202 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



and colossal figures of their inferior deities. 

 In these immense courts not only the inha- 

 bitants of a whole city, but often an entire 

 kingdom assembled, to celebrate a festival, 

 or to obey the mandate of their sovereign. 

 As the art of weaving became more known, 

 these gorgeous edifices were occasionally 

 hung with rich curtains of linen cloth, to 

 shade and protect the guest from the sun or 

 weather. The first chapter of the book of 

 Esther describes the feast which King Aha- 

 suerus gave in the third year of his reign 

 to all the princes and servants of the 127 

 provinces over which he reigned, from Ethi- 

 opia to India. This feast lasted 180 days, 

 at the expiration of which he feasted all 

 the people that were in Shusham, "both 

 great and small," for seven days, " in the 

 court of the garden of the king's palace," 

 where were white, green, and blue hangings, 

 fastened with cords of fine linen and purple, 

 to silver rings and pillars of marble. 



The Romans appear to have derived this 

 idea from the Egyptians, as Lentulus Spin- 

 ther was the first who caused the great am- 

 phitheatre at Rome to be covered with fine 

 curtains. This was about the period when 

 Antony was in Egypt ; and Pliny observes, 



