466 The builders next of Babel. 467. 470 Fearing another flood, men began to build a tower so very high that the top of it might not be overflowed, as if they would defend themselves in their wickedness against the anger of the Almighty; but he soon stopped their work, by confusing their language, so that they could not understand one another, so they left off at the building which was afterwards called Babel. on the plain Of Sennaar. A part of Chaldea, where Nimrod began to build his tower. Etna. A mountain of Sicily, now called Mount Gibel, famous for its volcano, which, for more than three hundred years, has thrown out fire at intervals. It is supposed to be eight miles high, and sixty in compass. Its top is covered with snow and smoke at the same time; and the sides, on account of the fecundity of the soil, are carefully cultivated and planted with vineyards. The poets supposed that Jupiter had confined the giants under this mountain. It was the forge of Vulcan, where his servants, the Cyclops, fabricated thunderbolts. he who to be deem'd A god, leap'd fondly into Etna flames, 1 Empedocles, a philosopher, poet, and historian of Agrigentum, in Sicily; he showed himself an enemy to tyranny, and refused to become the sovereign of his country; it is reported his curiosity to visit the flames of Etna proved fatal to him. Some say he wished it to be believed that 471 he was a god, and that his death might be unknown, he threw himself into the crater and perished in the flames. His expectations were frustrated, for the volcano threw up one of his sandals, which proved how he perished. and he who to enjoy Plato's Elysian. 474 A youth of Ambrasia, who killed himself after reading Plato's immortality of the soul, called Cleombrotus. eremites and friars Eremites or hermits, dwellers in the wilderness at first, holy men for the sake of Christ and their lives, in persecution hid themselves in deserts, and gave themselves to fasting and prayer and great austerities. 476 Here pilgrims roam. Men that travelled through foreign countries to pay their devotions to departed saints, shrines, and relics. The Christian pilgrims went to Jerusalem, Rome, St. Jago, &c. and the Turks to Mecca, in Arabia, every year in solemn procession to visit the tomb of Mahomet. 477 In Golgotha. that stray'd so far to seek A skull; our blessed Redeemer was crucified on Mount Moriah, on the north side of Jerusalem. It is the same spot on which Isaac was to have been offered two thousand years before, and was a lively type of this event. 479 Dying put on the weeds of Dominic. A Spaniard was the author of this order, called carry a dying person through purgatory, they put on them the robe of a priest of this order. 480 Or in Franciscan think to pass disguised. St. Francis was an Italian merchant, first called John, who instituted the order of Franciscan friars, A. D. 1192. 481 They pass the planets seven. The universe throughout all space is replenished with systems or worlds of different bodies. By system is meant a number of bodies which move around one centre. Such a system we call the world; and the moving bodies of these systems we call planets or comets, which, together with the sun, are termed the solar system. Under the denomination of planets, are now comprised, Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Georgium Sidus, or Herschell, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta; the four last named planets are recent discoveries. and pass the fix'd. The fixed stars are supposed to be suns in the centre of their respective systems, having planets revolving round them. 482 And that crystalline sphere. The milky way is named from its peculiar whiteness, and consists of an innumerable quantity of stars; being the only real circle in the heavens, and always visible in a clear night. these reliques. Fragments of the bodies of saints preserved by Roman Catholics, with great veneration; that is, a finger, a toe, &c. and was worshipped by them. Prayers, round balls of amber, wax, wood, glass, commonly of 15 tens, by which the Papists count their prayers, by reckoning of which they have repeated their paternoster, ave Marie, creed, &c. as they are enjoined by their priests. 492 Indulgences, dispenses pardons. 492 Liberties granted by the Pope, to dispense with some duties or removing the infliction of some temporal punishment, due for sins past or to Bulls. (Bulla) The briefs or mandates of the Pope are called Bulls, from the leaden and sometimes golden seals affixed thereto. 495 Into a limbo large and broad, since call'd The paradise of fools. Limbus Patrum, (according to the notion of the Roman Catholics) a place where the deceased patriarchs resided till the coming of our Saviour, and also they who die without baptism. 510 The stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw. The life of Jacob exhibits many striking incidents. His mother Rebekah's partiality for him, in wresting the blessing from his brother was reprehensible. His brother Esau on his return from hunting, found him engaged in dressing a mess of pottage, of which he wished to partake, being faint, the request was trivial, but Jacob refused so small a favour unless he would give up his birth right, with which he complied. Fraud must meeet its punishment. The brothers lived in wrath, and Rebekah saw the propriety of removing her beloved son; she says to him, "Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel, thy mother's father, and take a wife from the daughters of Laban, thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee and multiply thee, and give the blessing of Abraham to thee." Our solitary wanderer is now travelling towards Haran. The shades of night began to close on him, and no place of rest in view. "But the shepherd of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps," keeps his faithful servants in the night as well as day. Jacob looked around and laid him down with a stone for his pillow, in a place called Luz, where his mental, eye was favoured with a remarkable vision. A ladder was set upon the earth, the top of which reached to heaven, and the Angels of God ascended and descended upon it. Above appeared the symbol of God's presence, from whence issued a voice assuring Jacob of his protection, and confirming to him all the promises which had been made to Abraham and Isaac. Jewish commentator has given us the following explanation of this glorious vision; "The ladder represents divine providence, which governs all things, and particularly now directed Jacob in his journey, every step wherein was under the divine direction. Its being placed upon the earth signified the stedfastness of providence, which nothing is able to shake. The top of it reaching to heaven, shows that it extends itself all the world over. The several steps in the ladder signify the various motions of the divine power and wisdom. 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