacted a fee with the utmost propriety. When a practitioner, differences were often referred to him, which he settled, but would not accept of any reward. If they told him he lost much of his time in considering their business, and ought therefore to be paid accordingly, his answer was, "Can I spend my time better than to make people friends? must I have no time allowed me to do good in?" Charity was one of the distinguishing features of his character. He laid aside the tenth part of his income for behoof of the poor, and took great care to be well informed of proper objects for his charities. After he was made a judge, he sent the greater part of his perquisites to the jails to discharge poor prisoners, who never knew from whose beneficent hands their relief came. The following extract from his Life, by Dr Burnet, places his charity in a very favourable light:-" He usually invited his poor neighbours to dine with him, and made them sit at table with himself; and if any of them were sick, so that they could not come, he would send meat warm to them from his table. And he did not only relieve the poor in his own parish, but sent supplies to the neighbouring parishes as there was occasion for it; and he treated them all with the tenderness and familiarity that became one who considered they were of the same nature with himself, and were reduced to no other necessities but such as he himself might be brought to. But for common beggars, if any of these came to him as he was in his walks, when he lived in the country, he often sent them to some field to gather all the stones in it and lay them on a heap, and then would pay them liberally for their pains. This being done, he used to send his carts, and caused them to be carried to such places of the highway as needed mending. "But when he was in town, he dealt his charities very liberally, even among the street-beggars; and when some told him that he thereby encouraged idleness, and that most of these were notorious cheats, he used to answer, that he believed most of them were such, but among them there were some that were great objects of charity, and prest with grievous necessities; and that he had rather give his alms to twenty who might be perhaps rogues, than that one of the other sort should perish for want of that small relief which he gave them." After he was made a judge, so much afraid was he of being suspected to be partial, that in all his purchases he insisted upon paying more than was demanded.-On being told that he seemed to make ill bargains, he replied, "it became judges to pay more for what they bought than the true value, that so those with whom they dealt might not think they had any right to their favour, by having sold such things to them at an easy rate." He was naturally passionate, but so careful was he to subdue all feelings of the kind, that those who were most intimate with him, and had lived in his house, never saw him indulge in anger amid all the trials he met with. "There was one who did him a great injury, which it is not necessary to mention, who coming afterwards to him for his advice in the settlement of his estate, he gave it very frankly to him, but would accept of no fee for it, and thereby shewed that he could forgive as a Christian. And when he was asked by one, how he could use a man so kindly that had wronged him so much, his answer was, he thanked God he had learned to forget injuries." He was always kind to his clerks and servants, and endeavoured rather to reclaim than dismiss them for any trivial offence. When any of them had committed faults, he never reproved them until some time after, lest when his displeasure was great, he might have chid them too harshly; and when he did reprove them, he did it with such sweetness and gravity, that it appeared he was more concerned for their having been guilty of a fault than for the offence done to himself. When, as a judge, it was his duty to pass sentence upon the convicted, "he did it with such composedness and seriousness, and his speeches to the prisoners, directing them to prepare for death, were so weighty, so free of all affectation, and so serious and devout, that many loved to go to the trials, when he sat as judge, to be edified by his speeches and behaviour to them, and used to say, they heard very few such sermons,' When visited by affliction, he always acknowledged | it, and explore it as a secret source of inexhaustible and the hand of God, and maintained tranquillity of mind in evergrowing aggrandisement and wealth. a very wonderful degree. He had a tender heart, and sad things, as Burnet remarks, were apt to make deep impressions upon him; yet the regard he paid to the wisdom and providence of God, and the just estimate he had of all worldly things, tended to support him amid all his bereavements. But we will not enlarge any more upon the character of this illustrious man; from what we have already said, it must be obvious that he was indeed a true, sincere, and consistent Christian, testifying his faith by his works, and looking on this world only as a preparation for another and a better. In the words of his biographer, "He was one of the greatest patterns his age has afforded, whether in his private deportment as a Christian, or in his public employments, either at the bar or on the bench." HID TREASURES.* BY THE REV. ROBERT JAMIESON, "If thou seekest for knowledge as silver, and searchest for her as for THE similes used in both these passages are conceived by the generality of commentators to be founded on the circumstance, that the precious metals, which are held in so much estimation among men, on account of the purposes of utility or ornament to which they are capable of being applied, are not found strewed on the surface of the ground, but lie deeply imbedded in the bowels of the earth, unknown and imperceptible to human observation. To the ignorant and inexperienced eye, there may be nothing in the external appearance of nature to give token that she has there imparted any thing beyond the clods and the verdure, by which they may be covered. Yea, to such a depth are these valuable treasures occasionally sunk, that the most practised observers are not unfrequently deceived, and never dream of penetrating the bosom of the earth, for stores, of the existence of which she seems so studiously to have withheld all knowledge; and as the spots in which such valuable mines are discovered have generally been of a barren and unpromising character, it has not unfrequently happened, that they have been consigned to neglect, and allowed to lie in a waste and uncultivated state, as altogether incapable of rewarding the labour and expense of tillage; so that age may succeed to age, and one proprietor convey it to another, without one of the busy multitudes that tread upon its surface ever dreaming of the precious ore that lies deposited beneath. But let some happy accident reveal the secret, and give but a hint, that beneath a surface apparently so unpromising, the most valuable treasure is concealed, and from that moment, the field that contains it attracts an attention, and acquires an importance, to which it had not formerly the shadow of a claim. However it may continue to be neglected or undervalued by the rest of the world, yet in the eyes of the discoverer himself, it will appear infinitely more precious than the fairest and most extensive domains by which it may be surrounded, it will become the idol of his imagination by day, and rise before him in the visions of the night and never will he be satisfied or at rest till he has secured the undisputed possession of it to himself, and brought all his resources of labour and of strength to bear upon To correct a misapprehension in the minds of some of our readers, it may be right to state, that all the articles from the pen of Mr Jamieson, with the exception of that in our first Number, have been written expressly for The Scottish Christian Herald.-ED. Such fortunate discoveries, however, of the golden repositories of nature, have always been so rare, as to unfit them for being made the groundwork of metaphors or narratives like those before us, which were intended for the familiar and the obvious illustration of truth ; and the veins in which they are found generally extend, wherever they appear, in such abundance, as soon acquires for them too great value and importance in the public eye, to admit of the man who discovered the field where the treasure is hid, purchasing or long retaining it as his private property. Besides, Judea was never ranked among the countries where in ancient times the precious metals were obtained, nor did its solitary river, like the famed Pactolus, wash down from the neighbouring mountains the golden pebbles which its overflowing banks deposited in the fields through which it ran, enriching many of the peasants to whom our Lord was addressing this parable of the hid treasure, at no great distance from the banks of the Jordan. The propriety of the simile, therefore, which is introduced, both in the parable of Christ and in the Proverbs of Solomon, must have been founded on something more nearly allied to the general habits and associations of Eastern people-something more likely to come home to the hearers of the one, and the readers of the other, than that which was known to lead some of them to the purchase of new possessions, or to have greatly enhanced the value of such as were already their own. The readers of oriental tales are familiar with stories of persons, who, by some fortunate discovery of hidden treasure, were suddenly raised from poverty to unbounded wealth, and they are probably accustomed to ascribe such extraordinary variations of fortune to the poetic license which writers of fictitious narratives are never challenged for taking. But a little consideration will suffice to shew, that the tried and extensive fame of these beautiful fictions, which, in the countries where they were produced, form for whole seasons the only night's entertainments, has arisen solely from their being pictures of real life, and that while there is no idea which the inhabitants of all parts of the Eastern world are so prone to entertain as that of treasure hid in the field, the universality of the notion has originated, not in some vain and delusive dream, which their warm imaginations are fond of indulging, but in their knowledge of the immense riches which have frequently, in this manner, been acquired, and of the causes which render such places their chosen receptacle. The fact is, that the practice of hiding treasures is one which has risen out of necessity. In these quarters, so often the theatre of sudden revolutions-where the throne is occupied by a needy despot, who scruples at no means whereby to replenish his treasury, and where the subordinate governors imitate the rapacity of their superiors, the people, taught by experience that the suspicion of wealth often brings along with it a notoriety that proves dangerous to the possessor, endeavour to provide against emergencies which they have so good reason to fear, by depositing their money in places which are not liable to be affected by the dangers of anarchy or war. When a person has accumulated any considerable amount of wealth, he begins to think of the best means of securing it; and the usual practice in such cases is, after reserving as much in hand as may be necessary for the purposes of livelihood and trade, and expending another portion on jewels, which, from their portable nature, may not retard his flight, to bury the rest under ground, the only bank being the earth, where, if the money remains a dead and unprofitable stock, the owner has at least the satisfaction of knowing that he will find it safe and entire, whenever his necessities or inclination prompt him to retake it. In the selection of this place of concealment, he is guided by no motive but that of secrecy; and it matters little where the treasure is hid, provided the deposit can be effected without any traces being left to excite suspicion, and bring others to a knowledge of the secret. The more remote, of course, the situation of the place, the greater is its recommendation as a place of safety; and hence the field is so generally pitched on as least of all the scene of public or general resort. For the knowledge of this private hoard is studiously confined to the bosom of its owner, and should he, in the course of events, be compelled to abandon the spot, or die before he has an opportunity of returning to it, the secret dies with him, and will be for ever unknown to the world, unless some happy accident bring it in the way of the peasant as he turns up the soil with the plough. Innumerable stories of the discovery of treasure hid in the field are found in the pages of authentic history from Herodotus down to the present day. That venerable father of history gives a long account of an ancient King of Egypt who had amassed 400,000 talents in the course of his life, which he had securely deposited in the garden adjoining his palace, and which was never known nor suspected by any till he imparted the secret to his sons on his death-bed. Josephus informs us that Solomon laid up vast treasures in the royal sepulchre, which was reckoned the place of the greatest security, from the sacredness attached to the abodes of the dead; and the same historian also tells us that the inhabitants of Jerusalem, during its last and memorable siege, concealed their treasures in the streets, and under the floor, and within the door-posts of their houses, and in various unfrequented parts of their city, and that the precious secret would have been for ever buried in the grave with the owners, had not the plough of the conquerors passed over the ruins of the holy place and reduced it to a field. Discoveries of a similar kind are related in the modern histories of the East. Amadedulat, who reigned in Persia in the tenth century, according to D'Herbelot, found himself reduced to great difficulties from the impoverished state of his treasury, and walking one day in one of the rooms of his palace, which had been the favourite residence of his predecessor, he perceived a serpent putting its head out of a chink of the wall. The king having ordered the place to be searched and the serpent to be killed, found in the opening of the wall, a secret place, in which, though they missed the reptile, they found some treasure, and renewing their search with greater eagerness, lighted on a great number of large coffers loaded with the treasure which the former prince had amassed and concealed there. Sir John Malcolm, in his history of Persia, relates that Ismail Samanee, having pledged his word to the inhabitants of a conquered city that he would not surrender it to be plundered by his soldiers, found himself obliged, to avoid the temptation of violating his word through the murmurs and discontent of his soldiers, to withdraw from the neighbourhood of the place. He had not gone far, Sir John continues on the authority of Persian authors, when a ruby necklace of one of his ladies was carried away by a vulture, being from its redness mistaken for meat. The bird was watched, and seen to deposit the jewel in a dry pit, which was immediately searched. The necklace was recovered, and several boxes of treasure were found near it, which proved to be part of the wealth of the captured monarchs "About ten years ago," says Volney, in his travels through Syria, a small coffin was found at Hebron, full of gold and silver; and in the country of the Druzes, an individual lately discovered a jar, with gold coin in the form of a crescent, but as the chiefs and governors claim a right to those discoveries, and ruin those who have made them under pretence of obliging them to make restoration, those who find any thing endeavour carefully to conceal it, by secretly melting the antique coins, or burying them again in the same place where they were found." 66 Among the Turks, the same habit has long prevailed, and a memorable instance is recorded by Dr Perry, of immense treasures belonging to some of the principal people of the Turkish empire being concealed under ground, which, upon a revolution, were discovered by some of the domestics who had penetrated the secret. Nor is the custom of hiding money under ground less common in India. "We are constantly hearing," says Mr Roberts, late missionary in Hindostan, "of treasures which have been and are about to be discovered; and it is no rare thing to see a large space of ground completely turned up, or a group of old and young digging amid the foundations of an old ruin, all fall of the greatest eagerness and desire to reach the expected treasure. I once saw a deep tank made completely dry by immense labour in the hope of finding great treasures, which were said to have been cast in during the ancient Nor is money the only article which the timid spirit of oriental society seeks in this manner to secure. The same necessity which led to the concealment of their gold and silver in the bowels of the earth, suggested to the natives the expedient of committing to the same faithful custody as much of their other effects as could be spared from immediate use; and what was at first resorted to only in the most dangerous and unsettled crisis, as the best means of placing their property beyond the reach of untoward accidents, was afterwards continued in more peaceful times from the feeling of secu rity attending it, and became the common mode in which people of all ranks preserved their valuable commodities the opulent, their luxuries the traders, their merchandise the farmers, the precious fruits of harvestvast quantities of grain, oil, wine, honey, and apparel have been discovered thus hoarded up in subterranean cells, several hundreds of which have been found in the same field and although, from the nature and variety of the goods deposited in them, these must have been often required to be of great magnitude, yet so carefully and dexterously had the holes been filled and the surface levelled, that not a vestige remained to shew that the earth had been moved. Such were the treasures, with the discovery of which Jeremiah (xli. 8.) tells us, that ten unfortunate Israelites ransomed their lives from the hands of the treacherous and sanguinary Ishmael. "But ten men were found among them, that said unto Ishmael, stay us not; for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey." It will be readily supposed, that the knowledge of this custom of concealing treasure in the field having prevailed from time immemorial in the East, would give rise to many a desire to meet with ocular demonstrations of its existence; and that the more eager and sanguine votaries of Mammon, in all ages, would leave no means untried that promised to put them in possession of such valuable acquisitions. Accordingly, men were not wanting in ancient times, who, taking advantage of the prevailing anxiety, pretended to discover the places where treasure was hid by the arts of sorcery. Many Asiatic princes carried those sorcerers in their train to the cities they had won by their arms, to point out the places where the vanquished had concealed their treasures. And one remarkable instance is recorded of an Arab chief, who by the aid of a person of this description, striking with a stick on the walls and on the ground, discovered the spots that had been hollowed, and obtained in consequence immense sums. Whether, as is most likely, these conjurors were guided entirely by superior sagacity and skill, which they dexterously attributed to art, it is certain that the people of the East are universally of opinion that sorcery is the only effectuai means of making the discovery of hidden treasure. So universal is this persuasion, that we are informed by many modern travellers who have gone in quest of Eastern antiquities, that their researches have been great |
