Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-11-21


iirmed their gladness, and sanctioned
their preference of David to Saul, his
ir>Ster, by amounting the former King
over Israel, instead of the latter! David
himself, too, Che man after Gods own
heart sor,e years afterwards, on asignal
occasion of public Joy, danced in public.
Moreover, we learn from tue same por-
ton OF sacred writ, that David, when "a
Iuddv STRIPPING, played with such skill on
fe Harp, that he often charmed away
al evil spirit that haunted Saul. Thus,
ten centuries before the Christian
IRA, il appears that both dancing and
music, at public and private parties, were
practsed by both sexes, and by all class
ess ofsociety, both i'll the bower and the
baii-room.-Wc find, too, that such pub
hcamuscmcnts were countenanced by the
example OF Kings, the appreciation OF
Prophets andihe permission ofPatriarchS
II is remarkable, indeed, that the only
ierson recorded in the Old Testament,
who disapproved ofpublic dancing, NAME
lY,Michal Saui's daughter, was punished
fer such austere prudery, by remaining
for lite ctiildless. And David danced
before The Lord with al his might. And
" Nlichal Saulsdaughter looked through
" the window aud saw King David dane
:" ing. And Michael came out 80 meet
w
" Ming of Israel to-day, who uncovered
" himseliio-day in the eyes OF the hand
g maids of his servants, as one oitile vain
: fellows openly uncovorcth himself:
" therefore, Michai, the daughter of
Saul, had no chill Ito the day of her
e death"
As for convivial entertainments, the f..-
miles of the most holy mea--nay, the
most Jealous OF the Patriarchs and Propi-
ets themselves, afford It's pref edeuts.-
Their example, in many of The sacred
hooks, sanctions the temperate enjoy
ment of such a!auscnentS, both in FAM
ly-paIties, aud in much wider circles of
mixed society. Dat of MANY, shall CON
tent myself with the citation cf Two ex-
ampies from holy writ. Thc book OF Job
II has been coniect,ret BY come of the
learned, was write n by Moses in Arabic,
when he dwelt d fugitive from Egypt, in
the house 9th father-in-aw, Jelhro, a
bout 1850 years before the Christian
Fra. BE this so or MOTT may be rev
erentiy affirmed, that more sublime
composition was never submitted to hui
man, scrutiny. In the 18th verse of the
lstchapter of this matchless work, are
found the words following: '' And Jobs
"sons went and ieasted in their houses,
everyone on hisaGy, and sent and called
ioi titir SiSttIS I'D cdt anu uVl.lh WIFI
" them. THE drink in subsequent
verse, is ascertaincd to have been wine
hence the conviviality of the entertain
Inent may be fairly inferred =" And
" there was day when his sons and his
daughters were eating and drinking ,cjnc
in their eldest brothers house" Should
" be objected by any christian Caviier,
that the Lord permitted Satan to destroy
These young people in the very actof feas-
ting, we refer such to the practice of Job
himself, after patiently undergoing, and
pIousiy enduring almost every human ca
iemity, manifested on the provideniial
resuscitation of his affiuence-' The
" Lord gave Job twice as much as he had
before. Then came there unto him oil
" his brethren, and all his sisters-and
" all they that Lad been Of has acquaintance
before, and did eat bread Nth hia, IN lis
AoaSe. "-Su was the practice OF him
OF whom Jehovah said, "There is none
" like him on the earth, perfect and an
upright man, one that teareth God and
eschewetii evil" The second precedent
which l snail cite, bears date about 500
wears afterwards. It is found in the 5th
chapter ct Nehemiah, the 18th and 18TH
verses -" Moreover, there were at NV
table ans hundred and fifty Jews and
" Rulers, besides those that came TO us
- from the Heathen that were about us
Now that which was prepared for me
. daily, Was one OY and six fat Sheep: al
" SO Fowls were prepared for me, and
onne IN ten days store of all sorts of
wine. This hospitable Prophet was,
during twelve years, Governorofthe Jews
at Jsfusaicnl. Supnosing that he gave
wins only every tenth day, and made his
main feastdecinlal, still this patriotic ma
gistrate furnished lis friends and >stran-
gers with tliirty-six cOnviviai parties an
iluatiy ; a frequency of.feStat display achich,
{. as bettevsd, is not surpassed By all tie pat
5t0,ic Governors az or Lcud.
II was this worthy Governor, too, who
revived the ancient Hebrew usage, which
as we cursorily limited above, seems to
bear close resemblance TO the feast of
barbacues in Virginia. Most of us know
what an agreeable relaxation these sylvan
entertainments. after the in-gathering Of
wheat harvest, afford our people. They
are spread out under bowers, beside the
cool waters. They are partaken by all
classes, spontaneously assembled, young
men and maidens, old men and matrons,
rulers and freemen. The young dance
with delight under arbours, and the old
witness the mirth with complacency.
These festivals furnish, perhaps, the fin
est rural remains ci our primitive hospi-
tality; and a memorial OF the sylvan man
ners of our cornwall ancestors. Who
can say that such institutions may not be
among the roots oftfIat urbanc liberty and
"A Il. Il