of fome Difpute, and a Question may be made, whether they were not known and in ufe before the Ages affigned by that ingenious Writer; and yet as to Stirrups, I know 'tis generally believed and afferted by moft Antiquarians, that they were entirely unknown to former Ages, because there appears nothing of them in the oldeft Equeftrian Statues that at prefent remain. But perhaps it may with the fame Reafon be faid, that thofe ancient Worthies had no Eyes in their Heads, becaufe thefe are never exprefs'd in Statues or Buftoes, by the Chiffel of the Sculptor. But I make no doubt but the Ancients had fuch Helps and Conveniences to get up on horfeback, which might be put on or off as Occafion required, and as is now the Practice in the Academies or Riding-fchools in Town, where young Gentlemen are obliged for about two Months, to give them a firm Seat, to ride without Stirrups, which, after that, are put on to the Saddle again. So that the ancient Stirrups not being, like ours, fixed to the Saddle, 'tis no Wonder they are not feen in the Equeftrian Statues of the Ancients: Of this Kind I take to have been the αναβολεύς mentioned by Suidas in his Lexicon, where he faith the Word not only fignifies Iron, by the Help of in * By the fame Reafon it might be faid that they did not, ancient Times, fhoe their Horfes, because nothing of this appears in the oldell Equeftrian Statues. But if we confider the Nature and Make of the ancient Roman Roads, which confifted of hard broad Stones, a Foot and a half every way, (as appears by the Remains of the Via Appia, which have now lafted 1800 Years) their Horses Feet, without this Help and Defence, must prefently have been broken and fhatter'd to pieces. Befides, Suetonius, in the Life of Nero, mentions it as a Piece of Luxury and Extravagance in Poppea Sabina, the Wife of that Emperor, that the ordered her fineft Hories to be fhoed with Gold, and the others with Silver, Legimus Poppeam delicatioribus fuis Jumentis foleas ex auro, aliis autem ex argento induiffe," which the would never have thought of, it Shoeing had not been commonly practifed in those Days. "6. which they mounted their Horses, but alfo the Servant or Perfon that ufed to help them to get up. You will fay perhaps, Sir, that Suidas lived under the two Brother Emperors Bafilius and Conftantine, about the tenth Century, and therefore is a very modern Writer, and fuits with the Age that is alfigned by our Critic for this Invention. I own it. But Suidas in this very Place quotes a very ancient Author, who faith that Mafinia, tho' he was very old, was fo active and vigorous, that he could mount his Horse to the laft, without the Help of a Stirrup, which, if true, will carry the Invention very high, to the very time of Scipio, that is, about 550 Years from the Building of Rome, which was by no means a dark and ignorant Age. In Confirmation of this, there is ftill to be feen at Rome a very ancient Infcription, or rather an Epitaph of a young Lover, who, willing to fhew his Dexterity in managing a Horfe, and his Skill in riding before his Miftrefs, fell from his Horfe, and his Foot being entangled in the Stirrup was unfortunately kill'd upon the Spot. The Infcription is fo moving that I have inferted it here in the Margin. But what fets the Point beyond Difpute, as to the Antiquity of this Inftrument, is the Teftimony of the great Caufabon, who faith Stirrups are often mentioned by the most ancient Writers among the Jewish D. M. Quifquis lecturus accedis Cave fi amas; at fi non Nihil; aft ego, tam dulce anhelans, Memet incaute perdidi, & amor fuit. Durmiona Puellæ virgunculæ Summa pol curia placere cuperem, Cafe decidens, pes hæfit ftrapiæ, Fractus interii. In rem tuam mature propera. grinding of Corn, and preparing To reconcile these two Accounts, I thefe Machines which, fince the had been loft and forgot, were reout again by that General at Rome. vention may, I conceive, be carer. 'Tis certain that Strabo, who the Empire of Tiberius, fpeaks of a jet d'eau in Armenia; and Vin a particular Description of these enth Book. But what clears up the Difpute, and fettles the very Age , is a pretty Epigram † of Antilonia, who lived in the Time of wherein he tells the Women of his Rebus deperditis. Ερα μυλαῖον 'Αλετρίδες, ένδετε μακράν μισι χερῶν ἐπεπείλατο μόχθος. τι, οδ ακτίνεσσιν έλικταις Time, Time, that they may now lie a Bed and hear the Cocks crow, and the Morning Birds fing, and that they need not rise fo early now to grind their Corn, fince Ceres had ordered that painful Work to be done by the Naiades, or Water-Nymphs, who, in Obedience to her Commands, raifing themselves up, force the Waters to the Top of a Wheel, give Motion to an Axis, which turns the grinding Stones with fuch a Force, as to break and grind the Corn, and prepare it for the Oven; fo that we are now returned to thofe happy and golden Days, when we may joyfully reap the Gifts of Ceres, and without Pain and Labour enjoy the Fruits of the Earth. Which Paffage I conceive may prove, beyond Difpute, that these Water-Engines are not of fo late and modern a Date, nor the Invention of a barbarous and ignorant Age, as this learned Man pretends, but were first found out and practised in the Time of Auguftus, which is allowed to be one of the moft refined and polite Ages of the World. The laft Invention I shall speak of, is that of the Sea-Compass, which, no doubt, is of vaft Ufe and Advantage to Mankind, to direct them in their Voyages at Sea. Thales, a very ancient Philofopher, who lived in the 35th Olympiad, had indeed difcovered the Polar Star, the Urfa Minor, or the leffer Bear, by which they might direct their Course ; but as in a bright and clear Day, and in a dark and cloudy Night, they were deprived of that Advantage, and obliged to fteer along the Coaft, they spent as many Years in a Voyage at Sea, as Sailors now do Months in performing the fame. But who firft discovered this Secret, and in what Country it was found out, is by no means eafy to fettle and determine, fince almost all Nations have put in their Claim for the Honour of it. The Venetians pretend, that Paulus Venetus, their Countryman, finding it in China, brought it Science. The French have alfo put for the Honour of this Invention, und upon an obfcure Fragment of ; that does not, by any Means, O to the Point, and which they enirm by another Argument full as. tain, namely, that the Flower-deof France, always marks that Point - which directs the Needle to the nce 'tis likely this at firft was only , in his Memoirs and Remarks upon China, faw an Eclipfe, they were terribly alarmthe Earth was going to be fuddenly invel nefs: They made a Noite all abroad, to be gone. It is to this Animal that they appearances of the Stars; which come to fe the celeftial Dragon being hunger bit, he Sun, or Moon, faft between its Teeth, levour them. And from fuch Phænomena Calamities ready to fall upon them. Poor, Ho not confider, that it is not the fenfible s that rules our Destinies here below, but m an Higher over-ruling Power; and that es are written in that myfterious Book of ce, which, before all Ages, has determined E this World. Le Compte Memoir. p. 488. the |