moft judicious Authors of Antiquity, relates, that Megafthenes, who lived near the Times of Alexander the Great, had written of the famous Exploits of Nebuchadnezzar King of the Chaldeans. But what puts this Matter beyond Dispute, is the celebrated Canon of Ptolemy, where we have a Lift of the Babylonian Kings from Nabonafar quite down to Cyrus; that is, from the Death of Sardanapalus, to the Foundation of the Perfian Empire. If with all this we confider, that the facred Hiftorians lived many of them in the very Times of which they write, that they describe the Affairs of a People bordering upon the great Empires, and who were at laft fubjected to them, we cannot any longer doubt what Relations and Teftimonies are moft worthy of Credit. Here then feems to be the Truth of the Matter. The Medes after the Death of Sardanapalus, living under Kings of their own, became a very confiderable People; and being best known to the Greeks, by reafon of their Neighbourhood to the Colonies of that Nation fettled in Afia Minor, were by them, little acquainted with what paffed in the more remote Regions of the Eaft, deemed the Masters of all Afia. It is certain however, that the Kings of Affyria and Babylon far exceeded them in Wealth and Power. But Cyrus having fubdued the Babylonians, by the joint Forces of the Medes and Perfians, as Daniel exprefly tells us, and Xenophon describes at large; it is apparent, that this new Empire of which he became the Founder, ought to take its Name from both Nations; infomuch that the Monarchy of the Medes, and that of the Perfians, are in reality one and the fame, tho' the prevailing Glory of Cyrus hath occafioned, that his Nation carries away in Hiftory all the Honour of this Revolution. I have still one thing more to add upon this Subject, and it is that tho' I acknowledge a new Affyrian Monarchy rifing out of the Ruins of the former under Sardanapalus, I have yet chosen in the View I give of the Succeffion of the great Empires, to make that of the Perfians founded by Cyrus, the fecond in Order, contrary to the Method followed by fome others. But that this is the most reasonable and natu ral Divifion, will easily appear to any one who confiders; that the Revival of the Ayrian Power in Nineveh by Tiglath-Pilefer, and the transferring it to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, were not properly the Establishment of a fecond Empire, but merely Revolutions in the old, Tiglath-Pilefer is upon good Grounds conjectured to have been of the Race of the ancient Affyrian Kings, nor is it unlikely that Nabopollaf far was alfo of the Blood Royal. But be that as it will, the

bare

bare Change of the Prince, or the Removal of the Imperial Seat from one City to another, fhould not induce us to multiply the Number of Empires without Neceffity, when it is known that the fame People, and under the fame Name too, all along held the Dominion of the Eaft.

P. Here I begin to be fenfible of the great Advantage of Clearness of Method. Already I am forming in my Mind an Idea of the four great Empires, rifing in Succeffion one after another: the Affyrian, the Perfian, the Grecian, and the Roman. The firft I think I have got a pretty distinct Notion of. I have feen its Rife, Continuance and Fall; can connect its History with that of other Nations, and by viewing it in relation to the feveral Periods and Epochas that fall within the Compafs of its Years, am able to trace in my Mind the moft remarkable Events and Revolutions of Hiftory, according to the due Order of Time in which they happened. I mention this that you may fee how I have improved by your past Instructions, and what Hopes I may justly entertain in regard of those that are to come. But now that you have cleared up this Part of Hiftory, and removed fome Mistakes I had fallen into in relation to these dark Ages, I can liften with greater Satisfaction to the Account you are next to enter upon of the Perfian Monarchy, and shall endeavour as little as poffible, to disturb the Course of your Narration by unfeasonable Interruptions.

World.

8. Epocha, The Reign of

Cyrus.

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G. In the 4178th Year of the Julian Period, 218 Years after the Building of Rome, and 536 Years of the before the Birth of Chrift, Cyrus fucceeding to the Throne of Cyaxares, and becoming fole Monarch of all the Eaft, here we are to fix the Beginning of the Perfian Empire. In the firft Year of his Reign he published the famous Decree for rebuilding the Temple of Jerufalem, the feventy Years Captivity being now compleated, according as had been foretold by the Prophets. Servius Tullius ftill reigh'd at Rome. He had greatly enlarged the City, and by his mild and popular Administration was become the Darling of his Subjects. This excellent Prince fell a Sacrifice at lat to the Perfidy of his own Daughter, and the ambitious Defigns of his Son-in-law Tarquin the Proud, who fucceeded him in the Throne. Cyrus after a Reign of feven Years, left his Kingdom to his Son Cambyfes. Under him the Perfians enlarged their Empire by the Conqueft of Egypt: He proved however a very brutal Prince, unworthy to fill the Throne of Cyrus. His

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Brother

Brother Smerdis he order'd to be killed privately, on Account of a fufpicious Dream that had disturbed his Fancy. He did not long furvive him, and upon his Death Smerdis the Magian ufurped the Throne, under pretence of being the true Smerdis the Son of Cyrus. However the Cheat was soon difcovered, which gave Occafion to the famous 3483. Confederacy of the feven Noblemen, the Result of which was, that Darius the Son of Hyftafpes was raised to the Perfian Throne. During the Reign of this Prince, Athens recovered its Liberty. Harmedius and Ariftogiton delivered their Country from the Tyranny of Hipparchus the Son of Pififtratus, by flaying the Ty3494. rant, and Hippias his Brother was obliged to throw himself into the Arms of Darius. This was what gave rife to the Wars between the Perfians and the Greeks. From hence are we to date the mighty Glory of Athens. We shall foon fee this fmall Commonwealth an Over-match for all the Power of the East; so true is it that Liberty ennobles the Mind, and affords the trueft Foundation whereon to build the Grandeur of a State. About the Time of this Revolution at Athens, happened another of the like Nature at Rome. Tarquin by his Violence and arbitrary Meafures, had rendered the Royal Power odious, and the Attempt of his Son Sextus upon Lucretia, compleated the public Indignation. The People animated by the Speeches and heroic Behaviour of Bratus, fhake off the Regal Tyranny, and declare themselves a free State. This Æra of the

Roman Liberty commenceth from the 244th 3494. Year after the Building of the City. Tarquin however found means to draw in feveral neighbouring Princes to espouse his Quarrel, among whom Porjenna King of the Clufians bears the most diftinguished Name in Hiftory. It is upon this Occafion that the Romans first begin to difcover that noble Ardour for Liberty, that inviolable Love of their Country, which makes a bright Part of the Character of that renown'd People. Here we read of the aftonishing Valour of Horatius Cocles, the intrepid Spirit of Scevola, and the mafculine Blodnefs of Chilia. Porfenna admiring the Bravery of the Romans, would not any longer difturb them in the Enjoyment of a Liberty, to which their Merit gave them fo juft a Title. But they who could not be overcome by any foreign Force, had well nigh ruined themselves by their inteftine Divifions. The Jealouly between the Patricians and Plebeians rofe to that Height, that the latter retired from the City, and intrenched themfelves upon a Hill,

called

3510.

3514.

called afterwards Mons facer. However, the mild Perfuafrons of Menenius Agrippa, and the Conceffion made by the Senate' of new Plebeian Magiftrates, whofe Office it was to protect the People against the Confuls, appeafed their Difcontents, and restored Tranquillity to the State. The Law appointing the Institution of thefe Magiftrates was called the facred Law, and the Magistrates themselves had the Title of Tribunes of the People. This remarkable Revolution happened in the 260th Year of the City. Hippias we have seen had retired into Perfia, and was folliciting Darius to make War upon the Athenians. He at length prevailed, and Mardonius was fent with a numerous Army against them: but Miltiades with a handful of Men, gave the Perfians Battle in the Plains of Marathon, and entirely routed them. This Victory is the most renowned in ancient Hiftory, for the Athenians did not exceed ten thousand, and the Perfians have been computed at twenty times their Number. At Rome the Feuds between the Nobility and the People ftill fubfifted, The Banishment of Coriolanus had well nigh proved fatal to the Commonwealth, which owed its Deliverance from the imminent Danger that threatened it, to the Tears of the incenfed Hero's Mother. In the mean time Xerxes fucceeding Darius in the Throne of Perfia, prepared to revenge the Defeat at Marathon, by a new Expedition against Greece. He is faid to have been followed in this Attempt by an Army of feventeen hundred thousand Men. Leonidas King of Sparta, with only three hundred Lacedemonians,

3516.

3519.

encountered his whole Force in the Streights of 3524. Thermopila. For three Days he made good the

Pafles against the numerous Army of the Perfians; but being at length furrounded, he and his Followers were all flain upon the Spot. By the wife Counfels of Themistocles the Athenian Admiral, the naval Army of the Perfians was this fame Year vanquished near Salamis, and Xerxes in great Fear repaffed the Hellefpont, leaving the Command of his LandForces to Mardonius. But he too the Year after was cut in Pieces with his whole Army near Platea, by Paufanias King of the Lacedemonians, and Ariftides furnamed the Juft, General of the Athenians. This Battle was fought in the Morning, and the Evening of the fame Day their naval Forces obtained a memorable Victory over the Remainder of the Perfian Fleet, at Mycale a Promontory on the Continent of Afia. Thus ended all tht

3525.

greae

great Defigns of Xerxes in a miferable Disappointment, and the utter Destruction of that prodigious Army with which the Year before he had marched fo proudly over the Hellef pont. The Carthaginians by this Time a powerful People, had been engaged by Xerxes to fall upon the Greek Colonies in Sicily, while he was employed against them in their own Country; but they had no better Success than the Perfian Monarch, and being fhamefully beaten, were obliged to abandon the Island. Xerxes dying after a Reign 3540. of 21 Years, was fucceeded in the Kingdom by Artaxerxes Longimanus. He is generally fuppofed to be the King from whom Nehemiah received the Commiffion to restore and rebuild Jerufalem. But it is now Time to turn our Thoughts a little towards the Romans, who having been formed under Kings, were but ill provided with Laws fuited to the Conftitution of a Republic. The Reputation of Greece, yet more renowned for the Wisdom of its Government than the Fame of its Victories, determined the Romans to draw up a Scheme of Laws upon their Model. Deputies were therefore fent to examine into the Conftitutions of the feveral Greek Cities, particularly thofe of Athens, whofe Plan of Government feemed to have a greater Refemblance with that of Rome. Ten Magiftrates were elected with abfolute Authority, to carry this Defign into Execution. The Decemvirs accordingly compofed a Body of Laws, which having digested into twelve Tables, they were proposed to the People, and received their Approbation. It was natural to think, that these Magiftrates having finifhed the Bufinefs for which they were chofen, would upon the Expiration of their Term of Power, have refign'd their Offices, and fuffered the Government to return to its former Courfe. But it seems they found too many Charms in Authority to quit it fo readily; they aimed at no lefs than perpetuating their Command, and vainly thought to entail Slavery upon a State whofe prevailing Paffion was the Love of Liberty. Power ufurped by unlawful means, feldom abftains from Violence and Exceffes; and the very Methods taken to establish it, prove often in the End the Caufe of its Destruction. And fo it happened here; for the Decemvirs declining from that Moderation by which they had in the Beginning of their Authority recommended themselves to the Favour of the People, a general Discontent arofe; and the iniquitous Decree of Appius, whereby he reduced a Father to the cruel Neceffity of murdering his own Daughter, fo effectually rouzed the ancient Roman Spi

3554.