ASH. , 97 



in order to warm the juices in the morning,, 

 and to inspissate those which the heat has 

 sweated out in the evening. 



Before we relate the manner of gathering 

 the manna from these ash-trees, we shall 

 briefly treat on the nature of manna, and the 

 cause of its formation. The first notice of 

 this substance will be found in scripture, 

 where the term manna seems to signify a mi- 

 raculous kind of food, which fell from heaven, 

 for the support of the Israelites, in their pas- 

 sage through the wilderness. Salmasius and 

 others affirm, that the manna of the Israelites 

 was in reality no other than a species of honey, 

 or dew, condensed ; and that the one and the 

 other were the same with the wild honey 

 wherewith St. John was fed in the wilderness ; 

 so that the miracle did not consist in the 

 formation of any new substance in favour of 

 the Israelites, but in the abundance and regu- 

 lar manner in which it was dispensed by Pro- 

 vidence for the sustenance of so vast a mul- 

 titude. Manna is not peculiar to the ash-tree 

 alone, as it is only the extravasated juice of 

 plants, which is discharged more or less by 

 plants in general, according to their nature, 

 and the temperature of the season, which re- 

 gulates their transpiration. It was formerly 

 thought to be a kind of mel aerium, or honey- 



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