On profits! A regular proportion of the money gained was given to the friars and clergy belonging to certain churches and convents, who were paid for worshipping her. board these vessels an image of the virgin, or the patron saint, is generally set up, lamps are kept burning before it, and on particular occasions various ceremonies are performed. It is sad to reflect upon these idolatries, and it is not less so to think of the profaneness too common on board our own ships; but we rejoice at the improvement which has taken place of late years, and trust that, by the Divine blessing, sailors will become praying men. Much good has been done by the distribution of tracts among them. Explanation of the representations of an ancient galley or ship, on pages 111 and 112. A The keel, or lowest part of the vessel. B 2 An ornament, probably the neck of a goose, denoting the name of the vessel. B 3 An ornament. B 4 Carvings, or ornaments round C. B 5 The rising of the stern. C D Н Here and idol was placed, supposed to be the protector of the ship. The mast. The oars, which in this instance were in three rows, one above the other. The mainsail. The flag, or banner. The great cabin. The captain of the vessel. The pilot steering: the ancient rudders were oars. Shields hung thereon for ornament or use. The authenticity of these delineations is beyond dispute, as they are from representations in the ruins of Herculaneum. See also the picture of galleys on the next page. CH. XX.-WARFARE-MILITARY AFFAIRS. THE reader will not expect to find much in this work about wars and military proceedings, but there are some allusions to those subjects in the Bible which must not be passed by. In the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, there are many accounts of battles and warfare. We find, in general, that those who are described as good characters stood upon their own defence, while the kings who first attacked others were bad characters. Of course we do not here refer to the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. We are expressly told the inhabitants of that land were so wicked, that God saw it needful that they should be destroyed, and the Israelites were the executioners of this just sentence, Gen. xv. 16; Exod. xxxiv. 10-17; Lev. xx. 23; Deut. xii. 29-31; Josh. xxiv. 11. We may observe, that when attacked by their enemies, the true followers of the Lord, while they exerted themselves, did not trust in an arm of flesh. They looked to the Lord of hosts, earnestly in prayer, for a blessing on their arms. Thus Moses, when the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites, Exod. xvii. 11; David, 1 Sam. xvii. 37; 2 Sam v. 19; Abijah, 2 Chron. xiii. 5, 12, 14; Asa, 2 Chron. xiv. 11; Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx; Hezekiah, 2 Kings xix. Other instances might be mentioned: Ezra viii. 21, 23, must not be forgotten. The walls of Jerusalem are spoken of in many places. In the book of Nehemiah we read what care was taken to repair them after the return from the captivity. The walls of Babylon were sixty miles in circuit, nearly ninety feet broad, and three hundred and fifty feet high. Not a decided trace can now be found of these immense masses. Fortified towns were attacked by battering rams, and other engines of war, 2 Sam. xx. 15, or by building forts to shelter the besiegers, 2 Kings xxv. 1; though such regular engines as are represented at pages 118, 119, probably were not used till the later times of the Roman empire. Fortified towers are often mentioned in Scripture, Judg. ix. 51. There also were towers in their vineyards and gardens, to defend the property against robbers, Isa. v. 2; Matt. xxi. 33; Cant. vii. 4. Such are now found in the east. The tops of craggy rocks were often fortified, Gen. xxv. 16; Judg. xx. 47; 1 Sam. xiv. 4. The strong holds were rocks, or more frequently caves, 1 Sam. xxiii. 29; xxiv. 2, 3. Flying to hills and mountains for refuge is often mentioned in Scripture. Our readers will remember that gunpowder was not discovered till a few hundred years ago, consequently fire-arms and cannon were not known in ancient warfare. The missile weapons then used were darts and javelins, thrown by the hand or by engines; also bows and arrows, |