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eople, fome fay, from 30 to 40,000. The action fted 16 hours. They first cut off the Bafha of Sidon, ho marched out as usual to fupply the pilgrims with rovisions; he was killed in the engagement; then ncy turned and attacked the caravan. The Emir ladgé, or commanding Basha, offered them 1000 urfes of money to defift; but they refused any terms, eing determined by a mere principle of revenge, or their tribes having been laid afide as conductors r guards to the caravan, and others fubftituted in heir place; and it is thought the removal of their avourite, Ezade-Basha, from that poft to Aleppo, ad alfo fome share in it. At the return to Damafcus f the fugitive foldiery, who convoyed the caravan, hose in the town rose up in arms against them, as raitors to their faith; a great flaughter enfued, and ontinued fome time; but there are advices fince, hat all is quieted there. The Basha of the caravan ed to Gaza, with about 15 or 16 of his people, and is thought he will lofe his head. The riches oft to many cities of this empire, which are either aken by the Arabs, or difperfed in the deferts, are computed to amount to an immenfe fum, as they are upplied from India with all forts of valuable merhandize, fpices, &c. by that canal. A like accident happened in the year 1694, under Ahmed the 2d." mer instances of the fame kind have happened fince; - are alfo recorded in the London Gazette; but I not recollect the dates, and at present have not the ection of Gazettes to apply to upon this occafion. conftantly have the Arabs maintained the fame spirit all ages; and there is no power that can effectually troll them. Armies have been fent against parties the Arabians, but without success. These freeters have commonly been too cunning for their enees; and when it was thought that they were well nigh Founded and taken, they have still escaped out of their (Gen. XVI. 12.) He will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him: and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

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But though the Arabians should escape out of his hands, yet Egypt should not escape, but fall under his dominion together with the adjoining countries. He shall ftretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt Thall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of filver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his Steps. (ver. 42, 43.) We read, faith (5) Jerome, that Antiochus did these things in part: but what follows relating to the Lybians and Ethiopians, our doctor's affert, agrees better with Antichrift; for Antiochus did not pofsess Lybia and Ethiopia. Theodoret too (6) affirms, that these things alfo by no means fit Antiochus, for he neither poffeffed Lybia, nor Ethiopia, nor even Egypt itself. This prophecy then cannot belong to Antiochus; and indeed the proper application is to the Othman emperor. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: This implies that his dominions should be of large extent; and he hath stretched forth his hand upon many, not only Afian and European, but likewife African countries. Egypt in particular was destined to fubmit to his yoke: And the land of Egypt shall not escape; but he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of filver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the conquest of Egypt with the neighbouring countries follows next in order after the conquest of Judea with the neighbouring countries, as in the prophecy, so likewife in hiftory. The Othman emperor Selim (7) having routed

(5) Hæc Antiochum ex parte feciffe legimus. Sed quod fequitur, per Libyas et Æthiopias tranfibit, magis noftri afferunt Antichrifto convenire. Antiochus enim Libyam quam plerique Africam intelligunt, Æthiopiamque non. tenuit. Hieron. ibid.

Αιθιοπιας εκρατησαν, τε δε αυλης της Αιγυπλε. Et hæc item minime conveniunt Antiocho: qui neque Libya, neque Æthiopia, neque etiam ipía Ægypto potitus est. Theod. ibid. p. 691.

(7) Prince Cantemir's Hift. in

routed and flain Gauri fultan of Egypt in a battle near Aleppo, became master of all Syria and Judea. He then marched into Egypt against Tumanbai the new fultan, whom alfo having vanquished and taken prifoner, he barbaroufly ordered him to be hanged before one of the gates of Cairo: and fo put an end to the government of the Mamalucs, and established that of the Turks in Egypt. The prophecy fays particularly, that he should have power over the treasures of gold and of filver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: And hiftory informs us, that (8) when Cairo was taken, "the Turks rifled the " houses of the Egyptians, as well friends as foes, and " fuffered nothing to be locked up or kept private from "them: and Selim caused 500 of the chiefeft families " of the Egyptians to be transported to Conftantinople, as likewife a great number of the Mamalucs wives and children, befides the fulan's treasure and other vast "riches." And fince that time, it is impossible to fay what immenfe treasures have been drained out of this rich and fertil, but oppressed and wretched country. The prophecy says farther, that fome others alfo of the African nations should fubmit to the conqueror, the Libyans and the Ethiopians should be at his steps: And we read in hiftory, that (9) after the conquest of Egypt, "the terror of Sclim's many victories now fpreading

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wide, the kings of Afric bordering upon Cyreniaca, "sent their ambaffadors with proffers to become his "tributaries. Other more remote nations also towards

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Ethiopia were easily induced to join in amity with the "Turks." At this present time also many places in Africa befides Egypt, as Algiers, Tunis, &c. are under the dominion of the Turks. One thing more is obfervable with regard to the fate of Egypt, that the particular prophecy coincides exactly with the general one, as it did before in the instance of Arabia. It was foretold by Ezekiel, (XXIX. 14. ΧΧΧ. 12.) that Egypt should always be a base kingdom, and fubject to strangers; and here it is foretold, that in the latter times it should be made a province to the Turks, as we fee at this day.

Rycaut. Vol. I. p. 240, &c. Pauli Jovii Hift. Lib. 18. et Rerum Turc. Comment. in Selymo. Leunclav. Annales Turc. p. 341. Edit. Paris. p. 265. Edit. Venet. Pandect. Hift. Ture, Cap. 207, &c.

(8) Savage, ibid. p. 246, et 248. Paulii Juvii Hift. Lib. 18.

(9) Savage, ibid. p. 248. Ipfique Africæ reges Cyreniace finitimi, qui

pendere tributa, et Sulthanis certo fædere parere confueverant, legationes destinabant. Omnefque hæ gentes, quæ ad Æthiopiam vergunt, ficuti amicitiam potius, quam imperium Sulthanorum agnofcebant, ita victoriæ fama perductæ, in Turcarum fidem facile concessere. Paulii Jovii Hist. Lib. 18. p. 1062 et 1065. Edit Gryph. 1561.

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The two next, which are the two last verses of this chapter, I conceive, remain yet to be fulfilled. But tidings out of the east, and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace, or rather of his camp, between the feas in the glorious holy mountain, or as it is in the margin the mountain of delight and holiness; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (ver. 44, 45.) Prideaux (1) and other learned men as well as Porphyry and Grotius, refer this passage to Antiochus; and to his hearing of the revolt of the provinces in the east, and of Artaxias in the north; and to his going forth therefore in great anger and with a great army to reduce them to obedience. But if this part might be fitly applied to Antiochus, yet how could he be faid afterwards to plant the tabernacles of his camp between the feas in the glorious holy mountain; for he returned no more into Judea, but died in that eaftern expedition? Porphyry therefore (2) confiders the word Aphedno, which we tranflate his palace or his camp, as the proper name of a place fituated between the two great rivers, Tigris and Euphrates: But as Jerome replies, he cannot produce any history, wherein mention is made of any fuch place; neither can he fay which is the glorious and holy mountain; befide the folly of interpreting

(1) Prideaux Connect. Part 2. B. 3. Anno 164. Houbigant in locum, &c. &c. Porphyr. apud Hieron. Col. 1133. Grotius in locum. Nuntius belli a Partho et Armenio. Parthi ad orientem Antiocho, Armenii ad Septentrionem. De Partho teftimonium habemus Taciti, ubi de Judæis agit, "Rex Antiochus demere superstitionem et mores Græcorum dare adnixus, quo minus teterrimam gentem

in melius mutaret, Parthico bello prohibitus eft."

(2) Aphedno, qui inter duo latif. sima situs eft flumina, Tigrim et Euphratem. Quumque hucufque procefserit, in quo monte inclyto cederit, et fancto, dicere non poteft: quanquam inter duo maria eum fediffe probare non potest: et stultum fit duo Mesopotamiæ flumina, duo maria interpretari. Hieron. Col. 1133.

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two seas by two rivers. Father Houbigant (3) understands it as the name of a place fituated in the mountains, in which mountains the book of Maccabees relates Antiochus to have died. This place, says he, was between two feas, namely the Cafpian and Euxine, in Armenia itself, where Artaxias prepared rebellion. But neither doth he procure any authority for his affertions. Where doth he read of any fuch place as Aphedno between the Cafpian and Euxine feas? Where doth he read that Antiochus died in the mountains of Armenia? The book of Maccabees, which he allegeth, teftifieth no fuch thing. Both the (4) books of Maccabees agree, that Antiochus died returning out of Perfia, through Babylon according to the first book, through Echatana according to the fecond, in the mountains indeed, but it is not faid in what mountains. Antiochus was victorious in Armenia, and did not die there. Befides, with what propriety could any mountain in Armenia be called the glorious holy mountain? Theodotion and Aquila too (5) render it Aphedanos the proper name of a place, as doth Jerome alfo, who taketh it for a place near Nicopolis, which formerly was called Emmaus. Indeed if it be the name of any place, it must be fome place in the holy land; because in the Pfalms (CVI. 24.) the pleasant land, in Jeremiah (III. 19.) the pleasant land, the goodly heritage, and in Ezekiel (XX. 6.) the glory of all lands, and constantly throughout the book of Daniel, the pleasant land, (VIII. 9.) the glorious land (XI. 16.) and again the glorious land (ver. 41.) are appellatives of the holy land; and fo confequently the glorious holy mountain must be Sion, or Olivet, or fome mountain in the holy land, which lieth between the feas, (6) the Dead Sea on the

(3) Accipimus Aphedno, ut nomen loci, in montibus narrat liber Machabæorum Antiochum occidiffe. Hic locus erat inter duo maria, nimirum mare Cafpium et Pontum Euxinum, in Armenia ipfa, ubi rebellionem parabat Artaxias. Houbigant in locum.

(4) 1 Macc. IV, 4. 2 Macc. IX. 2, 28.

(5) Theodotio: Et figet tabernacu

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lum fuum in Aphedano inter maria. Aquila: Et plantabit tabernaculum prætorii fui in Αφαδανῳ inter maria. Aphedno juxta Nicopolim, que prius Emmaus vocabatur. Hieron. Col. 1134.

(6) Inter duo maria, mare videlicet quod nunc appellatur Mortuum ab oriente, et mare Magnum. Hieron Col. 1134.

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