religious Catholics in the west of England: many of whom entertain a desire of having a few moulds from that craggy eminence sprinkled over their coffins: while great numbers of pilgrims resort to the promontory near Gaeta; a small piece of which Italian seamen wear constantly in their pockets, to preserve them from drowning. II. There was a temple erected by the mountaineers, on the top of Great St. Bernard, previous to the time of Hannibal, which was dedicated to the God of Mountains, under the name of Peninus'. In this temple Hannibal made an oblation: its ruins still remain 2. The Mounzing of the Burmah district, in Ava, resides on the Gnowa3. The Acolhuas represented their mountain god in the shape of a white man, sitting on a stone, with a vessel of seeds and elastic. gum standing before him. When Christianity was introduced, however, the image was thrown down by order of the first bishop of Mexico1. The Pico-Adam is held in great veneration by the Cingalese. Buddha is supposed to have been buried there; and frequent pilgrimages are made to it. The Savalan is held sacred by the modern Persians. It is so high, that snow is always upon its summit; and they believe it to be the tomb of a prophet", whose body is 1 Livy, xxi. 38. 3 2 Saussure, iv. 226-7. Symes's Embassy to Java, p. 447. * Clavigero, b. vi. sect. v. 6 5 Asiatic Researches, vol. v. p. 9. Morier, Second Journ. through Persia, p. 236. 4to. preserved entire in one of its chasms. What has been observed of Mount Athos is equally applicable to Mount Olympus, in Cyprus; and to Mount Tabor, near the city of Tiberias: a great number of churches and monasteries having been built upon it. This is the mountain, on which St. Peter said to Christ, "It is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." This is also the mountain, on which the Vizier Fitzkili loved to repose his memory. Rising from the humble station of a shepherd on Mount Tabor, he kept, in a retired room of his palace, a scrip, a shepherd's coat, and the skin of a chamois, in order to remind him of his former pastoral life. The view from this fine summit is represented to be so exceedingly various and magnificent, that the spectator experiences all those sensations, which are produced by a mixture and rapid succession of varied and gay, gloomy and majestic objects. It rises in the form of a sugar-loaf, and small trees clothe its sides from the top to the bottom. What a contrast does this fine eminence exhibit to that of the Norwegian mountain of Filefield, covered with eternal snow; where neither a house, a cottage, a hut, a tree, a shrub, nor even a flower, are ever to be seen! The ancient American Indians, and the natives of the Gold Coast of Guinea3, as well as those of Biledulgerd, Mariti's Travels, vol. ii. p. 181. Shaw's Travels in Syria and the Holy Land, p. 234. 2 Mariti, ii. 183. › Bosman, p. 26. ed. 1721. 4 Damberger, p. 335. interred their friends on high grounds; and their posterity retain the same custom1. The Jews buried their dead on the sides of mountains2. Moses received the law on the top of Mount Sinai; and so holy was that mountain esteemed, that no one but himself was permitted to touch it3. Josephus relates, that the Hebrew shepherds never fed their flocks upon Sinai, because they believed Jehovah dwelt upon it. Moses fed his flock on Mount Horeb, and there is said to have received his inspiration*. On that mountain the Deity appeared to him in a burning bush5; out of that hill issued water, when he smote the rock; and there Elijah heard the still, small voice of the Eternal". Its trembling cliffs, of yore, In fire and darkness, deep pavilioned, bore Camöens-Mickle, b. X. Travels to the Source of the Missouri Rivers, by Clarke and Lewis, 4to. p. 18. Chingis, first khan of the Tartars, was buried in the Mount of Altai, hence called Kin-chan.-Description de la Grande Tartarie, p. 45. All succeeding chiefs of his race were buried there also.-Trav. Marco Polo. b. i. ch. xlv. 2 Judges, ch. ii. v. 9. Joshua, ch. xxiv. v. 32 and 33.-" Ad Montis Carmel," says Benjamin, “ radices Israelitarum quam plurimorum sepulchra sunt." Such is the practice, I believe, in the present day, where there are mountains. The Jewish burying-ground at Montjuich (supposed to be a corruption of Mons Judaicus), near Barcelona, is thus situated. Moses died in Mount Nebo (Deut. ch. xxxii. 4.), and Aaron in Mount Hor. (Numbers, xx. 23, 27.) " Exodus, ch. xix. v. 12. Hebrews, ch. xii. v. 20. • Exod. ch. xiv. v. 6. 7 1st Kings, ch. xix. v. 12. Jepthah's daughter is represented1, as going up to bewail her virginity among the mountains. On Carmel dwelt a great number of ascetics, who being discovered during the Crusades by a military pilgrim, their order was introduced by St. Lewis' into France and Europe, under the appellation of Carmelite. This mount was the abode of Elijah and Elisha; Pythagoras3 is also said to have meditated there; and thither Vespasian travelled to consult an oracle. It is now covered with forests; lilies, hyacinths, ranunculi, tulips, and anemones grow upon it; and some of its animals graze upon sage, parsley, and lavender. On Mount Libanus it is said to have rained honey; and Galen reports, that the Jews sung a canticle, in which they asserted, that God rained honey upon it every year. This honey was honey-dew: the mountain produced excellent wine; its brooks murmured a most agreeable music; and on its ample sides grew flowers, gums, and spices. On Mount Gerizim the Samaritans erected a temple, similar to that at Jerusalem; insisting that Gerizim was the spot, which God had originally consecrated. This act the Jews never forgave, in precept or in practice. Their malice pursued the unfortunate Samaritans every where; they called them rebels and apostates; and held them in such utter detestation, that to say "there goes a Samaritan," was a phrase equivalent to that of "there goes a serpent." On this mountain the Samaritans adored the image of a dove: and, in the days of Scaliger, who wrote 'Judges, ch. xi. v. 37. 3 Mariti, ii. 140. 2 A. D. 1254. Galen de Alimentis Facult. lib. iii. c. 38. to their high priest for information relative to their faith, they celebrated the Passover every year. The Messiah frequently took his disciples up to the top of a high mountain to pray. There it was he transfigured before them'; and many of the incidents, recorded in Scripture, took place in the garden and upon the mountain of Olives 2. When the Tunguses of Siberia are necessitated to take a solemn oath, they go to the top of a hill, and exclaim, "If I have spoken an untruth, may I die, or lose my cattle, and children, and never succeed in hunting again !" They then bless the mountain, and return to their homes. Bacchus erected a temple and a statue to himself, on Mount Nysa. This temple was visited by Apollonius3. Bacchus had planted it round with laurels, vines, and ivy. When Apollonius visited it, therefore, the ivy and the vines had grown so entirely over the temple, and were so interwoven with each other, that it could never be injured by wind or rain. In the sanctuary was a statue of the hero standing, in the character of an Indian boy, formed of white marble. III. The poet gives consequence to the smallest rivulet, as well as to the noblest river. The Amoo of the East is 1 Matth. xvii. v. 1, 2. Luke, ix. v. 28. 2 Matth. xxiv. v. 3. Mark, xiii. v. 3. Luke, xxii. v. 39. Mark, xiv. v. 26. Matth. xxvi. v. 30. The Scripture writers frequently call high mountains "The Mountains of God," vid. Joel, ch. iii. v. 17. Obadiah, v. 17. Micah, ch. iv. v. 2. The Sermon on the Mount was delivered on the hill, now called the "Mount of Beatitudes." 3 Philost. in vit. Apol. ii. c. 8. |