UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 231 



prophet to go with him to another place to curse 

 them ? 



My uncle said, "that it was the opinion of the 

 heathens, that if one victim failed, or if the 

 Deity was unpropitious at one place, he should be 

 importuned by a repetition of the sacrifice else- 

 where. Balaam, therefore, to gratify the king, 

 repeated the same experiment a second and a 

 third time ; but still with the same disappoint- 

 ment." 



Caroline made some remark on these words, 

 11 He hath as it were the strength of the Unicorn ;" 

 and my uncle said, " it is not known with cer- 

 tainty to what animal the strength of Israel is 

 here compared ; some have supposed the uni- 

 corn to be a kind of single-horned antelope, 

 others think that it is the rhinoceros 5 but if any 

 of you will remind me of the subject some other 

 day, we will endeavour to see which is the best 

 founded opinion. Balaam afterwards compares 

 the power of Israel to that of the lion; and both 

 seem to allude to the victories by which the 

 Israelites should gain possession of the land of 

 Canaan. It is remarkable, that the inspired 

 language of Balaam very much resembles that 

 which Jacob had used in his predictions respect- 

 ing Judah. Such is the harmony and connexion 

 between the prophecies of Scripture." 



tith. We were resolved not to defer the sub- 



x 2 



