"tral enchased ornament. The small heads of crosses of a dark tint are tourquoise, "the rest garnet, excepting the central stone of all, which is lost." The reverse contains the work by which the Fibula was fastened to the garment; which is described as follows; "The clasp of metal which receives the pin of this Fibula, or "broach, is in the form of a snake's head: the circle round the eye, that which "marks the nostrils, and the beading round the neck, is a neat fillagree; the same

may be observed at the base of the vertical hinge of the acus or pin, which hinge "is ornamented with garnet and tourquoise stones: the cross describing the latter. "Over the acus is a loop, which evidently secured the Fibula to the dress, lest, as being a valuable ornament, it might be lost from it.

"This curious jewel, which I apprehend to be the most elegant sepulchral "relic discovered in Britain, is 34 inches in diameter, and weighs 6 ounces, 5 pennyweights, 18 grains, and is of an inch in thickness: it was found near the neck of "the skeleton, and was taken from a Barrow at Kingston, on Barham Downs, near "Canterbury."

In this last Drawing, No. 18, we have a very remarkable subject, constituting a most important collateral evidence of the intercourse of the Phenicians with this country. It is a CRYSTAL BALL, not unfrequently found in the sepulchres of the ancient Britons. In Ireland this relic retains its ancient Canaanitish name, with the exception of a small dialectical difference; it is there called LIATH MEISICHITH, which the Irish translate the magical stone of speculation, or, more strictly, the stone of speculation. Col. Val. de Rebus Hiber. vol. iv. This LIATH MEISICHITH is obviously the ABEN MESICHITH forbidden to the Israelites in the following injunction;

ואבן משכית לא תתנו בארצכם

Thou shalt not have the ABEN (the LIATH, the STONE) MESICHITH in "thy land." Leviticus c. xxvi. v. 1. It is again forbidden in the following text, "Thou shalt destroy all their MESCHIOTHEM." Num. c. xxx. v. 52.

"In our common translation of the Bible ABEN MESICHITH is rendered a stone image, and MESCIOTHIM is translated pictures; but the LXX have translated the ABEN MESICHITH of the text by Aitos sxomos, gemma speculationis, i. e. the stone of speculation, or inspection. This is exactly the meaning assigned by the Irish to their LIATH MEISICHITH, though it is very improbable that these translators knew that any such thing existed: this coincidence is therefore the more remarkable.

The difference in the two translations, I apprehend, originated in this circumstance; there are two roots to which the word in question may be referred, but neither of them indigenous as to the Hebrew language, but exotics; viz. which, in the Arabic signifies to be like, to resemble; likeness, resemblance; and the kindred verb, which in the Chaldee signifies to view, to look at with attention, to contemplate. The translators of the common Bible have referred the word MESICHITH to the Arabic a representation, and, as it is preceded by ABEN, a stone, they have concluded that a STONE IMAGE was intended by ABEN MESICHITH. The LXX, on the other hand, refering to the Chaldee verb to view, to inspect with attention, &c. have very properly rendered the words by the stone of speculation or inspection.'

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The ABEN MESICHITH was a stone to be inspected, it was indeed an impious imitation of the URIM and THUMMIM in the breast-plate of Aaron, invented by the Canaanitish priests to impose on the credulity of the people, and thus to place themselves on an apparent equality with the high priest; hence the prohibition in the texts quoted. To these stones of inspection I believe both to resemble, and to view, to look at attentively, primarily referred; the one expressing the act of looking, and the other the result of that act, viz. something seen; not indeed as a picture, an engraving, or a sculpture, but by reflection from the substance looked at; as we see the representation of ourselves and surrounding objects on the glassy surface of the unruffled lake; in a mirror; or in any other substance having its surface either naturally or artificially polished. These two words seem to have been introduced into the Hebrew language, together with the knowledge of these heathen specula, or crystal mirrors, and the necessity of naming them,

Among all the superstitions which the wandering Phenicians introduced into the various countries which they visited, there are none to which the nations appear to have clung more tenaciously than to these CRYSTALS, and to the belief of a supernatural intelligence and virtue inherent in gems: hence their existence in Italy; in Gaul; and in Britain; so many centuries after the establishment of Christianity in these countries.

The CRYSTAL BALL is not identified with the MESICHITH by the similarity of its British name only, but by the similarity of its application to that which is implied in the terms ABEN MESICHITH, the Stone of Inspection; or, if you

please, the Stone of (reflected) similitudes or resemblances. Thus the text and this British relic mutually illustrate each other.

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year of

In the life of Lilly, the famous astrologer, who was born in the first of the reign of King James the First, and lived till about the thirty-fourth Charles the Second's reign, the Crystal was in great request, and numerous ridiculous things are related of predictions and discoveries, made in consequence of consulting this oracular gem. Among other circumstances of this nature is the foretelling of the restoration of Charles the Second.

In an unpublished MSS. No. 3849, in the British Museum, is the form of a magical invocation used by those who consulted the Crystal. It is a strange tissue of ridiculous nonsense and shocking impiety, in the familiar use of the most sacred titles of the Supreme Being, in conjunction with those of the angels Michael, Gabriel, and others mentioned in scripture; also that of the Virgin Mary, together with the names of unknown beings, probably the remains of the ancient pagan invocation. This curious paper is supposed to have been written about the time of Elizabeth or James the First, the latter of whom gave sufficient proofs of his belief in witchcraft and magic, by the book which he wrote on those subjects. It is not to be wondered at, that, thus sanctioned, there should be many professors of astrology and magic at this period, and that several persons of distinction should have the Crystal in their families: this we are informed, in the life of Lilly, was the fact. One instance will be sufficient to show the credulity of that day and to illustrate the use of the LIATH MEISICHITH. Lilly speaks very highly of one Sarah Skelhorne, whom he affirms "to have had the best eyes he ever saw for that

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purpose. "This Sarah lived with one Mr. Stockman, in the Isle of Purbeck; her mistress being desirous of accompanying her mother, the Lady Beaconsfield, to to London, (who lived twelve miles off) she caused Sarah to inspect her Crystal to see whether her mother was gone; the angels appeared to Sarah and showed her her mistress's mother opening a trunk and taking out a red waistcoat. The Crystal was usually bound in a strap of hart's skin, an invocation accompanying this preparation. The Crystal in the Drawing is suspended by two silver rings. Such being the case in this country at so late a period as the 17th century, we need not wonder at the deceptions practised in it in the days of pagan ignorance and darkness.

Instances of the remains of the Phenician language still existing in Britain are all that we now want to complete the sum of our evidence of the intercourse of the people of Palastine with this country. These are to be looked for principally, in the names of persons and places, particularly in the latter. It was customary, with the ancient idolators of Canaan, to compound the names of their favourite deity Baal, with personal and local names; as Ich-Baal, Jeze-Bel, BaalPeor, &c. The Carthagenians, who were a colony from Phenicia, named their great men after this manner, as Hanni-Bal, Maher-Bal, Asdru-Bal, and one of the kings of Tyre was named Bala-Tor. In such compounds, Bal is generally the first syllable in local, and the last in personal names. The Britons had their Cuno-Belin and Cassi-Belin. In Ireland the names of places compounded with Bal are numerous; as Bally-Maher, which is evidently the reverse of Maher-Bal, Bal being the first syllable in the Irish local name and the last in the Carthaginian personal one; and Bally-Tor is very similar to the Tyrian Bala-Tor just noticed. These local names, I have no doubt, originally denoted places consecrated to Baal.