to cross it, and called to Helon, "Farewell to Egypt; this is the boundary! I cross the river of Egypt."

There seemed to be something melancholy in his tone, as if the farewell were painful, notwithstanding his approach to the Holy Land. The ominous anticipations of Helon's mother occurred to him, and though at Alexandria he had despised them as female weakness, he could not shake them off. Helon called aloud, with an animated voice, so that all before and behind might hear him, "Farewell Egypt; I see thee not again or only as a new man!" He rode forward, giving himself up to the imaginations of his own mind, to which there was something of a fascinating interest in this nightly procession, amidst songs near and distant, the measured tinkling of the bells, beneath the glimmering light of the stars, and ruddy gleams of pitch-kettles, which deepened the surrounding shadows. He felt now more than ever that he had left Egypt behind, and was surprised at the almost poetical enthusiasm which began to be awakened within him.

Two hours after sunrise, they arrived at Ostracine. No one was weary. The tent was pitched, and they laid themselves under it. Myron was rather dissatisfied, as having had the worst of the argument; Helon was full of the animating reflections which the journey in the night had excited in him; and Elisama still under the influence of the melancholy which had seized him at the river of Egypt. All emotions are durable in the mind of an oriental, and he does not quickly part either with his sorrow or his joy. Yet all were full of alacrity, and Myron, as usual, the first to speak, began thus:

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Though I have little chance of making my cause good to any one's satisfaction but my own, while I continue with you, yet I shall rejoice, Elisama, to hear the continuation of your narrative. I presume we would all rather speak and hear, than sleep."

"Listen then," said Elisama, "and perhaps the narrative may enable me to throw off the melancholy that weighs upon me. I related to you, at Casium, that Jehovah had given the law to our nation, in preference to every other, as

But

their inheritance, and their treasure. though given, much was yet necessary in order that the law should be obeyed. It was not in every land, nor under all circumstances, practicable to walk blameless in all the commandments of the Lord. The whole legislation on mount Sinai had a reference to the future condition of Israel in Canaan, where those circumstances, under which alone the law could be fulfilled, either already existed, or were to be produced.

"First of all it was necessary, that the land of Canaan, which was still occupied by many native tribes, should be conquered. Moses, the man with whom Jehovah talked as a man talketh with his friend,'* was dead. But he had left his people the law, and an ardent longing for rest in the land of which he had presented so attractive a picture; and, besides all this, he had left them a valiant successor to himself, Joshua, the son of Nun, who, with Caleb, had alone been found worthy, among so

many thousands, to enter into the promised land. Joshua was indeed not a second Moses; for a prophet like him has not since arisen in Israel, who had known God face to face. But, even in his youthful years, we knew Joshua as a faithful servant of Moses, who never quitted the tabernacle till his master returned to the camp. At the same time we saw him victorious over Amalek, in the valley of Rephidim, while Moses, standing on the top of Horeb, held up the staff of God. Next he appears as one of those who explored the land of Canaan, and brought back a true report of it, with a specimen of its fruits; and last of all, the Lord himself calls him a man in whom his spirit is, and commands Moses to lay his hands upon him, and present him to the priest Eleasar, and the whole congregation, and put his glory upon him, that all the children of Israel might obey him.'* Eleasar was to consult the Lord for him; and, at his word, both he and all the children of Israel were to go out and come in.

* Num. xxvii. 23.

This Moses had done, and when he died the Lord confirmed the appointment, and said to Joshua, Be strong, and of good courage, and thou shalt divide unto this people the land which I have sworn to their father to give them.'

"By him, accordingly, the conquest of the land of promise was accomplished. The terror of the Lord went before him; the swelling Jordan divided itself to let him and the people pass; Jericho and Ai fell before him, in a manner equally wonderful and terrific, and the march of the victorious army proceeded without a check to Sichem, which Jacob had given to Joseph. The craft of the Gibeonites and their neighbours saved their lives, but furnished Israel with the Nethinim, the hewers of wood and drawers of water.* Thus he smote one and thirty kings, and divided the land among the tribes, established cities of refuge, and built Timnath-Serah, on the hills of Ephraim.† The tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, received their inheritance on the eastern side of

* Josh. ix.

+ Josh, xix. 49.