DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE MAPS. TERRA VETERIBUS NOTA, facing the title. GRECIA ANTIQUA, at page 207.

ITALIA ANTIQUA, at page 326.

ROMANUM IMPERIUM, at page 441.

BRITANNIA ANTIQUA, at page 574.

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1. The HISTORY of ENGLAND: containing the most striking Events from the earliest Period to the reign of George the Fourth. New edition.

2. GEOGRAPHY of ENGLAND and WALES, containing a Description of the Situation, Extent, Divisions, Population, Soil, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Canals, and Islands; also, the Religion, Literature, Government, &c.

3. The HISTORY of IRELAND: containing an Outline of the principal events, from the earliest period to the present time.

4. The GEOGRAPHY of IRELAND: containing an accurate description of its Situation, Extent, Population, Soil, Trade, Manufactures, &c.

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8. The GEOGRAPHY of FRANCE: containing an accurate Description of the Situation, Extent, Divisions, Antiquities, Soil, Trade, Manufactures, &c. 9. The HISTORY of GREECE: describing the most striking Events, from the earliest Ages, till Greece became a Roman Empire.

"The Histories of Greece and Rome convey much classical information."-Gent Mag. 10. The ANTIQUITIES of GREECE: containing the Manners Customs, &c. of the Ancient Greeks.

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14. UNIVERSAL HISTORY: containing a concise Account of the most striking Events, from the earliest Ages to the present Time.

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22. FRENCH GRAMMAR: chiefly intended as an easy Introduction to Hamel's and Levizac's Grammars. By M. A. GOMBERT, editor of the "French Dramas, with Notes, &c."

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27. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. By C. MACKENZIE.

ANCIENT HISTORY.

From the Creation to the Confusion of Tongues.

THE Sacred Writings give no particular description of the first creation of the heaven and the earth. Nor, indeed, was any other account requisite, than to inform mankind, that they were created by the immediate power of God. Suffice it, therefore, to observe, that, at the sovereign command of the Almighty, the cheerful light of day appeared; the firmament expanded, to divide the upper from the lower waters; the congregated floods retired to their destined bed; the dry land was crowned with a rich profusion of herbage, fruits, and flowers; the waters were replenished with an abundant variety of fish ; the odoriferous air was fanned by the pinions of innumerable birds; the verdant meads were stocked with cattle; and every part of the earth was inhabited by its appropriate tribes. To complete, and truly to excel the whole, God created man of the dust of the ground, and infused into his body the breath of life, or immortality; in consequence of which, man became a living soul. The Almighty, also, formed woman out of the side of the man, whom he cast into a profound slumber for that purpose.

(B. C. 4004.) Having thus produced an exquisite and a beautiful system from an unformed chaos, God placed the man and his wife, whom he named Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden, and gave them instructions to dress and to keep it. He allowed them the free use of the fruit with which the garden abounded, with the exception of a particular tree, which was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and of which if they presumed to eat, they would incur the penalty of inevitable death. Contrary, however, to the divine injunction, the woman, deceived by the subtlety of the serpent, ate of the forbidden fruit, and afterwards enticed her husband to participate in her crime. From that moment innocence

forsook the human bosom. For this action, the Almighty cursed the serpent above all beasts; condemned the woman to be subject to her husband, and to bring forth children in sorrow; and doomed Adam to till the earth, and to procure from it his sustenance by daily and painful exertion, and to return to the dust from whence he was originally taken. He then compelled them to quit the confines of Paradise, and placed at the entrance a cherubim, with a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the passage to the tree of life.

(B. C. 4004.) Cain, the eldest son of Adam, was born in the first year of the world; and Abel, his brother, the year following. The former was gloomy and avaricious; the latter virtuous and ingenuous. Cain undertook the labours of husbandry, and Abel preferred the care of the flocks. God having accepted the sacrifice of Abel, and disregarded that of Cain, the latter, transported with rage and envy, killed his brother.

(B. C. 3875.) On account of the perpetration of this horrid deed, the Almighty condemned Cain to become a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth; and he imprinted on his person a particular mark, as a token that no one should molest him, under pain of incurring a sevenfold punishment.

Soon after the tragical effect of Cain's resentment, his afflicted parents were consoled by the birth of Seth, whose descendants were for a long time distinguished by their piety and wisdom, and were honoured with the appellation of the sons of God. At length, however, they contracted alliances with the daughters of Cain, whose vices and profligacy of manners they gradually adopted. At last, the wickedness of mankind became so great, that the earth was literally filled with violence, and God determined to destroy the whole world.

But, notwithstanding the general corruption, one man was found perfect in his generation, and walking humbly with his God. This was Noah, a descendant from Seth, who, with his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, "found grace in the eyes of the Lord." The venerable patriarch received instructions from God to build an ark, or vessel, which might contain his own family and such a quantity of animals, of every species, as might replenish the earth after the deluge. (B. C. 2348.) In the year of the world 1656, Noah and his family, with

all kinds of birds, beasts, and reptiles, by pairs and by sevens, entered the ark; and God opened the windows of heaven, and poured the inundating torrents on the earth for forty days and forty nights without intermission. The waters increased gradually during five months, and overwhelmed all mankind, except those who were in the ark, and who, after being inclosed in this vessel, during the space of three hundred and sixty-five days of our present computation, came forth in pursuance of the divine command.

(B. C. 2347.) Impressed with the most lively gratitude to the author and preserver of his existence, Noah, immediately upon his landing, erected an altar upon mount Ararat, where the ark rested, and offered a burnt sacrifice of every clean beast and of every clean fowl. This act of piety was highly pleasing to God, who graciously affirmed, that he would no more curse the earth for man's sake; but that, on the contrary, it should retain all its privileges, and enjoy an uninterrupted succession of seasons, till the period of its final destruction. As a token of his inviolable decree, the Almighty promised to set his bow in the clouds when it rained, that the posterity of Adam might look upon it, and contemplate the effects of his sovereign mercy.

1

The Creator of the universe bestowed the warmest blessings and the most inestimable marks of affection on Noah, who descended from the mountain, applied himself to husbandry, and planted a vineyard. Having drunk too freely of the juice of the grape, he became intoxicated, and lay carelessly uncovered within his tent. In this situation he was discovered by Ham, the father of Canaan, who made him the subject of derision; but Shem and Japhet being modest, and tender of the patriarch's honour, covered him with a garment. In return for this, they were remunerated with an ample blessing, whilst the posterity of Ham were loaded with the most dreadful

curses.

(B. C. 1998.) Japhet, who was the eldest son of Noah, was pathetically blessed by that patriarch, for his pious behaviour, in the following terms: "God shall enlarge Japhet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant." This prophecy has been fully accomplished in the great possessions which fell to the posterity of Japhet in different parts of the