Meifi, i. e. Dealbha Sithbheara, i. e. Meifi fignifies, magical reprefentations. (ibid). Meifi, a judge, fairies, ghosts, hobgoblins. (OBrien and Shawe.) Lith, folemn, feftival. (OB. & S.) Lith lai, festival days. Lia fail, the fatal ftone. (ibid.) Leice, (corrupted of Liath-cith) a precious stone, a diamond: In the highlands of Scotland, a large crystal of a figure fomewhat oval, which priests kept to work charms by; water poured upon it at this day, is given to cattle against diseases; thefe ftones are now preserved by the oldest and most fuperftitious in the country, (Shawe). They were once common in Ireland: I am informed the Earl of Tyrone, is in poffeffion of a very fine one. Aitos, gemma, politus lapis ; hence Philo-lithos, qui gemmas amat. (Pliny). Mais & Meifi, have both the fame fignification in Irifh, viz. Draoidheact, * i. e. Druidifm. Cith, is a vifion; whence cim, I fee; ocitear, feeing that. The correfponding Hebrew words are mafa, prophetia dura, maza invenire, comperire ; chi, revelatio; Chald. chitfeh, videre; Arab khei, a phantom. הזה The ufe of this ftone was ftrictly forbidden to the Jews by Mofes, in the xxvi. chap. of Lev. ye fhall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a ftanding image, neither fhall ye fuffer the ftone now mashcith, to be within your dominions. * Every term appertaining to the tenets of the Druidical religion, is tranflated draoidheacht, by our modern Lexico graphers. The fet The Vulgate and English, have mistaken the fenfe, and tranflate this paffage, by "neither shall ye up any image of ftone in your land." Montanus fays, & lapidem fpeculationis non dabitis in terra veftra. The LXX very properly name this ftone Aibos xoxos; that is gemma fpeculationis. Exorós derived from exiluas fignifies, delibero, con- . fulto. Skopai, non fpecula tantum, fed etiam actus fpeculandi denotat, (Spencer). xoxiw, fpeculor, contemplor, intueor, obfervo animo agito. A'sporxonia, divinatio ex infpectione æris. No words in the Greek language could more properly have expreffed the form and ufe of the the Liath Meificith, than xitos exows. The fame stone is again forbidden in Numbers xxxiii. and 52. "Then ye fhall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their D Mashciothim, tranflated exowiàs by the 70, and pictures in the English verfion." It is evident from this paffage, that Mashcith in Hebrew, is the fingular number and not plural, as many of the Rabbins would have it. The LXX, The Rabbies of the apoftate Jews, and the Christian Ecclefiaftics, fays Hutchinfon) have had the management of the translations, and the handling of the Scriptures: the LXX, &c. have confounded the roots for their names, conftrued a word in one place one thing, in another place another thing, to avoid the meaning and moft of the Rabbies would have their inftitutions to be taken from the heathens, to be fufficient in themselves, and have no reference to the divine inftitutions, * Yet he ftitutions, which were at the beginning. allows, that many things have been revealed and recorded fince, and many things more antient, have been lately discovered. I am afraid our author has past a hafty judgment on the 70; for although, as Leusden thinks, part of the original translation of the 70 was loft, and the reft made by much later authors; I cannot help thinking the various words they have given for the fame word in Hebrew, was done with great confideration and design. No paffage in the old Testament has perplexed the Commentators more than this Ebn Mashcith. Doctor Spencer, after reciting all that has been written on it by the Rabbies, concludes, that a man must be a prophet rather than interpreter, to understand them; Vatem potius quam interpretem poftulare videatur: and the learned Doctor is of opinion it must have been fomething, formed from an Egyptian or Syrian model. Some of the Rabbies thought it was a tall ftone, others an Obelifk, which they worshipped, others. that it was a mute idol; and others, that it was a tower, from whence to explore the ftars: but the Samaritan text, calls it ebn mithnaggedah, that is, lapis indicationis aut annunciationis. Aud my late very worthy friend Mr. Moore, author of the Manx verfion, very properly names it cloch-thoit, (or hoit corruptè) that is the magical ftone. Poole, is not very diftant from the form of it, by calling it a fetftone, lapidem inclufum. * Data in Christianity page 206. But מעכה But fays Millius, we muft diftinguish between mezceh, de rudi & impolito lapide and the mafhcith. Obfcurius eft vocabulum & variis expofitionibus obnoxium. He then fhews where Onkelos, Bechai and Maimonides, have mistaken the meaning of the word, and quotes Manilius, who thought it was teffelata pavimenta; and concludes his opinion that the word Mafheith is derived from , afpicere, profpicere id eft, lapidem adfpectus. Et mihi expofitio Ebn Mafcith, placet, lapides ingenio & arte ficti & formati :-id eft opus ingeniofum & artificiofiffimum; etiam lapides intelligam Magica arte parata; which is evidently our Liath Meificith, here reprefented. The compofition of cobalt, ground with oil, must fometimes have failed and, from various caufes, not blaze: then probably the Aefar was displeased; and vengeance was denounced on the ftate, or perfon offering the oblation. This feems to be well reprefented on two antient Etrufcan Releivos, engraved in Dempster's Etruria. Tab. xxxvii. No. 1. Reprefents a facrifice or thurma, for a bounty recieved. The fire blazes on the altar, one man is pouring on wine or oil; another holds a lamb ready for the facrifice, and a third is bringing turma, or a difh of the fruits of the earth. An old man richly dreffed in a lay habit, attended by a , domestick, ftands by the altar: behind are muficians, All is joy. The Etrufcan Infeription is, ALILAY |