ELISHA. 277

who have travelled in the East tell us that such things
are not unusual. With us the dog is kindly treated :
he is the companion and the friend of man. But there
he is an outcast, owned by no one, dreaded and avoided
by the people. Ahab had seventy sons and grandsons.
They; with their guardians and tutors, were in Samaria.
To those guardians Jehu wrote, saying, “ Look even
out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set
him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s
house.” This letter caused great fear in those to whom
it was addressed. They returned the reply to Jehu,
that they were his servants, and would do whatever he
bade them. He wrote a second letter, telling him to
cut off the heads of the king’s sons, and send them to
him in baskets. They obeyed; nor was this enough
for Jehu. He slew besides all the connexions of Ahab,
the priests and the great men, until none were left in
Jezreel. He then set off to Samaria. As he was on the
way, he met the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah:
“Who are ye?” he said to them. “ We are the
brethren of Ahaziah,” they replied, “and we go down
to salute the children of the king and the children of the
queen.”

Marianne. Had they not heard that Jehoram and all
the sons of Ahab were dead ?

Grandfather. They had not; the work of vengeance
had been quickly accomplished. These brethren of
Ahaziah shared the fate of those they intended to visit.
By the command of Jehu all were slain—forty-two men.