knight granted safe conduct through his territories to all who required it, including those who asserted pretensions which, if established, would deprive him of his possessions.1 To protect a guest is looked upon as a most stringent duty under all circumstances. "Le Kabyle qui accorde son anaïa doit, sous peine d'infamie, y faire honneur, dût-il s'exposer à tous les dangers. La violation de leur "4 anaïa est la plus grave injure que l'on puisse infliger à des Kabyles. Un homme qui viole, ou, suivant l'expression consacrée, qui brise l'anaïa de son village ou de sa tribu, est puni de mort et de la confiscation de tous ses biens; sa maison est démolie."2 Among the Bedouins a breach of the law of dakheel "would be considered a disgrace not only upon the individual but upon his family, and even upon his tribe, which never could be wiped out. No greater insult can be offered to a man, or to his clan, than to say that he has broken the dakheel."3 Among the Aenezes, according to Burckhardt, "a violation of hospitality, by the betraying of a guest, has not occurred within the memory of man.' In Egypt, "most Bedawees will suffer almost any injury to themselves or their families rather than allow their guests to be ill-treated while under their protection.' Among the Kandhs, "for the safety of a guest life and honour are pledged; he is to be considered before a child"; in order to save his guest a man is even allowed to speak falsely, which is otherwise condemned by them as a heinous sin." Vámbéry tells us of cases in which the Kara-Kirghiz have preferred being harassed with war by the Chinese to surrendering to them such Chinese fugitives as have sought and received their hospitality.7 Among the Ossetes the host not only considers himself responsible for the safety of his guest, 1 Mills, History of Chivalry, p. 154. 2 Hanoteau and Letourneux, op. cit. ii. 61 sq. 3 Layard, Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon, p. 317. Burckhardt, Bedouins and Wahá- bys, p. 100. Cf. ibid. p. 192. 6 5 Lane, Modern Egyptians, p. 297. Macpherson, Memorials of Service in India, pp. 65, 94. 7 Vámbéry, Das Türkenvolk, p. 268. Cf. ibid. p. 411 (Turkomans). P P 1 but "revenges the murder or wounding of the latter as he would that of a kinsman." In Albania it is considered infamous to leave an injury inflicted on a guest unavenged.2 Among the Takue, though a man would accept compensation for the murder of a relative, he would in all cases exact blood-revenge for the murder of his guest. On the other hand, in Sierra Leone a guest "is scarcely accountable for any faults which he may commit, whether through inadvertency or design, the host being considered as responsible for the actions of his stranger.' -“ 94 3 Hospitality is not only regarded as a duty of the first order, but has, in a remarkable degree, been associated with religion. Among the doctrines held up for acceptance by the religious instructors of the Iroquois there was the following precept :-" If a stranger wander about your abode, welcome him to your home, be hospitable towards him, speak to him with kind words, and forget not always to mention the Great Spirit." 5 The natives of Aneiteum, of the New Hebrides, maintained that generous hospitality would receive the highest reward in the Land of the Dead. The Kalmucks believe that want of hospitality will be punished by angry gods. The Kandhs say that the first duty which the gods have imposed upon man is that of hospitality; and "persons guilty of the neglect of established observances are punished by the divine wrath, either during their current lives, or when they afterwards return to animate other bodies," the penalties being death, poverty, disease, the loss of children, or any other form of calamity. In the sacred books of India hospitality is repeatedly spoken of as a most important duty, the discharge of which will be amply rewarded. "The inhospitable man," the Vedic singer tells us, "acquires food in vain. I speak the truth-it verily is his death. is nothing but a sinner."1 . He who eats alone "He who does not feed these five, the gods, his guests, those whom he is bound to maintain, the manes, and himself, lives not, though he breathes." 2 According to the Vishnu Purána, a person who neglects a poor and friendless stranger in want of hospitality, goes to hell.3 On the other hand, by honouring guests a householder obtains the highest reward.1 "He who entertains guests for one night obtains earthly happiness, a second night gains the middle air, a third heavenly bliss, a fourth the world of unsurpassable bliss; many nights procure endless worlds. That has been declared in the Veda." It is said in the Mahabharata that "he who gives food freely to a fatigued wayfarer, whom he has never seen before, obtains great virtuous merit.' According to Hesiod, Zeus himself is wrath with him who does evil to a suppliant or a guest, and at last, in requital for his deed, lays on him a bitter penalty. Plato says:-" In his relations to strangers, a man should consider that a contract is a most holy thing, and that all concerns and wrongs of strangers are more directly dependent on the protection of God, than wrongs done to citizens. He who is most able is the genius and the god of the stranger, who follows in the train of Zeus, the god of strangers. And for this reason, he who has a spark of caution in him, will do his best to pass through life without sinning against the stranger. And of offences committed, whether against strangers or fellow-countrymen, that against suppliants is the greatest." Similar opinions prevailed in ancient Rome. Jus hospitii, whilst 1 Rig. Veda, x. 117. 6. 2 Laws of Manu, iii. 72. Cf. Institutes of Vishnu, lxvii. 45. 3 Vishnu Purána, p. 305. 4 Institutes of Vishnu, lxvii. 28, 32. Apastamba, ii. 3. 7. 16. 6 Mahabharata, Vana Parva, ii. 61, pt. v. p. 5. 7 Hesiod, Opera et dies, 331 sq. (333 sq.). Plato, Leges, v. 729 sq. 4 2 forming no part of the civil law, belonged to fas; the stranger, who enjoyed no legal protection, was, as a guest, protected by custom and religion. The dii hospitales and Jupiter were on guard over him; on guard over him; hence the duties towards a guest were even more stringent than those towards a relative. Cæsar and Tacitus attest that the Teutons considered it impious to injure a guest or to exclude any human being from the shelter of their roof. The God of Israel was a preserver of strangers." In the Talmud hospitality is described as "the most important part of divine worship,"7 as being equivalent to the duty of honouring father and mother, as even more meritorious than frequenting the synagogue. Muhammedanism likewise regards hospitality as a religious duty.10 "Whoever," said the Prophet, "believes in God and the day of resurrection, must respect his guest. But the idea that a guest enjoys divine protection prevailed among the Arabs long before the times of Muhammed. 12 The Bedouins say that the guests are "guests of God." 13 The Christian Church, again, regarded hospitality as a duty imposed by Christ. 14 8 That a stranger, who under other circumstances is treated as an inferior being or a foe, liable to be robbed and killed with impunity, should enjoy such extraordinary privileges as a guest, is certainly one of the most curious. contrasts which present themselves to a student of the moral ideas of mankind. It may be asked, why should 1 Servius, In Virgilii Æneidos, iii. 55: Fas omne; et cognationis, et iuris hospitii." von Jhering, Geist des römischen Rechts, i. 227. Leist, Altarisches Jus Civile, i. 103, 358 sq. 2 Servius, In Virgilii Eneidos, i. 736. Livy, Historiæ Romanæ, xxxix. 51. Tacitus, Annales, xv. 52. Plautus, Panuli, v. I. 25. 3 Gellius, Noctes Attica, v. 13. 5: "In officiis apud maiores ita observatum est, primum tutelae, deinde hospiti, deinde clienti, tum cognato, postea affini." 4 Cæsar, De bello Gallico, vi. 23. 5 Tacitus, Germania, 21. 6 Psalms, cxlvi. 9. ? Deutsch, Literary Remains, p. 57. 8 Kiddushin, fol. 39 B, quoted by Hershon, Treasures of the Talmud, P. 145. 9 Sabbath, fol. 127 A, quoted by Katz, Der wahre Talmudjude, p. 103. 10 Koran, iv. 40 sqq. 11 Lane, Arabian Society in the Middle Ages, p. 142. 12 Wellhausen, Reste arabischen Heidentums, p. 223 sq. 13 Doughty, Arabia Deserta, i. 228, 504. 14 Laurent, Études sur l'histoire de PHumanité, vii. 346. he be received at all? Of course, he stands in need of protection and support, but why should those who do not know him care for that? One answer is that his helpless condition may excite pity; facts seem to prove that even among savages the altruistic feelings, however narrow, can be stirred by the sight of a suffering and harmless stranger. Another answer is that the host himself may expect to reap benefit from his act. And there can be little doubt that the rules of hospitality are in the main based on egoistic considerations. It has been justly observed that in uncivilised countries, where there is no public accommodation for travellers, "hospitality is so necessary, and so much required by the mutual convenience of all parties, as to detract greatly from its merit as a moral quality." "1 When the stranger belongs to a community with which a reciprocity of intercourse prevails, it is prudent to give him a hearty reception; he who is the host to-day may be the guest to-morrow. "If the Red Indians are hospitable," says Domenech, "they also look for their hospitality being returned with the same marks of respect and consideration.' Moreover, the stranger is a bearer of news and tidings, and as such may be a welcome guest where communication between. different places is slow and rare. During my wanderings in the remote forests of Northern Finland I was constantly welcomed with the phrase, "What news?" But the stranger may be supposed to bring with him something which is valued even more highly, namely, good luck or blessings. 1 Winterbottom, op. cit. i. 214. 2 Domenech, Seven Years' Residence in the Great Deserts of North America, ii. 319. Cf. Dunbar, 'Pawnee Indians,' in Magazine of American History, viii. 745; Brett, Indian Tribes of Guiana, p. 347; Bernau, Missionary Labours in British Guiana, p. 51; von den Steinen, Unter den Naturvölkern Zentral-Brasiliens, p. 333 sq. (Bakaïri); Georgi, op. cit. iii. 154 (Kamchadales); Smeaton, op. cit. p. 146 (Karens); 2 Ellis, Polynesian Researches, i. 95 3 Cf. Wright, Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England during the Middle Ages, p. 329. |