232 
CORVUS CORAX. 
earth, Noah, rvishiiig; to ascertain w hether or no the 
waters had abated, sent forth a raven, Inch did not 
return into the ark.* This is the first notice that is 
taken of this s])eeics. Thouifh the raven wa-s declared 
unclean hy the law of Moses, yet we are informed, 
that, when the ju'ophet Elijah provoked the enmitv of 
Ahah, by prophesym<r iigainst him, and hid himself by 
the brook Chcrith, the ravens were apjiointed by 
Heaven to briny' him liLs daily food.f The colour of 
the raven has yiven rise to a similitude, in one of the 
most heautifnl of eclogues, which has been perpetuated 
in all subsequent age.s, and which is not less pleasing 
for being trite or proverbial. The favourite of the 
royal lover of Jeru,salem, in the enthusiasm of affection, 
thus describes the object of her adoration, in reply to 
the following question : — 
What is thy beloved more than another l)eloved, 
O thou fairest among women ? 
My beloved is white anil ruddy, the chiefest among 
Ten thousand. His head is as the most line gold, 
His locks are bushy, and black as a raven ! | 
The ahove-mentioned circunistance.s taken into con- 
sideration, one would su)q)o.se that the lot of the 
subject of this chapter would have been of a different 
complexion from u hat history and tradition inform ns 
is the fact. Tint in cv'cry country rve are told the 
raven is considered an ominous bird, whose croakings 
foretell approaching evil ; and many a crooked beldani 
has given interpretation to these oracles, of a nature to 
infuse terror into a whole community. Hence this ill- 
tated bird, from time immemorial, has hccii the innocent 
sidrject of vulgar obloquy and detestation. 
Augury, or the art of foretelling future events by the 
flight, cries, or motions of birds, descended from the 
Chaldeans to the Greeks, thence to the Etrurians, and 
from them it was transmitted to the Itonians.J The 
, ■* Genesis, viii, 7. f I Kings, .wii, 6, C. 
f Sling of Soloniim, v, 9, 10, II. 
§ That the science of augury is very ancient, we learn from tbe 
Hebrew lawgiver, wlio proliibits it, as well as every other kind of 
