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tion of ftupendous works at Babylon, afterwards did during the infancy of her fon Labynitus. Allowing 30 years for each fucceffion upwards, from the taking of Babylon, the age of Semiramis will be with probability fixed as above.

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Sir Ifaac Newton places this revolt in 711, to make room, I suppose, for a fifth king of Media before Cyrus. But Herodotus pofitively restricts its kings to four, enumerating the years of each reign, making in all 150 from hence to the clofe of the Median dominion. Sir Ifaac alfo accuses this hiftorian of inverting the order of fucceffion in Media, by making Cyaxares the father inftead of the fon of Aftyages, in confequence of which he adds another king Darius the Mede fon of Cyaxares. I must own I do not fee fufficient reafon for this, but am apt to believe that Aftyages was the last king of Media (in which Herodotus is fupported by Paufanias), and that he is the fame prince called in fcripture Darius the Mede. Sir Ifaac's chief reafon for removing this prince's reign beyond those events which put an end to the power of Lydia and Babylon, feems to be, that he is faid to be of small abilities. But all thofe conquefts were achieved by the fuperior conduct of his Perfian general Cyrus, who foon difdained to be fecond to a weak monarch, and in two years by his overthrow transferred the empire to Perfia.

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The Roman hiftorians fuppofe the feven kings of Rome to have reigned 244 years; a length of time which Sir Isaac Newton justly thinks improbable, confidering that feveral of these princes were flain, and that the last lived many years after his expulfion. He reduces these reigns to 17 years each; which, confidering that the reigns of two are allowed to have been long, I think too little. I have therefore allowed 23 years to each reign.

(iiii) Page 93.

Sir Ifaac Newton places this invafion of the Scythians in 635, in the reign of

Dd

of Aftyages, whom he fuppofes the father of Cyaxares, and grandfather of Darius the Mede; but Herodotus pofitively afferts that it took place in the beginning of the reign of Cyaxares, which he allows to have been in 611. The absence of that monarch in the conqueft of Nineveh, and in fettling that new acquifition, seems to afford a probable opportunity for fuch an irruption into Media drained of troops for that expedition.

THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS

ON THE

STRUCTURE

OF THIS GLOBE.

LETTER II.

Analyfis and Refutation of Mr. Bailly's firft Syftem of the Origin of Nations, and all Population derived from the Poles, deduced from antient

Annals.

IN my laft letter I have fhewn you, Sir, the most authentic monuments of history concurring with general tradition, and the relation of the Jewish legiflator, the first known hiftorian, to establish the reality of an univerfal deluge. The result of the comparison, and of an estimation certainly not partial, of antient chronologies fixes that event to an epoch which cannot be removed beyond 3500 years before the Chriftian æra. Strong indications and teftiDd 2

monies

monies of much greater weight than thofe chronologies concur to prove that this date prefented by Mr. Bailly in his last work as the most probable, is yet too high by several centuries. But I ought not to pass under filence a prior fyftem of this fame author better adapted to the generality of readers, and of courfe better known, of which I have hitherto had occafion to speak only in a curfory manner. Though his last work feems amply to contradict and invalidate his first pretenfions, yet whatever has fallen from fo celebrated a pen certainly deferves to be confidered in the difcuffion which I have undertaken. Shortly after the publication of the famous epochs of nature by Mr. de Buffon, Mr. Bailly, who both by the fire of genius and by feducing eloquence was well calculated to be the disciple and emulator of that celebrated naturalift, undertook to fupport his system by the testimony of history. Notwithstanding the pretended certificates of nature herfelf, invoked by the former with all the authority of an infallible interpreter, he felt how much the direct contrary depofitions of history might invalidate those affertions, if these could not be conciliated with, or reduced to be at least somewhat less unfavourable to, the fyftem. In this effay, thofe fame antique traditions to which I have ventured to appeal as proofs of that great revolution operated by the deluge being of no very high antiquity, feem under his ingenious pen to concur in throwing it not only beyond all exifting annals, but beyond all calculable date. They will, ac'cording to him, confirm that conftant and imperceptibly flow refrigeration of the earth, and that first refidence of man under the

5

poles

poles in times far antecedent to all' iftory, and even to the establishment of all nations now known, contended for by his mafter; they would in fact exclude, though not an antient prevalence of waters upon the earth, yet such a general deluge as is generally understood. It is clear, that according to Mr. de Buffon the reign of waters must have preceded the birth of man feveral thousand years, and that fince that epoch they never could have covered the entire earth. If Mr. Bailly does not openly deny a deluge pofterior to the existence of the human race, which he cannot but own a prominent feature in all these traditions, he fufficiently infinuates that it is only to be understood of the inundation of an island the firft dwelling of men; or even that this fo general idea arose only (the ice having in length of time intercepted all communication with it) from the fuppofition of thofe men who had already fettled on the continent, that it was really loft and funk in the waters. I fhall not diffemble, Sir, that I have some reason to dread a contest with such an antagonist, combating with my own arms in fupport of a system which, in your country in particular, and in all countries amongst those who think it a mark of wifdom to reject all antient opinions under the name of old prejudices, has received fo much weight from the authority and impofing eloquence of the French Pliny; but I trust in the goodness of my cause. I hope to prove from Mr. Bailly himself, that all that I have advanced in my first letter is ftrictly conformable to the only true and natural fenfe of those paffages in antient authors, which we have both quoted; and notwithstanding the

opinions

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