Ριψε ποδος τεταγών απο Βηλε θεσπεσίοιο *

The poet, who was a zealous copier of ancient mythology, mentions, that Vulcan was caft down by Jupiter from an eminence. He fays, that he was thrown aro Bλe; which must certainly fignify απο πυgye Brye, or απ' ἱερε Βηλε ; for the fentence is manifeftly elliptical.

He feiz'd him by the foot, and headlong threw

From the high tower of Belus.'

This is the purport of the paffage, and it is confonant to all hiftory.'

In this manner, and upon thefe principles, this learned writer has very fully analyfed the fables of the poets, relative to the wars of the giants; proving them to have been derived from true history, the enterprifes of the fons of Chus at Babel, and their fubfequent engagements with the family of Shem.

From this fubje&t the author proceeds to the Original Chaldaic Hiftory, as tranfmitted by Abydenus, Apollodorus, and Alexander Polyhiftor, from Berofus of Babylon. See Eufebii Chronicon.

From this chapter we shall only extract the following remarks on the origin of letters.

It is faid. [by Berofus] that both Oannes and Sifuthrus inftructed men in the knowledge of letters, and committed many things to writing. And it is the opinion of many learned men, that letters were not unknown to the people of the antediluvian world. Pliny fays, Literas femper arbitror Affyrias fuiffe. But this was only matter of opinion: and, as he, a profeffed geographer, makes no diftinction between the Affyrians and Babylonians, who were two very different people; but introduces the former by miftake for the latter; we cannot pay much regard to his notions in chronology. If the people of the first ages had been poffeffed of fo valuable a fecret, as that of writing; they would never have afterwards defcended to means lefs perfect for the explanation of their ideas. And it is to be obferved, that the invention of hieroglyphics was certainly a discovery of the Chaldeans; and made ufe of in the first ages by the Egyptians; the very nations, who are fupposed to have been pofiefied of the fuperior and more perfect art. They night retain the former, when they became poffeffed of the latter; becaufe their ancient records were entrusted to hieroglyphics but, had they been poffeffed of letters originally, they would never have deviated into the use of fymbols; at leaft, for things, which were to be published to the world, and which were to be commemorated for ages. Of their hieroglyphics

:

* Iliad, i. 59*.

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we have famples without end in Egypt; both on obelisks, and in their fyringes; as alfo upon their portals, and other buildings. Every mummy almoft abounds with them. How comes it, if they had writing fo early, that fcarcely one fpecimen is come down to us; but that every example fhould be in the lealt perfect character? For my part, I believe that there was no writing antecedent to the law at Mount Sina. Here the divine art was promulgated; of which other nations partook : the Tyrians and S.donians firft, as they were the nearest to the fountain-head. And when this difcovery became more known; even then 1 imagine, that its progrefs was very flow: that in many countries, whither it was carried, it was but partially received, and made ufe of to no purpose of confequence. The Romans carried their pretenfions to letters pretty high; and the Helladian Greeks ftill higher; yet the former marked their years by a nail driven into a post: and the utmost effort of Grecian literature for fome ages was fimply to write down the names of the Olympic victors from Corcbus; and to regifter the priest. effes of Argos. Why letters, when introduced, were fo partially received, and employed to fo little purpose, a twofold reafon may be given. First, the want of antecedent writings, to encourage people to proceed in the fame track. Where

fcience is introduced together with letters; the latter are more generally received, and more abundantly ufed. For the practice of writing, or, in other words, compofing, depends upon previous reading, and example. But the Cadmians, who brought letters to Greece, brought thofe elements only and thofe much later, I believe, than is generally imagined. Nor had the Helladians any tendency to learning, till they were awakened by the Afiatic Greeks, and the islanders, who had been fooner initiated in fcience. They bad made great progrefs; while their brethren in the welt were involved in darknefs. And this early knowledge was not owing to any fuperiority of parts; but to their acquaintance with the people of the Eaft, and with the writings of thofe countries; by which they were benefited greatly. Compofition depends upon fcience: was introduced in Hellas together with philofophy. Anaxagoras of Clazomene brought the learning of the Ionic fchool to Athens: he was fucceeded by Archelaus, of whom Socrates was a follower. Writing, I am fenfible, was antecedent: but at this time it became general. About this period, Theognis, Æfchylus, and Pindar fhone forth in poetry; and the ancient comedy was firft exhibited. After which, wonderful fpecimens of genius were in every kind difplayed.

Another reafon for this deficiency feems to have been the want of fuch materials as are neceffary for expeditious and free writing. The rind and leaves of trees, and shells from the feas, can lend but fmall affiftance towards literature; and ftones and Alabs are not calculated to promote it much further. Yet thefe teem to have been the best means, that they could in early times

procure, to mark down their thoughts, or commemorate an eyent, The Chaldeans and Babylonians are greatly celebrated for their wisdom and learning and they were undoubtedly a moft wonderful people; and had certainly all the learning, that could arife from hieroglyphical reprefentations. They bad, I make no doubt, the knowledge of lines, by which geometrical problems must be illuftrated; and they had the use of figures for numeration: but I imagine, that they were without letters for ages. Epigenes faid that the Babylonians, who were great obfervers of the heavens, had accounts of thofe obfervations for feven hundred and twenty years, written upon plinths baked in the fun. Epigenes apud Babylonios 720 annorum obfervationes fiderum coctilibus laterculis infcriptas docet gravis auctor in primis. Qui minimum, Berofus et Critodemus, 490 annorum. Ex quo apparet æternus literarum ufus. I can fee no proof from hence of the eternity of letters, for which Pliny contends: nor, indeed, do I believe, that letters exifted among them at the time, of which he speaks. For if they had been fo fortunate as to have had for a long time thefe elements, they were too ingenious a people not to have ufed them to better purpose. The Babylonians had writing among them fooner than most nations of the earth: but the years taken notice of by Epigenes were antecedent to their having this knowledge; at which time they were ingenious, and wife above the rest of the fons of men; but had no pretenfions to literature properly fo called. For, as I have before mentioned, I cannot help forming a judgment of the learning of a people from the materials, with which it is expedited, and carried on. And Í fhould think that literature muft have been very scanty, or none at all, where the means abovementioned were applied to. For it is impoffible for people to receive any great benefit from letters, where they are obliged to go to a fhard or an † oyfler. shell, for information; and where knowledge is configned to a pantile. As to the high antiquity affigned to letters by Pliny; it is impoffible to give any credence to that author, who from 720 years infers eternity, and fpeaks of thofe terms as fynonymous.'

Though thefe obfervations of our author feem to have great weight, yet when we confider, that the delivery of the decalogue on Mount Sinai was above 2500 years after the Creation, we can hardly fuppofe, that all these ages fhould elapfe, without the ufe of letters. Let us only reflect on the

*Plinii Hift. Nat. lib. 7. p. 413.

Some prefix M. or Mille to

the other numbers, and make the fums 1720 and 1490.

+ Oftracimus, Petalifmus, Liber, Folium, Tabella, Latercula. From writing upon leaves and shells, came the terms Petalismus and Oftracifmus among the Greeks: from the bark of trees came Libri of the Latins."

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progress of arts and fciences at Rome, between the time of Romulus and that of Julius Cæfar, during the space of 700 years; or on their progress in England, or in any other country, within the period of only eight or ten centuries, and we fhall be naturally led to conclude, that many very confiderable difcoveries, and improvements in literature, might have been made in fixteen hundred and fifty years, before the flood. To whatever state the antediluvian literature might have been advanced, it is hardly to be imagined, that any provifion was made for its prefervation in the ark. The writings of the antediluvians were undoubtedly tinctured with the impiety of thofe ages; and therefore were not worthy of being rescued from the general wreck. Befides, the prefervation of literature could hardly be expected from Noah, who was employed in building, in husbandry, and planting a vineyard. Gen. ix. 20.

The law was given by Mofes 857 years after the Deluge. But it is most probable, that the Ifraelites knew the ufe of letters before this time. If they did not, that law would have been totally unintelligible. Nifi ante legem datam, fays Voffius, literæ fuiffent, cui rei lex tabulis æneis Dei ipfius manibus fuiffet infcripta *?

The prophecies of Jacob, Gen. xlix, were faithfully preferved 200 years, to the time of Mofes; and therefore most likely in writing.

Before the law was delivered, Mofes, we are told, read in the audience of the people the Book of the Covenant. Exod. xxiv. 7. xxxiv. 29.

The Book of the Wars of the Lord, cited by Mofes, Numb. xxi. 14. feems to imply the exiftence of writing among the Jews, before the Pentateuch.

The author of the poem of Job is fuppofed by the moft judicious critics to have been coeval or prior to Mofes. And that writer alludes to literary compofitions, as things well known, when he fays, Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen, and lead, in the rock for ever!-Oh that mine adversary had written a book.' Job xix. 23, 24. xxi, 35.

If alphabetic writing had been first discovered at the promulgation of the law, it is natural to fuppofe, that the

* De Arte Gram. lib. i. cap. 9. Vide Huet. Dem. Evang. Prop. iv. cap. 2. num. 29, & cap. 13. num. 9.

† See Euseb. Dem. Evang. lib. i. cap. 6. Sulp. Sever. lib. i. cap. 21. Bp. Lowth's Letter to the Author of Div. Legation, p. 33, 74. Crit. Rev. vol. xx. p. 416.

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Jewila

Jewish hiftorians would have taken fome opportunity to men'ion this wonderful invention, which would have redounded to the everlasting honour of that nation*. A Jew informs us, A&s vii. 22. that Mofes was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.' But why does he afcribe the learning of Mofes to the Egyptians only, if Mofes derived the ufe of letters from a fupernatural teacher, or made that amazing improvement himself? Or in what could that learning confift, if letters were unknown in Egypt?

It will be faid, it confifted in hieroglyphics: and Mr. Bryant afks, how comes it, if they had writing fo early, that fcarcely one fpecimen is defcended down to us; but that every example should be in the leaft perfect character ?'—In answer to this remark, we may ask, how comes it that all the learned and ingenious productions of Greece, except a very fmall number, are funk into eternal oblivion? It is not likely, that the Greeks would help to tranfmit the writings of the Egyptians to pofterity, when they were remarkably jealous of their own glory and literary character, and had a contempt for all other nations.

But to answer the objection more particularly it is most probable, that the Egyptians ufed fymbols and hieroglyphic characters in all their infcriptions, because they were much fitter for that purpose than any other fpecies of writing, being infinitely more concife and comprehenfive, and perfectly intelligible to themfelves. Yet, at the fame time, they might ufe the alphabetic character, in their literary compofitions.

For these reasons we are inclined to think, that letters were in ufe in fome of the more civilized nations, before the promulgation of the law on Mount Sinai. But at what time they were actually introduced, is perhaps, at this day, not poffible to be known. This want of more information seems to be only the natural and neceffary confequence of a progressive discovery.

[To be continued. ]

• Divinum miraculum certè, ut ex xxiv. notis, & interdum apud aliquas nationes paucioribus, infinita vocabula, mentes diverfæ, contrariæ, actus omnium hominum, & ipfæ cogitationes poffint efficaciùs & perfectiùs, quam ipsâ picturâ reprefentari. Pet. Greg. Tolofanus de Repub. lib. xvi. cap. 2.