14 See the Sadder, the fmalleft part of which confifts of moral precepts. The ceremonies enjoined are infinite and trifling. Fifteen genuflexions, prayers, etc. were required whenever the devout Perfian cut his nails or made water; or as often as he put on the facred girdle. Sadder. art. 14. 50. 60.

15 Zendavefta, tom. i. p. 224. and Précis du Systeme de Zoroastre, tom. iii.

16 Hyde de Religione Perfarum, c. 19.

17 Hyde de Religione Perfarum, c. 28. Both Hyde and Prideaux affect to apply to the Magian the terms confecrated to the Chriftian hierarchy.

18 Ammian. Marcellin. xxiii. 6. He informs us (as far as we may credit him) of two curious particulars; 1. that the Magi derived fomè of their most fecret doctrines from the Indian Brachmans; and, 2. that they were a tribe or family, as well as order.

19 The divine inftitution of tythes exhibits a fingular inftance of conformity between the law of Zoroafter and that of Mofes. Thofe who cannot otherwife account for it, may fuppofe, if they please, that the Magi of the latter times inferted fo useful an interpolation into the writings of their prophet.

22 Pliny (Hift. Natur. 1. xxx. c. I.) obferves, that magic held mankind by the triple chain of religion, of phyfic, and of astronomy. 23 Agathias, l. iv. p. 134.

24 Mr. Hume, in the Natural History of Religion, fagaciously remarks, that the moft refined and philofophic fects are conftantly the moft intolerant.

25 Cicero de Legibus, ii. 10. Xerxes, by the advice of the Magi, deftroyed the temples of Greece.

26 Hyde de Rel. Perfar. c. 23, 24. D'Herbelot Bibliothéque Orientale Zerdusht. Life of Zoroafter in tom. ii. of the Zendavefta.

27 Compare Mofes of Chorene, 1. ii. c. 74. with Ammian. Marcellin: xxiii. 6. Hereafter I shall make use of these passages.

28 Rabbi Abraham in the Tarikh Schickard, p. 108, 109.

29 Bafnage Hiftoire des Juifs, 1. viii. c. 3. Sozomen, 1. ii. c. t. Manes, who fuffered an ignominious death, may be deemed a Magian, as well as a Chriftian heretic.

30 Hyde de Religione Perfar. c. 21.

31 Thefe colonies were extremely numerous. Seleucus Nicator founded thirty-nine cities, all named from himself, or fome of his relations (fee Appian in Syriac. p. 124.). The era of Seleucus (ftill in ufe among the Eastern Chriftians) appears as late as the year 508, of Christ 196, on the medals of the Greek cities within the Parthian empire. See Moyle's works, vol. i. p. 273; etc. and M. Freret, Mem. de l'Académie, tom. xix.

32 The modern Perfians diftinguish that period as the dynasly of the kings of the nations. See Plin. Hift. Nat. vi. 25.

33 Eutychius tom. i. p. 367. 371. 375.) relates the fiege of the island of Mefene in the Tigris, with fome circumftances not unlike the ftory of Nifus and Scylla.

34 Agathias, ii. 164. The princes of Segeftan defended their independence during many years. As romances generally transport to an ancient period the events of their own time, it is not impoffible, that the fabulous exploits of Ruftan prince of Segeftan may have been grafted on this real hiftory.

35 We can scarcely attribute to the Perfian monarchy the sea coaft of Gedrofia or Macran, which extends along the Indian Ocean from Cape Jask (the promontory Capella) to Cape Goadel. In the time of Alexander, and probably many ages afterwards, it was thinly inhabited by a favage people of Icthyophagi, or Fishermen, who knew no arts, who acknowledged no mafter, and who were divided by inhofpitable deferts from the rest of the world. See Arrian. de Reb. Indicis.) In the twelfth century, the little town of Taiz fuppofed by M. d'Anville to be the Tefa of Ptolemy) was peopled and enriched by the refort of the Arabian merchants. (See Geographie Nubiens, p. 58, and d'Anville Geographie Ancienne, tom. ii. p. 283.) In the laft age the whole country was divided between three princes, one Mahometan and two Idolaters, who maintained their independence against the fucceffors of Shaw Abbas. (Voyages de Tavernier, part. i. 1. v. p. 635.)

36 Chardin, tom. iii. c. I, 2, 3.

37 Dion, I. xxviii. p. 1335.

38 For the precife fituation of Babylon, Seleucia, Ctesiphon, Mo. dain, and Bagdad, cities often confounded with each other, fee an excellent Geographical Tract of M. d'Anville, in Mem. de l'Académie,

tom. xxx.

39 Tacit. Annal. xi. 42. Plin. Hift. Nat. vi. 26.

4 This may be inferred from Strabo, 1. xvi. p. 743.

41 That most curious traveller Bernier, who followed the camp of Aurengzebe from Dehli to Cashmir, describes with great accuracy the immenfe moving city. The guard of cavalry confifted of 35,000 men, that of infantry of 10,000. It was computed that the camp contained 150,000 horfes, mules, and elephants; 50,000 camels, 50,000 oxen and between 300,000 and 400,000 perfons. Almost all Dehli followed the court, whofe magnificence fupported its industry.

42 Dion, 1. lxxi. p. 1178. Hift. Auguft. p. 38. Eutrop. viii. 10. Eufeb. in Chronic. Quadratus quoted in the Auguftan Hiftory, attempted to vindicate the Romans, by alleging, that the citizens of Seleucia had firft violated their faith.

43 Dion, 1. lxxv. p. 1263. Herodian 1. iii. p. 120. Hift. August. P. 70.

44 The polished citizens of Antioch, called thofe of Edeffa mixed barbarians. It was, however, fome praife, that of the three dialects of the Syriac, the purest and most elegant (the Aramæan) was spoke at Edefla. This remark M. Bayer Hift Edeff. p. 5.) has borrowed from George of Malatia, a Syrian writer.

45 Dion, 1. lxxv p. 1248, 1249, 1250. M. Bayer has neglected to ufe this most important paffage.

45 This kingdom, from Ofrhoes, who gave a new name to the country, to the last Abgarus, had lafted 353 years. See the learned work of M, Bayer; Hiftoria Ofrhoena et Edeffena.

47 Xenophon, in the preface to the Cyropædia, gives a clear and magnificent idea of the extent of the empire of Cyrus. Herodotus (1. iii. c. 79, etc.) enters into a curious and particular defcription of the twenty great Satrapies into which the Perfian empire was divided by Darius Hyftafpes.

48 Herodian, vi. 209. 212.

49 There were two hundred fcythed chariots at the battle of Arbela, in the hoft of Darius. In the vast army of Tigranes, which was vanquished by Lucullus, feventeen thousand horfe only were completely armed. Antiochus brought fifty-four elephants into the field against the Romans by his frequent wars and negociations with the princes of India, he had once collected an hundred and fifty of those great animals; but it may be queftioned, whether the most powerful monarch of Hindoftan ever formed a line of battle of feven hundred elephants. Inftead of three or four thousand elephants, which the Great Mogul was fuppofed to poffels, Tavernier (Voyages, part. ii. 1. i. p. 198.) difcovered, by a more accurate inquiry, that he had only five hun. dred for his baggage, and eighty or ninety for the fervice of war. The Greeks have varied with regard to the number which Porus brought into the field but Quintus Curtius (viii. 13), in this inftance judicious and moderate, is contented with eighty-five elephants, diftin guished by their fize and ftrength. In Siam, where thefe animals are the most numerous and the moft efteemed, eighteen elephants are allowed as a fufficient proportion for each of the nine brigades into which a juft army is divided. The whole number, of one hundred and fixty-two elephants of war, may fometimes be doubled. Hift. des Voyages, tom. ix. p. 260.

5 Hift. Auguft. p. 133.

51 M. de Tillemont has already obferved, that Herodian's geography is fomewhat confufed.

52 Mofes of Chorene Hift. Armen. 1. ii. c. 71.) illuftrates this invafion of Media, by afferting that Chofroes, king of Armenia, defeated Artaxerxes, and pursued him to the confines of India. The exploits of Chofroes have been magnified; and he acted as a dependent ally to the Romans.

53 For the account of this war, fee Herodian, 1. vi. p. 209. 212.

The old abbreviators and modern compilers have blindly followed the Auguftan Hiltory.

54 Eutychius, tom. ii. p. 180. verf. Pocock. The great Chofroes Noushirwan fent the Code of Artaxerxes to all his Satraps, as the invariable rule of their conduct.

55 D'Herbelot Bibliotheque Orientale, au mot Ardshir. We may obferve, that after an ancient period of fables, and a long interval of darkness, the modern hiftories of Perfia begin to affume an air of truth with the dynasty of the Saffanides,

56 Herodian, 1. vi. p. 214. Ammianus Marcellinus, 1. xxiii. c. 6. Some differences may be obferved between the two hiftorians, the natural effects of the changes produced by a century and a half.

57 The Perfians are ftill the moft skilful horsemen, and their horfes the finest, in the Eaft.

58 From Herodotus, Xenophon, Herodian, Ammianus, Chardin; etc. I have extracted fuch probable accounts of the Perfian nobility, as feem either common to every age, or particular to that of the Saffanides.

7

CHAP. IX.

The modern philofophers of Sweden feem agreed that the waters of the Baltic gradually fink in a regular proportion, which they have ventured to estimate at half an inch every year. Twenty centuries ago, the flat country of Scandinavia must have been covered by the fea; while the high lands rofe above the waters, as fo many islands of various forms and dimenfions. Such indeed is the notion given us by Mela, Pliny, and Tacitus, of the vast countries round the Baltic. See in the Bibliotheque Raifonnée, tom. xl. and xlv. a large abstract of Dalin's History of Sweden, composed in the Swedish language.

2 In particular, Mr. Hume, the Abbé du Bos, and M. Pelloutier, Hift. des Celtes, tom. i.

3 Diodorus Siculus, 1. v. p. 340. Edit. Weffel. Herodian, 1. vi. p. 221. Jornandes, c. 55. On the banks of the Danube, the wine, when brought to table, was frequently frozen into great lumps, frufta vini. Ovid. Epift. ex Ponto, 1. iv. 7, 9, 10. Virgil. Georgic. 1. iii. 355. The fact is confirmed by a foldier and a philofopher, who had experienced the intenfe cold of Thrace. See Xenophon, Anabafis, 1. vii. p. 560. Edit. Hutchinson.

4 Buffon Hiftoire Naturelle, tom xii. p. 79. 116.

5 Cæfar de Bell. Gallic. vi. 23, etc. The most inquifitive of the Germans were ignorant of its utmost limits, although fome of them had travelled in it more than fixty days journey.

6 Cluverius (Germania Antiqua, 1. iii. c. 47.) investigates the small and fcattered remains of the Hercynian wood.

Charlevoix Hiftoire du Canada.

Olaus Rudbeck afferts that the Swedish women often bear ten or twelve children, and not uncommonly twenty or thirty; but the authority of Rudbeck is much to be fufpected.

In hos artus, in hæc corpora, quæ miramur, excrefcunt. Tacit. Germania, 3. 20. Cluver. I. i. c. 14.

10 Plutarch. in Mario. The Cimbri, by way of amufement, often slid down mountains of fnow on their broad shields.

II The Romans made war in all climates, and by their excellent difcipline were in a great measure preferved in health and vigour. It may be remarked, that man is the only animal which can live and multiply in every country from the equator to the poles. The hog feems to approach the nearest to our fpecies in that privilege.

12 Tacit. German. c. 3. The emigration of the Gauls followed the courfe of the Danube, and difcharged itself on Greece and Afia. Tacitus could difcover only one inconfiderable tribe that retained any traces of a Gallic origin.

13 According to Dr. Keating (Hiftory of Ireland, p. 13, 14.), the giant Partholanus, who was the fon of Seara the fon of Efra, the fon of Sru, the fon of Framant, the fon of Fathaclan the fon of Magog, the fon of Japhet, the son of Noah, landed on the coast of Munfter, the 14th day of May, in the year of the world one thoufand nine hundred and feventy-eight. Though he fucceeded in his great enterprife, the loofe behaviour of his wife rendered his domestic life very unhappy, and provoked him to fuch a degree, that he killedher favourite greyhound. This, as the learned hiftorian very properly. obferves, was the first instance of female falfehood and infidelity ever known in Ireland.

14 Genealogical Hiftory of the Tartars by Abulghazi Bahadur Khan: 15 His work, entitled Atlantica, is uncommonly fcarce. Bayle has given two moft curious extracts from it. République des Lettres Janvier et Février, 1685.

16 Tacit. Germ. ii. 19. Literarum fecreta viri pariter ac fœminæ ignorant. We may reft contented with this decifive authority, without entering into the obfcure difputes concerning the antiquity of the Runic characters. The learned Celfius, a Swede, a fcholar, and a philofopher, was of opinion, that they were nothing more than the Roman letters, with the curves changed into ftraight lines for the ease of engraving. See Pelloutier, Hiftoire des Celtes, 1. ii. c. II. Dictionnaire Diplomatique, tom. i. p. 223. We may add, that the oldest Runic infcriptions are fuppofed to be of the third century, and the most ancient writer who mentions the Runic characters, is Venan tius Fortunatus (Çarm. vii. 18.), who lived towards the end of the Exth century.

Barbara fraxineis pingatur RÚNA tabellis.