LETTERS. 419 
nothing for certain, before I come to Cairo. 
Pleafe God, I fhall fee Palseftine, which is my 
chief bufineis, next Autumn, and perhaps remain 
there to the Spring following, that I may lee the 
two principal feafons of the year, viz. Autumn 
and Spring, when every thing is in blolfom. 
I request you will pleafe to honour me with 
a letter before that time, and inform me, whether 
you would have me enquire after any thing in par- 
ticular, and whether Dr. Celfius knows any thing 
in particular, which he would have me look after. 
Though 1 fearch after every thing, yet I may by 
fuch informations have an opportunity of clear- 
ing up fome things, which, without them, I 
might perhaps pafs over. 
I request you will pleafe to afk Dr. Celfius, 
whether the writers on Scripture plants have ever 
thought what vegetable David refers to in Pfalmi. 
ver. 3. under the name of the Tree of the Righteous. 
David attributes qualities to this tree, which plain- 
ly (hew, that he means fome particular vegetable. 
And thefe qualities are fuch, that they cannot be 
attributed to any, but the Nerium (oleander) which 
grows in abundance in this country. One word 
about St. John’s Locufts, which have puzzled the 
learned fo much. They, who deny infects to have 
been the food of this holy man, urge, that this 
infedt is an uncuftomary 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 ; roafted 
Locufts, are at this time eaten by the Arabians, at 
the proper feafon, when they can procure them •, fo 
that in all probability, this difii has been ufed in the 
time of St. John. Ancient cuftoms are not here fub- 
jedt to many changes. The vidtuals of St. John are 
not 
