From hence, therefore, we may observe that these descriptions, the most authentic of any, are neither agreeable unto one another, nor unto the scutcheons in question. For though they agree in Ephraim and Judah, that is, the ox and the lion, yet do they differ in those of Dan and Reuben, as far as an eagle is different from a serpent, and the figure of a man, hart, or mandrake, from three bars wave. Wherein notwithstanding we rather declare the incertainty of arms in this particular, than any way question their antiquity; for who relates the priesthood of Zecharias offering sacrifice for the people, &c., has the resemblance of a calf. JOHN, like an eagle with outstretched wings soaring aloft, speaks concerning the WORD of God, &c." But here we find various opinions; for while St. Jerome, in his Commentary on Matthew, and Gregory in his 4th Homily on Ezekiel, give the same version as Victorinus, St. Augustine assigns the man to Mark, and the lion to Matthew. And the dean, in the preceding note, follows those who regard Matthew's man to have been an angel. 1 the incertainty of arms in this particular.] Not a few of our antiquarian writers, theologians, as well as heralds, have been anxious to trace the origin of heraldry to the Bible. Bishop Hall, in his Impresse of God, says, "If the testament of the patriarchs had as much credit as antiquity, all the 'patriarchs had their armes assigned them by Jacob: Judah a lyon, Dan a serpent, Nepthali an hinde, Benjamin a wolf, Joseph a bough, and so of the rest.' Works, fol. 1648, p. 406, E. In Mr. Jefferson's copy occurs the following MS. note. "Sir John Prestwick, in his MS. history of the noble family of Chichester, derives the practice of heraldry from Gen. i. 14. 'Let them be for signs,'which he refers to heraldic signs." Sylvanus Morgan begins with the creation; "deducing from the principles of nature" his Sphere of Gentry, which he divides into four books, the first entitled Adam's shield, or nobility native; the 2nd, Joseph's coat, or nobility dative, &c. In the latter he gives a curiously engraven representation, and a description of Joseph's whole achievement; his coat being per fesse imbatled Argent and Gules out of a Well a Tree growing Proper, ensigned with a Helmet of a Knight thereon, out of a crown Mural Gules, a Wheatsheaf Or; his Mantles being of three sorts: the outmost being that of the gown, being cloth of gold lined with Ermine, Erminees, Erminois, and Erminets; the next being that of the Cloak, accompanying him in all his adversities, being lined Vaire, Vairy, and Cuppa; the outside Purple: the third being the Mantle for his funeral, being mantled Sable, lined Argent; his Motto, Nec Sorti nec Fato: having his wife's armes in an In-Escutcheon, she being the daughter and heir of Potiphar, Prince and Priest of On: his Sword and Girdle on the left side. Thus he is a publick person, conferring honours by Nobility Dative to his brethren !!"--Sphere of Gentry, book ii. p. 72. Alas! for poor Joseph's coat of many colours, to be thus blazoned ! Master Morgan, in setting forth the Camp of Israel, seemeth not hereof more ancient examples there are than t of the tribes, if Osyris, Mizraim, or Jupiter t the son of Cham; for of his two sons, as I vereth, the one for his device gave a dog, the And, beside the shield of Achilles, and many an if we receive the conjecture of Vossius, that t Corvinus' head was but the figure of that an helmet, it is an example of antiquity among the But more widely must we walk if we follow of the Cabalists, who in each of the four bann letter of the tetragrammaton, or quadriliteral n and mysterizing their ensigns, do make the pa of the twelve tribes, accommodable unto the tw the zodiac, and twelve months in the year; bu chical or general banners of Judah, Reuben, 1 less exactly informed as to the precise bearing of each p. 78). JUDAH bare Gules, a Lyon couchant or, ZABULUN'S black Ship's like to a man of warr Unfortunately, however, as our author shrewdly rema scriptions" of the conoscenti are not "agreeable unto Andrew Favine, in his Theater of Honor and Knighthoo p. 4, perfectly agrees with Morgan as to the antiquity blazons, which he does not hesitate to say "have been in creation of the world." But when he descends to particul agreement is instantly apparent. To say nothing of tinc bearings are different. Favine makes Judah's lyon ramp couchant; Reuben bears an armed man, instead of the b Ephraim's standard he omits the hart; to Simeon he assig instead of one; to Gad a sword instead of a banner; (tho the description of Morgan intended a sword, but the art standing his doggrel, has drawn a banner); to Manass sceptre instead of a tree; and to Dan, ears of corn instea gold. CHAP. X.] THE SCUTCHEONS OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. 37 Dan,2 unto the signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricornus; *that is, the four cardinal parts of the zodiack and seasons of the year.3 *Recius de Coelesti Agricultura, lib. iv. 2 do make the particular ones, &c.] Browne most probably alludes to the opinion of Kircher on this point. But several other writers have taken pains to establish the same theory. General Vallancy, in his chapter on the astronomy of the ancient Irish; i. e., Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, vol. vi. ch. ix.) proposes a scheme, which Dr. Hales has adopted, with some alterations, in his Chronology, vol. ii. At still greater length has Sir Wm. Drummond investigated the subject, in a paper on Gen. xlix. in the Classical Journal, vol. iii. p. 387. But here again the authorities are at issue. Sir William thus arranges his Zodiack :-Reuben, Aquarius; Simeon and Levi, Pisces; Judah, Leo; Zebulun, Capricorn; Issachar, Cancer; Dan, Scorpius; Gad, Aries; Asher, Libra; Napthali, Virgo; Joseph, Taurus; Benjamin, Gemini ; Manasseh, Sagittarius. General Vallancy on the other hand assigns to Simeon and Levi the sign Gemini, to Zebulun, Cancer; to Issacher, Taurus; to Napthali, Aries; to Joseph, Virgo; and to Benjamin, Capricorn; omitting Gad, Asher, and Manasseh. Dr. Hales also omits Manasseh, but places Gad in Pisces, Asher in Virgo, and Joseph in Sagittarius. There are other variations. Some have given Levi an open bough. The banner of Gad, which in Morgan bears a lion, is also given green, and without any device. Reuben has sometimes a mandrake, instead of the bars or the armed man. Dan's serpent is sometimes nowed, sometimes curled. Manasseh has sometimes an ox, and Ephraim an unicorn or a bough. But enough of this. Further examination of the various fanciful speculations of critics and antiquaries, whether heraldic or astronomical, will only confirm our author's conclusion, "of the incertainty of arms," and the irreconcilable discrepancy of those who have written on the subjects of the present chapter :quot homines, tot sententiæ; and how should it be otherwise in a case where nothing can be known, and any thing may therefore be conjectured? Before I close this note, however, I must be allowed to protest against Sir Wm. Drummond's mode of conducting his enquiry. With a view of enhancing the probability of his favourite theory, he commences by endeavouring to prove that the patriarchs were tinctured with polytheism, and addicted to divination and astrology; and arrives, in the space of half a dozen sentences, at the absurd and revolting conclusion, that Jacob was an astrologer, who believed himself under the influence of the planet Saturn! To what lengths will not some men go in support of a favourite hypothesis, however fanciful! What would be our feelings of indignation against him who should demolish the classical remains of Grecian antiquity, to make way for the vagaries of modern architecture? Less deep by far, than when we are asked to sacrifice the hallowed and beautiful simplicity of Scripture narrative to the base figments of rabbinical tradition, or the gratuitous assumptions of such critics as Sir Wm. Drummond. 3 But more widely, &c.] First added in 2nd edition. CHAPTER XI. Of the Pictures of the Sybils. THE pictures of the sybils are very common, and for their prophecies of Christ in high esteem with Christians; described commonly with youthful faces, and in a defined number. Common pieces making twelve, and many precisely ten; observing therein the account of Varro, that is, Sibylla Delphica, Erythræa, Samia, Cumana, Cumaa, or Cimmeria, Hellespontiaca, Libyca, Phrygia, Tiburtina, Persica. In which enumeration I perceive learned men are not satisfied, and many conclude an irreconcilable incertainty; some making more, others fewer, and not this certain number. For Suidas, though he affirm that in divers ages there were ten, yet the same denomination he affordeth unto more; Boysardus, in his tract of Divination, hath set forth the icons of these ten, yet addeth two others, Epirotica and Egyptia; and some affirm that prophesying women were generally named sybils. Others make them fewer: Martianus Capella two; Pliny and Solinus three; Ælian four; and Salmasius in effect but seven. For discoursing thereof in his Plinian Exercitations, he thus determineth; Ridere licet hodiernos pictores, qui tabulas proponunt Cumanæ, Cumææ et Erythrææ, quasi trium diversarum sibyllarum; cùm una eademque fuerit Cumana, Cumaa, et Erythræa, ex plurium et doctissimorum authorum sententia. Boysardus gives us leave to opinion there was no more than one; for so doth he conclude, In tanta scriptorum varietate liberum relinquimus lectori credere, an una et eadem in diversis regionibus peregrinata, cognomen sortita sit ab iis locis ubi oracula reddidisse comperitur, an plures extiterint: and therefore not discovering a resolution of their number from pens of the best writers, we have no reason to determine the same from the hand and pencil of painters. As touching their age, that they are generally described as young women, history will not allow; for the sybil whereof Virgil speaketh, is termed by him longæva sacerdos, and Servius, in his comment, amplifieth the same. The other, that sold the books unto Tarquin, and whose history is plainer than any, by Livy and Gellius is termed anus; that is, properly no woman of ordinary age, but full of years, and in the days of dotage, according to the etymology of Festus,* and consonant unto the history, wherein it is said, that Tarquin thought she doted with old age. Which duly perpended, the licentia pictoria is very large; with the same reason they may delineate old Nestor like Adonis, Hecuba with Helen's face, and time with Absolom's head. But this absurdity that eminent artist, Michael Angelo, hath avoided, in the pictures of the Cumean and Persian Sybils, as they stand described from the printed sculptures of Adam Man tuanus.4 CHAPTER XII. Of the Picture describing the death of Cleopatra. THE picture concerning the death of Cleopatra, with two asps or venomous serpents unto her arms or breasts, or both, requires consideration:5 for therein (beside that this variety * Anus, quasi Avoũç, sine mente. Mantuanus.] On the subject of this chapter, the origin of the Sybils, see the Abbé Pluche, Hist. du Ciel, vol. i. p. 263.—Jeff. 5 The picture, &c.] "An ancient encaustic picture of Cleopatra has lately been discovered, and detached from a wall, in which it had been hidden for centuries, and supposed to be a real portrait, painted by a Greek artist. It is done on blue slate. The colouring is fresh, very like life. She is represented applying the aspic to her bosom." tract from a Letter from Paris; Phil. Gaz. Nov. 27, 1822.—Jeff. Ex The preceding notice refers in all probability to the painting which was afterwards brought over to England by its possessor, Signor Micheli, who valued it at £10,000. He caused an engraving of it to be executed, which I have had an opportunity of seeing, in the hands of R. R. Reinagle, Esq., R.A. by whose kindness I have also been favoured with the following very full and interesting history and description of this curious work of art, in compliance with my request : "17, Fitzroy Square, Dec. 2, 1834. "Sir, The painting was done on a species of black slaty marble-was broken in two or three places. It was said by the Chev. Micheli, the proprietor, who brought it from Florence to this country, that it had been found in the recesses of a great wine cellar, where other fragments of antiquity had been deposited. That it was in a very thick case of wood nearly mouldered away. That it got into a broker's hands, by the major domo of the house or palace where it was discovered, having sold a parcel of |