Ifrael, being the days of those that are embalmed Thus the two greek writers are reconciled; and they and Scripture mutually explained and fupported by one another:

But if it should be faid, that tho' Moses here inentions embalming, yet the practice was not so common as the greek historians represent it, 'till many ages after; I reply, that the company of Ishmaelitish merchants with their camels bearing fpicery, balm, and myrrh to carry down into Egypt', clearly shews, that embalming was aç this time become a general practice.

a

On the whole, what stronger evidence can aný. one require of a rich and powerful monarchy, than what hath been here given ?-Scripture, describes Egypt under that condition, in the times of the Patriarchs, and the egression of their pofterity: the greek writers not only subscribe to this high antiquity, but support their testimony by a minute detail of customs and manners then in use, which could belong only to a large and well policied kingdom; and these again are distinctly confirmed by the circumstantial history of Moses.

But it is not only in what they agree, but likewife in what they differ, that sacred and profane accounts are mutually supported; and the high antiquity of Egypt established. To give one instance: Diodorus expresly tells us, that the lands were divided between the king, the priests, and the soldiery'; and Moses (speaking of the egyptian famine and its effects) as expressly says that they were divided between the king, the priests, and the

8 Gen. xxxvii. 25.

i L. i. Bibl.

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people.

people". Now as contrary as these two accounts look, it will be found, upon comparing them, that Diodorus fully fupports all that MOSES hath delivered concerning this matter. Moses tells us, that before the famine, all the lands of Egypt were in the hands of the king, the priests, and the people; but that this national calamity made a great revolution in property, and brought the whole poffeffions of the people into the king's hands; which muft needs make a prodigious acceffion of power to the crown. But Jofeph, in whom the offices of minifter and patriot fupported each other, and jointly concurred to the public fervice*, prevented, for fome time, the ill effects of this acceffion, by his farming out the new domain to the old proprietors, on very eafy conditions. We may well fuppofe this wife difpofition to continue till that new king arofe, who knew not Joseph'; that is,

" GEN. xlvii.

X

Nothing can be more unjuft or abfurd than the accufation of Joseph's making the free monarchy of Egypt defpotic: for allowing it did indeed at this time fuffer fuch a revolution, who is to be esteemed the author of it but Pharaoh himself? Jofeph "indeed was prime minifter; but it does not appear that his mafter was of that tribe of lazy monarchs, who intrust their fceptre to the hands of their fervants. Mofes describes him as active, vigilant, jealous of his authority, anxious for his country, and little indulgent to his officers of ftate. But the terms in which he invests Jofeph in his office, fhew that office to be purely ministerial: Thou fralt be over my boufe, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled, ONLY IN THE THRONE WILL I BE GREATER THAN THOU. [GEN. xli. 40.] i. e. thou fhalt adminifter juftice, but I will referve to myself the prerogative of giving law. It is highly reafonable therefore, when we find, in fo concife a hiftory as the mofaic, Jofeph bidding the people give their money, their cattle, and their lands for bread, to fuppofe that he only delivered to them the words of Pharaoh, who would fupply their wants on no other conditions.

would obliterate his memory, as averfe to his fyftem of policy, He, as appears from Scripture, greatly affected a defpotic government; to, fupport which, he first established, as I collect, a ftanding militia: and endowed it with the lands formerly the people's; who now became a kind of Villains to this order, which resembled the Zaims and Timariots- of the turkish empire; and were obliged to perfonal fervice: this, and the priesthood, being the orders of nobility in this powerful empire; and fo confiderable they were, that out of either of them, indifferently, as we obferved before", their kings were taken and elected. Thus the property of Egypt became at length divided in the manner, the Sicilian relates: and it is remarkable, that from this time, and not till now, we hear in Scripture of a standing militia', and of the king's fix hundred chofen chariots, &c.

HE

SECT. IV.

AVING thus proved the high antiquity of Egypt from the concurrent teftimony of facred and profane hiftory; I go on, as I propofed, to evince the fame from internal evidence; taken from the original ufe of their fo much celebrated HIEROGLYPHICS.

But to give this argument its due force, it will be neceffary to trace up hieroglyphic writing to its original; which a general mistake concerning its

z In this fenfe is the phrafe frequently ufed in Scripture, as JUDGES ii. 10." And there arofe another generation after "them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which "he had done for Ifrael."-Here, knew not, can only fignify delpifed, fet at nought.

See the first vol.

F 3

b Exod. xiv. 8, 9.

primeval ufe, hath rendered extremely difficult. The mistake I mean, is that which makes the hieroglyphics to be invented by the egyptian priests, in order to hide and fecrete their wifdom from the knowledge of the vulgar: a mistake which hath involved this part of ancient learning in much obfcurity and confufion.

I.

Men foon found out two ways of communicating their thoughts to one another; the firft by SOUNDS, and the second by FIGURES: for there being frequent occafion to have their conceptions either perpetuated, or communicated at a diftance, the way of figures or characters was next thought upon, after founds (which were momentary and confined) to make their conceptions lasting and extenfive.

-

This is the general fentiment of Antiquity; and as generally embraced by modern writers. Kircher makes it the foundation of his Theatrum Hieroglyphicum, and fo confequently hath written a large volume full of the most vifionary interpretations. The great principle, he goes upon, as he himself tells us, is this: Hieroglyphica Ægyptiorum doctrina nihil aliud eft, quàm Arcana de Deo, divinifque Ideis, Angelis, Dæmonibus, cæterifque mundanarum poteftatum claffibus ordinibufque scientia, SAXIS potiffimùm infculpta. Oedipus Egyptiacus, tom. iii. P. 4. Dr. Wilkins follows the received opinion in the general divifion of his fubject, in his Effay towards a real character: For fpeaking of notes for fecrecy, fuch (fays he) were the egyptian bieroglyphics. Yet he adds, with his ufual penetration, it feems to me queflionable whether the Egyptians did not at first use their hieroglyphics as a mere fhift for the want of letters, as was done by the Mexicans, p. 12.- -And this was all his fubject led him to fay of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Servius had gone further, and afferted the priority of hieroglyphics without a doubt. Annus enim fecundum Ægyptios indicabatur, ante inventas teras, picto dracone caudam fuam mordente. apud Virg. Æn. 1. v. ver. 85.

The

The first and most natural way of communicating our thoughts by marks or figures, is by tracing out the images of things. So the early people, to exprefs the idea of a man or horfe, delineated the form of thofe animals. Thus the firft effay towards writing was a mere picture.

I. We fee an example of this amongst the MEXICANS, whofe only method of recording their laws and hiftory, was by a picture-writing". Jofeph Acofta tells us, that, when the inhabitants of the fea fhore fent expreffes to Montezuma with news of the first appearance of the spanish navy on their coafts, the advices were delineated in large paintings, upon cloth. The fame writer gives us, in another place, a more particular account of this fort of painting: "One of our company "of Jefus (fays he) a man of much experience "and difcernment, affembled in the province of "Mexico the Ancients of Tufcuco, Tulla, and "Mexico; who, in a long conference held with "him, fhewed him their records, hiftories, and

In diffetto di lettere ufarono gl' ingegnofi Mexicani figure, e Geroglifici, per fignificar le cofe corporee, che han figura; e per lo rimanente, altri caratteri propri e in tal modo fegnavano, a prò della pofterità, tutte le cofe accadute. Per ragion d'efemplo per fignificare l'entrata degli Spagnuoli dipinfero un' uomo col cappello, e coila vefte roffa, nel fegno di Canna ch' era proprio di quell' anno. Giro del Mondo de Dottor D. Gio Fr. Gemelli Careri, tom. fefto. Ar°. Nuova Spagna, cap. vi. p. 37.

e-Quando era cafo de importancia lleuauana a los Señores de Mexico pintado el negocio de que les querian informar; como lo hizieron quando aparecieron los primeros navios de Españoles, y quando fueron a tomar a Toponchan. Acfta's hift. of the Indies, Madr. 1608. 4. lib. vi. cap. 10. - - Con efle recado fueron a Mexico los de la cofta lleuando pintado en unos paños todo quanto auian vifto, y los navios, y hombres, y fu figura, y juntamente las piedras que les auian dado. lib. vii. cap. 24.