Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-11-21
n TION A T..
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.
FACTS AID OBSERVATIONS.


" to spiritual consa.e. as beng prohibited by
" the pord Of God,"
ny AN JNQUIsTrivE LAY MAN.
"Search the Scriptures, for in them We have
" both the Law and the Prophets"
To discern moral depravi,y in dance or
song, certainly escaped the sagacitv of
the first l.aw-givers and acutest Priests
of antiquity. Music, indeed, for short
time after IFS invention, was hidden from
the multitude of Egypt by their Lords
spiritual. This cast-thc first class of the
state-held iii perDetuity one third of the
soil-paid no public fax, created the mon
arch-interprcted the will of the Gods
and control'd that of man and of course,
in the beginning, monopoliz'd the utility
Of every art and the secrets of every sci
ence. Yet, they did moi long inhibit mu-
sic or dancing TO the people. As to ban
Guets. we may infer that the brethren of
Potipllar, at least, INDUCED at certain
intervals, iii convival festivity-from
the longing of Isiael for the flesh-pots of
Egypt. (fiavour'd with leeks and onions}-
from their relish for mandrakes and me-
Ions and cucumbers-iromt the renown of
Egyptin the art of coolSery-and, in fine,
from the Household dignity of Pharaoh's
chief Butler. Moreover, it is manifest by
the cast of manners derived from the f.
egyptians by the Iews-(frst their guests
and then their slaves THAT iii the pro-
gress of civiliZation-music, dancing, and
the pleasures of the table, beacame COM
mon in Egypt. For, scarcely were the
rendered secure in their emancipation, by
the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host in
the Red Sea, than we learn from holy
writ-tbat festivity, music, and dancing,
were exhibited by the wives and daugh-
fers Of six hun6ed thousand Hebrews
In that early age, therefore, when Jehovah
himself, in pillar of fire vouchsafed TO
govern Israel, social giadness, exhibited
in the form of remarkably numerous
dancing assembly, was neither ceusured
as immoral, nor denounced as sinful. Ii
appears too, by the context, that altho'
this memorable bail was open'd by
Prophecies, the sister of Aaron, the Le-
wife, vet that the dancers were not confn-
ed to the tribe of Levi who might perhaps
by spme be supposed to perform sacred
dances only but thai all the women of
the congregation danced with this distin-
guished Jewish gentlewoman. This,
therefore, we must presume, was common
dance, perform'd pom an uncommon, occasion
Dancing and MUSIC, therefore, on secular
as well as sacred occasions, were accepta-
bic exercises, received with complacency
by the Priesthood and the Laity, as an
innocent part of the prevailing manners
As to public amusements by cornwall
meetings in those times, the whole sab
batical year of the Mosaic dispensatiou,
Excepting the fGiy-ttro ordinary sabbath
days, and the first and Inst davs ofthe set
feaStS( appears, by divine appointment.
IN, oil ri
parties. The commemorIion of benef-
cial or illustrious events was fixed to
certain days-the more certainly TO per
pctuate them to posterity: but during
the sabbatical year, all servile labour was
forbidden-the land lay fallow and every
creditor released every debt due TO him
by his neighbour &c Hct which e7oweth
Of its own accord Of My harvest thou shalt
not reap, neither gather the grapes Of Hycine
addressed" In this year offestivity, as in
the six preceding years, although strong
liquor was interdicted to ministers of
the altar, yet to all others, excepting on
fast-days,) the product of the wine-press
was licensed as legitimate enjoyment.
These instituted amusements were sep
tennial. But annual festivities were also
allotted for the recreation of Gods Peo-
pie. Moses was commanded to institute
for them forever, three distinct banquets
--t'co of which were to continue for secen
days, and one during screen weoks. Need
name the feast of uuteaUenedbr ead-of the
.frStJj1ifs, and of the iR-gathetiRg of har-
rest? The last, otherwise called the FIRST
of tabermacieS, was celebrated under bow
ers or booths, i'll the hottest days after
midsummer and must have borne some
slmilitude to our feast of Barbacucs in
Virginia. These days of Hebrew reioi-
cling, though not altogether sacred, like
the day ofthe passover, or the FIRST and
last days of these feasts respectively, vet
as popular social mcetings-were proba-
bly, recommended as means for dissent
mating courtesy, end by their evident ten
dercy, TO soften ragged national temper;
In brief, 10 huranize a stubborn, stiff
necked race, WHO doubtless before they
became meliorated by the hand of Om-
impotence, were hut TOO apt TO exhibit
tie coarse manners both Of servants and
sayages.
About the same period, the early
Greeks began TO be civilized by tic agen-
cy Of educated Emigrants from Egypt
Some families of this wild People, (who
afterwards in the layse of ages became so
polite aud pompous,) were found less pli-
ant than others 10 the moral rudinents of
social refinement. In such cases. music
dance and temperatefestivity were among
the means employed by their sagacious
Tutors, to reclaim obdurate individuals.
and render Intractable tribes more do
cha. The Arcadians, for instance. who
Inft4b tfod n rooriou ROT s,arst IL, T..