in the focred writings in which John the Baptist 

 faid to have fed on locufts and wild honey ; and the 

 word ctxgidas has been fuppofed to mean the young 

 Shoots of vegetables, rather than locufts ; but fince the 

 fad is well eftabliftied, that thefe infects are ftill eaten 

 by the inhabitants of the Eaft, there feems not the 

 leaf! reafon for admitting any other interpretation than 

 the ufually received one : Why mould we wonder that 

 the abftemious prophet, during his ftate of folitary fe- 

 ci ulion from the commerce of the world, mould fup- 

 port himfelf by a repaft which is to be numbered not 

 amongft the luxuries of life, but merely regarded as a 

 fubftitute for food of a more agreeable nature ? We 

 may alfo adduce, in fupport of this idea, the teftimo- 

 ny of Hasselouist, who thus exprefles himfelf on 

 this very fubject. <f They who deny infects to have 

 been the food of this holy man, urge, that this infect 

 is an unaccuftomary and unnatural food ; but they 

 would foon be convinced of the contrary, if they would 

 travel hither, to Egypt, Arabia, or Syria, and take a 

 meal with the Arabs. Rbafted locufts are at this time 

 eaten by the Arabs at the proper feafon, when they 

 can procure them ; fo that in all probability this difti 

 has been ufed in the time of St. John. Ancient cuf- 

 toms are not here fubject to many changes, and the 

 victuals -of John are not believed unnatural here ; and 

 I was affu red by a judicious Greek prieft, that their 

 church had never taken the word in any other fenfe, 

 than that of locufts ; and he even laughed at the idea, 

 of its being a plant or a bird." 



Hasselquist's TravelSi Eng. TranJIatkn^ p. 419, 



