The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-09

gilt bride or harness, any other person who chose
should be at liberty TO seize the horse, bride, and
harness and keep it for his own use, and his own
property.
In the early ages Of oriental antiquity, nearly all
the traffic between the nations, and even between
districts of the country, carried by peri
odical fairs. The word fair is derived from the
French word fore, which is taken from the Latin
word ferca, festival or forum, the market place.
The market Is derived from the Latin ercatus, and
is Of the same derivation as mercantile. Markets
were held more frequently than fairs, being estab-
shed for the sale of the produce Of their neighbor
hood. At Athens the forums or market places were
numerous. The DID, or principal one, was large
square, where the people used to assemble, AM
where commodities were exposed for sale. There
each trade had separate market, and different hours
were appointed for the sale Of different commodi-
ties. As this was in the frequented part Of the
city, workmen Of all kinds endeavored to reside
near it.
Among the ancients the foundation of city was
commemorated by the institution of festival.
Whenever large concourse Of people assembled on
such occasions, degree Of traffic was produced
The merchants attended to supply the multitudes
with such articles as they requred hence these pc
rodical seasons of festvy became seasons of traffic
In those times all merchants were retailers. mer-
chant went to a distant fair and purchased goods;
he transported those goods to another fair where
there was demand for them, and sold them to those
who bad occasion to consume them. The import
mer liant and the retailer were the person. 1t
is not until nations become highly civilized and
wealthy that the retail business is carried as dis
tinct branch Of trade.
We thus see how in ancient times the establish
ment Of markets and fairs, or exhibitions Of the
works Of art and industry, tended to promote oon-
merce. 1t was object Of all ancient legislators to
establish markets and fairs law Of the lsraelites
required that all the males in the country should ap.
pear three times in the year at Jerusalem. Though
the chief object Of this regulation was religion,
a secondary object was to facilitate the internal
trade and commerce of the country. These religious
festivals public fairs, and we find from the his
tory Of the New Testament, that traffic was some
times carried on even in the temple at Jerusalem.
On this subject we quote the language of Michaelis,
in his Commentaries on the Laws Of Moses:-
When we speak Of commerce, we must distin-
guish between the internal commerce OF the people
with one another, and that which is carried on with
other nations, especially by sea. For the former
provision was made by the three festivals, to the
celebration Of which all the Israetes were assem-
bled thrice every year. Conventions Of this nature,
instituted for religious purposes, have generally,
withal, been made instrumental to the purposes OF
commerce. Our messen (fars) have their name from
Naissar {masses) which were sung at particular sea-
sons, and to which, in Catholic times, people from
all countries resorted. AS here there were buy
en; of course there came also, merchants with
their commodities and thus arose yearly fairs.
The holy pigrimages to Mecca gave, in like
manner an impulse to the trade Of Arabia.
Mt alf in
tons the interests Of internal commerce were indi-
rectly consulted, it was only IN such manner that
the carrying it could not hence become distinct
employment, but would merely occupy the weeks OF
leisure from the tolls Of agriculture; before harvest
at the Feast Of the Passover; after harvest at the
Feast of Penticost and the conclusion of the vint
age at the Feast Of Tabernacles
In the same way public festivals were established
in all the cities Of Greece. Each city had its FEST
vals-each State had its festivals, in honor Of its
founder, or to commemorate important events. And
besides these local festivals there others of still
more dignity common to all Greece. These were the
Olympic games celebrated every fourth year at
Olympia; the Pythian games, celebrated every fifth
year at Delphi in honor Of Apollo; the Nemean
games, celebrated every third year at Nemes and
the Isturian games, celebrated every third year
Corinth. These games produced good effects.
They gratifed the social feelings. Frequent
ly, too, philosophers, who had written books,
read them at the games; for the art Of printing
being then unknown this was the most efectual way
Of circulating knowledge among the people. The
games also served the purposes Of commerce. Here
merchants and manufacturers brought their goods,
and persons who wished to purchase came to buy
An English writer says:-
Every motive induced the Greeks to attend these
public festivals. The levotee went to pay his hom-
age to the immortal gods; the man Of literature and
science went to converse with the philosophers, and
to listen to their lectures; the man OF pleasure went
to zee the horse racing, the chariot racing, the
wrestling, and the theatrical exhibitions; and the
Here, in her most splendid temples, an idolatrous
religion received the costly offerings of the crowds
thronged to do homage to the gods While in tue
groves OF science, beneath sky as pure and serene
soOthed the passions nurtured thought.
the philosopher poured into the Of his auditors,
who were seated around him. those instructions
which his own travels, or his own reflection, had
supplied. And on the neighboring plain pleasure,
in a variety of forms, gladdened the hearts and
softened the manners OF all her votaries.
The Arabians and Egyptians, it is well known,
were among the earliest commercial people men
peoped is ceran and the first notice we have of any
considerable trade refers it to the Ishmaetes, the
inhabitants of part of Arabia. To the Arabians
Joseph was SOU ny AiS pIctnren, when tney were
going down to Egypt with spices, balm, and myrrh.
For the spices they must have had commerce with
other nations-probaby with India. Egypt is cele-
brated among the ancient oriental nations for carry
ing many things to perfection, and no pursuit was
cultivated by the Egyptians with more assiduity
and success than commerce. It is certain that some
Of the most valuable manufactures were invented
and perfected in Egypt long before they were known
in other countries. 1t has been thought that the
Chinese received at an early period some of their
institutions and habits from the Egyptians.
The Ph9necians have been called "the Yankees
of antiquity" Certainly, they the most enter
prisng commercial people of their times. The
try called Phenecia was situated on the coast of the
Mediterranean sea to the northwest of Canaan, and
to the southwest Of Syria. The territory was but
small, and was at first divided into several ndepen-