Ancient Customs

The paintings of the Egyplinn tombs refering to a period soms faur thousnnd vcars by-past, give a curióos nnd perfect den of the nature of domest'c ; ments in tint interesting country, the nurse of human civilizntion. The Egvp-1 tian hniises oftho botter class were usually built in ihe form of a square, hnving, a larga courtjn the reñiré, with n well j nnd rnws of trees1. The rooms opened Intp the mnin court, or nto n small cOurt between the buildings aiong the, sides, find were lavishly decoratej with ' [iBÍfl!ÍligS whüc tlic (WllilliUI!, eb .■! ■ , tnblpp. and the like, were of fir.e wood , inlaid with ivorv, nnd covered witb-j leather or rich slufls, nnd were not to bej e.xcelled in beauty and conveinence by the most luxuriously forrnsd articles of: the kind in modern times. __ "Intheir; enteitninments," says Mr. Wilkinson. "ihpy appear tohave omitled noihing which could p'-omoto festivity and the nmusprrrenl of the gucsis. Muio, songs, dancing, buiTjonfiry, feits of ngility, or grimes ofchar.ee, uere gpneraUy íntroduced, nnd they welcomcd them with all the luxurirs which the cellar and the lable could afibrd. Tlie parties, when invited to dinner, met about midway ' and they arrived íiiccessively in thoir charriots, in palanquins burne by their servanis, or on foot." Many passngea, in the sacred writings show how close! vj the mnnners of the Jews had concurredj of wiihthose of the Egyptiar.s. Webeer the "harp and the viol, the lab rot and the pipe," t the frnsts of the Jews, and are aiso toW that thpy "dined at noon." An Egyptinn pninting shows usthearrival of a chariot nt n hnuse of feastlng. wiih a fooi man köocking at iho door, ust as might be done now-a-days nt the west en i of London. As was the care with the Jews, venter wa hrought to the guej's to wos'i theirfoet, if thoy desirfd il: tlipir hands we re a!vavs wnshed befbro dinncr. The band of aooh gupst was nlso anointed with o svvrct scenied oil oroiniment,neckaces nnd garlnndsof lotus-fiowers, sncrcd n thoeyes of the Bgyptians, wero thrown nround the brows ond ncck, nnd every guest received a ílower to hold in his left hand, durirg the fenst. The Grerk.1, who derived tho most oftheir cusiomi from Egypt, also presented water to their guests, and deckrd them with flowers. as appears from many passages in Horner, and other nuthnrities; and the Romans took the same custnms from the Gre"k. Like the Grfeks, the Egyptions considered it a wnnt of j.ood breeding to si t down immedintely to Hinner,but the "melnncholy interval," ft-lt sorely to tbis day, was enlivened by wine, which the servants poured from vases into cups for the use of the gupsts. The Chines? at ihe present time ofler winn to nll the gusts as tliey arrive. The Egyptians, nt the same interval, kept up a continuous flow of music. ': In the moan timp," says Mr. Wilkison, drnwing his EtntPmonts from ictua! rpre?entations in thp piinting, the "kitchnn presentid an nnimatpd scène: nnd the eiwk, with mnry nssistnnts, was engaged in rn&king reaHy for dinner; an ox, kid, wild gout, paze'le. or oxyx, nnd a qunntity of geese, ducks, pidgeons, quail, or othsr birds, wcra obtained for the ocnasisn." Mutton, it ia supposed, was unlawful food lo tfie inliabilanti ol the Thebais. - Beef and goose constituled the stap'e anima] fooaj and vegetables of nll kinds, with fish, wero Inrgeiy used. At the party, men and women mixed togetber ai the same table, a privileg not conco 'e i to femnles ainong the G reeks, excepl wilh near relations ; and thú argües n liiglier advancement in Egyptinn civiliziti.m. VV tb the Romans, it wascustomiry for women tos't witb the men. and Cornelius Nepos ridiculei ! lie (ïreeks on th's point. " VV'hich of us Romans," says br, "is as'iamed to br'ng his wife to nn entert:iinmei:t?" TIip Egyplians sat either on chairs or s'.ools at me.-ils, or on the grounc', resiing on one ümb bent undcr ihem, with tiie otlier raised angularly. The Greeks and Romans did not take from F-gvpt the custom of reclining on couches at table. - The Egyplians ale with their fingers.thc meat Leing carvpd tothemupon plotters ! resting onsmali round tables. From the statement ihat Joseph aio anart w'iile liis brethren were presen', and arrar.ged them, " the first-boni according to his birth.right, nnd tlie youngest nccordingto l-.is youth," -e may conclude that an etiquette relativa to rank and age was preserved in Egypt. Afier 1 ho soiid ! repast, fiuits. and especial'y figs, grapcs and dates, wero serve;!; and, at the. clnse ! of all, the guests ngain wnshed their linnds - an operation, indeeH, al most indispen-iible previously to the use of knives nnd forks, or even chopping sticks like those of China. VV hile the paintingí sliow tbc whole modes of preparing for an Egypiinn : t3rtainmpnt,from t'ie killing of the animnl to its produclion on the t;b!e, they also ! show very curiously thnt excesses in wine oucasionally foliosvod. One paintingexhibits individúala - ladie?, we fear - in a state of nnquestionable ebriety; j and anotlier pictures a person in the net of being carrieJ home in asimilar condition. But it would be wrong to ehargp tbem wiih hab 'tail over-inJulgence; and, I indeed, a si range cuatom mentioned by Plutnrcli militate sirongU ngninst such a supposition. They were in the bibi !, j nt (ho nruJoP f.ci(5t=. of introdnc j n figure ofÖsiris, in the farm ofn mummy, on a bier, and showing it to eich gueít, wliile nn atendant took care !o lecture upon it as a memento of mortality, and I the transiiory nature of Iium3n ure. The Greeks f,ervertcd similar p.hibitions to a purpose not dreimed of by the Egypiians. Pclronius te!!-; uu, that at nn enlertninmont where l.ñ was j sent, a ñnbly-joJned silvcr model of o j man was displayed, on hich Trimnlcl)o ] crie'J out, ';Alns, unhnppy lof! Such as this we shall bjr and by l;e; therefore, while we are allowed to live, let us live."