3. In Eastern climes the chief meal, or what we term <linner, is, in consecpiencc of the heat of the middle pe- riod of the day, deferred till towards evening, a slight
repast being taken before noon (.\dam, Rom. Antiq. p. 377, ed. iVIiijor; Potter, ii, 625; Chardin, iv; Jahn, i, 2). But from (jen. xliii, 16, 25, it appears to have been the custom to dine at noon in the days of the patriarchs. The same seems to have been the case in I'alestine at a later period (1 Kings xx, 16; comp. Luke xi, 37; Acts X. 10). Convivialities, however, were postponed till evening, and sometimes protracted to the following morning (Isa. v, II; Mark vi, 21; Luke xiv, 24). See Banqi;1':t. The meal was preceded by washing of hands (Mark vii, 2; Luke xi, 38), which the mode of eating rendered necessary,, and by an invocation of the divine blessing (1 Sam. ix, 13), termed in Samuel n^iS. and in Greek fvXoyta tv\apiaTia, blessing, giving of thanks (Luke ix, 16; John vi, 11). Similar customs prevailed among the Greeks and Komans. Jahn {/iihi. Antiq. p. 68) has given the short prayer, as preserved in the Talmud, which the Jews used, as follows: "Blessed be thou, () Lord our (lod, king of the world, who hast produced this food (or this drink) from the earth (or the vine)" (Matt, xiv, 19; xv, 36; xxvi, 27). See Meal.
4. The Hebrews, like the Greeks and Romans in their earlier history, ate sitting ( (ien. xxvii, 19 ; Judg. xix, 6 ; 1 Sam. XX, 25). A carpet was spread, on which the meal was partaken. At a later period, however, partic- ularly when Palestine came under the influence of Ro- man manners, the Jews reclined on cushions or couches (Esth. i, 6; Amos vi, 4; Lidce vii, 37; ai't/cXi^j;, not "sat," as in the common translation, but "reclined"). See AccL'BATiON, The custom of giving preference in
':! |!:|f l^^iill;^: '^illlM ;!: Hii^
Wiue-cnps. (From Persepolis.)
Ancients Reclining at Table.
point of seat or position to guests of high rnnsideration appears, from 1 Sam. ix. 22, to have been of ancient date (Amos iii, 12). In the time of Christ (Luke xiv, 8) the Pharisees, always eager for distinction, coveted the place of honor at meals and feasts. Women were not admit- ted to eat with the men, but had their meals supplied in their own private apartment (Esth. i, 6-9). In Bab- ylon and Persia, however, females mingled with males on festive occasions (Dan. v, 2). In general the man- ner of eating was similar to what it is in the East at the present day. Special care was taken of favored persons ((ien. xliii, 34; 1 Sam. i, 4; ix. 22; John xiii. 26). Neither knives, forks, nor s)ioons were employed for eating. The food was conveyeil from the dish to the mouth by the right hand. The parties sat with their legs bent under them round a dish [ilaced in the centre, and either took the flesh meat with their lingers froiTi the dish, or dipped bits of their bread into the sa- vory mess and conveyed them to their mouths. In Ruth ii. 14, Boaz says to Ruth. "Dip thy morsel in ihe vinegar," which explains the language of our Lord, in .lohn xiii, 26, " He it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dip|)ed it." Tiiis presenting of food to a person is still customary, and was designeil originally as n mark of distinction, the choice morsels beiuii selected by the hea<l of the family for the purpose. Drink was handed to each one of the gueits in cups or goblets, and, at a
VICUS
111
VIENNA
very ancient period, in a separate cup to each person. Hence the word cup is used as eipiivaleiit to wliat we term a man's lot or destiny (Psa. xi, (J ; Ixxv, 8 ; Isa. li, 2-2 ; Matt, xxvi, o'Jj. — Kitto. See Diet; Eating; Food; Sup.
ViciLS, IIeniucus, a Roman Catholic theologian and philosopher, was born in 15otJ at Valenciennes, and died iu 1596 at Armentiers, in Flanders. He wrote, Be Christianoruin Sucramentorum Natura, Officiis, et Numero: — De Descensu Chrisfi ud Inferos: — I>e Com- munione Sanctorum, etc. See Swcrtii A ihenoB Belyicce ; AndretB Bibliotheca Belgiat ; Jocher, A llr/emeines Ge- lehrten- Lexicon, s. v. (B. P.)
Vida, ^Iarco Girolamo, an Italian poet and priest of tlie Uoinan Church, was born at Cronmna about 1485. He studied at Padua and Bologna, and joined the Order of the Canons of St. Mark at Mantua. He afterwards became canon of St. .John Lateran at Rome, and prior of San Silvestro at Frascati, and in 1532 l)ishop of Alba. He was a learned scholar, and one of the best Latin poets of his tlay. He wrote in Italian as well as in Latin. Among his works are, a metrical treatise De A rte Poetira (Rome, 1527) : — Chrislln.i : — and Scdcchiie Ludiis. All of these have been translated into English. Vida died at Alba, Sept. 27, 1566.
Vidal, Diego (called t/ie Elder'), a Spanish painter, was born at Vahnaseda in 1583. He is said to have studied at Rome, and acquired some reputation as an artist. He was a prebendary of the Cathedral of Sev- ille, and painted there a naked Christ, ami the Virf/iii with the Infant in her Arms. His drawings are also spoken of in terms of commendation. He died at Sev- ille in 1615. See Spooner, Bio fj. Hist, of the Fine Arts, s. V.