Part I: The Epochs, or Ages of the World

The first epoch immediately presents to you a grand and awful spectac le; God creating the heavens and the earth by his word, and making man after his own image. With this begins Moses, the most ancient of historians, most sublime of philosophers, and wisest of legislators. Thus he lays the foundation as well of his history, Tw j«nu as of bis doctrine and laws. Next he shows us all wori 4004. men contained in one man, and his wife herself ex- tracted from him; matrimonial union, and the society of mankind established upon- this foundation; the perfection and power of man, so far as he bears the image of God in his first estate; his dominion over animals; his innocence, together with his felicity, in paradise, the memory whereof is preserved in the golden age of the poets; the divine command given to our first parents; the malice of the tempting spirit} an'l his appearance under the form of a serpent; the fall of Adam and Eve, fatal to all their posterity; the first man justly punished in all his children, and mankind culled by God; the first promise of redemption, and the futurlB victory of men over the devil who tad undone them.

A.c. The earth begins to be filled, and wickedness in- a.m creases. Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, shows «ift the infant world the first tragical action; and from that »2d. time virtue dates her persecution from vice. There we see the contrary manners of the two brothers; the innocence of Abel, his pastoral life, and his ofleringi$ accepted; those of Cain rejected, his avarice, bis impiety, his fratricide, and jealousy the parent of mur* ders; the punishment of that crime, the conscience of the parricide racked with continual terrors; the first city built by this miscreant, now a vagabond upon the face of the earth, seeking an asylum from the hatred and horror of mankind; the invention of some arts by bis children; the tyranny of passions, and the prodigious malignity of man's heart, ever prone to evil; the posterity of Seth, faithful to God, notwithstanding that the pious Enoch, miracuously snatched out of the world, which was not worthy of him; the distinction of the children of God from the children of men; that is, of those who lived after the spirit, from those who lived after the flesh; their intermixture, and the universal corruption of the world: the destruction of men decreed by a Just judgment of God; bis wrath denounced against smners by his ser- •jics. vant Noah; their impenitence and hardness of heart 2348. punished at last by the deluge; Noah and his family reserved for the restoration of mankind.

This is the sum of what passed in 1656 years. Such is the beginning of all histories, wherein are displayed the omnipotence, wisdom, and goodness of God; in- " nocence bappy under bis protection; his justice in avenging crimes, and at the same time his long suffering patience in waiting the conversion of sinners; the greatness and dignity of man in his primitive state; the temper of mankind after their corruption, the nature of jealousy, and the secret causes of violences and of wars, that is, all the foundations of religion and morality. With inankind Noah preserved the arts, as well

se which were essential to human life, and which mea ' knew from their original, as those they had afterwards invented. Those first arts which men learned imme* diaiely, and probably from their creator, were agri- «b.iii. culture, t/ie pastoral f art, that of clothing them* - perhaps, that of building houses of Iheir cbau. accommodation. And indeed, do we not trace the Oh' commencement for these arts from those places of the east from whence mankind was propagated The tradition of the universal deluge prevails orer Hut. all the earth. The ark, wherein the remnant of mao* kind was saved, has ever been celebrated in the east, TO» J particular]/ ia those places where it rested after the deluge. Many other circumstances of that famousiLdk, he found marked in the annals and tradiAssyr. tions of aucieut nations; the times agree, and every thing answers as far as could be expected in so remote 4 1 u a piece of antiquity.

Neak the deluge are to be ranged the decrease of It Eos. man's life, the alteration of diet, and a new food sub- praep stituted iH placc of the fruits of the earth; some nVi2. precepts delivered to Noah; the confusion of langua- nm gesat the tower of Babe], which was the first monu- S|

'oent of the pride and weakness of men; the portion Tese terr. of the thrcc sons of Noah, and the first distribution of

" lands.

The memory of those three first fathers of nations has still been preserved among men. Japetus, who 2348. peopled the greatest part of the western world, baa;»47. continued famous there under the celebrated name of japhetb. Ham, and bis son Canaan, have been no less noted among the Egyptians and Phoenicians; and the memory of Sbem has ever lasted with the Hebrew people, who are descended from him.

A littleafter this first division of mankind, Nimrod, a man of a fierce and violent disposition, becomes the first conqueror; and such is the origin of G«i.x He set up the throne of his

Ibe same place where the tower

A-0. already raised to a great but. not so high as man's vanity wished it. About the same time Nineveh was built, and some ancient kingdoms established. They were but petty in those early times, for in Egypt alone we find four Dynasties or Principalities, those of Thebes, Thin, Memphis, and Tanis; this last was the capital of the lower £gypt. To this time we may also refer the commencement of the laws and polity of the Egyptians, that of their pyramids which stand to this day, and that of the astronomical observations, as well of that people as of the Chaldeans. So we may trace 177 up to this time, and no the observations which

Por. the Chaldeans, who were, without dispute, the first pbyr- observers of the stars, gave in Babylon to Calisthenes for Aristotle.

de Every thing begins: there is no ancient history

<:€e]o. therein there do not appear, not only in those early ages, but long after, manifest vestiges of the newness of the world. We see laws establishing, manners polishing, and empire! forming. Mankind by degrees get out of their ignorance, experience instructs them, ' and arts are invented or perfected. According as men multiply, the earth is closer and closer peopled; they pass mountains and precipices; they cross rivers, and at length seas, and establish new habitations. The earth, which at the beginning was but an immense forest, takes now another form, the woods cut down make room for fieldis, for pastures, ibr hamlets, for towns, and at length for cities. Men learn to catch certain animals, to tame others, and to inure them to service. They were obliged at first to encounter wild beasts. The first heroes signalised themselves in those wars. These occasioned the invention of arms, which men turned afterwards against their fellow creatures. Nimrod, the first warrior, and the first conqueror, is called in scripture, a mighty hunter. Together with animals, man acquired also the arts of managing fruits and plaotsf be bended the very metak to his use, and gramalljr mude M nature subaemeBl \q \. As it was t

natural that time should cause many to be in-

Tented, it must also cause others to be forgot, at least by the greater part of mankind. Those first arts, which

Noah bad and which we also find always flourishiog in the countries where mankind was first were lost according as men removed from

them. These behoved others either to learn them jffi anew in process of time, or those who had preserved them, must have carried them again to the rest.

Therefore do we see every thing come from those lands that were always inhabited, where the principles ot the arts remained entire, and even there were daily made many important discoveries. The knowledge of

God, and the memory of the creation were preserved there, but began to decay by degrees. The ancient traditions were now falline into oblivion and obscurity;

the fables, which succeeded them, retained but gross ideas of them; false deities multiplied; and this gave occasion to the calling of Abraham.

Four hundred twenty six years after the deluge,

when men walked every one in his own way, and grew iBff of forgetful of him that made them, that great God, to stop the progress of so great an evil, in the midst of

corruption begun to set apart a chosen people for him-

self. Abraham was made choice of to be the stock

1021. and father of all believers. God called bim into the &»&>.

land of Canaan, where he intended to establish his worship, and the children of that patriarch, whom he had resolved to multiply as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea. To the promise he made him of giving that land to his offspring, be added somewhat far more glorious, and this was that great blessing which was to be extended to all the nations of the world in Jesus Christ proceeding from his race. It was that Jesus Christ whom Abraham honours in the

person of the high-priest Melchisedec who presents

him; it is to him he pays the tithe of the spoil he sS had won from the vanquished kings *, \vvRi be is blessed ThoogD possessed ot

and of a power which equalled that of kings, Abraham preserved the pritnitive maDners; be led always a plain and pastoral life, which, however, wanted not Its iDagnificence; and this that patriarch showed par-

"** iicularly by exercising hospitality ti> all men. Heaven furnished him with guests; angels imparted to him the counsels of God; he believed, and in every thing Approved himself full of faith and piety. In bis time Inachus, the most ancient of all the kings acknowledged by the Greeks, founded the kingdom of Argos. Af« ter Abraham we find Isaac his son, and Jacob his grandson, imitators of his faith and simplicity in the same pastoral life. God repeats to them ilao the same

1759. promises he had made to their father, and conducts them, as he had done him, in all things. Isaac bless- tth Jacob, to the prejudice of Esau his elder brother, ind though deceived in appearance, he in effect executes the counsels of God. Jacob, whom God pro* tected, in every thing excelled Esau. An angel, with whom he bad a mysterious wrestling, gave him the name of Israel, whence bis children are called Israelites. To him were born the twelve patriarchs, fathers of the twelve tribes of the Hebrew people; among others Levi, fronrj whom were to proceed the ministers in sacred tbings; Judab, from whom was to spring, together with the royal race, the Cbrist,king of kings, and lord of lords; and Joseph, whom Jacob loved above all his other children. There new secrets of divine providence are disclosed. We see before all things the and wisdom of young Joseph, ever an enemy to vice, and careful to reprove it in his brethren; his mysterious and prophetic al dreams; his brethren jealous, and jealousy a second time the cause

a parricide: that great man sold; the fidelity he

observes to his master, and his admirable chastity; the persecutions it draws upon him; his imprisonment and constancy; his predictions; his miraculous deli-

rerance; that famous interpretation of Pharaoh's the merit of «o (toaX

his exalted genius and upright heart, and the protec- tioD of God, who gives him rule wherever he is; his

foresight, vrise counsels, and absolute power in the kingdom of the lower Egypt; and this the means of preserving his father Jacob and his family. That family favoured by God is thus settled in that part of Egjpf, whereof Tanis was the capital, and whose

kings took all the name of Pharaoh. Jacob dies, and a little before his death he makes that celebrated prophecy, in discovering to his children the state of their he points out particulaily to Judah lV\e limes of the Messiah, who was to spring from his race. The house of that patriarch in a little time becomes a great nation; this prodigious multiplication excites the jealousy of the Egyptians; the Hebrews are unjustly hated, and unmercifully persecuted: God

1571. raises up Moses their deliverer, whom he saves from the waters of the Nile, and makes him fall into the bands of Pharaoh's daughter: she brings him up as her own son, and causes him to be instructed in all the wisdom of the In those days the peo-

1S56. p\e of lElgypt settled in divers parts of Greece. The smii colony which Cecrops brought from Egypt built twelve cities, or rather twelve towns, whereof he composed the kingdom of Athens, and there he established Mann, the gods together with the laws of his country. A little after happened Deucalion's deluge in Thessaly, "■ confounded by the Greeks with the universal flood. Hellen, the son of Deucalion reigned in Phthia, a country of Thessaly, and gave his name to Greece. His people, before Greeks, took ever after the name of Hellenes, thoueh the Latins have preserved their ancient name. About the same time Cadmus, the son of Agenor, carried a colony of Phoenicians into Greece, and founded the city of Thebes in Boeotia* The gods of Syria and Phcenicia came into Greece

1581. '** mean time Moses was growing up. When forty years old, he despised >ik% court of and, touched vrUh iVie

brethren the Fsraelites, he endangered himself for -*- m, their relief. But so far were they from taking the benefit of his zeal and courage, that they expobed him to the rage of Pharaoh, who resolved his ruin. Moses fled out of Egypt into Arabia, to the land of Mtdian, where his virtue, ever ready to succour the oppressed, found him a secure retreat. This great man losing bopes of delivering his people, or waiting a better opportunity, had spent forty years in feeding the flocKs of Jethro his father-in-law, when he saw the burning bush in the desart,. and heard the voice of the God of his fathers, who sent him back into Egypt to bring his brethren out of bondage. Then appear the humility, the courage, and the miracles of that divine lawgiver; the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, and the terrible plagues God sends upon hfm; the passover, and next day the passage of the Red Sea; Pharaoh and the Egyptians buried in the waters, and the total deliverance of the Israelites. Xf.%. Here begin the times of the written law. It was given to Moses 430 years after the calling of Abraham, 856 years after the deluge, and in the same year that fn the Hebrew people came out of Egypt. This date is jSoh. remarkable, being made use of to denominate all the time from Moses to Christ. All that time is called the time of the written law, to distinguish it from the preceding, called the time of the law of nature, wherein men had nothing to direct them but natural reason, and the traditions of their ancestors.

God then having set his people free from the tyranny of the Egyptians, in order to conduct them into the land where ne will be served, and before he settles them in it, sets them the law by which they ftre to live. He writes with his own hand upon two tables, which he gives to Moses on the top of mount Sinai, the foundation of that law, that is, the decalogue, or ten commandments, which contain the first principles of the worship of God, and of human society. To &e same Moses ne dictates the other precepts, by which be appoints the tabernacle, the figure of time to come; the ark, where God manifested himself by his oraciesy and wherein the tables of the law were deposited; the promotion of Aaron the brother of Moses; the bigb-priesthood, or pontificate, a dignity solely ap« propriated to bim and his sons; the ceremonies of their consecration, and the fashion of their mysterious habits; the functions of the priests, sons of Aaron; those of the Levites, with other religious rites; and what is still more excellent, the rules of good manners, the polity and government of his chosen people, to whom he will himself be lawgiver. This is what is signified by the epoch of the written law. Then we see the journey continued in the wilderness; the re* ▼olts, idolatries, chastisements, and consolations of the people of God, whom that almighty lawgiver gradur32- ally forms by this means; the consecration oi Elea- zar the high- priest, and the death of his father Aaron; the zeal of Phineha5, son of Eleazar, and the priesthood confirmed to his descendants by a particular promise. During these times the Egyptians continue set-tUng vbeir colonies in different parts, particularly in Greece, where DanauSf an Egyptian, makes himself king of Argos, and dispossesses the ancient kings of r.46i. Inachus's line. Towards the end of the joumeyings of the people of God in the wilderness, we see the beginning of the wars which the prayers of Moses render successful. He dies, and leaves the Israelites their whole history, which he had carefully digested from the origin of the world down fo tbeltime of his death. That history is continued by the command of Joshua, and his successors. It was afterwards divided into several books, which are handed down to us under the titles of Joshua, Judges, and the four books of Kings The history which Moses had written, and whereia the whole law was contained, was also parted into five books, called the Pentateuch, which are the foundation of religion. After the death of the man of we find the ware of Joshaa, the conqtxts\ %sA

2i 9- of the holy land, and the rebellions of the people, wbo are at various times chastised and re-established. Here are to be seen the victories of Othniel, who delivers them from the tyranny of Chushan, king of Mesopo-

1325L fourscore years after, that of Ehud over Eglon, kins of Moab. About this time Phrygian Pe-

lops, son of Tantalus, reigns in the Peloponnese, and *' gives his name to that famous country. Belus, king of

{385 Chaldeans, receives divine honours from that peo- ' pie. The ungrateful Israelites fall again into servitude. Jabin, king of Canaan, subjects them; but i2t5. Deborah the prophetess, who judged the people, and Barak, the son of Abinoam, defeat Sisera the general

1245. of that kine's armies. Thirty years after, Gideon, vie- 27£ torious without fighting, pursues and overthrows the

1246. M idianites. Abimelech bis son usurps the sovereign power by murdering his brothers, exercises it tyranniiitt. cally, and loses it at last with his life. Jephthah stains 2ti his victory by a sacrifice, which cannot be excused but by a secret command from God, of which he has not been pleased to communicate any thing to us. During this age there happened some very considerable events among the Gentiles; for if we follow the comHerod, putation of Herodote, which seems the most exact, M.<y we must place in these times, 514 years before Rome, i'2S7.and in the time of Deborah, Ninus the son of Belus, and the foundation of the first empire of the Assyrians. The seat of it was established at Nineveh, an ancient and already famous city, but beautified and adorned ii; by Ninus. Those who give 1300 years to the first Assyrians, go upon the antiquity of the city; and Herodote, who allows them but 500, speaks only of the duration of the empire, which they begun under Ni-nus, son of Belus, to extend into upper Asia. A little josi after, and during that conqueror's reign, ought to be placed the foundation, or rebuilding ofthe ancient city i»!i of Tyre, so celebrated for its navigation and colonies, jpj Some time after we find the famous com- •."; bats of Herculesi son ef Ampbitryo, and those of The- '

seus, king of Athens, ivbo made but one city of the twelve boroughs of CecropSi and gave a better form of government to the Atbeniaos. In the days of Jenbthah, iwhile Semiramis, widow of Ninus, and guardian of Ninyas, enlarged the empire of the Assyrians by ber conquests, the celebrated city of Troy, already taken once by the Greeks, under Laomedony its third iisi king, was again reduced to ashes by the in 2:30. the reign of Priam, son of Liaomedon after the siego of ten years. V. £. This Epoch of the destruction of Troy, which hap* pened about the 308th vear after the departure out of Egypt, and 11 84 years after the deluge, is considerable, as well by reason of the importance of so great an ace of event celebrated by the two greatest poets of Greece Irurid. and Italy; as because to this date may be referred whatever is most remarkable in the times called fabu* lous, or heroic; fabulous, on account of the fables, wherein the histories of those times are enwrapped; heroic, on account of those whom the poets have stiled sons of the gods, and heroes. They lived not far from this period: for in the days of Laomedon, Priam's father, appear all the heroes of the Golden Fleece; JsLSOtt, Hercules, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, and the rest, whom you very well know; and in the time of Priam himself, during the last siege of Troy, we see Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Ulysses, Hector, Sarpedon, son of Jupiter, Eneas son of Venus, whom the Romans acknowledge for their founder; and so many others, from whom illustrious families and whole nations have gloried to descend. This Epoch is, therefore, to collect all that is most certain or beautiful in th6 fabulous times. But wbat we find in sacred history is every way more remarka« ' ble: the prodigious strength of Sampson, and his tim. amazing weakness; Elivthe high venerable for his piety, and unfortunate in the wickedness of his leis. children; Samuel, an unblameable and a pbet chosen of God to anoint

king of the people of God, his victories, his prcsump- tioo in sacrificing without priests, bis disobedience ill justified by the pretence of religion, bis reprobation, his fatal fall. In this period Codrus, king of Athens, laid down his life to save bis people, and by his death procured them victory. His sons, Medon and Nileus, dispute the kingdom. On this occasion the Athenians abolished the regal dignity, and declared Jupiter sole king of the people of Athens. They created governors, or perpetual presidents, but liable to give account of their administration. These magistrates were called Archons. Medon, son of was the first who exercised this magistracy, and it continued a long time in his family. The Athenians spread their coIo* nies over that part of the lesser Asia which was called Ionia. The Eolian colonies were planted much about the same time, and all the lesser Asia was filled with 2m. Grecian cities. After Saul, appears a David, that admirable shepherd, the vanquisher of the proud Goliath, and of all the enemies of the people of God; a great king, a great conqueror, a great propliet, wor thy to sing the wonders of divine omnipotence! a man, in short, after God's own heart, as he himself terms him, and who, by his penitence, made his very crime turn to his creator's glory. To this pious warrior succeed- ed his son, the wise, the just, the peaceful Solomon, 1012. whose hands, undefiled with blood, were judged worthy 2992.

to build the temple of God. vxE- About the 3000th year of the worid, the 488th Lki- from the departure out of Egypt, and to adjust the S°2c times of sacred history with those of profane, 180 years after the taking of Troy, 250 before the foundaFiia Rome, and 1000 years before Jesus Christ, did uiseof Solomon finish that stupendous edifice. He solemnized Wid. the dedication of it with an extraordinary piety and low! magnificence. This celebrated action is followed by other wonders of Solomon's reign, which ends with shameful weaknesses. He gives up himself to the love of women} be fails both in head and in heart, and his

piety degenerates into idolatry. God, though justly a-m proroked, yet spares him in remembrance of David his servant; but would not suffer his ingratitude wholly to pass unpunished: He divided his kmgdom after bis

death, and under bis son Rehoboam. The brutal 90sf«. baugbtiness of tbi's young prince made him lose ten tribes, whom Jeroboam turned aside from their and from their king. To prevent their returning to the kings of Judah, he prohibited their going to sacri- i fice at the temple of Jerusalem, and set up golden calves, to which he gave the name of the God of Is« rael, ibat the change might seem the less strange. The same reason made him retain the law of Moses, irlucb be interpreted in his own way; but caused al- Lfsl most all its polity, as well civil as sacred, to be observed; so that the Pentateuch continued always in veneration among the secetiing tribes.

Thus was (he kingdom of Israel set up against the kingdom of Judah. In that of Israel, impiety and idolatry triumphed. Religion, though often overclouded in that of Judah, still kept some footing there. In those days the kings of Egypt were powerful. The four kingdoms were united under that of Thebes.

It is thought Sesostris, that famous Egyptian conquer- or, was the Sbisbak king of Egypt, whom God made the instrument of chastising the impiety of Rehoboam. In the reign of Abijam, son of Renoboam, we see the famous victory which the piety of that prince obtained over the schismatic tribes.

ei7. His son Asa, whose piety is commended in aosT. is there described as a man, who in his sicknesses, re-lied more upon the aid of medicine, than upon the

goodness of God. In his time Omri king of Israel aoaa built Samaria, where he erected the throne of his

,1 1. kingdom. This period is succeeded by Jehoshaphat's 309a. admirable reign, wherein flourish piety, justice, navigation, and the art of war. Whilst he exhibited another David to the kingdom of Judah, Ahab and his wife Jezebel, reigned in Israel, lo q\

Jeroboam added all the impieties of the Gentiles.

Tbey both perished miserably. God, who had bore with their idolatries, resolvecl to avenge on them the blood of Nabotb, whom they had caused to be put to death, because he had refused, as the law of Moses en-

{'oined him, to sell them the fee of the ioberitance of lis fathers. Their sentence was pronounced to them by the mouth of the prophet Elijah. Ahab was slain some time after, notwithstanding the precautions

took for his safety. About this time must be placed the foundation of Carthage, which Tyrian Dido built 10 a situation, where, after the example of Tyre, she miKht trade to advantage, and aspire to the empire of the sea. It is not easy to fix the time, when it took the form of a commonwealth; but the mixture of the Ty* rians and Africans made it a city at once martial and

388. mercantile. The ancient historians, who put its ori- eio before the destruction of Troy, would make it conjectured, that Dido rather enlarged and fortified it, than that she laid its foundations. The face of affairs chanced in the kingdom of Judab. Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, brought impiety along with her into the house of Jehoshaphat. Jehoram, the son of so pious a prince, chose rather to imitate his father-in-law, than his father. The band of God was upon him. His reign was short, and his end dreadful. In the midst of these chastisements, God wrought unheard of wonders, even in behalf of the Israelites, whom he was willing to call to repentance. They saw, unconverted, the miracles of Elijah and Elisha, who prophesied during the reigns of Ahab and of his successors. In this period Homer flourished, as did Hesiod thirty years before him. The primitive manners which they represent to us, and the vestiges of the ancient simplicity, which they still with. great dignity retain, are of no small use to our understanding antiquities much more remote, and the divine

389. simplicity of scripture. Behold now dreadful scenes arje. Ja the faflgdoms of Judah and Israel! Jezebel, by Je-

bu's order, thrown bearlloog from the top of a tower! In vaio bad she painted her face, and tired her head; Jehu trampled her under bis horses feet: be smote Joram king of Israel, the son of Ahab: the whole bouse of Abab was extirpated, and had well nigh drawn that of the kings of Juaab into iUt destruction. King AbaziabfSon ofJehoram king of Judab, and of Atha« liab, was slain in Samaria with bis brethren, as being a kinsman and friend to the children of Abab. As soon as this news was brought to Jerusalem, Athaliah resolved to despatch all that remained of the seed royal, without sparing her own children, and to reign by the destruction of all her family. Only Jehoash the son of Abaziab, a child yet in the cradle, was stolen from the fury of bis grandmother. Jehosbeba sister of Abaziab, and wife of Jeboiada the high-priest, hid him in the house of God, and saved that precious remnant of the house of David. Athaliah, who believed him murdered with the rest, lived without fear. Lycurgus now gave laws to Lacedemon. He is blamed for having _ calculated them al* for war, after the example of Mi-p, nos, whose inslitutions he had followed, and for having tStd little provided for the modesty of the women while, i%£ in order to make soldiers, be obliged the men to so la- borious and temperate a life. Nothing was stirring in Judea against Athalia; she thought herself quite secured by a reign of six years. But God was bringing

,78 her up an avenger in the sacred sanctuary of his temple/ When he bad attained bis seventh year, Jeboiada showed him to some of the chief captains of the royal army, whom he had carefully prepared for such a discovery; and with the assistance of the Levites, he crowned the young king in the temple. All the people readily acknowledged him the heir of David and of Jehoshaphat. Atbaliab, upon hearing the noise, coming up to quell the conspiracy, was dragged without the ranges of the temple, and received the treatment which her crimes deserved. So long as Jeboiada lived, Jehoash caused the law ol

But after the death of that good priest, being corrupt- ed by the flatteries of his courtiers, with them he gives

10. himself up to idolatry. The priest Zechariah, son of sk Jehoiada, made bold to reprove him; and Jehoash, unmindful of what he owed to his father, commanded him to be stoned. Vengeance quickly overtook him.

' The year following Jehoash, defeated by the Syrians, and fallen into contempt, was assassinated by bis own

servants; and Amaziah his son» a better man than he, was placed upon the throne. The kingdom of Israel, brought low by the victories of the kings of Syria, and by civil wars, recovered its strength under Jeroboam II. more pious than his predecessors. Uzziab, other-

wise called Azariah, son of Amaziah, soverned the 'kingdom of Judab with no less glory. This is that famous Uzziah, who was smitten with leprosy, and so many times reproved in scripture, for bavintr, in his latter days, presumed to invade the priest's oflBce; and for having, contrary to the prohibition of the law, offered incense on the altar of perfumes. He was obliged to be separated from the people, king as he was, according to the law of Moses; and Jotbam his son, ivho was afterwards his successor, governed the kingdom wisely. Under the reign of Uzziah, the holy prophets, the chief of whom at that time were Hosea and Isaiah, began to publish their prophecies in writing, and in particular books, the originals whereof they deposited in the temple, to serve lor a monument to posterity. The prophecies of lesser extent, and orally delivered, were registered, according to custom, in the archives of the temple, with the history of their respec- •'''• tive times. The Olympic games, instituted by Her- cules, and long discontinued, were revived. From this revival are deduced the Olympiads, whereby the Grecians reckoned their years. At this period ended the times, which Varro calls fabulous, because till this date profane history is full of confusion and fables; and the historical times begin, wherein the afiairs of the world are related by more faithful find distinct narra-

thes. The first Olympiad is distinguished by the vie- tory of Cborebus. They returned erery fifth year, and after the revolution of four. There, in an assembly of all Greece at Pisa first, and afterwards at Elis, were celebrated those famous combats, in which the victors were crowned whb incredible applauses. Thus exer« cises were had in honour, and Greece became daily stronger, and more polite. Italy was still almost quite savage. The Latin kings of the posterity of Eneas reigned at Alba. Phul was king of Assyria. He is thought to be father of Sardanapalus, called, according to the eastern custom, Sardan-Pul; that is, Sardan, the son of Pul. Some too are of opinion, that this PfauJ or Pulf was ibe king of Nineveh, who repented

771. with all his people at the preaching of Jonah. This as8& prince, attracted by the troubles of the kingdom of Israel, marched to invade it; but being pacified by Af enabem, he confirmed him in the throne be bad usurped by violence, and received, by way of acknowledgment, a tribute of a thousand talents. In the reign of his son Sardanapalus, and after Alcmeon, the last perpetual Arcbon of the Athenians, that people, whose humour insensibly led them to a popular government, diminished ibe power of their magistrates, and reduced the administration of the Archons to ten years. The first of this kind was Charops. Romulus and Remus descended of the ancient kings of Alba by their mother Ilia, restored their grandfather Numitor to the throne of Alba, whom his brother AmuHus bad dispossessed of it; and immediately after they founded Rome, while Jotham reigned in Judab.

That city, which was one day to be mistress of the world, was founded towards the end of the third year of the sixth Olympiad; about four hundred and thirty

754. years after the taking of Troy, from which the Romans S!° imagined their ancestors sprung; and seven hundred fifty-three years before Jesus Christ. Romulus being brought up hardily, among shepherds, and continually employed ID warlike exercises, vsvVj

to the God of war, whom he called his father. About the time of Rome's infancy, happened the fall of the first Assvrian empire, through the softness of Sardanapalus. The Modes, a warlike people, animated by Arbaces their governor, set all the subjects of that ef< feminate prince an example of despising him. All. revolted against him; and he perished at last in his capital city, where he was forced to burn himself alive with his women, his eunuchs, and his riches. From the ruins of that empire we behold three great kingdoms arise. Arbaces, or Orbaces, by some called Pharnaces, gave liberty to the Medes, who after a pretty long anarchy, had some very powerful kings. Bern. sides this, immediately after Sardanapalus, we see a se- ' cond kingdom of the Assyrians appear, whereof Nineveh continued the capital, and a kingdom of Babylon. These two last kingdoms were not unknown to profane authors, and are celebrated in sacred history. The Becnnd kingdom of Nineveh was founded by Tilgath, or Tiglath, son of Pilezer, called, for that reason, Tig-lath pileser, to whom some give also the name of Ninus the younger. Baladan, by the Greeks named Belesis, established the kingdom of Babylon, where he is known by the name of Nabonassar. Hence the era of nassar, famous with Ptolemy and the ancient who reckoned their years from that prince's reign. It is proper here to take notice, that the word era signifies a number of years begun at a certain period distinguished by some great event. Ahaz, an im-

740. pious and wicked king of Judah, being sore pressed by i\ Kezin king of Syria, and the Pekha, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, instead of having recourse to God, who raised up those enemies to punish him, sent and invited Tiglath-pileser, the first king of Assyria, or of Nineveh, who reduced the kings of Israel, to the lowest extremity, and totally ruined that of Syria; but at the same time ravaged the kingdom of Judah, which had implored his assistance. Thus the kings of Assyria learned the road to the Holy Land, and resolved the conquest

ofjt* Tbey began vrith the kiogdom of Israel, which Sbalmaneser, son and succesMr of Tiglatb-pileser, ut* ssterly destroyed. Boshea, king of Israel had relied on the aid of oabacon, otherwise named Sua, or So, king of Ethiopia, i»ho bad in?aded Egypt. But that mightj conqueror was not able to deliver him out of the hand of SbaliDaneser. The ten tribes, among whom the worship of God was extinguished, were carried away to Nineveh, and being scattered among the Gentiles, were so lost, that there is no longer any vestige of them to be found. Some few were left behind, who were mix« ed with the Jews, and made a small part of the king- dom of Judah. At this time happened the death of Romulus. He was ever at war, and ever victorious: but in the midst of wars he lud the foundations of religion and laws. A long peace afibrded Nnma his sue- cesser opportunity of finishing the work. He formed the religion, and civilized the savage manners of the Bomao people. In his time colonies from Corinth, and some other cities of Greece, founded Syracuse in Sici« ly* Crotona, Tarenturo, and perhaps some other cities in that part of Italy, to which former Grecian colonies, who had overspread the country, had already given the name of Great Greece. Meanwhile, Hezekiah, the most pious and righteous of all the kings since David,

reigned in Judea. Sennacherib, son and successor to 41 Shalmaneser, besieged him in Jerusalem with an innumerable host, which was cot off in »ne night by the band of an angel. Heeekiah, delivered in so wonderful a manner, served God with all his people, more

CS8. faithfully than ever. But after that prince's death, and 5a under his son Manasseh, the ungrateful people forgot

God, and fell into many disorders. The popular state was then forming among the Athenians, and they be-gan to elect annual Archons, the first of whom was Creon. Whilst impiety increased in the kingdom of Judah, the power of the kings of Assyria, who were to be its scourges, advanced under Esar-haddon, the son of

Sennacherib. He united the kingdom ot

.r-

that of Nineveh, and equalled in the greater Asia the 2Kiag. of the first Assyrians. Under his reign the Cu- |viL tbites, a people of Assyria, afterwards called SamariEirav. tans, were sent to inhabit Samaria. These joined the worship of God to that of idols, and obtained of Esarbaddon an Israelitish priest, who taught them the service of the God of the country, that is, the ceremonies of the law of Moses* God, not willing that his name should be utterly abolished in a land which he had en to his people, left bis law there for a testimony; but tbeir priest gave them only the books of Moses, which the twelve revolted tribes bad retained, in tbeir schism. The scriptures composed afterwards by the prophets, who sacrificed iu the temple, were had in detestation among them; which is the reason the Samaritans, receive only the Pentateuch to this day*

While Esar-haddon and the Assyrians were so powerfully establishing themselves in the greater Asia, the Medes begun also to render tlremselves considerable. Dejoces their first king named Arphaxad in scripture, founded the stately city of Ecbatan, and laid the foundations of a great empire. They had placed him on the throne to crown his virtues, and to put an end to the disorders which anarchy occasioned among them. Conducted by so great a king, they supported themselves against tbeir neighbours, did not extend their dominion. Rome was adr 671. but weakly. Under Tullus Hostilus third king, and by the famous combat of the Horatii and Curiatii, Alba was conquered and destroyed. Its citzens incorporated m the victorious city, considerably enlarged and strengthened it. Romulus was the first whoTiad pratised this method of augmenting the city, into which he admitted the Sabines and other conquered nations. They forgot their defeat, and became loyal subjects. Rome by extending quests, formed her soldiery; and under Tullus Uostilius she began to learn that excellent discipline nriicb rendered her afterwards mistress of the world.

\Pq\ The kingdom of Egypt, weakened by Its long di-,{;*• visions, was recovering under Psarameticus. This prince, who owed his crown to the lynians and Cari-

ans, allowed them to settle in £g}'pt, till then shut up to strangers. On this occasion tne Egyptians entered into commerce with the Grecians; and frooi ibh time likewise the history of Egypt, hitherto mixed with pompous fables through the artifice of the priests, begins, according to Herodote, to have some certainty. Meanwhile the kings of were growing more and more formidable to all the Kast. Saosduchin, son of called Nebuchodonosor in the book of Judith, defeated, in a

pitched bBttle, Arphaxad king of the Medes. Flush- ed with this success, he undertook the conquest of

C56. the whole earth. With this design he passed the Euphrates, and ravaged all before him as far as Judea* The Jews had provoked God, by giving themselves up to idolatry, after the example of Manasseh; but they had repented with that wherefore God tooK also into bis protection. The conquests of Nebucbodoniisor and Holofemes bis general, were stopped all at once by the band of a woman. DejoceSf though beaten by the Assyrians, left his kingdom in a condition of advancing under bis successors. Whilst Pbraortes, and Cyaxares the son of Phraortes,

C12. subdued Persia, and pushed their conquests in the 112. lesser Asia, as far as the banks of the Halys, Judea

beheld the wicked reign of Amon, the son of Manas- seb, pass away: and Josiah the son of Amon, wise from a child, laboured to repair the breaches made by the impiety of the kings his predecessors. Rome, whose king was Ancus, Martius, subdued some of the Latins under bis conduct; and continuing to make citizens of her enemies, shut them up within the compass of her wj(Us. The people of Veil, al-

.-25 ready weakened by Romulus, suffered new losses. Ancus pushed his conquests as far as the neighbouring and built the city Ostia fit ihe mouxVi

:m r this lime the kingdom of Babylon was invaded by Nabopolasser. That traitor, whom Cbinaladan, otherwise Santc, bad made general of bis armies against Cy« axares king of the Medes, {oined Astyages sod of Cyax« mres, took Cbinaladanin destroyed that great city so long mistress of the east, and mounted bis master's throne. Under this ambitious prince Babylon

,24, swelled with pride. Judea, whose impiety increased beyond measure, had every thing to fear. Good king Josiabi by his profound humility, suspended for a little the punishment bis people had deserved: but the no. evil waxed greater unaer his children. Nebuchad- 144.

nezzarll. more terrible than his father Nabopolassor, succeeded him. That prince bred up in pride and continually exercised in war, made prodigious conquests both in the east and west; ancl Babylon threatened the whole earth with slavery. Its threats soon took effect with regard to the people of God. Jerusalem was given up to the haughty conqueror, who took it three several times: first, in the beginning of his reign, and fourth year of the reign of Jeboiakim, from whence are daov ted the seventy years of the Babylonish captivity men-

tioned by the prophet Jeremiah: the second time under Jechonias, or Jeboiachin, son of Jehoiakim; and the last time under Zedekiah, when the city was as. razed to the ground, the temple reduced to ashes, and ise. the king carried captive to Babylon, with Seraiah the high pnest, and the greatest part of the people. The most eminent of those captives were the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel. Among them likewise are to be counted the three young men, whom Nebuchadnezzar could neither force to worship his image; nor had power to destroy by fire. Greece was now flourishing,

,9L and the seven wise men were rendering themselves il- lustrious. Some time before the desolation of Jerusalem, Solon, one of those seven sages, gave laws to the Athenians! and established liberty upon the

K Jbttodatioa of justice: the of lona carried m.

AN UNIVERSAL BISTORT. St

their first colony to Marseilles. Tarquinius Priscus, king of Rome, after having subjected part of Tuscany, and adorned the with magnificent works, end-m. ed bis reign. In bis time the conducted by possessed themselves of all the countries of Italy adjacent to the Po, while Segovesus hb brother /ed another body of the same nation a great way into Germany. Servius TuUius, Tar<][uin's instituted the Census, or list of the citizens disposed into certain classes, whereby that great city was reeu« lated as a private family. Nebuchadnezzar beautined Babylon, which had enriched itself by the spoils of JerussJem and the East: but it did not long enjoy

Bz them* That king, who had adorned it with so much magnificence, saw upon his death-bed the approaching md ruin of the haughty city. His son Evilmerodach, having rendered himself odious by his debaucheries, had not reigned long when he was slain by Neriglissor uii. his brother-in-law, who usurped the kingdom. Pisis-

tratus usurped also the sovereign authority in Athens, which he found' means to for the space of thirty years, amidst a number of vicissitudes, and which he even left to his children. Neriglissor could not suffer the power of the Medes, who were growing great in the East, and therefore declared war against them. While Astyages, son of Cyaxares I. was preparing for a vigorous resistance, he died, and left the war to be carried on by Cyaxares II. his son, called by

«9. Daniel Darius the Mede. This last nominates for isn. general of his array, Cyrus, the son uf Mandane his sister, and of Cambyses king of Persia, which was subject to the -empire of the Medes. The reputation of Cyrus, who bad signalized himself in divers wars under Astyages his grandfather, united most of sia. the kings of the east under the standards of Cyaxa- 20c. res. He took Cresus king of Lydia in bis capital city, and made himself master of his immense rich-i4a.es: he subdued the other the loo and enlended his dominion Hot oiAy

SB AN UNIVERSAL BISTORT.

isS' but even a great way into the lesser Asia. At last 2I& be inarched against Babylon, took it, and subjected it'' to Cjraxares his uncle: who, no less touched with his fidelity than his exploits, gave him his only daughter

and heir in marriage. In the reign of Cyaxares, Daniel already honoured under the preceding reigns with several heavenly visions, wherein he saw in manifest figures so many kings and empires pass before him, learned by a new revelation those seventy famous weeks, in which the times of the Christ, and the destiny of the Jewish people are unfolded. It was weeks of years, so that they contained 490: and this way of reckoning was common among the Jews, who observed the seventh year, as well as

the seventh day, with a religious rest. Some time after this vision, Cyaxares died, as did also Cambyses the father of Cyrus; and that great man who succeeded them, joined the kingdom of Persia, till then but obscure, to the kingdom of the Medes, which be had so vastly enlarged by his conquests. Thus was he peaceable master of the whole east, aYid founded the freatest empire that had ever been in the world, (ut what is most material to the connexion of our epochs, is, that this great conqueror, in the first year of his reign, gave his decree for rebuilding the temple of God at Jerusalem, and re-establishing the Jews in Judea.

We must stop a little at this period, which is the most intricate of all ancient chronology) by reason of the difficulty of reconciling profane with sacred history. You have, doubtless. Sir, already observed, that what I relate of Cyrus, is very different from what you have read of him in Justin; that he does not speak a word of the second kingdom of the Assyrians, nor of those famous kings of Assyria and Babylon, so renowned in sacred story; and that, in short, my account agrees very little with what that author tells us of the three first monarchies, namely, that of the Assyrians ff-Spisbed in the person of that of the

Medes ended in the person of Aystages, grandfather of Cyrus, and that of the Persians begun by and destroyed by Alexander.

To Jastin you may join with most of the Greek and Latin authors extant, who relate those pieces of history in a different manner from that which f hare fofIowed«

As to what regards Cyrus, profane authors are by no means agreed about his history: but I thought I ought rather to follow Xenophon with St. Jerom, than Ctesias a fabulous author, whom most of the Grc eks have copied after, as Justin and the Liatins have the Greets, and rather than though be be a most jucKcious writer. iVhat determined me to this choice was, that Xenophon's history, more co* herent and more probable in itself, has this additional advantage, that it is more conformable to scripture, which by reason of its antiquity, and the connexion of the affairs of the Jewish nation, with those of the east, would merit to be preferred to all the Grecian although we did not moreover know, that it was dictated by the holy spirit.

As to the three -first monarchies, what most of the Greeks have written of them, has appeared doubtful

to the wisest men of Greece. Plato shows in general, under the name of the priests of Egypt, that the Gre*

)jisL cians were profoundly ignorant of antiquity: and Aris*

. la totle has ranked amongst the fabulous authors, those who wrote the Assyrian affairs.

The matter is, the -Grecians were late in beginning to write, and being willing to entertain Greece, ever curious, with ancient histories, they composed them from confused memoirs, which they contented themselves with putting in an agreeable order, without much minding the truth.

And sure the manner in which the three first monarohies are generally ranged, is evidently /abulous. For after having overthrown the Assyrian \mider Sardanapaias, (he Medes are >Jaft c i AS UMVERSAI. HISTORr.

sttge, and tbea the Persian?; as if the Medes had sue- ' ceraed to the whole power of the Assyrians, and the Persians had established themselves on the ruin of the Medes.

But on the it is certain that, when Arba-ces raised the Medes in revolt against Sardanapalus, he did but set them without subjecting to them °t the empire of Assyria. Herodote, followed in (his by the ablest chronoloffers, makes their first king Dejoces appear fifty years after their revolt; and H is farther certain from the concurring testimony of that ereat historian, and of Xenophon, not to mention others, that during the time allotted to the empire of the ' Medes, there were in Assyria some very powerful kings, who were formidable to the whole east, and whose empire Cyrus overthrew by the taking of Babylon.

If then most part of the Greeks, and of the Latins, who have followed them, say nothing of those Babylonish kings, if they allow no place to that great kingdom amons the first monarchies, of which they relate the succession; in short, if we find little or nothing in their works concerning the famous kings Tiglatb- pile-ser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, and many others so renowned in scripture, and in the eastern histories; we must impute it, either to the ignorance of the Greeks, who were more eloquent in their narrations, than curious in their inquiries; or to our having lost what was most authentic and exact in their histories.

And indeed Herodote had promised a particular history of the Assyrians, which we have not got, whe- i% ther it has been losL or he has not had time to write it; and we may behave that so judicious an historian would not have omitted the kings of the second em- 'If pire of the Assyrians, since Sennacherib, who was one i!' of them, is still to be found named in the books we have Extant of that great author, as king of the Assy* riaos and Arabian3«

StrabOy who lived in the time o( Auguatus, relatei his.xv. x9hdX Megaslhenes, an ancient author, who lived near the days of Alexander, had left in writing about the famous conquests of Nabuchodonosor king of the whom he makes to overrun Europe, penetrate ioto Spain, and carry his arms as far as the fiiiao, pillars of Hercules. iGlian names Thilgamus king of mkA*. Assyria, who is, undoubtedly, the Tilgath, or Tiglalh mm. c. Qf sacred history; and we have in Ptolemy a catalogue of the princes, who ruled the ereat empires; among whom we find a long series of kings of Assyria, unknown to the Grecians, and whom it is easy to reconcile with sacred history*

It were too tedious to rehearse what the Syrian anoals, what Berosus, Abydenus, or Nicolaus of Damas* Am. cus narrate to us. Josephus and Eusebius of Cesarea \t!x.r. preserved to us the precious fragments of all those 11.1. i. authors, as well as of a great many others, that were ApLus complete in their time, whose testimony confirms what the holy scripture tells us concerning the eastern aati '* quities, and particularly concerning the Assyrian history.

As for the monarchy of the Medes, to which most profane historians give the second place in the catalogue of great empires, as distinct from that of the Persians, it is certain that the scripture always joins thcra; and you see, Sir, that, besides the authority of the sacred books, the very order of the facts demonstrates, that it is to that we ought to adhere.

The Medes before Cyrus, though powerful and considerable, were eclipsed by the greatness of the kings of Babylon. But Cyrus having conquered their kingdom, by the united force of the Medes and Persians, whose master be afterwards by lawful succession be-came, as we have observed after Xenophon; it appears that the great empire, whereof he was founder, must have taken its name from both nations; so that that of the Medes, and that of the Persians, were but one

4* i

and the same Ihiog; though the glory of Cyras has made the name of the Persians to prevail.

We may likewise imaeine, that before the war of Babylon, the kings of the Medes having extended their conquests on the side of the Grecian Colonies in Asia Minor, were by this means famous among the Greeks, who ascribed to them the empire of the greater Asia, because they knew none but them of all the kings of the East. Yet the kings of Nineveh and Babylon, more powerful, but less known to Greece, have been almost quite forgot in what Grrecian histories we have extant; and the whole time from Sardanapalus to Cyrus, has been given to the Medes alone.

Thus we need no longer be at so much pains to reconcile, in this particular, profane with sacred history. For as to what regards the first kingdom of the Assyrians scripture hints at it only by the by, and names neither Ninas the founder of that empire, nor excepting Phul, any of his successors; because their history has no connexion with that of the people of God. As for the the Greeks have been eilbei entirely ignorant of them, or though not knowing them sufficiently, have confounded them with the first.

When therefore any one objects those Greek authors, who range the three first monarchies according to their fancy, and make the Medes succeed to the ancient empire of Assyria, without mentioning the new one, which the scripture exhibits so powerful, We have only to answer, that they have not been acquainted with that part of history; and that they are no less repugnant to the most curious and best informed authors of their own nation, than to holy scripture.

And, what in one word cuts off the whole difficulty, is, that sacred authors, being nearer, both in time and situation, to the eastern kingdoms; writing besides the history of a people whose affairs are so interwoven with those of the great empires, though they had no other than this might be sufficient to silence

AN UNHTERSAL BISTORT. 4t

L c the Greeks, and the LAtifls who bam copied after them.

If, nevertheless, some will persist id maintaioiog that coniinoDly received order of the three first moDarchies, and if, to preserve to the Medes alone the second rank which is given l/iem, they will subject to them the of Sabylon; yet by owning that after about an hundred years subjection, these regained their liberty by a tbej save in some measure the coherence of sacred history, but agree little with the best profane historians, to whom holy writ is more favourable, in that it constantly unites the empire of the Medes with that of the Persians.

But there still remains to be discovered to you one of the causes of the obscurity of those ancient histories, and it is this: as the kings of the East assumed several names, or, if you will, several titles, which afterwards took place of their proper names; and as different nations translated, or pronounced them differently, according to the respective idioms of each Iangnage, histories so very ancient, of which there remsiin so few authentic memoirs, must have been thereby very much obscured. This confusion of names has doubtless caused a great deal of confusion in things themselves, and in persons; and hence proceeds the difficulty we find to situate in the Grecian history the kings who have had the name of Abasuerus or Assueru8| which was as much unknown to the Greeks, as known to the people of the East.

And indeed, who should think that Cyaxares were the same name with Assuerus, compounded of the wordKjy that is, Lord, and Axares, which manifestly coincides with or Assuerus? Three or four princes have bore the name, though they had others besides. Were we not informed that Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, Nabucbodonosor, Nabucbodrosor, and Nabopolassar, are but one and the same name, or the name of one and the same man, we should difficulty tp believe it; and yet the S& i Alf UNIV8B3AL HISTOBY.

'- Qhtgonia Sepnaoherib; Uzziah is Azariab; Zedeki- ac ab 18 Mattaniab; Joacbas, or Jeboabas, was also called Shallam; Ezar-baddon, which is likewise wrote AsaraddoOi or Asor-haddan, is named Asenapbar by the Cuthites; and by an oddity, of which we know Eir not the origin, Sardanapalus finds himself named by " the Greeks, Tonos Concoleros. One might make out a lone list of eastern princes, who have, each of tbera, had several different names in history; but it is sufficient to have given you a general bint of the cus* torn. Nor was it unknown to the Latins, among whom titles and adoptions multiplied names so vajri* ously. Thus the title of Augustus, and that of Afrl- ' canus, became the proper names of Cesar Octavianus, and of the Scipio's; and thus were the Nero's Cesars. The thing is undoubted, and it is needless to dwell longer on so allowed a fact.

I do not intend, Sir, to trouble you any more with the difficulties of chronology, which are very little material to you. This, Irideed, was of too great importance not to be cleared up in this place; and now having told you what is sufficient for our design, I resume the series of our epochs. It was then 218 years after the foundation of Kome, AS* 536 years before Jesus Christ, at the expiration of the 70 years captivity in Babylon, and the same year that "' Cyrus founded the Persian empire, that that prince, chosen of God to be the deliverer of bis people, and restorer of his temple, put his hand to the great work. ' Immediately after the publication of this order, Ze- the son of Sbealliel, attended by Jesbua, the son of Jozadak, the high priest, brought back the captives who rebuilt the altar, and laid the foundations of the second temple. The Samaritans, jealous of their glory, wanted to have a share in this great work; and iv. upon pretence that they worshipped the God of Israel, though they blended bis worship with that of their false gods, they besought Zerubbabel to permit them fo rebuild the temple of God with him. But the i. c. cbitdren of Judab, who abhorred their mixed worBhip, a.h* rejected the proposal. The Samaritans provoked, thwarted their design by all manner of artifices and outrages. About this time, Servius Tullius, after bar-' ing enlarged the city of Rome, formed the scheme of

turning \i into a eemmonwealti). But he was cut off 10 the midst of these thoughts, by the counsel of his own daughter, and command of Tarquin the proud, his son-in-law. That tyrant took possession of the kingdom, wherein he exercised a longtime all manner ol violence. Meanwhile the empire of Persians continued advancing. Besides those immense provinces of the greater Asia, the whole vast continent of ibe lower Asia owned their sway; the Lydians and

525. Arabians were subdued; Egypt, so jealous of its lawSi received theirs. The conquest of it was made by Cam-

byses the son of Cyrus. That brute did not long sur- 232. vive bis brother Smerdis, uhom an ambiguous dream caused him to murder privately. Smerdis the mase reigned some time under the name of Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses; but this imposture was soon de-

tecled. The seven chief lonk conspired against him, sss. and one of them was placed upon the throne. This

[erod. WM son of Hystaspes, who in his inscriptions

himself the best, and handsomest of all men. Several marks discover him to be the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther, though it is not a settled point.

In the beginning of his reign the temple was finished, after various caused by the Samaritans. An irreconcilable hatred took place between the two and nothing, was more opposite than Jerusalem and Samaria. In the time of Darius, commence the liberty of Rome and Athens, and the great glory of Greece. Harmodiusand Aristogiton, Athenians, deliver their country from Hipparchus, son of Pisistratus, and are slain by his guards. Hippias, the brother of Hipparchus attempts, in vain, to support his title. He is expelled; and the tyranny of the family of Pisistra*

m, tus is abolished. The

«g c. in tbelr libertyi erect statues to their deliverers, and a* re-establish the popular eovemment. Hippias throws himself into the arms of Darius, whom he nnds dready disposed to uodevtake the conquest of Greece, and all his hope now lies in his At the time he was expelled, Rome also got rid of her tyrants. Tarquin the proud had rendered the regal dignity odious by his oppression and violence: the lewdness of Sex-

tus bis son gave it the finishing stroke., Lucretia de- flowered, kiLed herself: her blood, and the harangues of Brutus, spirited up the Romans. The kings were banished, and consular government established upon the plan of Servius Tullius; but it was soon weakened by the jealousy of the people. In the first consulship, P. Valerius the consul, celebrated for his victories, became suspected by his citissens;. and to satisfy them, was obliged to enact the law, which allowed an appeal to the people, from the senate and consuls, in all causes wherein thepunishment of a citizen was concerned. The expelled Tarquins found friends: the neighbouring kings looked upon their banishment as an indignity offered to all crowned heads; and Porsenna, king of the Clusians, a people of Hetruria, took up arms

against Rome: which being reduced tu the last ex- 24' tremity, and almost taken, was saved by the valour of Horatius Cocles. The Romans performed wonders in defence of their liberty i a young citizeni burned the hand which had missed Porsenna; a young virgin, astonished that prince by her resolution: Porsenna left Rome in peace, and the Tarquins

500. retnained succoorless. Hippias, for whom Darius de- so, clared, bad some better hopes. All Persia rose in lus behalf, and Athens was threatened with a dreadful

501. war. Whilst Darius was making preparations, Rome, 2c that had so gallantly defended herself against foreign powers, had like to have fallen by her own hand: the jealousy had revived, between the Patricians add Plebeians: the consular pow.er, though, already moderated bjrtbe Valerian laWj seemed still exorbitant to apeeple c. too jea]ous of their libertj. They seceded to the a* b. Aventine mount: violent overtures proved fruitless; nothing could bring back the {>eople, but the calm remonstrances of Menenias Agrippa: it was necessary, however, to find some lenitives, and to grant the people tribunes to defend them against the consuls. The laiv which instituted this new magistracnr, was called the sacred law; and such was the rise oi the tribunes of the people. Darius had at last openly broke with Greece. His son-in-law Mardonius, after overrunning Asia, thought to overpower the Grecians by his num-

9(x bers; but MUtiades, with ten thousand de- S64. feated that vast army in the plain of Marathon. Rome was beating all her enemies round about, and seemed to have nothing to fear but from herself. Coriolanus, a zealous patrician, and the greatest captain she had, being expelled notwithstanding his services, by the po-

pular faction, meditated the ruin of his country, led on

"bs- the Volci against it, reduced it last extremity, and smnothing but his mother could appease him. Greece enjoyed not long the tranquillity which the battle of Marathon had her. In order to revenge the aSront of Persia and Darius, Xerxes bis son and suc-.cessori and gr|ndson of Cyrus by his mother Atossa,

90. attacked the Grecians with 1100,000 fighting men, 274.

(some say 1700,000) without reckoning bis naval force. of 1200 ships. Leonidas, king of Sparta, with no more than three hundred men, killed him 20,000 of them at the streights of Thermoplyas, and bravely died with all his followers. By the conduct of Themistocles the Athenian, Xerxes's naval armament is the same year defeated near Salamis. That prince repassed the

Hellespont in consternation; and a year after, his land 27£>, army, which Mardonius commanded, is cut to pieces nigh Platea, by Pausanias king of Lacedemon, and Aristides the Athenian, surnanied the just. The battle was fought in the morning, and in the evening of that famous day. The Ionian Greeks who had shaken off the yoke of the Persians, killed thirty thousand of them

A* c. in the battle of Myeale, under the conduct of Leoty- a. chides. That general, to hearten bis soldiers, told tbem, that Mardonius was just defeated iu Greece. The news proved true, either by some unaccountable effect of fame, or rather by a lucky hit of conjecture; atid all the Grecians of the lesser Asia set themselves at liberty. That nation was gaining every where considerable advantages; and, a little before, the Carthafenians, then powerful, were beat in Sicily, which they ad invaded at the instigation of the Persians. Notwithstanding this ill success, they did not cease forming new designs upon an island, so commodious for securing the empire of the sea, which was the great aim of their republic. Greece enjoyed it then, but her attention was wholly turned upon the east and the 477. Persians. Pausanias had just freed the island of Cy- s? prus from their yoke, when he conceived the design of enslaving his country. All his schemes proved abortive, notwithstanding the great promises of Xerxes: the traitor was betrayed by him he loved best, and his 474. infamous affection cost him his life. The same year 2» Xerxes was slain by Artabanus, captain of his guards: either the perfidious wretch wanted to mount his ter's throne, or else he dreaded the severity of a prince, whose cruel orders he had not readily enough execut- 473. ed. Artaxerxes Longimanus bis son began his reign, 2Pi and shortly after received a letter from Themistocles, who, being proscribed bj his citizens, made him a proffer of his service against the Grecians. He, well knowing how to prize so renowned a captain, gave bim a great appointment, in spite of the jealousy of the Sa- 467. That magnanimous prince protected the Jews, ssi Km. iplij in his twentieth year, memorable for its conse- 451k quences, be permitted Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem £m.u. with her walls. This decree of Artaxerxes differs from that of Cyrus, in that Cyruses related to the temple, and this was made for the city. At this decree, forcitea. seen by Daniel, and mentioned in his prophecy, the 490 of his weeks commence. This important c. date has very solid foundations. The banishment of a. i. Tbemistocles is chronicle, in the last year of the 76th Olyuiipad, which answers to the 280lh of Rome. Other chronologists bring it a little farther down; the diflerence is inconsiderable, and the cIrcamstanceB of time confirm Eusebius's date. They are taken from Thucydides, a most accurate historian; 1* and this grave author, almost contemporary, as well as fellow-citizen, with Tbemistocles, makes him write his letter in the beginning of the reign of Artaxerxes. Cornelius Nepos, an ancient and judicious, as well as -D. elegant author, admits no doubt of this date after the authority of Tbucydides; an argument so much the ' more solid, that another author, more ancient still than Thucydides, entirely agrees with him. And that is «-hi Charon of Laropsachus, quoted by Plutarrh; and ''"' Plutarch himself adds, that the annals, meaning those of Persia, are conformable to these two authors. He does not, bo\ve?er, fulluw them, but gives us no reason for it; and the historians, who begin the reign of Artaxerxes eight or nine years later, are neither of that time, nor of so great authority. It appears therefore unquestionabfe, that its beginning is to be placed towards the end of the 76tb Olympiad, and near the:208th year of Rome, whereby the twentieth year that prince must fall towards the end of the 81st Olympiad, and about Rome's tiOOtb year. In fine, those If ho cast the beginning of Artaxerxes' reign lower, to reconcile authors, are reduced to suppose, that his father had, at least, associated him in the kingdom, when Tbemistocles wrote his letter; and which way ever it is, our date is ascertained. This foundation being laid| the rest of the computation is easy, which the sequel will make evidently appear. After the decree of Ar- ' taxerxes, the Jews laboured hard in rebuilding their city and its walls, as Daniel had foretold. iNehemiah conducted the w6rk with great prudence and resolu- tion, amidst all the opposition made by and Ammonites. The peQ$\e c. exerted tbemselres, and Eliasbib the high priest ani- a. inated tbem by bis example. Meantime the new maipstrates, that bad been given to the Roman people, omented the divisions of the city and Rome, formed under kings, wanted the laws necessary for the good constitution of a commonwealth. The reputation of Ghreece, still more celebrated for its government than for its victories, moved the Romans to take from

0. thence their pattern. So they sent deputies to study so the laws of the cities of Greece, and especially those of Athens, which were the most agreeable to the state

1. of their republic. Upon this model, ten absolute ma- gistrates, who were created the year after under the

2. name of Decemvirs, digested the laws of the twelve sa tables, which are the foundation of the Roman law. The people, charmed with the equity with which they composed them, suflered them to ingross the supreme

3. power, which they used in a tyrannical manner. Great so commotions were now occasioned by the incontinence of Appius Claudius, one of the Decemvirs, and by the murder, of Virginia, whom her father chose rather to kill with his own hand, than suffer her to be prostituted to Appius's passion. The blood of this second Lucretia roused the Roman people, and the Decemvirs, expelled. While the Roman laws were forming under the Decemvirs, Ezra, a doctor of the law, and Neheraiab, governor of God's people, newly re-established in Judea, were reforming abuses, and enforcing

'• the observance of the law of Moses by their example t. as well as authority. One of the principal articles, of

their reformation was, to oblige all the people, and particularly the priests, to put away the strange wives, whom they had married contrary to the law. Ezra put the in order, accurately revised them, and collected the ancient memoirs of the of God, to cpmpose the two books of the Paraliporoena, or Chronicles, whereto he added the history or his own iHue, which was finished by Nehemiah. Their books comelude that long history begun by Moses, and imin-

c. terruptedljT continued by succeeding authors, down to A.R. the rebuildin| of Jerusdem* The rest of sacred history is not written in the same order. While Ezra and Nehemiah were formioe the last part of that ereat work, Herodote, by profane authors called the lather of history, began to write. Thus the last authors of sacred history coincide with the first authors of the Grecian history; and when it begins, that of the people of God, to take it only from Abraham, included already fifteen centuries. Herodote could not make any mention of the Jews in the history he has left us; and the Grecians had no need to be informed of any people but such as war, commerce, or renown made known to tbem. Judea, which was beginning, with difficuffy, to rise from its ruins, attracted no regard. It was in those unhappy times that the Hebrew tongue ceased to be common. During the captivity, and afterwards by the commerce the Jews were obliged to bare with the Chaldeans, they learned the Chaldaic language, which was very near akin to their own, and had almost the same idiom. For this reason they changed ibe ancient figure of the Hebrew letters, and wrote the llebrew with Chaldaic which were more ia use among them, and easier to be formed. This change was easy between two languages, whose letters had the same power, and fered only in shape. From that time we find the holy scripture among the Jews, only in Chaldaic characters; but the Samaritans ever retained the ancient way of writing it. Their posterity have persevered in this practice down to our days, and have, by that means, preserved to us the Pentateuch, which is called Samaritan, in ancient Hebrew characters, such as we find on xnedalsj and on all the monuments of ages past. The Jews lived pretty comfortably under the authority of That prince, reduced by Cimon (son of Mfltiades) general of the Athenians, to make a sbaiDeful peace, despaired of conquering the Greeks by force, and now considered only how lo

52. AN vnvmsajOf mqccKir.

A. c. divisions; which were come to a great height the Athemans and Lacedemonians. These two states, by iheiv jealousy of each other, all Greece.

ttsi. Pericles an Athenian commenced the Peloponnesian s2s war, during which Therkmenes, Thrasybulus, and Alcibiades, Athenians, rendered themselves renowned. In it too Brasidas and Myndarus, Lacedemonians, died bravely fighting for their country. This war having lasted twenty-seven years, ended to the advantage of Lacedemon, which had engaged on its side Darius, sumamed the bastard, the son and successor of Artax-

404. erxes. Lysander, captain of the Lacedemonian fleet, 35c took Athens, and altered its form of government. But Persia soon perceived she bad rendered the Lacede-

405. monians too powerful. They supported the young 351 Cyrus in his revolt against Artaxerxes bis elder brother, called Mnemon on account of his great memory, the son and successor of Darius. That young prince, saved from confinement and death by his mother Parisatis, meditates vengeance, wins the hearts of the Satraps by his endearing manner, overruns the lesser Asia, marches to give battle to the king his brother, in the heart of bis empire, wounds him with his own liand, and too soon thinking himself sure of the victory,

through his own rashness. The ten thousand

who followed his fortune, make that amazing which was, in the end, conducted by Xenophoa, a great philosopher and captain, who has wrote the history of it. The Lacedemonians continued their attacks upon the Persian empire, which Agesi-

396. laus, king of Sparta, made to tremble in the lesser Asia; but the divisions of Greece called him home to his own country. About that time the city of Veii, the formidable rival of Rome's after a siege of ten years, and a great deal of vanous success, was tak-

397. en by the Romans, under the conduct of Camillus. sec His generosity gained him also another conquest. The Falisci, whom he besieged, surrendered to him, beiag touched with bis sending them back their chili« c drei)) tvbom a school-master bad delivered up into bis a. r.

bands. Rome would not conquer by treachery, nor take advantage of the perfidy of a villain, who abused

391. the obedience of an innocent age. A little after, the sea.

GalVi Senones entered Italy, and laid siege to Clusium. 390. 'Ihey gained over the Romans the famous battle of 364. A///a. Rome was taken and burned. While the Romans defended themselves in the capitol, their aSairs were retrieved by Camillus, whom bad banished. The Gauls had remained seven ub.9r months masters of Rome, when being necessarily call- 22. ' ed elsewhere, they withdrew thenaselves, loaded with 371. booty. During the broils of Greece, Epamtnondas 383. the Tbeban signalised himself by his equity and moderation, as much as by his victories. It is remarked of him, that he laid it down as an inviolable rule, never to make a lie, even in jest. His great actions shine forth in the last years of Mnemon, and the first of Ochus.

Under so great a captain the Thebans are victorious, and the power of Lacedemon is brought low.

That of the kings of Maccdon begins with Philip the asi&. father of Alexander the great. Notwithstanding the opposhioD ofOcbus and Arses his son, kings of Persia, " and the still greater difficulties created him in by the eloquence of Demosthenes, a powerful asserler ' of liberty, that victorious prince in the space of twenty jears, subjected all Greece, where the battle of Cberonea, which he gained over the Athenians and their

allies, gave him an absolute power. In that famous 4ifc. battle, whilst he broke the Athenians, he had the joy to see Alexander at the age of eighteen, pllinge through the Theban troops, of Epaminondas's discipline, and among others, the sacred troop, called the friendF, which thought itself invincible.. Thus master of Greece, and supported by a son otso great hopes, he begun to conceive higher designs, and mfditated nothing less than the ruin of the Persians, against whom

be was declared captain-general. Bui vWu *l-m w£ts reserved for AiexanJer. I n the

54 AN uNivcRSAL msToftir.

A. c. lemDities of a second marriage, Pbilip was assassinated

by Pausannias, a young man of a good family, to whom 38fi. be had not done justice. The eunuch Bagoas, in the same year, kiUed Arses, kine of Persia, and gave the kingdom to Darius, son of Arsames, surnamed Godomannus. This prince, by his valour, challenges our assent to the opinion, in other respects the most probable, which makes him descended from the royal fa-

milv. Thus two brave kings begun their reigns together, Darius, son of Arsames, and Alexander, son of Philip. They looked upon each other with a jealous eye, and seemed born to dispute the empire of the world. But Alexander was willing to establish him- self, before he attacked his rival. He revenged the death of his father; he subdued the rebellious nations, who despised his youth; he beat the Greeks, who vainly attempted to shake off the yoke; and destroyed Thebes, where he spared nothing but the house and descendants of Pindar, whose odes were admired in Greece. Powerful and victorious he marches, after so many exploits, at the head of the Grecians,

Darius, whom he defeats in three pitched battles, en-

triumphant into Babylon and Susa, demolishes Persepolis, the ancient seat of the kings of Persia, his conquests as far as the Indies, and returns Babylon, where he dies, in the 33d year of his age. In his time Manasses, brother of Jaddus the high priest, raised some commotions among the Jews. He married the daughter of Sanballat a Samaritan, whom Darius had. made satrap of that country. Rather than put away this stranger, to which the council

, of Jerusalem, and his brother Jaddus, would oblige him, he embraced the schism of the Samaritans. Many Jews, to avoid like censures, joined him. From that time he resolved to build a temple near Samaria, upon mount Geriztm, which the Samaritans accounted holy, and to make himself high priest of it. His fa- /Aer-iii-law, who was in great favour with Darius, assured bim of that princess and the conse-

A. c. quences proved still more favourable to bim. Alex-A.iu arose: Saoballat deserted his master, and ried troops over to the victors during the siege of Tyre. And thus he obtained all he wanted; the temple of Gerizim was built, and the ambition of Manasses was satJsRed. The Jews, however, still faithful to the Persians, refused Alexander the succours he demanded of them. He marched to Jerusalem, breathing revenge; but his wrath was turned awa;||r upon seeing the high priest come out to meet him, with the priests W in their ceremonial robes, preceded by all the people clothed in white. He was shown some prophecies, which foretold his victories: the prophecies were those of Daniel. He granted the Jews all their requests, and they observed the same fidelity to him, they had ever done to the kings of Persia. During his conquests, Rome was engaged with the s24.'gamnites her neighbours, and had the utmost difficulty to reduce them, notwithstanding the valour and conduct of Papyrius Cursor, the most illustrious of her generals. After the death of Alexander, his empire was divided. Perdiccas, Ptolemy son of Laeus, Antigonus, Seleucus, Lysimachus, Antipater, and his ton Uas- Sander; in a word, ail his captains trained up in war under so great a conqueror, thought make them-

masters of it by force of arms. They 316. to their ambition the whole family of Alexander, his m brother, his mother, his wives, his children, and very sisters: nothing was to be seen but bloody battles, and dreadful revolutions. In the midst of so many disorders, several nations of Asia and the neighbourhood set themselves free, and formed the kingdoms of Pontus, Bitbynia, and Pergamus. The goodness of the soil made them afterwards rich and powerful. The Armenians too threw off at the same time the Macedonian yoke, and became a great kingdom. The two Mithridates, father and son, founded that of Cappadocia. But the two most powerful monarchies that then wrose, that of c.lemy son of Lagus, from whom proceed the Lagidae, a. b, g-aod that of Asia, or Syria, founded by Seleucus, from whom come the Seleucidae. The latter comprehended besides Syria those vast and rich provinces of the upper Asia, which coniposed the empire of the Persians. Thus the whole East became subject to Greece, and learned its language; while Greece itself was op-

Eressed by Alexander's captains. Macedon his ancient iogdora, which gave masters to the East, fell a prey to the first comer: Cassander's sons drove each other

36. out of that kingdom. Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who had seised on part of it, was expelled by Antigonus's

I*, son, Demetrius Polliorcetus, whom he expelled also in

)6. his turn: he is himself driven out once more by Ly- 468.

and Lysiraachus by Seleuchus, whom Ptolemy Ceraunus, being expelled Egypt by his father Ptolemy I. treacherously murdered, notwithstanding

80. the favours he had received from him. This perfidious villain had no sooner usurped Macedon, than he was attacked by thp Gauls, and fell in a battle he fought

81. with them. During the troubles of the East, they 4.7:,. came into the lesser Asia, headed by their king Brennus; and settled in Gallo-grecia, or Gallatia, so called from their name, whence they penetrated into Mace-donia, which they ravaged, and made all Greece tremble. But their army perished in the sacrilegious

attempt upon the temple of Delphos. That nation was ever enterprising, but every where unsuccessful.

Some years before the afiair of Delphos, the Gauls of Italy, whom their continual wars and frequent victories *'- rendered the terror of the Romans, were stirred up against them by the Samnites, the Brutians, and the Hetrurians. They gained at first a new victory, but sullied the glory of it by putting to death some ambassadors. The Romans fired with indignation, march against them, dpfeat them, invade their territories,

where they plant a colony, beat them twice more, sub- ject one part of them, and reduce the other to sue for After ih9 eastern Gauls were driven out of 4:7.

AX OMVERSAL HISTOirr. St

L Antigonus 6onata8|8on of Demetrius PoUior- ▲•b, ' who had reigned twelve years in Greece, but little of that time in peace, made an easy purchase of 280. Macedonia. Pyrrhus was employed elsewhere. Ex- 474.. pelled that kingdom, be hoped to satisfy bis ambition by the conquest of Italy, whither he was called by the Tarentioes, The battle, which the Romans bad won over tbem and the Samnites, left them no other resource. He gained some victories over the Ronans 279. which brought them very low. The elephants of Pyr- 475. rhus astonished them; but the consul Fabricius soon showed t\e Romans, that Pyrrhus might be conquered. The king and the consul seemed to dispute the glory of generosity, yet more than that of arms: Pyrrhus gave up to the consul all the prisoners without ransom, saying, That war should be made with steel, 278. not with silver:" and Fabricius sent back to the king, 476. his perfidious physician, who had come to him with an offer to poison his master. In these days the Jewish religion and nation begins to be known among the Oreeks* That people well treated by the kings of Syria, lived quietly according to its own laws. - Antiochus Tbeus, grandson of Seleucus, them over the lesser Asiht whence they extena into and every where enjoyed the same pri- JS. i vileges and liberties wiUi the other citizens. Ptolemy, son of Lagus, had already settled them in Egypt Under his son Ptolemy Philadelphus their scriptures were turned into Greek, and then appeared that celebrated version called the Septuagint. It was performed by seventy old men, whom fcK» high- priest had sent to the king at his desire. Soir (» will have it, that 1 1. translated no more than the Pentateuch. The!':dL the sacred books might afterwards have been i put into Greek for the use of the Jews that were dispersed over Egypt and Greece, whereAev forgot not only their own ancient language, whiW was the Hebnfr,. hut also the Chaldaic, which they had learned mib9u»captivit7. They formed to

A. c. mixed with Hebraisms, which is called the Hellenistic a. language; and in this both the Septuagint, and the whole New Testament are written. During this dispersion of the Jews, their temple was celebrated over the whole earth, and all the eastern kings presented there their offerings. The attention of the West was fixed upon the war between the Romans and Pyrrhus.

275. At length, that king was defeated, by the consul Curius, 47!f and repassed into £pirus. He bad not been long at rest there, when he proposed to indemnify himself on

276. Macedon for his ill success in Italy. Antigonus Go- natas was confined to Thessalonica, being forced to

277. quit to Pyrrhus all the rest of the kingdom. He again took whilst the restles and ambitious Pyrrhus made war upon the Lacedemonians and Argives. The two adverse kings were brought into Argos at one and the same time, by two opposite factions, and two different gates. A great battle was fought in the where a seeing her son pursued by Pyrrhus, whom he had wounded, knocked out that prince's ' brains with a stdiTe. Antigonus thus rid of such an enemy, recovered Vlacedon. which, after some revolutions, remained in the peaceable possession of his family. The \chean league prevented Ua growth in power. This was the last buVark of the Piberty of and this it was, which produced her last heRoes in Aratus and Philopemen.

The Tarentines, whom Pyrrhus had amused with hopes, called the Carthaginians to their aid after his death* But this succour proved of no use to them: they were beat by the Brutians and Samnites their allies. These, afteri?iventy-two years continual war, were forced to submit to the Roman yoke. Tarentum quickly followed them: the neighbouring states could not hold out: and thus all the ancient nations of Italy were The Gauls, often beat, durst not p, stir. After 4W years war, the Romans finding selves masters of Italy, began to turn their Bbroad: they now conceived a jealousy of the

AN UNlVERSAt HISTORT.

. C. ginians growing too powerful in their neighbourhood, a. By the conquests they were making in Sicily, from whence they had made an attack on them, and upon Italy, by coming to the assistance of the Tarentines* The repubJic of Cartbage commanded both coasts of the Mediterranean. Besides that of Afric, which she almost entirely possessed, she had extended herself on the Spanish side through the Streights. Thus mistress of the sea, and of commerce, she had seized on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Sicily had difficulty to defend itself, and Italy was too nearly threatened not 264. to be alarmed. Hence the Punic wars, notwithstand- ing treaties, but ill on botbsides. The first taught the Romans to fight upon the sea. They were presently masters in an art which they were not acquainted with; and the consul Duilius, who fought the first naval battle, gained it. Rf»gulus supported 259. glory, and landed in Afric, where be bad to engage prodigious serpent, against which he was obliged to employ his whole army. Every thing yields: Carthage reduced to the last extremity, is saved splely by the aid of Xantippus the Lacedemonian. The Ro- man general is beat and taken; but his captivity ren* ders him more glorious than his Being sent back, upon his parole, to negotiate an exchange of prisoners, he comes and maintains in the senate the law, which cut off all hope from such as suffered themselves to be taken, and returns to a certain death. Two dreadful shipwrecks forced the Romans to abandon, once more, the empire of the sea to the Carthaginians. Victory remained long doubtful between the two nations, and the Romans were ready to yield: but they repaired their fleet. One single battle decided, the consul Lutatius put an end to the war. Carthage was obliged to pay tribute, and to give up, together with Sicily, all the islands that lay between Sicily and Italy. The Romans gained that whole island, except what belonged to Hiero king of Syracuse tJi%\t After the war was ended, the Vi

AN UrmrERSAL BlSTOBtir.

bave been mined by an insarrection of their army. a. i They bad according to their custom, composed it foreign troojis, who revolted for their pay. Their cru* '' el government caused almost all the cities of their em* i. " pire to join those mutinous troops; and Carthage, closely besieged, had been undone, but for Hamilcar, sumamed Barcas* He alone had supported the last

To him his citizens owed also the victory they got over the rebels: but it cost them Sardinia, which the revolt of their garrison laid open to the Romans. For fear of involving herself in a new quarrel with Poii them, Carthage yielded up, with reluctance, that im- 79.' i portant island, and submitted to an augmentation of her tribute. She now turned her thoughts towards re-establishing her dominion in Spain, which had been

by the revolt. Hamilcar passed into that vince with his son Hannibal, then but nine years old; and there fell in a battle. During nine years that be carried on the war there with equal conduct and courage, his son was forming under so great a captain, and at the same time imbibing an implacable hatred to the Romans. His kinsman, Asdrubal was appointed his father's successor. He governed his province with a great deal of prudence, and built in it New-Carthage, which held Spain in subjection. The Romans were engaged in a war with Teuta Queen of Illyria, who exercised piracies all along the coast with impunity. Flushed with the booty she made of the Greeks and people of £pirus, she despised the and put

their ambassador to death. But she was soon hum-

29. bled: the Romans left her nothing but a small part of 525..

28- Illyria, and gained the island of Corfu, which queen had usurped. They then caused themselves to be respected in Greece by a solemn embassy, and this was the first time their power was known there. As-

drubal's great progress gave them some jealousy, but 'the Gauls of ItaJy diverted their attention from the affam of Spain. Five and forty years had they remain*

3kN UNIVERSAL HISTOR?. 6]

ed quiet. The youth who bad grown up in that time, A. b.

thought no more of past losses, but began to threateo

21* Rome. The Romans, in order to attack with the more security such turbaleot neighbours, first made sure of the Carthaginians. A treaty was concluded with AsdrubaJ, wbo engaged not to pass beyond the Ebro, The war between the Romans and Gauls was carried on with fury on both sides: the Transalpines joined (he all were beaten. Coocolitanus one of the Gaulish kings, was taken in battle: Aneroestus, another king, killed himself. The Romans, victorious, passed the Po for the first time, being resolved to strip the Grauls of the lands adjacent to that Wrer, 0/ which tbey.bad been in possession for so mann. ny ages. Victory followed them wherever they went: ha. Milan was taken; almost the whole country was sub-i'ected. About this time Asdrubal died; and Hannibal, though but five and twenty years of age, was made choice of to fill his place. From that moment war was foreseen. The new governor undertook openly to subdue any regard to treaties. Then Rome heard the complaints of Saguntum her allv,

Roman ambassadors go to Carthage. The Carthagi- Dians nov¥ recovered, were no longer in the humour of yielding Sicily snatched out of their hands, Sardinia unjustly taken from them, and the augmented tribute, stuck deeply in their stomachs. So the faction that was for abandoning Hannibal, found itself but weak. That general had his eyes every where. Some secret embassies had assured him of the Gauls of Italy, who, no longer in condition to attempt any thing by their own strength, embraced this opportunity of themselves. Hannibal crosses, the Ebro, the Pyrenees, the whole Transalpine Gaul, the Alps, and falls down, as dt were in a moment upon Italy. The Gauls do not fail to strengthen his army, and make gi a last effort for their liberty. Four battles lost threat-

g* en the fall of. Rome. Sicily sides with the conquer- ««.

ia,oPk Hieronymus, king of

A. c. the Romans: almost all Italy abandons diem; and the a« last resource of the republic seems cut off in Spain with the two Scipio's. In sucb extremities Rome ed its preservation to tbree great men« The constancy of Fabius Maximus, wbo despising popular clam«* ours, made war by way of retreat, was a oulwark to his country. Marcellus, who raised the siege of Nola, 540 x'i3. and took Syracuse, inspired the troops with new vig- our, by those actions. But Rome, though she admired these two great men, thought she saw somewhat still greater in the young Scipio. The wonderful success of bis counsels, confirmed the entertained opin- 211. ion, that be was of race divine, and that be conversed 54s with the gods. At the age of four and twenty, be un- dertakes to go into Spain, where his father and uncle had just before lost their lives: he attacks New-Carthage, as if he had acted by inspiration, and his soldiers carry it at the first assault. All that see him are won over to the Roman people: the Carthagmians give up

Spain to him: upon his arrival in. Afric, kings submit to him: Carthage trembles in her turn* and sees her armies defeated. Hannibal, sixteen years victorious, is in vain called home, and cannot defend bis country: Scipio gives law to it; the name of Africanus is his reward. The Roman people having bumbled the Gauls and Africans, see nothing more to £ear, and henceforth make war with hazard.

In the middle of the first Punic war, Theodotus, iso. governor of Bactria, withdrew a thousand cities from the obedience of Antiochus, surnamed Theus, son of Antiochus Soter king of Syria. Almost all the East followed this example. The Parthians revolted under the conduct of Arsaces, chief of the house of the Arsacidae, and founder of an empire, which extended by degrees over all the upper Asia.

The kings of Syria and Egypt, bloodily set against each other, meditated nothing out mutual destruction, either by forre pr fraud* Damascus and its territory, caUed (/eio-Syriaf vvbich was frontier to both king-

C\ doms, was the subject of their quarrels, and the afiairs A.H. of Asia were entirely distinct from those of Europe.

During all these times philosophy flourished in Greece. The Italic and Ionic sects stored it with great meoy among whom crept in a number of ex*- travagantSf vfhomj Greece, fond of novelty, honoured with the name of t'hilosopbers. In the time of Cyrus and Cambyses, Pythagoras commenced the Italic sect in great Greece, in the neighbourhood of Naples. Much about the same time Thaler the Milesian formed the Ionic sect. Thence sprung ihose great philosophers, Heraclitus, Democritus, Empedocies, Parmenides; Anaxagoras, who a lillle before the Pe/oponrtesian war, demonstrated the world framed by an eternal spirit; Socrates, who a little after brought back philosophy to the study of good manners, and was the parent of moral philosophy; Plato bis disciple, head of the academy; Hato's scholar, and preceptor to Alexander, chief of the Peripatetics f under Alexander's suooeeeora, Zeno, called the Gittian,from a town in the isle of Cyprus, where he was bom, chief of the btoics; and Epicurus the Athenian, bead of the philosophers named after him: if, indeed, we may stile those men philosophers who openly denied a proFidence, and quite ignorant of moral duty, defined virtue by pleasure. We may reckon among the greatest philosophers Hippocrates, the father of physic, who shone amidst the rest in those happy days of Greece. The Romans had at the same time another kind of which did by no means consist in disputations, and discourses; but in frugality, in poverty, in the labours of a rural life, and in Uie toils of war, they placing their glory in that of their country, and of the Roman name: which at length rendered them masters of Italy and Carthage. g«i In the 552d year from the foundation of Rome, about' giiwi250 years after the Persian monarchy, and jO2 before Jestis Christ, Carthage was subjected to the Romans« however, continued to

A. c. dies tinder-hand, wherever he could: but be did on-A. i )y draw all his friends, both old and new, into the ruin of his country and his own. By the victories of the

ISJ consul Flamjqius, Philip king of Macedon, an ally of g|; the Carthaginians, was humbled, the other kings of Macedon brought low, and Greece freed from their yoke. The Romans attempted to procure the death of Hannibal, whom they found still formidable, «ven

195. after his overthrow* That great captain, forced to fly 555*. bis country, stirred up the Bust against them, and drew their arms into Asia. Through his powerful persua*

sions, Antiochus, surnamed Magnus, king of Syria, be- came jealous of (heir power, and mad« war upon them: but in carrying it on be did not follow the counsels of Hannibal, who had engaged him in it; Beat by sea and land, he received the terms imposed on him by the consul Lucius Scipio, brother of Sci-

Africanus, and was confined to mount Hannibal having fled for refuge to Prusias king of Bithynia, escaped the of the Romans by poi« son. They were now dreaded all over the earth, and will no longer sufler any other power but theirs. Kings were obliged to give them their children as hostages of their fidelity. Antioehus, afterwards called lilustris, or Epiphanes, second son of Antiochus Magnus, king of Syria, ren>ained a long time at Rome in that quality: but about the end of the reign of Se-

leucus Philopator, his elder brother, he was restored and the Romans would have in his stead, Demetrius

Soter the king's son, then ten years of age. In this critical juncture Seleucus died; and Antiochus usurped the kingdom of his nephew. The Romans were intent upon the aflairs of Macedon, where Per eus was disturbing his neighbours, and would no longer stand to the conditions imposed on his father

*''' king Philip. Then beg«n the persecutions of the peo- pie of God. Antiochus lilustris reigned like a madman: he bent all bis fury against the Jews, and attempted to desitoj the temple, the law of Moses, and.

JiN f»IIV£BSAL HISTORY. uc.the whole Yiatioo. The antbority of the Romans a. b.

kept him from maktog himseit master of Egypt. They made war upoa Perseus, who being readier to undertake tban to lost bis allies by bis covet-

ousness, and bis armies by his cowardice. Van- quished b\ tfae coosui Paulus \£miUus, be Tvas forced to surrender himself into his bands. Geotius king of lUyria bis ally* reduced in thirty days by the i retor Anicius, had just naet with a like fate. The kingdom of Macedon, which bad stood seven hundred years, and had near two buifidred given masters, not only to Greece, but even to the whole East, was now no more than a Roman province* The fury of Antiochus increased against God's people. Then do we see, the noble stand made by Mattathias the priest, of the race

of Phinehas and imitator of bis zeal; the injunctions be gives on his death-bed for the safety of bis people; the victories of Judas Maccabeus his son, notwithstanding the infinite number of his enemies; the rise of the family of the Asmoneans, or Maccabees; the -

dedication of the temple, which the Grentiles profanefl, the pontificate of Judas, and the glory of the priesthood restored; the death of Antiochus befitting; bis impiety and pride; be feigned conversion during his last illness, and the unappeased wrath of God upon the haughty king. His son Antiochus Eu« pator, yet a minor, succeeded him, under the guardianship of Lysias hb governor. During this minority, Demetrius Soter, who was at Rome as an hostage, thought he might get himself restored; but be could not prevail with the senate to send him back into his

the Roman policy chose rather an infant king. Under Antiochus Eupator the persecution of

®2. God's people, and the victories of Judas Maccabeus continue Division takes place in the kingdom of Syria. Demetrius makes his escape from Rome; his people acknowledge bim; the young Antiochus is put to death with Lysias bis tutor. But the Jews are no better treated under Demetrius, ibawXViev

AN UNIVERSAL tflSTORlT;

c. der bis predecessors; and be meets with the same a. R; fortune; bis generals are beat by Judas Maccabeus; and the band of the baugbtj Nicanor, wbieb be bad so often stretcbed out against the temple, is biing up be- "•fore it. But not long after, Judas, overpowered numbers, was slain tigbting with astonishing bravery. His brother Jonathan succeeds to his command, and supports bis reputation. Though reduced to extremity, bis courage never failed him. The Ro'nans, fond to bumble the kings of hyria, granted the Jipws their protection, as also the alliance which Judas bad to request of them, yet without any succours: ho the glory of the Roman name proved no small sup- to the distressed people. The troubles of Syria increased daily. Alexander Balas, who boasted himself the spn of Antiochus Illustris, was placed upon the throne by the people of Antiocb. The kmgs of Egypt, perpetual foes to Syria, fomented its divisions, in order 'o profit by them. Ftolemy Philometor sup-Sported Balas; the war was bloody; Demetrius So-60?,f 'ter was killed in it, and left to revenge his death, only two young princes, yet under age, Demetrius Nicator, and Antiochus Sidetes. Thus the usurper remained in peaceable possession, and the king of Egypt gave bim bis daughter Cleopatra in marriage. Balas, now fancying himself beyond all plunged into de- baucbery, and drew upon himself the contempt of all 3. ' bis subjects. At this time Philometor judged the famous process, which the Samaritans raised against the Jews. Those schismatics, ever set against the people of God, never failed to join their enemies; and in order to please Antiochus lllustris their persecutor, bad dedicated their temple on mount Gerizim to Jupi- ter Hospitalis. Notwithstanding this proianation, those impious wretches had the boldness, sometime after, to maintain, before Ptolemy at Alexandria, That this temple ought to be preferred to that of Jerusalem. The parties debated it before the king, and

AN UNIVEBSAL BISTORT. a* engaged on both sides, upon pain of death to make a. Ci

(;ood their pretensionsi from the express terms of the aw of Moses. The Jews gained their cause, and the Samaritans were punished with death, according ta aereemeot. The same kine permission to Onias, of the priestly race, to build m Egypt the temple of HelopiHs, after the model of that of Jerusalem: an undertaking which was condemned by the whole council of the Jews, and judged contrary to the law. In the meantime Carthage was bestirring herself again, being unable to bear the laws which bcipio Africanus had imposed on her. The Romans resolved her total overthrow, and the third Punic war was ken. Young Demetrius Nicator, now past childhood, begiem to think of recovering the throne of his ancestors; and the softness of the usurper gave him every thing to hope. Balas was troubled at his approach: his father-in-law PhiFometor declared against him, because Balas would not suffer him to seize upon his kingdom: the ambitious Cleopatra his wife forsook him, to bis enemy, and he was cut off by the hand of bis ovjK people, alter the loss of a battle. Fhilometor died a f3w days after, of the wounds he there received, and Syria was delivered from both her enemies. The world saw at that same time the fall of two great cities. Car-* thage was taken, and reduced to ashes by Scipio JEmilianus, who, by that victory, confirmed the surname t>f Africanus in his family, and approved himself Ae worthy heir of the sreat Scipio bis grandfather* ' Corinth shared the same fate, and the Achean republie perished with it; The consul Mummius razed to the ground that city, the most voluptuous, and most adorned in Greece. He transported its incomparable statues to Rome, without knowing the value oi them* The Romans were ignorant of the arts of Greece, and* contented themselves with the knowledge of war, tics, and agriculture. During the troubles of Syria the Jews fortified themselves: Jonathan was courted by both parties, and Nicator, viclorms,

AN UMVERSAL HISTOBY.

c. as bis brother. His kiodoes& was soon requited: for a.ii«

a sedition, the Jews coming speedily to his aid, de- fivered him out of the hands of the Jonathan was loaded with honours; but when once the king thought himself secure, be resumed the desisn of his ancestors, and the Jews were barrassed as formerly. The troubles of Sjria broke out afresh: Diodorus,

. sumamed Tiyphon, brought up a son of Balas, whom he named Antiochus Theas, and served bira for a guardian during his minority. The pride of Demetrius caused an insurrection against bim; all Syria

was in a iamc: Jonathan knew how to improve conjuncture, and renewed his alliance with the Romans. Every thing was prospering with him, when Tryphon, by a breach of faith, caused him to be slain with bis children. His brother Simon, the most prudent and fortunate of the Maccabees, succeeded him; and the Romans patronized him, as they bad done bis predecessors. Tryphon was no less treacherous bis ward Antiochus, than he had been to Jonathan, put the youth to death by the means of physicians, Ton pretence of causing him to be cut for the swone, which he had not, and made himself master of a part of the kingdom. Simon took the side of Demetrius Nioator the lawful king, and after having obtained of bim the liberty of bis country, he maintained it by force of arms against the rebel Tryphon. The Syrians were driven out of the citadeU which they held in Jerusalem, and afterwards out of all the strong hold in Judea.

The Jews, thus freed from the yoke of the Gentiles by the valour of Simon, vested the royal powers in bim, and bis family: and Demetrius Nicatur consented to this new establishment. There begins the new kingdom of God's people, and the principality of the Asmoneans ever joined to the high priesthood. In tliose days the empire of the Parihians was extended over Bactria and the Indies by the victories of Mithridates, the most valiant of the Arsacids. While he was ad-

Euphrates, Demetrius Nicator, a.b» invited by tfae people of the country, whom Mithri* dates had subjected, hoped to reduce the Partbians, the Syrians treated always as rebels. He gain-* ed several victories; and as he was about to return in« to Syria, ia order to overthrow Tryphon, he fell into a snare, which one of the generals of Mitbridates had laid for him; and so remained prisoner with the Parthians. Trypbon, who thought himself secured by that prince's iliisfortune, found himself all at once ie4. abaoQoned by bis own people. They could no longer suffer bis pride. During the captivity of Demetrius their lawful sovereign, they entered into the service of bis consort' Cleopatra and her but a guardian and defender was to be sought for the young who were not yet of The care naturally devolved upon Antiochus Sidetes, brother to Cleopatra caused him to be acknowledged all over the kingdom: nay, she did more. Phraates, brother and successor to Mithridatesr, treated Nicatoras a king, and.- gave him bis daughter Rodogune in marriage. Out of spite to this rival, Cleopatra, whom she deprived of the crown, together wfth her husband, espoused Antiochos S/detes; and resolved to reign by all man-f39. ner of wickedness. The new king attacked Trypbon: Simon joined him in the enterprise, and the tyrant forced out of all his strong holds, came to a condign

«3& end. Antiochus, now master of the kingdom, very «i2» soon forgot the services Simon had done him in his late war, and caused him to be treacherously murdered. Whilst he was collecting all the (brces of Syriaagainst the Jews, Joannes Hyrcanus, son of succeeded to his father's and all the people submitted to him. He held out the siege of Jerusalem with much bravery, and the war, which ochus meditated against the Parthians, to deliver hi& captive brother, made him grant the Jews tolerable conditions. At the same time that this peace was. theBomans, were

A«c»too rich, fcHHid formidable enemies in the prodigious a. r multitude of tbeir slayes. Ennus, a slave himself; rais-. ed an insurrection of them in Sicily; and it took the isa whole Roman power to reduce them A little after, the succession of Attains king of Pergaraus, who by bis will made the Roman people hifi heir, threw the city into division. The troubles of the Gracchi commenced. The seditious tribuneship of Tiberius Gracohus, one of the first men in Rome, became his destruction: the whole senate put him to death by the hand of Scipio Nasica, finding no other mpans to pre* vent the dangerous distribution of money, with which that eloquent tribune flattered the people. Scipio restored military discipline, and that great man, who had destroyed Carthage, demolished also

J32. Numantia in Spain, the second terror of the Romans. The Parthians proved too weak for Sidetes; his troops, though corrupted by an excessive luxury, had a surprising success. Joannes Hyrcanus, who had attended bim in that war bis Jewa, si gnalioed hie valour m it| and gained honour to the Jewish religion, when tho army halted to afford him leisure to celebrate the sabbath-day. Every thing yielded, and Phraates saw his empire reduced to its ancient limits; but, far from des« pairing of his affairs, he thought his prisoner might be of use towards his retrieving them, and invading Syria. In this coiquncture Demetrius experienced a ve« ry capricious fortune. He was often released, and as oAen detained, according as hope or fear got the ascendant in the mind 01 his father-in-law; at last a happy moment, in which Phraates saw no resource but in the diversion he proposed to make in Syria, by jaOL bis means, set him quite at liberty. That instant the scale turned. Sidetes, who could not otherwise support bis extravagant expenses, than by intolerable rapines and extortions, was overwhelmed all at once by a general insurrection of the people, and perished with his army, which had been so oft victorious. In vain did PbraaUB send with all speed after Demetrius: it

a. was now too late: that prince bad got back into bis a. Rt kingdom. Hib wife C leopatra, who wanted only to reign at any rate* returned quickly with him, and Rodogune was soon forgot. Hyrcanus improved the juncture: be took Sicoem fpooi the Samaritans, and utterly demolished the temple of Gerizim, two hundred years after it bad been built by Sanballat Its destruction did not binder the Samaritans from continuing their worship in that mountain, and the two na-

tions remained irreconcilable. The year after, all ei:, Idumea, united by the victories of Ifyrcanus to the Idugdom of Judea, received the law of Moseg with circumcision. The Romans continued their protection to Hyroanus, and caused the cities to be restored,

:s. which the Syrians had taken from him. The pride et&. and violence of Demetrius Nicator suffered not oyria to enjoy long tranquillity* The people revolted. To cherish their revolt, Egypt, their enemy, gave them a

.::&king; Alexander Zabina son of Balas. Demetrius 62?' was beaten, and leopatra, thinking to reign more absolutely under her children, than under her husband,

brought him to ajniserable end. No better did she630> serve her eldest son Seleucus, who bad a mind to reign io spite of her. Her second son called Grypus, was just returned victorious from the defeat of

2i- the rebels, when Cleopatra presented to hira in form csn. the poisoned cup, which, her son warned of her pernicious designs, forced herself to swallow. She died, and left an eternal bone of contention between the children sbe had had by the two brothers, Demetrius Kicator, and Antiochus Sidetes. Syria thus distracted, was no longer in condition of disturbing the Jews.

ijo9. Joannes Hyrcanus took Samaria, but could not con- vert the Samaritans. He died five years after, and Judea remained in the peaceable possession of bis two

sons, Aristobulus, and Alexander Janneus; who reign- e&»

!«. cd, one after the other, unmolested by the kings of esr Syria* The Romans suffered that rich kingdonv waste away of itself, and extended iVievc

TS AN VNIfTERSAL mSTORT.

During the wars of Demetrius NieatorA. <ss. and Zebinai they began to extend their domain beyond es I2«. ihe Alps; and Sextius, having conquered the Gauls, eai named Saliii established in the city of Aix a colony, which bears his name to this day. The Gauls made f23. but a sorry defence. Fabius subdued the Allobroges, 6S and all the neighbouring nations; and the same year that Grypus caused his mother to drink the poison she. had prepared for him, Gallia Narbonensis, reduced into a province, received the name of a Roman province. Thus the Roman empire grew in greatness, and dually possessed itself of all the lands and seas of the then known world. But as fair as the face of the republic seemed outwardly by its conquests, so disfigured was it by the inordinate ambition of its and by its intestine broils. The most illustrious of the Romans became the most pernicious to the public weal. The two Gracchi, by flattering the people, begun divisions, which did not end but with the commonwealth. Caius, brother of Tiberius, could not brook their having put to death so great a man, in so tragical a manner. Animated to vengeance by impulses, which were thought inspired by the ghost of Tiberius, he armed all the citizens against one another, and as he 119- was upon the point of destroying the whole, he was W4- cut off by a death like to that he meant to revenge. Money did every thing at Rome. Jugurtha king Numidia, stained with the murder of his brothers, whom the Roman people protected, defended himself 1B6. longer by his largesses than by bis arms; and Marius, 6u who completed his overthrow, could not arrive at the ttsu command, but by spiriting up the people against the esi nobles. The slaves took up arms once more in Sicily;

and their second revolt cost the Romans no less blood

Ti2,than the first. Marius beat the Teutons, Cimbrians, ssi and other northern who were penetrating into m. the Gauls, into Spain, and into Italy. The victories he obtained over them were an occasion of proposing a neir distribution of lands. Metellus, who opposed city was forced to give way to the juncture, nor were a. b. the divisions extinguished but by the blood of Satur* niusy a tribune of the people. Whilst Rome protect-

ed Cappadocia against Mithridates king of Pontus, ceo.

and so ereat a foe yielded to the Roman force, with

91. Greece/vwhich had espoused his interest; Italy, long exercised ia arms by so many wars, maintained either against, or with the Komans endangered their empire by an universal revolt. Rome felt herself at the same tt. tim9 torn by the furious animosities of Marius and Syl- 666. la, one of whom had made both the south and north to tremble, and the other was the conqueror of Greece and Asia. Sylla, who was styled the fortunate, was too

»i much so against his country, which his tyrannical die*

tatorsfaip brought into servitude. He might <well lay 675. voluntardy down the sovereign power, but he could not hinder the effect of bad example. Every one would be master. Sertorious, a zealous partisan of Marius,

7i cantoned himself in Spain, and entered into a league, 68o.

with Against so great a captain, force was of no avail; and Pompey could find no way of reducing that party but by spwing division in it. Not even Spartacus the gladiator, but thought he might as-i)ire to the chief command. That slave caused no ess trouble to the pretors and consuls, than Mithri- 683 dates was creating to Luoullus. The war of the gladiators became formidable to the Roman power. Crassus finding difficulty to put an end to it, the great Pompey behoved to be sent against them. Lucullus

Mi was getting the better in the east. The Romans pass- em. ed the Euphrates:hnt their general, invincible against the enemy, could not keep his own soldiers in their dutj. Mithridates, often beat, but never losing courage, was recruiting his force, and Pompey's good fortune seemed necessary to put a happy termination to

A the war. He was just come from scouring the seas of esr. the pirates, that infested them from Syria as far as the pillars of Hercules, when he was sent against Mithrl-

dates. His glory appeared then at ita \ie\g\iX«

A* c. tally sulrjccted that valiant king, and Armenia, whither a* he had fled for refuge; Iberia and Albania, wtich sup- ported him; Syna torn by its factions; Judea, where the division of the Asmoneans left Hyrcanus II. the son of Alexander Janneus but a shadow of power; and, in short, the whole east. But he had not had where to triumph over so many enemies, but for the consul Cicero, who saved the city from the flames that were preparing for it by Oaliline, backed by the most illustrious of the Roman nobility. That formidable party was ruined by Cicero's eloquence, rather than the arms of C. Antonius bis colleague. The liberty of the Roman people was nothing the more secure. Pompey reigned in the senate, and his great name made 58. him absolute master of all deliberations. Julius Ce-

"" sar, by subduing the Grauls, gained his country the most useful conquest it had ever made. So signal a service enabled him to establish his dominion in his country. He -wanted first to equal, and then to sur*

f>ass Pompey. Crassus's immense riches made him ancy be might share the glory of these two great (51. meui as he did their authority. He rashly undertook 7oa the war against the Parthians, which proved fatal to 63. himself and to his country. The Arsacidie victorious, insulted with cruel railleries, the ambition of the Romans, and the insatiable avarice of their genera]. But the diserace of the Roman name was not the worst effect 01 Crassus's overthrow. His power counterbalanced that of Pompey and Cesar, whom he kept uni- 49. ted, as it were, against their will. By his death, the w mound, that confined them, was broke down. The two rivals, who had all the forces of the common- 48. wealth in their hands, decided their quarrel at Phar- 70i 47. salia, by a bloody battle: victorious, appeared toi in a moment all over the world; in Egypt, in Asia, in w Mauritania, in Spain: conqueror on all sides, he was "» 44. acknowledged master at Rome, and in. the whole em* 43. pire. Brutus and Cassius thought to set their fellow- 7i citizens free by murdering him as a tyrant, notwitba of c. standing bis clemency. Rome fell again into the bands a. r. Mark Antony, Lepidus, and the young Cesar Octavianus, grand nephew to Julius Cesar, and bis adopt-I ed son; three insupportable tyrants, whose triumvi* t rate and proscriptions canoot yet be read without hor« ror. But they were too yiolent to last long. These three persons divide the empire among them. Ce-sar keeps Italy; and changing instantly his former cruelties into mildness, he makes it believed that he was drawn into them by his colleagues. The remains

of the commonwealth perish with Brutus and Cassius.

Antony and Cesar, after ruining Lepidus, fall next up- on each other. The whole Roman power puts to sea.

w. Cesar wids the battle of Actium: the forces of Egypt, tssand of the east, which Antony brought with him, are dispersed; all bis friends abandon hitn, and even his Cleopatra, for whom he had lost the world. Herod the Idumean, who owed every to him, is forced

to submit to the victor, and maintams himself, by this means, in possession of the kingdom of Judea, which the weakness of o\d Uyrcanus had entirely lost to the Asmoneans. Every thing yields to C'esar's fortune: Alexandria opens her gates to him: Egypt becomes aBomaa province: Cleopatra, despairing of being able to preserve it, kills herself after Antony: Rome stretches out her arms to Cesar, who, under the name

37. of Augustus, and title of emperor, remains sole mas- ter of the empire. He subdues, towards the Pyrenees, the revolted Cantabrians and Asturians; Ethiopia sues

for peace: the Parthians, in fear, send him back the 730.

a. standards taken from Crassus, together with all the 132.

». Roman prisoners; the Indies court his alliance; the 734,

Rheti, or Grisons, feel the force of bis arms; their 739.

7. mountains cannot defend them; Pannonia acknow- ledges him: Germany dreads him; and the Weser receives his laws. Victorious by sea and land, he shuts the temple of Janus. The whole earth lives in ifia peace under bis power, and Jesus Christ comes into the world*

Now are we at arrived at those times, so much desired by our fathers, those of the comiog of grai the Messiah. This name signiiies the Christ, or and the Lord's anointed; and Christ deserves it as priest, as king, and as prophet. It is not agreed woSi precise year he came into the world; but it is allowed that his true birth some years precedes our vulgar era, which however, we shall follow, with all others for the more conveniency. Without disputing farther about the year of our Lord's birth, it is sufi&- cient that we know it happened about the 4000th year of the world. Some place it a little before, some a little after, and others precisely in that year; a diversity proceeding as much from the uncertainty of the years of the world, as of that of the birth of our Lord. Be that how it will, it was about this time, 1000 years after the dedication of the temple, and the 754th year of Rome, that Jesus Christ, the eternal son of God, and temporal son of Abraham and David, was born of a virgin.

This epoch is the most considerable of all, not only for the importance of so great an event, but also because it is that from whence Christians have, these many ages, begun the computation of their years* It has besides this remarkable in it, that it pretty nearly coincides with the time, in which Rome returns to a state of monarchy, under the peaceful empire of Augustus. Ail the arts flourished in his time, and Latin poetry was carried to its last perfection by Virgil and Horace, whom that prince encouraged, not only by his favours, but also by indulging them a free access to his presence. The birth of Jesus Christ was quickly followed by the death of Herod. His kingdom was divided among his children; but the principal share was not long of falling into the hands of the Romans, tt Augustus ended his reign with great glory. Tiberius, whom he had adopted, succeeded him without opposition; and the. empire was acknowledged hereditary in the bouse of the Cesats. kadaiuch to suffer from

AN UMVKRSAL HISTORY. Jf the cruel policy of Tiberius: the rest of the empire a« d* was tolerably quiet. Germanicus, nephew of Tiberius, pacified the rebel refused the empire, beat the proud Arminius, pushed bis conquests as far as the £lbe; and hanog attracted, together with the lore of those people, the jealousy of his uncle, that barbarian occasiooeu bis death, either by grief or poison. In the fifteenth year of Tiberius, St. John Baptist appears: Jesus Christ receives baptism from that divine harbinger: the eternal father acknowledges his well-beloved son by a voice from heaven: the Holy Ghost descends upon the Saviour, under the harmless figure of a dove: the whole trinity manifest itself. There begins, with the seventieth week of Daniel, the preach- ing of Jesus Christ. This last week was the most important, and the most noted. Daniel had distinguished it from the rest, as the week, wherein the covenant was to be confirmed, and in the middle of which the old sacrifices were to lose their efficacy. We may call it the week of mysteries. In it Jesus Christ establishes his mission and doctrine, by numberless miracles, and afterwards by his death. This happened in the fourth year of his ministry, which was also the fourth year of the last week of Daniel; and after this manner is that great week found exactly intersected by the suffering of our Saviour.

Thus the computation of the weeks is easy to be made, or rather is done already. We have only to add to 453 years, which will be found from the 300th year of Rome, and 20th of Artaxerxes, to the beginning of the vulgar era, the 30 years of that era which we see come down to the 15th year of Tiberius, and the baptism oif out Lord; these two sums will make ASS years: of the seven years which yet remain to complete the fourth, which makes the middle one, is that in which Jesus Christ died: and all that Daniel prophesied, is visibly contained within the term prescribed. There would even have been no necessity for so much nor does

A. r>M8 to take in so strict a sense the middle tnariced by Daniel. The tnost difficult would be contented with finding it in any point the two This I take notice of, that those, who may think they ha?e reason to place a little higher, or a little lower, the beginning of Artaxerxes's reign, or, the death of our Lord, may not straiten themselves in their calculation, and that those who would attempt to embarrass a thing clear, by the quibbles of chronology, may lay aside their fruitless subtlety. The darkness which covered the whole face of the 45. earth at -noon day, and at the moment of Jesus Christ's 13b crucifixion, is taken for an ordinary eclipse by heathen &np. writers who have mentioned that memorable event. But the primitive Christians, who spoke of it to the sTer. Romans as a prodigy, recorded not only by their own ApoL authors, but even by the public registers, have shown, Tig, z neither at the time of the full moon, when Jesus?eu! died, nor in the whole year, in which that eclipse \vas observed, could any one have happened, that was Mat& not supernatural. We have the very words of Phlegon, Hadrian's Freedman, quoted at a time, when his cotoS book was in every body's hands; as well as the Syriac histories of Thallus, who followed him; and the fourth Ibid?* year of the 202d Olympiad, marked in Pblegon's annals, is that of the death of our Lord.

To complete the mysteries, Jesus Christ rises from the grave the third day; he appears to his disciples;

be ascends into heaven in their presence; he sends them the holy ghost; the church is formed-; persecu*

tion commences; St. Stephen is stoned; St. Paul is

. 4o! converted. A little after Tiberius dies. Caligula his grand nephew, his son by adoption, and his sucessor, astonishes the world with his cruel and brutal folly:

he claims adoration, and commands his statue to be set up in the temple of Jerusalem. Chereas rids the world of this monster. Claudius reigns notwithstand-

49. ing his stupidity. He is dishonoured by Messalina his whe, whom be back) after causing her to be

to death. He is next married to Agrippiaa, daugh- a. Dr terof Germanicus. The apostles hold the council Jerusalem, in which St. Peter speaks first, as he does every where else. The conFerted gentiles are there freed from the ceremonies of the law. The sentence is pronounced in the name of the Holy Ghost, and of the cbvrcb. St. Paul and St. Barnabas carry the decree of the council to the churches, and teach the faith- xvl 4, All to submit to it. Such was the form of the first council. The stupid emperor disinherited Britanni- cus, and adopted Nero the son of Agrippina. She, in return, poisoned her too easy husband. But her son's goremment proved no less fatal to herself, than to all the rest of the empire. Corbulo gained all the ho- 5&. nour of this reign by the victories he won over the Parthians and Armenians* Nero commenced at once the war against the Jews, and the persecution against the Christians. He was the first emperor who perse- es' cuted the church. He caused St. Peter and St. Paul to be put to death at Rome. But as he at the same time persecuted all mankind, they revolted against him on all sides. Understanding* that the senate had condemned him, be /aid violent bands od himself. Each q arm/ made an emperor: the dispute was decided hard by Rome, and in Rome itself, by dreadful engagements. Galba, Otbo and Vittellius, all three perished in them: the distressed empire found some rest under -p. Vespasian. But the Jews were reduced to the last extremity; Jerusalem was taken and burned. Titus, and successor of Vespasian, afforded the world a short-lived joy; and his days, which he counted lost, when they were not distinguished by some good action, hurried on too fast to an end. And now we be- hold Nero revive in the person of Domitian. The persecution broke out afresh. St. John having got safe out of the boiling oil, was banished to the isle of Patmos, where he penned his Apocalypse or Revelation. A little after he wrote his gospel, at the age of and joined the of an .Q

A» D.tn apostle and prophet. From this time the Christians irere coDtinuall j persecuted, as well under the good, as bad emperors. These persecutions were carried on, sometimes by command of the emperors, and by the particular spite of the magistrates; sometimes by an insurrection of the people; and sometimes by so« lemn decrees pronounced in the senate upon the re* scripts of princes, or in their presence. Then the persecution was more universal and bloody; and thus the malice of unbelievers, ever inveterately bent to destroy the churoh, was excited from time to time to new acts of fury. It is from these renewed fits of violence that ecclesiastical historians reckon ten persecutions under ten emperors. Under so long sufferings, the Christians never made the smallest sedition. Of all the faithful, the bishops were always the most severely attacked: of all the Christians, the church of Rome was persecuted with the greatest violence; and thirty popes sealed with their blood that gospel, which they

96. declared to the whole earth. Domitian is killed; the empire begins to enjoy some respite under Nerva. His great age does not permit him to retrieve the state

9$. of affairs: but in order to render the public tranquillity permanent, he makes choice of Trajan for his successor. The empire quiet at home, and triumphant abroad, cannot forbear admiring so good a prince. And indeed it was a maxim with him, that his citizens ought to find him such as he would have wished to find ioe! the emperor, had he been a private citizen. This

III prince subdued the Daci, and Decebalus their king; extended his conauests in the East; gave a king to the Parthians, anu made them dread the Roman power; happy he whom drunkenness and infamous amours, vices so deplorable in a great prince, have never made to attempt any thing contrary to justice! To times so advantageous for the commonweal, succeeded those of Hadrian blended with good and evil. This prince maintained military discipline, lived himselfiD a soldiery way, and with much frugality, eased

AN 0NIV£RdAL HISTORY. Ql the provinces, made the arts to flourish, and Greece, a. d. who was the mother of them. The barbariaDs were kept in awe by his arms and aathority. He rebuilt tssJerusalem, to which he gave his name, and from Si, thence too it derives the name of iBIia; but he banish- ed the Jews out of it, who were ever rebels to the empire. That stubborn race found in him a merciless avenger. He sullied by his cruelties, and monstrous loves, the lustre of so bright a reign. His infamous Antinous, of whom he made a god, throws shame upon his whole life. But the emperor seemed to make amends for his faults, and, in some degree, to retrieve his effaced glory, by adopting Antoninus Pius, who also adopted Marcus Aurelius the sage and i6i< philosopher. In these two princes appear two beautiful characters. The father, ever at peace, is always ready, upon occasion, to make war: the son, ever at war, is always ready to eive peace, both to his enemies, and to the empire. His father Antoninus had taught him, that it was better to save one citizen than to defeat a thousand enemies. The Parthians and Marcomani le?,' experienced the valour of 'Marcus Aurelius; the latter were Germans, to whom the emperor was giving the finishing stroke, when be died. By the virtue of the two Antom'nes, that name became the darling of the Romans. The glory of so illOstrious a name was not defaced, byvall the effeminacy of Lucius Verus, brother to Marcus Aurelius, and his partner in the em« pire, nor y«t by the brutalities of Commodus his son and iBuccessor. This last, unworthy of such a father forgot both his instructions and example. The senate and people abhorred him: his most assiduous minions, and his mistress put him to death. His sue- eessor Pertinax, a vigorous asserter of military discipline, fell a sacrifice to the fury of the licentious soldiers who had, but a little before, forced the sovereign power upon him. is,.

The empire exposed to auction, found a purchaser. The lawyer Didius Julianus ventured bar/g;aw: but it cost him his life, MtVt'WMa

A.D. put death, revenged Pertinax, passed from tLe 90T.east to the west, triumphed in Syria, Gaul, and Greataoe-Britain. The rapid conqueror equalled Cesar by bis victories: but imitated not bis clemency. He wsis not able to make peace among his own children. Bassian, or Caracaila, bis eldest son, a false imitator of Alexander, immediately upon his father's death, murdered his brother Geta, who was emperor as well as himself, in the arms of Julia their common mother; spent his life in cruelty and carnage, and brought himself to a tragical end. Severus had gained him the hearts of the soldiers and people, by giving him the name of Antoninus;. but he could not support the glory of it. The Syrian, Heliogabalus, or rather Alagabalus, his son, or at least reputed such though the name of Antoninus had given him at first the hearts of the soldiers and victory over M acrinus, he became presently after by his infamous conduct, the horror of mankind, and destroyed himself* Alexander Severus, son of Mam* eus, his cousin and successor, lived too short while for the good of the world. He complained, that he had more difficulty ip restraining his soldiers, than in con* his enemies. His mother who governed him» was the cause of his ruin, as she had been of his glo- ry. Under his reign, Artaxerxes the Tersian killed his master A rlabanus, the last king of the Parthians, and restored the empire of the Persians in the east. TtftuiL Ih these times the yet infant church was filling the 7.Apoi!whole earth, and not only the east, where she had ta- ken her rise, that is, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor, and Greece; but also in the west, besides Italy, the several nations of the Gauls, all the provin* ces of Spain, Afric, Germany, Great Britain in places impenetrable to the Roman arms; and was even gain* ing ground without the Empire, in Armenia, Persia, ' the Indies, among the most barbarous nations, the Sarmatians, Scythians, Getulians, and as far as the most unknown isles. The blood of her martyrs rendered her fruitful. Under Trajan, St. Igoatiusi bishop of Anlioch, was exposed to wild beasts. Mar- a.d. cus Aurelius, unhappily prepossessed with the calumnies with which Christianity was charged, put to death Justin the philosopher, and apologist for the Christian religion. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, St. John's disciple, at the age of fourscore, was condemn- ed to the stake under the same prince. The holy martyr of Lions and Vienne endured unheard of ments, after the example of Photin their bishop, a man of ninety years. The Galilean church filled the whole world with its glory. St. Ireneus, disciple of St. Polycarp, and St. Fhotin's successor, imitated predecessor, and died a martyr under Severus, with a great number of the faithful of his church. Sometimes the persecution abated. Marcus Aurelius happening once in Germany to be in extreme want of wa- ter, a christian legion, obtained a rain sufficient to quench the thirst of bis army, accompanied with peals of thunder, which struck terror into his enemies. The name of Thunderer was given or confirmed to that legion by this miracle. The emperor was touched with It, and wrote to the Senate in favour of the christians. But at last his soothsayers persuaded him to attribute to his goda, and to his prayers, a miracle, which did not so much as dream of desiring. Other causes suspended or assuaged sometimes the persecutioniTor a while; but superstition, a vice, which Marcus Aurelius could not avoid, the public and the calumnies cast upon the christians, still too quickly prevailed again: the fury of the heathens rekindled, and the whole empire streamed with the blood of martyrs. The doctrine went along with the sufferings, tfnder Severus, and a little after, Tertul-2is. lian, a priest of Carthage, enlightened the church by his writings, defended it by an admirable apology, and deserted it at last, being blinded by an overweening austerity, and seduced by the vision of the false prophet Montanua. Much about the same time the pious priest Clemens, Aiexandrinus laid open a4 D, of Paganism, in order to confute bim. Origen, son of the holy martyr Leonidus, rendered himself celebrated throughout the whole church from bis youth and taught great truths, though mixed with abundance of errors. The philosopher Ammonias made the Platonic philosophy subservient to religion, and won himself the respect of the heathens themselves. Mean while the Valentinians and Gnostics, and other impi- sects attack the gospel by false traditions. St. Ireneus opposes to them the tradition and authority of the apostohcal churches, especially that of Rome the chief, founded by the apostles St Peter and St. FauL does the same. The church is neither shaHar.c]£en by heresies, nor by schisms, nor by the fall of her most eminent doctors. Her sanctity of manners is sO conspicuous, that it commands the praise of her enemies.

The affairs of the empire were embroiled in a terri- ble manner. After the death of Alexander, the tyrant Maximine, who had killed him, made himself of Gothic race. The senate set up four 238! perors in opposition to him, who were all cut off in less than two years. Among these were the two Gordians, elder and youngrr, favourites of the people of Rome. The young Gordian their son, though he, in the earliest years, discovered wisdom, had much ado to defend, against the Persians, the empire enfeebled by so many divisions. He bad retaken from many important places. But Philippus Arabs killed that good prince; and for fear of being overpowered by two emperors, whom the senate elected one after the other, be clapped up a shameful peace with Sapor king of Persia. This was the first of the the Romans, who gave up by treaty any of the empire's territories. He is said to have embraced the christian religion at a time, when all of a sudden he appeared reformed; and it is certain, that he was to the christians. Out of hatred to this em- peror, Decius who killed him, renewed the persecu-

AS UNIVERSAL HISTORY. tion with greater violence than ever. The cl)urch''ex- a. d, tended herself on all sides, but chiefly in the Gauls, and the empire very soon lost Decius, who vigorously defended it. Gfldli|s and Volusian passed awayHt».']. very swiftly: did no more than appear: the chief power was given to Valerian; and that venerable old man ascended to it through all the degrees of dig- 25!'. nity* He was cruel to none but the christians. Under him pope and St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, notwithstanding all their disputes, which bad made no breach of communion, received both of them the same crown. St. Cyprian's error in reject- ing the baptism given by heretics, hurt neither himself nor the church. The tradition of the holy see supported itsei/) by its own strength, against all the speciona arguments and authority of so great a man, althendh other great men defended the same doctrine. Another dispute did more mischief. Sabellius founded the three divine persons together, and acknowledged in the Deity only one person under three names. This innovation astonished the church, and Dionysius bishop of Alexandria, discovered to pope ce/' ' Sixtos II. the errors of that Hcresiarch. This holy 253. pope quickly followed in (he road of martyrdom, Stefybeo bia predecessor: he bad his head struck off, and eft a yet greater conflict to be maintained by bis deacon St. Laurence. Then do we see begin the tion of the barbarians. The Burgundians, and other people of Germany, and the Goths, formerly called poured into the empire; other nations, which inhabited about the Euxine sea, and beyond the Danube, entered into Europe; the east was invaded by the Asiatic Scythians, and the Persians. These defeated Valerian, whom they afterwards took in a treacherous manner, and after letting him linger out bis dava in a painful slavery, they slaved him, in order to make his skin a monument of their victory. an, bis son and colleague, utterly ruined all by his softness. Thirty tyrants shared the empire. Odenar

A. D« tusking of Palmyra, an ancient city, founded by Solomon, was the most illustrious. He rescued the eastern provinces out of the hands of the barbarians, and made himself acknowledged in tbera. His wife Zenobia marched with him at the head of his armies, which she commanded singly aAer his death, and ren*.dered herself famous all over the earth, for having joined chastity with beauty, and conduct with cour- age. Claudius II. and Aurelian after him, retrieved Ewitb. the affairs of the empire. Whilst they were throwing the Goths and Germans by signal victories, s7,aiuiZenobia preserved to her children the conquests of Attan. their father. That princess inclined to Judaism. In order to gain her over, Paul of Samosata, bishop of hmr}' Antiocb, a vain and turbulent man, taught his Jewish jab/a-opinion concerning the person of Jesus Christ, whom made but a mere man. After long dissembling so new a doctrine, he was convicted and condemned at the council of Antiocb. Queen Zenobia maintained the war against Aurelian, who thought it no scorn to triumph over so renowned a heroine. Amidst continual wars, he knew how to keep up the Roman disci* pline among his soldiers, and showed, that bv following the ancient regulations, and the ancient frugality, great armies might be kept on foot, both at home and Hi$t. abroad, without being a charge to the empire. Then AiSk. begun the Franks to grow formidable. These were a J JIJj; confederacy of German states, who dwelled along the Rhine. Their name speaks them united from the «ic. c' of liberty. Aurelian had beat them, when a private person, and kept them in awe, when empdror. That prince made himself hated by his bloody actions. wrath too much dreaded occasioned bis death. Those who thought themselves in hazard, resolved to be forehand with him; and his secretary being threatened, put himself at the head of the combination. The army who saw him cut off by the conspiracy of so ma« oy chiefs, refused to choose an emperor, for fear of setting one of the Aurelian'3 assassins on the throne i

AN raiVERSAL IllSTORV. Z% aud the senate restored to its ancient right, elected a. Tacitus. This new prince was for bis age, 2nd for bis virtue: but he became odious tbrougb the violence of a kinsman, to whom he gave the command of the army, and perished with bim in a sedition the sixth month of bis reign. Thus his promotion served oolf to sbortea bis daj'S* His brother Fiorina claimed the empire by right of succession, as being the nearest heir. This right, however, was not acknowledged: Fiorina was killed, and Probus forced by the soldiers to accept the empire, though he threatened to keep them in order. Every thing yielded under so great a captain; the Germans and Franks, who attempted to enter the Gauls, were repulsed; and in the east as veil as west, all the barbarians reverenced the Roman arms. So formidable a warrior aspired at peace, and gave the empire to hope it should have no more occasion for military men* The army revenged that in* ainuation, and the strict regulations their emperor made 282. them observe. The moment after, confounded at the violence they bad used to so great a prince; they hon-oured Viis memory, and gave him for successor, Ca* rus, who was no less zealous for discipline than self. This valiant prince revenged his predecessor, and quelfed the barbarians, to whom the death of Pro-bus had given fresh courage. He marched into the east to fight the Persians with Numerian his second son, and sent against the northern enemies his eldest son Carinus, whom he made Cesar. This was the second dignity, and next step to the empire. The whole east trembled before Cams: Mesopotamia mibmitted: the divided Persians could not resist him. Whilst every thing gave way to him, heaven stopt career by a flash of lightning. Numerian almost cried bis eyes out for him. What dire has the desire of reigning upon the heart! His fatber-in-l%vv Aper, far from being touched with his distress, murdered bim: but Diocletian revenged his death, and arrived at length to the empire, which

A. D. deotly desired. Carinus roused himself in spite of his softnessi and beat Diocletian; but was slain in the pursuit by one of his own men, whose wife he had debauched. Thus the empire get rid of one of the most violent and most abandoned of all men* Diocletian governed with vigour, but with an insupport- vanity- In order lo make head against so many enemies that were rising up against him on all both at home and abroad, he named Maximian emperor with him; but took care, however, to preserve the chief authority to himself. Each emperor made Cesar. Constantius Chlorus and Galerius were raised to (bat high station. The four princes were hardly able to support the burden of so many wars. Diocletian fled to Rome, which he found too free, and settled at Nicomedia, where he obtained adEuteb' oration, after the manner of the people of the east. the Persians, vanquished by Galerius, orat. gave up to the Romans large provinces, arid whole ad After so great successes, Galerius will no longer be a subject, and scorns the name of Cesar. He begins with intimidating Maximian. A long ill* c.i7.'i8. ness had sunk the spirit of Diocletian, and Galerius, thoueb his him to qm'tthe reinsof empire, maximian was obliged to follow his example. Thus the empire came into the hands of Constantius Chlorus, and Galerius; and two new Cesars, Severus and Maximine, were created in their place by the deposed emperors. The Gauls, Spain, and Great Britain were happy, but too short while, under Constantius Chlorus. Being an enemy to extortion, and therefore accused of ruining the finances, he showed that he had immense treasures in the good will of his sub* jects* The rest of the empire suffered greatly under so many emperors and Cesars: officers multiplied with expenses and exactions were infinite. Young Constantine, son of Constantius Chlorus, began to distinguish himself: but he was in the hands of Galerius. Tbat emperor, jealous of his rising |lory, exposed him daily to new perils. He was \a wild beasts by way of exercise: but Galerias was no less to a. d. be feared than they. Constantino having at length got out of his bands, found his father expiring. At this time Maxentius, son of Maximian, and son-in-law of Galerius, made himself emperor at Rome, in spite of his fatber-iD-law; and intestine divisions were bAded to the other calamities of the state. The image of ConstaBtine, who had just succeeded his fatheTiMMn. being carried to Rome, according to custom, was jected there by order of Maxentius. The receiving of the images was the usual form of acknowledging new princes. War is prepared for on all sides. The Cesar Severus, whom Galerius sent against tius, made bim tremUe in the heart of Rome. In order to procure some comfort under bis panic, he recalled his father Maximian. The ambitious old man quitted his retreat, where he was but with reluctance; and endeavoured, in vain, to draw Diocletian his colleague from the be cultivated at Salona. At the name of Maximian, a second time emperori Severus's soldiers desert him. The old emperor causes him to be put to death; and at the samo time, to strengthen himself against Galerius, he gives his daughter Fausta to Constantine. Galerius wanted so some support after the death of Severus: and this 29. s9. it was that made him resolve to name Licinius empe- ror. But this choice provoked Maximine, who, in the quality of Cesar, thought himself nearest the supreme digaity. Nothing could persuade him to subxnit to Licinius, and he rendered himself independent in the east.

There remained scarce any thing to GaJerius by Illyria, whither he had retired, when driven out of Italj. The i)est of ihe West obeyed his son Maxentius, and his son-in-law Constantine. he did not choose his own son any more than stran-

Sers for partners in the empire. He endeavoured to '" rive his son Maxentius out of Rome, but was expelled by him. Coastautine; who recemOL

A. x>. Gauls, found bim no less perfidious. Arter various attempts, Maximian formed a final plot, in which he thought to have engaged his daughter Fausta against husband. She deceived bim; and Maximian, who fancied he bad killed Constantine, by killing the eunuch they had put in his bed, was forced to lay vie* lent hands on himself. A new war breaks out and Maxentius, under pretext of revenging his father, declares against Constantine, who marches to Rome with bis troops. At the same time, he causes the statues of Maximian to be thrown down: those of Diocletian, which atood next to them, shared the same fate. repose was disturbed by this piece of contempty and he died some time after, as much of vexation as old age. In those limes Rome, a constant enemy to anity, made a last effort to extinguish it, instead of 16. de which she completed its establishment. Galerius, coWt marked by historians as the author of the last perse- cution, two years before he had obliged Diocletian to quit the empire, forced him to make that bloody edict, which commanded the Christians to be persecuted more violently than ever. Maximian, who hated them, had never ceased tormentine them, spirited up the pttv. magistrates and executioners; but bis violence, how- excessive, did not equal that of Maximine and Galerius. New punishments were daily invented. modesty of the Christian virgins was no less attacked than their faith. The strictest search was made for the sacred books, in order to abolish the very memory of them, and the Christians durst not have them in their houses, not almost presume to read them. Thus, after three hundred years persecution, the malice of the perscutors became still more inveterate* The Christians wearied them out by their patience. The people, touched with their holy life, turned con- in great numbers* Galerius despaired of being able to suppress them. Struck with an extraordinary diseasef he revoked his edicts, and died the death of

AntiochuB, with as false a repentance* Maximine con- a«d. the persecution: but Constantine the great, wise and virtuous prince, publicly embraced Christianity.

This celebrated declaration of Constantine hap- pened in tfae di2tb year of our Lord. Whilst he besieging Maxentius in Rome, a flaming cross appetiwiine,or ed to bim in the air, before all the people, with an in- X» scription that promised him victory: the same is confirmed to him in a dream. Next day he gained that celebrated battle, which ridded Rome of a tyrant, and the church of a persecutor. The cross was displayed as the defence of the Roman people, and of the whole empire; a little after Maximine was vanquished byLicinius, who was then in good terms with Con- stantine, and made an exit like that of Galerius. ' Peace was given to the church. Constantine loaded. ber with honours and riches. Victory followed him wherever he went, and the barbarians were quelled, as well by bim as bis children. Mean time Licinius falls out with bim, and renews the persecution. Beat by sea and land, be is forced to quit the empire, and sai-at last to lose his life. About this time T'onstantine assembled at Nice in Bythyuia the first general council, where 311 bishops, who represented the whole church, condemned the priest Arias, opposer of the divinity of the son of God; and drew up the creed, wherein the consubstanliality of the father and son is established. The priests of the Roman church, sent by pope Sylvester, took place of all the bishops in that assembly, and an ancient Greek author reckons among Gei. the legates of the see, the celebrated bishop of Corduba, (now Cordova,) who presided the council. Constantine took his seat in it, and re- jibau ceived its decisions as an oracle from heaven. The Arians concealed their errors, and recovered his good graces by dissimulation* Whilst his valour maintained 326. the empire in profound tranquillity, his own family's peace was disturbed by the artifices of

A, D. Crispas, son of ConstaDtine, but of aaother marriage, being accused by bis step-motber, of having attempted to seduce ber, found hb father inflexible. His death was quickly revenged. Fausta, convicted, was suSbcated in the batb. But Constantine, dishonoured by the wickedness of bis wife, derived at the same time a great deal of honour from the piety of bis mother* She discovered in the ruins of the ancient Jerusalem, the true cross, said to have been productive of mi« racles. The holy sepulchre was also found. The new city of Jerusalem, which Hadrian bad built, the grotto where the Saviour of the world was bom, and all the holy places were adorned with stately Helen and Conslantine* Four years after, the em* i ' peror rebuilt Byzantium, which he called Constanti- nople, and made it the second see of the empire. The church, peaceful under Oonstantine, was cruelly afflicted in Persia. An infinite number of martyrs signalized their faith. The emperor endeavoured in vain to pacify Sapor, and bring him over to Christianity. Constantine's protection afforded the perse* ss7.cuted Christians onty a favourable retreat. This prince, blessed by the whole church, died full of joy and hope, after dividing the empire among bis three sons, Constantine, Constantius and Constans. Their unity was soon disturbed. Constantine perished 10 the war he had with his brother Constans, about the limits of their empire* Constantius and Constans agreed but little better. Constans maintained the Ni« ccne faith, which Constantius as strenuously opposed. Then did the church admire the long sufferings of St. Athanasius, patriarch of Alexandria, and defender of the council of Nice. Thrust out of his see by Con- stantius, be was canonically re-invested by pope Julius '• &"d Constans ratified the decree. This good prince soMm not long. The tyrant Magnentius treacherously murdered him: hut soon after being vanquished by Ml! Constantius, he killed himself also. In the battle, an Ama bfshopi having had private iotelligence frota his friends, a. v. assured Constantius, that the tyrant's army was pot to flight, and made the weak emperor believe that he knew it by revelation. Upon this forged Constantius delivers himself over to the Arians. The orthodox bisbops are expelled their sees: the whole cburcb is tilled wilb confusion and trouble: the constancy of pope Liberius gives way to the tediousness of exile; torments overcame old Osius, formerly the main pillar of the church: the council of Rimini, so steady at first, yields at last through surprise and violence: nothing is done in order or form; the emperor's authority is the only law: but the Arians, who have thereby the whole management, cannot agree themselves, and change their creed every day: the Nicene faith stands firm: St. Athanasius, and St*. ' Hilary bishop of Poitiers, its principal champions, make themselves renowned over all the earth. Whilst the emperor Constantius, taken up with the affairs of Arianism, neglected those of the empire, the Persians got great advantages. The Germans and Franks at- tempted on all bands to get an entrance into the Oauls. Julian, the emperor's cousin, stopt their ca- sea reer, and beat them. The emperor himself defeated the Sarmatians, and marched against the Persians. Then appear Julian's revolt against the emperor, his apostacy, the death of Constantius, the reign of Julian, his equitable government, and the new kind of persecution he made the church undergo. He fomented her divisions; he excluded the Christians not only from honours, but from studies; and by imitating the holy discipline of the church, be thought to turn her own arms against her. Punishments were contrived, and appointed, under*otber pretexts, than that of religion. The christians continued faithful to their emperor; but that glory he too greedily pur- sued, proved the cause of shortening his days: he was slain in Persia, where he bad engaged himself rashly. 304. Jovian his a zealous chnsUaii, {o)aEi4

A. D. desperate, atid lived to conclude a shameful peace. After him Valentiaian made war like a great 371. captain: he carried his son Gratian very young to it, maintained military discipline, beat the barbarians, fortified the frontiers of the empire, and protected the Nicene faith in the West. Valens, his brother, whom he made his colleague, persecuted it in the East; and neither being able to gain nor to crush St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzeb, he gave over all hopes of conquering it. Some Arians added new errors to the former tenets of the sect. Aerius, an Arian priest, is branded in the writings of the fathers as author of a bereisy, for having put the priesthood on a level W- with the ana for having judged useless the prayers and oblations which the whole church made ' JOT the dead. A third error of that Heresiarch was, his reckoning among the servitudes of the law, the observance of certaiii stated fasts, and pretending, that fasting should always.be free. He was still alive, when St. Epiphanius wrote his celebrated history of heresies, wherein he is refuted with the- 4est. St« Martin was made bishop of Tours, and filled the whole world with the noise of his sanctity and not only during his life-time, but after his death. Valen tinian died after a violent speech he made to the enemies of the empire; his impetuous passion, which rendered him oreaded by others, at last proved fatal to himself. Gratian his successsor beheld witliout envy the promotion of his younger brother Valentinian If. who was made emperor, though but nine years old. His mother Justina, a protectress of the Arians, governed during his minority. Here we see in a few years some wonderful events: the revolt ff7. of the Goths against the Valens; that prince leaving the Persians to suppress the rebels; Gratian hastening to join him, after getting a signal victory over the Germans: Valens, resolving to conquer alone, preci-

Sitates the fight, in which he is routed near Adrianople* %6 GotbS| TictorioQs, burn him alire in a wbilber he bad retired. Gratian, OTerburdeoed with a. d. affairs, associates in the empire the great TbeodosiuSj and quits to biro the east. The Goths are vanquish- stoed: all the barbarians are kept in awe, and, what Tbeodosius no less valued, the Macedonian heretics, who denied the divinity oT the Holy Ghost, are condemned in the council of Constantinople. There was none aii. but the Greek church there: the consent of all the west, and of pope Damasus, conferred on it the appellation of the second general council. Whilst Theodosius governed with so much fortitude and success, Gratian, who was no less valiant or pious, being de- sts. serted by bis troops wholly made up of foreigners, fell a sacrifice to the tyrant Maximus. The church and sia empire lamented that good prince. The tyrant reign- ' ed in the Gauls, and seemed to content himself with that district. The empress J ustina published, under her son's name, edicts in favour of Arianism. St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, opposed to her nothing but sound doctrine, prayers, and patience, and made shift by such arms, not only to preserve to the church the cavhedrals, which the heretics wanted to possess, but also to gain over the young emperor. In the mean time Maxinius is stirring again, and Justina finds none more faithful than the holy bishop, whom she was treating as a rebel. She sends him to the tyrant, who proves inflexible to all he can say. The young Valenfinian is forced to take flight with his mother. Maximus makes himself master at Rome, where be revives the sacrifices of the false gods, in complaisance to the senate, still almost wholly pagan. After be bad got sis-possession of all the west, and at the time he thought himself most secure, Theodosius, assisted by the pranks, defeated him in Pannenia, besieged him in Aqoileia, and suffered him to be slain by his soldiers. Now absolute master of both empires, he restored that 392. of the west to Valentinian, who did not keep it long. This young prince both promoted and degraded in extremes Arbogaatus, a captain of the

A. D* disinterested; but oa|Nible of iiiaiDtaioing» by all sort of crimesi the power he had acquired over the troops. He raised the tyrant Eljugenius, who could do nothing but talk, and killed Valentiniani who would no longer have the proud Frank for bis master. This detestable deed was done hard by Vienne, in the country of the Gauls. St* Ambrose, whom the young emperor had sent for, in order to receive baptism from him, deplored his loss, and had good hopes of his salvation*

i9i. His death did not remain unpunished. A visible miracle gave Tbeodosius victory over Eugenius, and the false gods, whose worship that tyrant had re-established. Eugenius was taken: there was a necessity of making him a sacrifice to the public vengeance, and to quash the rebellion by his death. The haughty Arbogastus killed himself, rather than have recourse to the conqueror's clemency, which all the rest of the rebels had experienced. Tbeodosius now alone was the delight, and wonder of the world. He supported religion; he put heretics to silence; he abolished the impure sacrifices of the heathen; he corrected effeminacy, and restrained superfluous expenses. He humbly

.390. confessed his faults, and sincerely repented of them. He listened to St. Ambrose, a celebrated doctor of the church, who reproved him for bis passion, the only vice of so great a prince. Though always victori-

395. ous, he never made war but through necessity. He rendered the nations happy, and died in peace, more

396. glorious by his faith than his victories. In his time

St. Jeroro, a priest, having retired to the sacred grotto of Bethlehem, undertook immense labours it order to expound the Scripture: be read all the interpreters, searched all the histories, both sacred and profane, that could give any light to it, and composed irom the original Hebrew that version of the Bible, which the whole church has received under the name of Vulgate. The empire, that seemed invincible under Tbeodosius, changed its aspect all at onee under his two sons. Ar- - cadias had the east, and Honorius the west: they lotby being governed by their magistrates, made their a. d.

E>wer subserTient to private interests. Rufinus and utropius, successively favourites of Arcadius, and one as wicked as the other, quukly fell and affairs 4or,. went never the better under so weak a prince. His wife £udoxia made bim persecute St. John Chrvsos* torn, patriarch of Constantinople, and the light of the east. Pope Innocent, and all the west, supported that great bishop against Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, minister of the empress's violence. The west was disturbed by the incursion of barbarians. Rada* gise, a Goth and heathen, ravaged Italy. The Vandals, a Gothic and Arian nation, seized on part of Gaul, and spread themselves into Spain. Alaric, king of the Visigoths, an Arian people, compelled Honurius to yield up to bim those large provinces already possessed by the Vandals. Stilico, embarrassed with so many barbarians, beats them, favours them, plays booty 4or with them, bieaks with them, sacrifices all to his interest; and, nevertheless, preserves the empire, which he had a design to usurp. Meanwhile Arcadius died, who thought the east so destitute of good subjects, that he put his son Tbeodosiut, a child of eight years. o/(f, under the tuition of Isdegerd, king of Per-sia. But Pulcheria, the young emperor's sister, proved capable of great affairs. Theodosius's empire was supported by the prudence, and piety of that princess. That of Honurius seemed near its ruin. He caused Stilico to be put to death, but could not fill his place with BO able a minister.

The revolt of Constantine, the total loss of Gaul and 4oe. Slpain, the taking and sacking of Rome by the arms of Alaric and the V isigoths, were the consequences of Stilico's death. Ataulph, more furious than Alaric» pillaged Rome anew, and thought of nothing less than abolishing the Roman name: but for the happiness of (be empire, he seized Placidia the emperor s sister. 4ia Thai captive princess, whom he The Gotbs treated with the

A« 9* blisbed themselves in Spain, reserving in the Gauls the provinces that lay towards the Pyrenees. Their king Vallia conducted those great designs wisely. Spaia showed her constancy, nor did her faith suffer any alteration under the dominion of those Arians. Mean* while the Burgundians, a German people, seized upoo the neighbourhood of the Rhine, whence by degrees tbey gained the country that still bears their name, \jQ, The Franks did not forget themselves: resolved to make new efforts to open a passage into the Gauls, tbey raised to the royalty Pharamond, £on of Marco-mir; and the monarchy of France, the most ancient and most noble in the world, took its rise under him. 42s.The unfortunate Honoriusdied without issue, and with* 4i4.out providing for the empire. Theodosius named emperor his cousin Valentinian III. son of Placidia and of Constantius her second husband; and placed during his minority, under the guardianship of his

412. mother, to whom he gave the title of empress. In

413. those times Celestius and Pelagius denied original sin, 416. and the grace whereby we are christians. In spite of their dissimulations, the African councils condemned 4J7. them. The pDpes, Innocent and Zuzimus, whom pope Celestine afterwards followed, ratified the sentence, and extended it throughout all the world. St.. Augustine confuted those dangerous heretics, and enlightened the whole church by his admirable I'be same father, backed by St. Prosper, his disciple, stopped the mouths of the Demi-pelagians, who attributed the beginning of justification and faith to the sole power of free-will. An age so unfortunate for the. empire, and which gave birth to so many proved, nevertheless, happy for Christianity. No commotion shook it, no heresy corrupted it. The church, fruitful in great men, confounded all errors. After the persecutions, God was pleased to make the glory of his martyrs to shine forth conspicuous: all histories Mnd other are full of the miracles, which their 4id implored, and wrought through the whole earth. Vigilantiusy who opposed so recei?- a. d. ed opinioDS, being refuted by St. Jerom, remained without a follower: the christian faith grew daily stronger, and more extended. But the empire of the west was at the lowest extremity: attacked by so ma* scrior ny enemiesy it was aiso weakened by the jealousies of its geaerals. By the artifices of Aetius, Boniface, count of Afric, became suspected by Placidia. The count, ill used, brought from Spain Genseric and the Vandals, whom the Goths were expelling that country, and too late repented his calling them. Afric was taken from the empire. The church suffered infinite calamities from the violence of those Arians, and saw a Doble army of martyrs crowned. Two dreadful here-sies arose; Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople, 42p. divided the person of Jesus Christ; and twenty years after, Hutyches, an abbot, confounded bis twofold nature. St. Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, op- 430. posed Nestorius, who was condemned by pope ( destine. The council of Ephesus, the third general, in 430. execution of this sentence, deposed Nestorius, and 43 l confirmed the. decree of St. Celestine, whom the bi-Partii. shops of the council call their father in their definition, The boly virgin was acknowledged mother of God, and St. Cyril's doctrine was celebrated over all earth. Theodosius, after some struggles, submitted to the council, and banished Nestorius. blutyches, who did not know- how to oppose that heresy, without running into another extreme, was no less powerfully cast out. Pope Leo, the great, condemned him, and 448, refuted him at the same time by a letter, which was revered through the whole world. The council of 451,. Cfaalcedon, the fourth general, in which that great pope held the first place, as much from his learning as the authority of his see, anathematized Eutyches, and his protector Dioscorus, patriarch of Alexandria. council's letter to Leo shows, that that pope presided cWoJ there by his legates, as the head over its The emperor Marcian assisted in person u.X\i"i6X.

A. D* asfiembly, after the example of CoDstantinei and received its decisions with the same respect. He had been raised to the empire but a little before, by Pulcberia's marrying him. She was acknowledged em* press after the death of her brother, who had left no sons. But the empire must nep()s bavp a master: Marcian's virtue procured him that honour. During the time of these two councils, Theodoret, bishop of Cyprus made himself famous; and his doctrine would be without blemish, if the violent writings he published against St. Cyril had not stood in need of too great elucidations. These, however, he honestly gave, and was counted among the orthodox bishops. The Gauls began to acknctvvleHge the Franks. Aetius had defended them against Fbaramond, and Clodio the Longhaired; but VJeroveus was more successful, and made a surer settiernent in them, much about the same time that the Angles, a Saxon people, invaded the south part of Great Britain. They it their name, and there founded several kingdoms. Meantime the Huns, a people from Palus Mentis, desolated the whole world with an immense army, under the conduct of Attila their king, the most shockmg of all men* who defeated him in the Gauls, could not prevent his ravaging Italy. The Adriatic islands afforded a retreat to many against his fury. Venice arose in the midst of the waters. Pope Leo, more powerful than Aetius and the Roman armies, commanded respect from that barbarous and heathen king, and saved Rome from pillage: but she was soon after exposed to it by the debauches of her emperor Valentinian. whose wife he had ravished, found means to 155. destroy him, by dissembling his resentment, and roaking a merit of his complaisance. By his deceitful counsels, the blinded emperor put to death Aetius, the sole bulwark of the empire. Maximus, author of the murder, spirits up the friends of Aetius to revenge it, SDd so gets the emperor killed. By these steps he ascends ib§ throne, and Ihe empress Eudoxia, linighter of the youDger Tbeodosiusy to marnr bim. a. d. In order to get out of his hands, she was not afraid to put herself into those of Genseric. Rome becomes a prey to the barbarian: St. Leo alone prevents bis putting every thing to fire and swurd: the people tear Maximus to pieces, ivbich is tbeir only, though dismal, coDSolsLtioQ in their, calamities. All is embroiled in the west: we there %ee several emperors rise and fall almost at the same time. Majorian was the most con- siderable. Avitus but i]I supported bis reputation, and saved himself by a bishopric. 1 he Gauls can no longer hold out against Meroveus, and Childeric, his aon: but the latter had almost been ruined by bis debauches. If his subjects expelled him, a faithful frieodf which he had yet left, him recalled. His valour made him feared by his enemies, and his conquests extended a great way into the Gauls. The eastern empire was peaceable under Leo the Ihracian, successor to Marcian, and under Zeno, Leo's son-in. law and successor. The revolt uf Basiliscus being soon caused but a short disturbance to that emperor: but the empire of the west perished irrecoverably. Augustus, commonly called Augustuliis, son of Orestes, was the last emperor acknowledged at Kome, and immediately after was dispossessed by Odoacer, king of the Herulians. I'hese were a people come from the Euxine sea, whose dominion lasted not long. Jn the east, the emperor Zeno attempted to signaRze himself in an unheard of manner. He was the first of the emperors that took upon him to settle " points of faith. Whilst the Demi-Eutychians oppos- im, ed the council of l balcedon, he published against the council bis Henoticum, that is, his decree of union, detested by the catholics, and condemned by pope Fe-fix III. The Herulians were soon driyen out of48s. Borne, by Theodoric, king of the Ostrogotfis, or East m, Goths, who founded the kingdom of Italy, and allowed, though an Arian, a pretty free exercise to the catholie The emperor Anastasius

102 Att UNlVfiBSAt iflSTOBY.

D. east. He trod in the steps of Zeno his

supported the heretios. He thenbjr alienated the rninds of the people, and could never regain tbeoi, even by taking on their heavy taxes. Italy obeyed Theodoric. Odoacer, bard put to it in Ravenna, endeavoured to save bimseir by a treaty, vrbicb 1 heodoric did not observe, and the H|||plians were forced to part with every thing. Theodonc, besides Italy, possessed also Provence. In his time St. Bennet, having retired into a desert in Italy, began from his most tender years, to practise the holy maxims, whereof he afterwards composed that excellent rule, which all the western monks received with the same regard, the eastern monks pay io that of St. Basil. The Romans completed the overthrow of the Gauls, by the victories

195. of Cflovis, son of Childeric. He gained also the battle of Tolbiac over the Germans, by the vow he made of embracing the christian religion, to which his wife Clotilda was incessantly persuading him. She was of the house of the kings of Burgundy, and a zealous catholic, though her family and nation were Arian. Clovis, instructed by St. Vaast, was baptised at Reims, with bis Frenchmen, by St. bishop of that ancieot metropolis. He alone, of alf the princes then in world, maintained the catholic faith, and merited

title of Most Christian to bis successors. By the

in which he killed irithbis band Alaric, king of the Visigoths, Aqoitain were added

508. to his kingdom. But the Victorr mt the Ostrogoths prevented his taking all ai iarftf the Pyrenees, and the end of his reign sullied the glory of its beginning.

bio. His four children parted the kingdom among them, and were continually making attacks on one another.

0i8.Anastasiu8 died by lightning. Justin, of mean birth, but and a thorough catholic, was made emperor by the senate. He submitted, with all his

•<i». people, to the decrees of pope Hormisdas; and put an end to the troubles of the eastern church. In his a man cdebcatcd for learning as well as

AN UMVEBSU BlStOKV. IgJ kirtb, and SymniMhus his father-in-law, both raised to a. T). (he biefaett poEts, nere aacrificed to tJie jealoDsf of ' Tbeodoric, who groandleflaly sDspectefl tbeni of con-

Slring the state. The king, troubled in mind r his crime, thought he saw the bead of Symmacbus in a dish serFed ap to bis table, and died some time tifier. Amalasonta, his daughter, and mother of AtiJaHc, who became king by the death of bis grandbther, is hindered by the Gotbs from giving the young firince the suitable to his birth; and being breed to give bim up to persons of his onn age, she is witness to his ruinir.g himself, without being able to prevent it. The year folloning Justin died, afur as- oraociating in the empire his nephew Justinian, whose long reign is celebrated for the labours nf Triboniati) compiler of the Roman law, and for the exploits of Belisariua, and of the eunuch Narses. These ttvo famous captains checked the Persians, defeated the sta. Oslrogotbs and Vandals, and reeorered to their mas- ter Afnc, Italy, and Rome: but the emperor jealous K3. of their glorj, without offering to take part in their toils, gave them always more trouble than asitistanoe. The kingdom of France was receivinenew accesaioQS. Afier a long war, Cbildebert and Clotaire, aona ofw. CJovis, conquered the kingdom of Burgundy, and at the same time sacrificed to thpjr ambition the children, ssi yet minors, of their brother CloHomir, whose kingdom they divided between them. Some time after, and whilst Belisarius so rigorously attacked the Ostrogottis, what they bad in the Gauls, was abandoned to the French. France extended then far beyond the Rhine; but the particular portions of princes, which made so many kingdoms, hindered its being united under one and the same dominion. Its prmiipdl.parts were Neustria, or West France, and or East France,

The same year that Rome was retaken by Narses, Justinian caused to be held at Constantinople, the 6Rk Seneral council, wblcb confirmed \he

A. 9. and coDdemned some writings that were favourable to Nestorius. This is what was called the three chapters, on account of the three authors, long before dead, who were then in question. There were condemned the memory and writings of Theodore bishop of Mopsuesta, a letter of Ibas bishop of Edessa, and among Theodoret's those which he had composed against St. Cyril. The books of Origen, which had disturbed the whole East for a century, received also sentence of reprobation. This council, though begun upon bad designs, had a happy x:onclusion; and was received by the holy see, which had at first opposed it. Two years after the council, Nar-ses, who had taken Italy from the Goths, defended it against the French, and obtained a complete victory over Buceline, general of the troops of Austrasia. Maugre all these advantages, Italy continued not long in the possession of the emperors. Under Justin IL Justinian's nephew, and after the death ofNarses, the kingdom of Lombardy was founded by Alboin. He took Milan and Pavia: Rome and Ravenna could fi70, 571

; hardly keep out of his hands; and the Lombards made the Romans suffer the greatest hardships. Rome was but poorly succoured by her emperors, whom the Avari* a Scythian nation, the Saracens, a people of Arabia, and the Persians, more than all the rest, were harassing on all sides in the East. Justin, who trusted none but himself and his passions, was always heat by Persians, and their king Chosroes. So maoy losses vexed him to that degree, that he fell into a frenzy. His wife Sophia supported the empire. The unfortu- nate prince recovered his senses too late, and saw upon his deaili-bed the villany of his flatterers. After him, Tiberius TL whom he had named emperor, checked All. the enen|A,es. eased the people, and enriched himself by bis arms. The victories of Maurice the Cappadocian, general of his armies, caused the proud Cbosroes to die of the spleen. They were rewarded with the em-

;

pirei which Tiberim gaye him at his death, together a.d* With bis daughter Constantina. In this period the ambitious Fredegunda, wife to king Chiiperick 1. put all France in combustion, and was continually up bloody wars among the French kings. In the midst Of the calamities of Italy, and whilst Rome was visited with a dreadfui pestilence. St. the great promoted, notwithstanding his modest relui-tance, to bU Peter's chair. This great pope assuages the plague by his prayers; instructs the and at the same time causes all due obedience to be paid them; comforts Afric, and strengthens it; ronfirms in Spaiu the Visigoths converted from Aripi;ibm, and Recarede the catholic, who had just returned into the hi)s<im of the church; converts England; reforms the discipline in France, whose kings, ever orthodox, he exalts ahove all the kings of the earth; bends the haughty Lombards; saves Rome and Italy, which the emperors were unable to assist; checks the growing pride of the patriarchs of Constantinople the whole church by his doctrine; governs the east and west with equal vigour and humility, and affords the world a perfect model of ecclesiastical government. history of the church has nothing more beautiful the entry of the holy monk Augustine into the kingdom of Kent, with lortv of his companions, who preceded by the cross ana image of the great kmg, our Lord Jesus Christ made solemn vows for the conversion of England. St. Gregory, who had sent them,S;f|; instructed them by letters truly apostolical, and taught St. Augustine to tremble, amidst the continual miracles that God was working by his ministry. a princess of France, won over king Ethilbert her husband to Christianity. The kings of France, and queen Brunehault protected the new mission. The bishops of France entered into this good work, and ii tifks they who, by pope's order, consecrated St. Austin. The reinforcement which St. Gregory

A« D. the new bishop, produced new fruits, and the Angli-

churrh took its form. The emperor Maurice, having experienced the fidelity of the holy pontiff, was reclai. by his instructions, and received from bim the commendation so worthy of a christiaa prince* that the heretics durst never open their mouths in his time. This pious emperor was guilty, however,

one great fault. An infinite number of Romans perished among the hands of the barbarians, for want of being ransomed at a crown a head. We see immediately after the good emperor's remorse, the prayer he makes to God to punish him in this world

rather than in the next; the revolt of Phocas, who murders bis whole family before his eyes; Maurice himself, the last put to death, and amidst all his misfortunes uttering nothing else but this verse of the psalmist. Righteoui art and upright are judgments. Phocas, raised to the empire by so

806. execrable an action, endeavoured to gain the people, by honouring the holy see, whose privileges he con-

firmed. But his doom was fixed. Heraclius, proclaimed emperor by the African army, marched against him. Then Phocas found by experience, that debauches prove oftentimes more hurtful tQ princes than even acts of cruelty; and Photinus, whose wife he had debauched, delivered him up to Heraclius, who caused him to be put to death. France beheld, a little after, a much stranger tragedy. Queen Brunebault, given up into the hands of Clotaire IL fell a sacrifice to that prince's ambition: her memory

was blackened, and her virtue, so murh commended by pope Gregory, can yet scarce find vindication. The empire mean while was laid waste. Cbosroes II. king of Persia, under pretext of revenging Maurice, had undertaken the destruction of Phocas. He

pushed bis conquests under Heraclius. We see the emperor beat, and the true cross carried off infidels: then, by a wonderful turn, Heraclios fire

AK UMVERSAL RTSTORT. iffl times conqueror; Persia penetrated by the Romans, a. ou Chosroes killed by and the holy cross retaken. Whilst the of the Persians was so effectually eaa. checked, a greater evil broke out against the empire, and against aiJ Christendom. Mahomet set himself up for a prophet among the he was expelled Sfecca by his own people. At his flight begins the Hegyra, from whence the Mahometans compute their years. The false prophet gave his victories for the whole proof of his mission. In nine years he subjf3Cted all Arabia, either by fair or fuul means, and laid the iouudation of the- empire of the Caliphs. To these mischiefs were added the heresy of the Monoffaelies, who by an almost inconceivable oddity, while they acknowledged two natures in our Lord, would admit of but one will. The man, according; to them, bad no will; there was in Jesus Christ only the will the word. These heretics concealed their poison under ambiguous terms; and a false love of peace made them propose, that neither nor two wills should be spoke of. By these artifices they imposed cs4 on pope Honorius!• who entered into a dangerous forbearance with them, and consented to silence, in which falsehood and truth were equally suppressed. To com-

Slete the misfortune, some time after the emperor [eraclius took upon him to decide the question by his own authority, and proposed his ecthesis, or exposition, favourable to the Monothelites; but the ar-, tifices of the heretics were at length detected. Pope UJ; John IV. condemned the ecthesis. Constans, grand- son to Heraclius, supported his grandfather's edict by kis own, called the Type. The holy see, and pope Theodore, oppose this attempt; Pope Martin I. convoQates the council of Latran, where he anathematises the Type, and the heads of the Monothelites. St. Maximus, celebrated through all the East for his piety and learning, quits the court, infected with the new heresy, openly reproves the emperors, yiVvo sailed to proDouace on points of {ii\b,

A. D. numberless hardships for the catholic religion. The pope, dragged from exile to exile, and still barshlv treated by the emperor, dieSj at last, amidst bis sufferings, witbuut repinine or remitting any part of the duty of his ministry. Mean time the new Anglican strengthened by the cares of popes Boniface y. and Honorius, was spreading abroad her lustre throughout the whole earth. With the virtues, miracles also abounded, as in the apostles' days: and nothing more shining than the sanctity of her kings. Edwin embraced, with all his people, the faith which had given him victory over bis enemies, and converted his neighbours. Oswald was interpreter to the preachers of the gospel; and, though re* Downed for his conquests, he preferred to them the glory of -being a christian. The Mercians were con-wa. verted by the king of Northumberland, Oswin: their neighbours and successors followed their footsteps; and their good works were infinite. Every thing was going to wreck in the east. Whilst the emperors are wasting themselves in disputes about religion, and «a6. inventing heresies, the Saracens penetrate into the empire, they seize on Syria and Palestine; the holy city is subjected 'to them; Persia is laid open by its divisions, and they take that great kingdom without UJ; resistance. They enter Afric, in a fair way of sooa making it one of their provinces: the isle of Cyprus yields them obedience, and in less than thirty years they add all these conquests to those of Mahomet. Italy, ever hapless and forlorn, groaned under the arms of the Lombards. Constans despaired of ex-* pelling them, and resolved to ravage what he could not defend. More cruel than the Lombards them- selves, he came to Rome, only to plunder its sures: the very churches did not escape him: be Tuined Sardinia and Sicily; and having become odious to all the world, he perished by the bands of his own servants. Under his son Constantine Pogonatus, or the Bearded, the Saiaceus tiktmselres masters of Cilicia and Lycia. Constantinople besieged was a. b.

saved only by a miracle. The Bulgarians, a people from the moutb of the Volga, joined the many enemies, with which the empire was overwhelmed, and seized on that part of Thrace, called since Bulgaria, fvbich was the ancient Mysia.

The Andician cburcb brought forth new churches; and St. Wilfrid, bishop of York, being expelled his see, converted Friesland. The whole church receiv- ed a new light from the council of the sixth general one, where pope Agatho presided by bis legates, and explained the Catholic faith by an admirable letter. The council anathematized a bishop celebrated for his learning, a patriarch of Alexandria, four patriarchs of Constantinople, or, all the authors of the sect of the Monothelites; without sparing pope Honorius himself, who bad showed them too much favour. After the death of Agatho, which happened during the pope Leo II. confirmed its decisions, and received all its anathemas. Constantine Poffonatus, an imitator of the great Constantine and of Mareian, took bis seat in the council after their example; and as be paid it the same submissions, he was honoured with the same titles of orthodox, religious, pacific emperor, and restorer of religion. His son Justinian II. yet a child, succeeded him. In his the fsuth extended, and diflused its benign influences towards the north. St. Kilian, sent by pope Conon, preached the gospel in Frknconia. In the time of pope Sergjus, Ceadwalla, one of the kings of England, came in person to do homage to the Roman church, from whence the faith had passed into his part of the Britannic island; and after receiving baptism from the pope's bands, be departed in peace according to bis wish. The house of Clovis was fallen into a deplorable weakness; frequent minorities had degenerated the princcijt into a state of softness and eneminacy, which they could never get out of, when of age. Hence sprung a long succession of

A D. nothing but the name of king, and left the whole poor-er to the Maires du Palais, or grand ministers oi the

crown. Under this title Pepin Heristel, governed every thingy and raised his family to higher expectations.

696. By ijig authority, and after the martyrdom of St Wigberty the faith was established in Friesland; which France bad added to her conquests. St. Swibert, St. Willebrod, and other apostolical persons, propagated the gospel in the neighbouring provinces. Meantime Justinian's minority was happily over: the victories of Leontius had overthrown ue Saracens, and restored the empire's glory in the east. But that valiant cap-

IgJ; tain being unjustly arrested and unseasonably released, supplanted bis master, and expelled him. This rebel met with a like treatment from Tiberius, named Absimarus, who stood not himself. Justinian re*

stored, proved ungrateful to his friends; by revenging himself of his enemies, he made more formidable ones,

who killed him. The images of Philippicus his successor were not received in Rome, on account of his favouring the Monothelites, and declaring himself an enemy to the sixth council. Anastasius 11. a catholic prince, was elected at Constantinople, and Philippi-

cus's eyes were put out. At this time the debauches of king Roderic, or Rodrigo, caused Spain to fall a prey to the Mauri, or Moors; for so were called the Saracens of Afric. Count Julian, to revenge his daughter, whom Roderick abused, invited those infidels. They come with an innumerable host: the king is killed: Spain is subdued and the empire of the Goths there is extinguished. The church of Spain was put then to a new trial: but as she had stood her ground under the Arians, the Mahometans could not prevail against her. They left her at first with a good deal of liberty: but in after ages she had severe conflicts to maintain; and chastity had its martyrs as well as faith, under the tyranny of a nation eqialiy brutal and infidel Anastasius swayed not long the imperial

sceptre. The army forced Theodosius III. to assume the purple. A battle necessarily ensued; the new emperor gained it, and Anastasius was clapped into a monastery; The Moons masters of Spain, were in hopes of extending themselves soon beyond the Pyrenees; but Charles Martel, destined to check them, bad arisen in France, and bad succeeded, though a bastard, to the power of his father Pepin Heristel; who left Austrasia in his family, as a kind of sovereign principality, and the command in Neustria, by the post of Moire du Palais, Charles united both by bis valour. The eastern affairs were embroiled. 1.eo the Isurian, governor of the east, would not acknowledge Theodosius, who quitted without reluctance, that empire which he had accepted only by force; and reti* ring to Ephesus, gave himself up entirely to the study of true greatness. The Saracens received somegresct blows during the empire of Leo. They shamefully 7ip! raised the siege of Constantinople. Pelagius, who cantoned himself in the mountains of Asturia, with the most resolute of the Goths, after a signal victory, set up in opposition to those infidels a new kingdom, by which they were one day to be driven out of Spain. In spite of the efforts and vast army of Abderamus their Charles Martel over them the famous battle of Fours. There fell an infinite number of the infidels, and Abderamus himself lay dead upon the field. This victory was attended with other advantaes, whereby Charles put a stop to the progress of the 'oors, and extended the kingdom as far as the Pyrenees. There now remained scarce any part of the Gauls, that was not under the obedience of the French; and all did homage to Charles Martel. Mighty both in peace and war, and absolute master of the kingdom, he reigned under several kings, whom he set up and pulled down at his pleasure, without ev- presuming to take upon him that high title. The jealousy of the French lords chose to be thus deceiv« ed. Religion was establishing in Germany. priest Boniface converted that uxvCl vi)&

A. D. their bishop by pope Gregory 11. who had sent him thither. The empire was then pretty quiet; but Leo raised in it a lasting disturbance. He attempted to overturn as so many idols, the images of Jesus Christy and his saints. As he could not bring St Germain, patriarch of Constantinople, over to bu way of thinking, he acted by his own authority; and upon a decree of the senate, he iSrst of all broke down an image of Jesus Christ, which stood upon the great gate of the churc4] of Constantinople. Thus began the outrages of the Iconoclasts, or image-breakers. The other images, which the emperors, bishops, and all the faithful had set up since the peace of the church, both in public and private places, were also pulled down. At this scene the people was moved. The statues of the emperor were overthrown in different parts. He immediately thinking his person affronted, was reproached with offering a like insult to Jesus Christ and his saints, and that by his own confession, the indignity offered to the image, reflected upon the original. Italy went still farther: the emperor's im- ])iety caused him to be refused the ordinary tributes. Luitprand, king of the Lombards, made use of the same pretext for seizing on the residence of the Exarchs:.thus were called the governors, the emperors sent into Italy. Pope Gregory II. opposed the pulling down of the imaees: but be at the same time opposed the enemies of the empire, and to retain the people in their ooedience. Peace was made with the Lombards, and the emperor executed his decree gainst the images with greater violence than ever. But the famous John of Damaa* cus declared to him, that in matters of religion, he knew no decrees but those of the church, and suffered greatly on that account. The emperor drove from his see the patriarch, St. Germain, who died in exile af the age of 90 years. A little after, the Lombards again took up arms, and in the calamities they brought vpon the Roman people, t\iey vwe cefitrained only by f the authority of Charles Martel, whose assistance pope A. b. Gregory IL bad implored. The new kingdom of Spain, which was called in those early times, the kingdom of Oviedo, was receiving accesMons from the victories and conduct of Alphonsus, son-in-law to Pelagius, who, after the example of Recarede, from whom be was descended, assumed the name of Catholic. Leo died, and left the empire, as well as the church, in a great fermentation. Artabazus, pretor of Armenia, caused himself to be proclaimed emperor, instead of Constantine Copronymus son of Leo, and restored the images. After the death of Charles Martel, Luitprand threatened Rome anew; the exarchate of Rarenna was in danger, and Italy owed its safety to the prudence of pope Zachaiy. Conrtantine embarrassed in the east, thought of nothing but establishing himself; be beat Artabaeus, took Constantinople, and filled it with executions. XDbarles Martel's two Carloman and Pepin, bad succeeded to their father's power: but Carloman growing sick of the world, in the midst of bis grandeur and victories, embraced a monastic life. By these means his brother Pepin centred the whole power in his person. He knew how to support it by an exalted merit, and formed the design of raising himself to the crown. Cbilderic, the most pitiful of all princes, 'opened the way to bim, by joining to the quality of a drone, that of a natural fool. The French, qaite weary their drones, and so long jiccustoraed to Charles Martel's family, ever fruitful in

Eeat men, were gravelled at nothing but the oath they kd taken to Cbilderic. Upon the answer of pope Zachary. they thought themselves free, and so much the more disengaged from their oath of allegiance to their king« that be and bis forefathers, for two hundred years past, seemed to have renounced their right of ruling over them, by leaving the whole power entailed,, is it were, in the office of Maire du Palais. So Pep*'»- in was placed on the throne, and the name of kinc It-united with tfae authority.

A, D. found in the new king the same zeal that Charles Martel had showa for the holy see against the bards. Ader vainly imploring the emperor's ud, he threw himself again into the arms of the French. The king received him in France with respecti and would be anointed and crowned by his hand. At the same time he passed the Alps, delivered Rome and the exarchy of Ravenna, and reduced Astolph, kingof the Lombards, to an equitable peace. In the mean time the emperor made war upon the images. To support himself by ecclesiastical authority, he assembled a numerous council at Constantinople. There Ntcai. however, appear, according to custom, either Aa.t>, the legates of the holy see, or the bishops, or legates from the other patriarchal sees. In this council, they not only condemned as all honour paid to Pseudo-images in memory of the originals, but they even;. "?"' ' damued sculpture and painting as detestable arts. This was the opinion of the Saracens, whose advice Leo was said to have followed, when be overthrew the Nothing, however, appeared against relics. The 8y». o. councii of Copronymus did not forbid to honour •X. leathern, and thunder out anathemas against such as refused to have recourse to the prayers of the holy virgin and the saints. The Catholics persecuted for the hon-our they paid to images, made answer to the emperor, that they had rather endure all manner of extremities, than not honour Jesus Christ in his very shadow* Meantime Pepin repassed the Alps, and chastised the faithless Astolph, who refused to fulfil the treaty of peace. The Roman Church never received a more noble gift than that which that pious prince then made her. He gave her the cities retaken from the Lombards, and laughed at Copronymus, when he re-demanded what he had not been able to defend. From that time the emperors were but little acknowledged in Rome; they became contemptible for their weakness, and odious for their errors* Pepin was regarded a5 jprotector of the Roman people, and of the

church. That quality became, as it were, hered- a. iv itary to his houses and to the kings of France. Charleooagney son of Pepin, supported it with equal courage and piety. Pope Adrian had recourse to against Didier, king of the Ijombards, who had taken several cities, and was threatening all Italy. Charlemagne passed the Alps. Every thing yielded. Di- dier was delivered up: the Lombard kings, enemies to Rome, and to the popes, were destroyed: Charle- maene lad himself crowned king of Italy, and assumed the title of king of the French and Lombards. At the same time be exercised in Rome itself the supreme authority in quality of patrician, and confirmed to the. holy see the donations of the king his father. The emperors had diflSculty to withstand the Bulgarians, and vainly supported against Charlemagne, the dispossessed Lombards. The quarrel of the images still subsisted. Leo III. son of Copronymus, seem- ed at first, pretty moderate; but renewed the persecution so soon as he thought himself master. He quickly died. His son Constantine, but ten years old succdsded bim, and reigned under the tuition of the empress Irene his mother. Then things begun to ' change their aspect. Paul, patriarch of Constantinople, declared towards the latter end of his life that he had opposed the images contrary to his conscience; and retired into a monastery, where he deplored, in presence of the empress, the misfortune pf the church of Constantinople, separated from the four patriarchal sees: and proposed to her the celebration of an universal council, as the only remedy of so great an evil, Tarasius his successor, maintained, that the question bad not been judged in due order, because they had with a decree of the emperor, upon which an informal council had followed; whereas in matters of religion, it belonged to tho council to begin, and to the emperors to support the judgment of the church, doing upon this argument, be accepted the patriarclvate only upon condition that the

16 AN ITNIVERSAlL HISTORT.

A. D. should be held: it was commenced at Constantinople and continued at Nice. The pope sent thither bis le- gates: the council of the Iconoclasts was condemned: they are detested as people, who, after the example of ' the Saracens, accused the christians of idolatry. It was decided, that images should be honoured in rC'* membrance, and for the sake of the originals; wbicb is called in the council relative worship, honorary adoration and salutation, as opposed to supreme worship, and adoration af Latria, or of entire subjection, which the council reserres for God alone. Besides the legates of the holy see, and the presence of the patriarch of Con* stantinople, there appeared legates from the other patriarchal sees, then oppressed by the infidels. Some have disputed their mission, but what is undisputed, that far from disownine them, all those sees have mitted the council, without the least appearance of contradiction, and it has been received the whole church. The French, encompassed with idolaters, or with new christians, whose ideas thev were afpaid to perplex, and at the same time puzzled with the equivocal term adoration, hesitated lone. Of all the lERtgeSi they would pay honour to none, but that of the cross, as being absolutely diflTerent from the figures which the heathens believed full of divinity. They preserved, however, the other images in an honourable place, and. feven in the churches, and detestied the Iconoclasts. What diflTerence remained, made not any schism. The French came at length to understand that the fathers of Nice required for images only the same kind of worship, in all due proportion, which they themselves paid to relics, to the book of the gospel, and to the cross; and this council was honoured by all tendom, under the name of the seventh general council.

Thus have we seen the seven general councib, which the east, and the west, the Greek and Latin churches, receive with equal veneration. The empe*

rgn called those great a%emVA\««) by the sovereign

»athoritj they had over the priacipal ones, on whom all the rest depended, and a* d. who %vere then subiects of the empire. The public vehiclefl were fumidned them by order of the princes. They assembled the councils in the east, where they made their residence, and usually sent thither commissaries to maintain order. The bishops, thus assem* bled, carried with them the authority of the Holy Ghost, and the tradition of the churches. At the beginnine of Christianity there were three principal sees, which had the precedency of all the rest: those of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. The cbuncil ofconc. Nice had allowed the same rank to the bishop of the can. 7. boly city. The second and fourth councils exalted o!p?']. the see of Constantinople, and would hare it to the second. Thus were there five sees, which in process of time, to be called patriarchal. The pre- canjzs. cedency was given them in council. Of those sees, the see of Rome was ever regarded the first, and the council of Nice regulated the others by it. There coac were also Metropolitan bishops, who were heads provinces, and took place of the other bishops. It vtras pretty late before they began to be called archbishops; but their authority was nothing the less ac« knowiedged. When (he council was formed, the holy scripture was propounded; passages of the ancient fathers, witnesses of tradition, were read: it was tradition that interpreted scripture: its true meaning was believed to be that, about which former ages were agreed; and no one thought he had a right to explain it otherwise. Such as refused to submit to the decisions, of the council, were anathematised. The faith, being explained, ecclesiastical discipline was settled, and canons, that is, rules of the church, were drawn up* It was believed, that the faith never changed, and that though discipline might receive divers alterations, according to times and places, men ought to urn, as much as possible, at a perfect imitation of antiquity. In fine, the popes assisted only by their legates at the first general councils *, but

A, D. expressly of their doctrine, and there was but one faith in the church. 7t7. Constantine and Irene, eaused the decrees of the seventh council to be religiously executed; but the rest of their conduct was not conform. The young prince, whom his mother forced to marry a woman he did not love, gave himself up to dishonourable amours; and, weary oi paying implicit obedience to his imperious mother, he endeavoured to remove her from public afiairs, of which she kept the management in 793. spite of him. Alphonsiis the chaste reiffnedin Spain. The perpetual continence that prince ODserved, earned him that noble title, and rendered him worthy to deliver Spain from the infamous tribute of an hundred virgins, which his uncle Mauregatus had granted to the Moors. Threescore and ten thousand of those infidels killed in a battle with Mugatius their general,

795. evinced the valour of Alphonsus. Constantme was also endeavouring to signalise himself against the Bulgarians; but the success did not answer his expectation. He destroyed, at last> the whole power of Irene; and being as incapable to govern himself, as to suffer

796. the government of another, he divorced his wife Mary, in order to espouse Theodora, one of her attendants.

His mother, highly exasperated, fomented the troubles, which so great a scandal occasioned, and by her artifices wrought the destruction of Constantine. She gained the people by moderating the taxes, and engaged the monks and clergy in her interest, by an apparent piety. At length she was acknowledged sole empress. The Romans, despising her government, went over to Charlemagne, who subdued the Saxons, checked the Saracens, destroyed heresies, protected the popes, won infidel nations to rhristianity, restored the sciences, and ecclesiastical discipline, assembled famous councils, where his profound learning was admired; and made not only France and Italy, but Spain, England, Germany, and etrery where, feel the happy effects of his piety and justice.

At length, in the 800th year of our Lord, thatxn. great protector of Rome and Italy, or, to say better, of the whole charch and all Christendom, being elect- ed emperor by the Romans, without his dreaming of any such thine, and crowned by pope Leo HI* whoment'of had prompted the Roman people to this choice, be- came founder of the new empire, and of the temporal greatness of the holy see.

These, Sir, be the twelve epochs, which I have followed in this abridgment* I have annexed to each of them, the principal facts that depend upon them. You may now, without much difficulty, dispose, according to the order of time, the great events of ancient history, and rank them, so to speak, every one under its own standard.

I have not forgot, in this epitome, that celebrated division, which chronologers make of the duration of the world, into seven ages. The beginning of each age serves us for an epoch; if 1 intermix some others with them, it is, that things may be the more distinct; and that the order of time may unfold itself before you with the less confusion.

When I speak to you of the order of time, I do not mean, Sir, that you should charge yourself scrupulously with every date; far less, that you should enter into all the disputes of chronologers, which are generally but about a few years. C ontentious chronology, that stands so critically upon those minute matters, has, doubtless, its use; but it is not your affair, and conduces very little to enlighten the mind of a great prince. I did by no means intend to refine upon this discussion of time, and among the calculations already made, I have followed that, which to me seemed most probable, without engaging to warrant it.

Whether in the computation we make of years from the time of the creation down to Abraham, we should follow the Septuagint, which makes the world older, or the Hebrew, which makes it younger by several centuries; though, indeed, the authonly nal Hebrew seems to deserve the preferepcei it is a thing so indifierent in itself, that toe church, which hath with St. Jerom, followed the computation of the Hebrew in our vulgate, has allowed that of the Septuagint in her martyrology* In fact, what matters it to history to diminish, or multiply vacant centuries, where a man can have nothing to relate? Is it not enough, that the times, wherein the dates are important, have fixed characters, and that the distribution of them be supported upon certain foundations? And though even in these times there should be a dispute about some years, this would seldom or never create any difficulty. For should we be obliged to put a few years sooner or later, either the foundation of Rome, or the birth of Jesus Christ, you may have perceived, that this diversity does no wise affect the series of the histories, or the accomplishment of the counsels of God. You are to shun anachronisms, that perplex the order of affairs, and leave the others to he disputed among the learned.

No more would I burden your memory with the computation of Olympiads, although the Greeks, who make use of them, render them necessary fbr the fixing of times. It is fit you should know what it ip, in order to have recourse to it, upon occasion: but short it will be sufficient, to confine you to the dates, which I propose, as the most simple, and the most followed, namely, those of the world to Rome, those of Rome to Jesus Christ, and those of Jesus Christ to all generations.

But the true design of this epitome, is, not to explain to you the order of times, though that be absolutely necessary towards connecting of all histories, and showing their mutual relation, i told you, Sir, that my principal scope was to make you consider, in the order of time, the progress of the people of God, and that of great empires.

These two important objects run on together in that movement of ages, where they if I may

AN UNIVERSAL IIISTORV.

SO say, one and the same course; but it will be needful, in order to the right understanding of tbem, to take them apart sometimes the one from the other, and to consider separately whatever may relate to each of them.