images : wherefore the Somites always play with plain pieces of
wood or ivory ; but the Perjians and Indians, who are not fo fcru-
pulous, continue to make ufe of the carved onesl.
The Mohammedans comply with the prohibition of gaming much
better than they do with that of wine; for though thé common
people, among the Turks more frequently, and the Perjians more
rarely, are addicted to play, yet the better fort are feldom guilty of it \
Gaming, at leaft to excefs, has been forbidden in all well-ordered
ftates. Gaming-houfes were reckoned fcandalous places among the
Greeks, and a gamefter is declared by Ariftotle 6 to be no better than
a thief: the Roman fenate made very fevere laws againft playing at
games of hazard 4, except only during the Saturnalia; though the
people played often at other times, notwithftanding the prohibition:
the civil law forbad all pernicious games 5; and though the laity
were, in fome cafes, permitted to play for money, provided they
kept within reafonable bounds, yet the clergy were forbidden to
play at tables (which is a game of hazard,) or even to look on while
others played 6. Accurfius, indeed, is of opinion they may play at
chefs, notwithftanding that law, becaufe it is a game not fubjedt to
chance 7, and being but newly invented in the time o f Jujlinian,
was not then known in the weftern parts. However the monks for
fome time were not allowed even chefs 8.
As to the Jews, Mohammed’s chief guides, they alfo highly difap-
prove gaming: gamefters being feverely cenfured in the Talmud, and
their teftimony declared invalid V
of the Another pradtice of the idolatrous Arabs forbidden alfo in one of
prohibit tjje above-mentioned paflagesIO, was that of divining by arrows.
The arrows ufed by them for this purpofe were like thofe with
rows. which they caft lots, being without heads or feathers, and were
kept in the temple of fome idol, in whofe prefence they were con-
fulted. Seven fuch arrows were kept at the temple of Mecca “ ;
but generally in divination they made ufe of three only, on one
o f which was written, My L o r d hath commanded me, on another,
1 V. Hyde, ubi fup. p. 9. 1 V. Eundem, in Proleg. & Chardin, Voy. de Perfe. T. 2.
p. 4 6 .' 3 Lib. 4. ad Nicom. , 4 V. Horat. 1. 3. Carm. Od. 24. 3 ff. de aleatoribus.
Novell. Juft. 123, See. V. Hyde, ubi fup. in Hift. Aieae, p. 119. 6 Authent. interdicimus,
c de epifcopis. 7 In com. ad legem prsed. 8 Du Frefne, in Glofs, 9 Eava Mefu,
84. rf Rolh haihana, & Sanhedr. 24. 2. V. etiam Maimon. in trait. Gezila. Among the modem
civilians, Mafcarlus thought common gamefters were not to be admitted as witnefles, being infamous
perrons'.. V. Hyde, ubi fup. in Prol'eg. & in Hift. Ales, $. III. 10 Kor. chap. 3. p. 94-
1 See before, p. 20. '
My
My L o r d hath forbidden me, I and the third was blank. I f the firft
was drawn, they looked on it as an approbation of the enterprize in
queftion; if the fecond, they made a contrary conclufion; but i f
the third happened to be drawn, they mixed them and drew over
again, till a decifive anfwer was given by one of the others. Thefe
divining arrows were generally confulted before any thing o f moment
was undertaken ; as when- a man was about to marry, or about
to go a journey, or the like '. This fuperftitious pradtice of divining
by arrows was ufed by the ancient Greeks % and other nations;
and is particularly mentioned in feripture a, where it is faid, that the
king of Babylon flood at the parting of the way, at the head o f the
two ways, to ufe divination-, he made his. arrows bright, (or, according
to the verfion of the vulgate, which feems preferable in this
place, he mixed together, or ftiook the arrows,) he confutted with images,
See. the commentary of St. Jerom on which palfage wonderfully
agrees with1 what we are told of the aforefaid cuftom of the
old Arabs: He floall ftand, fays he, in the highway, and confult the
oracle after■ the manner o f his nation, that he may cafl arrmes into a
quiver, and mix them together, being written upon or marked with the
names o f each people, that he may fee whofe arrow will come forth, and
which city he ought flrfl to attack 4.
A diflindtion of meats was fo generally ufed by the eaftern na- Offorbid-
tions, that it is no wonder that Mohammed made fome regulations dcn food‘
in that matter. The Koran, therefore, prohibits the eating of blood,
and fwines flelh, and whatever dies of itfelf, or is flain in the name
or in honour of any idol, or is ftrangled, or killed by a blow, or a
fall, or by any other beaft s. In which particulars Mohammed feems
chiefly to have imitated the Jews, by whofe law, as is well known,
all thofe things are forbidden ; but he allowed fome things to be
eaten which Mofes did not6, as camels flelh7 in particular. In
cafes^of neceffity, however, where a man may be in danger of
ftarving, be is allowed by the Mohammedan law to eat any of the
faid prohibited kinds of food 8; and the JewiJh dodtors grant the
fame liberty in the like cafe K Though the averfion to blood and
what dies of itfelf may feem natural, yet fome of the pagan Arabs
1 Ebn al Athir, al Zamakh. & al Beid. in Kor. c. 5. A1 Moflatraf, &c. V. Poc. Spec. p. 327,
&c. & DjHerbel. Bibl. Orient. Art. Acdah. 2 V. Potter, Antiq. of Greece, Vol. 1. p. 334.
3 Ezek. xxi. 21. 4 V. Poc.-Spec. p. 329, &c. 5 Chap. 2. p. 20. ch. 5. p. 82. chap. 6. p. 111»
& 114, & chap. 16. p. 225. 6 Lev. xi, 4. 7 See Kor. chap. 3. p. 42, & 47, & chap. 6. p. 114.
8 Kor. chap. 5. p. 83. and in the other paflages laft quoted. 9 V. Maimon. in Halachoth Me-
lachim. chap. 8. §. I, &c.
ufed