CEDAR OF LEBANON. 167 



bition and revenge deem an honourable pro- 

 fession, because they create and encourage it. 



The ancients believed, that the wood of the 

 cedar of Lebanon was imperishable, and that 

 it had likewise the property of preserving 

 from corruption whatever it enclosed. They, 

 therefore, deposited their precious manu- 

 scripts in chests made of these trees, which 

 custom gave rise to a proverb, to praise a 

 work, it was said, " It is worthy of being cased 

 in cedar." 



The ancients also drew a juice from the 

 cedar, with which they smeared their books 

 and writings to preserve them from rotting, 

 which is alluded to by Horace ; by means of 

 which, it was, that Numa's books were so 

 wonderfully preserved, as its extreme bitter 

 would naturally keep them from worms. The 

 Egyptians used this extract of the cedar, with 

 other drugs, to embalm their dead bodies, be- 

 lieving it would make them incorruptible ; 

 and of the durability of these ancient mum- 

 mies, we have of late years seen extraordinary 

 instances. 



" See lofty lebanon his head advance, 



See nodding forests on the mountains dance." 



POPE. 



This sovereign of the forest appears to 

 have been indigenous to Mount I^ebanon 

 M 4 



