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him look like a fool. But a man who has du monde, seems not to understand what he cannot or ought not to refent. If he makes a flip himself, he recovers it by his coolness, instead of plunging deeper by his confufion, like a ftumbling-horfe. He is firm, but gentle; and practises that most excellent maxim, fuaviter in modo, fortiter in re. The other is the volto fciolto e penfieri firetti. People, unufed to the world, have babbling countenances; and are unfkilful enough to fhow, what they have fenfe enough not to tell. In the courfe of the world, a man muft very often put on an eafy, frank countenance, upon very difagreeable occafions; he muft feem pleafed, when he is very much otherwife; he must be able to accoft and receive with fmiles, thofe whom he would much rather meet with fwords. In courts he must not turn himself inside out. All this may, nay must be done, without falfehood and treachery: for it must go no farther than politeness and manners, and muft ftop fhort of affurances and profeffions of fimulated friendship. Good manners, to those one does not love, are no more a breach of truth, than your humble fervant at the bottom of a challenge is; they are univerfally agreed upon and understood, to be things of courfe. They are neceffary guards of the decency, and peace of fociety: they must only act defenfively; and then not with arms poifoned by perfidy. Truth, but not the whole truth, must be the invariable principle of every man, who hath either religion, honour, or prudence. Those who violate it, may be cunning, but they are not able. Lies and perfidy are the refuge of fools and cowards. Adieu!'

In our last Review we gave Lord C.'s letter in recommendation of Lord Bolingbroke's works. As fome of our Readers may not be fufficiently attentive to the date of that letter, or may not know in what year that noble Author's posthumous works appeared, it is but juftice to the memory of Lord Chefterfield, to give here a tranfcript of a note which we meet with, referring to a paffage in a letter dated 1752, wherein his lordfhip recommends Lord B.'s Letters on the ftudy and use of history, viz.

We cannot but obferve with pleasure, that at this time Lord Bolingbroke's Philofophical works had not appeared; which accounts for Lord Chesterfield's recommending to his fon, in this as well as in fome foregoing paffages, the ftudy of Lord Bolingbroke's writings.'

We propose to finifh our Review of Lord Chesterfield's Let ters in a fubfequent article.

G.

ART. VI. A new Syftem, or, an Analyfs of ancient Mythology: Wherein an Attempt is made to divest Tradition of Fable; and to reduce Truth to its original Purity. In this Work is given an Hiftory of the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Canaanites, Helladians, Ionians, Leleges, Dorians, Pelafgi: alfo of the Seytha, Indofcytha, Ethiopians, Phenicians. The whole contains an Account of the principal Events in the firft Ages, from the Deluge to the Difperfion: Alfo of the various Migrations, which en

fued,

fued, and the Settlements made afterwards in different Parts: Circumftances of great Confequence, which were fubfequent to the Gentile Hiftory of Mofes. By Jacob Bryant, formerly of King's College, Cambridge; and Secretary to his Grace the late Duke of Marlborough, during his Command abroad; and Secretary to him as Matter General of his Majefty's Ordnance. Vols. I and II. 21. 4s. Boards. Payne, &c. 1774.

WE

E have formerly had occafion to mention this Author with peculiar honour, as one of thofe men who, in our own day, are mafters of the profound eft erudition, and who do not come behind the most distinguished names of the last century, for their attention to every the minuteft circumstance that may be the means of elucidating the darkness of the earlieft ages. The character we then gave of Mr. Bryant is ftill more ftrongly and copiously confirmed by the present work. The learning with which it abounds muft, at once, excite the notice of the most curfory Reader. Nothing in the ancient Greek and Roman literature, however recondite, or wherever difperfed, feems to have efcaped our Author's fagacious and diligent investigation.

But depth of erudition is far from being Mr. Bryant's fole praife. The elaborate production before us is equally distinguilhed for its ingenuity and novelty. In point of novelty, it is, indeed, fingularly ftriking. It departs from the commonly received fyftems, to a degree that has not yet been attempted, or thought of, by any men of learning; and even those who may entertain the greateft doubts, concerning the truth and folidity of fome things which are here advanced, will be ready to allow that feveral parts of the Author's fcheme are highly probable, and that other parts of it have a very plaufible appearance. His hypothefis is, therefore, undoubtedly deferving of an attentive examination.

It muft, at the fame time, be acknowledged, that the subject undertaken by Mr. Bryant is uncommonly difficult. It is one of the most abftrufe and intricate fubjects which antiquity presents to us; and it lies fo open to conjecture, that it must neceffarily be involved in no fmail degree of uncertainty. The information concerning it, muft be collected from a vast number of incidental paffages, obfervations, and affertions scattered through ancient Authors, who were themselves imperfectly acquainted with what they wrote about, and whom it is almost impoffible to reconcile.

Perhaps the greateft light that can be thrown upon fome of the enquiries Mr. Bryant is engaged in, is that which is

See our account of his Obfervations and Enquiries relating to various parts of ancient Hiftory, in the 37th vol. of the Review. P. 346.

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afforded by Etymology. The method of proceeding by Etymology is, indeed, not a little hazardous. The ableft men have frequently failed in the application of it, and perfons of weak judgment have rendered it the fource of the most abfurd and groundless fancies. Hence fome have been induced wholly to difregard it, and have even treated it with the utmost contempt. But this has arifen from the want of a proper acquaintance with the fubject. Those who have fuch a knowledge of the oriental tongues, as to be capable of tracing them through the Greek, and Latin, and other languages, and who have attended to the names of things, which, in almoft every country, carry the marks of being derived from the Eaft, must be fenfible that a judicious ufe of the science of Etymology greatly tends to the elucidation of antiquity, and that it often leads to very important difcoveries. The fervice which has been rendered to Mr. Bryant by this fcience, is apparent in every part of his work,

Notwithstanding the difficulties attending our Author's de fign, and the uncertainty his fubject might be expected to be involved in, even after the best use that could be made of Ety. mology, and the fcattered paffages of ancient writers; fuch are the fagacity and diligence with which he has applied thefe helps, that he is firmly perfuaded of his having been fuccessful in clearing up the hiftory of the remoteft ages, and in throwing light upon objects which have hitherto been furrounded with darkness and error. Indeed, his fcheme is fo great, and the difcoveries he propofes to make are fo extraordinary, that we fhall be excufable in laying the contents of his preface fomewhat at large before our readers; that by this means they may have a more complete view of his intention, and be the better enabled to judge hereafter of the feveral steps by which he has conducted his undertaking.

It is my purpofe, fays Mr. Bryant, in the enfuing work, to give an account of the firft ages; and of the great events, which happened in the infancy of the world. In confequence of this, I fhall lay before the reader what the Gentile writers have faid upon this fubject, collaterally with the accounts given by Mofes, as long as I find him engaged in the general hiftory of mankind. By thefe means I fhall be able to bring furprizing proofs of thofe great occurrences, which the facred penman has recorded. And when his hiftory becomes more li mited, and is confined to a peculiar people, and a private dif penfation; I fhall proceed to fhew, what was fubfequent to his account after the migration of families, and the difperfion from the plains of Shinar.

Our Author aflerts, that when mankind were multiplied upon the earth, each great family had by divine appointment a

particular

particular place of destination, to which they retired; and in confirmation of this affertion, he refers to the teftimony of Eufebius, which is too late a teftimony to be confidered as decifive. However, though we may not be fo fully affured, as Mr. Bryant seems to be, that in this manner the first nations were conftituted, and kingdoms founded, we entirely agree with him, that great changes were foon effected, and that colonies went abroad without any regard to their original place of allotment. New eftablishments were foon made; from whence enfued a mixture of people and languages. Thefe are events of the highest confequence of which we can receive no intelligence, but through the hands of the Gentile writers.'

It has been obferved, continues our ingenious Author, by many of the learned, that fome particular family betook themfelves very early to different parts of the world; in all which they introduced their rites and religion, together with the cuftoms of their country. They reprefent them as very knowing and enterprizing; and with good reafon. They were the first, who ventured upon the feas, and undertook long voyages. They fhewed their fuperiority and addrefs in the numberless expeditions which they made, and the difficulties which they furmounted. Many have thought that they were colonies from Egypt, or from Phenicia; having a regard only to the fettlements which they made in the Weft. But I fhall fhew hereafter, that colonies of the fame people are to be found in the most extream parts of the Eaft: where we may observe the fame rites and ceremonies, and the fame traditional hiftories, as are to be met with in their other fettlements. The country called Phenicia, could not have fufficed for the effecting all that is attributed to these mighty adventurers. It is neceffary for me to acquaint the reader, that the wonderful people, to whom I allude, were the defcendants of Chus; and called Cuthites, and Cufeans. They stood their ground at the general migration of families; but were at last scattered over the face of the earth. They were the first apoftates from the truth; yet great in worldly wisdom. They introduced, wherever they came, many ufeful arts; and were looked up to, as a fuperior order of beings: hence they were filed heroes, dæmons, heliadæ, macarians. They were joined in their expeditions by other nations; efpecially by the collateral branches of their family, the Mizraim, Caphtorim, and the fons of Canaan. These were all of the line of Ham, who was held by his pofterity in the highest veneration. They called him Amon: and having in process of time raised him to a divinity, they worshipped him as the fun : and from this worship they were ftiled Amonians. This is an appellation which will continually occur in the courfe of this work and I am authorized in the use of it from Plutarch;

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from whom we may infer that it was not uncommon among the fons of Ham.'

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Mr. Bryant informs us, that he fhould be glad to give the reader a ftill farther infight into the fyftem he is about to pursue, But fuch, fays he, is the fcope of my inquiries, and the purport of my determinations, as may poffibly create in him fome prejudice to my defign: all which would be obviated, were he to be carried ftep by step to the general view, and be made partially acquainted, according as the fcene opened. What I have to exhibit, is in great measure new: and I fhall be obliged to run counter to many received opinions, which length of time, and general affent, have in a manner rendered facred. What is truly alarming, I fhall be found to differ not only from fome few hiftorians, as is the cafe in common controverfy; but in fome degree from all and this in refpect to many of the most effential points, upon which hiftorical precifion has been thought to depend. My meaning is, that I must fet afide many fuppofed facts, which have never been controverted; and dispute many events, which have not only been admitted as true; but have been looked upon as certain æras, from whence other events were to be determined. All our knowledge of Gentile history muft either come through the hands of the Grecians; or of the Romans, who copied from them. I fhall therefore give a full account of the Helladian Greeks, as well as of the lonim, or Ionians, in Afia: alfo of the Dorians, Leleges, and Pelafgi. What may appear very prefumptuous, I fhall deduce from their own hiftories many truths, with which they were totally unacquainted; and give to them an original, which they certainly did not know. They have bequeathed to us noble materials, of which it is time to make a serious ufe. It was their misfortune not to know the value of the data, which they tranfmitted, nor the purport of their own intelligence.'

Our learned Author goes on to acquaint us, that it will be one part of his labour to treat of the Phenicians, whofe hiftory has been much mistaken; and alfo of the Scythians, whofe origal has been hitherto a fecret: and he hopes that many good confequences will enfue from fuch an elucidation. He intends to fay a great deal about the Ethiopians, the Indi, and the Indo-Scythæ and to exhibit an account of the Cimmerian, Hyperborean, and Amazonian nations, as well as the people of Cholchis. There is no writer, who has written at large of the Cyclopians. Yet their history is of great antiquity, and abounds with matter of confequence. He propofes, therefore, to treat of them very fully, and of the great works which they performed; and to fubjoin an account of the Leftrigons, Lamii, ad Sirens.

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