oses to give them a slight change in their
monotonous bill of fare, they warred against the Amorites and pretty
nearly exterminated them. Whereupon Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab, grew "sore afraid." He called together the "elders of Midian" with
those of Moab, and said that in his opinion the Jews would lick them all
up as the ox licked up the grass of the field.

Against such a ferocious gang as the Jews, with a bloody God of Battles
to help them, human valor promised little success; so Balak resolved to
solicit supernatural aid. Accordingly he sent messengers unto Balaam the
son of Beor, a renowned and potent soothsayer, desiring him to come and
curse the people of Israel.

The King had implicit confidence in Balaam. "Whom thou blessest," said
he, "is blessed, and whom thou cursest is cursed." This great prophet
must have wrought prodigious wonders in his time to gain so magnificent
a reputation; and if the king's panegyric on him was true, he must have
been a dangerous person to those who annoyed him and made him swear.

The "elders of Moab and the elders of Midian," who were Balak's
messengers, went to Pethor, where Balaam resided. As the reader might
expect, they did not go empty-handed, but took with them "the rewards
of divination." What these were we are not told. No doubt they were very
handsome. The prophetical business requires large profits to compensate
for the absence of quick returns; and in any case it is not to be
supposed that a man who can do what no one else can, will begin work
without a heavy retaining fee. We conclude that Balaam, like nearly
every prophet mentioned in history, had a good eye for the main chance,
and did not trust very much in the bounty of the gods. He was never
hard up for bread and cheese while other people were hard up for divine
assistance, and as that was an ignorant and credulous age, we presume
that his larder was well-stocked. He must, indeed, have had a fine
time, for he was the biggest pot in his own line of business in all that
district.

Balaam knew his business well. It would never do for a prophet, a
soothsayer, a wizard, or a diviner, to give prompt answers to his
applicants, or even to make his answers plain when he does give them.
That would render the profession cheap and rob it of mystery. So Balaam,
therefore, said to the messengers, "Lodge here this night, and I will
bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me."

Now this reference to _