later they fought bravely with the Amalekites,
and ever afterwards they were as eager for battle as any Irishman at
Donnybrook: fair. How can this difference be accounted for? Could a
nation of hereditary cowards become stubborn warriors in the short space
of a month?

Let us now follow the Wandering Jews through the Desert, which they
should have crossed in a week or two, but which they travelled up and
down for forty years. People who want to make an expeditious journey had
better do without a divine guide.

Coming to Marah, they found only bitter water to drink, at which they
began to murmur. But the Lord showed Moses a certain tree, which when
cast into the water made it sweet. It must have been a wonderful tree to
sweeten water for two millions of people. Bitter water, also, quenches
thirst more readily than sweet, and it stimulates the appetite, which
would be highly desirable under a fierce relaxing sun.

A month after they left Egypt they came to the wilderness of Sin.
There they began to murmur again. Finding themselves without food, they
remembered "the flesh pots" of Egypt, and reproached Moses with having
brought them into the desert to die of hunger. Both Moses and the Lord
seem to have thought it unreasonable on their part to ask for something
to eat. Oliver Twist was stared at when he asked for more, but the Jews
surprised God by asking for something to begin with. Yet reflecting,
perhaps, that they were after all unable to live without food, the Lord
rained down manna from heaven. After the dew evaporated in the morning,
they found this heavenly diet lying on the ground. It was "like a
coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with
honey." No doubt the angels subsist on it in paradise. Moses preserved
a pot of it for the instruction of future generations. The pot has,
however, not been discovered up to the present day. Some future
explorers may light upon it "in the fulness of time," and so-help to
prove the historical character of the Pentateuch.

The manna, as might be expected, had some peculiarities. No matter how
much or how little he gathered, every man found on measuring that he had
exactly an omer of it. Although it fell regularly every week day, none
fell on Sunday. A double quantity had, therefore, to be gathered on
Saturday. It melted in the sun, but could nevertheless be baked and
seethed. Any of it left overnight stank in the morning and bred worms.

For forty yea