But the chief cause of this uncertainty in profane history, and the many errors in confequence of it, has arisen from the false delicacy of the Grecian writers; through whofe hands these histories have been tranfmitted to us. Their ears were

fo unneceffarily nice, that they could not endure to represent things in their native dress: but changed the names both of men and countries; in order to accommodate them to their own idiom and pronunciation. Nor were they content with bare inflexions of words and terminations; but were guilty of a puerile levity, in catching at every similitude of found; and thinking that the etymology of every name which they met with was to be found in the Greek: at least their language was a canon, by which all others were to be modelled. This was the standard, to which every thing was brought; and if they met with any names that would not abide the tryal, they deemed them barbarous, and entirely omitted them. Strabo fairly confeffes that this was his way of proceeding. 1 Ου λεγω δε των εθνων τα ονόματα τα παλαια, δια την αδοξίαν και άμα ατοπίαν της εκφοράς αυτών. The ancient hiftorian Cephalcon fays the fame. 2 Εμοι δε ἡ γραφη τι τερπνον, η ή τι χαριεν εμελλεν ἕξειν ονομακλήδην, ανευ πράξεων βαρβάρων φωνεοντι τυραννες δειλές, και μαλακες βαρβαρες; On this account 3 yofephus was afraid to mention the names of the persons who composed the family of his great ancestor Jacob; left they should prove uncouth to the nice ears of his readers: Ta μev ουν ονόματα δηλωσαι τετων ουκ εδοκιμαζον, και μαλιςα δια την δυσBut having made fome apology, and smoothed

κολιαν αυτων.

• Strab. Vol. 2. p. 1123.

and

2 Ex Twv Kepaλαwvos apud Eufeb. Chron. Can. Edit. Scal. p. 30. 3 Ant. Jud. Lib. 2. Cap. 7. Plato informs us, that Solon, who wrote concerning Egypt, would not admit the names of men or places into his poems, without a thorough alteration. Plato in Critia. This, I fuppofe, was effected two ways; either by changing the names to words the nearest in found; or tranflating them to fuch as were of the fame meaning.

4

and polished them, he at last ventures to produce them. Sometimes they only translated the names of places; which was fomething tolerable: for there was then a chance of recurring to the primitive language, and recovering the original; as the meaning would lead one to the truth. But they were too vain to be confiftent even in this: and what one advanced, another confounded; each thinking that he had a right to change things, and new model them to his taste. Above all things they strove to introduce their own gods and heroes; and to attribute every thing to their performance, wherefoever tranfacted. Their vanity was fo great in this respect, and their prejudices so strong, that it led them into a thousand childish errors: but, where they were not originally mistaken, they wilfully deviated; impofing names on places, and adding legendary stories, which they must know were foreign to the countries where they introduce them. Hence we are informed that one branch of the Nile was denominated from a failor of 7 Menelaus, and another from Peleus of Theffaly: that Perfeus gave name to Perfia; and that the Medes received their name from Medea; and what happened upon the occafion. For they were never guilty of a mistake, but they framed fome story to support it: hence Scaliger's farcasm; Græculorum eft mentiri, et falfa veris affingere. Pliny too is very fevere upon them on this head. He had often experienced their vanity and affectation, and had detected their idle notions: on which account he passes a bitter but just cenfure; 8 Mirum eft quo procedat Græca credulitas! nullum tam impudens mendacium eft, ut tefte careat. 9 Cicero fpeaks

7 Ammian. Marcellinus; Steph. Byzantinus &c, passim. Eufeb. Canon. Ifagog. Lib. 3.

8 Plin. Nat. Hift. Lib. 8. Cap. 22. Των δε της αληθειας ἱστοριων "Exλnues & pepunula. Theoph. ad Autol. Lib. 3.

9 Orat. pro Flacco. Sect. 4.

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speaks to the fame purpose: Tribuo illis literas, do multarum artium difciplinam :-teflimoniorum religionem et fidem nunquam ifta natio coluit. I know no writer of more eminence than Plutarch. He was a man of great depth in philofophy, and every species of learning; and has left behind a collection of most valuable tracts. Yet, maugre his fenfe and abilities, he is most shamefully trifling in the etymology of words; and, like the rest of his fraternity, is for bringing every thing within the narrow circle of his own little district. He was thoroughly acquainted with the high antiquity of Egypt : yet tells us that the goddess Ifis was called fo from the word 7 ria; that the Egyptian Anubis was derived from the Greek: word avw; the antient god Orus from gaw; and that Ofiris was quafi ἱερος. This prurulence of wit was contagious: none of the Greeks could escape it. The liberties they took, in the etymologies of words, as well as in the inflexions, was animadverted upon by Jofephus, as Bochart takes notice, 1 Ut Jofephus rectè obfervat, Græcis fcriptoribus id in more est, ut peregrina et barbara nomina, quantum licet, ad Græcam formam emolliant.-Sic illis Ar Moabitarum eft Ageoπoλis; Botfrá, Bugoa; Akis, Ayx85; Aftarte, Asgoagxn; torrens Kifon, xeiμagĝos Tw Κίσσων 5 torrens Kedron, 2 χειμαρρος των Κεδρων, et talia ὡσει κόνις. Bochart indeed fpeaks only of their foftening and accommodating the terms: but, in reality, both the mode and effence of the words is changed; fo that there remains nothing but a shadow for the substance. And Jofephus fhews a proper indignation in another place at their vanity; calling them to account for their high pretenfions; and accufing them of having sophisticated and ruined the best of antient history.

I

■ Geogr. Sacr. pars prior. Lib. 2. Cap. 19.

Πως

2. Πέραν το χειμαῤῥα των Κεδρων. Εtfi in omnibus libris eft h.ec lettio, quam et Nonnus agnofcit, tamen videtur D. Hieronymus in locis Hebraicis, ubi de Cedron agit et hunc locum citat, veram lectionem agnofcere, quæ eft τ KeSewv. I. Cafaub. notæ in Joan. 18. v. I.

3 Πως εν εκ άλογον τετυφωσθαι τες Έλληνας, ὡς μονες επιςάμενες τα αρχαία, και την αληθειαν περι αυτων ακριβως παραδίδοντας ; η τις επαρ αυτων συγγραφεων μαθοι ξαδίως, ὅτι μηδεν βεβαιως ειδότες συνεγραφον, αλλ' ὡς ἑκας οι περι των πραγματων εικαζοιντο; πλειον γεν δια των βι βλιων αλληλες ελέγχεσι, και τα εναντιωτατα περι των αυτων λεγειν εκ

σκνυσι.

Great part of the knowledge that we are poffeffed of, in relation to antient times, has been tranfmitted to us through the hands of the Grecians: for which we are to make proper acknowledgements. But when we confider how much more they might have tranfmitted, and how foul and turbid the streams are, that are derived to us; it takes off much from the obligation. In fhort, there is no medium to be held with this wonderful people. One while we gaze with aftonifhment at their extenfive parts, their exquifite tafte, * and the unparalleled beauty of their compofitions : at other times we cannot help looking down with pity and indignation, to fee all thefe leavened and ruined by a puerility and vanity, that the Goths were ftrangers to. Of this unhappy turn in the beft writers in Greece, and of the fatal confequences in regard to hiftorical truth, I fhall often have occafion to speak in the course of the following treatife.

3 Contra Apion. Lib. I. Cap. 3.

A SHORT

ACCOUNT

OF THE

GEOGRAPHY OF EGYPT.

TH

HE great misfortune that I have been lamenting in the writings of the preceding learned men, has been ` their fondness for hypothefis; by which they have been too eafily and too frequently feduced: this too at a time, when their learning gave them great advantages: and had they fet out at first upon good principles, it must neceffarily have led them to the discoveries they were aiming at. That I may not fall into the fame mistakes that I have been complaining of in others, I will give a fhort account of the history and geography of Egypt; at least of those parts with which I shall be principally concerned, as far as I can collect it from the best authorities. This being fairly stated will afford me good grounds to proceed upon in my fubfequent inquiries: that I may not mould and fashion the country to favour my own particular notions and prejudices; but make my system accord to the history and nature of the country.

I have mentioned that all to the east of lower Egypt was a defart: no provinces nor cities were there. I have proved it from the best accounts that I could obtain: and it will now be

my business to give the true fituation of these places, that have been fo mistaken and tranfpofed. It cannot be expected, that the form and limits of the Egyptian provinces are exactly the fame at this day, that they were in times past.

A