s Was /X . Jkc a /e£_ &*■ ftr&ou<, th W«4 f/Cc/c/lcft^c . /? . . /Zut . &. Ji 'c LO v. ” ' - THE HISTORY O F ANCIENT EGYPT, AS EXTANT IN THE Greek Historians, Poets, and Others. : TOGETHER WITH THE STATE OF THE RELIGION, LAWS, ARTS, SCIENCES, and GOVERNMENT: FROM The firft Settlement under Mizraim, in. the Year before Christ 2188, T o The final Subverfion of the Empire by Cambyses. Containing a Space of 1664 Years. By GEORGE LAUGHTON, D. D. of Richmond in Surry. Od yap /jlictQov c /*ei TjjV aWa Su/jiCoXov, r/iv TijU/jv, iva ^ c/W/asy*} ‘aro\dv;£povay. Plutarch. Printed LONDON: for T. C A d e L l, in the Strand. M DCC LXXIV. c , * . . • ' • . . ■ ■ ■ ^ • • # . • n • • - • - . ' Is*. j ' THE T O KING. May it pleafe Tour Majesty, ? | ^ H E fingular pleafure I have JL enjoyed in tracing the ear- ly efforts of human genius, was attended with a defire to convey the fame to others ; but confci- ous of the refinement of the age, I dreaded to appear in the re- public of letters, until looking up to the Great Personage by whom Arts and Sciences flourifh in thefe dominions, I faw the A 3 infant vi DEDICATION. infant genius led on with tender- nefs, and the fmiles of Your Ma- jesty’s protection expand the glowing faculties : animated by the goodnefs, and benevolence of the moll illuftrious Prince and accomplifhed Gentleman in Eu- rope, I have ventured to produce the ruftic hand of nature, and early improvements of mankind to the world. To look back, Great Sire, in- to the principles of the elegant productions of the prefent age, is no lefs replete with entertain- ment, than honour to human na- ture: we there fee the lfruggles of 7 DEDICATION. yii of reafon, and find each dynafty refine upon the others difcoveries j afperity of manners foftened, bar- barians formed into civilized ftates, and in a long feries of ages, foar to the grandeur and perfection of the j Britijh empire. Thefe fcenes, drawn forth un- der Your Majesty’s aufpices, will receive dignity and importance ; and Your Majesty’s fubjeCts, fee- ing the difgufiful maxims and fe- verities of former days, will feel a pleating fenfation of their own happinefs, and be ftruck with admi- ration and refpedt for thofe wife Laws and Inftitutions, which are A 4 calculated viii DEDICATION. calculated to promote the felici- ty, advantage and fecurity of every individual in Your Majesty’s realms. I am. May it pleafe Your Majesty, Your Majesty’s Moft devoted. Richmond, March 10 th, 1774.' Faithful Subject and Servant, George Laughton. C « ] THE PREFACE T° trace back the operations of the human mind , and explore the principles of ideas and modes of thinking , opens at once the fource of laws , government , arts, fciences., and manners : each new difcovery in fo pleafing a work , is an acquifition of knowledge , and important to every one, who wipes to know the fprings of his own mojl valuable endowments. The x PREFACE. The hifiory of kingdoms in dif- ferent periods of time * and under improved regulation '/$■ prefents to fucceeding ages , maxims found to be beneficial by experience , and direc- tions to avoid fuch meafures , as have been pernicious , and deflruc- tive of union and order. The an- cient Egyptians claim attention and applaufe in this particular j their early exertiotis and Jlruggles to re- gulate their government , and hu- manize unpolijhed nature , gamed them the firfi general reputation for wijdom , and caufed foreigners to refort to them for advice , infrac- tion , learning and laws. The PREFACE. xi The general hiftory of this much admired people , which is the bu- fnefs of the following Jheets y is conduEled in this method. Having in an introduElory dif- courfe> Jhewn the divine difpenfa- tion and intention of longevity im- mediately after the deluge , the dif- perfion at Babel, origin of lan- guages^ method of handing down events in various parts of the worlds the fpeculative branch of the Egyp- tian religion , fource of the Grecian mythology , and errors in ancient chronology ; I have introduced the hiftory of ancient Egypt, with a geographical defcription of its ftua- tion. xii PREFACE. i tion, and Jhewn their gradual im- provements, from their firfi fettle - ■menty in almofl a fate of naturey under Mizraim, accomplifments in the reign of Amous, and from that period have interfperfed the fate of artsy fciencesy religion , laws , go- vernment, cufto7ns and manners , with all pojfble exaElnefs , fupported hy the beft authorities , and mof approved chronology , that a unity of time, a?id coincidence of faEls , may mutually illufrate each other , and difplay in one view , the general fyftem of Egypt. The frequent depredations of the Ethiopians and A Syrians, together with PREFACE, sin with the national foible of omitting to record , whatever events did not contribute to the honour and fame of the kingdom , have made wide chafms in the regal hifiory , and deprived us of abundant faEls y which would have been particularly injlru8live y and pointed out the oc- cafion of various injlitutions and produElions of genius: for want of thefe records , authors have colleEled from the monuments , buildings , and pub lick works , the general fate of arts and fciences in every dynafiy. In the courfe of the hiflory y I have produced the arguments ufed to *iv PREFACE. to afcertain the ftuation of Ophir, and concluded the whole, with a recapitulatory differtation , in which are jhewn the ill ejfeEls of parti- cular laws , the excellence of others , and their jufl title to the honour of fome geometrical and aftronomical difcoveries , which have been attri-' buted to others . INTRO- t HE INTRODUCTION. I N the beautiful order of nature, every principle is uniformly productive of a certain end ; powers are adapted to the fphere of action, and abilities difpenfed to accomplifh the divine will. When one man, and one woman, were formed to people the world, to proportion the ability, to the command, their lives were protracted to more than nine hundred years. Immediately after the deluge, when the three foils of Noah , were to raife up a new offspring for the new world ; Skem only of thefe patriarchs lived five hundred years. In the fecond century, the age of man was much fhortened, no one accompiifhed two hundred and forty B years. 2 Introduction. years, the world was then more populous* cities were built, focieties formed, and colonies planted in diftant countries. As mankind became more numerous, longe- vity gradually decreafed, until it de- fcended, in the days of Mojes, to the pre- fent ftandard of age, that juft medium, in which life and death being nearly equal in their progrefs, the world neither feels a redundancy, or want of inhabitants. When the families of Shem, Ham, and pfapheth were increafed, Noah divided the earth between them, and allotted to each the country he fhould people and appropriate. To Shem he granted Afia ; to Ham, Syria, Egypt and Africa ; to Ja- pheth, Europe . We know very little of their proceedings, from the deluge to their aftembling in the plains of Sinar, ninety-nine years after, to build the tower of Introduction* 3 Ot B abely which produced an epocha me- morable in antiquity. To this time, all mankind fpoke the fame language, and kept up a general in- tercourfe $ but now, the production of a variety of languages, loofened the ties of confanguinity, gave birth to a feparation* and made it neceffary for them to adhere to that divifion, which fpoke the fame language with themfelves. This dis- union naturally producing feparate inte- refts, each endeavoured to gain fuperi- ority, countries and opulence, to render themfelves confpicuous, and hand down to pofterity whatever they thought great, good and memorable. The manner of communicating events to after ages, has been either by engrav- ing on ftone or metal, in fongs, by tying knots of different coloured wool, which B 2 have 4 Introduction. have ferved inftead of characters amohgft the people of Peru and Chili, or by hie- roglyphics ufed by the ancient Egyptians and Chinefe , or by letters, the moft mo- dern, and by far the moft correct and expeditious method. * Crinitus fays, that Mofes invented the Hebrew type, Abraham the Syriac and Chaldee , the Phoenicians the Attic , which Cadmus brought into Greece , and the Pelafgians afterwards into Italy , Nicojlrata the Latin , IJis the Egyptian , and Uulfi- las the Gothic . By this account the He- brew type invented by Mofes , is not fo old as the Syriac or Chaldee : nor does it appear that the Hebrew language is older than the Syriac or Chaldee . Until the building of the tower of Babel, it is allowed by Jews, Chriftians , and Mahometans , that one language pre- vailed Introduction. 5 vailed over all the earth : how the con- fufion was effected, has been a matter of fpeculation : fome have thought that the Almighty infpired the builders of that tower, with new words ; and others conjectured that the confufion arofe from their forgetting the ufual application of the words, and naming one thing for another, though all indifferently fpoke the original tongue. The Hebrew now fpoken, as well as th& Arabic and. Chaldee , are generally fup- pofed to be dialeCts of the language fpoken by Adam % which is loft. The Hebrew cannot be intitled to the high diftindtion, fo vainly contended for, of being the language taught of God : it is far inferior to other languages in ele- gance, copioufnefs, and clearnefs, and is fo exceedingly dry, that the He brews want words to exprefs the moft common things, B 3 and 6 Introductions and are obliged to ufe the fame periods continually, for want of expreffions to vary the phrafe. The Arabic is greatly fuperior to it, the Greek is vaftly more elegant and harmonious, and modern languages are more abundant in beauty, fertility of words, and modes of convey- ing ideas. The lofs of original language was not fo injurious a misfortune, as the confu- fion of ideas, and want of recollection, which afflicted the emigrants from BabeL The arts which were known prior to that event, were almoft obliterated, and the traditions fo recently received from Noah , were confined to a fmall number. The labour requifite to colleCt their food, engaged all their attention, and requiring but few ideas, reduced the mind to an infancy of intelligence. The Introduction, 7 The knowledge of a Supreme Being, interwoven in the foul, was never to be erafed, and the attributes taught by nature were always difcerned ; but the mind, too debafed to fee them with per- fpicuity, received and exprelled them ac- cording to its fallacious conceptions, re- prefenting the incommunicable attri- butes, as fubordinate divinities prefiaing over the different elements, and fuper- intending the paffions and affedlions of men. Thefe notions generally prevailed in the heathen world, particularly amongft the Egyptians , who from a veneration for things facred, confined the ftudy of theo- logy to the kings and priefts, and to con- ceal them from prophane eyes, reprefented them in hieroglyphics, a character they folelyunderflood, which not only denoted, but in fome meafure expreffed the thing. A cuftom which drew on them the calum- ny of worfhipping the figures themfelves: B 4 a 8 Introducti O . a reproach, one would think it impof- fible for the moft fuperficial obferver to have thrown on them. Is it not incre- dible that a people of the firft intelli- gence then in the world, could origi- nally (however they fell afterwards) pay divine honours to reptiles, infers, onions, goats, fheep, crocodiles, and cats, merely as fuch ? when they were fo famed for wifdom and fcience, that it was a dif- tindlion and mark of eminence to be verfed in the learning of the Egyptians. To whatever abjedl ftate human na- ture funk, we certainly difcover great imprudence in looking for it particu- larly, amongft a people juftly admired for their early advances in knowledge. On the other fide, it would be equally wrong to compliment their hieroglyphics with comprehending the fublime doc- trines Introduction; 9 trines of chriftianity, or fuppofe that they poflefied the principles of religion, in as great purity as the Jews. Thefe extremes are erroneous ; their knowledge tranfcended the former abjedt ftate, but did not extend to the latter excellence. a Eufebius has handed down to us the definition the ancients gave of the Deity. “ They thought him to be incor- “ ruptible, eternal, felf-exiftent, without €C parts, likenefs or equal ; the author of u all goodnefs, the wifeft and mod: per- “ fedt of all excellent beings ; the father “ of juftice, and good laws, omnifcient, “ omnipotent, and the creator of na- “ tare.” a Praep. Evan. lib. i, p. 42. ! They io Introduction. b They never applied the appellatioa of God, to any material or fenfible fub- ftance, and believed that the great Crea- tor conducted terreftrial affairs by nume- rous fubordinate minifters, who afted in every part of the univerfe, thinking that it would be derogatory to the divine honour to fuppofe fewer fpiritual intelli- gences, than there were material ob- jects. They imagined that fpiritual beings exifted originally only in heaven, pure and undifturbed ; that fome of them in- dolently enjoying their felicity without that active excellence which is effential to fublime truth ; and not following the Supreme Being in his difpenfations of goodnefs, contracted an heavinefs, and burfting through the pure confines of heaven, fell to the earth, and there inha- b Laertius de Pythag. Cicero de leg. lib. 2d, p. 1 19.7. bited Introduction. h bited bodies fuicable to their difpoiiti- ons, the lefs depraved, delighted in con- templation and philofophy, the fubor- dinate to them engaged in laborious em- ployments, and the moft impure became tyrants, and bad princes : death putting an end to this ftate of probation, ar- ranged them in different ranks, accord- ing to their late virtuous, or vicious con- duct, degrading them to flaves or evil demons, or exalting them to heroes and gods. Befides the fpirits who were degraded from coeleftial habitations, and again re- covered fome degree of divine rank, the Egyptians thought that the fouls of men became demons after their feparation from the body, “ 'wandering fpirits clothed “ in fined: air and were good or bad according to the habits they had con- c Hefiod. tradted 12 Introduction. traded in the body ; d the good our guardians walking here amongft us e . “ Wicked demons were punifhed by the “ deity for their evil adions, until they were purified, and were then admitted “ to the order of good demons. f Not “ that the foul in this feparate date “ was fuppofed to poflefs any faculty or power, it did not enjoy before it left “ the body ; but as the fun intercepted “ by a cloud, feems to lofe its fplendor, “ though in reality it is not at all dimi- cc nifhed, fo the foul acquired no new ic ability when difrobed of the body, “ though it had been reftrained from “ exerting its powers, by the intervene “ tion of material fubftance ; and retain- “ ing the fame affedions, conftantly proteded its former aflociates from “ impending danger, and imperceptibly “ guided them in the paths of virtue. ** 4 Hefiod. e Empedocles. f Plutarch. This Introduction* 13 This dodxine of genii, or good and evil demons, was carried from Egypt by Py- thagoras , Plato , Xenocrates , and others, into Greece , and there multiplied into that numerous offspring now feen in their mythology. It will be fufficient here, to particu- larize the origin of a few of the Grecian divinities and ceremonies, to prove the fource of their mythology. An exfenfive difquifition would lead me from my de- fign. The fable of the Grecian Bacchus y is borrowed from the hiftory of Mofes. 2 The Greeks inform us, that Bacchus was laid on the waters in a bafket of oziers, foon after his birth, had two mo- thers ; that he was called Bicornis , double 7 g Eurip. in Bacch. horned. 14 Introduction horned, that he was carried to mount Nifa, and afterwards commanded an ar- my of men and women. This is almoft literally the account of Mofes ; he was expofed on the Nile, in a bafket of rufhes, had two mothers, Joe - habel his natural mother, and c ther?nutis princels of Egypt , by whom he was adopted. He afterwards conducted an army of the Ifraclites , men, women, and children, and when he defeended from mount Sina, (which by tranfpofing the letters, becomes Nifd) the rays of glory which darted from his forehead, appear- ed like two horns. And Orpheus writ- ing of Bacchus , calls him Moanv Mofes , Gea/uLcttyofov a lawgiver, and attributes to him, Ai7rAoiY.cc, the two tables. Vulcan means Hubal Cain , who firft wrought iron. Janus with two faces al- ludes 7 Introduction. *5 ludes to Noah , who faw the firft, and latter world. Jupiter Hammon , who had a temple in the deferts of Lybia, and re- ceived divine honours, was Ham, the fon of Noah, to whom Lybia was granted in the diviiion of the earth by his father. The chaos of the poets is evidently bor- rowed from the book of Genefis, and the golden age from the happy ftate of our frit parents* The garden of the Hefpe - rides, the golden apples, and the dragon which guarded them, with Pandoras fa- tal curiofity 5 are evidently the garden of Eden, the tree of life, the ferpent which beguiled Eve, and the evils con- sequent on Eve's difobedience. The fa- bulous war of the giants againft the gods, and the mountains they piled up to af- fault heaven, arofe from that ambitious attempt to build the tower of Babe /. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of fait, furnifhed them with the fable of Niobe changed i6 In production* changed into marble. Adonis is derived from the Hebrew Adonai, fignifying Lord ; Jove from Jehovah, h The ceremonies ufed by the Egyp- tians in the worfhip of OJiris y were car- ried by Orpheus into Greece , and there difplayed under the title of the orgies of Bacchus ; and thofe of IJis w'ere ufed in the worfhip of Ceres . It is generally thought, that Hon:er received his firft ideas of hell, and the Elyfian fields, from the Egyptian fepulchres, and man- ner of burying their dead, which he has painted with great fublimity and beauty in the Odyffey ; and many others have collected from them the matter which adorned with Grecian elegance, has not a little contributed to the reputation of that diftinguifhed people, To return: h Diodorus, lib. 2 , The Introduction* 17 The Egyptian religion muft be confix dered, as the effed: of their endeavours to inveftigate ideas of the divinity on na- tural principles ; thefe led them to ve- nerate and adore the excellence of the deity, but the expreffion of that venera- tion, depending on themfelves, was grofs and impure, obfcene and depraved, re- prefenting the purefit of their theological tenets, by terreftrial fymbols, and fome of thefe even of the vileft fpecies. When even the moft grand, and excellent in themfelves, will fcarcely be found to promote virtue, or imprefs refined ideas on the mind. Material reprefenta- tions are inferior to the mental nature, and cannot refine what is purer than itfelf. Mean fymbols ftir up mean ideas, and debafe, rather than expand the heart, as we find in the Egyptians , who were fraudulent and hypocritical, lazy, vain and cowardly, puffed up with a ri- G diculous 18 Introduction^ diculous opinion of their own wifdOtti, fooii£hly defpifmg nations they knew no- thing of, * recording only luch tranfac- tions as were honourable, and carried away by a defire of appearing of the greateft antiquity, worked up their chro- nological records, to a non-exiftent time. The beft chronologers, and hiftorians have attributed their enormous account of events to vanity, and indeed their opinion feems too well eftablifhed to ad- mit of controverfy : yet fome endeavour to foften fo fevere a cenfure, by {hew- ing the poffibility of its being the refult of error, rather than of defign. k In very early ages, fays Diodorus , the Egyp- tians knew only lunar years, and there- fore it was not impoffible for fome to live twelve hundred years, but in procefs * Scaliger and Ufher. k Diodorus, lib. i. Of Introduction 1 . *9 ‘of time, having obferved the folar revo- lution, they extended the year to that period, and inferting the folar year in their chronological records, in fucceffion to the liinar account, without making allowance for the difference of time, fwelled their chronology to fuch a height, as to give account of eclipfes earlier than, the creation. Thefe errors have rendered the Egyp- tian hiftory fo exceedingly irregular and uncertain, that no hiftorian has been able to write it with accuracy. The events prior to Pfammitichus , all fuffer from this national foible* and however true in themfelves, are liable to fufpicion and difcredit : the means they took to build up their glory, brought ruin upon it, and thofe actions, which would have done the greateft honour to their nation, were C 2 fwallowed 20 Introduction- fwallowed up in the malignity of their fabulous narratives. The chronology of thefe ages, cannot be fuppofed to have all defirable accu- racy, their fuperficial acquaintance with the fciences neceflary to it, rendered it impoffible. The Grecians who built on 'Egyptian knowledge, and had all the advantages which the Egyptians laboured for, more than fourteen hundred years, did not conduft their records with an exaftnefs to be relied on, until the firft olympiad, feven hundred and feventy-fix years before Chrift, twenty-four years before the foundation of Rome. The Cbinefe , whom a celebrated writer is pleafed to imagine of greater antiqui- ty, than Mofes s account of the creation, pretend themfelves to no hiftory higher than Introduction. 21 than the reign of Fohi, 1 who was co- temporary with Noah, and allow m that the moft ancient obfervations, they made in aftronomy, were on two fixed ftars, one in the winter folftice, the other in the vernal equinox, in the reign of Vao. cc n In the year two hundred and forty-fix and induces me to think, that it was either compofed of various pieces, or (as others, with no fmall appearance of pro- bability, have fuppofed) cut out of, and never feparated from, the rock. What 46 The History of What could have been the motive for building fuch huge ftrudtures as the pyramids, which have neither ornament or variety of architecture, has been the conlideration of various authors. Some have thought that they were intended for gnomons upon a larger fcale. And others, that they were built by Jofeph , to receive the corn he laid up, to provide for the fcarcityhe forefaw ; andfupport their opi- nion by remarking, that one of them is called by the Egyptians y Haram Jufef It feems very improbable that he ihould eredt thefe enormous piles of vaft Hones to make granaries $ they are by no means accommodated to fuch a ufe, nor could have been built by him, in time to re- ceive the corn ; he was advanced to the favour of Pharoah in the firft of the feven years of plenty, which were immediately fucceeded by the feven years of fa- mine. Arijlotle Ancient Egypt. 47 Arijiotle fays, that the kings who built them, were induced to enter upon fo ar- duous a work, from tyrannical princi- ples, that by keeping their fubjedts in conftant labour and poverty, they might govern with defpotic power. Others think that they were intended for no particular ufe, and are only mo- numents of vanity. Diodorus is of opinion, that the inter- nal parts of them were defigned for royal burying places $ and indeed a little in- fight into the Egyptian character, and way of thinking, will induce us to concur with his fentiments ; and it is very probable, that the outfide was calculated for aftro- nomical obfervations, as their height ena- bled them to meafure the variation of the ihadow with accuracy, and their fides are found to be true meridian lines. 5 The 48 Ube History of The Egyptians thought that the foul could not be feparated from the body, fo long as it continued in tire, and therefore took every precaution to keep it from a ilate of putrefaction, at a vail expence embalmed the bodies, and inclofed them in tombs impenetrable by external matter and violence, a calling them their eternal abodes. And as Egypt is every year laid under water by the overflowing of the Nile , which would be very detrimental to the bodies, they built on a rock, in too elevated a fltuation to be afFedted by the water, in which they funk caverns, and there depofited the bodies with the utmoft fecrecv. From thefe fadls we evidently difcern that the chief motives for ereCting the pyramids, were to afcertain to the kings* a Diodorus, lib. 1. if Ancient Egypt. 49 if poffible an eternal duration, and to ac- complish that deiign, they ufed every means human ability could didlate, to guard againft every natural property, or contingency, which might injure the bo- dies, and caufe them to decay : with this view, they inclofed them in buildings of great ftrength and folidity, founded them on rocks, and built them in a pyramidal form b , as beft adapted to refill the force of time. And yet, not fatisfied with thefe precautions, they drained every fource of genius, in contrivances to 0 conceal the place, where the bodies were depofited*, which is demonftrated by the internal conftrudlion of the firll pyramid. An hundred thoufand men, who were relieved every three months by the fame b Herodotus, lib. 3. e Diodorus, lib. 1. 4 Pietro della Vallego, Lett. 1. p. 235. Maillet. E number. 50 The History of number, were employed ten years in pre- paring the ftone for, and twenty years in building the firft pyramid ; a burthen, ac- cording to 61 e Jofephus , inflidted on the Ifraelites , whofe maintenance during the work in onions and herbs, the only fufte- nance they were allowed, amounted to fixteen hundred Attic talents*, three hun- dred thoufand pounds fterling. The genius of improvement was not confined to the royal city Memphis or its neighbourhood, it branched out on both fides of the Nile , and filled the plain with cities, flocks and corn ; every part was difpofed to reward the hand of induftry, and advance the opulence, grandeur and power of the kingdom. Diodorus (in- cluding the Thebais , of which I will write * Jud. Antiq. lib. 2. cap. 5. * Note, an Attic talent is 187 1 . 10 s. in Ancient Egy^t. in the reign of Armais) fays there were not fewer than eighteen hundred cities and towns in ancient Egypt ; the remem- brance of a very few of them, has out- lived the ruins of time. South of Mem- phis , was Ni/opolis, not far from the lake Meris , on the weftern fide of which was the famous labyrinth, that furnifhed Dedalus with the plan of the labyrinth he afterwards built at Crete ; beyond, w r ere the ftables mentioned by Di adorns, which, if they were intended, as he fuppofes they were, for the accommodation of cavalry, could not have been built prior to Sefojlris, who firft introduced cavalry into the Egyptian armies. Above the royal ftables were C eerie and Cynopolis both on the Nile, near the moft northern ex- tremity of Jofepti s canal, which extends from thence, to the fouthern boundary of the Heptanomis . On the eaftern fide of the Nile, fouth of Memphis , were Schenus- E £ MandraSy 5 2 The History of Mandras , Aphroditopolis , Thimonepfi and Hipponon : whatever cities there were at any confiderable diftance from the Nile, they are intirely loft ; and even thofe which are recorded, having moft of them Greek names, appear to be of later days than the reign of Amojis . However, it is generally thought that the Delta and Heptanomis were very populous, cultiva- ted, and replete with cities, within the four hundred and fixty-four years pre- ceding Amofis ; but the Thebais was not inhabited until the eighteenth year of that monarch, when, Jofepb his prime mini- fter having brought down his father fa- cob, and other relations from the land of Canaan , fettled them in the Thebais , or as the Hebrews called it, f the land of Ra - ?nefes, at a diftance from the Egyptians , whofe religious principles would not per- mit them to aflociate with fliepherds.- f Gen. xlvii. ir. O F 53 Ancient Egypt. OF' THE Arts, Sciences, Government, PENAL LAWS and RELIGION, OF THE EGYPTIANS, IN THE REIGN OF AMOSIS. A. C. 1724. Of the ARTS. A T . this time almoft every veftige of the Egyptians fituation under Mizraim , was removed : they came neareft to it in the flmplicity of their food, which was chiefly vegetables, with occaiionally flefli broiled or boiled ; they eat twice a day, in a fitting pofture, at noon and in the evening, obferving the E 3 ntrnoft 54 T he History of utmoft neatnefs in their repafts, as well as in their drefs, never ufing the cup, or difh, or wearing their garments, a fecond time, before they were wafhed. * The corn was no longer eaten in its. natural ftate, art was ufed to render it more agreeable to the tafte, and nutrir tious to the body ; having reduced it to powder between two ftones, they formed it into pafte, and baked it on the coals, •T • or in b ovens, which they invented, and 1 ufed when Abraham came into Egypt ; it was unleavened, as appears from k Ge/ie/is, where it is faid, that Sarah baked cakes as foon as flie had made thermof meal and water, for the angels; and we cannot fup-. pofe that (he would have prefented her divine guefts, with fuch ill prepared g Herodotus, lib. 2, h Suidas in voce ctpTof, * Gen. xv. 17. k Gen. xviii. 6. bread. Ancient Egypt. 55 bread, if Abraham had difcovered (and it could not have efcaped his obfervation, if it had been known) when he was in Egypt four-and-twenty years before, the art of making it more light, pleafant, and eafy of digeftion. 1 Beer the common drink of the Egyp- tians, and w ine kept originally in fome natural velfels, or fkins, were now pre- ferved in velfels of wood, and jars made of burnt earth. Mechanics had made a more rapid progrefs than might naturally have been expedted ; they not only ufed the ruler, lever, wedge, balance, lledge and roller with all requilite advantage, but had ftudied the more eafy and con- venient accommodations, “ built open chariots for travelling and magnificence, and inltead of ingenious cottages of cane, 1 Herodotus, lib. 2. m Gen. 1. 9. E 4 j or 56 It he History of or reeds interwoven, now inhabited lofty houfes of ftone. Metals were held in eftimation accord- ing to their purity : copper was of ge-< neral utility; inftruments in agriculture, mechanical tools, weapons of war, and velfels applied to culinary ufes were made of it ; but works of elegance and orna- ment, and veffels of magnificence and fplendor, were of filver or gold. Their manner of feparating the gold ore, and bringing it into fufion, is thus defcribed: n they began with pounding the ore, and having reduced it to the fmall- nefs of land, laid it between two large ftones and pulverized it ; and having placed it on inclining boards, and fprink- led it frequently with water, to carry off th^ • A gatfyar chides and Diodorus. Ancient Egypt. 57 the grofs terreftrial particles, they rubbed it between their hands, until nothing but gold-duft remained ; then, others tak- ing it from them, put it into earthen pots, mixing with it a certain proportion of lead, tin, fait and barley meal, and having fecurely covered the pots, placed them in the refining furnace for ten days and nights, in which time, the lead, tin, fait and barley meal were evapo- rated, and the gold left pure and fcarcely at all diminifhed. Though the art of fmelting and re- fining gold, filver, copper, lead, and tin, was known thus early, yet iron ufed be- fore the flood, was now, from the diffi- culty of working it, and bringing it in- to fufion, negledted and almoft forgotten. Metals being thus rendered duftile and malleable, gave the artift great opportu- nity of difplaying his fkill and ingenuity; 3 and 58 *The History of and a vaft variety of ufeful and ornamen- tal inventions fucceeded ; chains of gold, rings, bracelets, cups of gold and filver were wrought, idols of gold and filver were cafi:, together with * brazen veffels for facred ufes, and an infinity of other things of an inferior value. 0 Their fculp- ture, (mentioned by Mofes ) could not in- deed boaft m uch elegance or beauty ; it was vaftly clumfy, merely an attempt of genius. Their ability rofe no higher than to make rough figures, with the arms hanging down clofe to the body, and the knees placed together, without the leafi: expreflion, gracefulnefs of attitude, or- * The veffels here called brazen after ancient au- thors, cannot have been of the materials our prefent brafs is compofed of, the art of making it is a mo- dern difcovery. It is not improbable, that like the Corinthian brafs, they were, gold, filver and copper incorporated. * Deut. xxix. 17, nament Ancient Egypt. 59 nament or drapery ; as is feen in the fa- med ftatue of Memnon , which is the more extraordinary, as the idea of dra- pery fcems to be as naturally dictated by their drefs, as the ftatue was by their Their drefs confifted of a linen tunic reaching down to the knees, and fringed at the bottom, over which they wore a white woollen mantle they cut their hair clofe from their infancy, and never permitted it to grow unlefs in the days of mourning ; Jofeph was obliged to cut off his hair, which was grown long dur- ing his confinement, before he was per- mitted to come into Pharaoh's prefence. Linen was the peculiar drefs of the com- mon people, thofe of fuperior rank wore cptton p , adorned with phains of gold p Pliny, lib. xix. fee. ii. p. 156. about 4 6o 5 The History oj about their necks, and rings on their fingers ; ufing mirrors of polifhed me- tals in the adjullment of their drefs, the art of making glafs, or at leaft the inven- tion of foliating it, was unknown. Their attention to their perfons, delight in or- naments and external conveniencies, give us room to conjedture, that they were not negleftive of domeftic accommodations and eafe, though hiftory does not inform us, in what manner, or with what mate- rials their houfes were furnifhed : by this filence, we are excluded from a channel of intelligence, which would have made us acquainted with the genius of the females, who conducted domeftic affairs with ab- folute power, and fhewn us how far their difpofitions and abilities refembled their hufbands, who reciprocally behaved with the utmoft politenefs, and vied with each other Anciekt Egypt. 6i other q no lefs in cultivating the pacific virtues, than they did in the arts and fciences. Of the SCIENCES. ^^RTS and fciences have fo intimate a connection and dependance on each other, that they muft be nearly coeval ; the earlieft labours of agriculture were regulated by the revolution of the heavenly bodies, and the firft effays in architecture were executed on mathematical princi- ples. Abftrufe fpeculation indeed, could not have been received with the degree of pleafure, manual performances were : the former prefented a multitude of incom- prehenfible, confufed ideas, whilft the latter carried with them fatisfaction and immediate advantage ; yet to compenfate * Herodotus, lib. 2. for 62 The Hist ory of for this initial difficulty, the cultivation of fpeculative fciences expands fuch a vaft field of beauty and wonderful infor- mation, that the mind is raifed, enlarged and ennobled by them. received the attention of mankind, and nature taught them when difordered to feek relief : their firft refource was in \ herbs and fimples, which they ufed in- ternally and externally, comprifing tho fcience now divided into two diftindt branches, under the fingle term phyfic. The father prefcribed for his family, and every one was under a moral obligation, to affift with his advice others, who were r Homer OdyfT. lib. iv. ver. 228. Pliny, lib. xxv, p. 360. Of PHYSIC. prefervation of health always 3 afflidted Ancient Egypt. 63 % afflidted with diforders, he had been converfant in ; and when the father did not fucceed in his prefcriptions, the fick perfon was expofed in the ftreet, that thofe who pafled by, may have an oppor- tunity of prefcribing fuch medicine as had cured fimilar diforders. But now the Egyptians had made fome proficiency in pharmacy, reduced the fcience to an art and diftindt profeffion ; s Jofeph fent his phyficians to attend his father Jacob in his laft illnefs, and embalm his body after he was dead. 1 Celjus fays, that the ancients did not attempt internal difor- ders, but applied to the gods for their cure, thinking they were immediately in- flidted by them. Medical vehicles pre- pared by diftillation were unknown, nor were the virtues of metals and minerals applied to phyfical ufes : fome have ima- M Gen. 1 . 2. * Coelft prjef. gined. 6 4 The History of gined, that they faw the traces of medi- cal chymiftry in thefe ages, but their conjectures merit little regard, as none of the writers on the fciences of ancient Egypt, have intimated the leait idea of it. The operation of embalming was per- formed after this manner; u “ having ex- the fecond, Gihon , compaffed the whole land of Ethiopia ; the third, Hiddekel 9 flowed to the eaft of AJfyria ; and the fourth, Euphrates , running to the fouth, empties itfelf into the gulf of Perjia 9 to- gether with Hiddekely now called the Gen, ii* 10. g 4 Tygrisu 88 The History of Tygris . From hence it appears that they were acquainted with the fituation and extent of Ethiopia , Arabia y AJfyria, and of courfe with Syria and thofe coun- tries on the continent of Afia y which are adjoining to the Mediterranean fea. But there is no evidence of their having made an incurfion into any part of Europe , or gained intelligence of the i Hands in the Mediterranean fea. Indeed their ignorance of the fphcrjcal fhape of the earth, and the operations of aftronomy and geometry* eflential to accurate knowledge in geography, muft have made the whole geography, not only of thefe ages, but even of many fucceeding ones, very uncertain and im? perfeft. Of Ancient Egypt. 89 Of NAVIGATION and C O M M E R C E. jpROM their turn for fpeculation, and aftiduitv in cultivating the arts and fciences, we may naturally fuppofe, that their genius would have branched out into every fpecies of fcience, and ac- pomplifhment, which could difplay the powers of human ingenuity and abili- ty ; yet in navigation, where there was expanded before them a moft fpa- cious field, for the genius to exert and Ihew itfelf in, they made no improve- ment. With refpedl to their averfion from navigation, it will be juft, for us to confider, that the mind ftruggling to enlarge itfelf, and pofiefs a regular and rational fyftem of ideas, muft be embar- ralfipd go The History of raffed by occurrences, which exceed its comprehenflon, and entertain ideas fo- reign to truth, from which muff flow abundant abfurdities both in thought and adtion. Experience had not yet expanded the 'Egyptian mind ; fuperftition, that de- ftroyer of every liberal fentiment, pof- feflcd their faculties, and teaching them that it would be impious to launch forth on the fea, reftrained them from that element, and deprived them, not only of the advantages the happy fituation of their country, gave them for a commer- cial intercourfe with the weftern part of the world, but, by fecluding them from a knowledge of mankind, indulged that national felf-fufiiciency, which ftained their real merits, and rendered them def- picable to thofe, who were vaftly be- 7 neath Ancient Egypt. 9i neath them, in all the accomplifhments, which do honour to human genius. The fedentary turn in the 'Egyptian character, was well adapted to promote fpeculation, and fuch diicoveries as arofe from reflection and ingenuity, but by no means, to occupations wherein activity and bodily exertion were requiflte : wherefore, we find them indifpoled to commerce perfonally conducted by the merchant, travelling to the mart with his commodities, and fee the motive, w r hich threw all the trade of the conti- nent, into the hands of the IJhmaelites , who generally brought into Egypt dia- monds, gold, fpices, gums and flaves ; and received in exchange, corn, wine, oil, wrought metals, linens, and gold &nd lilvcr coin. When $2 The History of When Abraham returned from Egypt % he had fo liberally experienced the royal munificence, that he was rich in gold and filver, current coin ; ° and gave four hundred fhekels for a cave to bury his family in ; amounting (fuppofing the fhekel equal to four Attic drachmas, or four Roman denarii) to about forty-five pounds, eight fhillings and four-pence fterling, p which Abraham weighed be- fore all the people. The ihekel was valued according to its weight and in- triniic worth ; but all the circulating fpecies was not under that regulation, Mofes fays q that Jofeph was fold to the Ifmaelites for twenty pieces of filver, and that r this patriarch prefented his brother Benjamin with three hundred pieces of filver. And * Jacob gave an hundred ° Gen. xxiii. i6, 20. f'Gen. xxiii. 16. * Gen. xxxvii. 28. r Gipn. xlv. 22. s Gen. xxxiii. 19. pieces 93 A n c ie nt Egypt* pieces of money (kefitahs) to the chil- dren of Hamor for a field. Interpreters have differed in the interpretation of the word kefitah ; it is allowed in general to mean a piece of money, and the belt commentators agree, that it fignifies a piece of money impreffed with the figure of a lamb I fhall not prefume to give my opi- nion, whether this was originally an Egyptian coin, or ai> improvement of the Jews ; nor is it the objedt of my prefent deiign, to contend, whether gold and filver were coined and looked upon as riches in Egypt , fooner than in any particular part of th© world ; yet it is neceffary to obferve, that the Egyptians had gold and filver money in very early 1 P. Calmet, tom. i. p. 669. 7 age&. 94 *£he History of ages, and probably gave the Jews thd firff idea of coining, as there was no money amongft them, until Abraham re- turned from Egypt , and circulated that, which the munificence of Pharoah had affluently fupplied him with. Of the GOVERNMENT. Tf HE government of Egypt was mo- narchical and hereditary ; whether it defcended lineally from Mizrabn to Amofs , is not known ; yet it is very probable, that it had not been mate- rially affedted, either by internal con- vulfions, or any foreign power, as they lived within the ftridteft bounds of tem- perance, moderation, and fubordination, unftained by luxurious vices, which in- flame the paffions, and devoted to works of Ancient Egypt. 95 of genius from their fettlement. There is rio room to fuppofe that any external power had broken in upon them : there were no difciplined troops properly fpeak- ing in the world, the fate of kingdoms depended on the numbers led into the field ; in this particular, Egypt was in- ferior to no country. Her inhabitants were greatly augmented, and the internal ftrength and profperity promoted, by their bringing up all their children, whether legitimate or begotten on Haves ) whilft the generality of the world ex~ pofed their infants to death, on various occafions, and thereby diminiftied their eflential ftrength : but this wife maxim would have been infufficient to fupply that throng of inhabitants which was in Egypt, had the country been ever conquered, as conquerors in thefe ages, thought it found policy to defolate the countries they had fubdued, and led vaft 96 tfhe History df Vaft crowds of captives with them, to people the more uncultivated parts of their own dominions : undoubtedly nei- ther of thefe miferies had yet fallen on thefe peaceful regions ; a trace of war was no where feen, induftry and plenty prevailed in every quarter, and magnifi- cence reigned in the houfes of the great. Jofepb ' s palace was vaft, the royal palace of Amofis was furnifhed with veflels of gold and filvery and his houfehold well regulated by proper offi- • cers ; a chief butler, chief baker, and captain of the guard, were in conftant waiting, and all the attention due to fo- Vereign majefty, was paid to the Egyp- tian monarch* The power of the Egyptian kings Was defpotic, and their a&ions imme- diately amenable to no law ; yet they cannot be faid to have been entirely free frefe from obligation j a particular in- stitution often laid a reftraint upon the regal condudt* kept the prince within the bounds of moderation, and caufed him to dread the difpleafure of his people. This particular inftitution be- ing properly penal, fhall be introduced* as the fourteenth penal law. The legiflature was very atteritive to the education of children, and endea- voured by every means to imprefs on the infant mind, a love of fobriety and temperance, a refpedt for their elders* and the higheft veneration and regard for their parents : with this defign the art of embalming wa$ pradtifed, that having their aneeftors bdfore their eyes, they may be reminded of their vir^ tues, and ftimulated to glorious adtions. This- inftitution, fo wifely founded on the befl difpofition of human nature, H retained 71 98 The History of retained its effedt until the total fubver- lion of their empire by the Romans , and probably communicated its virtue to them : u Maximus and P. Scipio frequently declared, that when they beheld the ftatues of their anceflors, they were vehemently incited to glory. In the darkned interval between Miz- raim and Amofis , the political fyftem was extended to the fettlement of a police, and divifion of the lands into certain di- ftrifts and portions amongft the hulband- men, mechanics, and priefts; but w they who give us this intelligence, either through ignorance or inattention have negledted to acquaint us under what taxation the grants were made, or fhew what revenues came into the royal trea- u Salluft. Bell. Jug. p. 60. w Diod. lib. 1. Strabo, lib. 17. fury Ancient Egypt. 99 fury to fupport the dignity of the crown, fupply the exigencies of the ftate, pay the judges* and other officers immedi- ately dependent on the king. In this reign the hulbandmen and mechanics were compelled by famine, x to fell their lands to Jofeph for the ufe of the crown, which were afterwards reftored to them y under the condition of paying the fifth part of their produce annually to the king : this tax did not extend to the Sacerdotal Domain , z they had a portion * afiigned them of Pharoah , and did eat the portion, which Pharoah gave them, wherefore they fold not their lands. In the adminiffration of juftice, the utmofl: attention and impartiality was obferved, and every method ufed to avert x Gen. xlvii. 20. y Gen. xlvii. 24. * Gen. xlvii, 22. H 2 fedudtion 100 Hhe History of ieduftion and impofition. The chief* tribunal coniifled of thirty judges dilfin- guifhed for their wifdom and integrity* who were appointed by the king, and paid out of the treafury. The manner of conducting fuits, was to receive the ftate of the point in litigation* from the different parties in writing, drawn up by themfelves $ on which, when they had deliberated, they proceeded to fentence : * the prehdent drawing from his bofora a little image made of wood, without eyes, adorned with precious ftones, the fymbol of truth, touched the perfon in whofe favour the fuit was decided, with it, and paifed judgment, from which there was no appeal. Here the arts of oratory, could not influence the nice feelings of humanity, to fwerve from rigid virtue nor did eloquence drefs faHity 4 a Diodorus, lib. i* Ancient Egypt. toi falfity in the garb of truth, to draw the judge into an unjuft fentence. So re- folute and cautious were they to keep the adminiftration of juftice free from corruption, b that the judges took an oath at their inftitution to the office, that though the king ffiould diredt them to pronounce an unjuft fentence they would not obey him. The employment which Jofeph filled in Egypt , muft not be confidered as an eftabliffied office in the fyftem of govern- ment ; no fubjedt enjoyed fuch elevated rank and boundlefs power, either before or after him. His authority was a dif- penfation of the regal power, occafioned by the high veneration the king en- tertained for his wifdom, and the fpirit pf Qod, which refted upon him*. Pha- b Plutarch. H 3 roah 102 *Ihe History of roah wifely concluding that a perfon fub- limely endued with fuch a plenitude of wifdom, if properly employed, would be of the moft effential fervice to his do- minions, gave full fcope to his genius, by invefting him with abfolute autho- rity to condud: the government, and re- gulate the kingdom according to the dic- tates of his own wifdom : c See (fays he) I have fet thee over all the land of Egypt , only in the throne, will I be greater than thou ; d and taking off a ring from his own hand, he put it upon Jofeph' s (on the befil of which the royal feal was probably engraved, with which the king’s mandates, and every commiffion or de- cree that required the regal findtion, are fuppofed to have been fealed) and there- with enabled him to exercife fovereign authority, over every branch of the le- * Gen. xli. 42. giflature. c Gen, xli, 40. Ancient Egypt. 103 giflature, and the whole Egyptian empire ; whilft Pbaroab, fatisfied with his well- placed confidence, calmly enjoyed the rank and magnificence of the king. Thefe out-lines of the general fyftem of the Egyptian government, produce, in the mind, ideas fo honourable to that diftinguifhed people, that we can- not but lament the lofs of the more particular inftitutions. The few inftan- ces of their political regulations handed down to us, £hew that they were founded on a juft knowledge of human nature, and principles of rigid virtue, as will be evidently feen in their penal laws ; which only, can be mentioned at prefent. Hiftorians are almoft filent with refpedt to the civil law and thofe of the mi- litary department, were not introduced until two hundred years after the reign of Amofis . H 4 Of io4 fhe History qf Of the PENAL LAW 3. great attention paid by the "Egyptians to their government, and every incident which could affedt fociety, leaves us no room to doubt of their verly early application to means of keep- ing it inviolate : at the firft fettlement of their colony, whilft every individual y/as engaged in procuring fufleriance, or erecting cottages to avert the incle- mency of the fun, and nocturnal air, the whole body was not expofed to any material injury, from private vice ; but when their numbers were multiplied, villages, towns and cities were built, and every family was engaged in a feparate line of adtion, to the emolument and ad- vantage of the kingdom in general, it fee came neceffary to protedt and d e f en d that Ancient Egypt, \o$ that union t by laying reftrafnts on fitch paffions and difpofitions, as tended to fubvert public order. py dom^ftic h^p- pinefs. They foon faw the neceffity of a regulation with refpecl to the fexes ; that too free an intercourfe between them* was inconliflent with a regular plan of government, and focial quiet, and there- fore enadted : Law the Firft. * d That no man fhould have more than one wife : with whom, contrary to the cuftom of every * Diodorus in his firft book, fpeaking of the very early ages of the Egyptian empire, fays. Polygamy was allowed in Egypt excepting to the priefts, who were permitted to marry one woman only j and that what- ever was the condition of the woman, by whom they had children, whether {he was free or a Have, her children were deemed free and legitimate. * Herodotus, lib. 2, other io6 5 The History of other people, he received a portion. € Solomon received of Pharoah the city Gazar, for his daughter’s dowry. The pernicious effects of polygamy fuffici- enfcly demonllrate the wildom of this law : befides the internal feuds, family quarrels and diftradtion-s produced by the jarring intereft of a variety of mothers and children, which frequently end in mur- der, and are not feldom the founda- tion of civil wars, and ruin of king- doms ; the countries where it is per- mitted, are by no means fo populous as thofe, where it is forbidden. This law Cecrops carried into Greece , and in- ferted it in the code, which he compiled for the Athenian ftate. Law the Second . To fecure the mar- riage bed from violation, they enadted, that every adulterer fhould receive a 0 i Kings, ix. 16. thoufand Ancient Egypt. 167 thoufand ftripes on his naked body, and that the adulterefs fhould fuffer the mu- tilation of her nofe. Law the Lhird. Whoever had it in his power to fave the life of another in danger of being killed, and did not, was himfelf put to death. If he could not protect the perfon afiaulted, he was ob- liged immediately to inform the magi- ftrate of the author of the violence, or incurred the punifhment of a fevere flagellation, and confinement for three days without food. By this means, every citizen confidered himfelf as his neigh- bour’s protestor, and was interefted not only to avoid danger, but to avert every degree of violence from others. } Law the Fourths Whenever a per- fon was found dead, by whatever ac- cident it happened, the city nearefl: to the ja8 'The- History of the place, where the body was found* was obliged to embalm and bury it magnificently, that the greatnefs of the cxpence, may influence each city, to take the moft effectual fteps to guard againft accidents of every kind. Law the Fifth, Wilful murderers were condemned to death. Law the Sixth . The puniihment irv* Aided on parricides, was peculiarly con-, trived ; they ftuck their bodies full of fmall reeds, and furrounding them with thorns, burnt them to death. Law the Seventh . If any unnatural parent killed his child, he was not put to death, but compelled to hold the dead body in his arms three days, with-r put any kind of fuftenance, and after- wards. Ancient £gyi*T. 109 wards left to the horrors of his own confcience. This was thought a more fevere punifhment than immediate death. Law the Eighth . Perjury was pu* nifhed with death. Law the Ninth . A calumniator re* ceived the punifhment, intended by hi* defamation. Law the ¥enth* Revealets of ftate fecrets, were deprived of their tongues. Law the Eleventh. The hands of thole were cut off, who counterfeited feals, or the public coin, ufed falfe weights and meafures, or forged deeds. Law the \ Twelfth . Whoever attempt- ed to deflower a woman, was made an eunuch : 7 no The History of eunuch. In all their punishments they had an eye to the part offending. Law the Thirteenth . The execution of pregnant women, was always deferred until they were delivered* This law, fo wifely founded on humanity and juftice, was afterwards obferved by the Greeks and "Romans, and is at this time, by every civilized nation. Law the Fourteenth . The Egyptians thought the deprivation of funeral rites the greateft misfortune which could pof- fibly attend them ; and knowing how powerfully religious fentiments inforced focial and moral virtues, applied that opinion to the lupport of order in the ftate, and made a law, that every one fhould be judged immediately after his death. The manner of conducing this lingular proceeding is thus related. As 5 foon Ill Ancient Egypt. foon as a perfon was dead, his relations were obliged to acquaint the judges with it, who appointing a day for producing the body before their tribunal in pub- lick, then entered into a ftridt examina- tion of his morals and adtions ; and if they were found particularly culpable and vicious, he was condemned to be unworthy of funeral rites ; if nothing criminal was laid to his charge, he was honoured with a funeral oration, in which the perfons virtues and merits were difplayed, to incite imitation, but not the leaft intimation of rank or dignity, all the Egyptians thinking themfelves equally noble. This law, which fubjedled the king and people to the fame arraignment, was obferved by the Jews , after their return from captivity, and continued in force, a long feries of ages. The au- thor 1 1 2 The History of thor of the f book of Chronicles fay ii that their wicked kings were not buried in the fepulchres of their fathers „ “ Alexander, a prince of the Afmo- w nean family, knowing that his life “ and actions had been too vicious and f< immoral to merit funeral honours* ic thus artfully direfted 6 his queen on ie his death bed. When you come to €c ferufalemi defire the Pharifees to at- * c tend you ; ufe the moft obliging lan- “ guage you can to them, (hew them “ my dead body, and give them per- “ million to difpofe of it as they pleafe* l< whether they will refufe me burial* “ or not ; if you condudt yourfelf in tc this manner, I fhall be buried with €f magnificence, which, otherwife, I Ci could not be.’* The f 2 Chron. xix. 2b. e Jofeph. Jud. ailt. lib. xiii. cap. 2$. Ancient Egypt/ i i 3 The fpirit of feverity which flows through the penal laws, will at firfl: view ftrike the nicer fenfaticns of hu- manity with horror and difgufl: ; yet I cannot but think, a little reflection will induce us to make their apology, and give them a branch of that applaufe, which they have fo amply received from former ages. They had no fuch delicate feelings, as are produced by a refined morality, and few mental obliga- tions to fubdue the violence of unpolilh- ed nature : from a people in fuch a fituation, fevere inftitutions were inevi- table, the animal faculty ftrongly pre- vailed, and corporeal inflictions only were capable of working upon the paf- fions, and compelling thofe within the bounds of fubordination, through fear, w T ho were not fulceptible of the fenfa- tions of honour, fame, or virtue. J Or 1 14 The History of V Of the RELIGION. gINGULARIT Y and fuperftition were vifible in every fhade of the Egyptian character. h They delighted to adt in a peculiar manner, and were in many particulars fo exceedingly indeli- cate, that I cannot prevail on myielf to mention their Angularities. With re- fpedt to their fuperftition, it is really amazing to fee the lengths they carried it, in oppofition to nature and reafon. t They feledled particular animals to honour with worlhip and adoration, and entertained for them the moft in- toxicated veneration. The father of hiftorians fays, 1 a man would negledl his property however valuable, when his h Herodot. lib. 2. 1 Ut fupra. houfe Ancient Egypt. 115 houfe was 'in flames, through his anxiety for a cat ; and k another, that thofe who returned from diftant countries, brought home with them dead cats and kites, mourning and la- menting their lofs, and fuffering at the fame time in filence, mifery, fatigue, and want. And 1 Milan 9 a writer of re- putation, fays (which almoft tranfcends the powers of credibility) that a mo- ther would receive the greatefl: joy, from feeing a crocodile devour her child, thinking herfeif happy in having produced a- being worthy the appetite of her God. Many facred animals, lodged ill apart- ments appropriated to their ufe, were carefully attended, and fed with the moil delicious food : whenever any of k Diodorus, lib. 2. 1 ./Elian. de natu. ani. lib, 10. cap.- 21. I 2 them- ii 6 The History of them died, fo general a fcene of mourn- ing overfpread the country, that it feemed to have fuffered fome great ca- lamity. To kill an ichnumon, cat, ibis, or hawk, even by accident, was unpardon- able ; the blood of th& unfortunate of- fender only could atone for the crime. Diodorus relates a remarkable inftance of their fuperftitious rage againft a Roman , who had accidentally killed a cat. w Superflition (fays he) fo totally pre- vailed over every faculty of their minds, that at the time when Ptolemy was not admitted to the friendihip of the Ro- mans, and the Egyptians univerfally paid the utmoft deference and attention to every Roman who came amongft them, to avoid giving them the leaft pretence m Diod. lib, i. 3 for Ancient Egypt. 117 for a war : yet a Roman having acci- dentally killed a cat, an enraged multi- tude ran to his houfe, and notwith- ffanding the King fent officers to in- treat them to offer no violence, and the general fear of offending the Ro- mans, they put him to death. This I do not relate from report, but was prefent at the tranfadtion. So powerfully did fuperftition prevail over every rational faculty and human fenfation. The principle from which it fprung, had nothing of the noxious quality of the production. The peculiar utility fheep and goats were of to fociety, when animal food was not abundant, and the great fer- vice the dog, hawk, ichnumon, ibis and cat did the country, by deftroying dangerous animals, particularly afps, I 3 and iiS The History of and other ferpents, whofe bites were mortal, occafioned thefe animals to be much careffed and regarded : which par- tiality, fuperftition converted by an eafy tranfition into a facred eftifnation. This, together with their cuftom of conveying ideas and fentiments of the divine attributes, elements, or heavenly bodies by hieroglyphics or figures of plants and animals, and applying that facred refpedt and admiration to the fymbols themfelves, which they were only intended to indicate, gave birth to the high veneration, they entertained for leeks, onions, and animals even of the vilefl: fpecies, and compofed a fyftem of unparalleled idolatry, degrading to hu- man nature, and poignantly derided, as is feen in the following verfes, even by thofe, whofe mythology could boaft very Ancient Egypt. 119 very little pretenlions to reafon or refine- ment. Tu maximum anguillam Deum putas, ego Obfoniorum credidi fuavifiimam, Carnes fuillas tu caves at gaudeo His maxime, canes colis, quern verbero Edentem ubi deprendo forte obfonium. Nobis Sacerdotes petit lex integros. Arcentur a vobis procul tales viri. Habere fi felem, mali quid videris Luges, ego fuavifiime decortico Poteft apud vos mus * araneus, nil me apud. Anaxandrides apud Athen*um> lib . 7. c. 17. * The ichnumon is here meant, a large fpecies of rats, of the fize of cats, which, endued with a na- tural enmity to the crocodile, watches an opportu- nity, when that animal fleeps with its mouth open, and creeping into its body devours its inteftines, and kills it. I 4 You 120 The History of You think the eel of rank divine. To me the fweeted eating *, And carefully avoid the fwine. Which I the mod delight in. The dog you adoration pay. Revere the pamper’d glutton ^ To drub his Tides I ne’er delay Whene’er he deals my mutton. Cur laws require the prieds fincere, In ev’ry grace abounding : But fuch as virtue’s (brine revere. Your fpacious realms ar’n’t found in* In tears you mourn the fufPring cat, Whild no cares my joys retard ; And venerate the enormous rat, Too vile for the lead regard. Juvenal thus begins his fifteenth fatire, Quis nefeit, Volufi bithynice, qualia demens iEgyptus portenta colat ? crocodilon adorat Pars haec : ilia pavet faturam ferpentibus Ibin, . * ■ • • ■ , * • ’ ■ ' * Effigies Ancient Egypt. 121 Effigies facri nitet aurea cercopitheci, Dimicio magics refonant ubi Memnone chords Atque vetus Thebe centum jacet obruta portis, Illic casruleous, his pifcem fluminis, iilic Oppida tota canem venerantur, nemo Dianam, Porrum & cepe nefas violare & frangere morfu. O fanflas gentes, quibus hasc nafcuntur in hortis Numiria. Is there one ignorant, Yolufius, fay. To what vile monfters, Egyptians pay Honours divine : on yon inclining fhore The crocodile, they ardently adore. And here the ibis, on fiery ferpents fed. Receives their vows, with chilling terror made. Left glutted with his prey, he’d carelefs grow. And yield his charge, to their moft deadly foe. Each facred monkey boafts its hallow’d fhrine Of burnifh’d gold, which moft replendent fhine. Where .1 22 The History of Where Memnon’s ftatue, when the day’s begun. In founds melodious, hails the rifing fun. And ancient Thebes , whofe hundred gates are feen O’rwhelm’d in ruins, from the filver ftream Colle&s her Gods, and others madly drove. To clafs their dogs, with great immortal Jove . Whilft facred honours, none will ever deign. To pay the huntrefs of the verdant plain. And mark them impious, who profanely feek t _ To violate the onion, or the leek. O holy nation ! how pure mull virtue flow. Where Gods immortal, e’en in gardens grow. Thefe divinities were worfhipped fome in one city, and fome in another $ but * Apis or Ofiris was the mod ancient, as well as the general God of Egypt. Mela fays, lib. i. Apis univerfally worfhipped \ Strabo lib. 17. p. 765, Ancient Egypt. 123 by the Egyptians , is a black calf, either male or female, diftinguifhed by parti- cular fpots, with a tail and tongue diffi- milar to all others, conceived as they imagined not according to the regular order of nature, but by an infufion of cceleftial fire : the day of whofe appear- ance was annually celebrated as an high feftival ; 0 This event happening juft as Cambyfes returned to Memphis from an unfuccefsful expedition, caufed them to put on their richeft apparel, to feaft lplendidly, and exhibit the ufual pub- lick expreffions of joy : the tyrant fup- pofing his ill fuccefs occafioned thefe publick rejoicings, fent for the magif- trates of Mejnphis, and obferving that he had never before feen fuch exultance in Egypt, enquired the occafion of their prefent gladnefs, when he had loft fo 0 Herodot. lib. 3. con- 1 24 T/je History of conliderable a part of his army, by the tempeftuous fands in the defert. They anfwered, that when their God ap- peared, which was but feldom, the Egyptians had been always accuftomed to celebrate his manifeflation with the greateit demonflrations of joy. Which, when Cambyfes heard, he told them, they lied, and put them to death as liars. Then fending for the priefts, and receiving the like anfwer from them, he faid, that if a God was fo obliging and familiar, as to fliew himfelf to the Egyptians , he would not be unacquainted yyith him, and therefore gave orders for his being brought before them. This Apisy or Epaphus 9 (as the Greeks call it) is the calf of a cow incapable of bear- ing another, impregnated by lightning. Thefe marks diftinguifh him from all others. His body is black, excepting one fquare of white on the forehead : he Ancient Egypt. i 25 he has the figure of an eagle on his back ; a double lift of hair on his tail ; and a fcarabaeus under his tongue. When the priefts had brought their God into the prefence of Cambyfes , he drew his dagger, and defigning to bury it in the belly of Apis, wounded him in the thigh : and laughing, faid. Ye wretches, are thefe things, which are compofed of flefti and blood, and fo vulnerable, the Gods you worftiip ? This is a worthy God indeed, and fuitable to the cha- racter of the Egyptians . But I will let you know, that you fiiall not abufe me with impunity. Having thus exprefled himfelf, he gave the executioners orders to whip the priefts, and put all thofe to death, who fhould be found making publick rejoicings. After Apis had lan- guifhed fome time he died of his wound, and was privately buried by the priefts in the temple. The Egyptians affirm. 1 26 T 'he History oj affirm, that Cambyfes grew mad imme- diately after this facrilegious adion y however it is very certain, he was fo before. To fee a nation unequal to none of her contemporaries in ikill and liberal improvements, fo far degrade her ra- tional faculties, as to clafs a mere brute, with beings of the moft refined and fpiritual nature, is fo foreign to the lead rational difcernment, that it aftoniflies the mind, and incites in it a curiofity, and wifli to difcover the latent caufe of fuch depraved fuperftition. I have obferved above, that the uti- lity of fome animals, and the fymbolical expreffion of others, originally produced the veneration they received. And in- deed Diodorus is of opinion, that the fame 5 Ancient Egypt. 127 fame caufe produced the adoration of Apis . p Macrobius thinks, that the Egyptian idolatry fprung folely from one natural principle, that when IJis is faid to lament the abfence of OJiris (their moft ancient deities) they implied that I/is (the earth) was diflreffed for want of the falubrious rays of OJiris (the fun) : and farther in- fills, that all the Eagan deities, are only the fun, moon, or earth, difplayed un- der a variety of drefs and reprefentations, according to their different qualities and effects. VoJJius with great learning endeavours to prove that the patriarch Jofeph occa- fioned the honour paid to Apis, as the fymbol of the plenty he foretold, which P Macrobius Sat. lib. i. c. 21. after- 1 28 The History of aftewards degenerated into bafe idolatry; And indeed, when we confider the many benefits, Jofeph conferred upon the Egyptians, and how prone they were to venerate their benefactors, we muft feel ourfelves impelled to concur with this learned author's opinion, in which I am confirmed by the book of Exodus , and the firft of Kings , where the Ifrael - ites are faid to have made golden calves, and worfhipped them. What caufe can be afligned for this idolatrous defertion of the religion of their fathers, unlefs it was Apis , whom they had feen in Egypt ; and having heard that the adora- tion paid to him by the Egyptians, was defigned to perpetuate the remembrance of Jtfegh their benefador, they were likewife feduced into the fame idolatrous mode of expreffing their regard for the patriarch. In Ancient Egypt. 129 q In the celebration of their religious feftivals, they paid little regard to mo- defty or moderation. In the feftival held in honour of the goddefs Bubajiis , the Grecian Artemis , and Latin Luna, there was a general confluence of the people, at the city Bubajiis , to which they came in barks down the Nile ; and during the voyage, fome of the women played on the tabor, and the men on a pipe, the reft of the party accompany- ing them with their voices, and ftriking their hands in concert. At every city they came to, part of the women going on ftiore provoked the women of the city with opprobrious language, danced and fhewed themfelves naked. When they arrived at Bubajiis y they celebrated the feftival with numerous facrifices^ and drank vaft quantities of wine. * Herodotus, lib. 2, K The Tie History of 1 3 ° r The feftival of IJls was celebrated in the temple dedicated to that goddefs in the city of Bufiris , with all imaginable folemnity ; on the preceding day they fafted, and after having offered up their prayers, facrificed a bullock ; taking out the bowels, they left the fat in the car- cafe, and having cut oft the legs, end of the loin, fhoulders and neck, they filled the body with fine bread, honey, dried raifins, figs, incenfe, myrrh and ether aromatics, and performed the rites of confecration, with great libations of oil. They facrificed fafting, and having beaten themfelves, whilft the flefh was on the fire, feafled on the remaining part of the offering* ‘ At the feftival of Apis , a bull with- out blemifh was facrificed. After the 1 Herodotus, lib. 2. * Ut fupra. v&titn Ancient Egypt. 131 'viftim was brought to the altar, they kindled a lire, and pouring wine be- tween his horns, devoutly offered up their prayers to the God ; which being ended, they killed the beaft, Head the body, and cut off the head $ and having imprecated that all the evils impending the facrificers, or the Egyptians in ge- neral, may fall upon it, threw it into the fea. The ceremonies of making libations, and devoting the head of the facrifice, prevailed in all the temples of Egypt y and they univerfaHy agreed in avoiding to eat the head of any animal, for that reafon, though they varied in the choice of victims and burnt-offer- ings, 1 In the facrifices at Sals, they hung up by night a great number of lamps * Herodotus, lib. 2. K 2 filled 132 ^he History of filled with oil, and a mixture of fait, round every houfe, which burnt the whole night. This feftival was called the lighting of lamps, and was cele- brated not only at Sat's, but at the fame time through every part of Egypt : the occafion of thefe illuminations, is un- known. If we can form an adequate judgment of the difpofition of a nation, from their publick ceremonies, which being adapt- ed to the genius of the people muft faithfully reprefent their propenfities, what an opinion muft we receive of their temperance, decency, and chaftity ? The generality of their feftivals u are al- lowed to have been full of riot and diforder, and admitted of fcenes of 3 Herod, lib. 2. Diod. lib. 1. Strabo, lib. 17. debauchery Ancient Egypt. 133 debauchery too indecent to be men-» tioned. * In their external exprefiion of forrow for the dead, they were directed by the dignity and importance of the perfon. * On the death of the king, a general mourning prevailed •, they tore their gar- ments, fhut up the temples, and for- bore from facriiices and feftivals, for the fpace of eighty days. y Honours but * Though this depraved difpofition in the lefs en- lightened days, ftamped the national chara&er, and they, as well as the inhabitants of the fouthern he- mifphere, “Were obfcene, without immodefty, yet as they improved their reafon, that barbarous fimplicity fubfided, decency prevailed, and in procefs of time, men became fo jealous of their honour, that (the more effe&ually to domefticate the women) they would not permit them to wear any thing on their feefc Plutarch . x Diodorus. * Gen. 1. 3. K 3 little 134 72* History of little inferior to thefe, were paid by the Egyptians to Jacoby as may be feen in the book of Gencjh , When a perfon of diftinCtion died, the females of his family befmeared their heads and faces with dirt, and leaving the body at home, walked through the ftreets of the city, attended by their female relations, with naked breafts, and girdles about their waifts, beating themfelves as they went : and the men affembling in another company, con- ducted themfelves in the like manner; and returning home from this obfcene proceffion, permitted the embalmers to perform their office. The cuftom of fpreading duft on the Lead in the deepefc agonies of forrow, mentioned by Herodotus and other an- vient writers, was apparently not prac- tifed tifed at this time : z when Abraham was deprived of Sarah by death, he is faid to., have mourned for her and wept. And when *Jacob died in Egypt, and received fuch diftinguilhed funeral honours, there is no mention made of this expreffion of forrow. a J 0 / eph is faid to have fal- len upon his father’s face, wept upon him, and killed him. As the infpired law-giver, who was perfectly verfed in all the cuftoms of the Egyptians, gives no intimation of fo ftriking an expref- fion of forrow, it feems probable that it was not pradtifed : and from his days to Solomon , there is no writer on record, 'either facred or profane, who gives any account of this cuftom, excepting the author of the book of Job , who (in his fublime poem, not beneath the elegance, dignity and wifdom of Solo?non,) fpeaking * Gen. xxiii, 2. a Gen. 1 . 3. 1 36 The History of of the forrow which Job’s friends felt for his fufferings, fays, b they rent every one his mantle, and fprinkled duft upon their heads towards heaven. Soon after the days of Solomon it prevailed both on the continent of AJia , and in the Grecian ftates. Homer defcribing the grief of Achilles , occafioned by the death of his friend Patroclusy fays, Iliad 2, verfe 2 2d, &c. 1 • • 7 ' . - ; * * ' * . • • (p aro' rev vef sXq IxaXirJ/ e {jn\alya *• JL A/jifoTep/jcn cPe <^ep fignifying faved from wa- ter ; from which he was preferved by \ Thermutis princefs of Egypt , who took him immediately under her own protec- tion, educated him in the Egyptian learn- ing, life of arms, and moft elegant man- ners of the politeft court, then in the world. His judgment exceeded his years, and even his childifh amufements difcovered difcretion and ingenuity. “ d His perfon was fo beautiful and en- “ gaging, that the moft auftere would * Mofes born, Anno. A. C. 1571. A Jofeph. Jud. Antiq. lib. 2. neglect 144 The History of cc negledt important affairs, to gaze on, t€ and admire him.” Thus happily en- dowed with mental and perfonal accom- plifhments, he grew every moment more dear to his benefadtrefs, was adopted by her, and introduced to Pharoah her fa- ther, with this addrefs. cc e As God has “ not bleffed thee with an heir, I have u provided thee with a fucceffor, whom “ I have preferved from the Nile : I €€ have brought him up, and finding his it was very ftrong by nature and art, and his army too haftily affem- bled, to be accommodated with provi- fion, tools, and conveniencies indifpenfa- bly neceflarv to form the fiege of, and fubdue Saba, which was fituated in an ifland of the Nile , environed with a ftrong wall, and fortified with ramparts be- tween the wall and the river. In thefe, and indeed much later days, the con- queft of countries, was generally the con- fequence of a complete viftory ; there being but few fortified towns, and little or no impediment, their armies marched through the dominions to receive the fubmifiion of the vanquifhed but when- ever they were obftrudted by a fortifi- cation, the interruption was vaftly tedi- ous ; war was not reduced to an art, nor were the inftruments invented, which fo readily open a way through walls and bulwarks : if they could not carry the L 3 plage 1 50 fhe History of X place by affault, they had no other re- fource than a blockade, and the conque- rors frequently perifhed by the means they took to fubdue the enemy. Mofes in attacking Saba, did every thing a great genius defirous of glory could didtate, but the obftacles were in- furmountable, and the Ethiopian army being broken and difperfed, he intend- ed to have withdrawn his troops, when tfharbis the daughter of the king of Ethiopia , feeing his valour and noble ex- ploits from the wall, was captivated by him, and offered him her hand, with the furrender of the city ; the condi- tions were too honourable and pleafing to be rejected ; Mofes married the princefs, and took poffeffion of Saba for his fove- reign, and foon after news was brought him of the death of Acencheres , in the twelfth year of his reign, ACHO- Ancient Egypt. * 5 * A C H O R I S, Anno A. C. 1 537 - MOSES having thus added Ethiopia to the Egyptian dominions, fent his troops back to Egypt, and not long after followed them, where inftead of being received with kindnefs and applaufe, fo juftly due to his eminent fervices, he felt the fecret gloom of P bar a ah's mind ; his excellencies had incited that mo- narch's envy, and the Egyptian priefts, who had long hated the virtues of the noble Hebrew , took occafion from his defending an Ifraelite againft the violence of an Egyptian , to bring a charge of murder againft him, and determined to put him to death ; with which being L 4 ^acquainted. 1 52 *The History of acquainted, and knowing his inability to refill fuch potent enemies, he privately left the ungrateful court, in the fortieth year of his age, and fixth of the reign of Achoris . During Mofes s refidence amongft the MidianiteSy there is an hiatus in the 'Egyptian hiftory : ancient writers have been obliged, for want of matter, to pafs over that fpace, and content them- felves with fpecifying the kings who filled the throne. Achoris enjoyed the regal power nine years, and was fucceed- ed by CENCHRES, Anno. A. C. 1528. ACHER- Ancient Egypt* 153 ACHERRES, Anno. A. C. 1 $ 12 . C H E R R E S, Anno. A. C. 1504. MOSES being now eighty years old, was commanded of God to return into Egypt y and deliver the Ifraelites from bon- dage. He appeared before Pharoah in the thirteenth year of his reign, plead- ■N ed the undeferved fufferings of his bre- theren, and the commands he had re- ceived from God to deliver the Ifrae- lites from bondage. Pharoah heard him with refentment, and anfwered him with 1 54 The History of with indignation and fcorn , he was too obdurate to be fwayed by gratitude or juftice, or to fuffer eloquence, though divinely pointed, to prevail on him to give up the poor diftrefied objects of his tyranny. Mofes then exerted the power God had endued him with, and wrought miracles before him to prove his divine million, far tranfcending human ability, and brought fuch a variety of affli&ions on Pharoah and all Egypt , as carried death and mifery into every family, and w r ould (if Cherres had perfifted in refu- ting to let them go) have involved the whole country in utter definition. The particular miracles are mentioned in the book of Exodus, to which I refer my reader, and will here give him a quo- tation from an heathen author, as it is lefs likely to fall in his way, than the books of Mofes: “ g Though the king g Artapanus apud Eufebium, lib. i. cap. 27. \ “ raged, Ancient Egypt. 155 €t raged, Mofes added to the great af- “ fli&ion of the hail, violent earth- “ quakes, fo that, thofe who endeavour- “ ed to efcape the dangers of the con- “ cuffion, perifhed by the hail, and thofe “ who fled from the hail, were killed “ by the earthquakes. All the houfes and very many temples were thrown “ down. The king being fubdued by fo many evils, at length gave the Jews “ leave to depart, on Tue/day the fifth “ of May , in the year one thoufand four hundred and ninety-one, A. C. after “ being in Egypt four hundred and thirty years.” The Jews being departed, Cherres repented his having given them their liberty, and purfuing them with an intent to bring them back to their for- mer ilavery, perifhed with his army in the Red Sea , on the Monday following the Jews emigration. No 156 "The, History of No tranfaCion in facred or prophane hiftory is fo full of great and wonder- ful events, as this : more than mortal power and wifdom is vifible in every part of it. Xenophon s retreat with ten thoufand Greeks from the interior parts of Aficij when furrounded by hoftile na- tions they opened a way through their multitudes, and reaped the rich produce of the Afatic plains, has (as well as other grand exploits merely human) defervedly received the applaufe and admiration of mankind : but the difficulties the Ifra - elites had to ftruggle with, were to be furmounted only by fupernatural aid ; the almighty hand which led them out of bondage in oppofition to the intereft, advantage, and inclination of their mat- ters, protected them. In their journey, what ability merely human, could have been capable of con- ducing Ancient Egypt. l 57 du&ing and preferring fix hundred thou- fand men, with their wives and chil- dren, furrounded by enemies ? h in that great and terrible wildernefs, wherein were fiery ferpents and fcorpions and drought : 1 a land of deferts and of pits, of drought, and of the fhadow of death, a land that no man pafied through, and where no man dwelt. When the provifion, they had brought out of Egypt with them, was exhaufted, and no na- tural refources were found to fupply their wants, genius and the cleared: men- tal faculties could afford no afliftance ; human wifdom has no creative power ; yet no fooner did their dilemma require the exertion of fuch a power for their prefervation, than the deferts were co- vered with food, and dreams of water burft forth from the barren rock. h Deut, viii. 15. * Jer. ii. 6. We 158 The History of We difcover in no part of the Egyp- tian hiftory, the charge of mifreprefent- ing and fuppreffing incidents derogatory to the honour of the nation, fo frequent-* ly made againft the priefts, who only kept the public records, as in the tran- fadtion before us they would undoubt- edly have obliterated every trace of it, if they had brought the Ifraelites back to their former flavery ; as that was not effedted, and the world muft inevitably hear of their tyranny, impiety, and dif- grace, they have endeavoured, with re- fined art, to invalidate the credit of Mofes s adtions # by giving them a fabu^ lous reprefentation* Horusy in whofe reign Mofes was born, and Cherresy before whom Mofes wrought his miracles, are indifcriminately called by the Egyptians y the good Ofris, and Mofes the evil Typhon. A mifnomer can- not Ancient Egypt. 159 not change the nature of fadts ; and the actions they relate of Syphon (when dif- robed of fiction) fo exactly concur with the hiftory of Mofes , that we muft imme- diately difcern they built their fidtion on the miracles and fubfequent actions of Mofes . They fay, that Typbon having been inclofed in an ark of fea-weed and reed, was thrown into the Nile by Ofiris . Mofes was expofed by the order of Horns , on the Nile , in an ark of reeds, or rufhes. < Typhon confpired againft Of ns, and being affifted by the queen of Ethiopia , and feventy-two giants, cut the king's body into fourteen pieces. 3 This 160 The History of This agrees with Jofephus s account of Mofes s marrying Tiharbis princefs of Ethiopia, his being affifted by Aaron and feventy elders in the government of the Ifraelites, and leading out of Egypt twelve tribes defcended from Jacob 9 and two from Jofeph . Typhon 9 they fay, was the creator of infers, ferpents, and reptiles. Mofes changed his rod into a ferpent, brought locufts, frogs, lice, and fwarms of flies, into every part of Egypt . They fay, that ELierofolymus and Judens were fons of Typhon* Mofes conducted the Ifraelites to the borders of Canaan , from whence they entered into Judea and Hierofolyma. Thefe Ancient Ecjypt. 161 Thefe quotations evidently fhew, that the Egyptians drew the fidtions of phon y from the hiftory of Mofes : if any defire more evidence, they will be abun- dantly fatisfied by confulting the learned Bochart* Cherres having fallen a vidtim to his impiety, and obftinacy* was fucceeded in his throne by ARMAIS* Anno. A. C* 1490* O F this prince’s adtions, we are only informed, that he paid great attention to the education of his fon Sefojiris . It is very probable, as the Egyptian reli- gion did not permit them to live M amongft 1 62 The History of amongft the Jews , that they firft inha- bited the Thebais in this reign, removed the regal feat from Memphis to 'Thebes, and took pofleffion of the cities eva- cuated by the Jews , which muft have been very numerous to accommodate near two millions of people. The moll: ancient maps inform us, that at the entrance of the Thebais , due fouth of JofeplS s canal, was Hermopolis , adjoining to the Thebaicum coft ; Apol- linopolis Minor , due weft of this city, to- wards the great defert ; Lycopolis , fouth of Apoliinis Minor on the bank of the Nile, Antceopolis, Hipfele , Crocodilopolis , Diofpolis Minor, Pampinus vie us, Contra Cop ton, Memnonium, Latopolis : on the eaftern fide of the Nile, was Thebes', to the north of that city was Maximiniano - polis, Apoliinis vicus, Coptos , Neapolis Ccene, ChenoboJ'cia , Le pi datum, Panop olis } to Ancient Egypt, i6j to the eaft* at the foot of the Perphyritesi Chemnis ; more northerly, adjoining to the river, on the borders of the Hepta - nomisy were Antinopolhy and Poos Arte - midos. It is not poffible to afcertain the antiquity of thefe cities ; moft of the names being Grecian , have led fome to think, that they are more modern than the ages under confideration, whilft others are of opinion, that they are the ancient cities, though the names knowrl at this time, were given to them by the Greeks y who only have handed down to us an account of them. This point inuft remain undetermined ; nor is it of importance to the prefent world, or the glory of that empire, whofe opulent and powerful cities are now, through the mutability of fublunary things, fwept away from their foundations, and obli- terated from memory and record, Ar~ mats paid the great debt of nature, five M 2 years 164 *The H ISTORY 6 j years after he afcended the throne, which was immediately filled by his fon Sefojiris . SESOSTRIS, Anno. A. C. 1485. I N the former reigns, we have feen the Egyptians gradually expanding their genius, and without foreign aids, ar- rived at a proficiency in arts and fci- ences, fuperior indeed to the world in general, though far from accu- racy, and perfedtnefs. The laws en- abled to fupport fociety and cultivate urbanity, were juftly admired, yet the internal government was very defective, the lands were not well regulated, a vail deal lay uncultivated, and in an un- wholefome Ancient Egypt, 165 wholefome fituation, ufelefs and pefti- lential to the kingdom ; the revenues were not well arranged, commerce had fcarcely been attended to, and there was very little wealth, either in private pof- feffion, or in the treafury ; the will of the monarch was the guide of the fub- jedt’s adtions, his ultimate ambition was to eredt fome enormous edifice, and theirs to indulge their natural indo- lence, and eat their moderate viands, with as little trouble as pofiible. Henceforward, we fhall fee the face of things greatly changed in Egypt . Sefojlris was endowed by nature with all the accomplifhments neceflary to make a great king ; he penetrated in an inflant into the caufes of events, faw the ten- dency of occurrences, and retained whatever he had once known : to thefe extenfive mental endowments, were M 3 united j66 The History cf united great corporeal powers ; he was, according to Eufebius , feven feet and two inches in height, and juftly propor- tioned in all his limbs, inured to hard- fhips, and laborious exercife, from his youth, which gave him an activity and ftrength capable cf fuppo&ing the fati- gues of war. Thus accomplifhed by nature, and adorned with every advantage, which £rt and literature could give him, there feemed in him an aflemblage of endow- ments to make his people happy, and extend his kingdom to a powerful and glorious empire. He foon difeovered an attachment to arms, and a defire of heroic fame; his manner of education would not admit of a life of inactivity, his natural magnanimity pufhed him on to great actions, youthful ardor fixed his ideas on the glory of conquefi:, and laid 7 wade Ancient Egypt. 167 wafte many peaceful nations, before his ripened underftanding (hewed him how widely he had miftaken the character of an hero : he imagined his valour (of which no one had a larger (hare) would intitle him to that character; a difpofi- tion frequently, and as often erroneoufly, fuppofed to conftitute the hero. Valour is by no means in itfelf a vir- tue, but rather a natural difpofition of mind and body, which may be either good or bad, as it is applied. The mod abandoned often poflefs it, and fome have been feduced by it, from the paths of redlitude, to vicious courfes : though it is not in itfelf a virtue, it will eafily become fo, under the in- fluence of a fuperior virtue. Loyalty to his king, and love for his country, regulated by obedience, convey virtue to the fubjedt’s valour. The hero draws M 4 his 1 68 The History of ins hopes of fuccefs from a confidence in Almighty protection, and animates his zeal by univerfal humanity it is this refined and boundlefs love for man- kind, which conftitutes the hero’s vir- tue. A fteady and unremitted attention to our duty, undaunted by danger, un- biaflfed by affeCtion, and uninfluenced by allurements, diflinguifhes true and virtuous valour, from furious zeal and pernicious violence. The warmth of this magnanimous youthful prince, may be intimated as an apology for his difpoiition to war, but cannot render it laudable; a king who truly loves his people, mud ever look on war, as a misfortune, and will to avoid it, attempt every means, confiftent with his honour, and not injurious to his eftablifhed rights and thofe of his fub- jeCts ; with which difpofltion true bra- very Ancient Egypt. 169 very is naturally united, the lefs fond he is of incroaching on others rights, the more zealous he will be in the defence of his own ; frequent contefts never extort from the enemy veneration or dread. The prince who gives no of- fence to his neighbours, and maintains his own juft pretcnlions with uniformity and refolution, is only refpedtable, de- ferving admiration and applaufe. Sefojlris , before he undertook the con- queft of foreign nations, wifely deter- mined to remove the internal defers of his own dominions, and by a juft ar- rangement of the feveral departments in the ftate, render Egypt formidable with- in itfelf. k He firft divided the whole kingdom into fix and thirty diftridts, and let over k Diodorus, lib. 2. them. 1 70 The History of them, men of known honefty and abi- lities, who were to fuperintend the exe- cution of the laws, colledt the taxes % within their provinces, and give an ac- count of the particular ftate of affairs, and their condudt, to the king ; and at the fame time parcelled out the lands to individuals, under an annual tax to- be paid into the treafury of the diftridt, 1 with this referve to the landholder, that he fhould have his taxes remitted in proportion to the damage, he fhould at any time fuftain from an impetuous in^ undation of the Nile . The lands, and revenues arifing from them, being thus regulated, he reduced all his fubjedts into feven claffes or orders : and the more effectually to fup- 1 Herodotus, lib. 2. port Ancient Eqypt, 171 port this regulation, he inftituted, m that every fon Ihould pradtife the profeffion of his father. Having fettled his civil plan, he pre- pared to gratify his delire of glory, and military achievements : here he had great difficulties to furmount. The dif- polition of the people, by no means inclined to war ; the fupinenefs of former reigns, had introduced an indolence and averlion from fatigue, which had not only infedted the artifts, but the mili- tary order, which having long tailed the fweets of retirement and eale, dif- covered the greateft reludtance in exr- changing their placid enjoyments, for the toils of war. n /Sefojtris divided the militia into two feparate corps, Hermo- m Ariftctle, pol. lib. 7. cap. 10. initio, w Herodotus, lib. 2. tybiansy 172 P’be History of tybians , and Calafirlans ; the former were raifed in the diftridts of Bufiris> Sais , Chemmis, Papremis , and one half of the ifland of Natho , and confifted of one hundred and fixty thoufand foot ; the latter were fupplied by the jurifdidlions of PbebeSy Bubajlis y Apthis 9 Tams, Mendesy Sebennytusy Athribisy Pharba- tbisy ThmiiiSy Onyph'iSy Anyfis y and My- cephoris in an ifland oppofite to Bubajiis y and amounted to two hundred and fifty thoufand. In peace they were quar- tered in their feveral provinces, and had each twelve acres of land free from taxes allotted to them for their pay, and maintenance : from each of thefe corps, a thoufand men were annually draughted to guard the king, and received, 0 befides the revenues of their lands, five pounds of bread, and two pounds 9 Herodotus^ lib. 2. of Ancient Egypt. 173 of beef each day, with a fufficient quantity of wine: an allowance dif- penfed for the maintenance of their families, as well as themfelves. This body of militia, fo refpe&able in point of numbers, was in reality a vaft undifciplined rabble, unufed to regula- rity on a march, ignorant of method in war, and when led on againft an enemy, rufhed, regardlefs of order, tumultu- oully to battle. Sefojlris is faid to have introduced a fpecies of aifcipline amongft them : what it was, is at this time unknown : it is certain, however, p that he found means, not only to eradi- cate their indolence and inactivity, but to infufe into them a fpirit of emula- tion and ardent defire of fame. * Diodorus, lib. 2 Having 174 22* History of Having augmented his army with one hundred and ninety thoufand men, from the order of hulbandmen, twenty four thoufand cavalry, and twenty eight thoufand armed chariots, which' he firft introduced into armies, and aflembled on the Red Sea a fleet of four hundred fhips loaden with warlike ftores and provifions, he firft attacked and fubdued the Ethiopians (who having left the banks of the Indus , had for a confider** able time been fettled in the neighbour- hood of Egypt) and laid on them an annual tribute of ebony, gold, and ivory. From thence he marched into AJia, and his fleet having palfed, what is now called the ftraits of Babel - mande /, attended the army in its march, coafting by the Arabian fhore, to the gulf of Perfia . Some Ancient Egypt. 175 Some have afferted, that Sefojlris croffed the Ganges and fubdued various nations in India . Suppofmg his forces irrefiflible, the difficulties, which mult inevitably have obflruded his march, the time in which he completed his vidories, and the improbability of fub- fifting fix hundred and fifty two thou- fand men, and four and twenty thoufand horfes of the cavalry, befides thofe of eight and twenty thoufand armed cha- riots, in many barren countries, he muft have paffed, before he could reach the banks of the Ganges , affed the cre- dibility of the affertion, and induce me to think with Herodotus , that his con- quells, after the redudion of Ethiopia, were confined to that part of the AJiatic continent, which lies between the Red Sea, and the gulf of Perjia , inhabited by the Arabians , the Holy Land, Syria, Mefopotamia, Perfia, Turcomonia , Na - tolia. 176 *Ihe History of tolia , Georgia , GircaJJia> and Thrace ill . Europe k The Ajiatic nations, unfufpicioiis of foreign danger, and engaged in cultiva- ting the arts, to which they were de^ voted, were in no condition to oppofe the Egyptian monarch : not having the leaft defire to extend their territories, they had no idea of being deprived of them ; the flocks and herds which filled the plains, the rich gifts of nature, af- fluently fupplied their wants, and united eafe to the happinefs, which peace dif- fufed amongft them. The defolations of war had not reached their quiet re- gions, and blafted the works of virtue, innocence and induftry, or taught them the ufe of fortifications to impede the invaders progrefs ; fo that Sefojiris s wars in Afia> were little more than a march through the feveral nations, v to plunder 7* them Ancient Egypt. i 77 them of their riches, reduce a free and inoffenfive people to llavery, and build his fame on the ruins of induftry, and thofe fweet enjoyments, which delight human nature in her pureft date. When Sefojlris had eroded the Don and the Danube , and entered Thrace , the feene was totally changed ; he had no longer the luxuriant plains of AJia to fupply his army with provifion and fo- rage, nor a people of effeminate difpofi- tion to contend with ; the 'Thracians fed on the flefli of animals taken in hunting, drank milk or water, lived in rugged cottage?, and were clothed in the fkins of wild beafts flain by their own hands : thus accuflomed to fimple food, labour and dangers, their confutations were exceedingly robuft, capable of fupport- ing much fatigue, without fuftenance, for an almoft incredible length of time. N In < 178 The History of q In war they were terrible to their ene- mies, in peace, beloved for their hofpi- tality, generolity, honefty, and difin- tereftednefs, inoffenfive to their neigh- bours, and impatient of injury. When Sefojlris entered their territories, they immediately aflembled, boldly at- tacked his army, and retreated un- broken, to reft their arms weary with {laughter, and refolving to fell their li- berty, as dear as poffible, foon renewed the battle, and bravely difputed every inch of ground : each fought as if his country’s fate depended on his fword alone, and fell in the midft of enemies. They made a noble ftruggle for freedom, but in vain, their forces were greatly reduced by the many battles they fought ; and unable to meet the enemy in the q Herodotus, lib. 2. field. Ancient Egypt. 179 field, were neceffitated to oppofe art to Itrength, and endeavour by policy and itratagem to weaken and deftroy the enemy, which they had almoft effected, by cutting off all forage and provifion from the Egyptian army : the hopes, they conceived from this advantage, were of ihort duration ; Sefojlris found means to fupply his army, and they were obliged to fubmit to the con- queror. Some authors have afferted, that he could not withftand the Thracians, and withdrew his troops without gaining any advantages over them. Others, that he treated them with cruelty, after they were fubdued. Nothing can be more foreign to this monarch’s cha- racter, than either of thefe reprefenta- tions : with refpeCt to the former, the fituation of his valt army, incumbered N 2 with 1 80 The History of with immenfe plunder, prifoners from Afia, and the necefiary train, could not admit of a choice of conduct $ victory alone could fecure it from ruin - 9 unlefs we fuppofe, that the Thracians , after finding themfelves not inferior to the Egyptians, kindly permitted them to de- part, without refenting the invafion, and taking the advantages, which mull have been given them, in the retreat of fuch an incumbered multitude over the Da- nube. Befides, the greatnefs of Sfojlris’s foul, would not have brooked the dif- grace of tacitly acknowledging himfelf conquered j a tame fubmiflion never gratified his defires, a powerful refill - ance ftimulated his ardour, and drew him out into a difplay of condudl and valour, worthy the greateft hero. As for treating the vanquifhed Thra- cians with cruelty, it feems very impro- bable. Ancient Egypt. 181 bable. A brave and generous fpirit ad- mires the fame virtues in an enemy ; he contends with him only for glory, and never defcends to revenge a refinance, which arofe from principles, he holds in the higheft eftimation. Great and good minds never add cruelty to afflic- tion ; they look on mifery with a kind of facred regard ; when offended, are flow to revenge, and never punifh with all deferved rigour. They take no delight in deftroying, when they have it in their power, and feel the truefl joy in pardoning an offender : this debt to the general calamities of human nature, the great Sefojlris extended to his enemies, and indulged his tafle and private en- joyment, with ads of mercy and gene- rofity. Whenever he conquered a peo- ple, who had fhewn that they knew the value of liberty, by bravely defending it, he thought fuch only an addition to N 3 his 182 Tthe History of his glory, and endeavoured to perpe- tuate the acquifition of a brave people to his dominion, by erefting pillars in their country, with his own flatue on them in an Egyptian drefs, holding an arrow in one hand, and a bow in the other, with this infcription on the firing of it : “ I obtained’this country by the ftrength of thefe arms fome of which Herodotus faw Handing in Palef tine . Sefofris having been abfent from Egypt nine years, and planted a colony on the Black Sea , which gave rife to the Colchiansy returned home loaden with military glory, and all that was found curious or valuable in nature, art, or fcience, in the vanquifhed nations. Warlike ardor now yielded the afcen-* dene y to the folid virtues of peace, which 183 Ancient Egypt. which had always poffeffed a large fhare of his affedtions ; though they had been borne down for a time, by the fplendor of arms, and vanity of trampling on conquered kings. The wars of Sefojlris were particularly advantageous to his dominions, in point of wealth, elegance, and ftrength ; a circumltance never attendant on war in thefe days : now nothing but defolation follows its fteps ; wealth is exhaufted, and fcience ftagnated by it ; and the conqueror is feldom fo powerful after his victories, as before . he entered upon the war. Suppoling a king, after a ten years war, brought a million of new fubjefts, with a proportionate extent of country under his dominion, it will be found a fpecious, rather than a real ac- quifition ; if he, inftead of fix hun- dred thoufand men, the number Se~ N 4. JoftrU 184 ^he History of foftris led into the field, had but half that number, (more than which are of- ten kept on foot by one prince) it is feldom found that more than four fifths furvive one campaign, which lofs in ten campaigns, will amount to fix hundred thoufand able bodied men, inftead of the old and young, women and children, found in the conquered country. Befides, this is not all the lofs to be eftimated ; the wife regulator of the world, to propagate the fpecies, has or- dered nearly an equal number of men and women, that each woman may have an hufband, and be affiftant in carrying on the work of generation, which in war cannot be eftedted, and many of whom, during the war, muft have died without iflue, who otherwife, per- haps, would have had a numerous off- fpring : but allowing, that each woman might Ancient Egypt. 185 might have had no more than two chil- dren in the courfe of ten years, thefe added to the fix hundred thoufand men loft in war, fhew that the king fuffers a lofs of two hundred thoufand valuable fubjeCts, who would have been united to his government, by national affeCtion, duty, and intereft, inftead of thofe who bear the yoke with reluctance, and are ready to feize the firft opportunity to fhake off his power. Thus does war, however fuccefsful, fap the foundation of a nation’s welfare, and involve not only the prefent age in diftrefs, but ex- tend its malign effeCts to fucceeding generations. The points in which nations are par- ticularly affefted by war at this time, the lofs of inhabitants, and decay of arts and fciences, fuftained no kind of injury from the wars of Sefojlris. Egypt abounded 1 86 *The History of abounded in inhabitants ; the lands, which required the labour of very few hands, were cultivated in the fame man- ner as before the army inarched againft the enemy ; the eftates of the foldiers, were cultivated by their families, and the other lands by the proprietors, fo that there was the fame annual produce and revenues : the fciences were culti- vated only by the priefts, who did not follow the camp ; and the body of arti- ficers, who were never admitted to the military employment, abundantly fup- plied tools, inftruments, and manufac- tures, and fuffered no kind of impedi- ment or interruption in the exercife of their feveral talents and occupations ; the greateft difadvantage they fuftained, was the facility with which they exe- cuted their employments ; the fimple ftate of agriculture, architecture, and drefs, required no great variety of im- plements Ancient Egypt. i*7 plements and manufactures, and admit- ted of an indolence and inattention, in- jurious to Ikill and improvement, and occafioned that early fiagnation fo much wondered at in the Egyptian genius ; this difpofition, the return of Sefojiris no longer permitted to exift ; the variety of artificers, tools and machines which he brought with him, executed the feveral branches in which they were employed fo much better, than had ever been done in Egypt , that the Egyptian artificer found himfelf under a neceffity of exerting his genius to get employment, by which means mechanics were univerfally im- proved, the arts refined, and the na- tion became more illuftrious and ele- gant. The facility with which this mo- narch over-ran other nations, pointed out to him the impropriety of leaving 5 his 1 88 T?he History of his own country expofed to the fudden incurlions of an enemy. Egypt, though abounding in cities and inhabitants, was from its lituation, and manner of difpofing of the army in peace, liable to be furprized, and become an eafy conqueft. The Thebais was in no danger of a furprize, the countries to the fouth and eaft of it, were under the Egyp- tian dominion, and to the weft lay the deferts of Lybia , over which it would have been madnefs to march an army, where, the fands blown by impetuous winds, which are frequent and fudden, roll like the waves of the fea, and would inftantly fuffocate the moft nu- merous army. But the Delta was not fo fecure, from its nearnefs to the con- tinent of Afia , therefore r Sefofris built a wall from Pelufum to Hieropolis a r Diodorus, lib. 2. city Ancient Egypt. 189 city adjoining to the Red Sea , in length about fixty geographical miles, the ex- tent of the ifthmus of Suez , which effec- tually hindered a fudden incurfion of the AJiatics . Sefojiris having thus fecured his king- dom, in the only part expofed to a fud- den invahon, executed an undertaking to fupply by art, the conveniencies and ad- vantages denied them by nature. The Tbebais and Heptanomis fuffered greatly in many parts for want of water ; the intenfe heat and drynefs of the climate, created a barrennefs in many lands, which were capable of vegetation, if fupplied with a moderate quantity of water, and lay uncultivated, ufelefs, and deferted, for want of that element : he therefore opened canals from the Nile , and diffufed its waters to various parts of the kingdom. The royal canal was opened 1 90 ¥he History of opened at Diofpolis Minor , where, the Nile having inclined to the eaft, makes an elbow to the weft, and pafiing by Crocodilopoiisy Hipfele , Antceopolis> Apolli- nis Minor , &c. and leaving yofeph's ca- nal (which extended from oppofite Poos Artemidos to Cene ) at the diftance of near two leagues to the eaft, threw off a branch to the weft, which emptied it- felf into the lake Mceris by three ftreams, one on the eaft, another in the centre, and the third by the labyrinth ; the main canal was carried on clofe to Memphis , about two leagues diftant from the wef- tern arm of the Nile , in the Delta , and finally terminated in the lake Maro * by the * The lakes Maro and Moeris (the latter of which Herodotus , Diodorus and Strabo have reprefented to have been equal in circumference to the extent of the Egyptian coaft, but Po?nponius Mela with more probability, to be only twenty thoufand paces, or fix- tee n Ancient Egypt. 191 the Mediterranean Sea, near three hun- dred miles diftant from Diofpolis Minor, where it was opened. From the weftern fide of the lake Mceris, Sefojtris made another canal, and carried it in almoft a ftraight line by Nitria , about thirteen leagues weft of that part of the royal canal, which was oppofite to the diftridt of Bujiris : this canal (now called by the Arabs , the river without water) joined the lake teen Englijh miles in circumference) are fuppofed to have been made for refervoirs of the water of the Nile : that as the riches of Egypt depend upon the inunda- tions of the Nile , if at any time the waters fhould not rife higher than twelve or thirteen cubits, which threatened a famine, they may fupply the difficiencies by opening the fluices of the lakes ; and if it ex- ceeded fixteen cubits, when there is danger, they may receive fome of the abundant water. The expence of opening the fluices is faid to have amounted to 11,250/. fterling. Maro igz The History of Maro on the weftern fide. By thefe, and many other canals, which Sefojiris cut, the intercourfe between different parts of Egypt became commodious and plea- fant ; commodities were carried with fa- cility ; and travellers, inftead of wading through burning fands, were conveyed from place to place with conveniency and eafe. * And lands before ufelefs, defert and uninhabited, were cultivated, laid out in fields and gardens, rendered be- neficial to the kingdom, accommodated * Notwithftanding thefe canals, there were many high lands which could not be affedted by the inun- dation, or receive any benefit from the canals. This want was afterwards fupplied by means of fpiral pumps, which being turned by oxen, threw the water into pipes laid to different parts of the lands. Diodorus , lib. ift. fpeaks of fuch an engine, called Cochlea /Egyptia , invented by Archimedes in his travels into Egypt ; one of which is now ufed to raife water in his Majefty’s garden at Kew . 5 with Ancient E g y P t* 193 with houfes, public ftrudtures* and or-* hamental buildings. The inundation of the Nile , fo pro- dudtive of fertility and advantage to Egypt in genera], was fometimes definitive to individuals with their flocks and herds* when the rife was fudden, and the flow impetuous. The predeceffors of Sefo~ Jlris had attempted to guard againft this peril by making embankments in the moft expofed places ; but they were ex- ecuted with fo little judgment and fkill* that they were frequently borne away by the water, and fwept off every man or animal, which could not fly from its impetuofity. To protect his people from this danger, Sefoftris made fpacioiis and lofty mounts of the earth which had been taken out of the canals $ and com^ pelling his fubjefts to build houfes on them for themfelves, and accommoda- O tions ) 194 The History of tions for their cattle, they foon became flourifhing and pleafant cities, greatly ufeful and ornamental to the kingdom. The imagination cannot well conceive a more Angular and pleaiing profpedt, than Egypt affords, when the waters of the Nile overfpread the country in July and Augujl ; an infintiy of cities, towns, and villages rifing out of this temporary fea, difcover in fome the bufy multitudes ex- ercifing their occupations, in others the buildings are only feen, and the more aiftant feem juft emerging from the waves ; and the veffels failing in the in- termediate fpace, from city to city, en- rich the view, and exhibit a moft diver- fified and beautiful fcene. Sefoflris defigned to have opened a communication between the Nile and the Red Sea , and began the work, but defin- ed from it, on a fuppofition that Egypt 5 was Was lower than the Red Sea , and would be deftroyed by it, or at leaft, that the waters of the Nile would be fpoiled by a mixture with thofe of the Red Sea . Modern geographers are of opinion, that Egypt is not fo high as the level of the Red Sea; the ancients joined Strabo in the contrary opinion : this is certain, though many kings of Egypt have meditated on the plan of uniting the Nile and Red Sea , by a grand canal, no one was fo hardy as to carry it into execution. Works of public utility were the firft objedts of Sefojlriss attention, but they did not intirely engage him ; his great mind delighted to adorn his improve- ments, and embellifh his kingdom with monuments and various noble edifices : 4 the foreign artificers built by his order. s Diodorus, lib. 2. 196 The History of two fquare obelifks of granate, to be ufed as gnomons, each an hundred and eighty feet high, on which the amount of his hereditary revenues, and thofe of the nations he had conquered, were engraved. One of them, Pliny 1 fays, was conveyed by Auguftus to Rome , and fet up in the Cam- pus Martius . He eredted two gigantic ftatues of himfelf and his queen, each five and forty feet high, and four others reprefenting his four children, each thirty feet high, before the temple of Vulcan built by him in Thebes , and with a liberality of mind, fcarcely to be ex- pected in fuch unenlightened ages, u built many temples, in different cities, and dedicated them to the divinity peculiar to the place. * Pliny, lib. 36. fee. 14, p. 736. u Herodotus, lib. 2. Sefofiris Ancient Egypt. 197 Sefojlris, though particularly affiduous and diligent in promoting the internal welfare of his hereditary kingdom, was totally negligent of his conquefts; he nei- ther fecured them from revolting by quartering his troops amongft them, nor endeavoured to eftablifn a commercial in- tercourfe with his new fubjedts, and unite them to Egypt by the ties of intereft and advantage : he had no idea that the feeds of empire were incorporated with commerce, or that immenfe riches, ho- nour and fame were procured by it ; if he had, his difpofition to every adtion that appeared to him honourable and beneficial to his dominions, would have induced him to cultivate it with ardour, and enrich his country with the produc- tions of every region. Nature particu- larly delights in diffeminating her blef- fings in various countries, to make the different parts of the world neceflary to O ^ each 198 The History of each other, and by this mutual depen- dence for conveniences and elegancies, to unite them in one general interefl. Com- merce alone opens this natural connec- tion, and affembling the curious offspring of every clime, brings health to the feeble, riches to nations, and magnify cence to kings and nobles. To what an height of glory wduld Stfoflris have raifed his reign, had he made the force of his arms fubfervient to the enlargement of commerce, and rendered his country as much fervice, by making it, the grand mart of the world, as he made his victories illuftrious, by the acquifition of fkilful artificers and men of genius ? But this was not Se - fojlriss fphere of adtion ; the cleared: head does not immediately difcern every im- proveable incident ; nor do the ideas of a fyftem, in itfelf of the utmofl utility and benefit* Ancient Egypt. 199 benefit, neceflarily ftrike the mind with any confiderable force ; ideas of it en- large as the fyftem unfolds ; and Sefojiris , though he did not exert his powers to promote a naval commerce, made the firfl ftep towards it, in prevailing upon his people to venture on the ocean. Planimetry received at this time no fmall improvement ; it was pradtifed, as I have fhewn above, in the days of Jo- feph , but now firfl reduced to exadtnefs. Sefojiris , in the partition of lands, enac- ted that every landholder fhould be in- titled to a redudtion of taxes, in pro- portion to the diminution of land he had fuftained by the inundation of the Nile : this regulation neceflitating every land- holder to make frequent furveys, and keep an exact meafurement of his lands, produced the more perfedl knowledge of the fcience. O 4 Mechanics 2oo *The History ef Mechanics feem to have made more rapid improvements at this time, than any other branch of the muthematicks, thoqgh I cannot find their exact ftate, nor are there any defcriptions of their ma- chines extant ; yet we have the ftrongeft evidence from effects, that they worked on eftablifhed accurate principles, and pofTeffed very ingenious tools and ma- chines : unlefs they had, we can have no rational idea by what means, they could raife the enormous flones which covered in the temple of Vulcan , eleva.te obe- lifks of one hundred and eighty feet in height, the ftatues of Sefojlris , his queen and children, to a perpendicular on their balls. Thefe mechanic powers, un- known in Egypt, until Sefojlris returned from his expedition, were probably in- troduced by the AJiatic captives, whom that monarch feledted for their fkill and ingenuity^ Ancient Egypt. 201 ingenuity, in the feveral conquered coun- tries, and brought with him to Egypt . The fedentary difpofition of the Egyp- tians , and averfion from foreign inter- courfe, had confined their geography to this time within the limits traced out by Mofes $ but the conquefls of Sefojiris extended the fcience ; and the w maps which that monarch made of all the countries, he led his armies through, and difperfed even amongfl the Scythians , that no one might be ignorant of his fame, gave them a tolerable knowledge of the weflern parts of AJia> and the eaflern boundaries of Europe . Architecture and fculpture now ap- peared in the Egyptian cities without dif- gulling ruflicity •, and from the tafte and * Euft. in fine Epif. ante Diony. Perleg. magnificence ) 202 The History of magnificence of Sefqfiris , and the nu- merous excellent ftatuaries, architects, and carvers he conftantly employed, there is great room to think, that Thebes in particular owes its greateft ornaments, and moft noble buildings to him. Some are of opinion, that this city was founded by the Ifraelites, fettled there by Jofeph , and others conjecture, that it was built by Bufiris . This is certain, it was found- ed in early ages of the empire, and muft have received the aid of many fucceed- ing princes, to build up that greatnefs and grandeur, which exceeded all the magnificence of antiquity. It is called in the feptuagint Heliopolis , the city of the fun, the moft famous city in the world. x Strabo fays, that it was fur- rounded with a ftrong bulwark. And y * Strabo, lib. iy. Y Iliad, ix. v. 381. &c. Homer Ancient Egypt. 203 Homer thus celebrates its opulence and power. off Iff Op^o/asvov Trcrivlffffsrai off a Ar/v 7 TTictr 9 o&t 7r\uscz e/'o/xois ev KTr^ara xurai A'i& sKccT0(JL7rv\ci slfff, cfouxoffw* * ■ ; * • « • > 1416. THE flourishing condition in which Sefoftris left his kingdom to Memphis , * When Darius had conquered Egypt , he de- figned to have fixed his ftatue in the temple, in a place above that of Sefoftris> which the high prieft oppofed, faying, he had not yet furpaffed the a&ions of that king. Darius , not offended at the rebuke, replied, He would endeavour to equal that hero in glory. the 222 Tihe History of the immenfe revenues, and happy diA* pofition of the internal government, gave him the power of fupporting the glory of Egypt ; but what ufe he made of thefe fair advantages cannot be evi- dently determined e . He had not long enjoyed the throne, before he was afflidted with the diforder, which had occafioned his father’s death ; having laboured under it ten years, he was told by the oracle of Buius , that the only application, capable of reftoring his fight, was the urine of a woman, who had known no man but her hufoand. He made the firft experiment with the queen’s water, and after her’s, that of many others, without fuccefs ; at length, a gardener's wife reftored him to fight, and was raifed by him to the throne ; the adultereffes were inclofed within a city called Erythrebolus , and e Herodotus, lib. 2. and Diodorus, lib. 2. together Ancient Egypt. 223 together with the city, reduced to afhes. Monophis is, according to Funccius> the Maro of Diodorus , and the OJiman - des of Hecatceus , the Abdarite , who built a grand maufoleum, on the walls of which were painted the military ex- ploits of Ofimandes', * which' is thus defcribed : At the entrance of the maufoleum was a veftible of two hundred feet long, and fixty-feven and an half high, built of the richeft porphyry. Within it was a fquare periftyle, each fide of which was four hundred feet. Figures of ani- mals four and twenty feet high, of one {tone, badly wrought, inftead of columns, fupported the ceiling, made of ftones twelve feet long, the whole being overfpread with {tars of gold, on * Diodorus, lib. 1. page 56. a 224 Hhe History of a ground of azure. Beyond this pe- riftyle, was another veftible like the for- mer, but adorned with more figures ; there the attention is immediately drawn by three ftatues of one ftone each 5 the largeft is of the king, who built the maufoleum, in a fitting pofture, thought to be the largeft coloffus in Egypt, being at leaft fifty feet high. This was not fo much to be admired for its fize, as it was for the workmanfhip, and the ex- cellence of the ftone, in which though fo large, there was not the fmalleft flaw^ defedt or blemifh. From this veftible' you entered into another periftyle, far exceeding the other in beauty ; the walls were crowded with niches, in which were pieces of fculpture, reprefenting the military exploits of Ofimandes . In the centre of the periftyle was raided an altar of moft beautiful ma'rble, and ex- quifite workmanfhip ; and at the bot- 5 tom Ancient Egypt. 225 iom were two ftatues fitting* of one ftorie, each forty feet and an half high. 1 From this periftyle, three grand gates led into a foacious hall, about two hun- dred feet fquare* the ceiling of which was fupported by pillars 5 in it was an infinity of figures in wood, reprefent- ing a grand audience, attentive to the decifioris of a fenate engaged in the ad- miniftration of juftice. Thirty judges fat on benches erected againfi: one of the fides of the hall* The hall had a communication with a gallery, in which were a variety of cabinets, and tables overfpread with all kinds of meat, which could flatter the tafte* At the upper end of this gallery, the prince who built this grand edifice was reprefented at the feet of Ofiris, offering facrifices to him. In another part of this maufoleum, was the facred library. 226 The History of library, adjoining to which, were placed ftatues of the gods of the Egyptians, and the king prefenting offerings to each of them. Beyond the library, on a line with it, was an hall, at the en- trance of which were twenty beds, with the ftatues of the chief deities, and that of OJimandes lying on them ; many rooms joined to this hall, in which were reprefentations of the facred animals, and the tomb of OJimandes , to which they afcended by feveral fteps. There was kept in this building a circle of gold, a foot and half in thick- nefs, and three hundred and fixty-five in circumference ; from which divifion into three hundred and fixty-five parts, it is thought, that the Egyptians had at this time divided their year into that number of days. This circle, Camby - fes carried away when he plundered Egypt . Menophis enjoyed the throne 3 forty Ancient Egypt. 227 iofty years, and was fucceeded by Sc/ 60s. S E T H O S, Anno. A. C. i 3 ?6. The Nineteenth Dynasty. THE hiftory of this king’s reign is loft s it is obferved that in the fifty-firft year of his reign, the great canicular year began, on Saturday the twentieth of July , confifting of one thoufand four hundred and fixty years, the dog- ftar having rifen heliace that morning, precifely at four o’clock, at Thebes. S ethos reigned fifty-five years, and was fucceeded in his throne by his fon Ramfes . Qjj R A- § r 228 the H 1 s t 6 r v df vd •;! ;:.v/ ' RAMSES, Anno. A. C. 132K THE filence we have been obliged to obferve with refpedt to Sethos , leaves be- hind it room to imagine, that he was vir- tuous and beneficial to mankind, and pof- fefled fome fpark of his grandfire’s mag- nanimity and grandeur of foul : the fame filence would have been an acquifition to Ramfesy whom nature feemed lavifh- ly determined to render defpicable* With the meaneft capacity, flie gave him no defires but what centered in felf ; he paid no attention to the happi- nefs, or reputation of his kingdom, nor regarded its internal police, or the ad- miniftration of juftice: his whole de- light Ancient Egypt. ^29 light was to amafs wealthy and in the gratification of this paflion, neceflarily falling into oppreffion and cruelty, alienated the afredions of his fubjeds, who no longer capable of fupporting his injuries, joined themfelves to the king of Ethiopia, expelled him from his dominions, after he had reigned fixty-fix years, and raifed the Ethiopian to the throne. Some have aflerted, and of that num- ber f Tacitus , (perhaps from the like- nefs of his name, to Ramafes , another name of SefoJirisJ that he conquered Ethiopia ; however, this is cleared up by 8 Herodotus , who fays, that Sefojiris alone, of all the Egyptian kings, was mafter of Ethiopia . f Tacit, ann, lib. 2, cap. 60. s Herodotus, lib. 2. 0.3 A Mr 33© The History of AMMENEPHTHES, Anno. A. C. I2 5S- AMMENEME5, Anne. A. C, % 1215, THE Egyptian hiftorians have pro- bably avoided to mention thefe Ethia plan princes, to obliterate as much as lay in their power, their own infidelity, and treacherous fubverfion of the empire. Whether Ammenemes died without iflue, or a revolution recalled the ancient line of kings to the government, is not known 5 however, we find that the throne Ancient Egypt. 231 throne reverted to the Egyptian family in the perfon of THUORIS, or THONE, Anno. A. C. 1189. NOTHING can be more dange- rous to a well regulated government, and the happinefs of a nation, than the admiflion of a prince to the throne, whofe principles are materially difiimi- lar to their own, who is not united to the country by affinity and affedtion, is averfe from the eftablifhed religion, and had fuffered at any time, injuries from them. The ftep the Egyptians took in transferring the throne to the E- thiopian , was not more unnatural, than it was bafe and impolitic. To a prince unacquainted 232 5 T &0 History of unacquainted with urbanity, and thei politer arts, to which they were de- voted, unufed to their fuperftition, the general genius of the people, and whofe country had been conquered by the grandfather of the late king, they could, not be a pieafing people, nor he other- wife than obnoxipus to their contempt and averfion, which probably was in- creafed by a particular attachment to his own people, and introducing them into offices of truft, contrary to the laws of Egypt , which permitted nQ foreigner tp enjoy any place of truft, honour, or importance in their king- dom ; and indeed, in every inftance of gratifying his own inclinations, he muft have mortified the pride, fed the jea- loufy, increafed the fufpicion of the Egyptians, and deftroyed that confi- dence, which is the happy cement of prince and people. From thefe confi- derations^ Ancient Egypt. 333 derations, which naturally attended the Egyptian infidelity, it is not to be doubt- ed, that Egypt fufFered greatly during the two laft reigns, ! Thuoris refided at 'Thebes , and govern* ed his provinces according to the ancient fyftem, by feledt officers, affifted by a council. He intrufted the government pf Memphis to Proteus, a native of that pity, who entertained Helena , when Paris , compelled by a tempeft, entered the Nile. This point of hiftory, He- rodotus fays, he received from the priefts ; and flrengthens the aflertion by obferving, that there was in a tem- ple, on the north fide of that dedicated to Vulcan in Me?nphis, a chapel dedi- cated to Venus the ftranger, whom he fuppofes to be Helena , the daughter of Tindarus : and Homer , conferring high encomiums on the medicine Nepenthe , fays. *34 "The History of fays, that Helena learned the competi- tion from Polydamna , the wife of Thone - Icing of Egypt. AIItik dp ds oTvov /2aXs qdpixayxv sv N&?rfv0e? ra^oXov rs, xax&v s7rtXi']3'ov a7ravrcov. •o? to x. ctTaCpo^eiti/) £7T)jv xpyjrripi /Jiiyztyj Oux. dv \tynixlpiQ$ yz ficcXoi yard ctanpv 7rapeTcov OJcA* « ot xararsOvaijj /jtfl'rnp ts 7raT)jp T6 OucA* « cl 7rpo7rapc0sv dcPz\(pzov 9 yj (pihov vie v X&Xxcu c/y:oa)$v, 6 of'* opS'aX/jtotcnv op«ro. ToTa Aio? S'oyanjp *vs ioiTtr 9 fdr/VTTT'lVl. OdyfTey, lib. 4. ver. 220. & feq. In hafte fhe mix’d with wine, whofe genial fire Dilates the heart, and animates the lyre, Nepenthes myftic fumes, whofe fovereign balm Wraps every fenfe, in one feraphic calm. With power divine difpels each gloomy care. And empts the briny fountains of defpair ; The Ancient Egypt, 235* The mind directed by this potent charm. On high tranfcends the feels of dire alarm ; The aged parent, rends the air with groans ; The tortur’d brother, melts the rocks with moans ; The tender Ton, in clotted gore is feen. With heart unruffled, and the foul ferene. beauteous Helen , of the race of Jove, Bright as the princefs of th’ Idalian grove. From Polydamna , Thone’s imperial queen, Receiv’d thefe drugs, where Nile’s meand’ring ftream, With rich profus’on overfpreads the land. And decks all nature, with a lib’ral hand. h Intelligence having been received of the 'Trojan prince’s arrival, and the perfidious addon he had been guilty of, in feducing the wife of Menelaus j or- ders were difpatched from Memphis to £eize him, and the effedts on board his h Heredotus, lib. 2. veffel. 236 T^he History of veffel, which were immediately exe- cuted; and Paris being brought be- fore the governor, was thus addrefled by him, “ If I was not very unwilling to put ftrangers to death, forced by the winds to take refuge in thefe territo- ries, I would revenge the injury thou haft done to that Grecian: thou haft {hewed thyfelf the bafeft of men, in violating the facred laws of hofpitality, and feducing the wife of one who en- tertained thee in his houfe with kind- nefs ; and as if it was not enough to debauch his wife, thou haft brought her away with thee, and to complete thy crime, haft robbed him of his treafures : therefore, though I cannot perfuade my- felf to kill a ftranger, yet I will not fuffer thee to carry away the woman, or the riches which thou haft plundered, but will detain both, and reftore them to thy injured hoft, upon his demand. And Ancient Egypt. 237 And I command thee, and thy com- panions, to depart out of this kingdom* within three days, under pain of being treated as enemies.” Thefe accounts of Herodotus and Ho- mer , which have bred fome confufion in the regal fucceffion, from a fuppofi- tion, that Proteus was king of Egypt , and Memphis the royal refidence, are only the beginning and continuation of the fame narrative. Paris could enter the Nile, by the Canopian branch only, which neceflarily leading him to Prote- us's province, fubjedted him to the ju- dicial notice of that governor, who hav- ing expelled the ravifher, Helen was re- moved to Thebes y and entertained In the palace, where fhe learnt the compoiition of Nepenthe from queen Polydamna 9 and was reftored to Menelaus by Thuoris, foon after the deftrudtion of Troy, which was 3 taken 238 The History of taken and burnt in the night between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth of Thar- gelion , the eleventh Athenian month, cor- refponding to the night between the ele- venth and twelfth of June : four hundred and eight years before the firft olympiad, eleven hundred and eighty-four before Chrift, and two before the death of Thu- oris, whofe reign clofes the nineteenth dynafty. The Twentieth Dynasty, and third of Theban Kings, containing the fpace of one hundred and feventy-eight years, is intirely unknown. The Ancient Egypt. 239 * *• / * * 5 , - - ; r»* • . ' l The Twenty-First Dynasty. S M E N D I S. Anno. A. C. 1004. THIS monarch Is alfo called in Kir- cbers Egyptian Oedipus , Simandius , Of, - mandrusy and Smerres. In the laft dy- nafty fome extraordinary revolutions, un- known to the prefent ages, muft have rent the Egyptian dominions : the fceptre was no longer fwayed by an Egyptian r the royal refidence was at Ttanis in the Delta y and Egypt and Ethiopia obeyed one fovereign ; a union by no means advantageous to Egypt , either in point of politics, civilization or arts ; the Ethi- opians , unacquainted with a regular fyf- tem 240 The History of tem of government, and thofe improve- ments which foften men’s manners, and are the fource of urbanity and order, entertained a rufticity in principle and aftion injurious and obftrudtive to re- gular difpenfations of juftice, averfe from the obligingnefs univerfally obferved by the Egyptians, and pernicious to their fpirit of emulation and ingenuity ; and indeed we hear very little of improve- ment in arts or fciences, from the firft . irruption of the Ethiopians into Egypt , until the re-eftablifhment of their na- tural princes, when their difpofition to arts and fciences always renewed its efforts, and broke forth with energy and vigor. Though Egypt fuffered in works of genius, and thofe qualities, which, re- fulting from mental ability, do moil honour to human nature ; yet the union with Ancient Egypt. 241 with Ethiopia gave them fuch an ac- ceffion of power, as made the friend- fhip of Smendis courted by the neigh- bouring nations : amongft others, king Solomon , a prince highly diftinguiftied for his wifdom and riches, not only entered into pacific engagements with him, but ttrengthened the alliance by a marriage with his daughter, and re- ceived the 1 city of Gazar in dower with the princefs. At this time Solomon appointed k Jero- boam to the office of overfeer of his work- men employed in building the temple and palace at Jerufalem , who being told by the prophet Ahijah > 1 that he fhould reign over ten tribes of Ifrael , incurred his matter's difpleafure ; and to avoid the 1 1 Kings, iii. i. * i Kings, xi, 28. J i Kings, xi. 31. R refentment 242 Tdhe History of refentment of Solomon , retired to the court of Egypt, and there married Atu> the queen's filler. This connection brought great troubles afterwards on Rehobobam the fon of Solomon , as will appear in the following reign. Smendis was a great lover of juftice, and of an amiable, mild, and humane difpofition ; too true a friend to the rights of mankind, to wantonly let loofe the numerous forces of two powerful empires, to defolate the world, he en- joyed refined pleafures in eafe and re- tirement, and in promoting the wel- fare and happinefs of his people, which does not appear to have luffered any material interruption, until his death filled their hearts with forrow and la- mentation. He filled the throne fix and twenty years, and was fucceeded by his fon PSEU- Ancient Egypt 1 . 143 PSEUSENNES, or SESAC, Anno. A. C. 978. THE youthful adtions of princes are feldom recorded ; none but thofe of the moft illuftrious charadter, and of thefe only fome particulars : the condudt of Pfeufennes, during his father’s life-time, was regular and decent ; he knew how to obey, but not to command; The ar- bitrary power he was inverted with, to- gether with the throne, had in the laft reign, in the hands of a placid, humane and magnanimous prince, filled his coun- try with happinefs, and made every in- dividual look up to his fovereign with Veneration, confidence and regard : to a penetrating genius, were united in Smen - ► R 2 dis 0 244 27* History of dis nice fenfations, and the moft oblig- ing difpoiition ; enjoying too ftrong an intellect to be milled by interefted in- finuations, or delegate the guidance of his faculties to others, he looked into the affairs of his people, and directed the bufinefs of his kingdom according to the dictates of his own good heart, and ability : fuch a union of excellent qualities, could not but advance the hap- pinefs and welfare of the nation ; but how feldom is fuch a union to be found ? If it is at all defective, the confequences muft be fatal. Human nature is too weak to be intrufted with unlimited power; it requires reftraint : in being raifed above the laws, fear, that excel- lent fupport of morals, is extinguished ; reafon muft be too offenfive to the will, to be attended to, and no power remains to curb the capricious temper from vi- olence and rage : whoever reads the hiftcry Ancient Egypt. 245 hiftory of Suetonius will fh udder at its horrid effects. Pfeufennes, a prince of tottering prin- ciples, was eafily fwayed from the lit- tle flock of habitual virtue and mo- deration he poffeffed; too mean in his capacity to meafure the w r orth of things, by the ftandard of reafon, he fubftituted his will, in its place, and in the pro- fecution of his defires, trampled on the laws, broke civil obligations, fhut up the temples, and forbad any facrifices or adoration to be paid to the gods. A fimilitude of difpolition attached him to his uncle Jeroboam , w r ho re- lided at his court, and prevailed on him, foon after the death of Solomon his bro- ther in law, to engage in a war againft his coufin Reboboam, the fon of Solomon y who having cauled the ten tribes of R 3 Ifrael 246 Phe History of Ifrael to revolt, they, according to the predi&ion of the prophet, called Jero boam out of Egypt, and fat him on the throne of Ifrael, in which he was fupported by Pfeufennes at the head of an m army of twelve hundred armed cha- <( riots, lixty-thoufand horfe, and an in- “ numerable multitude of Lybians, Prog- “ lodytes , and Ethiopians with thefe forces, too powerful for Rehoboa?n to withftand, he entered ferufalem, carried away the treafures of the temple, the riches of the royal palace, and the three hundred fhields of gold, which Solomon made, each of which weighed three hundred fhekels, or three minae, equal to three pounds of the prefent weight, into Egypt, and there lavifhed them away in licentioufnefs and enormous buildings. * Jofeph. Antiq. lib. viii. cap. 4. He Ancient Egypt. 247 He built a bridge over the Nile, three thoufand one hundred and twenty-five feet in length, fixty in breadth, and forty in height ; the ftones of which, as well as thofe of the fecond pyramid, attributed to him, were dug in the Ara- bian mountains, to which they opened a canal from the Nik , and bringing the rafts within the quarry, immediately re- ceived the ftones on them, and conveyed them from thence to the fpot where they were to be ufed. By thefe buildings, and a general prodigality, PfeuJ'ennes exhaufted the treafures of his anceftors, as well as thofe he brought from Jerufalem , and * reduced himfelf to fuch poverty, that he bafely fubmitted to proftitute his daughter for gain. Thus wretched from his vices, he could neither fhake off his habits, nor bear to fee them in their true colours ; the fairnefs of a good charac- ter, fo ftrohgly expofed the turpitude and R 4 darknefs 248 T he History of darknefs of his own, that it was always irkfome and odious in his fight ; he fet his fon afide from the throne, becaufe his amiable difpofition tacitly condemned his infamy and bafenefs. He died univer- fally detefted, after he had been the fcourge of his fubjeds one and forty years, and left the throne to his brother NEPHERCHERES, Anno, A. C\ 937 - FROM the motive which raifed this prince to the throne, a fimilitude of difpofition to his brother, we are not at a lofs to colled: the general lines of his charader, though hiftory does not particularize his adions. Bunting is of opinion Ancient Egypt. 249 opinion that he is Vaphres, whofe letters to Solomon are to be feen in the ninth book of Eufebius s evangelical prepara- tion. After he had reigned four years, the throne reverted to his nephew AMENOPHTHIS, Anno A. C. 933 - THIS prince had long beheld the tyranny and impiety of his father and uncle with filent horror and averfion, and ardently wifhed to reftore the Egyptians to their religion, and former fituation ; but not daring to interfere, or declare fentiments, which had already loft him the crown, he prudently temporized, and fubmitted to his fovereigns inftitutions. Now 250 *Tbe History of Now poffefied of power, and at full li- berty to exert the dictates of his heart, he opened the temples, and reftored religious worffiip to its former channel, permitted the people to exercife their trades and occupations, encouraged their induftry, alleviated their wants, and brought the arts and fciences, which had been difregarded, into practice and reputation. He found the provinces and courts of judicature in the hands of thofe, who had been appointed to their offices in the late reigns, and according to the politics of the feafon, knowing no other rule of action, than their mafter’s will, expected the fame deference from their inferior officers, and all who applied to their departments; which had fo per- verted every principle of juftice, that they feemed rather the executors of ra- pine 1 Ancient Egypt. 251 pine and defolation, than the guardians of the laws, and protedtors of virtue. Thefe were immediately fuperfeded by men of integrity and abilities, who at- tending to a juft execution of the laws, reftored juftice, regularity and order, Amenophthis was of fo merciful a dif- pofition, that the death or punifhment of a criminal gave him great pain and uneafinefs. A refined morality and hu- mane temper gave him nice fenfations, and the mifery even of an offender af- fembled in his mind the moft commi- ferating reflections, and made him feel the importance of having a citizen’s life fufpended on his determination. This ferious warmth in the caufe of mercy, the firmeft and moft pleating fecurity of the perfons and property of his peo- ple, could never admit of capricious vi- olence, too often experienced in arbitrary governments \ 252 fhe History of governments ; and whilft it gave the fubjedt the comfort of knowing himfelf fafe in the enjoyment of his poflefilons, was the fource of internal felicity to the prince. There can be in no fcene of life a true tafte of enjoyment, without a difpofition to mercy ; fenfibility extends its influence to every faculty ; whilft it commiferates the wretched, and expands the tender powers of humanity to plead the caufe of the afflicted, it feeds the foul with the higheft joys ; the glad- dened heart of the wretched, and the defponding raifed to fatisfadlion and hap- pinefs, pour on it a flood of delight, and in difplaying humanity in the moft ex- alted point of view, demonftrates that the moft refined fenfations, will attend the pureft elevation of reafon and human na- ture* • Amenophthis Ancient Egypt. 253 Arnenophthis had happily adjufted the internal government, and by an un- wearied attention to the general wel- fare of his people, almoft obliterated the effects and remembrance of the two laft reigns, when he loft his favourite daughter, whom he buried in a Singu- lar manner : “ n Having caufed the image “ of a cow to be made of wood richly “ gilded, he put the body of his daughter “ into it. The cow was not interred, “ but continued near five hundred years “ afterwards, in the days of Herodotus , 4t expofed to view, in a magnificent “ chamber of the royal palace, in the “ city of Sals, where they burnt ex- “ quifite perfumes all the day, and lamps “ by night.” This calamity was Severely felt by Amenophthisy imbittered the refidue of 3 a Herodotus, lib. 2. his ^54 The History of his days, and gradually brought him to his grave. He reigned nine years, a fhort fpace for fo valuable a prince : he had no defire, like moft of his pre- deceflors, of perpetuating his name by magnificent buildings ; they were gene- rally diftrefiing to the people ; and though his genius did not rank him amongft the legiflators, and moft diftin^ guifhed kings, yet the happinefs his fubjedts enjoyed from his tender care, eredted a monument of him in their hearts, more durable and pleafing, than the moft fuperb maufoleum, or ftatues of gold or marble. During one hundred and forty-three years, from this period, which includes the refidue of this, and two fucceeding dynafties, nothing more is preferved of the Egyptian hiftory, than the regal fuccefiion. Anno Ancient Egypt. 255 Anno A. C. 924. Osochor fucceeded Amenoththis, and reigned - ----- 6 years. Anno A. C. 918. Psinaches reigned 9 years. Bunting fays, that the prophet Eli- jah, was taken up into heaven in the fifth year of this reign. Anno A. C. 909. Pseusennes the fecond, reigned 3 5 years. About this time flourifhed the poet Homer . The Twenty-Second Dynasty. Of the BUB ASTI TES. Anno A. C. 874. Sesenchosis afcended the throne, and reigned - - - 21 years, c Anno 256 The History of Anno A. C. 853. Osorthon afcended the throne, and reigned - - 15 years* Anno A. C. 838. Tacellothis afcended the throne, and reigned - - - 13 years* The Twenty-Third Dynasty* Of the TANITES, Anno A. C. 825. Petubastes afcended the throne, and reigned - - - - - 25 years- Anno A. C. 800- Os or th on the fecond afcended the throne, and reigned - - 9 years - Anno Ancient Egypt. 257 Anno A. C. 791. Psammus afcended the throne, and reigned ----- 10 years. The Twenty-Fourth Dynasty. Of the S A I T E S. BOCCHORIS, Anno A. C. 781. FROM the days of Sefojlris the Egyptian government, and fituation of affairs, were often wavering, irregular, and unfettled ; the feeds of power, and principles of arts and fciences were not loft, though negledted ; and we have feen the kingdom in a flourishing and S potent 258 ¥be History of potent condition, both in the time of the Trojan war, and during the twenty- firft dynafty ; yet even then, they made no improvements on the wife laws of Sefojlris , nor gained any additional re- putation in art, fcience, or politics. Many of the artifts had indeed retired from Egypt in the latter part of Se- fofris’s reign ; but fkilful artificers and men of genius ftill remained, as is evi- dent from the tomb of OJimandes , and other magnificent buildings, eredted af- ter that period. And though there arofe no genius like Sefojlris , to draw out the ability of the people, and cul- tivate amongft them an ambition to excel ; they had his code and maxims to condudt the government, and by their afliftance, fupported themfelves from confufion and obfcuritv> until the Ethiopians were in pofleffion of the throne ; who having no idea of fcience, 3 the Ancient Egypt. 259 the value of arts, or their fyflem of government, totally fubverted the lat- ter, and involved the former in almoffc utter ruin, from which they were pre- ferved by Amenophthis . Within the two laft dynafties, which I have been obliged to pafs over in filence, there rnull have arifen fome violent civil commotions in the king- dom, as the throne, before that time in the pofieffion of the Ethiopian family, was now filled by Bocchoris an Egyptian , a prince mean in his perfon, weakly in his conftitution, and fevere in his man- ners ; circumftances, which in another king would have incurred the con- tempt and difregard of a people prone to licentioufnefs and rebellion, as the Egyptians were, but in him they were not conlidered ; the fuperiority of his Wifdom and prudence, obliterated every S 2 idea 260 The History of idea of perfonal defedl. The delicacy of his confutation, which rendered him incapable of attempting to ac- quire military glory, was no interrup- tion to his mental faculties, but do- mefticating him, inclined his genius wholly to the regulation and internal concerns of his kingdom. Hitherto all the property in the kingdom had been veiled in the crown ; the lands were divided amongft the people, firft by Jofeph> and afterwards by Sefojiris , for an undetermined time, but not in fee, on condition of an- nually paying a ftipulated quit-rent into the treafury ; by this tenure, the leffee was iubjedl to a refumption, whenever the crown pleafed to exercife that power, and to be deprived in an inllant of the fruit of their own, and the labours of their anceflors ; which Bocchoru Ancient Egypt. 261 Bocchoris thought fo unfriendly to in- duftry and improvement, that he made it the firft objedt of his attention, to afcertain the rights of the crown, and point out the independent property of the fubjedh The laws of Sefoftrir which had been fet afide, were now reftored, and fuch others added, as he thought neceifary and beneficial to the ftate $ particularly the firft commercial laws, and 0 others relative to contracts and agreements. He enadted, that a debtor fhould be free from any claim, where there was no written proof of the debt : p and that thofe who lent their money up- on ufury, fhould not receive intereft, after it had doubled the principal. He fubjected all property to the payment • Diodorus, lib, 2. * Ut fupra. S3 of 262 "The History of of debts, but would not permit the body of the debtor to be feized, a$ the ftate required his affiftance in peace and war, thinking it unjuft and im- politic, to permit the avarice of ,a cre- ditor to deprive the ftate of the fer- vices of a ufeful fubjedt. This law was carried to Athens by Solon, and there called the ScifaElhia . Finding that there was not fufficient money in circulation to fupply the exigencies of individuals ; to eftablilh credit, he made a law, by which his fubjedts were permitted to pledge the bodies of / , \ their fathers, for the payment of 3 loan ; and that if the debtor refufed to pay the debt, or died, without re- deeming the pledge, he Ihould be de- prived pf funeral rites. Thefe, laws judicioufly founded on the principles and difpofition of the Egyptians * Ancient Egypt. 263 Egyptians , were univerfally admired, and in force feven hundred years after the reign of Bocchoris , when Egypt was fubdued by the Romans . He was juft- ly ranked amongft their moft famous legiflators, and regarded as one of the wifeft and belt kings of Egypt. The only public building attributed to him, was a beautiful and magnifi- cent portico, on the eaft fide of Vulcan s temple. In the forty-fourth year of his reign, Sabacon , the Ethiopian, entered Egypt with a powerful army, and con- quered it; what became of Bocchoris after this reverfe of fortune, is not well known The * Eufebius , after Julius Africanus , fays, that j Boc- choris was taken in battle, and burnt alive by or- S 4 der 264 The History of The Twenty-Fifth Dynasty Of the ETHIOPIANS. S A B A C O N, Anno A. C. 737 - SA B A CO N’s late vi&ory opened him a way to the throne, and the fubmiffion of the Egyptians ; they, ever ready to transfer their allegiance, knew not what it is to love their king, and entertain a warm regard for a beneficent and excellent fovereign. Bocchoris , adorned with eminent virtues, the father of his people ; and the blood der of Sabacon ; this is fo foreign to the character of Sabacon , by /Elian and Herodotus > that it cannot be credited. royal Ancient Egypt. 265 royal funk, with their honour and fi- delity 5 truly does the hiftorian charge them with bafenefs : their ties, indeed, to their king, were only thofe of flaves to their mafter, from whofe glory or diigrace, they received no confequence, or degradation. Was it pofiible to pal- liate the crime of breaking every focial and moral obligation, the merits of Sabacon may lay claim to that poffi- bility, and apologize for their ready obedience to him : contrary to the gene- ral difpofition of the Ethiopians , he encouraged men of ingenuity, q was pious and juft, and of r fo merciful a temper, that he did not put one Egyp- tian to death during his refidence in Egypt , and totally abolifhed the laws which inflidted death on delinquents. He employed malefadtors in the moft * iEIian. r Herodotus, lib. 2. laborious 266 The History of laborious works, that whilft they were rendered of public utility, that may deter others from male practices. A punifhment more dreadful to malefac- tors than death. Many of the moft abandoned would feel the keeneft grief and mortification, in being feen by their relations, and former reputable aflo- ciates, chained to a barrow, or in the habit of flaves, labouring on the pub- lic roads, or fortifications, who confi- der immediate execution as a friendly relief from a burthenfome exigence. Sabacon obferving the danger the cities were expofed to, from the lownefs of their fituation, ordered the criminals to carry a quantity of earth, proportioned to their crimes, to the cities they inhabit- ed ; by which means, the cities were elevated, and rendered more healthy and beautiful. The earth taken out of Sefof- tris s aquedudts and canals, had been ap- plied Ancient Egypt. plied by him to this ufe, and was very fer- viceable in protecting the cities from the ill effects of the inundations of the Nile*, and it is a matter of furprize, that no one of the many kings, who reigned between Sefojiris and Sabacon, purfued a plan fo obvioufly beneficial tp the public. The city of Bubajlis was particular- ly improved by this law, in point of commodioufnefs and elegance, though not in reputation, as it handed down to pofterity, no honourable character of the difcipline of the city, nor left the leaf!: room to admire and applaud the morals of the inhabitants. < (according to EufebiusJ by Merres , an Ethiopian ; of whom, or the other eleven kings, we find very little re- corded, until Pfammitichus fwayed the fceptre in Sais* The Twenty-Sixth Dynasty. Of the S A I T E S. Anna A. C. 693. Merres feized the throne, and held it------ - 12 years. Anna 286 fhe History of Anno A. C. 68 1. Stephinates feized the throne, arid held it - ----- 7 years- Anno A. C. 674. Nechepsos feized the throne, and held it-- - - - - -6 years. Anno A. C. 668. Necho feized the throne, and held it - - - - -- -8 years. Necho was killed in battle by the king of Ethiopiciy c when Pfammitichus , his fon, fled into Syria , from whence he was recalled by the other kings, after the Ethiopians had evacuated Sais. c Herodotus, lib. 2. P S A M- Ancient Egypt. 287 PSAMMITICHUS, Anno. A. C. 660. THE ufurpers, well acquainted with the difpofition of the people to violence and refentment, afted in their feveral kingdoms with caution and addrefs ; they conflituted each a counfel of a few fele£t perfons, to infpeft and tranf- adt public affairs, confirmed the old laws and cuftoms, and backing fuch new regulations, as they thought ne- ceffary for the good of their king- doms, by a {landing army, eftablifhed fubjedtion and order. Yet, notwithflanding their precau- tion, it was in danger of not being durable ; 288 The History of durable compulflon influenced ; no ila^ tural or moral obligation tied them to their mailer ; and whenever thofe arts and means flept, by which the princi- pality was gained, or the fovereign was found defective in art, or penetration, his potver muft totter, and his adhe- rents could have no fcruple to difpoflefs him of a throne, to which they could lay as good a claim as himfelf. This, the fovereign was aware of, and there- fore, looked into every man’s condudt with a fcrutinizing fufpicious eye, and lifted every a£tion and defign. The kings entered into a ftrift offen- live and defend ve alliance, indifpenfa- bly necefiary to relilt the incurlions of their powerful neighbours, and mutu- ally countenance and fupport each other’s authority in their feveral kingdoms. But a union between princes of their complexion. Ancient Egypt. 289 Complexion, whom no principles re- trained from treachery, could not be lafting. They had been witneffes to each others chicanery and fubtilty ; and fufpe&ing every incidental infringement of treaty, to be a premeditated attempt to aggrandize power, were continually engaged in controverfy and cabals. Before their feuds dilfolved the ge- neral alliance, they concurred in build- ing a maufoleum, called the Labyrinth, by the lake Mceris 9 to be a monu- ment of their reign, and receive their bodies when dead “ This d building,” Herodotus , who examined it very care- fully, fays, “ exceeded in magnifi- cc cence every ftrudture he had feen, “ or heard of ; it contained twelve d ' Herodotus, lib. 2. * Deedalus is faid to have built his labyrinth at Crete , after the above model. u “ vaulted Zgo The History of “ vaulted halls, to which you entered “ by the fame number of doors,, fix “ towards the north, and fix towards “ the fouth ; over which, were fifteen ** hundred chambers, and the like num- “ ber beneath ; which being the fe- tfC pulchres of the kings, and holy - €t crocodiles, were held facred, and “ kept from the fight of ftrangers. “ c The communication between the “ various apartments, was fo exceed- 4€ ly intricate, that without a guide, “ it was impoflible to explore them. “ The roof and walls were of white “ marble, adorned with various pieces 41 of fculpture. The ceiling of the * € halls, was fupported by white mar- 4 ‘ ble pillars, highly polifhed. At u the angle, which terminated the la- byrinth, was a pyramid forty fa- “ thorns in height, entered by a fub- * Strabo, lib* 17. page 1165. 5 “ terraneous Ancient Egypt, 29 1 u terraneous paffage, and adorned with figures of animals larger than life.” This is the only monument record* ed to have been built by the twelve kings, between whom the alliance had fubfifted fome years, without material interruption ; when, meeting on an ap- pointed day, to facrifice in the temple of Vulcan at Memphis , and being about to offer a libation, on the laft day of the folemnity, the high prieft forgot to bring one of the twelve golden bowls, which were made for the kings ufe on thefe public folemnities ; the prieft did not difcover his omiffion, until he had delivered a bowl to each of the kings, excepting Pfammitichus , who ftood laft in rank ; and not being wilW ing to interrupt the facrifice by delay, took off his brazen helmet, and hold- ing it in his hand, performed the liba- tion ; each of the otljer kings had an hel>- \J% met 292 Phe History of met like Pfammitichus 's, and wore it a t that time 3 nor had Pfammitichus any concerted defign in offering the libation out of his helmet ; but the other kings recollecting a prediction cf the oracle, “ That he who offered a libation out “ a brazen bowl, fhould be king of “ all Egypt ,” — though they would not put him to death, (becaufe on exami- nation, they found him innocent of any evil intention) unanimoufly agreed to deprive him of his territories, and banifh him to the fens, with a ftriCt injunction not to interfere in the affairs of Egypt . Breathing revenge againfl the authors of his difgrace, he fent to confult the oracle of Latona , in the city of Butus, and was informed by it, “ That he fhould be revenged by men “ of brafs, fuddenly riling out of the “ fea.” Not comprehending the pof- fibility of receiving fuccour from men of brafs, he conceived not the leaft # hopes Ancient Egypt. 2 93 hopes from the anfwer of the oracle. Not long after, fome Ionian and Carian pirates, driven by a tempeft on the Egyptian coaft, landed in brazen ar- mour. An Egyptian , who had never before feen men armed in that manner, went to the fens, and acquainted Pfam- mitichus , that men of brafs, rifen out of the fea, were ravaging the country : he, no longer doubting of the accom- pliihment of the prediction, by pro- mifes of ample rewards, engaged the Ionians and Carians in his intereft, and by their affiftance, fubdued and de- throned the other kings. The civil wars being now entirely ended, and the twelve kingdoms united under one prince, Pfammitichus added a portico to Vulcan s temple, at Mem- phis, facing the fouth 3 and in the front pf the portico, built an edifice for the U 3 refidence 294 72 * History d/' refidence of Apis, adorned it with a variety of figures in fculpture, and furrounded it with colofiean ftatues eighteen feet high. His attention was foon withdrawn from the indulgence of his tafte and piety, to the prefervation of his domi- nions ; the ancient enemies of Egypt , the AJfyrians, made incroachments on the frontiers of his kingdom, and forced him into a war, the particulars of which are not known. We find him likewife engaged in a war with the Syrians, which continued the greater part of his reign, (the fiege of Azotus, the moft memorable for its duration on record, lading nine-and- twenty years) and was produdtive of events mod: important and advantage- ous to his people. The Greeks who ferved Ancient Egypt. 295 ferved him in the civil wars, and con- tributed fo particularly to his victories over the confederate kings, were at this time in his army, and in a general en- gagement complimented with the poft of honour ; a diftindtion probably re- fulting from the gratitude of Pfammi - tichus s difpofition, but devoid of found policy and wifdom ; he did not fore- fee the confequence of degrading the Egyptian reputation, wounding their fpirit of emulation, and defire of fame : they would not forfake their king in his exigence, juft entering upon the battle, nor bafely fubmit to have their -natural honours planted on a foreign brow, but nobly fhewed their refen t- ment, fought with furprizing bravery, gained a complete victory, manifefted that they were not unworthy of the honour, which their fovereign confer-* j-ed upon ftrangers ; and to avoid the U 4 Ufcc The History of like difgrace in future, two hundred thoufand men immediately quitted the camp, nor could the moft earneft importunities prevail on them to re- turn. f They marched to the confines of Ethiopia , and there feleCting a con- venient fituation, eftablifhed an inde- pendent ftate. The defertion of almoft one half of his army, muft have been fatal to a prince bent on military glory, and weakened the nation very materially, in a lefs provident reign than the pre« fent; but Pfammitichus , attentive to the real advantage of his kingdom, made this incident productive of the greateft benefit and honour to his coun- try. His intercourfe with the Greeks . , had fhewn him the folly of the Egyp- ,f Diodorus. tian Ancient Egypt. 297 imn fuperftitious dread of the fea, the benefits accruable to a ftate from mari- time commerce, and a free communi- cation with the world ; and made him refolve, to compenfate for the lofs of fo many fubjedts, 2 to open his ports, favour navigation, encourage ftrangers to fettle in his dominions, and allow them particular privileges. He reward- ed the Carians and Ionians , with great liberality from his treafury, and h fettled on them lands in fee, on both fides of the Nile ; a tenure never before granted to any fubjedt : and to eradicate the il- liberal opinion the Egyptians entertain- ed of all foreigners, he educated his children in the Greek language and manners z . From this period the Egyptians be- came more poliihed, the intercourfe of £ Diodorus. h Hercdot. lib. 2. 1 Diodorus. other zcj% The History of other nations refined their addrefs, ex- panded their fentiments, and giving a pleating urbanity to their learning and {kill, caufed fpeculative men to refort / to Egypt from various parts of Greece and Afia, as to the feat of polite learn- ning and profound erudition. This amiable change of difpofition, and improvement in Egyptian politics, was in danger of being ruined in its infancy, by the Scythians , a favage people, who had ravaged upper Afia x entered Syria , and threatened Egypt with an invation, in no condition to oppofe their vi&orious armies. To avert a ftorm, which could not but be fatal to all his labours, and excel- lent regulations, Pfammitichus went to the Scythian camp in Syria, and fo fkil- fully applied his attentions and pre- fents. Ancient Egypt. 29 9^ fents, that they retreated* and left Egypt undifturbed*. This judicious ftep, which evident- ly fhews the penetration, addrefs, and difcernment of Pfammitichus , is the laft recorded of that excellent prince, and may be confidered amongft his moll beneficial addons, as it preferved, what had been adjulled with fo much wif- dom and fuccefs, and continued to his people, the power of cultivating that field of wealth and elegance, which he had opened to his dominions. He died in the forty-fourth year of his reign, at Sais his capital, full of glory, and was buried there in the temple of Minerva \ k Strabo, lib. 17. P H A- 3 GO The History of PHAROAH NECHO, Anno A. C. 616. \ * * . THE commercial fyftem, which Pfammitichus had eftablifhed, made a great alteration in the Egyptian genius and difpofition ; it removed their fu- perftitious dread of the fea, diffufed an air of bufinefs, alacrity, and dili- gence, and gave them more liberal fen- timents of men and things. With thefe advantages Pharoah Necho afeend- ed his father’s throne. The refradtory and difeontented fpirit, too prevalent heretofore, was now fubfided, and una- nimity fucceeding in its place, Pharoah Necho had the faireft opportunity of exerting Ancient Egypt. 301 exerting a natural ftrong genius, in- formed by the beft 'Egyptian and Grecian mafters. The advantages accruing from com- merce and navigation, had even in its infancy, fo evident a tendency to en- rich and ftrengthen the kingdom, that Pharoah ufed his utmoft endeavours to improve and enlarge them : with this view, he began a canal, to open a communication between the Red Sea, and the Nile ; a plan, the great Sefof- tris could not accomplish, and which Pharoah was obliged to relinquilh, after he had loft an hundred and twenty thou- fand men in the attempt. Could he have executed his delign, he forefaw, that fuch a communication, giving great facility and fecurity to the conveyance of commodities from the eaftern o- cean, to the various parts of the weft, would 302 rfhe History of would have made Egypt the centre of commerce* Defifting from this enterprize, he turned all his thoughts to the enlarge-* ment of his marine, and built two fleets, one on the Mediterranean , the other on the Red Sea : having manned the latter with expert Pbenician failors, he determined on the vafl: project, of fending it to explore the coafl: of Africa , very imperfectly known at that time. Sefojlriss fleet failed to the gulph of Ormnsy and 1 Solomons to Ophir y from whence it brought gold, precious ftones, filver, ivory, apes and peacocks. Various have been the conjectures, where the country called Ophir , is Ac- tuated ; nor has it ever been fo clear- iy 1 i Kings, chap, x, ver. II, 22. Ancient Egypt. 303 ly proved, as to give univerfal fatisfac- tion : in fo obfcure a difquifition* that place which could be found with the greater facility, is pointed out by cre- dible ancient authors, and produced all the commodities mentioned in the book of Kings , has the advantage in point of probability. There are two places in particular contended for, by the learned world : the ifland of Ceylon , off the fouthern^ moft point of the coaft of Coromandel ; and S of ala, a country on the eaftern coaft of lower Ethiopia , oppofite to which is the ifland Madagafcar . Ceylon and the adjoining Cherfonefus , and Sofala , alike abounded in the com- modities brought home in Solomon* fleet, excepting one particular. The diftance of each place, from the Red Sea, 304 History of Sea, is fuch, that a voyage to either" might have been accomplifhed by thefe early navigators, in the time Solomons fleet was abfent. This parity does not continue in every particular : not to infift on the dangers they muft have encountered in travel- ing the gulphs of Ormus, Scindi, and Cambray, in doubling cape Comorin , in their little gallies, and abundant other circumftances, which muft immediately occur, and wound the credibility of that voyage, w T e cannot but remark that the learned Bocbart, and other ingenious writers advocates for Ceylon , reft their opinion, on their derivation of the name of the ifland. If derivation is fufft- cient to conftitute an opinion, a po- litive name muft have much more evi- dence 5 Sofala is now called by the fame name (all but the mutation of a letter) 5 Ophir Ancient Egypt. 305 Ophir was known by to the ancients, in the Greek verfion of 1 Kings , cap. ix. ver. 28, it is called 2+35 3 *4 X 4 At 312 The History of At this period the reputation, power, and grandeur of ancient Egypt were in their meridian ; the arts neceflary to the conveniency of fociety, and the magni- ficence of individuals, were pradtifed with elegance, and fciences reduced to an ac- curacy, they did not tranfcend for a long time after. Pharoah Necho had a for- midable army on foot, a fleet in the Mediterranean , and another in the Red Sea , and befides the proper dominions of Egypt , governed Syria , held Judea , and the provinces on the Euphrates (part of the AJfyrian empire) tributary, was courted by the Grecian ftates, and afpi- red to the fovereignty of Afm . ✓ Ajfyria , long formidable to Egypt , had been on the decline for fome years ; and at this time, through the effemi- nacy and inattention of its fovereign Sardanapalusy and the turbulent difpo- fition Ancient Egypt. 313 lition of fome of the nobles, falling in- to anarchy and confufion, became an cafy conqueft to Nebuchadnezar king of Babylon , a prince of boundlefs ambition and military genius; who confidering the provinces which Pharoah Necho had difmembered from the AJfyrian empire, as now belonging to his dominions, marched at the head of an army to recover them out of the hands of the Egyptians. “ p Pharoah being informed € * of Nebuchadnezar s defign, advanced “ with a numerous army to oppofe him, “ and foon coming, to an adtion, near (e the Euphrates , was routed with a “ great flaughter of his troops, and with “ the battle, loft the provinces, Syria * c and Judea ; the enemy perfuing his “ flying army to the walls of Pelujium.” p Jofep. Jud. Anti. lib. io. cap. 6. This 314 Ifife History of This unfortunate event, at once ter- minated Pharoah ' s ambitious views, and threw a cloud over the glory his great atchievements and merits juftly entitled him to : he furvived his Ioffes four years, and probably enjoyed his throne in peace. A P R I E S, Called in the Old Teflament, Pharoah Hophra. Anno A. C. 600. WE might have expected, that the moft early object of this monarch's at- tention would have been, to refent the difgrace his father had received from Nebuchadnezar > Ancient Egypt. 315 Nebuchadnezar , and endeavour to retrieve the honour of his country ; undoubt- edly his pride was mortified and paf- fions inflamed but prudence intervene ed, and reftrained him from action. The united power of the kingdoms of Babylon and AJfyria awed the world, and kept Apries from fo dangerous an enterprize. % yeboiakim, whom Pharoab Necho had feated on the throne of Judah, was carried away captive to Babylon , and Zedekiab being advanced to the throne by Nebuchadnezar , Apries entered into an alliance with him, and finding him- felf in no danger of an attack from the continent, “ q fent his fleet againfl: 1 q Herodotus, lib. 2. Diodorus, lib. i. Tremel- lius and Junius in Ezek. xxix. cap. Ufher ad ann. mundi 3415 and 3430, See, Bunting ad A. M. 3360. ,Alfted. in chron. Egyp. reg. tc the 31 6 The History of “ the Cypriots , Tyrians, and Sidonians, “ took the city of Sidon, and fome other ic cities in Phenicia , poflefled himfelf €C of Cyprus, vanquifhed the united fleets cc of Phenicia and Cypi'us, and returned u loaden with the fpoils of the enemy. cc r This fuccefs rendered him fo in- c * folent and vain as to boaft, that the “ power of a God, could not difpoflefs €t him of his kingdom ; to which Eze - “ kiel alludes, s when he calls him the “ great dragon, that lieth in the midft €( of his rivers, which hath faid. My “ river is mine own, and I have made “ it for myfelf.” The alliance with the king of Jit* dab , a prince tributary to Nebucbadne- zar, who could neither promote the interefl: of Egypt , or throw fufficient T Herodotus, lib. 2. 5 Ezek. xxix. 3. weight Ancient Egypt, 317 weight into the fcale of power, to pro- ted: it againft the armies of Babylon, could not be founded on any princi- ple of human policy, and can be only confidered as preparatory to thofe afflic- tions, almighty providence determined to pour on his kingdom. Zedekiah having withdrawn himfelf from the Babylonifh yoke, a powerful army under Nebuzar-adan , Nebuchad - nezar s general, entered "Judah, and in- verted Jerufalem ; in this diftrefs, * Ze- dekiah fent ambafladors to his ally A - pries, to require his afliftance ; who marched with a numerous army to his relief; but feeing the Chaldeans ad- vancing to attack him, retreated into his own country, and left Zedekiah ex- pofed to an enraged and too powerful 5 1 EzekieJ xvii. 15. enemy. 3i8 *The KTistory of enemy. This bafe defertion was fatal to Zedekiahy and Jerufalem fell into the hands of Nebuzar-adan , on the ninth of fune y in the year before Chriji, five hundred and eighty-feven, when the temple and palace were plundered and burnt to the ground. This in- famous violation of faith, immediately incurred the divine difpleafure, who de- clared by his prophet, u “ All the in- “ habitants of Egypt fhall know that iC I am the Lord, becaufe they have “ been a ftaff of reed to the houfe of cc IfraeL When they took hold of tc thee by thy hand, thou didft break, “ and rent all their fhoulder ; and ic when they leaned upon thee, thou “ brakeft, and madeft all their loins “ to be at a ftand/’ Nothing was ever more exadlly fulfilled than this denun-, ciation of vengeance. * Ezekiel xxlx. 6, 7. s iNebu* Ancient Egypt. 319 Nebuchadnezar , foon after the reduc- tion of Jerufalem y led his forces, by- divine influence, againft the haughty city of tyre, * “ whofe merchants “ were princes, and her traffickers the “ honourable of the earth.” The liege of this city was carried on x thirteen years, with inexpreffible labour and fa- tigue, and occalioned one of the molt me- morable declarations, and open difplays of almighty power exercifed in the con- dud; of human affairs, recorded in the facred books. 7 Son of man,” (fays, the Almighty to his prophet Ezekiel) “ Nebuchadnezar king of Babylon , caufed “ his army to ferve a great fervice a- “ gainft Tyrus : every head was made * Ifaiah xxiii. 8. x Diodes Per. Hift. lib. 2. Philoftratus Phcen. etlnd. Hift. Jofeph. Jud. Antiq. lib. 10. cap. 10. y Ezekiel xxix. 18, 19, 20, “ bald. 320 The History of “ bald*, and every fhoulder was peel^ “ ed : yet had he no wages, nor his “ army for Tyrus 9 for the fervice that “ he had ferved againft it : therefore, “ thus faith the Lord God ; Behold, I “ will give the land of Egypt unto “ Nebuchadnezar king of Babylon ; and “ he {hall take her multitude, and “ take her fpoil, and take her prey ; “ and it {hall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land “ of Egypt for his labour, wherewith €t he ferved againft it, becaufe they €t wrought for me, faith the Lord God.” * The baldnefs of the heads of the Babylonians , was owing to the preflure of their helmets ; and their peeled fhoulders, to their carrying bafkets of earth, and large pieces of timber, to join Tyre and the continent. Baldnefs was a badge of llavery, and, with the peeled {houlders, (hews that the con- queror’s army fuftained even the moft iervile labours in this memorable fiege. And Ancient Egypt. 32 1 And another prophet fays % “ He {hall ci array himfelf with the land cf E- u gypt , as a fhepherd putteth on his cc garment, and he fhall go forth from thence in peace/’ How do thefe fublime expreflions fhew the facility, with which opu- lence, power, and grandeur* are car- ried away : when the Almighty con- duds the revolution, he transfers them as a garment to another perfon, whofe agency is no farther neceflary, than to receive and cloath himfelf with it* During the the thirteen years, which Nebucbadnezar had been engaged in the fiege of Tyre, the affiidtions of Egypt gradually unfolded themfelves in civil difcord j and breaking out into a rebel- a Jeremiah xliii. 12. v lion. 322 7 he History of lion, headed by Amajis y at the time he was on his return from fyre, he en- tered Egypt with his vidtorious army, as is fuppofed by the invitation of Amajisy laid wafte the whole kingdom, drove the unfortunate Apries from his throne, and paid (as was foretold) the wages of his army in Egyptian captives and plunder. The conqueft of Egypt by the Ethio - piansy the civil wars, and many other devaftations, which had at various times diftrefled this kingdom, were apparent- ly infignificant, to the mifery it fuftain- ed from Nebuchadnezars invafion. For- mer troubles ftagnated their liberal ad- vances to civilization, impoverifhed par- ticular diftridts, fpilt much blood, and trampled on the regal power ; however, they were not fatal to the being of the kingdom $ its natural refources, foon redlified Ancient Egypt. rectified temporary injuries, and revived its former fplendor and greatnefs. But Nebuchadnezar Tapped the fources of their ftrength : after fpreadihg defola- tion from Migdol, a frontier town, on the north, to Syehe , the fouthern ex- tremity of Egypt, on the confines of Ethiopia, he collected all the riches he could, drove crowds of captives be- fore his arfiiy to Babylon , and left be- hind him a body of troops under A - majis, to eftablifh his power in Egypt, who effectually executed his iiiftrudtions, and either brought over to his intereff, or cut off, the fhattered remains of the Egyptian army. The. only troops left to oppofe him, were thirty thoufand Greeks ; who, remembering with gra- titude the kindneffes they had received from Apries and his anceftors, attached themfelves to his fortunes, nor could be prevailed upon to defert him in his Y 2 diftrefs< 324 7 X* History ^ diftrefs. With this handful of men, the king venturing to engage the rebels in the plains of Memphis , was vanquifh- ed, and taken prifoner on the field of battle, from whence he was conveyed to his own palace in Sais, and ftrangled by the order of Amajis , according to the divine determination predidled by the prophet 'Jeremiah ; b “■ Thus faith, 44 the Lord, behold I will give Pharoah 4 9 Hophra 9 the king of Egypt , into 44 the hand of his enemies, and into “ the hand of them that feek his “ life.” What a flriking pidure does this prince give us, of the inftability of human greatnefs ? Within the fpace of one year, the moft flourifhing king- dom in the world, containing c twenty * Jeremiah xliv. 30. e Herodotus, lib. 2. thoufand Ancient Egypt. 325 thoufand cities, was laid wafte ; the king, whom fuccefs and opulence vainly flat- tered, that he was above the power of misfortune, was driven from his throne, forfaken by his fubjefts, and murdered by the man he had raifed to honour and diftinclion. He reigned thirty years, and was the laft defcendant of the great Pfammitichus . It does not appear that Apries made any improvement in the laws, govern- ment, arts, fciences, or manners of his people : his war with the Cypriots , i Tyrians , and Sidonians ,• engaged the for- mer part of his reign ; and the civil difturbances of his kingdom afterwards, were fatal to the growth and produc- tion of thofe excellencies, which adorn men and nations, and flourifh only in the calm repofe of peace, when the mind is undifturbed, and the genius unin- Y 3 fluenced 326 *The History of fluenced by paflion, conveys juft and beautiful ideas* inculcates civility, and the milder arts of pleafing, feels the impulfe of humanity, and imprefles on fociety more general benevolence, po- litenefs, and unanimity. The lefs mankind are civilized, the lefs reluctance they have to the effufion of human blood : about this time, a difpofition to war almoft univerfally pre- vailed, which they entered upon with favage ferocity, without plaji, or order. The height of their fkill in conducting a fiege, was to cut a trench round the city, and raife mounts equal to the for- tification, from which they threw mis- file weapons againft the enemy, whilft pioneers undermined the wall. The generality of fieges were little more than blockades, to reduce the enemy by famine, as thofe of ferufalem and Azotus . Ancient Egypt. 3 27 Azotus. In their wars they had no idea of fecuring advantageous polls, of ufing ftratagem to draw the enemy into an incommodious fituation, of laying am- bufcades, furprizing convoys, lining de- files, annoying the enemy in their march, fatiguing their army, by keep- ing it in continual alarm, harraffing their rear in a retreat, or reducing it when diftrefled for provifion, by adting on the defenfive, and protracting the cham- paign ; nor did they endeavour to make a river, wood, or morafs, protedt or fupport their troops in battle, or at- tempted to render an inferior army, equal to a more numerous, by engaging on a fpot, where great numbers could not be brought on to adtion. Manoeu- vres, evolutions, and the various arts now pradtifed in war, were then un- known 5 d they led on their cavalry, * Herodotus, lib, 2, Y 4 infantry, co 28 7 be History of infantry, and chariots, in one promif- cuous body to battle ; numbers decided the fate of kingdoms, deflation fpread wherever the vidtor came, and flavery awaited the captive : thus Egypt , full of wealth and riches, bleft with natu- ral elegances highly difplayed by art, and adorned and beautified with ftupen- dous works of genius, fell into the hands of Nebucbadnezar , and was over- flowed with blood, and the deftradtions of war. The death of Apries left the Hate in an anarchy, and laid Amafis under fome difficulty, how to fill the throne ; he did not want power to fupport his choice, but even tyrants wifh to flatter them- felves with fome appearance of virtue and propriety, though the eflence of it never didtated to them a Angle adtion ; in this dilemma, there pafied an inter- regnum Ancient Egypt/ 329 regnum of one year, when Amafis feel- ing the diftreffes the people fuffered for want of civil difcipline, and the im- poffibility of giving peace and fatisfac- tion to his country, without reftoring the ancient form of government, afcend- ed the throne, with the e approbation of Nebuchadnezar . e Ufher on the year 3432. A. C. Anno. 570. Interregnum. AM A- 33 ° The History of A M A S I S, Anno. A. C. 5 6 9 - THE Egyptians had fcarcely began to tafte the placid enjoyments of fo- cial quiet, before a reftleffnefs of dif- pofition and tendency to commotion dis- covered itfelf, in an irreverence for the king, excited by a reflection on the meannefs of his extraction ; the fpirit of inattention to fuperiors, and depre- dation, contracted in the civil diftur- bances, had only fubfided ; the licen- tioufnefs of that unhappy period, gave fo general a tafte for indolence, luxury, and diforder, that it was readily dif- pofed, on the firft opportunity, to re- new Ancient Egypt. 331 new the late troubles. Amajis faw the growing evil, and by addrefs, deftroyed the feeds of difaffedtion . He command- ed a large golden cittern, in which, they who came to vifit him ufually wafhed their feet, to be caft into the form of a god, and fet up in public ; to which, numbers continually reforting to pay adpration, he fummoned the people to attend him, and acquainted them, that the god they worihipped, had been a veflel applied to the vileft ufe, though now held in the higheft veneration : that he likewife, originally too mean to merit their particular regard, now raifed to the fovereignty, and not add- ing in a manner unbecoming that high rank, was intitled to, and expedted the attention due to their king. This fea- fonable, and fpirited difcourfe, had all fhe effedt he defired, fupprefled their 3 murmurings. 332 Tihe History of murmurings, and raifed his own re- putation. For him to introduce order 'into every branch of the civil government, which had been violated and difregarded by him, and teach fubordination and obe- dience to laws, who had trampled on all obligations and diftindtions in climb- ing to greatnefs, was no lefs extraor- dinary than arduous, and would indeed have been infurmountable to a mode- rate capacity ; but Amafs found no dif- ficulty, his inftitutions were fo wifely calculated to promote the public good, that they were always received with pleafure, and his perfonal attention to the tranfadtion of bufinefs, not admit- ting of any negledt or deception, juftice was adminiftered with exadtnefs, and the feveral departments of government conducted with admirable regularity. “ One Ancient Egypt. 333 cc f One law of his enabling has been “ recorded with particular applaufe, by “ which every individual was obliged «« to give an annual account to the “ governour of his province of his “ name, profeffion, and means of fub- “ fiftence ; and whoever could not give who “ fent me hither, with all thofe orna- “ ments inftead of his daughter ; I am “ the daughter of Apries his matter, “ whom he murdered, after he had re- “ volted with the reft of the Egyp- iC tians This intelligence fired Cam - byfes with refentment, and determined n Herodotus, lib, 2, z 3 him 34 2 ‘ The History ay him to attack the Egyptians . Another motive concurred to induce and faci- litate Cambyjfes's defigns againft Egypt , which was the arrival of Phanes a Gre- cian of Halicarnajfus, late commander of the Grecian troops in Egypt , a man prudent in council, valiant in adtion, and beloved by the foldiers ; who being difgufted with Amajis fled into Perjia , and joining Cambyfes , greatly contributed to the progrefs of his arms. Amidft thefe growing dan- gers, Amafis either ignorant of the ftorm gathering in Perfia , or vainly confiding in his own ftrength, wantonly renounced the Samian alliance, and there- by caufed Poly crates to join the Per-r fan fleet with forty triremes. Things were in this fituation, when death removed Amafis beyond the reach pf misfortune, and left Pfammenitus to ftruggle Ancient Egypt. n A JTJ ftmgglc with the tempeft his father had ftirred up. Amafis reigned four and forty years, and was “ n buried in “ the court of the temple of Minerva “ at Sais, within a magnificent ftruc- “ ture adorned with columns of ftone, “ of extraordinary dimenfions, refem- “ bling palm trees, and abundant other “ ornaments : in the centre of this build- “ ing was his tomb.” He was ranked amongft their legiflators. He is faid, particularly by Plato y to have been born of mean extraction in the city of Sais ; a circumftance by no means an hinderance to greatnefs in old Egypt ; there were no hereditary honours beneath the throne ; excellence only was noble ; where that was found, rank was confequent. This fyftem n Herodotus, lib. 2. Z 4 opened 344 TX* History oj opened the way for Amajis to exert his powers $ he was endued with a natural grandeur of mind, extenfive abilities, and fufceptiblity of the moft amiable virtues 5 but he did not difcover a li- beral or generous idea, any fenfibility of virtue, until a pofleffion of the throne had rendered the blackeft vices no longer necelfary to the mod: infamous defigns : he eftablifhed wife laws, and opened to the kingdom a channel of wealth and affluence ; having firft trampled on go-^ vernment, deftroyed all order, defolated the moft flourifhing kingdom in the world, and, unreftrained by gratitude, friendfhip, or focial obligations, im- brued his hands in the blood of his royal mafter, and climbed the throne, over the mangled bodies of his coun- trymen, who nobly died in their fo- vereign’s caufe. PS AM- Ancient Egypt. 345 r 5 / PSAMMENITUS, Anno. A. C. 5 2 5 * THIS prince, whofe juft fenfibility and magnanimity in affliction, fhewed an exalted and generous foul, would pro- bably have been a moft excellent king, had providence pleafed to have permit- ted him to exert his abilities. He had been vefted with the regal dignity no more than fix months, when the im-* pending ftorm burft upon his domi- nions. PJh?nmenitus was apprifed of the approach of the Perjian army, af- fembled his troops before the walls of Pelufium to oppofe the invader* but was compelled to retreat, and relinquifh not only that city, but all the Delta, without 1 346 Tie History of without bloodshed, by a ftratagem dic- tated by Phanes , who knowing the E- gyptian fuperftition, and the facred regard they had for particular animals % drove in the front of the Perfian army a number of cats, and other animals, held inviolable by the Egyptians , which not permitting them to throw their miflile weapons againft the Perfans , (left whilft they annoyed the enemy, they fhould wound fome of the animals, and be guilty of facrilege) they were obliged to retreat ; but foon finding that Cam - byfes meditated no lefs than the con- queft of all Egypt y and feeing their country plundered, and their families maflacred, defpair fuperfeded their fu- perftition, and they engaged the Per- fian army in the plains of Memphis ; the event was unfortunate to the Egyp- tians , • Ovzelius ad Minu. Faelicem. V Ancient Egypt. 347 tians y and Pfammenitus fell into the hands of the conqueror. • fit j '< \ rjftii * An event no lefs fatal to Cambyfes s reputation, than to Pfammenitus s per- fon and family. A well regulated mind will look down with pity upon fuch as are elevated by fuccefs, and feel a fliame for the imbecillity of human nature, which can forget its own weaknefs, and become giddy from the fufpenfion of its own forrow and trouble. The rufticity of the age claims our apology in many inftances ; the unenlightened ftate of their reafon, was denoted by the afperity of their manners ; humani- ty differed, but feldom experienced the rage which Cambyfes exercifed again ft Pfammenitus ; not contented with de- priving him of his throne and liberty, he loaded his wretchednefs with con- tempt, and tortured his tendered; affec- tions. 348 The History of tions. To fhew him the greater in- dignity, he lodged him in the fuburbs of Memphis , and caufed his daughter, in the habit of a flave, with the ladies of the firlt diftin&ion, to draw water daily from a well, to which they mull pafs be- fore his lodgings $ p “ and dragged his “ fon, and two thoufand young Egyp - “ tiansy before his eyes to execution, “ with ropes about their necks, and “ bridles in their mouths,” Thefe fcenes Pfammenitus fupported with furprizing fortitude ; not even a ligh, or the leaft emotion, difcovering his diltrefs ; until, obferving an old friend at a diltance, reduced to want, and begging his bread, his conltancy forfook him, tears llreamed down his cheeks, he beat his head, and groans burfted forth from his bofom. This extraordinary condudl being told to Cam- p Herodotus, lib. 3, fyfest Ancient Egypt. 349 byfes, by thofe, whom he had placed about Pfammenitus to obferve his ac- tions ; he fent this meflage to him : q €g Pfammenitus , thy matter Cambyfes i€ defires to know why, after thou haft u feen thy daughter fo ignominioufly “ treated, and thy fon led to execu- i€ tion without exclamation, or {hedding “ a tear, thou fhouldeft be fo particularly “ concerned for a poor old man, no “ way related to thee, as he is inform - “ ed.” To which Pfammenitus replied, “ * Son of Cyrus, the calamities of my “ family are too great to leave me the €£ power of weeping. But the misfor- “ tunes of a companion, reduced in “ his old age to extreme neceffity, may “ be juftly lamented with tears/’ Cambyfes was attested by this anfwer, and fent to flop the execution of the * Herodotus, lib. 3. * Ibid. young 350 The History of young prince, but the order came, too late, he had already fuffered : nor did the father long furvive him : being found intriguing with the Egyptians to re- cover his liberty, Cambyfes put him to death, in the year before Ghrijl five hundred and twenty-four. Thus fell ancient Egypt, never to recover its accuftomed magnificence and fplendor, under the dominion of an unpolilhed tyrant, who, having no idea of fcience, or the liberal arts, hated excellencies he could not equal ; and to the irreparable lofs of fucceeding ages, exercifed his rage againft thofe noble monuments of fkill and ingenuity, which have done the higheft honour to human genius, and railed the reputa- tion of Egypt above all the contempo- rary kingdoms. A Re- [ 35 1 ] A Recapitulatory Dillertation. TIT HEN we confider the daily * * improvement of European na- tions, in knowledge and invention, how urbanity, politics, and the liberal arts, conjointly advance ; we cannot but de- iire to know the caufe, that the arts received for a long time, lefs refine- ment in Egypt , than their manners, laws, and government. We find im- portant difco veries made in very early ages, with a rapidity that fills us with pleafure and admiration, in which we can fcarcely indulge ourfelves, before we are furprized by a ftagnation of ge- nius equally extraordinary. 7 The 352 A Recapitulatory The early eftablifhment of the Egyp~ tlan empire, which afforded the fairefl opportunity of cultivating the arts and fciences, feems not to have enabled them to tranfcend a particular point, and bring their inventions to exadtnefs. Their minds were riot expanded, to re- ceive ideas beyond a certain number, which were accumulated with readinefs, and entertained, without ftimulating their genius to exceed its narrow limits. This difregard, and infenfibility of ele- gance, mull have been derived from re- ftraint, and a want of incitements to excel. They had many laws and in- ftitutions, defervedly admired for their wifdom, at the fame time, that others eftablifhed inconveniencies highly preju- dicial to the community. Their exclufion of ftrangers from their country, diflike to novelty, and making profeffions he- reditary, were infurmountable obftacles 3 to Dissertation. to perfection in their difcoveries. An. hint from thofe who have received dif- ferent ideas of things, frequently opens the mind, throws an inconceivable light upon it, and produces a new chain of thinking : whilft the pride of being fatisfied with prefent attainments, and holding all innovation in contempt, de- bars every effort of genius, and deftroys a poffibility of accomplishment. \ They undoubtedly intended, by mak- ing profeffions hereditary, to advance the arts, fuppofing that men being con- fined to a profefiion, or bufinefs, with- out a poffibility of being promoted, or removed from it, would, having no am- bition to gratify, or object to divert their attention from their particular occupation, execute it with more Skill, and be reftrained from diflurbing the State. How foreign is this opinion to A a the 354 Recapitulatory the principles of human nature ? Does the happinefs of mankind depend on the difufe of the mental faculties ? Or is ignorance, the bafis of peace and civil agreement ? Are the paflions mofl reftrained, where reafon and intelli- gence lead: prelide ? Or can there be any public benefit in a fyflem devoid of every feed of that laudable, gene- rous, and noble ambition, the vital part of government, and foul of vir- tue and excellence ? Human faculties delight in progreffion, and will at- tempt to excel, if by that excellence they can attain reputation, a more ele- vated rank, or affluence ; but when thefe cannot be acquired, a difregard for accomplifhments, which produce no perfonal utility, mufl be entertained. Mechanics differed particularly, from this miftaken policy ; a artifans were * b Herodotus, lib. 2. confidered Dissertation. 355 confidered as the loweft clafs of the people, and contemned by the other orders, however they diftinguifhed themfelves in their art. What incite- ment then had they to induftry, far- ther than they were compelled by ne- ceffity ? or what inducement had they to afpire to fame, when the utmoft ex- ertion of their abilities could not obli- terate the indignity they were expofed to, or raife them above contempt ? In fo degraded and confined a fituation, without a motive to accelerate the ge- nius, it is not fo much a matter of furprize, that they continued the fame dull round of mechanical labours, as that they were not totally fuppreffed, from which nothing preferved them, but their being the only means of the mechanic’s fubliftence. A a 2 To 356 A Recapitulatory To this injudicious regulation, is likewife attributed, in a great meafure, the flow advancement of aftronomy, and other fciences : for not being fup- plied with proper inftruments, they could not take exadt obfervations, or ufe the advantages, which might have been reaped from their nearnefs to the equator. b “ They ftudied (as I have