FIFTH DAY. ( I ) Feet in sandals. (See the plate on page 363.) (2) Daughter of Liberality, or of Princes. Here the same word occurs as we observed signified FOURTH DAY, No. 12) pouring out; it is usually rendered princes, from the opportunity enjoyed by persons of high rank of pouring out their lib erality on proper occasions, and perhaps such is its import in this place. Daughter, in the looser sense of the word, not descendant, but patroness of pouring out, of liberality, who has spared no expense on this occasion to adorn thyself with the most costly apparel ; q. d. "Daughter of liberal ity how magnificent ! how elegant ! how attractive is thy dress ! the whole together is beautiful ; the parts separately are rich and ornamental ! We shall consider and commend them in their order." As the bride stands up the ladies begin with describing her sandals; and they not only praise her sandals, but her feet in them. The reader will perceive, by inspecting the prints, that this is extremely accurate, as sandals do not hide the feet, but permit their every beauty to be seen; and although our ladies, being accustomed to wear shoes, may think more of a handsome shoe than of a handsome foot, the taste in the East is different. We know that the Roman emperor Claudius decorated his toes with gems, no Jess than his fingers ; and was so proud of his hand some foot that, whereas other sovereigns used to give their hands to be kissed by their subjects, on certain occasions, he gave his foot for that purpose, which some historians have attributed to pride of station ; others to pride of person, as if his handsome fobt would otherwise have been overlooked and deprived of its due admiration. Observe, these ladies begin at the bride's sandals, her feet, and their descriptions ascend; the bride groom always begins with her locks, her hair, etc., and his descriptions descend, but not so low as the feet.
(3) The selvedges of thy drawers. This word (chemuk) is derived from the same root as that in the SECOND DAY rendered "my beloved was turned away;" it signifies, therefore, to turn, to return, to turn back; now, what can more cor reedy describe the selvedge of a piece of cloth, etc., which is made by the return of the threads
back again to where they came from, that is, across the cloth? Thus threads, by perpetually turning and returning, compose the edge of the cloth, which we conceive to be the very article described by the use of the word in this place; but if it be the edge of the thought is the same, since that is the natural situation for an ornamental pattern of open work.
(4) Drawers. This word can never mean thighs, as thighs have no selvedges; it must mean draw ers, or the dress of the thighs. (See the plate on page 362).
(5) Open-work; pinked. Which of these words should be adopted depends on what materials these drawers were made of ; if they were of muslin, then the open-work is wrought with a needle, as muslin will not bear pinking; but if they were of silk, then they might be adorned with flowers, etc., cut into them by means of a sharp iron, struck upon the silk, and cutting out those parts which formed the pattern. And this, we apprehend, is the correct meaning of the word; it signifies to prick full of holes—to wound —to pierce—to make an opening—to run through, as with a sword: all which ideas agree perfectly with our rendering, pinking, which consists in piercin silk full of holes, with a steel instru- ment. forcibly orcibly struck through its subject. This determines for silk drawers; however, open-work pinkings do not disagree in phraseology.
(6) Girdle-clasp. (See the plate on page 362).
17) Rich in mingled wines. The original is, not poor; an expression doubtless adopted by the poet for the sake of his verse; the difference between rendering "rich." and "not poor," needs no apology. The idea is that this clasp was set with rubies; and Sir William Jones tells us it is very common among the Arabian poets to com pare rubies to wine; hence lie begins one of his translations from the Arabic: "Boy, bid you liquid ruby flow"—meaning that he should pour out wine from the vessel which contained it.